Blog Tour: Sky by Ondine Sherman

Welcome to my blog and my stop on the Sky blog tour!

Sky by Ondine Sherman is a young adult contemporary book which tackles many issues young adult authors have shyed away from in the past. It considers veganism and the struggles that come with that, animal rights, coming to terms with the death of a parent and trying to fit into a new town.

The synopsis is as follows:

After her mother’s death, Sky leaves her city life to move in with her aunt and uncle in a small Australian town. When her mum was alive, Sky knew who she was: a kind hearted and full of a passion for justice, especially the rights of animals. She was also a vegan whose hero was Jane Goodall. And until recently, she preferred the company of dogs to boys. But being vegan and trying to fit in to her new home isn’t easy. Her aunt has forgotten she doesn’t eat meat, and Sky is desperately lonely without her mother and friends. It seems the only way to fit in and make friends is to pretend to be someone she’s not.

When Sky starts to investigate the local chicken farm for a school project, the cruelty she witnesses goes to the very heart of who she is. She knows she has to do something, but what? Can one single act really make a difference? 

Let’s start off with the characters. I thought the inclusion of a vegan protagonist was a great idea, but the execution I did struggle with a little. I found Sky to be quite difficult. She had been through a lot in the past few months with the loss of her mum and with the move to the country to live with her aunt and uncle. Despite this, I still feel like she was very blunt towards her aunt. She was abrupt towards her because she forgot that she was vegan. I feel like Sky could have just told her that she didn’t eat meat because I’m sure it was just an honest mistake and that it wasn’t due to her not caring about her. Her aunt was also going through a very difficult time, losing her sister, struggling to make ends meet and conceive. I just wish that Sky was a little more understanding and could see that she was not the only one with problems in her life.

I found the parts of the book regarding her new friends interesting. All Sky wanted to do was fit in and that ultimately meant hanging out with the ‘cool’ kids. I enjoyed seeing Sky and her attempts to fit in with this group, while it did not eventuate in the end. This is an all too common situation in high schools, with students trying to fit a mould that they don’t fit and bringing it into the book made it more realistic. I was saddened when she was trying to fit in by not eating (where there were no vegan options), I feel like she should have been upfront about this but suppose that she felt she would not have been cool if she’d been honest about her views.

The animal rights arc within this book was extremely prominent and so critical to the main themes being conveyed. I applaud Sky for standing up for the chickens and for what she believed was right. Without her risky antics, the farm would never have been discovered as being unethical and she could live knowing that she made a difference to the lives of hundreds of animals. I feel like by using chickens as examples, you get two sides of an argument. Some people do not believe that having chickens in cages is animal cruelty while others do. If this had of been written with a more severe case of animal cruelty, you would not have been able to see two sides of an argument. Nevertheless, the book goes into great depth about the impact that the cages have upon the chickens and how they would benefit from being free from the cages.

I thought that this was a really eye opening book. This was the first book I’d ever read that is focused around animal rights and veganism. In young adult books, it is so important to consider new views and I feel like this book did it in a positive way. These are issues which are present in Australia today and I felt that Sherman has done an excellent job at portraying these to those who may not have been aware of them.

While I am not vegan, while reading this book I came to accept veganism and it increased my understanding of vegans and how they are so passionate about what they believe in and strive to make the world a better place. I would highly recommend this book to younger young adult readers as it is very easy to read and deals with complex issues that they might find easier to understand in a novel format. It places so much importance on veganism as a lifestyle choice and how Sky aims to stick to this despite numerous battles.

I rated this 3/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐

Sky is available for purchase now from all good booksellers in Australia

Thank you to Pantera Press and Aus YA Bloggers for providing me with a copy of the book for review purposes and for allowing me to participate in the blog tour!

 Happy reading J

Review: The Boy who Steals Houses

The Boy who Steals Houses is the second novel written by Australian author C.G. Drews. It is just as emotional as her first novel, A Thousand Perfect Notes (if you haven’t read it, please do yourself a favour and pick it up), but also focuses on so many other important issues that other authors seem to shy away from.

The synopsis is as follows:

Can two broken boys find their perfect home?
Sam is only fifteen but he and his autistic older brother, Avery, have been abandoned by every relative he's ever known. Now Sam's trying to build a new life for them. He survives by breaking into empty houses when their owners are away, until one day he's caught out when a family returns home. To his amazement this large, chaotic family takes him under their wing - each teenager assuming Sam is a friend of another sibling. Sam finds himself inextricably caught up in their life, and falling for the beautiful Moxie. 
But Sam has a secret, and his past is about to catch up with him.

Often it takes me a while to get into a book, but this novel had me captivated from the first few pages. Early on we learn that main character, Sam (Sammy) Lou and his brother Avery are both homeless. While Avery often gets by through couch surfing, Sam goes around breaking into people’s houses, whether they are on holiday or just out for the night, so that he has somewhere safe to stay. He collects the house keys from each house so it gives him a sense of hope that maybe one day he will have somewhere that he can call home. The story is told through both the present day and through a series of flashbacks. The flashbacks retell events which occurred between the boys and various family members over a number of years. The most difficult part I found to deal with was the domestic violence. The domestic violence that both him and Avery were subject to was difficult to read and how Sam in particular was treated by various people within his life was upsetting. Both boys had been through so much in life, they were well overdue for some happiness. Throughout the whole book, all I wanted to do was alleviate some of Sam’s pain.

One aspect of the book I really thought was well done was the Autism rep. All too often authors shy away from representing people with disabilities in their books but the character of Avery was so well done. The tics, panic attacks, need for routine and things to not change and being naïve are all things commonly associated with Autism and these were all represented in Avery. The one thing which stood out to me was his relationship with his ‘older’ friends and how they took advantage of him. This is all too common of people with Autism as all they want is to feel accepted. I loved seeing the relationship between Avery and Sam develop throughout the novel too. Even though Sam was the little brother, he was so protective of his older brother that he would do anything to ensure that he was safe. This was not only in the present time of the story, but through the flashbacks too.

While I absolutely loved every aspect of this book, what really stood out to me were the characters, not only Sam and Avery, but each member of the DeLainey family who appear after Sam is discovered in their house. Each DeLainey family member has their own quirks and it was great seeing them develop a relationship with Sam over time. Moxie was certainly a stand out and she was such a fun character to read about as she dared to be different. It was like reading about a regular family from the suburbs and it was so easy to relate to in that sense. I also really liked reading about the other characters who were key to the story, but who had a negative impact upon the main characters (I won’t go into detail as, spoilers). While these characters were awful to Sam and Avery, it was interesting to discover the reasons behind their actions and how these had an impact on the future.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Boy who Steals Houses. While it was an emotional rollercoaster which involved so many themes, ultimately it was the relationship between Sam and Avery which made this book so special. The brotherly bond was critical to the plot and withheld everything that was thrown at them over the years. So will Sam and Avery find a place to call home? You will need to read this beautiful piece of work to find out!

I rated this book: 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Boy who Steals Houses is released on the 9th of April in Australia

Thank you to the publishers, Hachette Australia, for providing me a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog tour: Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard

Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard

Publisher: PanMacmillan Australia 

Release Date: 12/2/19 (Australia)

RRP: $17.99

Rating: 4 and a half stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard is the second installment in the Beautiful Broken Things series. It continues two years after the original story as the three teenage girls from Brighton, Caddy, Rosie and Suzanne, begin to embark down different paths once they finish high school. While the first book was narrated by Caddy, Fierce Fragile Hearts is told from Suzanne's perspective as she moves back to Brighton and begins to come to terms with a range of issues which have been plaguing her for a number of years. This is the ultimate chance for Suzanne to start her life again, with those who have always been there for her through life's ups and downs.

I read Beautiful Broken Things a couple of years ago when it was released and my main issue with the book was Suzanne as a character. I found her to be difficult to understand with her flighty and spontaneous decisions and did not understand why she was so different. After immersing myself into Fierce Fragile Hearts, I have gained a greater understanding of her as a character and why she was so difficult to understand. By having a different narrator, the reader has the ability to come to understand another characters perspective which provides greater depth to the overall story. Fierce Fragile Hearts provides Suzanne with the opportunity to share her struggles and how they have impacted her over a number of years. These are still evident in the present day as she finds it extremely difficult to open up to those around her and wants to be independent yet is barely keeping herself together. I really enjoyed hearing Suzanne's story throughout the course of the book and the way the author wrote about her perspective. Barnard is not afraid to tackle complex issues including dealing with emotional and mental scarring from abuse and does so in a way that is believable.

One of the highlights of the book is how Suzanne comes to terms with her past and decides she wants to better herself for her future. She has been subject to trauma and abuse within her family which has a severe impact on her and how she goes about her daily life. This is something that so many people face throughout their lives and with the events she has been faced with previously, Suzanne wants to ensure they do not impact her future. She has been through so much in her 18 years and overall, this book focuses on her realising her flaws and wanting to overcome them independently. While she finds this is almost impossible to do as Suzanne comes to the realisation that she needs support from those around her, including her friends and (some) family. She is a fiercely strong character who shows determination in everything that she does, even if she does not believe in herself.

Another part of this book which is significantly important is friendship. Despite their differences, Caddy, Rosie and Suzanne are incredibly supportive of one another no matter the distance between them. While Caddy and Rosie head off to university in different areas of the country, the three of them keep in constant contact to ensure that they are always there for one another. There are difficulties that they face over time, but overall, friendship prevails. Another friendship I thoroughly enjoyed reading about was the one that was created between Suzanne and Dilys. While it was an unexpected friendship, Dilys was there for Suzanne when she needed someone the most and continued to be a shoulder to lean on when times got tough. She was an outsider who was able to look in and provide solid advice.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Fierce Fragile Hearts. It was a raw, honest and well written book with a focus on friendship and overcoming the struggles of abuse. Barnard has written in such a way that the reader becomes emotionally attached to the characters and is able to understand the issues they are facing. 

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with a copy of  the book to review and for the invitation to participate in the blog tour with AusYABloggers! 

Review: Romanov by Nadine Brandes

Romanov by Nadine Brandes is a work of historical fiction that will leave you clinging onto hope into the final pages of the text. It is a retelling of the Romanov family and Anastasia which is far more closely aligned to the real story than previous adaptations. Therefore, if you know history, you will know what to expect, to a degree. Regardless of this, Brandes is a magnificent story teller who has the power to weave a magical, cohesive narrative which is raw and emotive.

In this retelling, Antastasia (otherwise known as Nastya) is focused upon attempting to smuggle a spell, in the form of a Russian doll, into her suitcase while travelling on her way to exile in Siberia. But she has the head of the Bolshevik army on her tails and he is determined to see the back of herself, her family and all magic in Russia. Nastya, over time, has to make a big decision, whether to release the spell (which is a mystery to her) or come to terms with the consequences of her actions if she does not use it.

This book is full of action and magic, which keeps the reader occupied until the very last page. I thoroughly enjoyed how the author tried to keep as true to the real life events as possible, excluding the inclusion of magic, as it allows the reader to imagine life in Russia in 1918 and witness firsthand, the events which unfolded. While it is still a work of fiction, so many previous adaptations have twisted the story completely and I admire the author and how she aimed to keep it true with some new elements in between. One of those inclusions was the use of magic. By including magic, Brandes was able to add another layer to the plot which turned the narrative into not only a survival narrative, but one with the spirit of hope as well. Magic gave Nastya and the rest of the Romanov’s the hope they needed to get through the torturous exile they were subjected to. They all know that magic was well and truly alive in Russia and remained optimistic that it would have the ability to save them (as well as the white army).

The descriptions in this book were also extremely well done. The descriptions of setting made the reader feel as though they were there, in 1918 in Siberia/Russia. They were so detailed and vivid, giving further depth to the story. The characters were also very complex and well thought out. They each had their own personalities, strengths and weaknesses were made evident throughout the book. By having such detailed characters, the reader is able to understand them better and what may trigger their actions.

Another aspect of the book which really stood out was the strong bond that the Romanov family had. Despite being a large family and being royalty, the parents and siblings stuck together to ensure that they would have the emotional strength to overcome the Bolshevik’s. Though they were subjected to harsh living conditions and even stricter company, they remained optimistic that they would ultimately survive. The love that each of them had for one another was admirable, especially how they each doted on Alexei due to his disability. The development of the relationship between Nastya and Alexei was heart warming as she did everything she could for the tsarevitch.

One part of the book I thought was extremely well done was the slow development of the relationship between Nastya and Zash. Due to the circumstances that both characters were placed in, the pacing of this relationship was extremely important. Brandes created this relationship in such a way that it seemed incredibly natural which is rare in many books these days.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Romanov and the way it was beautifully written while it focused upon some of the darkest days of Russia’s history. It captured the raw, true events of the Romanov family, while intertwining some fictional elements as well. I would highly recommend for anyone who enjoys historical fiction or stories of survival, love and family.

4 Stars ★★★★

Romanov will be released on the 7^th of May 2019 in the United States and the 13^th of June 2019 in Australia

*I was kindly provided with a copy for review from the publishers, Thomas Nelson, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Circus Hearts All Aces

Today I will be reviewing the final instalment in the Circus Hearts Trilogy by Ellie
Marney: All Aces. Like the other two books in the series, this one follows two different characters and their story over a short period of time. We follow Ren, the contortionist, and Zep, the circus dubbed trouble maker, as they both attempt to come to terms with their own family troubles while juggling circus life and the issues it throws at them. This book takes place approximately a month after the second book and follows on with the story of the circus. Throughout the book, the two main characters have to deal with a number of issues that are thrown at them, including: injury, family expectations, avoiding criminal activity and romance. I will discuss some of these below.

I really enjoyed reading through the eyes of Ren as the narrator. Unlike the previous two books who had strong female narrators, Ren is more anxious and awkward, which made her point of view more interesting to read. At the beginning of the book, she is coming to terms with an injury which was sustained at the conclusion of the previous book when the circus was set on fire. She has been out of action due to difficulty with breathing and thinks she is ready to return to performing. Throughout the book, I admired Ren’s determination to return to form and be ready for performing again. While she may not have been ready to do so, she showed her utmost strength and determination to be a part of the team and not let them down even though she was still injured (and to more of an extreme than she first thought). Her countless hours of practice in her room were a prime example of this.

Another aspect of the book I like was the inclusion of Ren’s family. In the previous book, there was the father/daughter relationship between Fleur and Terry and mother/son between Marco and his mother. Both of these pairs were close by the end of the book and the parents were supportive of their child’s choices. In comparison, Ren’s parents differ. They are at the head of a very tight knit and loving family who want the best for their daughter. In this case though, they want their daughter to leave her home at the circus and work in Bali at her uncle’s hotel. While this wasn’t a huge story line within the book in comparison to others, I felt it had the largest impact. Ren wanted to impress her parents and made them proud but her mother had a one track mind of her moving away to work as she believed it would be a once in a life time opportunity. This situation is one so common in everyday life and its inclusion in the book makes it relatable to so many people.

In this final instalment in the series, I also loved hearing more from the ‘bad boy’ of the circus, Zep. In the second book, he was dubbed the trouble maker of the circus and criticised for bringing his personal problems into the circus. In this book, Marney shares another side of Zep that was less evident in the other books in the series. Zep is portrayed as a caring individual who wants to help out, while also remaining wary of his father and his henchmen. I enjoyed seeing Zep’s faith in himself grow throughout this book as he did not believe his skills were up to the standard to perform.

One other thing I found interesting was the relationship between Ren and Zep. At the beginning of the book, they barely know each other. The only real contact they had was Zep saving Ren from the fire. Then, very swiftly, they have fallen for one another through a series of events. While they seemed like quite an unconventional couple due to the difference in upbringings, Marney was able to easily develop a relationship between them that was believable and meaningful.

Overall, I did thoroughly enjoy this series and this final instalment. I loved seeing how the relationships were built, how they were adjusted and how problems were faced head on with great determination. If you are after a YA contemporary, circus book with romance, please don’t hesitate to check out this series!

I rated this book 3.5 Stars ★

This book is available for purchase from the Amazon as an e-book and will be released in paperback in December

(Thank you to Ellie Marney for providing me with a copy of the book in return for an honest review)

Review: The Enchanted Sonata

Good afternoon everyone,

Today I will be reviewing The Enchanted Sonata written by Heather Dixon Wallwork and providing you with my thoughts.

First of all, I would like to thank Netgalley and Smith Publicity for providing me with a copy of this for review purposes.

The Enchanted Sonata is a magical, whimsical book filled with gripping adventure and lovable characters. It is referred to as a retelling of The Nutcracker, which I have not read (so I am unable to draw on any comparisons between the two but will focus my attention solely on this retelling).

The synopsis is as follows:

Clara Stahlbaum has her future perfectly planned: marry the handsome pianist, Johann Kahler (ah!), and settle down to a life full of music. But all that changes on Christmas Eve, when Clara receives a mysterious and magical nutcracker. 

Whisked away to his world--an enchanted empire of beautiful palaces, fickle fairies, enormous rats, and a prince--Clara must face a magician who uses music as spells...and the future she thought she wanted. "The Enchanted Sonata," a retelling of The Nutcracker Ballet with a dash of The Pied Piper, will captivate readers of all ages.

I often lean towards retellings of classic tales as I love being immersed into imaginative, fairy tale lands and this is exactly what this book does to the reader. As you read through the pages, the author has created such a stunning, descriptive world where you feel like you are captivated within the story. While it is historical fiction and written at the conclusion of the 19^th Century, I could see the parallels between Clara and modern 15 year old girls. She was infatuated with Johann to the point it was almost a bit cringe-worthy all in innocent fun as she idolised him and his music. I feel like parallels can certainly be drawn between 15 year old girls in the modern time and how they may idolise a public figure.

I really loved being situated in the fantasy world of Imperia which reminded me of Russia, which it was clearly based upon. The landscape was described in such detail that it made you wish you were there. The snow filled city, the grand palace, the vast and ever-changing terrain made the adventure even more exciting as you did not know what to expect next. My favourite part of the book would have been the growing relationship between Clara and Nikolai. At first, Clara was quite hesitant towards the Nutcracker and was unsure how to take him. But as the plot progressed and as Clara realised her importance in the story, their relationship began to blossom as her trust of him also grew. Each of the relationships within the pages of this book are well thought out and while the book was short, they were each extremely well developed and you were able to come to love each and every one of the characters too. I also thought the inclusion of the villain’s story into the narrative gave his character more depth. You could come to understand why he was the way he was through these insights into his personal life and how certain situations caused him extreme grief. These interconnections with the overall plot were so well done and make you more aware of the history.

Something else that I adored was the use of the magical book. When Clara receives the book on Christmas Eve, she quietly begins reading its pages but little does she know that it is writing her story as she is situated within it. As events begin to play out, the book fills its pages with the adventures that she is subject to. I’m unsure whether this is part of the original story but I enjoyed reading every time she opened the book, how the plot had developed within it and her place within the story. Magic was such a central element to this book and it was strongly intertwined within the pages

Overall, this book was a glittery, magical, wintery ball of adventure and I would recommend it to people of all ages. It is a short book, but it encompasses so much within the pages and at no time was I bored or did the plot slow down. It was well paced in regards to both the world building, plot development and character development.  It is beautifully written, with well-rounded characters who encompass a wide range of personalities and a complex yet well-developed plot! I really hope that there is a sequel, while the author wrapped it up, I could see that a sequel could certainly be added!

I rated this: 4 stars

Where to buy: This book can be purchased from Amazon (US in paperback or e-book) and is available within Australia from the Amazon store as an e-book

Review: All Fall Down (Circus Hearts #2)

Good morning everyone and welcome back to my blog! Today I will be reviewing the second book in the Circus Hearts series called All Fall Down, by Ellie Marney.
If you haven't read my post on the first book, it may be beneficial to check that out first so you have the relevant background information.

The synopsis is as follows:

A ringmasters daughter and a bearded lady's son join forces to stop a saboteur. Nineteen year old Fleur Klatsch is loyal to her trapeze team and her ringmaster father, dedicated to the circus, and tough on everyone around her. After a series of accidents at Klatsch's Karnival, Fleur is left holding the ball: she's running the carnival, trying to stop a saboteur, and taking care of her dad. She doesn't need anyone's help, least of all Eugenia Deloren's son, Marco, who's been trying to break out of show life since the moment he was born into it. All Marco needs to do is get Klatsch's back on it's feet so he can leave. But after one fateful kiss with Fleur, will he really want to? And will Fleur and Marco figure out who's trying to kill the show before someone kills them...

Each of the Circus Hearts books follow two different characters but are set in the same place. I think this is a great concept, as like many series, we miss discovering more about the secondary characters. By having it written like this, we get to know more about a wider array of the characters, so it's not just focused on the same ones. Unlike the first installment, in this one we follow 'mean girl' Fleur as she comes to terms with the fall out of the events of the first book and deals with the challenges life throws at her. I will admit, I wasn't too keen when I first read the synopsis and saw it was written about Fleur. Fleur was my least favourite character in the first book, portrayed as being a 'spoilt brat' and getting everything that she wanted. But, this book did show a different side of her that I was not aware of. She is shown as being a kind and caring individual, who will do everything she can for those closest to her and in the circus family. After events that occur which heavily impact her and the circus family, she finds herself not only running the circus but looking after her father at all hours of the night. I loved seeing her relationship with her father develop throughout the book, as in the first book, it just seemed that Fleur was the apple of her father's eye and she wouldn't really do anything for him.

Another character I enjoyed reading about was Marco. Marco was newly introduced but the reader was made aware that he did have prior history in the circus. When he first emerges in the book, we are made aware that there are unresolved issues between himself and his mother. We are not told what exactly they are (until later on in the book) but it is clear that they had an impact which has subsequently strained their relationship. Marco is such an interesting character to read about. I especially enjoyed reading about him due to his previous ties to the circus (so he already knows the others) and his developing relationship with Fleur. He attempts to do everything in his power to assist the circus when the times get tough and wants to ensure that Fleur has all the help she can get. It is evident that there is chemistry between the two of them, but, will it last? Will it become strained? There are so many contributing factors pushing against them so you'll need to read to discover the truth yourself!

This book has more of a focus on character development than plot development. I am someone who prefers plot development and continuous mystery/action throughout. I did not enjoy this installment as much as the first book, I think this may have been due to me loving the Sorsha and Colm story line a little too much, but I still did really enjoy being immersed into the circus action again. It was a great chance to get to know more about each of the characters introduced the book one and then learn more about Fleur and Marco. I also enjoyed the suspense of the action with the individual sabotaging the circus. There were a number of people who could have been the culprit, and it was fascinating imagining each of the possible scenarios with those people involved.  My absolute favourite part of the book was seeing the solidarity of the circus family. While they were plagued by so many troubles over the period of the book, they came together to support each other wholeheartedly to combat the issues at hand. The imagery of the circus that Marney creates is beautiful too. You can imagine yourself in the circus and what is going on around you.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved hearing the different perspectives from Fleur and Marco, and seeing how they dealt with the challenges that they were faced with. The Circus Hearts series is easy and fun to read. The mystery, the action, the wide array of characters all make for a thrilling read. I also really like how they are short books, but they are still able to pack so much content into them. The character development from this book is astounding and would take many other authors hundreds of more pages to do the same thing.
I can't wait to pick up Circus Hearts 3 soon when it is released and learn about more of the wonderful characters from Klatsch's Circus!

I rated this book: 3.5 Stars ⭐