One More Time by Nancy Loewen

A story all about perseverance and getting up and trying again in this case riding a new scooter, this will teach kids try and try again, never give up and is very short and to the point.

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

Sophie's Shell by Jo Rooks

Sophie is a lovely little snail shy about starting school and likes to pop back into her shell when it all gets too much until she makes a new friend, Stanley!

This picture book was super sweet all about overcoming shyness and the initial starting school jitters and nerves, the illustrations were great to illustrate the take and were super sweet and vibrant.

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

Running From The Rainbow by Karen McCombie

For Rainbow starting a new school is hard as she has to hide the fact her mum is the new teacher and in a bid to not stand out choses to go by Rosie a more simple less attention grabbing name after she suffered bullying from class mates at her old school.

She slowly makes new friends and also friends with the school class president who helps her feel more confident in herself and her name.

This book is great for showing how not everyone is the same and things can get better and friends will come along and understand you even if last ones didn't. A fun little read about dealing with a lot of change.

Fierce Fragile Hearts by Sara Barnard

In this sequel following Suze and her tumultuous life, Caddy and Rosie head off to university leaving her behind. As she struggles with adapting to not only living alone but feeling lonely away from her best friends, Caddy's boyfriend Kel introduces her to Matt a musician from London he knows who gigs around their area at times.

She also makes a friend in Dilys who lives in a flat below hers with her dog.

Then just as her friends, relationship with Matt and even a new goal career for the future look to happen possibly, her abusive father reappears just as life starts to get going good again throwing everything up in the air...

I really enjoyed this sequel more than the first book, raising awareness of abuse, stroke and the signs as well as effects of one, this book hits all the health points for mental and physical head on and shows how they can seriously effect our lives long term and that there's never a quick or simple solution instead showing how complex an issue it can be. The dramas are all real life, heart breaking and raw emotional issues all hitting at one time colliding. Realistic and dramatic another great read by Sara!

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

Giant Days by Non Pratt

Starting out at university, three girls make friends, Daisy, Susan and Esther they may be very different people but they look out for each other.

Susan and Rather become rightly concerned when Daisy hangs around a lot with cult like group at the university called The Yogic Brethren after signing up to their group during the welcome activity fair for new students and they appear to spread throughout the whole campus. But students go missing and Daisy acts strange attending these meetings which include wearing creepy masks to get into meetings.

They do also do normal university students things like going to student union's and getting drunk as well as flirting with guys, even seeing guys they know from before uni at uni. Discovering their tastes in things changing and who true friends are.

I didn't really get into the book but it was well written and I finished it eventually. The concept was intriguing and links to drugs and money being mistreated makes sense as it fits into the university setting as people try new things and experiences but shows how it can go to the extremes in this book! The characters were all their own people and I liked the differences they had from one being a bit gullible to other gutsy and invested in their lifestyle like true students they were believable.

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

In Paris With You by Clementine Beauvais

Tatiana and Eugene met years ago as teenageers, thanks to Tatiana's sister Olga and her boyfriend, Lensky.

For Tatiana it was love at first sight of the young man Eugene.

However years later after the crush has faded, Eugene is the one infatuated if not obsessed with Tatiana but as she is set to move for a new job, will the pair staying Paris or leave together?

A very different and emotive book, it was not what I was expecting and was more poetic than young adult novel like though the expressionism was appreciated and enhanced the novel greatly padding it out else it would simply be a love story with a tragedy partly reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet, only in modern day. I did enjoy it but not the expected hype build up I'd seen online about it and it seemed more of an adult fiction that young adult fiction.

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

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!

Mad Girl by Bryony Gordon

Bryony recalls her life with her mental health and how it caused so many other issues to coincide and keep her condition a persistent problem to be solved though nothing can completely fix a mental health problem, you can improve your condition.

In the book we learn of how when she was growing up her OCD became a known condition to her by chance as her symptoms and rituals got worser over time until she and her mum first went to the doctors who tried to down play the help she needed immediately not in the future.

Over the years, we see how her parents divorce, finding love and accepting her body all created more problems piling up with bulimia, alcohol, drugs and not just the prescription kind she needed were all a factor in Bryony's health.

This book is useful if you are interested in mental health, if you too suffer with any of the conditions or want a real life read packed with truly humorous or saddening times. This is a gripping read by a brave woman.

Bunk 9's Guide To Growing Up by Adah Nuchi

Camp Silver Moon's bunk nine girls are here to teach you all about growing up what's ahead.

The girls discuss and compare experiences throughout the book as no one person's development will be a copy and paste story. Their diary talks us through the stages they went through to grow up in their early teens to now always set around the camp narrative.

Starting back at age twelve, early puberty calls for the essential development growth or lack of we each experience. The girls were sometimes jealous that others had developed faster, which is always okay, stages of change be it growing body hair, using deodorant, spots appearing, breasts appearing as well as your internal changes in hormones causing more emotions and feelings as well as causing your period to begin.

The book has styling tips for your hair type and how to keep it clean and healthy as well as beginning to use and have an interest in make-up and how to handle the varying acne types you may encounter as well as how to choose the perfect first bra for you.

The book talks about gender issues, how you feel vs what body you have been born into and how you should always ask a trusted adult in confidence to advise you if you feel you want to.

The best thing about this book is that every girl could benefit from it, it would also be useful for single parents or embarrassed about having the talk parents as they exist! My parents couldn't deal but I had my school sex education class from age nine to teach me and my parents were happy that way. This would just reassure parents their girls are sure of what's normal and ahead for them in a concise and friendly way!

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

Jessica Darling's It List by Megan McCafferty

Starting high school is a big step, especially if you want to be popular like your sister was!

For Jess, her sister Bethany guides her with a list of things to accomplish to have a great school experience, she needs to choose a great boyfriend, join cheer group and make the right friends.

However, her best friend Bridget soon becomes everything the list needs, getting on cheer team, bagging a boyfriend and fitting straight in while Jessica realises that maybe being herself is best?

After all Jess makes cheer team but not as it seems, makes friends and loses them in some ways and learns of growing apart as well as having enough best friend boyfriend drama to do without boy drama of her own!

There's also the fact that she's in the wrong elective and takes woodshop with eleven boys and she's the only girl. Still, it means she meets Aleck, Marcus as he's really known.

Yet as Jessica's sister confides in her a huge secret to do with school, Jess realises she maybe doesn't have it as bad as she thinks.

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.