The Racehorse Who Wouldn't Gallop Book 1 by Clare Balding

In this book we meet aspiring horse rider Charlie who lives on a farm with her family who are struggling for money to keep it up for much longer as things need replacing or fixing especially.

Her best friend Polly loves to ride and opposite to Charlie's family they have the money too, so when Charlie accidentally causes her family to buy a horse and pony at auction they must try their best to make their investment worthwhile else they can say goodbye to their lives as they know it.

Charlie gets bullied about her thunder thighs and state of her clothes a lot by her brother's but Clare makes this a positive showing how it benefits riders to be more well built and how it aids riding and controlling a horse. It was a thrilling read and Charlie was a fabulous character full of courage when others doubted her.

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!

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.