Tragedy – NEVER JUDGE TEEN BOOKS BY THEIR COVERS

Apache by Tanya Landman

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!

This book is about an Apache young woman who goes astray from the traditions of her tribe and decides to become an Apache warrior to avenge her mother, father and brother Tazhi. However, following the path of a warrior isn’t easy and the hardships along the way are evident in the book. Tanya Landman herself said that “I’ve made no attempt to produce an accurate historical novel.” but having said that the book does seem like it’s quite accurate. There are a lot of characters in the book but the main ones are Siki and Golahka. All the characters in the book are different but there are so many I can’t name them all. This book is not happy, if you are the type of person who cries in books then there will be tears from you over this. I will say that it’s quite a confusing read and sometimes I found that occasionally it was difficult to follow what was going on so this isn’t an easy or quick read, but definitely a good one.

Anyway, there are numerous battle scenes in the book between the Mexicans and the Apache. Where SPOILER: numerous people are killed. But if you’ve read any Sarah J Maas books, I’m sure you can cope. Despite this being a Teen/YA novel, it’s quite a serious book and Tanya Landman ventures towards the older half of the teenage years with this novel. However, I do think that anyone could and should read this and I found it very empowering especially for women and teaches young girls to follow their dreams no matter what. This book would be a great last-minute Christmas present for your friends or family and definitely worth the read. I give this book 9 out of 10 stars and hope you enjoyed my review.

Blurb: Siki is an orphan of the Black Mountain Apache. Her mother was killed by Mexicans three years ago and her father lost in an ambush the winter before that. When Siki witnesses the brutal murder of her little brother Tazhi, she vows to become an Apache warrior and avenge his death.

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Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

Blurb: In July 1942, thirteen-year-old Anne Frank and her family, fleeing the occupation, went into hiding in an Amsterdam warehouse. Over the next two years Anne vividly describes in her diary the frustrations of living in such close quarters, and her thoughts, feelings and longings as she grows up.

Age: 11+

Price: £5.99

I am very sorry for the long wait for the review, but it is here now…

I asked for this book for Christmas as I was really interested to read the diary of a girl who lived through the Holocaust. In case you didn’t know, the Holocaust was something that happened during WWII, where the Nazis were trying to get rid of the Jewish race through genocide (trying to kill them). This meant that Anne’s family had to go into hiding and so this is the diary of a girl during this horrible period in history. You can probably guess that things didn’t work out as the Franks were betrayed towards the end of the war. We are privileged to have documentation of what happened in that time.

This book was really interesting at the beginning but gradually got less and less interesting, as she started to only talk about Peter and how much she hated Mrs Van Dan. She was in a horrible situation stuck with people she didn’t really get on with, and the only thing she could do was write her feelings in her diary. But to me this started to become a bit tedious. This was not written to be published, as it was a diary that was found after the war and published by Anne Frank’s father. Sadly, they cut quite a lot of bits out as she was being to rude towards the families and it “couldn’t be published”. I think that these should have been kept in as it would have made it more truthful and you knew how she was truly feeling. Of course, I knew that it wasn’t going to be the most exciting book I have ever read because she was isolated in a hideout and really had nothing to write about, because she had no access to the outside world. It was interesting to find out how different and similar her life is to mine, some of it was scarily relatable and some of it was awful and I am very lucky to have never been put in that situation. Overall, I found it interesting yet terribly sad and it would sometimes fail to hold my attention, but saying that, I am proud to say I have read such a classic. I give this book a 6 out of 10 stars and I hope that you enjoyed my very late review.

One by Sarah Crossan

Blurb: Grace and Tippi are twins – conjoined twins.

And their lives are about to change.

No longer able to afford homeschooling, they must venture into the world – a world of stares, sneers and cruelty. Will they find more than that at school? Can they find real friends? And what about love?

But what neither Grace or Tippi realises is that a heart-wrenching decision lies ahead. A decision that could tear them apart. One that will change their lives even more than they ever imagined.

Age: 13+

Last year I went to the Hay Festival, click here to read about my experience http://larawhitfield.co.uk/?p=394. Anyway, I went to see the winner of the YA shortlist award and this book one. So here is my long promised review of the winner.

I really loved this book! It was interesting as Sarah Crossan has written the whole book in verse. Please don’t think that it is a book with a load of silly rhymes in it, because it isn’t. Even though it is written in verse, it doesn’t actually rhyme. It’s just like reading a normal book but there is more flow to it. This book is about conjoined twins hence the name of the book. My favourite characters were obviously Grace, Tippi and Dragon. All the characters had very different and sometimes clashing personalities which made the book really interesting. I read this book within a couple of days because I couldn’t put it down. This was a really sad book. So if you don’t like that kind of thing then this probably isn’t for you. I nearly cried at the end, read it to find out why. I would recommend this to girls and give it 10 out of 10 stars. Enjoy!

P.S. There will be a new page on my blog shortly called ‘Book of the Year’ where I will be announcing my favourite book from each year. It will be up really soon so keep your eyes peeled. I will say when it is up on my twitter – Njtbbtc – and Instagram – NJTBBTC.

What’s a girl gotta do? by Holly Bourne

Blurb: HOW TO START A FEMINIST REVOLUTION: 1. Call out anything that is unfair on one gender, 2. Don’t call out the same thing twice (so you can sleep and breathe), 3. Always try to keep it funny, 4. Don’t let anything slide. Even when you start to break…Lottie’s determined to change the world with her #Vagilante vlog. Shame the trolls have other ideas…

Age: 14+

Price: £6.99

So, as you probably know, I am a huge fan of Holly Bourne books and loved ‘Am I normal yet’ so I was really excited when this book came out. My friend lent it to me and I loved it!!! This book is about Lottie starting a feminist revolution to stop all sexism. Unfortunately, things start to go wrong. I thought that this book was amazing and can’t wait to read Holly’s new book that has just come out called ‘And a Happy New Year’. There are some new characters in this book who I really liked for example, Megan and Will. Even though they both appeared in the other books briefly, their characters really stood out and you got to know a lot more about them. This book is 14+ for a reason and I suggest that if you are younger, it is probably not the book for you as the content is very mature. I give this book a 10 out of 10 stars and aim it at girls, but by all means, boys, give it a read! ENJOY!!!

Asylum (#1) by Madeleine Roux

jimbob Blurb: For sixteen-year-old Dan Crawford, the New Hampshire College Prep program is the chance of a lifetime. Except that when Dan arrives, he finds that the usual summer housing has been closed, forcing students to stay in the crumbling Brookline Dorm formerly a psychiatric hospital. As Dan and his new friends Abby and Jordan start exploring Brookline’s twisty halls and hidden basement, they uncover disturbing secrets about what really went on here . . . secrets that link Dan and his friends to the asylum’s dark past. Because Brookline was no ordinary mental hospital, and there are some secrets that refuse to stay buried.”

Age: 14+

Price: £7.99

You probably know that it is Halloween tomorrow and I am soooooo excited as it is one of my favourite times of the year (can’t wait to go ‘Trick or Treating’). So here is a creepy/scary book for you.

This book is absolutely terrifying and addictive. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My best friend lent it to me after reading the whole series (this is the first one by the way) and said I should read it, so I did, and BAM!!!! I love it! It is so scary and creepy and I couldn’t put it down. My favourite character was definitely Abby and I like Jordan as well. There was a really clever plot twist at the end that I really enjoyed. My favourite bit however was near the end when suddenly everything pieced together and you finally understood everything. You should definitely read this book as it is perfect for giving you nightmares on Halloween night (don’t worry, it’s not that creepy). I give it a 10 out of 10!!!!!! And recommend it to both genders and to anyone who loved ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’. And…….

The Castle by Sophia Bennett

Layout 1 Blurb: Peta Jones is an ordinary girl struggling with the loss of her father, an ex-army hero who died in mysterious circumstances. When she receives clues that he may still be alive, she embarks on a dangerous rescue across the Mediterranean to a clifftop castle, home to an exiled billionaire. Soon she discovers that what some people will do for money, Peta will do for love.

Price: £6.99

Age: 12+

This is the last of my holiday to Spain book series and another book that I am impressed with….

I was given this book for my birthday along with another book by the same author called ‘The Look’ which I haven’t read yet but it is on my list. This book is about a girl who tries to find her dad. This book is really sad and thrilling at the same time. Because of the content, I would place it in the adventure books category and mystery, but it could be in my sad books category as well. My favourite characters were Peta, the 2 slave children (won’t mention their names because it may be a spoiler). This book is a lot darker than I expected it to be and there were a lot of characters cleverly portrayed so that you immediately hated them. I think that this book was amazing and would definitely recommend it to people who enjoy adventure, mystery thrillers. This is for both genders and I give it 10 out of 10.

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Geek Girl #3Picture Perfect by Holly Smale

Blurb: Harriet Manners knows more facts than most.She knows that New York is the most populous city in the United States.She knows that its official motto is ‘Ever Upward’.She knows that one in thirty-eight people living in the US lives there.But she knows nothing whatsoever about modelling in the Big Apple and how her family will cope with life stateside. Or ‘becoming a brand’ as the models in New York say. And even more importantly, what to do when the big romantic gestures aren’t coming your way from your boyfriend…

Price: £4.99

Age: 12+

This is the third book in the Geek Girl series, I have reviewed the first book, so if you would like to read the review for that one then here is the link http://larawhitfield.co.uk/?p=125

I have read the second book, but for some reason forgot to review it, so if you would like to see a review of that, please tell me. Now onto the review

I read this book in between swimming in the pool and drinking cocktails (non alcoholic obviously), yes, I was in Spain! While you lot were all sitting indoors, I was lounging in the sun and tanning, anyway .This book was my favourite out of the three, partly because it was so different to the rest of them. This one was sadder and you learnt a lot more about Nick. I was also surprised that Fleur made a reappearance in this one, for a good reason though. I was happy to see a lot of new characters in this book where as the others only had a few. I can’t wait to read the fourth book and already have a copy of it because my friend kindly lent it to me. I give this book 10 out of 10 stars and aim it at girls, but by all means, if you are a boy and fancy reading this then go ahead, no one will stop you. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the rest of your holidays (if you are in the UK).

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Lyre by Tina V. Tatum

Blurb: The daughter of the great warrior Kitonga, protector of the Yimbe village, Lyre was always aware of the beauty of combat which led her to dream of becoming the first female warrior. She received what she asked for and more, but becoming a hero like her father came with a price.
She must battle warriors unlike any the Yimbe village has ever seen and face challenges both physical and mental. Lyre is truly a hero unlike any other.

Price: £4.99 (KIndle Edition)

Age: 13+

Firstly I would like to say thank you to Tina because the PDF of this book didn’t work and so she sent me a gift on amazon of the book which was ever so kind of her.

Anyway…

I enjoyed this book and read it during exam week and it kept me entertained during revision period. This book is a fantasy novel and has a wide array of characters. My favourite characters were Lyre and Miata . This book has an evil plot twist towards the end of the book which I hated but I don’t think I would love the book so much if it hadn’t happened. I thought the names were really interesting and sounded very tribal, unusual and unique. This is a rather different book than those that I would usually read, but I enjoyed it all the same. I would give this 8 out of 10 stars because some things that happened that I cannot tell you because it would be a spoiler. This is for both genders and I recommend it to Eragon fans. Hope you enjoy.

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Am I Normal Yet by Holly Bourne

Blurb: All Evie wants is to be normal. And now that she’s almost off her meds and at a new college where no one knows her as the-girl-who-went-nuts, there’s only one thing left to tick off her list… But relationships can mess with anyone’s head – something Evie’s new friends Amber and Lottie know only too well. The trouble is, if Evie won’t tell them her secrets, how can they stop her making a huge mistake?

Price: £6.99

Age: 14+

I went to the Hay Festival in early June and came across this wonderful book. This book is about a girl recovering from OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and GAD (generalised anxiety disorder) and it’s about her starting college and going to house parties and doing whatever 16 year olds do, but there is one problem, boys.

This is rated a 14+ because of the content, which includes sex, drugs and alcohol so I would advise younger readers to steer clear of this book until they are older. On a happier note, I loved this book so much. The way it was written was really clever and witty and overall the book was hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time. I was glued to the book and finished it within a matter of days. My favourite characters were Lottie, Evie and Amber because they were so funny and amazing. Give this book a go, I am sitting my summer exams this week so this would be the perfect time to get a good book. I would say this book is for girls and hope you enjoy it.

P.S. HAPPY FATHERS DAY

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The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

Blurb: Faith’s father has been found dead under mysterious circumstances, and as she is searching through his belongings for clues she discovers a strange tree. The tree only grows healthy and bears fruit if you whisper a lie to it. The fruit of the tree, when eaten, will deliver a hidden truth to the person who consumes it. The bigger the lie, the more people who believe it, the bigger the truth that is uncovered.

The girl realizes that she is good at lying and that the tree might hold the key to her father’s murder, so she begins to spread untruths far and wide across her small island community. But as her tales spiral out of control, she discovers that where lies seduce, truths shatter . . .

Age: 12+

Price: £6.99

As you may know, this is a well recognised book, having won the Costa Award which is a very big book award, and was nominated for the Bookseller YA shortlist award 2016. I read this book and I really enjoyed it. I have read another Frances Hardinge book called ‘Cuckoo Song’ click this link to read the review of it….http://larawhitfield.co.uk/?p=162 but personally I preferred ‘The Lie Tree’. Unlike her other books, this one includes a murder and I know all of them are mystery books, but this one is an actual murder story! I liked that you have no idea who the murderer is right up until just before it is revealed. This book is set in the 1860s as Frances said at Hay Festival and I found it really sad that the main character Faith, was turned down by her Father and his scientist colleges because she was female. This book is full of secrets and lies and it is very superstitious which I could relate to. However, the thing that made love the book the most and that probbly pushed it from a 9 to a 10 was simply the way that it was written, I just love the way that Frances Hardinge writes her books. The way a book is written tends to change things, maybe it’s just me (oh well). I had my copy of this book signed by Frances Hardinge at the Hay Festival as well which is an extra bonus. This book is for both genders and I give this book a 10 out of 10 stars and hope you enjoy it too.

P.S. I am finally on Instagram, username is NJTBBTC

P.P.S. NJTBBTC unless you haven’t worked it out stands for Never Judge Teen Books By Their Covers….

The Withered Arm by Thomas Hardy

Blurb: The road from Anglebury to Holmstoke is in general level; but there is one place where a sharp ascent breaks its monotony. Farmers homeward-bound from the former market-town, who trot all the rest of the way, walk their horses up this short incline. The next evening, while the sun was yet bright, a handsome new gig, with a lemon-coloured body and red wheels, was spinning westward along the level highway at the heels of a powerful mare. The driver was a yeoman in the prime of life, cleanly shaven like an actor, his face being toned to that bluish-vermilion hue which so often graces a thriving farmer’s features when returning home after successful dealings in the town. Beside him sat a woman, many years his junior—almost, indeed, a girl. Her face too was fresh in colour, but it was of a totally different quality—soft and evanescent, like the light under a heap of rose-petals

Price: £1.00 or free on the kindle

Age: 13+

This book is a short story by a very well respected author. The book is creepy and weird, but not so much scary (I don’t know if I was meant to find it scary, so watch out) yet it still comes into the horror category. It is a victorian so some readers may struggle with the language, but I didn’t find it very difficult so you probably won’t either. I got this book for my birthday and it took me about 45 mins to read it, it is very short and definetly worth reading. It is about a woman who accidently curses her ex-husbands new wife. Hence the title, it’s about a woman with a withered arm and lots of odd things happen along the way. This book is absolutely amazing and I highly reccommmend it to anyone who is into short but intruiging stories. This is aimed at both girls and boys and I hope you enjoy the book.

Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling

The Harry Potter series is one of the most highly praised book series on our planet, and this is definitely one of my favourite book series.

I will give each of the books a score out of 10, and then add them up to reveal the grand total out of 70 for the series.

Harry Potter and the philosophers stone – 8.5 / 10

Harry Potter and the Chamber of secrets – 9.5 / 10

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – 9.5 / 10

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – 10 / 10

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – 10 / 10

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – 10 / 10

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – 9.5 / 10

Which gives the series a grand total of 67 out of 70, which in my opinion is a very high scoring series.

Now, let’s go on about my favourite book, which was ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix‘ because it was nice to have a change of scenery, all the books so far had been set in Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizadry so it was nice for it to be set mostly in Sirius Black’s house. This also was the book where Harry finally met a fatherly figure that he had been wanting for the whole of his life so far and meeting Sirius was a good thing however J.K.Rowling goes and spoils it by killing him at the end of the book. The other good bit of the book was that you get to meet Luna Lovegood who is one of my favourite characters as she is just so odd but doesn’t seem to be aware of it which I think is rather funny. There is also the cool battle at the end in the Ministry of Magic.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post, please tell which book was your favourite and why because I would love to know because I am a nosy person!

Percy Jackson Series (5 books) by Rick Riordan

I don’t normally write a review for series’, but this is an exception.

This is a series that consists of 5 amazing books…..

#1 Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief – 9 out of 10 stars

#2 Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters – 9.5 out of 10 stars

#3 Percy Jackson and The Titan’s Curse – 10 out of 10 stars

#4 Percy Jackson and The Battle of The Labyrinth – 10 out of 10 stars

#5 Percy Jackson and The Last Olympian – 10 out of 10 stars

As I read this series, the books seemed to get better and better. My favourite book by far was the third book, Percy Jackson and The Titans Curse, this book is where you meet one of my favourite characters, Nico Di Angelo, who you then get to know even better in the Heroes of Olympus series which is set after the Percy Jackson series.

The first book is where you first meet Percy and find out that he is Demigod of one of the THREE (you must read the book to understand this). He then gets whisked off on a quest and things go wrong because Percy is the worlds biggest idiot. Luckily he has Annabeth.

This series is all about Greek Mythology that still exsists, for example, the gods, monsters and strange creatures that could be classed as monsters. This series will make you cry with all the sacrifices that are made and will make you laugh at the ridiculous chapter names. I loved this series and just wish that it was an ongoing thing that never ended. There are films for the first 2 books, but don’t watch them as they are worse than having to watch Brian Cox (annoying astronomist) on the television. So please read the books and tell me what you think.

Chinks by Helen Wilkinson

I thought, that since it is Easter Day, I would write a review, no matter what. And then I suddenly remembered that we had read a book in my English class and I thought that I should review it. So here you go……

Blurb: One boy’s search for a Dad and a dog.

Sorry, I can’t seem to find the blurb.

Age: 12+

Price: £4.99

I would never have read this book if we hadn’t read it in our english class, but I am so glad that we did read it. The book is really sad and is about a boy who moves house but IT turns out that the house is awful and then has to live there with his mum’s ‘evil’ boyfriend who hates him. But then he finds a dog and things change, for the better…….

I thought this book was really sweet and it almost made me cry in some parts of the book. I thought this would be a good book to review as it is now the Easter holidays and som people need a good book to read over the holidays. I would say this book is suitable for both genders, maybe boys more than girls, and I give 9 out of 10 stars, so give it a read if you aren’ t too busy. AND HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL!!!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Blurb: In a society divided into factions all are forced to somewhere they belong. And the choice for Beatrice Prior makes shocks everyone, including herself.

During extreme initiation tests, Tris must determine who her friends are and whether she can trust the man who both threatens and protects her. Because Tris has a deadly secret. One that might ave those she loves… or destroy her.

Age: 12+

Price: £7.99

I knew about the film and my friends had all read it and were begging me to read it, so I did. And I am glad that they told me to do so. This book is a bit like the hunger games with the book mostly based on war, fighting and love. I did really enjoy this book. I love how it is written, I have a soft spot for books that have been written in first person (not sure why??). If you have read the hunger games and loved it, you will definitely enjoy this book. I am aware that there are three other books in this series and I am keen to read them. So when I have read them, I shall review them individually. This book is for both genders and there are some very soppy moments and awfully sad and depressing moments where you want to scream out and want the torture to stop. It doesn’t, but you get over it. I give this book 10 out of 10 stars and can’t wait to read the next one.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Blurb: HERE IS A SMALL FACT – YOU ARE GOING TO DIE

1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier.
Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall.

SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION – THIS NOVEL IS NARRATED BY DEATH

It’s a small story, about:
a girl
an accordionist
some fanatical Germans
a Jewish fist fighter
and quite a lot of thievery.

ANOTHER THING YOU SHOULD KNOW – DEATH WILL VISIT THE BOOK THIEF THREE TIMES

Price: £7.99

Age: 13+

Saddest book I have ever read!!!!!

Quite a long-winded book. Took me a couple of weeks to get through it, but I loved it. I love the way it is written and thought that it was a clever way to write a novel from death’s point of view. This book is about the second world war which I have an interest in at the moment. It is a very sad book about suffering, so if you like funny happy books, don’t read this. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good book, and I am aware of their being a film that I must see. This book is for both genders but maybe more girls than boys because of the main character being a girl. This book is so sad and I very nearly cried, but I didn’t. (I never cry in films or books) I definitely hope ou read this and that you enjoy it as much as I did.