The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

Michael is a gay guy and he's known he was since he was a child and wanted to be friends with girls and play with Barbies.

However as he grows up, he faces bullying, first crushes, finding his best friend Daisy and how she too comes to terms with her sexuality and also heading off to university and discovering drag blossoming into his true self.

A bold fabulous story about becoming the real you despite the bumps along the road this was a powerful novel told in verse and a moving unique story.

A Shape Of My Own by Grace Bowman

In this book we meet Grace the author as she takes us through her past to present story of her life with anorexia and all the stages she went through with it.

From losing boyfriends and friends to losing control over her life as good became the main focus of her life and things like socialising and enjoying university became mixed up with varying emotions over her battle with food. We see what a toll or took on her parents as they watched her lose weight and regained too as well as when she finally managed to get to university and break free into the world on her own with a proper graduation job and finding her new love.

Grace's story is one that is honest and raw with all emotions splayed out page by page in her effectively captivating writing. It was a truly brutal battle and a hard one Grace pushed to try and overcome but I was truly blown away by her account of becoming herself again after losing her way.

The Happy Glampers Part 1: You Make Me Feel Like Glamping by Daisy Tate

After all studying at university and becoming great friends, Charlotte reunites them all with a stay away glamping whilst also dealing with the possible break down of her marriage and handling two kids.

As this first part of the book begins we see how Charlotte suffers under husband Oli as her girls soon see that something isn't right with the couple.

Isabelle and Emily have an evident history but also Izzy has a daughter in tow none were expecting.

Freya misses her mum but unlike Charlotte has a loving husband and kids while still struggling to handle the fact her husband once years ago slept with one of her friends!

All the girls have led separate lives in the years on since university but it's evident they still know each other well and need each other. I am excited to read the next part as this debut sparkle with potential for drama, drama, drama galore!

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!

Always And Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Wow what a finish to the Lara Jean trilogy this was, with a death, engagement, wedding, break up, college applications and friends parting ways to go achieve their dreams its all change ahead for Lara Jean and co!

As she applies and misses her most favoured college Lara Jean finds herself a little unsure of what's ahead for her as best friend Chris is going travelling on a gap year and her boyfriend Peter got in to their most favoured college while Lara Jean didn't. Facing a future apart or long distance the couple has a minor bump which they seem to work through while the Song family expands another way...

I really enjoyed the sisters and the reality of growing up as the girls talk more of body changes, boys and sex as they all have such differences in age between them. We can all relate to choosing colleges and finishing school too of course.

A sweet wrap up to the Song girls trilogy giving them a fantastic send off!

What's A Girl Gotta Do? By Holly Bourne

Lottie is having a hard time, her hippie parents are pushing her to attend Cambridge or Oxford so she can follow her dream of being prime minister which is great until they want her to stop the spinster club!

Whilst the spinster club is thriving and helping her immensely after she faces sexual harassment every morning walking by some pervy builders who feel it's okay to catcall her and make comments I'm glad to say she sticks it to them well and stuffs them good and proper.

As Lottie and Will get closer, hanging out more and teasing each other tons soon they find themselves facing facts that they like each other more than friends when an argument fires their passion...

It was great to read the next spinster club installment but I do think it could have been shorter as there was more on feminism issues as is Lottie and the girl's passion which obviously isn't a bad thing, however the book did feel like a bit of a trawl through and not as great as the two before it unfortunately.

Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman

Nick and Charlie are a young couple, two guys who have been together two years but now Nick is off to university and Charlie can't comprehend him not being there always.

One night at a party, Charlie gets drunk and finds out another strong couple have broken up before university and in a drunken fit of emotion breaks up with Nick regrettably for both of them.

After a break in communication, Charlie approaches Nick and they reconcile but can they get back together knowing the future?

It was a great little story and I did thoroughly enjoy it. Nick and Charlie seem like a great couple being together from I think, fifteen especially shows their connection was always there and not going to be easily broken!

99 Days by Katie Cotugno

As Molly returns back to her hometown, takes up her old job again and crosses paths with old friends whom are now new enemies in some cases, gets entangled with Patrick and Gabe Donnelly once again, life is proving to be tricky and pressuring her to make a decision before its too late.

There's also the fact that everywhere she goes, still people call her a slut and give her the side eye. Slowly Molly does make friends and also peace with her past decisions and actions.
We see how her adoptive mum exposed her secrets about cheating on her boyfriend in her latest book. Which unfortunately for Molly, exposed it all to her friends and the town people.

This book reminds me of Abbi Glines The Vincent Brothers books and I enjoyed them although this book is more suitable to younger readers compared to them.