I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman

Freya, a singer recording her debut album has lost her voice while her mother is flapping around her frustrated at how things are working out, while Harun is making plans to run away and find the boy, James, he loves as Nathaniel ends up in New York after a family tragedy.

Freya, Harun and Nathaniel all meet in Central Park. Freya falls off a bridge while Harun watches her fall onto Nathaniel whom she gives a concussion to and so they stick together and go to the emergency room together before events spiral to them sticking together the rest of the day as Nathaniel and Freya get feelings for each other, Harun wishes to see James and introduce Freya while she feels seen for herself for the first time in ages despite who she is and the fact she remembers Harun's James writing to her about his situation at home and being kicked out for being gay.

We learn about each characters past and issues with family such as loss of members, lack of either parent in their life or the reality that they're pressured to be something they aren't whilst they all seem to have common feelings of loneliness and unable to be enough for their families to feel they're not approved of because of sexuality or otherwise. There is a strong mental health storyline too from the parental side as Nathaniel's father is depicted to be unstable and exist in multiple worlds symptomatic to bipolar and depression.

This is a book to give hope to those who wander alone feeling lost in the world and proves that while we may feel one way, it's not true and we are all noticed in some small way at least.

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

A Boy Called Ocean by Chris Higgins

Jen, Ellie, Macca and Kai are all supposed to be meeting at the beach and hanging out.

Kai wants to have a nice date with Jen at the beach front cafe where he plans to ask her to be his girlfriend. She doesn't know of the impending date but goes to meet him at the cafe only to learn he needs to work late now thanks to his boss.

Ellie persuades Jem to stay out with her and Macca and Jay on the beach but Kai sees and gets angry lashing out at customers and breaking cafe property which he then gets fired from and storms off, the grab Macca's surfboard and plunge into the sea...

As Jen stays out with Macca, Ellie reads the situation wrong assuming that Men fancies him now which upsets her deeply as she likes Macca.

The Jem discovers Kai isn't home, that's why he hasn't answered her calls or texts, no one knows where he is, so lifeboats are launched and a rescue operation over a underway to rescue him before it's too late...

As kai is stranded we learn of the domestic abuse his mother suffered and why they escaped to Cornwall, originally they loved Cornwall thanks to the stories she used to tell Kai about mermaids. His thoughts about Jen all keep him going while stranded at sea and when he sees a seal and realises it's not a dangerous shark, he feels comforted even if the seal can't help him.

He wants his future and holds onto his life as best he can while stranded out at sea. Jen, the girl he cares for so much is highly anxious and impatient awaiting news of him as lifeboats and helicopters get deployed and shows how a big scale rescue goes down whether fiction or real life it's awe inspiring the life saving work they do all year, all day round. There's also a final addition at the end of the book with Kai's mum talking about why she left Kai's father and her possible probable postnatal depression which caused her to rely on alcohol.

The issues around safety in the sea are issues which should be raised more in teens and children's fiction in my opinion but at least they are in this stunning book, much praise to Chris for this!

It was a gripping read that leaves your heart skipping beats in anticipation.

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

Damage by Eve Ainsworth

Gabi is a skater, best friends with Amira whom has lost her dad and has anxiety/panic attacks and Freddie, Amiras boyfriend.

Gabi has lost her grandad recently and isn't coping with losing her closest relative and friend. Though we learn he had a bad drinking habit and perhaps wasn't the best influence around Gabi in her mums eyes at least as she reveals her childhood wasn't nice and why her mum left and her dad turned to alcohol.
It's also quite ironic that her parents work in and live in a pub, so naturally her granddad would've visited the worst place for him to be around.

Gabi finds an outlet to reach out online to strangers about her self harm and even though she thinks she's hiding it well in real life, her friends and crush, Alfie along with her mum, soon catch on to what is happening.

This is a powerful book looking at the subject of self harm and I can fully relate to this story. For me the grief of losing a close family member also led me down Gabi's path. It may be hard hitting and graphic to some readers but for sufferers it shows there's hope and you're not a freak or alone with this issue.
Eve has written another astounding, had hitting book here, not one to be missed!

Katy by Jacqueline Wilson

Katy is the eldest of her siblings as she lives with her dad and step mum Izzie and the assortment of children they already had and had together from Katy, Elsie, Clover, Phil, Dorry, Jonnie and Cecy, her best friend too who's practically like another sister.

Usually the one to make up games and entertain her siblings, she often winds up in trouble somehow. But all the girls and boys are on their best behaviour when their dad's favourite ex patient comes to visit, Helen has rheumatoid arthritis and is in a wheelchair but hasn't let it hold her back as she's a highly successful academic becoming a doctor herself!

After Katy isn't allowed to have her skateboard back but goes behind her step mum's back to go out anyway, she tries to concoct a swing from a tree beach with a single piece of tied rope.

However, Katie asked to a changed life after her worried neighbour finds her and she gets whisked away to hospital where she remains for weeks of her school holiday. Once a life loving eleven year old looking forward to the summer holiday before secondary school starts, she hates the idea her life will now be wheelchair bound and limited.

Over the course of being in hospital, she has a kind nurse Jasmine, while she makes friends eventually with a boy called Dexter whom is a bit goth/emo/alternative and lives to draw graphic comic strips featuring baddies and the from reaper. They both relate as similar things have happened to them only as Dexter gets dumped by his girlfriend and Katy hates that her family get to go on holiday without her, or her dad as he's a doctor and choses to stay to see Katy, the pair keep up visiting and cheering each other up.

We then see Katy struggle adapting the life at home and school with Cecy as she faces life in a wheelchair and all it brings while she discovers it doesn't change her true character as she fits back in with her family and friends.

The book features many life changing moments for Katy from starting back at school and needing them to make changes to accommodate her as she has had to make for her life. The topic of everyday girl typical worries about weight come up as Katy wishes to just be able to take part normally in sport like the other students as well as the Paralympic games even being featured to inspire her. It puts day to day worries into perspective as Katy realises her life is changed forever and captures a true look at disability in children/teens and how it affects them.

How To Write A Love Story by Katy Cannon

Tilly doesn't date the boys in her school and has long thought of herself beginning to date when she's older much to the disappointment of her grandma who's a best selling romance author.

Ahead of her finishing her novel, Tilly's grandma Bea is struck down with pneumonia and unable to finish her work, Tilly tries to help her by finishing her work using her grandma's notes on the final book in her longest series so far.

Yet she never banks on her grandma approving so much of her work and she tasks Tilly to begin writing a book but Tilly has no idea where to start and so with her school being in full Valentine's celebration mode, sets about getting involved and inspired!

With her friends Rohan and Anja supporting her choice as they know it's her passion and desire to become an author, at school her book club helps her realise more about life and the way to develop her story as she realizes that newcomer Zach provides the perfect meet cute for Tilly that sparks her off into thinking up idea's. Drew, a fantasy book lover is always around just what is Tilly about to realize about love and boys? Also just what is happening to her grandma lately too? All the changes throughout the book and the journey Tilly goes on discovering about love is like most teens go through and health worries too are relatable and despite saddening the book, there's enough to enjoy and keep it fun and upbeat!

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

Being Miss Nobody by Tamsin Winter

Rosalind has selective mutism and can't talk in front of people or struggles so much she can perhaps only get a single word or two out instead. She is fine around her mum and dad but in school it has always marked her out as the weird one and gotten her bullied. However, she is a very bright girl who loves to read and play with her brother whom unfortunately has leukaemia.

After starting her new high school, she soon gets bullied by Connor, Maisy and others whom do and say despicable things to her as thwy know she won't fight back or speak up for herself.

This angers Rosalind and despite finding solace in hanging out in the library and helping with upcoming book events, she can also write in her notebook blog posts for her new blog she starts with Seb's help. Her blog is titled Miss Nobody as she is made to feel that way by the bullies. On there, she names and shames and gets students to stand up for the ones being picked on which eventually sees the bullies turn on each other too.

Throughout the last half of the novel, Aisla is a new student who gets paired with Rosalind and thankfully she helps stick up for Rosalind and she's kind and patient with her.

Seb worsens throughout the novel and we can guess what we expect to come for him in the story heartbreakingly as he had so much spirit and a warm character.

Being Miss Nobody was a great book and I really enjoyed it for the uniqueness of Rosalinds life situation and how she manages to cope with her SM and everything her family is going through, which is tough enough on anyone let alone Rosalind despite the bullies trying to cut her down some too from being ignorant to her struggle.

Tamsin is a great new author to watch for sure!

Bookshop Girl by Chloe Coles

Threatened with closure to make way for new retail units, Bennett's bookshop is at risk of being closed down.

With her Mum on jobseekers, choosing a future university for herself and sporting a hot guy in the street, her mind is full of things but at the top, saving Bennett's takes over. Working there with best friend Holly is amazing for them both and they set up an online petition to stop the closure going ahead.

After taking part in a life drawing class, the cute boy Paige likes turns up again at the bookshop, only as the closing down sale begins, the petition grows stronger as they use more social media outlets to spread the word through, so they then discover stock is going missing.

As friendship fall outs, dates, chance meetings and campaigning as well as reaching out to an author for help with the petition happen, Paige's life gets very busy as the final countdown to closer looks ever closer...

I liked the concept but found the storyline could've been better executed as there were often things that started but not played out, many characters could've had more input in the action but didn't seem as into the petition and campaigning to save their own jobs and the language was very feminist teenage angst and immature at times. Don't get me wrong, there's funny moments and darn weird happenings but it didn't completely work for me.

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

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!

The Lido by Libby Page

Rosemary and Kate pass by each other unknowingly, going about their separate lives but that's just the start of this story.

Kate is a busy journalist new to Brixton, Rosemary now an elderly lady a member of a tower block community where she lived with her husband once upon a time who can see her beloved lido from her window. She also still keeps up her seven am swims and meeting with her oldest friend, Hope and reminisces over the olden days gone between them before along with remembering her husband and believing she is still young.

So when Rosemary and Kate, covering the story for the Brixton News join forces to save the Lido when threatened with closure, they jointly set about proving it's the hub of the community and worth more than earning some company more money by becoming a private gym. From leafleting and making newspaper headlines and protesting to the council, we hear from all the community members the lido effects in some way and how lives have changed from their encounters there.

Both main protagonists are sad and lonely from absence and loss of members in lives but by joining forces a bond is created between them despite the generational differences they face. Both Rosemary and Kate's confidence grows and her anxiety/panic attacks lessen and as they cross paths with more people thanks to the lido, friendships are made and even a relationship for one of them!

I loved how we looked into so many lives during the novel and got an essence of how everyone in the community was despite their own separate lives how they all came together was so positive and lovely and gave everyone a support network and acceptance which is so good and needed in more real life communities. A touching read for all ages.

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

A Room Full Of Chocolate by Jane Elson

When ten year old Grace gets sent to stay with her granddad after her parents split and her mum fights cancer. Though Grace always tries to block out any thought that she has surrounding cancer As she tries to put it to the back of her mind.

As she stays with her granddad though, she discovers her mum's old childhood best friend Allie along with her daughter, Megan still live by them in the same house after her granddad sent his daughter away to school so As to split Allie and Grace's mum Chloe up. Granddad then tries to do that now too with Grace and Megan as he deems Megan a bad influence.

Megan is a wild free spirit even with a pet pig who sticks up for Grace at their school though As Grace gets bullies by Lucy and her group causing physical harm to Grace as well as sending her horrid texts.

As they plan to run away back to London from their trip to York, they enlist the help of some boys on a school trip there too only their coach is too down to london, as they leave the boys Mitchell and Grace exchange numbers bonded by their shared sadness over their mums. There's also the case of keeping their travelling pig a secret too!

I loved this book, a contrast to typical modern day life we get to experience country life on a farm as well as the struggles of being a child and having to cope with a seriously ill mother no matter how much you try to block it all out of your mind. We see the joys of friendship and family even in bitter circumstances and of course the joy of animals! The writing was serious but fun too as Megan helps Grace to cope with her changing life.