Love On The Main Stage By S A Domingo

Nova and her family are heading to the Isle Of Wight for Island Rocks music festival with their fusion food truck along with Nova's best mate Gemma.

Only while there aspiring songwriter Nova meets Sam, a musician who she falls for as they spend more and more time together only he's evasive about his family telling her little and being secretive despite him being a bit with her friends and family.

Can the couple survive when his situation is revealed to Nova in a big way?

I loved this book, the festival setting was great as we see the couple come together so naturally and her family's trouble but how they stay positive through it which is a good way to be through bad times. It was a lovely light read about teen love and friendship as well as showing how you should follow your dreams and not give up!

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

What Kind Of Girl by Alyssa Sheinmel

Mike is the school golden boy who abused his girlfriend and we see her, Maya, come to terms with telling the school and her mum as she goes over their relationship.

Meanwhile we see the perspectives of other in school after learning about Mike's actions, in the form of Maya his girlfriend, Junie her best friend, Tess Junie's ex girlfriend and Hiram a guy who they know who can get you pills as his dad works in medicine and has a link to Maya.

I liked the story and it's guaranteed to have a great impact and teach about the signs of domestic abuse and violence, but in story terms fiction wise I felt we should've seen more previous scenes between Mike and Maya leading up to the present of her coming forward about the abuse. However saying that, being so quick to tell at least it gives the message speak up sooner rather than later which is obviously the best solution for a great outcome but not fully realistic. There was rep for self harm, bulimia, drug use and LGBTQIA communities and of course the former need a trigger warning.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman

In this next part of Nick and Charlie's story we see them embark on a trip to Paris with their classmates where they try to keep their relationship under wraps while their friends also get into relationships and their teachers get close too, there's also matters of bullies and eating disorders which crop up too, this trip isn't short on drama at all.

I love this series full of the usual teen drama mental health, lgbtqia themes and characters it's such a cute modern romance and I root for these guys I can't wait for more more more!

Morgan Charmley: Teen Witch by Katy Birchall

Morgan isn't a normal thirteen year old, she can cast spells as taught how to by her mum and Dora her mum's best friend who's like a sister to her and home schooled Morgan until now when she can finally go off to school.

But being able to cast spells with the click of her fingers soon causes chaos for Morgan as she catches the attention of Owen, bully Felix who thinks she's a freak and Iris whom she's put in a group with to dance for the talent show.

Feeling like a social outcast a few spells should help to change things instead, her head teacher can't stop dancing, Felix is chased by hoards of bats and Morgan accidentally also causes dragons to appear too!

Just what will she do next and can she stay friends with Owen when they discover what each other is?

Never one to read teen fantasy fiction I actually really enjoyed this book as I have all of Katy's previous books and found myself fully invested in the drama of witch life and general teen life issues. I enjoyed the witches vs warlocks aspect too and the secrets in the book that need to be kept mean the next book will surely have tons more drama with that cliff hanger of an ending!

Love, Lucie by Marita Conlon-McKenna

This book is set from Lucie's perspective as she writes in her notebook to her mum after she dies from cancer.

The year noted in the notebook shows how the family do and don't cope with the matters as their dad struggles to cope with work and childcare whilst older sister Chloe develops anorexia it seems as she hardly eats and becomes worryingly thin.

The stress on the family is obviously amped up but the summer holiday to their grandparents in France makes them happier as the girls find summer crushes and can relax away from home and school more. The year shows how tough all their relative's take their mum's passing and how much it can affect someone but Lucie copes well writing all the thoughts down while in contrast we see how it can make someone else become destructive to themselves. It was a touching book and a truthful one as many families are effected by cancer year by year.

The Wrong Side Of Kai by Estelle Maskame

When Vanessa's mum died her life fell apart as her dad was battling his grief and her and her sister were left to fend for themselves which made Vanessa acting out and sleeping with random guys easy to do with no one to stop her.

However after breaking off her latest fling with Harrison, she discovers he has leaked a recording of her to their whole school and her life starts to fall apart...

Until Kai transfers in from another school also with a grudge against Harrison and the pair team up to get revenge...

This book was fabulous, I loved the dynamic of a good duo teaming up to get revenge in YA and it was done really well and the twist at the end while being easy to predict was a great twist nonetheless and made me as a reader happy with the outcome of the book overall.

Fat Angie by E.E. Charlton-Trujillo

Angie or as she's known at school, fat Angie, put on weight after her sister at eighteen suddenly joined the army and now is missing presumed dead meanwhile her family fell apart as her dad moved out leaving her with her mum and brother Wang who has turned into a criminal and been in major trouble.
Also, Wang's therapist is dating their mum.

At school, Angie isn't popular and so when new girl KC starts to hang around with her she can't believe it as well as one of the most popular jocks in school Jake standing up for her against a violent bully. Stacey Ann is the worst bully but everyone seems to throw degrading weight comments her way.

KC reveals she knew Angie before moving and knows about her sister, the pair also find themselves having mutual feelings about each other despite Angie being warned by Jake that something's not right about the situation that Angie later ends up in while trying to live up to her sister's sporty history and lose weight too.

This book was amazing, it brought up a lot of mental health issues from PTSD, self harm, borderline personality disorder and behavior disorders too as well as bullying and how it progresses and shows everyone's transparency.

Toffee by Sarah Crossan

Sarah Crossan has once again written a brilliant verse book telling the story of Allie who becomes Toffee to Marla, a woman suffering from dementia who's house and shed she ends up squatting in after running away from home.

Only her home wasn't a home as we see through flashback memories Allie recall's as her father was violent towards her and his girlfriends after Allie's mum died.

We see how Allie tries to find Kelly-Ann who was her dad's last girlfriend and stayed the longest, caring the most and discovers a life changing fact from her too, can they find each other and rebuild their lives together?

Marla was a spot on depiction of dementia as I have an aunt who's even worse with her dementia though at one time she was like this she is now bedridden and doesn't understand a thing. The abuse was horrific but made the novel pack a punch, that phase may not be the most nicest way to put it considering the subject matter but the book will shock and make you empathetic to Allie and her situation, a true masterpiece.

Apple And Rain by Sarah Crossan

Apple lives with her nan but knows her dad and stepmum whereas her mum let her go willingly so she could live her life how she wanted to. Apple isn't popular but does make friends with Del the home-schooled boy whom lives in the house at the back of her band and is friends with Pilar at school until she gets taken by popular Donna and her group.

Yet as Apple's mum returns suddenly unexpectedly, she makes another shock discovery but also discovers so much from being a good poet writing about her true feelings to release them privately she also has to cope with her mum's drinking, parties, smoking and her other daughter, Rain whom at ten still carries a doll believing it to be real and mothering it even at school.

But then a good and bad thing happen to her at once leaving her with mixed emotions not even starting to add Egan into the mix too...

The book deals with the typical broken family but adds so much more to it as her mum actually returns only to let her down once again in many ways, she also has to deal with more typical issues being a teen girl and some of the story is shocking adding a thrill to the book hooking me in to the point I had to just finish it, I loved it.

No Big Deal by Bethany Rutter

Emily is comfortable in her own skin, plus sized and sick of hearing about her mum's diets she's trying out relentlessly as well as trying and failing to get Emily to do them as well.

However when her best friend Camila comes home no longer Emily's plus size best friend and partner in crime, things change between the pair as Camila dates Emily's old crush Ryan as he fancies her now she's lost weight and couldn't deal with Emily's size after their failed kiss.

Emily then instantly likes Joe, a guy she meets at that party briefly and then befriends him after going to his family's record shop.

Throughout the novel we see how they get closer and even nearly sleep together until horrible Holly comes along but helps Emily realise that she's fine as she is and not to let her odd doubts get the better of her.

The book was very My Mad Fat Diary inspired, to me at least, with the record shop element and plus size main character fancying the normal sized glasses wearing cute guy. I liked her other two best friends being a gay girl couple representing the LGBTQIA community in teens and the positivity that Emily has not hating on herself but accepting herself like the wonderful unique girl she is which is an amazing and inspiring lesson to us all!!

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

The Goodbye Summer by Sarah Van Name

Caroline is dating older guy Jake and plans to move away with him after the summer.

However, Jake's cousin Toby gets her a job in the local aquarium gift shop to earn cash to save to afford to move and live off but while working at the aquarium she meets Georgia, they become good friends and soon she starts having fun with her and making some good friends and get to be just a normal teen before senior year and having to knuckle down to decide her future.

When Jake's dad offers them to stay with him, Caroline isn't happy and doesn't want to settle but see the world or not leave her home at all...

All through the novel, she struggles with her feelings to the point of making herself be ill with worry about the future while Jake is an over powering and dominating character who's persistent and pushy bordering abusive in his actions. Growing up is hard enough without growing up too soon and this book shows that clearly.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

The Boy Who Lied by Kim Slater

When Ed loses his memory after playing in the park with his brother, Sam who has learning difficulties and has downs syndrome he can't help the police to find his brother as he suffers trying to recover his lost memories.

With the press hounding their door, his depressed mum, having no money or food, his dad in prison from doing fraud with a business partner which leads to a good plot twist at the end to do with their friend's Augustine and Charlie who live with them during this hard time...

They search the area from the park, den and streets of Nottingham especially with the help of the new  neighbours next door Fallon and her dad who help him visit his dad in prison and also notice a red car coming and going at night and when they follow it make a stunning revelation...

I always love Kim's mystery books especially being set down the road in Nottingham not far from me. I enjoyed this one though did predict what would happen not perfectly but who would be found guilty yes upon being introduced to the characters. I liked the difference in the two brothers and how Ed has to recover himself despite his family not believing him he doesn't give up getting to his beloved brother no matter how long it took. I hated Charlie as you should the way he spoke and his manner was horrible. You will enjoy this quick mystery I'm sure it's like a teenage Midsummer Murder though no murder just mystery instead.

Flying Tips For Flightless Birds by Kelly McCaughrain

Birdie and Finch are twins and make the Flying Franconi's part of their circus, they run an online blog to try and advertise themselves to try help business keep going.

Set in Finch's perspective, we see new boy Hector arrive and Finch's past relationship with his best friend James and what happened to them, especially as Kitty was James's girlfriend and she's the lead bully towards them.

As Finch struggles in school Hector helps him as he wants to be taught circus act stuff and so Finch repays him by teaching him that. However it's tricky as Hector takes a lot of practice to get it and settle into the basics.

Finch battles his feelings about his uniqueness in his style and sexuality drawing unwanted attention to him until Birdie has her accident and he switches to plain clothing without his partner.

Then Birdie has an accident and ends up in hospital and in a coma during which Finch must become part of a new act with Hector as he teaches him more and more the pair naturally become a great duo. Finch then finds out Sinead and James are hiding something as he sees them visiting his sister and sets out to discover something he never expected...

This is a fun but serious novel too, featuring issues such as comas, circus acts, bullying, sexuality, individuality and friendship. I loved the play of words on the title and how Finch and Hector helped each other and became a great team too once confiding their feelings. It shows sporting and hope throughout and that's what makes it all the more gripping and emotional as they never give up on Birdie or their act.

You Only Live Once Gracie Dart Book 1 by Jess Vallance

Gracie starts this book facing death by tropical disease, or so she thinks anyway!

Til her best friend is always there for her and cheers her on in her quest to embrace life after the so called near death sentence!

We see her face her sexuality, venture to Paris with her fun nan, go to a concert and possibly find a girlfriend but she also makes some dubious friends in a bid to show she's grown up and can do what she likes and not have to conform and stick to get life plan.

This book was hilarious every sentence practically will have you in stitches. However there is a few serious issues tackled, losing someone you love and discovering that you want to dare to do something different and feel overwhelmed by the choice and grief too making her act out more than she probably would have.
I loved her character and personality and can't wait to read the next instalment of the series to see what antics she gets up to next!

Noah Could Never by Simon James Green

Noah and Harry are a couple! Result!

Only Noah now sets to broaden his horizons and bulk up in a gym, only it doesn't go to plan especially when his mum's ex Josh works there! Especially when Noah gets dragged into selling protein shake only to be forced out of business...

He has to deal with his mum's drag queen friend sleeping on their sofa, his father living back with them, his new half brother, a pregnant Jess and the school having French exchange students. Including Pierre, Harry's hot exchange student. While Noah gets left to handle eighteen year old Eva, a soon appearing to be shady girl as she hangs around in select company only.

In this book we see his dementia affected Gran have her seemingly fake tiara stolen by his dad and Eric as they plan to sell it only of course it doesn't go to plan, Noah and go track them down whilst Noah himself thinks he's being followed by a couple in an Astra.

Noah also feels more pressure as Pierre makes a pass at him and can't decide whether or not to tell Harry about it especially as he feels never enough for Harry and seems to have a low self esteem about his body.

Noah brings all the laughs once again and even a trip in this novel where we see a drag queen face off...only in Noah!

Full of fun and joy we are the gang of students all go off together on a mini road trip to help save his grans tiara and to make a huge discovery about it too whilst Pierre is a heart stealing cad or is trying to be as he could've split Noah and Harry up!

All the drama and joy Noah brings eh! Simon has a great talent for writing witty and moving stories with some of the best antics happening in YA books I've seen!

Noah Can't Even by Simon James Green

Noah and Harry are best friends whilst Noah has a crush on fellow classmate, Sophie whom he gets to work with on a school project.

His dad vanished when he was ten and hasn't been seen since whilst his mum has a cabaret act that is a ramshackle of a performance and makes Noah the but of jokes at school.

As Sophie invites him and Harry to a party it's their first teenage party and the night fuelled with alcohol and fun leads the boys to making a discovery of their own, that they're more than friends, possibly?

Then Noah discovers his mum has a shocking boyfriend which he can't believe...

There's also drunk girls to contend with, being blackmailed and a secret brother to discover! But as Harry stops talking to him when evidence of their relationship gets out and Noah's gran ends up in hospital, will the boys finally start talking again and make up and be an official couple at last?

The book has many sex references and awkward moments but lots of funny moments too reminding me of an older Mark Lowery's Roman Garstang. Noah reminds me of a young gay guy version of TV's Miranda as he had the same happy go lucky jokey manner about him and it's so fun. Noah is the type of guy whom would be a hilarious fun best friend and the book made me so happy from laughing this is the funniest book by far I've read! It was serious at times too don't get me wrong with the friends nearly falling out instead of accepting their feelings at first but overall, you will be grinning at the love, randomness and happiness in this book.

We Are Not Okay by Natalia Gomes

In this book we meet Sophie, she loves her boyfriend but feels pressed to have sex with him. She's friends with Ulana. However she fixates on being the perfect weight and sends her boyfriend a risky photo he asks her to send...

Sophie admires Lucy, popular girl and recently single after secretly her boyfriend Rhys dumped her not the other way round and starts seeing Trina like she lies to her friends. She also hates the fact her dad left for a new family and her mum can't leave the house now. Only as she wishes her ex would go back to her she makes a shocking discovery that he had no idea about as he moves on unaware what has happened since their split...

Trina, Rhys new sort of girlfriend doesn't fit the stereotype of university student as she feels stuck in her town with her mum as shes in debt. She gets called a slut at school because of rumours and how she dresses.

Ulana is a new girl, a muslim in a school alone from her fellow usual students who accepted her. Her only friend seems to be Sophie now and Aidian who sticks up for her against the bullies only as the pair descend into a relationship her religious beliefs start to break their happiness despite Aidan wanting them to act like a normal couple...

The girls lives collide as they all deal with serious teen issues as describe above and further others in the book it's a relatable book as anything mentioned could happen to a teen girl or a girl of any age. I liked that the characters all had very different personalities from being shy, outgoing, self assured etc sometimes it can be hard to split characters apart in your mind but these were all unique and made the read better. This is a book perfect for showing the pressures that can be mounted on teens.

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Jemima Small Vs The Universe by Tamsin Winter

Jemima Small hates how she looks bigger than the other girls and her surname, small for being her opposite.

She's proudly smart and is excited when an opportunity to take part in Braniacs her favourite TV show arises she's happy but at the same time, everything said to her by the kids, bullies, strangers all builds up.

Jemima has a great best friend in Miki who never fails to stick up for her while her old best friend Alina ditched her to hang out with Lottie who bullies Jemima.

As she faces joining far club forced to after being humiliated in school, she makes friends with others who feel like she does and makes a friend in Gina who runs the course.

Throughout the novel Jemima is courageous and learns that being herself is a great thing despite her issues around her weight, mum and bullies. She is a brave character and a typical teen when she wants to dye her hair rainbow which some of us can relate to! I loved her brainiac personality and zany family Tamsin has created a book that'll be forever important for girls now and in the future, her writing is some of the most relatable and hard hitting making the YA fiction we need.

With The Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Emoni is a teen mom in school with her babygirl Emma to care for she had with Tyrone her ex.

Malachi joins her class and elective, cookery which is what Emoni is passionate about and the pair strike up a relationship of acquaintances as Emoni knows boys are trouble despite her loving her Emma.

She dreams of being a chef and working creating magical dishes of food for people and has done all her life. Raised by her abuela while her mum passed and her dad flits in and out of their lives, they struggle for money and so when she helps to fundraise so they can all go to Spain on a trip, it looks to be a life-changing experience.

I loved Emonis situation though Tyrone got away with doing hardly any parenting unlike Emoni and his family are trouble for sure speaking harshly of Emoni but not their son for his role in baby making!

Emonis best friend being a lesbian was also included but not a great deal but she was a fun bubbly character to contrast the hard worker Emoni is and make the pair a good friendship match. The writing was very emotive and I enjoyed the journey we were taken on during the novel.

After all the hype I was wary to pick this book up, but I'm glad I did as it was a great read with a main character with courage to follow her dreams even when it got tough and a supportive family too.

Bookshop Girl Book 2: Life's A Beach by Chloe Coles

We catch up with best friends Paige and Holly as they embark on an adventure out of their boring town and head for Skegton On Sea and a book festival full of surprises awaits them once they arrive.

From a hot boy knocking Paige off her feet, an erotic fiction writing elderly lady and discovering that working a book festival isn't as easy as it many actually sound!

It was an hilarious read and kept me so entertained as we see how the book festival really tried Paige's patience as authors aren't how she expects and things go crazy wrong. I can't wait for more adventures with Paige and Holly in the future, especially as things are going well romance wise for the pair!