Lorali by Laura Dockrill

This book is about mermaid Lorali whom winds up on a beach in Hastings naked with legs after finding out from her mum Queen Keppel about her real father, leading her to reject the sea. She gets found by Rory whose supposed to be celebrating his birthday but instead sets about helping the girl he found and takes her to hide by his home.

His best mate Flynn's grandfather knows about mer folk and knew Lorali's heritage thanks to his love of antiques and history.

As the mer folk led by Queen Keppel send Opal to the human or walkers land to help campaign for the return of their princess, they tell the walkers of their existence shocking them especially when their children come at risk.

Then Lorali gets taken from Rory as his other best friend betrays him as he teams up with the pirates after Lorali. However, Lorali is taken by the Cavities and so the Cavities vs pirates fight ensues.

Overall I enjoyed the book.
Told from a split perspective of Lorali, Rory, the sea personified or another story character I really liked the idea of a mermaids story being told as a tapestry on their tails. I do however have a hard time getting into fantasy fiction books and did find it a hard slog to get through but from persevering, I feel it was worth it. I would have liked there to be a more developed base plot line about Lorali ending up on the beach and what she planned on doing though and I wouldn't think she'd be willing to wander off with any human the way her mer folk spoke of them, surely she would be felt more uneasy.

A sparkling tale of history and fantasy.

Big Bones by Laura Dockrill

BB or Bluebelle, loves food but the trouble is her weight is what she's judged on by the doctors who examine her after a severe asthma attack and not her happiness. Unlike her sister Dove, a slim girl and opposite of Bluebelle who doesn't have to watch her weight at all.

Bluebelle makes a deal with her mum to keep the food diary her doctors request for six weeks over the holidays, so long as she can leave school and get a job. Striking a deal with her mum she starts her diary but will it work or make things worse?

Along the way her dad tries to win back their mum, Alicia at Planet Coffee becomes more bearable to be around surprisingly and Camille, Bluebelle's best friend endures her own summer holiday job before school resumes after they get their dreaded exam results!

The book tackles the issues of how we look at food, body image and self in a critical or loving way as society seems to swing from one extreme to another in view's mostly and this book shows how Bluebelle has a great sense of self not letting herself be brought down by any comments about her look or weight proving what a great main character she is as a happy, bold, bigger girl which is great!

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