Getting Away With It by Anne Cassidy

When Mark and Katie go out it changes their lives forever, as Katie takes the brunt of the accident Mark becomes haunted by her constant presence and soon realises he can't get away with not being punished for the accident...

All about facing your fear, owning your grief and appreciating life while you have it this is a poignant book and made a great quick read.

We Are Young by Cat Clarke

When Evan and Billy attend their mum's wedding to Tim, they never expect the night to go how it does.

The evening turns sour when their new stepbrother, Lewis has been in a car crash with strangers and is in intensive care. What's even more strange is that Lewis doesn't ever hang out with anyone else so just who died?

This is a gripping book with mystery being the heart of the story as Evan tries to piece together just why the crash involved all people she knew and just what they were doing together. Evan is a likeable character and also a realistic teenager dealing with sex and relationships alike most teens do along with new step parents to deal with as well. There are references to drugs and suicide raising awareness of how they can go unnoticed but not without consequence.

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

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.

By Your Side by Kasie West

Trapped in the library over night believing her friends Jeff, Lisa or Dallin will remember and come back for her, they don't. That's until Dax finds her also in there, Autumn ends up locked in with him for three days until she has a bad anxiety attack after she hears the local news of her friends being in a car accident. She would also have been in the car had she not been trapped and frets over her parents panicking that she's presumably dead when she wasn't even there.

She really likes Jeff who was driving the car in the accident but after he's in a coma, his best friend Dallin warns her not to mess him around as he can see she's also battling with feelings for Dax after she gets him to trust her about his drug addicted mum and him being taken into care.

The book was a sweet read and I have to say very interesting at being trapped in the library with complete opposite character types which makes a lovely match as they truly brought out the best in each other.

Baby Lost by Hannah Robert

Only two days after Christmas back in 2009, Hannah's life changed drastically after a car crashed into her car while she was eight months pregnant with her little baby 'Halloumi'.

Also in the car was her partner, Roma and their daughters, Jackie and Jazzie who all managed to escape the wreck along with Hannah but unfortunately, baby Zainab had just one tender day with her family due to the horrific accident. No amount of bruises or broken bones were as significant a side effect of the crash as an innocent newborn life being so cruelly taken. I feel anger towards the reckless driver for taking this poor family's precious baby away, reckless drivers need stopping and need punishment.

Hannah's writing during the time of being in hospital talks of her inability to face traveling in a car again so soon as the trauma caught up to her and all she was facing ahead of her felt too much, working with a physiotherapist to walk again properly as well as grief all taking a toll.

I was glad to know that the reckless student driver was caught but saddened to know that Hannah and Rims split. However, their grief was aided by Ali's arrival, a newborn baby boy joined their family and sent a new glimmer of life and hope to them.

I was so glad to read that Hannah's family escaped but the loss of a new baby is always a tender thing. In our family, my aunt suffered a lot to get pregnant and I have a friend trying multiple rounds of IVF to try and have a baby, it's an emotional toll to endure at any stage of pregnancy from conceiving to birth. Hannah's account is detailed and strong, the family is a powerful team and baby Z would be proud to have such a loving family.

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

The One Memory Of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

The book focuses on the life of Flora, a seventeen year old girl suffering from amnesia after a brain tumor.

Or so we believe her parents have been looking after her after the tumor, let me tell you, this story will shock you.

Anyway, as her best friend Paige's boyfriend is leaving to study in the Arctic, he kisses Flora on the beach the night before he leaves!

The issue is Flora believes she loves him and so she writes it down all what happened, on post it notes, in her diary and on her arms so she can't forget despite never actually forgetting it happening proving her memory is getting better!

However, Paige finds out and just as Flora's parents are set to go stay in Paris with Flora's Ill brother, it leaves Flora home alone and to fend for herself which when suffering such severe amnesia as she is, she actually does well until an idea comes along.

As Flora sets off to fly to find her true love in the Arctic alone, no one knowing her plans etc we see that this seventeen year old is recovering the right way, but it won't be for long...

The story flips at the last part, I was shocked at what I read and honestly the ending made the book for me. The story was good but last part made it for me as it did slow up. I would highly recommend this book to you and I know it's been popular among readers this year too so far.

Royce Rolls by Margaret Stohl

The Royce's are a famous family, name and wealth = status and fame.

Currently:
Bentley Royce is presumed dead alongside her future brother in law after reports of their car going off the edge of a high cliff edge.

Flashback:
The Royce family are alike to our real life Kardashians.
Outrageous and all named after cars, Mercedes, Porsche, Bentley etc they juat scream watch me as they attend glitzy events and selfie to their hearts content.

Bentley is now used to the limelight, growing up alongside her family under its constant glow despite being shy and quiet when she was younger.

Now, the show is under threat of cancellation and Bentley can't help but think so what? She hides at Hollywood parties still and whilst doing so meets Asa, with whom she has a lot of common interests as they get talking and he doesn't know who she actually is. This fuels her dream of going to college still.

Her crazy mum Mercedes then on camera adopts a duck of all things! Porche's lippie's line isn't selling well and so the family need to rethink how they can rescue themselves put of debt and their show from being cut.

So, Bentley takes matters into her own hands, appearing at every club, store opening etc. Meanwhile, her brother, Bach, is gambling too much and her sister has got engaged to a wannabe rap star, Whitey. As the drama unfolds, Porches dangerous driving alerts all the family and she and Mercedes argue and clash a lot over the impending wedding, an engagement with a laugh out loud moment and Bentley finding out a huge secret about Whitey which see's her team up with her brother to try and stop the wedding!

Also from the beginning flashback, are they alive or are the reports true and not just over eager press lying about the truth?!

Drama filled and sure to leave you wanting more, Margaret Stohl has written a book I think I love more than her her Beautiful Creatures series! Thanks to the publishers allowing me to review it for them!

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner

A group of four boys, the Sauce Crew as they were known are now made of one sole member, Carver.

The other three, Eli, Mars and Blake tragically died when colliding with a truck.
Carver blames himself as he was texting them when they crashed.

However, Blake's gran is the only relative not to blame Carver, but to celebrate the life her grandson had with him. Carver's guilt also means he takes over Blake's chores he did at his gran's as she can't get down and weed to garden or now the lawns.
They also celebrate Blake's life by having a Goodbye Day for Blake together.

Carver bottles up a lot of his emotion but does open up to Jesmyn and Blake's gran about how he feels. He does suffer anxiety as the threat of possible jail time rests undecided over his head and see's Dr Mendez about his panic attacks in order to try and handle his emotions better and grieve. He and Jesmyn are talented students, Jesmyn in piano and Carver with his creative writing. They both appreciate and support each other's talents encouraging each other they do have a future to hope for.

This book shows the true horror of losing those closest to you but the flip side as well, showing who stands by you when you need them most. We see Carver go through a true rollercoaster effect of up's and down's throughout the book, love and loss play huge roles in this book. We also see Carver imagine his friends still with him throughout scenes in the book as he can't let them go at first. I really enjoyed it as it wasn't all solely focused on death, there are times of friendship flashbacks and happy moments for Carver with his sister and Jesmyn too.

Thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review it for them!

Optimists Die First by Susin Nielsen

Petula is a sixteen year old pessimist whom suffers from panic attacks. She believes she is a realist and nothing good comes from being an optimist. She attends YART which is a youth creative art group and counselling. She also fears germs and accidents, death and generally, life and any catastrophe that could entail. Her sister Maxine died and her mum has a small army of cats to find forever homes for.

I loved the cats being named after book characters!

Petula then meets wannabe director Jacob, he has a bionic arm and also attends counselling. We also learn that Petula blames herself for the death of her younger sister, Maxine who was three and even years on now, can't forgive herself for what happened. Petula feels like she needs to keep herself safe and alive as she's here not Maxine as well and seeing how life has changed and the atmosphere the family skirt around the issue in the room with them still unattended too by proper communication. She soon learns from having to work with Jacob on a school project, the tragedy around the loss of his lower arm and subsequently that he feels built he lived and not his two best friends.

In her YART group, there is a right bunch of amazing characters which each were unique and enjoyable. I really love the evolvement of this in a book as it is used in schools or at least it was when I went to my high school nearly ten years ago now.
I enjoyed the time in the group and made a beautiful papier mache mask I still own and a folder of sketches too. It helped me through high school and even though Petula doesn't allow herself to at first enjoy it. She does and the people along with the situation too as they eventually become friends through some cool adventures.

The book deals well with trust issues and friendships as well as loss and love of course. It shows the good and bad of situations quite literally but with hilarity it places to keep it a gripping read. Thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review it for them!

Zenn Diagram by Wendy Brant

Eva is a geek, a math loving geek whom even has a favourite calculator! She has been involved in helping out to tutor students. She is told by Josh, one of the popular school footballers, that she looks like a librarian with her glasses, but a cute one which boosts her low confidence. She has a serious issue with touching other people's belongings in an OCD behavioural way. But, she sees a pattern or a vision, a part of that person that isn't on show to the world, a secret. Both her parents are dead and so she has been raised by her mum's sister and pastor husband whilst they cope with quadruplets too.
Charlotte is her best friend and her opposite, tall, blonde and plays the cello.

Zenn, is a guy whom is struggling with math and is late when we originally meet him in the book, to meet up with Eva as she tutors struggling students and Zenn is new to the school.

Eva struggles with her college applications, she feels she should stay home and help with the kids but does want to study despite the huge debt. Charlotte fits in with the popular crowd after being asked to homecoming by Josh and subsequently she hangs out with Eva less too. Meanwhile, Eve starts to hang out in the art room and eat her lunch there with Zenn after he's done her family and church a favour. Zenn and Eva meet up and have their first kiss as well as Eva meeting Cinde, his mum.

As Eva grows closer to Zenn, she discovers the reasons to why she can't get any more visions/feelings when touching him or his clothing anymore, items around him that aren't his are still an issue though.

The surprise however, is a secret which drags up around eighteen years of history they never even knew they had between them both.

It was a gripping but heartwarming read dealing with love, loss and of course, proving even geeks fall in love when it's right. Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!