Have you ever wanted to lead a double life? Haven't we all! Well this week we begin with a super review by site member Tinde712 of Between the Lives by Jessica Shirvington, in which teenager Sabine does just that, shifting to her other life every 24 hours.
"Between the Lives is a fantastically gripping and original story, bound to surprise its readers along the way. Shirvington's captivating writing hooked me to the complicated life of Sabine, who I did not abandon until I had finished the book, at which point I was crying and laughing with happiness … Throughout the novel I found myself becoming attached to the characters and rooting for the life that I personally wanted her to choose, a world of love or a world of life (similar to how a Twilight fan would select Team Edward or Jacob). At some parts in the novel I found myself giggling at the mental picture Shirvington has painted. Her play on words and light-hearted approach to some situations has to be admired as the work of a truly skilled author … I can easily say that this book is officially one of my all-time favourite reads and tomorrow morning when I go into school I am going to convince all my friends to read this book. A truly stunning novel and a definite must-read"
Similarly bizarre, we move to an unusual dystopian future now as Abundantly_dramaticT wrote a brilliant review of Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill. In this perhaps not-so-distant world, a misogynistic society forces girls from an early age to compete and not think for themselves.
"The author portrayed the perfect setup to initiate thoughts in relation to blurred lines between our society today and her radical, fictionalised one … As an individual harshly against nearly everything presented in this novel, I did not hesitate to shed a tear or two every now and then. I am aware that O'Neill's intention was to instigate a focus on Freida and Isabel's relationship to portray the hurtful truth behind the dusty corners of the foundation of their growing up, yet I found myself unable to do so entirely. Partially due to the fact that Isabel herself, I found to be, an absent character."
We're time travelling now back to the first world war, as this week two of our site members wrote terrific reviews of our Teen book club read, Stay Where You Are and Then Leave by John Boyne. In this heart-wrenching tale, when five-year-old Alfie's father goes to war and doesn't come back for four years, he decides to go looking for him and finds him very much changed from the man he remembers. First to share their thoughts was Safah:
"This book was amazing. I'm sure everyone has heard of The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas; after reading such a beautifully written yet heart-breaking story I knew I had to review John Boyce's new WW1 fiction novel and it was just as wonderful … The ending was beautiful, realistic but still touching. A wonderful conclusion to a brilliant read. I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to read more historical fiction about this period!"
Second to ponder was Lilybelle, with their fantastic review:
"This incredibly moving book cleverly covers most of the different points of view of people living in England during the tragic events of the First World War. I usually don't really enjoy books about younger children, I prefer ones about teenagers. But Alfie is different: John Boyne has created a realistic, interesting young boy who has plenty of character and a courageous soul … I'm sure a lot of readers today will relate to Alfie – there are still men, women and children dying in wars, there are still people who live in the fear of never seeing one of their friends or family again. And that is why we should care about this story."
Another book which might require a packet of tissues on your bedside table was reviewed by perksofbeingabookworm: The Year of the Rat by Clare Furniss. In this novel, Pearl's mother has just died after giving birth to her newborn sister, and Pearl must try to find her own way of coming to terms with the loss.
"Wow. This book left me speechless. And also crying like a little baby, but most importantly speechless … I honestly loved this book. Lots. It was just so raw, so heartbreakingly honest, I wish I could read it for the first time all over again. It really helped me gain a new perspective on grief, and how people deal with it; Pearl is such a brilliantly icy character she's hard not to love, and her development as a person is something to behold. On the whole: simply stupendous."
(If that's tickled your taste buds, do take a look at the first chapter!)
Continuing the theme of loss, but with a mysterious twist, helloitsheath wrote an amazing review of the second novel in the Lunar Chronicles: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. When Scarlet's grandmother goes missing for two weeks and the police close the investigation, Scarlet's only hope for getting her back is Wolf – a street fighter she doesn't entirely trust.
"What I liked about this book is the way it managed to tell Scarlet's story in an in-depth manner while also continuing Cinder's story. The balance of focus on the two separate plot lines was something achieved really well in the book and the merging of the story-lines at the very end was done in a seamless way that, again, was highly effective … Overall, this isn't my favourite book in the series. It's a wonderful book but … personally; Cinder is the better book for me."
A huge thank you to our reviewers for sending in such delightful critiques of their books! If your review has been picked for our roundup, be sure to email the Book Elves and we will send you some prize-reading in the post.
Happy reading!
Want to tell the world about a book you've read? Join the site and send us your review!
