Boy Queen by George Lester

Robin hopes to be a performer, it's his dream and as a proud gay teen when his life plans fall off course, it's his friend Natalie who helps his realise his new way of life, drag!

With a supportive group of friends and his mum despite her worries over homophobes who could cause trouble for Robin, he sets out on discovering his passion for drag after his birthday at a gay club inspired him.

There's also the matter of Connor, his kind of yes kind of not boyfriend who is known as Secret Boyfriend due to not being outly gay but with some terrible friends.

So when a kind, cute shy new guy starts at their school he and Robin grow closer as Robin's drag act gets planned and showtime looms imminently!

This was such a great book I love that YA is branching out showing young teens that drag is a great expressive thing for them and that it's fun! Robin was a great character and I wish this was a series to see what action came from starting drag for him!

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

Starworld by Audrey Coulthurst and Paula Garner

When Zoe approaches Sam to get her to help the school play, they have no idea of what's to come.

Sam's best friend Will is also shocked as he used to fancy Zoe and she never noticed them before now.

Zoe however has a lot to deal with, her mum has breast cancer and has to contend with the realities of that.

Yet both girls have a lot to learn about friendship and love as well as their family dynamics being solved at last if they can.

A pain filled emotional novel as well as being very touching and good for showing how sexuality can be a guessing game when you're young trying to find where exactly you got and what exactly your feelings are.

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

Boy Meets Hamster by Birdie Milano

Dylan is forced to go on one of the newspaper £9.50 holiday deals to a caravan park in Cornwall along with him is his best friend too and once they get to the caravan park it soon becomes clear they're in for an interesting time from oldie Elviss to dancing hamsters, not forgetting the cute boy, Jayden next door.

However after a lot of incidents Jayden starts to come across as more of a nightmare as the cracks start to show in his perfect image Dylan see's him as leading him to a change of thoughts after an incident at the swimming pool...

Only as he and his mate start to partake in the crazy so called fun of the park, he finds that Nibbles the crazy hamster may not be as bad as he thought right away and that his brother Jude needs protecting from bullying Jayden's brother, Troy a little terror who wreaks more havoc than Dylan does only to people and not the actual holiday park!

I loved this book it has been one of the funniest books I've read whilst also having and LGBT edge as our main characters are gay and having to deal with coming out, finding love and dealing with homophobic language from bullies.

Flying Tips For Flightless Birds by Kelly McCaughrain

Birdie and Finch are twins and make the Flying Franconi's part of their circus, they run an online blog to try and advertise themselves to try help business keep going.

Set in Finch's perspective, we see new boy Hector arrive and Finch's past relationship with his best friend James and what happened to them, especially as Kitty was James's girlfriend and she's the lead bully towards them.

As Finch struggles in school Hector helps him as he wants to be taught circus act stuff and so Finch repays him by teaching him that. However it's tricky as Hector takes a lot of practice to get it and settle into the basics.

Finch battles his feelings about his uniqueness in his style and sexuality drawing unwanted attention to him until Birdie has her accident and he switches to plain clothing without his partner.

Then Birdie has an accident and ends up in hospital and in a coma during which Finch must become part of a new act with Hector as he teaches him more and more the pair naturally become a great duo. Finch then finds out Sinead and James are hiding something as he sees them visiting his sister and sets out to discover something he never expected...

This is a fun but serious novel too, featuring issues such as comas, circus acts, bullying, sexuality, individuality and friendship. I loved the play of words on the title and how Finch and Hector helped each other and became a great team too once confiding their feelings. It shows sporting and hope throughout and that's what makes it all the more gripping and emotional as they never give up on Birdie or their act.

You Only Live Once Gracie Dart Book 1 by Jess Vallance

Gracie starts this book facing death by tropical disease, or so she thinks anyway!

Til her best friend is always there for her and cheers her on in her quest to embrace life after the so called near death sentence!

We see her face her sexuality, venture to Paris with her fun nan, go to a concert and possibly find a girlfriend but she also makes some dubious friends in a bid to show she's grown up and can do what she likes and not have to conform and stick to get life plan.

This book was hilarious every sentence practically will have you in stitches. However there is a few serious issues tackled, losing someone you love and discovering that you want to dare to do something different and feel overwhelmed by the choice and grief too making her act out more than she probably would have.
I loved her character and personality and can't wait to read the next instalment of the series to see what antics she gets up to next!

Princess In Practise The Rosewood Chronicles by Connie Glynn

Lottie is back protecting Princess Ellie along with Jamie whilst she finally tells her old friend Ollie the truth about what's happening.

As students in the school begin to fall ill seemingly after rating Tompkins chocolate bars, Binah the girls friend helps them to uncover the mystery of why Leviathan are poisoning the bars that the students eat at school.

Lottie also discovers her families history with Lilli and William and Henry and Edith...

Lottie and Ellie's friendship also takes a different turn to maybe more in the future...

I love the second novel a lot more than the first as the story is obviously developing and relationships are developing too which creates more gritty and gripping drama for us to enjoy reading. I can't wait for the final part to see where the characters and up!

Noah Could Never by Simon James Green

Noah and Harry are a couple! Result!

Only Noah now sets to broaden his horizons and bulk up in a gym, only it doesn't go to plan especially when his mum's ex Josh works there! Especially when Noah gets dragged into selling protein shake only to be forced out of business...

He has to deal with his mum's drag queen friend sleeping on their sofa, his father living back with them, his new half brother, a pregnant Jess and the school having French exchange students. Including Pierre, Harry's hot exchange student. While Noah gets left to handle eighteen year old Eva, a soon appearing to be shady girl as she hangs around in select company only.

In this book we see his dementia affected Gran have her seemingly fake tiara stolen by his dad and Eric as they plan to sell it only of course it doesn't go to plan, Noah and go track them down whilst Noah himself thinks he's being followed by a couple in an Astra.

Noah also feels more pressure as Pierre makes a pass at him and can't decide whether or not to tell Harry about it especially as he feels never enough for Harry and seems to have a low self esteem about his body.

Noah brings all the laughs once again and even a trip in this novel where we see a drag queen face off...only in Noah!

Full of fun and joy we are the gang of students all go off together on a mini road trip to help save his grans tiara and to make a huge discovery about it too whilst Pierre is a heart stealing cad or is trying to be as he could've split Noah and Harry up!

All the drama and joy Noah brings eh! Simon has a great talent for writing witty and moving stories with some of the best antics happening in YA books I've seen!

Noah Can't Even by Simon James Green

Noah and Harry are best friends whilst Noah has a crush on fellow classmate, Sophie whom he gets to work with on a school project.

His dad vanished when he was ten and hasn't been seen since whilst his mum has a cabaret act that is a ramshackle of a performance and makes Noah the but of jokes at school.

As Sophie invites him and Harry to a party it's their first teenage party and the night fuelled with alcohol and fun leads the boys to making a discovery of their own, that they're more than friends, possibly?

Then Noah discovers his mum has a shocking boyfriend which he can't believe...

There's also drunk girls to contend with, being blackmailed and a secret brother to discover! But as Harry stops talking to him when evidence of their relationship gets out and Noah's gran ends up in hospital, will the boys finally start talking again and make up and be an official couple at last?

The book has many sex references and awkward moments but lots of funny moments too reminding me of an older Mark Lowery's Roman Garstang. Noah reminds me of a young gay guy version of TV's Miranda as he had the same happy go lucky jokey manner about him and it's so fun. Noah is the type of guy whom would be a hilarious fun best friend and the book made me so happy from laughing this is the funniest book by far I've read! It was serious at times too don't get me wrong with the friends nearly falling out instead of accepting their feelings at first but overall, you will be grinning at the love, randomness and happiness in this book.

Alex In Wonderland by Simon James Green

In this book Alex gets a summer job at Wonderland an arcade in his town on the seafront after his best friends Will and Anna become a couple and make plans together just the two of them leaving out Alex.

However at Wonderland he meets Ben and Efia after a bit of embarrassment ensues, as well as Caleb who runs the seafront lemonade stand too and another hilariously awkward moment again!

We see how Wonderland is under fire from an anonymous source and that property developers want to get their hands on the seafront to sell it for building accommodation on but how the group try and come up with ideas to refurbish the arcade and bring back customers to make a profit again.

This book was brilliant for showing how loneliness is a very real thing people fear and how love can come from unexpected people. It really makes you laugh as there's some great jokes and innuendos as usual Simon James Green style. The story being set in an arcade was truly brilliant I haven't come across a teen fiction set in one until this book and I'm sure we all love the arcade when we go on holiday. Alex was a wonderful character being sure of his sexuality but also having an unrequited crush on his best friend makes for relatable reading for teens too. Overall this book is outstanding and a perfect summer read, I loved the police interview,  quirky flamingo and the scene in the chemist particularly, now I hope you're intrigued enough to go pick this book up!

Going Off Script by Jen Wilde

Bex is new to LA as she looks into pursuing her dream of being a TV scriptwriter and ultimately have her own TV show.

As she moves in with her cousin Parker a gay make-up artist and her idol growing up, she tries to figure out how to tell him she's gay too and no, not to just copy him.

At the TV studio where her favourite werewolf drama is filmed however she soon learns behind the scenes things are less than perfect but she does have the executive producer Jane on her side while Malcolm a fellow scriptwriter takes an instant dislike to her.

From parties with the famous and stars of Silver Falls and handing her own version of a script for an episode to her boss whom rips it off a his own!

As she falls for Shrupya an actress playing the role she wrote in her script to make a gay couple happen in the show they fall into a natural relationship which could crumble after Malcolm changes the script after a homophobic rant by Archer the straight white male lead in the show.

The book featured heavily on the LGBTQ community and also having YouTube actresses being included too. I liked the cast being a mix of cultures and identifying as various types of people, shows it's a great modern young adult book and up to date with the times! I also picked up on The Brightsiders being talked about, another great book by Jen and the sneaky hints didn't go unnoticed. I really enjoyed the way the plot went and loved the story even though after reading about the script she wrote I kinda guessed correctly the way it would play out there was still great drama and so didn't expect the love interests either which was an obvious great addition. A perfect teen read if you love movie's, TV or LGBTQ relationship dynamics.

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

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Love Is Love by Mette Bach

Emmy is dating Ty, a guy her friends Tiana and Michelle along with her mum and subsequently her stepfather, don't approve of because of him being bad news. Emmy can't take their criticism anymore and decides to stay with her aunt, cousin and uncle, back in Vancouver where her dad was previously before he passed away.

Whilst out there, she unexpectedly finds herself falling for Jude a transgender man whom she met briefly years before by her cousin Paige when he was still Judy.

The two's relationship develops through shared interests of creative subjects from music to poetry and acceptance of each other showing they are creative and open minded individuals.

Through the book we see Emmy struggle and compares herself to Paige and other women around Jude, feeling inadequate because of being the bigger girl and comfort eating away her emotions instead of helping herself feel better in other ways as she learns to bike around as she can't drive around for example and use that as a stress reliever.

Emmy also had a complicated background with her dad and her uncle gives her old notebooks of his along with telling her about his love of Kurt Cobain of Nirvana hinting that maybe her dad's drinking was to do with depression possibly.

The book dealt with complex issues surrounding Emmy and her friend's lives. It was a great read and appreciative of all people and a celebration of acceptance.

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

Skylarks by Karen Gregory

After birthday celebrations at a restaurant for her brother, Jack, Joni first spots Annabel. As Joni learns Annabel has joined the library too to work, the pair get closer forcibly but soon learn they're completely opposite in their way of life.

Joni's family and their home is threatened while Annabel lives in a huge home with plenty of cash for boarding school available, not that Annabel liked boarding school. Both of them may be studying for A Levels, but Joni and her family have a petition to see through about saving their home after her parents have already lost their jobs, but can they get more signatures and involvement with their petition in time?

Joni has experienced being with a girl before while Annabel had never acted upon her feelings. Until now that is.

Unfortunately, by part three I had predicted what was going to happen but it's not to say the story wasn't great at all as it was and went how I wanted it to go sadly! I understand the Skylark was a symbolism of their freedom and love also with how they recreated and became alike them themselves through their actions. Utterly brilliant plot and refreshing to see lesbian relationships unjudged in teen fiction for once too by the characters parents.

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

Paperweight by Meg Haston

Stevie is our main character in this book, her brother Josh has passed away and now her dad has sent her to a retreat clinic for eating disorders. The distinct first feel is she's having a tough time coming to terms with events and has been drunk too much to cope with her feelings previously as well as impulsively cutting her hair in to an uneven crop thanks to her friend and sort of girlfriend of sorts, Eden.

We follow her on her journey to the retreat where she stays with twenty girls in total admission, four to a cottage each. She meets her therapist who is coincidentally called Anna when Stevie is suffering with what she believes is anorexia, then later her diagnosis is bulimia nervosa. In memory flashbacks, her mum seems to have controlled the household's food choices and is a perfectionist. She has abandoned Stevie and her dad to go live in Paris with her new boyfriend.

She has plans for twenty seven days time from her supposed, sixty day admission as it's the one year anniversary since she believes she killed her brother, Eden was there the night he died but not at the scene of death, she did however cause a scene just before.

Now though, Stevie plans to commit suicide and join her brother as she feels guilty living.

This book dealt with really strong issues, death, suicide, eating disorders, abuse, manipulative behaviour, love and LGBT related issues around that. It was well crafted but I do feel in part, for readers who are sensitive to eating disorder talk and about foods and food types etc, do not read it or be mindful reading it. It again proves how true to eating disorder talk it is though and really shines light on the situations eating disorder sufferer's go through.

I really did enjoy this book and it's already one of my top for the year so far!

The Witch's Kiss & The Witch's Tears by Katharine and Elizabeth Corr

I never usually enjoy fantasy books, yet, these two have won me over!

Merry is a young witch, living with her brother, Leo and her mum. She and her gran have practised magic but her mum and brother don't her mum believes it is dangerous, which it is and can be as we find out.

An ancient love gone wrong between Gwydion who was unrequitedly in love with his childhood friend, Edith. Gwydion made the kingdom same and the reward was to be marriage to Edith, however, the king didn't want to allow the lower class Gwydion into royalty and so Edith marries Aiden and has a baby boy, Jack whom Gwydion places a curse on to be the King Of Hearts.

Merry and the neighbours around them who are magic including Merry's young friends, whom support Merry on what she is facing in that she needs to stop Gwydion and keep them all safe and unharmed.

An ancient parchment reveals to Merry and Leo, they need to go to the lake and retrieve the two puppet hearts which can stop Gwydion and the King Of Hearts from what they are doing which is stabbing people whom believe themselves to be in love.

It is at the Black Lake where Merry and Leo first encounter Jack, though they soon learn he has two sides, the evil killing side which he feels trying to take him over all the time yet he can be normal for bouts of time between it having control of him again. They learn how Gwydion controls Jack to make him obey him and Merry dreams of Jack as well as fancying him!

I'm not spoiling this book further but it was an enticing and gripping read I read in one afternoon and then read the next sequel in the evening!

The Witch's Tears is the sequel and this book focuses on Merry learning and failing still how to manage her magic and finally get it to work right for her.

We also see the arrival of some new male characters, Leo's new love interest, Ronan, whom steps in to stop Simon beating up Leo after he's come out as gay. Then we meet Finn whom ends up trapped in a protective spell cast on Merry and Leo's Grans home after she has disappeared mysteriously and so the main aim of the book is to find their Gran and stop the evil at work quite literally.

We soon learn of enchantment extractors whom steal wizard and witch magic have also killed Flo, Merry's friend so just whom has Merry and Leo's Gran and what are their plans?

The Witch's Tears being set only three months apart, shows how love and loss can be healed and then another form of the same issue can arise. Grief is big in the book and I expect more to come in the next book but I'm not going to spoil anymore of the plot in The Witch's Tears.

Many thanks to the publisher's for sending me The Witch's Tears!

 

Girl hearts Girl by Lucy Sutcliffe

Picking this book up at first, was due purely to the colourful imagery on the cover and then the title, I noticed was different to others I've read before as the book is titled girl heart girl and I found out, written by young YouTube Lucy who writes her memoir detailing her coming to terms with her sexuality and finding her girlfriend online.

The couple in real life were still together at the time of Lucy writing and are currently not together although they have a huge following on YouTube I have since discovered.

This book starts out with Lucy depicting the scene of her living in England growing up in Oxfordshire, moving to Plymouth to undertake her film degree and finding her way through all the scenes modern teenagers go through first, high school and dealing with sexuality, whether you like someone or not, dealing with homophobic people in her life and coming out to first her friends, then parents and family.

The memoir is also different in the way a young couple meet through online blog site Tumblr. A bit like a modern fairy tale as what fifteen year old doesn't use the internet!

This book will make you commiserate with the young Lucy, laugh and feel like you are a witness to the actions that have happened so far in her young life.

Simply unput downable, a pleasurable read from cover to cover!