Book Review: You Know Me Well by David Leviathan and Nina LaCour*

Book Review: You Know Me Well by David Leviathan and Nina LaCour*

Thursday 28 April 2016

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I’m a big fan of YA fiction as you’ve probably realised by now, so when I received an ARC of You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour, I was absolutely over the moon. David Levithan is, quite frankly, one of the absolute KINGS of YA Fiction and obviously, I’ve read quite a few books by David Levithan before (Invisibility and Every Day, to name a few). I’ve never had the pleasure of coming across Nina LaCour before but I think I’ll definitely be checking her and her writing out in the coming months as I absolutely loved this collaboration.

The story introduces two main characters, Mark and Kate, two characters who are completely different but have one vital thing in common: they’re both LGBT teens fighting against the constraints of society. The story alternates between their two perspectives, each written by one of the two authors (Mark was from the mind of Levithan, whilst Kate came from LaCour’s imagination.) I loved how the two characters met and became close friends in the midst of an amazing adventure, despite having already sat next to each other in a school class for an entire year, and I particularly loved how this relationship stretched beyond the aftermath of this adventure. I think it’s fair to say that I loved both characters on an equal measure, which very rarely happens with me and I connected with them in ways I didn’t think was possible. I loved how it presented love in differing yet beautiful ways, although some of the novel was slightly naïve at times, I believe that comes with the territory of YA fiction and love amongst teenagers. It shows the contrast of different people’s personalities, with Kate trying to run away from love and Mark desperate to clasp it with both hands.

I loved the inclusion of poetry, the references to art and the mentions of technology such as Instagram which have become oh so essential in our every day lives. I thought the transitions between chapters was done pretty well, although it is quite obvious there’s more than one author contributing to the story as their styles differ ever so slightly. I’d say that this is definitely a good thing though, as you’re able to experience the story from a variety of perspectives. I loved the moments of realisation the characters had, particularly when Kate became aware of the fact that the friendship she had formed as a young child might not last adult life as she had expected. I loved how delicately Mark’s story of unrequited love was portrayed, done in such a way that you were aware that there was absolutely no chance for the couple, but also that that doesn’t mean that there’s no chance for love as a concept in general.

I absolutely loved this story. It was a touching, cheerful and easy read after some pretty tough novels and really gave me the boost I needed to get back into reading after a bout of disinterest. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves a good YA novel, is interested in reading LGBT tales or else to someone who just wants a quick and easy read to ease themselves back into reading.

4/5

Life: A Company I'm Loving ATM!

Life: A Company I'm Loving ATM!

Friday 22 April 2016

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I want to start off by saying that this is in no way a sponsored post: I just happened to buy a little something from this brand and was blown away by how adorable it was when it arrived. I’m all about sharing the love when it comes to this sort of thing, particularly when the brand involved is a relatively small one so I thought I’d share some little images of one of their products. 

It’s my cousin’s birthday today (happy birthday Leah, if you’re reading!) and I thought I’d go above and beyond this year and get her a hilarious card from Etsy. I actually spent a lot of time deliberating between this one and another slightly more crude one, but in the end the absolute adorableness of this card won and I purchased it quickly and easily through the Etsy website. I’m writing this post a good month before todays date because I wasn’t sure how long it’d take for the Etsy store owner Katie at GinBunnyPrints to print and post the card, nor did I know how long the postal service would take to actually get the card to me. I also wasn’t sure whether I was going to post the card or hand it over personally, so the earlier I ordered it, the better. 

I shouldn’t have worried. I ordered on the Sunday afternoon and the card arrived, packaged beautifully in a fold-proof envelope adorned with a sticker of the company’s logo, on the Tuesday morning whilst I was in class. I thought the effort that had gone into packaging the card was absolutely sublime: not only was it packaged in such a way that there was absolutely no way it would get torn or bent, it was also tightly wrapped in cellophane to ensure it was protected from any markings or spills once it arrived. I absolutely LOVE the gorgeous business card that was attached to the front -a really smart move from the sellers front as not only does it look super cute, it was also a very professional way of reminding me that they sell more than just the one card I purchased. I’ll definitely keep a hold of this card for the future, or else I’ll pass it on to someone who I think will appreciate their products. 

Onto the card itself: HOW CUTE IS IT? I apologise for the crude language but a little bit of crass humour never did anyone any harm. I absolutely love the colourful pinãta and the design being so simple makes it all the more adorable as far as I’m concerned. I thought the caption was hilarious and completely epitomises my cousin’s sense of humour. I find that it’s rare that a card can make me laugh but I honestly laughed for way too long when I first saw this card. 

I’ll definitely be buying from this shop again in the future, I’m hoping they expand their birthday card collection a little bit more so I can treat all my friends to different designs on their special day! 

You can find this card and all of their other beautiful products at GINBUNNYPRINTS. 

What’re your favourite etsy stores? 

Book Review: Hello, Goodbye and Everything In Between by Jennifer. E. Smith*

Book Review: Hello, Goodbye and Everything In Between by Jennifer. E. Smith*

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Is there anything better than book mail? I think not. I recently received a copy of the YA novel Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith from the team at Headline books and I was SO excited to get stuck straight into it. YA is one of my favourite genres of fiction, despite me being 22 years old (that’s still young, right?) and I’m always thrilled to get the opportunity to read new contributions to this incredible genre. Thanks to Headline for my review copy! 

I haven’t actually read anything by the author before, although I’ve had The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight on my to-read list for way too long. I’m definitely going to get that one purchased (along with pretty much everything else in the author’s repertoire) as soon as I have a space in my reading schedule because I absolutely LOVED this book. I got through it relatively quickly, considering I was reading alongside writing essays galore, attending university classes and actually making time to eat and sleep. It fits perfectly into the YA world and I would honestly say that it’s up there with the best of them: any lovers of John Green or Stephanie Perkins would definitely love this book! 

The story follows a young couple, Clare and Aidan, on their last night together before they head off to college for 4 years. They have to make the incredibly difficult and adult decision of whether or not to try and make their relationship work over a 3000 mile distance or to break up and try and move on with their lives. I can tell you now, this book is incredibly relatable and I can imagine that a lot of different people from all over will take solace in the message that this book puts across. I absolutely loved the anecdote from Aidan’s dad, repeated by him and by Aidan himself: sometimes the hardest things are the ones best worth doing. I loved the relationship that we saw between Aidan and Clare, and I also really enjoyed the little steps away from their relationship where they spent time with their friends. Stella and Scotty were a great addition to the story and I’d be curious to learn as to where their story is going to progress. I thought everything came together really nicely and I was rooting for them and their relationship from the word go.

I won’t spoil the ending for everyone because seriously, you should go out and buy this book, but I will say that it left me sad and happy and all sorts of other different emotions, all at the same time. It made me smile, it made me tear up ever so slightly and it also made me think a lot about my own life and the decisions I’ve had to make over the last few years. I absolutely ADORED the last pages and I think that the way the author went with the story was definitely the right one. I can’t wait to give Jennifer’s other books a good read over the coming weeks and months and advise you guys out there to get this book bought as soon as possible! 

The paperback version of Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between was published Thursday 21st April in the UK and can be purchased on Amazon right here. 

4/5. 

Beauty: Treatwell Beauty Event*

Beauty: Treatwell Beauty Event*

Saturday 16 April 2016

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Last week I was invited by the lovely Holly Casswell to an exclusive night of pampering, networking and all round fun, hosted by the organisation Treatwell, at Voodou hair salon on Bold Street in Liverpool. Treatwell is the new rebranding of the Wahanda organisation and is an online site where you can buy and book hair, nail and other beauty treatments with discounts and other fabulous incentives. I was absolutely thrilled to be invited to such an amazing event and I had an absolute blast with the other bloggers and with the different beauty companies who came along to showcase their skills for us! I had a little bit of a ‘mare a few hours before the event, in that I realised I couldn’t find my camera charger for the life of me and my camera was about 10 snaps away from dying a death. Unfortunately that meant I had to resort to using my iPhone camera after about 20 minutes which was a bit of a pain, but the pictures aren’t toooo bad, all things considered.

In typical Hollie fashion, I got there earlier than they told us to be there but this worked out in my favour this time! When I arrived, my name was checked off the guest list and I was handed a lovely glass of bubbly Prosecco. I was also asked which of the three complimentary treatments I fancied having done: there was a choice of a hair up-do, a file and polish to the nails or else a massage. I decided after a moments deliberation to go for the nail treatment, mostly because I hadn’t had time to give them a coat of lacquer before I set off so they felt a little bit bare! I got given a little appointment card, which I thought was a lovely touch.

The salon itself was absolutely beautiful- I got my hair cut there a few years ago but haven’t been back since (poor student lifestyle took over!) and I couldn’t believe what they’d done with the place. There was an absolutely lovely, chatty waitress handing out the Prosecco and she definitely put my nerves at ease when I first arrived. I didn’t recognise any of the people already there so I parked myself down on a sofa next to another lady, intending on having a little chatter and making a new pal, but I didn’t have time for that at all: a lovely lady came over to me and introduced herself, asking if I wanted to have ANOTHER complimentary treatment and give a massage a go. I’m a bit funny about people touching me so I said no at first, but the woman was VERY persuasive and before I knew it, I was sat down and Megan from Megan Kelly Massage was treating me to what I can only describe as the magic hands treatment. The massage was absolutely incredible and I honestly felt so much better for it afterwards. I found a few of my other blogging pals just after this and we took some amazing selfies that we got printed off there and then at the event!

I then had my little nail appointment with Sammy from Vogue. Vogue is based in Liverpool One and I was absolutely SO impressed by her work. She tidied up the shape of my nails a little and pushed my cuticles back first of all and then I chose a lovely deep purple colour. She finished off the colour with a thick top coat. If you’re in the Liverpool area and fancy a little bit of TLC, then I would 100% recommend Sammy’s services. She was chatty, friendly and made me feel right at home. The treatment I had done would normally only set you back a tenner (and she told me that they’d take a lot more time on you as well as pushing back your cuticles further and trimming them if they needed it). Bargain!

The entire event was put together so nicely and I really had an absolute blast! I have to admit that I was more than tipsy by the time I headed off to meet some other friends for dinner, goody bag in hand. Thanks to Holly and Treatwell for the invite and to the lovely bloggers that I met there as well for making it such a good night! 

Book Review: The Art of Being Normal - Lisa Williamson | The Girl Gang Read of the Month for April.

Book Review: The Art of Being Normal - Lisa Williamson | The Girl Gang Read of the Month for April.

Wednesday 13 April 2016

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I bought myself a copy of this book after it was made the March/April choice in the Girl Gang Book Club. I’d never heard of it prior to being recommended in this book club, so it was a brand new one for me (weirdly, the day after I ordered it I got an email from Waterstones telling me it had won a prestigious young adult prize. It was obviously meant to be.) I’ve learnt since that this book is kind of a big deal in the book world, so you’ve probably heard of it already! I think I devoured this one in less than a few days because it was just THAT good. And of course, I’m going to tell you exactly why…

The Art of Being Normal is the story of two young men. The first, David, only wants one thing in life: to stop hiding behind an identity with which he doesn’t relate. He wants to be a woman. There are only two people who are aware of this desire, his best friends. The book follows his struggle to finally admit to his parents that he identities with being female, being attracted to other men and generally just not fitting into the body he was born into. We’re also introduced to Leo, a new student at the school that David goes to who has had trouble in his past. He wants to stick his head done, finish his time at high school and go unnoticed. When he gets in a fight which leads to him defending David, it’s clear that he isn’t going to be allowed to be left out of the spotlight. I’m not going to spoil the plot (because I never do in my reviews) but this one is definitely a book that you should read if you’re into YA/LGBT fiction and to be honest, even if you’re not.

I will start by saying that this isn’t a book which is clichéd in its approach of transgender teenagers. I didn’t at any point find any of the reading uncomfortable, or disrespectful, or harbouring on inconsiderate. It was exactly the opposite of that, if I’m honest with you, and that was definitely something which made me really love the story. I absolutely loved David and Leo’s characters and the friendship that they build over the course of the book, but I must be honest: I love Leo much, much more! His character appealed to me in all the right ways and I found him exciting and mysterious, all the things I love in a book character! We’re fed little trinkets of information about his past and there’s a little bit of a twist in the tale as far as he is concerned.

I’ve never read a book exclusively about transgender teens, and this one is special in the sense that it’s much anticipated and gaining great prestige already. I think that Lisa Williamson was definitely the right person to be putting this story out, she handled it with care and thought and I’m sure that those who are going through similar things to the characters in this story will be able to relate to the characters. I’d say that this is an incredibly important contribution to Young Adult literature and the subject matter only makes it all the more special.

5/5