Meat Market by Juno Dawson

When sixteen year old tall girl, Jana gets unexpectedly scouted by a modelling agency she finds herself taking off faster than expected into the world as she struts her way through London Fashion Week and juggling college with the support of her friends and boyfriend Ferdy too.

Only as she books more and more work quickly she's soon jetting off to New York and beyond walking fashion week and doing campaigns until meeting Blo a photographer who changes her life forever comes into her life and the dark side of fashion and modelling prevails.

Showing the dim and toxic side to modelling in a grippy, gritting way this shows what models and fashion realistically could be facing in that world. My favourite Juno Dawson book so far!

House Arrest by K A Holt

Timothy is ordered to keep a journal, though by the court after being caught doing a lot of stuff he shouldn't have been doing, all to help save his family though mainly his little brother.

As we read through the journal of Timothy's life we discover the events causing the journal and how him and his mum cope and have help for their little brother and youngest son as he has a trachea Timothy was just desperate to help his family as his dad is absent from their lives too however as 5things go awry and his brother's life hangs in the balance he lands himself in a worrying situation...

I thought this book would be good but this was a read in one sitting sucked into his world book with so much drama happening for his family and him I was wanting to find out what life had in store for him and trust me you won't be disappointed!

Dancing The Charleston by Jacqueline Wilson

In this book, Mona lives with her auntie who cares for her after her mum passed and so did her dad too when she was just a baby and he was in the war.

Her auntie is a seamstress for a lady and when the lady passes the pair worry they'll be made homeless.

Mr Benjamin the youngest son, moves in after his mum passed who's the kindest of all the Somerset's and likes Mona a lot even if he is very flamboyant with his tastes and company he keeps.

He does however turn Mona and her aunt's lives around as her aunty gets an amazing knew job for Harrod's!

However after Mona falls out with her friends after getting a trial to go to a proper high school giving her a better looking future, she befriends the Somerset children and they go on an adventure to London which a shock twist comes out there about Mona's mother everyone knew but her...

I really enjoyed this book, as someone who had a grandma who made theatre costumes I could relate to Mona's feelings about talented seamstresses and sympathise over how she felt her familial loses too being so young and we know how grief is at that age. Friendship can be fickle and that point came across well too overall this book was another great by the one and only Jacqueline Wilson.

The Art Of Hiding by Amanda Prowse

Nina leads a luxury life with her husband Finn and Connor and Declan their two sons. That is all turned upside down by one phone call from the hospital telling her that her husband has been in a car accident and has died.

Nina later comes to find out that they are millions of pounds in debt and facing everything being repossessed to pay back her husband's debt landing them having to uproot from their normal lives as they know, no more private school for the children either as they move in with Nina's sister, Tiggy on a ran down council estate.

It was a great book about a woman whose unknown strength gets her family through the toughest times they face as they hit rock bottom in life. Flipping their life around despite bullying the boys endure, finding a job being a struggle these are all things which we can relate to a lot and it could keep some hope that we can change our lives like in this work of fictional magic.

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

How To Rob A Bank by Tom Mitchell

In this, after burning down his friend Beth's house which had no insurance despite being a mini model of the whites house, Dylan then comes up with a plan.

He later thanks to his dad's love of films comes up with the master plan of robbing a bank inspired by Al Pacino and George Clooney, after all at fifteen and being jobless he has no cash to help his friend.

After his plan goes awry in a really hilarious way, his sister agrees to help him on his next attempt with usb code in a bank's cash machine...

If you love Mark Lowery and his Roman Garstang series you will enjoy this immensely it had me laughing and despairing in parts after his dedication to stealing from his accidental job goes so badly wrong every time he tries. Obviously stealing isn't good but this level of dedication was hilarious and he only wanted to honestly help his friend and was unable to being without enough money!

The Goodbye Summer by Sarah Van Name

Caroline is dating older guy Jake and plans to move away with him after the summer.

However, Jake's cousin Toby gets her a job in the local aquarium gift shop to earn cash to save to afford to move and live off but while working at the aquarium she meets Georgia, they become good friends and soon she starts having fun with her and making some good friends and get to be just a normal teen before senior year and having to knuckle down to decide her future.

When Jake's dad offers them to stay with him, Caroline isn't happy and doesn't want to settle but see the world or not leave her home at all...

All through the novel, she struggles with her feelings to the point of making herself be ill with worry about the future while Jake is an over powering and dominating character who's persistent and pushy bordering abusive in his actions. Growing up is hard enough without growing up too soon and this book shows that clearly.

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

Rachel's Pudding Pantry by Caroline Roberts

Rachel works on the farm with her mum Jill, a great baker, her young five year old daughter Maisy, farm hand Simon and her dog Moss. Food is at the heart of this novel as they all enjoy Jill's cooking everyday sampling her delights.

Since her father's sudden death two years ago she took over the bulk of the work while they tried to recover and carry on despite the farm's struggle to make any money.

Trying to fix that, Rachel thinks selling her mum's puddings locally and on site will help boost their income after some investment to help set up a better life for them and Maisie's future when she inherits the farm one day too.

Along with Eve her crafty best friend as she can create amazing crafts and her daughter Amelia being Maisie's best friend, the girls help each others business ventures take off.

But as the novel goes on we see how flaky dad Jake flits in and out getting Maisie's hope up of being around more to spend time with her and angering Rachel and her family treating them this way.

As well as all that, farmer next door Tom and Rachel finally face the spark between then only to find out a past secret about Rachel's father might put out that spark for good...

This book is all for girl team family power, really positive making the girls run their own new business and try to save their livelihood whilst Tom was a fun guy who shows evident care about them all from the first encounter we read. I also like that Tom doesn't break up the girl power and encourages them unlike flaky Jake whom shows how unreliable some parents can be! It was a sweet treat of a read and is best read with a cake and a cuppa in hand under the sun, you certainly won't regret it!

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

The Disconnect by Keren David

In this book we meet Ester and we see how her and her best friend Natalie as well as their crushes Tom and River as well as the rest of their school all partake in a challenge to ditch their phones and earn themselves a thousand pounds!

Only the woman behind the idea may be using the project to make teens rely even more on technology rather than doing less like they try.

After finding new hobbies and use of her time as well as being the victim of a mugging due to a phone argument it makes her feel more free than feeling paranoid people don't like her approve her clothes etc...

This book is relevant to now in a time when it seems people always have to be on their phone apps doing something this book highlights just how damaging they can be but also how nothing is as it seems a lot of the time too.

The Death Of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware

Harriet Westaway owes money, a seaside fortune teller, she decides to get the free money supposedly left to her even if it isn't rightfully hers to own...

Once she moves in to the house in the estate left, she discovers deep secrets with Maud, Maggie, Mrs Warren, Ezra and her parents that were deeply buried with sinister secrets, but once she discovers them, will she be safe anymore?

A drama filled mystery thriller with a murderous twist you won't expect. The book will keep you hooked and desperate for answers as we sink deeper into the secrets the Westaways have.

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

No Fixed Address by Susin Nielsen

In this book we meet Felix and his mum whom live in a van. All their life is packed away as his mum relies on her cunning will to make sure she can provide a little food and a place to sleep that is at least slightly safer than a park bench.

They get his mum's friends to cover for them and not get them found out as Felix enrols in school and makes some friends especially and become a more settled despite their situation.

It seems their luck may change when Felix gets the chance to go on a tv show with a cash prize only then trouble strikes for the pair and their future looks even more uncertain than ever before...

It was a thought provoking book and was realistic as more families fall into poverty and struggle more and more. Though his mum was trying her best we see how she fell into deep times of depression due to their unending situation which is understandable alike Felix's hatred towards their situation which mounts throughout the novel too especially as he grows ill repeatedly and can't face his friends knowing his situation.
I really liked the topic being tackled and would love to see it mentioned more in young adult fiction as it rarely is.

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

Girl At Sea by Lucy Courtenay

Precious's parents got divorced or are getting divorced after pictures emerged of her dad with other women.


Harry's dad drowned at sea and his mum had a breakdown over it.

Nathan wants to be an artist but his dad doesn't approve and yet he's a drug dealer.

After their GCSE'S are over, Precious and Lotta are off on holiday with their mum's to the Algarve only Lotta wants Olivia to join them when Precious can't stand her and finds her just wanting drama and gossip.

Harry is interailling with new friend Sasha whilst he wants to avoid the sea then ends up alone travelling by it anyway.

Harry and Precious first meet at a hot dog stand when she leaves her change, they witness the bomb go off on the boat, her father's boat and later when she can't catch her flight home and has an uneasy feeling she's being watched, she tries to leave via a cab once again offering too much money, Harry strides in to help. She then follows him as he talks of loneliness and catches the train with him.

Nathan is sent after her as the hunt for her goes national, her face on billboards everywhere whilst running with Harry away from the guys following them as her father's business is in trouble...

This book was told from a three way split perspective once from each main characters point of view. They all have father issues and talk about them whilst the boys also have a jealousy and territory issue over Precious and wanting to help her. The book did have some good points but I did find it dragging in other's, the action was good but more to do with the parent's business deals would be possibly made things clearer. The characters voices were believable and I liked how headstrong Precious is.

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

I'll Be Home For Christmas by Various For Shelter

This is an anthology of short stories based around various people and their versions of home. The stories range and all feature many things from broken families, new step siblings and parents, being gay and coming out, love and crushes, friendship and work.

From the anthology my favourite was Juno Dawson's Homo For Christmas, a story about coming out to your parents as in his case he has a boyfriend and is very happy with him but is anxious anticipating his mum's reaction.

All for a great cause, homelessness these stories are gripping and hard hitting as well as being fantastic quick reads.

Toxic by Nicci Cloke

Hope is on holiday in Crete with the boys, Dev, Nate and Zack also including Logan her ex boyfriend. When she gets rejected by wrongly trying to kiss him, she sets out to get drunk and forget.

The next day they head off on a booze cruise to an island where she meets Ness, Emily and Hayley with the boys while on board one of then dabbles in drugs but Hope hates the idea of then but not of getting drunk enough to forget anything and everything. The booze boat, sleazy guy and the girls from their hotel they bumped into again.

Then she wakes up the next morning unable to recall the whole night before as she is on the beach, dress round her waist and euro's missing from her bag.

Then Logan and Zack have a secret to keep, a criminal one...

Once back home, Logan starts digging trying to find out what really happened to Hope. As well as struggling with his guilt by sleeping a lot and sinking into depression and worrying he's not good enough for Daisy his girlfriend as they get their A level results.

Dev has a hidden true story from the night whilst JB makes an announcement to the group...

Then Logan discovers Emily went missing that night on holiday and it's on the news online...

There's also the issue of a TV show capturing them on camera partying for the world to watch...

Hope and Logan's latest ex Daisy are pushed together after they both experience similar horrifying situations while there's an attack based purely on gay phobia against one of their friends...

There's drug use alcohol abuse and sex references to throughout so this is definitely a book for older teens. The use of crude language about casual sex from a parent to their son and the son's friends was a bit much. But the story is so important about the dangers of cheap booze holidays abroad especially when friends aren't looking out for each other properly as so much danger could happen as you're so drunk and vulnerable as the teens get in this book. The boys do stick to a typical lads holiday treating Hope fully like one of them unfortunately but they're all deep into their own issues it seems like drink and drugs are the boy's way out of forgetting their life stresses and it can be similar to real life like that. Totally representative of some stereotypical teens and the dangers out there and a true test of how well we all know our friends fully.

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

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green

Aza deals everyday with intrusive anxiety thoughts often relating to medical conditions and especially c diff in particular, due to OCD and anxiety. Her best friend Daisy is obsessed with Star Wars and fan fiction writing of which she's very popular online from partaking in.

The main premise of the story is that her old camp friend and billionaire's son, Davis's father goes missing. While he may be rich money wise their father's will leaves everything to his pet Tuatura and nothing for his son's if and when he's found or turns up, dead or alive.

Throughout the novel after Daisy and her come into some of Davis's money, they still pursue Davis's friendship as they all know if their own way how it feels to be struggling and lonely in one way or another with their own issues.

Their other friend Mychel and Daisy soon start dating which doesn't make thing awkward but seems completely natural as Davis and Aza soon start sort of dating too.

I wasn't pulled in by the plot but enjoyed the story, there were lots more I wanted answering in the end which I won't discuss as it may ruin aspects of the final chapters, but I felt the main mystery never got proper answers. I would also have liked more time with Aza and her history with Davis as we are only told they went to Camp but not many flashback memories for two people who were friends or at least friendly with each other while there. Over all, I did like the book and would recommend it but it was a bit random and unfulfilling to me.