Moonrise by Sarah Crossan

In this devastating story told in verse, we see how Joe suffers with his family, his sister Angela is always there for him however their drunk mum left them to travel and escape while their aunt Karen helped for a while but couldn't cope as their older brother Ed got sent to death row and is awaiting execution.

We see how Joe arrives to visit him during his brothers final months of life, appeals his case and finds a friend in Nell.

Filled with twists and sadness this is a powerful and devastating novel told in verse and once again is a brilliant book by Sarah Crossan.

Only We Know by Simon Packham

As Lauren moves to a new school and tries to start afresh from the past, she soon comes across a student she knows and should know her from years before, Harry.

As she start to receive strange 'gifts' at school, she gets really freaked out to the point she returns to where it all should've got better before it got worse for her.

This book features a plot around mental health and gender and I'm not going to spoilt the main plot by revealing anymore than that as you can pick and choose what you think is up with Lauren as the story goes on, the ending is explosive as her worst nightmare comes true and she faces events bravely as her true self.

This is a book about the whole spectrum of acceptance and deeply involves personal issues and mental health. I really enjoyed this book and didn't see the events at the end coming at all, Lauren is a brave girl facing events and despite the family all moving I could understand Tia her sister's anger and actions. It was superbly written and keeps you hooked!

A Change Is Gonna Come by Mary Bello

My favourites from this book were Aisha Busby, Tanya Byrne, Yasmin Rahman and Ayisha Maliks stories but overall the stories celebrate everything from difference in life situation, sexual orientation, friendship, family, religion and more. These short stories pack a punch and really show how difference can be great and helps us to appreciate each other too.

Some Girls Bind by Rory James

Jamie is gender queer binding her chest and hiding her secret from her friends Levi, Nora and Eric as well as her family and brother Steve in this novel told in verse.

Over the course of the novel we witness her friends come out to mixed reactions and approval as well as disapproval too.

Jamie is a good, bold and proud character whilst also being anxious over reactions she could face. The book raises issues straight to the point around gender and sexuality and the fluidity people can have freely now. It is a good bold read and will surely open eyes to the subject matters raised.

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

Vlad The World's Worst Vampire by Anna Wilson

Growing up as the only young vampire in his a house, Vlad is a lonely nine year old who dreams of human life as in his favourite book series he reads secretly so his parents won't find out as they being vampire's dislike humans. Vlad also struggles to learn to fly as a bat which is an important lesson his family wants him to achieve.

After Vlad dares go out in sunlight, he ventures to a school like in his favorite books and meets Mixzie a girl who accepts him as her new best friend. He finds he fits in well at the school with everyone except bully Boz who doesn't believe anything about Vlad and growing up on Transylvania.

Yet when Lizzie ends up at his house he better hope no one see's her as she's a dreaded human his parents won't want to meet!

This is a really fun and imaginative book for kids. I GRE up watching Young Dracula and to me this would be super alike that series being humorous to read. Anna is a beloved author and her other animal works are also the same style of writing so if you check any of her books out you for sure won't be disappointed!

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

By The Time You Read This I'll Be Dead by Julie Ann Peters

Set over twenty three days, we learn of how suicidal Daelyn signs up to Through The Light, a website where people discuss their trauma's leading them to their suicide attempts. She also gets graphic into a list of ways to suicide she creates during the count down till her next attempt at the end of the twenty three days.

For Daelyn, we learn of the bullying from school for her size as she was classed as obese and so the girls made fun of and excluded her. She was also physically assaulted by a gang of boys at her last school. She also remains mute and tells the woes of going away to fat camp.

Now, at a new school, very quiet and withdrawn she hangs around or is followed a lot of the time by Santana a goth/alternative guy who has a pet rat who is persistent in getting to talk with her. He also confides in her about his own battle - cancer. He's also preparing a memoir video which he asks her to watch.

I thought this book was very intriguing and keeps you guessing obviously as to if she's going to commit suicide or not, get with the guy, or not as well as just what led her to this point in time. Sometimes it did seem a big dragging but it is a short read over all.

Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom

Parker is a blind girl who's navigating her life after her dad's death, this caused her aunt and her family to move in with her to help out after her mum caused the car crash which blinded her and she's now also gone.

So when her friends and especially Sarah her very best friend find out that Scott is hanging around their school again Parker finds herself on edge after what she felt for him before he caused an incident.

Meanwhile she's happy with Jason, another guy at school that she also likes and she met recently when shopping and he helped her. He also supports her for her running passion which he also has a share of.

I did enjoy this book but lost interest as Scott came into it more and it wasn't clear what the heck was happening with him and Parker. It is worth a read as Parker is a great strong character with being blind and loving to run not letting her passions get lost.

The One We Fell In Love With by Paige Toon

When Angus moved in next door to identical blonde haired, green eyed triplets, he finds himself involved in varying ways with all of them over the years that follow.

Phoebe is adventurous and loves France, the promise of Remy being there still keeps her going back despite her impending marriage to Angus...

Rose is a nurse who lives away in London whom always had a crush on Angus whilst he went out with Phoebe, now she wants a life change and returning home to live with Angus as friends whilst working at a bakery with Toby, a younger guy whom she catches the eye of...

Eliza is a musician and waitress whom met Angus a year before he moved in next door at a skate park and fancied him, they have an ongoing attraction over the years...

This book was good and I really liked the book involving triplets with one guy liking them all in varying ways even though it did seem a bit odd that he could like or love them all! Their story had highs and lows just like real life even though I had predicted that Phoebe would end up how she did because of her chosen lifestyle.

Believearexic by J.J. Johnson

Jennifer is a straight A student, with as she calls it bulimarexia.

As the sessions get on, she reveals that issues to do with her parents and brother don't help. Her brother sees her as a burden while her dad is overweight and always on a new diet while her mum uses food for emotional reasons thus impacting her mindset around the issue completely. She also realises alcohol is her prop she uses to deal with how she feels too which her family has a history of alcoholism.

Heather her roommate in the EDU gets taken home by her parents with an overbearing father set on wiring her mouth shut with braces and forcing a liquid diet on her and the unit can't help her. Sophia then moves into the room and is older at twenty one, she is suffering with what we now know as orthorexia, exercising the food out as she puts it in.

The unit involves lots of complex cases and incidents take place due to each girls history. I liked how Chuck bonded with Jennifer as that helped her to keep going and not listen to the other nurses which could be quite harsh on her.

The story is based around the authors real experience in a unit and I feel things over time have gotten better overall but still, not a nice experience to have to go through. The book was detailed but not triggering as numbers weren't a focus to trigger anyone but merely hinted at if at all.

Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel by Diana Lopez

For Erica, life is being turbulent. Not only does she have to deal with her younger sister who likes to think she knows everything and is older than her actual age, her younger baby brother but now, her mum has revealed she has breast cancer and is having a breast removed and replaced with a prosthetic instead.

After surgery, Erica wants to help her mum any way she can as she tries to get well. However, her mum is tired from all the radiation treatments whilst her dad sets a strict set of rules to make the household more quieter so they don't wake their resting and recovering mum. Meanwhile, her sister starts to power dress for school and persistently show OCD traits by counting to a certain number before moving/eating/leaving etc.

Throughout the book though, Erica sets herself a goal of running or walking a 5k race for cancer and campaigns to raise money from at least five hundred people for her mum and other sufferers.

It was a heartwarming book and I like how the mood ring and her ambitions help to sort of guide Erica through the tough time that her family face and the choices she makes in her school and love life.

Words Written On Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton

Adam is young and suffering from schizophrenia. Taking part in a drug trial, he is writing diary entries to record his thoughts and feelings throughout the process of his dosage being altered around to his needs as the voices and characters he sees and hears become stronger again.

As we see his life in diary form and his medication doses up and down, we follow him make friends with Dwight and get a girlfriend, Maya at his new catholic school his stepdad pays for him to attend. We also see his mum and step dad face a new challenge and not just with Adam as he manages his schizophrenia.

It was a very good book and especially as we see him fall in love despite hiding his illness from everyone around him, he finds strength and support when he needs it most. It shows truly how people suffer with the condition day to day and proves they can still lead normal lives just in a different way to a lot of us.

Thank you to the publishers for allowing me a copy to review!

Almost Adulting by Arden Rose

Arden is a popular YouTube personality which is of course, why I picked up her book.

The book is full of different story's and lessons which we can all learn from as we read. From sex to moving out young or even handling a close ones illness, we can appreciate how one young person handled the situations we also may be faced with. I also feel like younger readers will be able to take some strength from the book's part about body image. In a society where body image is so changeable and pressurized, Arden reminds us that it's perfectly fine to just be your own you and not someone's imagined version of you!

The book was hilarious yet serious in all the right places and we really got a feel for her life experiences so far. It shows that not even the most popular online personality's get away from situation's unscathed and a lot of us have bad experience's growing up. Let's all enjoy Arden's book and commiserate of the bad and laugh at the great together!

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

Andrew has tried to commit suicide previously and we soon learn why, better known as Amanda now and returning to live with her father and leave her supportive mother behind where they had set up a new life, Amanda wants her dad to be a part of her life now she can live as her true self.

We soon learn of the torment Amanda was put through before and early on during her transition at her school and now she feels at a new school she will be accepted, even if she came out as transgender.

At the new college, she makes friends with a group of girls, including a bisexual girl, attracts the attention of Grant whom becomes her boyfriend much to the annoyance of Parker who also seemingly likes her.

After confiding in Bea her secret of her past, she betrays her in the biggest way outing not only her secret but others too, publicly she is then left in a dangerous situation with Parker and return's home to her mum feeling unsafe. Though she later proves her strength in herself as she faces up to events.

This book is raw and open about the struggles many transgender people widely across the world unfortunately still have to face. Amanda shows the hope I wish all transgender people to have as people grow more accepting.