Skinny by Donna Cooner

Ever Davies is dangerously overweight, and gets talked to by the voice in her head she names Skinny. Skinny encourages and tells her negative thoughts until finally Ever decides to change her lifestyle by getting gastric surgery to lose weight and make her stomach smaller.

As she loses weight effectively, her best friend Rat is always by her side and champion ing her efforts of even getting into some exercise and finally following her dream of taking drama class.

As she loses weight, she gains friends and her thoughts about food change as does her feelings of severe loss at the death of her mother.

As a typical teen weight topic tackling book, it was new to the category in what it mentions. I've never come across a teen fiction tackling the subject of obesity and gastric surgery until this one and it was a new subject altogether. It was honest in how girls can view their body and feel out of control and needing to gain control and following Ever as she becomes more confident in herself we see great character growth. It was a great honest look into eating disorders and their triggers.

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

Willow loves Dolly Parton, her best friend Ellen also shares that love as well as for her boyfriend Tim, of course.

Willow is jealous of their love as she wants that for herself, however being 'fat' she feels it's harder. Queue Bo, he works with her and never makes her feel uncomfortable in her skin even if she dates someone else briefly when they call off, Bo is still in her mind constantly.

Her mum suffers with missing her sister after she passed away and thrives off pageant hosting after being a former winner. Dumplin' as she nicknames her daughter is her opposite completely as she is stereotypical in believing that slimmer is prettier and you shouldn't be proud if your bigger.

Willow shows her though as she enters into the pageant running herself to prove she can win it for her aunt and herself.

All about being yourself and not caring what others think in the face of discrimination we see a determined teen that's prepared to try her best. It was fun, sassy and celebrates all sizes and shapes of beauty.

The Snowman by Michael Morpurgo

 

In this retelling of the classic Raymond Briggs story, we see how Michael has adapted it into another version of the beloved story, still as moving as ever!

 

In this story, James has a stammer which leaves him feeling lonely and friendless in school. After building the classic snowman, he discovers the magic of friendship and Christmas as the snowman takes him on a magical journey to meet Father Christmas and the snowmans family in the North Pole.

Also in the book James has a grandmother who also witnessed the magic and partakes in a flight with the snowman which adds to the Christmas magic sharing it with others!

I really enjoyed venturing back into the childhood classic we all know and love it was a great spin on the traditional story and the addition of grandma as a character was funny sharing the magic even more making Christmas even more meaningful any one will adore this retelling.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

She Myself And I by Emma Young

As her body fails her, Rosa prepared to have her brain transplanted into a new body, the body of a dead girl, Sylvia after her brain died in an accident but her body was left in a working order.

Dealing with the two collisions, her mind in the other girl's body, she meets Joe who helps her to accept and understand who Sylvia was and realise she deserves a chance to live after all without having to feel guilty nor wonder whom the strange guy is following her around or if the press are into her case being the first in future brain transplants a pioneering thing...

It was a book which really was serious but in a good way. We see how it's so much to cope with as you see a girl struggle with her identity due to unforeseen circumstances she never asked for at all. The drama and situation was full on and seeing her try and cope with all the changes showed how strong teens can be facing huge medical operations.

All That She Can See by Carrie Hope Fletcher

Cherry sees the worst in people, their Meddlums as she and her friend dubbed them years ago thanks to a childhood friend whom also saw them too, Peter.

Now settling in Plymouth on the latest bakery stop she has to make she finds new friends and customers to fulfil her happiness and whilst she works in comfort, dressed in pyjamas and queen of each little bakery she sets up stocked with her magically ordinary treats, she never expects to find Chase whom sees the best in everyone around him and a failed business man at first is very angry and cynical and embodies the badness she tries to keep away from people.

But as the two very locked in a business world, they discover their kind and get shocked as they find out a magical gifted guild has been watching over them and all they have been doing.

I love Carrie and her first two books were great, this one just made her work so far better. I loved the magical element to the bakery and how Cherry could help make people feel better with a cake and safe space to be as it's quite comforting and realistic. It was a well plotted and intriguing book I really loved.