A different read for a YA book, I would recommend it to young people looking for a meatier modern read. The two distinct stories are both wildly different and interesting. This book didn't have the flow I like, so it took real dedication to get into. The story is genuinely interesting, so there were certainly parts that had me flipping pages, but overall it isn't one I flew through. I love the character study aspect of this book.

Georgia, an English teenager, trying to survive school and get through drone competitions she is no longer interested in. When tragedy hits, she is force to re-evaluate life, finding new interest in the political activism group her sister's boyfriend is in. Julius is the nephew of A state governor in Nigeria, and son of a famous mega-church founder. While he lives in a mansion surrounded by guards, people around him live less than a dollar a day.

The style is dark and a little grimy in it's honesty, something which seems to be popular in hardcore adult crime fiction.
A Grave For Two is not necessarily my cup of tea, but it was intriguing nonetheless. It takes some getting into, which may be a bit of an uphill struggle if you are as uninterested in the world of skiing as I am, but it's worthwhile for the final roundup of unveiled facts and characters confronted.

Selma Falck is a household name in Norway. Once an Olympian handball player, a general celebrity and chair of her own law-firm, Selma appears successful, happy and enviable. However, when a client discovers her worst secret, her house of cards collapses under its own weight. With a deal struck, Selma must uncover who is behind the possible sabotaging of the nation's best female cross-country skier, or lose everything she has ever worked for.

It is incredible to read about the progression from the 80's and 90's climbing world to how it is now, and is impressive to see what incredible feats have been accomplished in our lifetime!

A fascinating book through and through, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in extreme sports, alternative lifestyles and adventure culture.

Overall, I love the story and characters in this book. I want to visit Littleport, Maine and see the beautiful scenery Miranda describes so lovingly. Unfortunately, the oversimplified process takes The Last House Guest down from 4/5 to 3/5 for me. I really wanted to love this ending, but it felt too rushed and messy when it came down to it.

Littleport, Maine is like two different towns. For most of the year it is a small town with very little action, but in summer it becomes a destination for the rich and reckless. Though the town-people and the summer-crowd don't tend to mix, Sadie and Avery have managed to become best friends. However, when Sadie is found dead, everything changes. With her job and her reputation in jeopardy, Avery must figure out what happened before it's too late.

Overall, I loved the general setup of the book, and the characters were each fascinatingly flawed. The delta was beautifully crafted, and I enjoyed all of the amazing descriptions of the otherworldly foliage and fauna. It's exciting to imagine somewhere on Earth being so different and other. I would say around the middle of the book I would give it 3.75 stars, but by the end, 3 stars.

The Submundo Delta is unlike anywhere else on Earth. The forest floor is made up of tree roots, tangled together over the sea to make up a landmass, the foliage is magenta and the creatures are unrecognisable. When English police-officer, Ben, arrives at the Delta to investigate the deaths of a group of local creatures only recently deemed persons, he discovers that the forest has strange and enticing power.

When Bilal's Pakistani mother dies, her final request is that Bilal build a mosque in the sleepy southern England village he moved away from Birmingham to start a new life in. As Bill faces the question of what it means to belong, he comes face to face with years of doubts and fears he has never addressed, and as he moves forward with the mosque he will have to face more than just his insubstantial fears.

This book is brilliantly written, using humour and amazingly depicted cultural scenes to talk about some very important current issues.
The way she pinpoints British nuances and subtleties in simple and recognisable ways is astounding and brilliant.
Highly recommended, especially for those who wish to examine what they think about national identity, inclusive culture, and what it means to follow your convictions in life. 5 Stars!

When Ailsa inherits a manse in rural Scotland, she discovers that until her estranged father can be either found or pronounced presumed dead, she only owns half the estate. With no other option, Ailsa moves into the manse with hopes of a quick turnover so she can get back to London and her job in news broadcasting.
However, Ailsa discovers that small towns don't forget the past as quickly as she may have hoped.

I absolutely love the mood and mystery of this book, it is full of Gothic tension and surreal beauty. The characters are phenomenal and the setting is deeply effective. The constant question of whether or not there is something supernatural happening kept me on my toes, looking for clues and hidden details. The creepy elements were expertly written.

The highland setting is dreamy but stark, highlighting the horror of the crimes against the backdrop of beautiful nature.
The end has lots of twists, some of which are fairly expected, and some of which were genuinely surprising. I found that by the end Monica was a less believable character, but I found found her very likeable anyhow. I found the villain's motivations highly interesting, and I would have liked even more insight into him.

When bodies of young boys start showing up on the rural banks of lochs in the highlands, detective Monica Kennedy gets obsessed. The case brings her back to her old stomping grounds and a whole world she had worked to forget.

17 year old Cassie has a normal life. She has a job, she goes to college, she has a boyfriend and a loving family. Only Cassie thinks her parents are holding back on her. She has always known that she was adopted, but it never seemed to matter until recently, when she started having dreams about her childhood that don't seem to square with what she has always been told about her birth mother.

With some very sweet moments and heartwarming scenes, this book also has a lot of very uncomfortable concepts and scary ideas, all of which are important to think about and not ignore. Concepts such as teenage rebellion leading to wild irresponsibility, stalking, being taken advantage of, the length we are willing to take “white“ lies, being unprotected on social media; these are all things that the Forgotten Sister will make you think about.

This is one of the best feminist books I have read. Isabelle turns slowly into a gloriously strong, independent woman, and the story is all about how women can be every bit as fierce and clever as men.
I think that Jennifer Donnelly did a fantastic job with Stepsister, both carefully stewarding the integrity of a classic fairytale we all love, whilst simultaneously creating her own ingenious twists and fairytale elements with a professional hand.

This book is quirky.
The concept of describing what it's like to learn to see for the very first time was fascinating, and I loved the situations this brought up.
The characters are so flawed and scared, they repeatedly make rash decisions that ultimately hurt everyone, especially themselves. I wouldn't say that this is an optimistic book on the topic of relationships, but I said say it's honest.
Not a book I would reread, but it's enjoyable.