Mini-Reviews: The Great Godden, The Gravity of Us and Giant Days

The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff

I was really looking forward to reading The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff. I've really enjoyed her books in the past and the description of this one sounded really appealing - a big family spends the summer at their holiday house by the sea - and they're joined by these two boys, one of whom is the mysterious and charming Kit Godden and what follows is this summer of love. Everything about that appeals to me.  Summer, beach house, love.

 I thought The Great Godden was written really beautifully written as is to be expected from Meg Rosoff, and I loved the lazy, summer days and the quirks of this family. But certain elements of the book just didn't work for me as well.

 1) We are never told the name or gender of the main character. The reader, I guess, is left to make any conclusions on their own (as I did) but I don't think this worked very well.

 2) I think maybe my expectations of this book based on the description versus what actually happens within the story were vastly different which hampered my enjoyment of the book. This is more of a problem with me and my own expectations rather than anything within the book? 

 I didn't feel emotionally connected to the characters, to the story or to the relationships throughout. I think I just wanted more.

The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper

The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper was definitely an interesting read! I didn't know much about it going in besides the basics - a teenager with an online following is uprooted from NYC to Texas so that his dad can train as an astronaut for an upcoming mission to Mars and falls in love with another astronaut's son. But there was definitely a lot more to this one.

 There was a really interesting thread of science throughout this whole book and that was a really enjoyable aspect to the novel. Some of my favourite elements of The Gravity of Us included some background information that goes on behind the scenes at NASA.  I really wanted to know more about the dirt and how it's being analysed!

There was also the reality TV elements to the story which  showcased rather unfavourable sides to journalism but also explored some other types of media and attempted to make a point about what viewers want vs. what TV producers think viewers want. It was interesting though I wished the author had pulled back slightly on some of it. Some of it was a little heavy-handed and a subtler approach could possibly have worked better (for me).

On the whole I thought Cal and Leon's relationship was ADORABLE if slightly quick on the uptake. Cal was insufferably self-centred and messed up a lot but that felt realistic too and he at least owned up to his shitty behaviour and called himself on it within the text which I appreciated.

 More contemporary books with science-based themes, please! And more cute gay stories.

Giant Days by Non Pratt

I'm a huge fan of Non Pratt and I've loved everything by her that I've read. I always look forward to her books and as well as this e-book from Netgalley, I also own a signed paperback of this Giant Days. 

I've not read the graphic novels of which this book is based, but from this book it seems as though the graphic novels would be a lot of fun?

Giant Days tells this story of three friends, Esther, Susan and Daisy, as readers follow their adventures in university navigating school work, friendships, hobbies and relationships.

 I enjoyed Giant Days and really related to a lot of it - being unsure of mixing old friends with new, clinging to friendships that aren't as genuine as I'd like them to be, the uncertainty of new things, being away from home. It felt unusual to read a story like this one that explores this new world at university and was definitely a pleasant change from some of my usual reading. I absolutely wish there were more university-based stories.

I think the reason that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I'd have liked is that there seemed to be threads of story lines that were teased in this book (characters' sexuality, for example) that will probably be explored more in further volumes of the graphic novel and also the second half went into some territory that I didn't feel was relatable which felt jarring alongside all of the actual relatable university stuff.  Still, it was an enjoyable way to pass a few hours!

Beyond the Door by Maureen McQuerry blog tour

Today I am really pleased to be the first stop on the blog tour for the middle grade fantasy book, Beyond the Door, the first book in the Time Out of Time series. which was published in March by Abrams Books! 

To find out more about Maureen or her books, please visit the following websites:

Maureen McQuerry ... Maureen on Twitter ... Maureen on Facebook 


Beyond the Door Blog Tour

by Maureen McQuerry

What have I learned about the world from myth as a writer and a reader? Since writing Beyond the Door and The Peculiars I’ve been thinking about why myth matters. Over the next week I’ll be blogging in the U.S and U.K. about six things I’ve learned from mythic stories that have inspired me. Plus there will be fun giveaways and a post by cover artist Victo Ngai! Follow the thread…

Day 1: Inspiration

Writers are like crows. Shiny things catch our attention, and we carry them off to hoard in our secret place. The sparklies that catch my attention might be a word, a setting, a face, a conversation partially overheard. They will not necessarily be your shiny things. I’ve learned that the things we notice say a lot about who we are.

The inspiration for Beyond the Door began on a trip to Oxford, England. Our daughter was studying there for two terms and of course we had to visit! On an overcast day, in an ancient old church, I looked up and a face was looking down at me.

He had leaves for hair, vines sprouting from his nose and mouth, and skin cracked and ridged like tree bark. A face somewhere between man and tree. What if I felt vines pushing up my throat and out my mouth? What if my joints grew stiff and birds lodged in my hair? The Greenman came to life for me that day. He was the shiny object that got me thinking about Celtic mythology, and he was the first character in Beyond the Door.

I’ve always loved stories of the Wild Hunt, quests, the idea that magic might be right beyond my door. The Greenman let me play with those ideas. And before he was ever a story, I wrote about him as a poem.

But a story isn’t just about an interesting character or setting, it’s about a struggle that leads to change. Every time, every story. If these mythic characters were going to come to life, I needed a protagonist whose world would be turned upside when he encountered them. I was coordinating a program for gifted middle school students at the time, and that’s where Timothy, Sarah and Jessica came from. I wanted to write a story for those kids. The smart, quirky, love- to- read fantasy kids I taught every day. I even used the real name of their middle school in the book.

I have discovered my novels have several common threads. One of these is myth. Myth adds subtext to a story. The writer and reader join a conversation that has been whispered for centuries: Where did we come from? Where are we going? Is the world a safe place?

The amazing writer Neil Gaiman said in his speech at the mythopoeic awards, “…sometimes the best way to show people true things is from a direction that they had not imagined the truth coming.” That’s what myth does. It shows us something true in an unexpected way. And in that way, myths can be signposts to larger truths.

REVIEW: The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

I read somewhere that The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle was being described as the modern day Forever by Judy Blume. Personally, I didn't see that when I was reading the book and the only conclusion that I could make as the story went along was that this was going to be a story of realistic expectations of a teenage love story like Forever was. And so for me, the comparison to Forever and the ending of this book is what takes The Infinite Moment of Us as being a 4 star story into 3 star territory.  This book could have been a book that I really enjoyed, but without spoiling the story it falls at the last hurdle. 

The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle is very simply, a love story between two individuals spanning the course of one momentous summer. Wren Gray is dealing with her parents expectations and trying to find common ground between what her parents want for her and what would make her happy. And at the same time, Charlie Parker is struggling with the expectations of those around him as well. He's grown up in foster care and has finally found a place where he can belong. My heart went out to Charlie for being in that situation, it can't have been easy. But also Charlie doesn't stand up for himself very much. He's lacking that confidence in himself that would have allowed him to make better choices within this book and in his relationship with Wren.

I felt at times that Wren and Charlie's romantic relationship could have been more straightforward than it is. There is a lot of extra drama that is thrown into it, possibly because it was so easy for them to begin their relationship? While I did find the beginnings of their love story to be quite sweet and I really did fall for them as a couple, I also wanted both of them to come to their decisions regarding their lives and their families and this relationship a little bit sooner than they do.  More communication from both Wren and Charlie about what they want out of life and with each other.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this story. The sticking point for me is that everything is leading to this big dramatic finale. I really wanted this book to end differently. My expectations of a realistic teen relationship does not coincide with the realities of Wren and Charlie's ending, I'm afraid.

REVIEW: Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell

I really loved Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell.  It was fun and thought-provoking and romantic and very heart-felt. More than anything else, Goodbye, Rebel Blue has inspired me to think more about what things I put my time and effort into, what I'm passionate about, what I'd like on my bucket list, what I'm afraid of and what my truths are. I love a book that makes me think and feel as much as this book.  I highly recommend it for that reason alone...

It is a great book though. I really loved Shelley Coriell's previous book, Welcome Caller, This Is Chloe, so I did have pretty high expectations for this book and all of those expectations were met and in some cases exceeded! Plus, I find the cover of this book to be very eye-catching. What a gorgeous blue.

Goodbye, Rebel Blue is the story of Rebecca (nickname: Rebel) who's a bit stand-offish and has an attitude and doesn't really connect with anyone in her life since her artist mother died and she was shipped off to leave with her aunt and uncle and her cousin, Penelope.  Since then, she's shut herself off from everyone else. And all of that comes to a head when in detention Rebel meets a girl, Kennedy Green, who dies that same day. In order to atone for some of the guilt that Rebel feels for the way she treated Kennedy, Rebel decides to do all of the things on this dead girl's bucket list. And in doing so, comes to some very important realisations about herself, her friends, her family and what she needs as an individual.

The whole bucket list was pretty fun. Each chapter begins with a kind of jokey bucket list that Rebel writes to pass the time. They're all pretty ridiculous and because of how silly they are, they made me smile with each chapter that I started.  Kennedy Green's bucket list, however, is all about doing good for other people. Volunteering with the school's 100 club, daily acts of kindness, planting trees, adopting endangered animals, honouring her dead grandparents. And doing things on Kennedy's bucket list really pushes Rebel in ways that she hadn't been pushed. Rebel really starts off as being slightly unlikeable and brash.  But I always really liked Rebel's character. There's a vulnerability in her and you can tell she really struggles to find a place where she fits in after losing her mother and the lifestyle that they had together. Finding a place to belong is something I strive for as well, so I felt really connected to Rebel in that way.

I think what I like the most about Goodbye, Rebel Blue is how much Rebel changes over the course of the book not only in herself but also in her relationships with her family, her friend Macey and with Nate, the popular do-gooder that she slowly falls for. I loved Rebel for putting herself out there in these relationships. Rebel also has some great ideas about fear and truth which seem to go hand-in-hand.

Goodbye, Rebel Blue is filled with pie and turtles and shark teeth and blue hair dye ... but it's also filled with great characters, kindnesses, truth and identity. Someone remarks in the book that certain people come into our lives at certain times because of destiny and sometimes books do too.

REVIEW: Girl Meets Boy edited by Kelly Milner Halls

Review by Kulsuma fron sunshine and stardust

Girl Meets Boy interested me as it offered two sides to the same story- the boy’s side and the girl’s side. This was an exciting concept as everyone loves to know what both parties think and where miscommunication really occurs in a relationship. I was expecting light-hearted, funny stories but instead got a diverse range of stories about a striking group of characters. Girl Meets Boy is made up stories that challenge the reader’s expectations.

In Love Or Something Like It and Some Things Never Change, John and Wanda respectively tell their sides of the story. John wants to stop attracting the wrong type of girls- the needy type, that is and Wanda offers to ask her psychologist for advice on his behalf. Inevitably, the two fall into a whirlwind romance that starts off wonderfully but soon has John questioning whether he’s fallen for the wrong girl. These stories really surprised me as it was very unconventional and had surprising twists.

Falling Down To See The Moon and Mooning Over Broken Stars were about realising that you’re crushing on someone you’d never expected to like. The stories were very cute and I enjoyed reading them.

Want to Meet and Meeting For Real were very surprising stories. Max is a gay boy trying to find love online but when he meets the object of his affections, it’s totally not what he expects. These two stories were about being brave enough to take the next step. Alex was an interesting character who could have been explored more. The story ended rapidly with all the loose ends tied up pretty nicely.

No Clue, AKA Sean and Sean + Raffina were sweet stories. If Sean and Raffina want to be together, they will have to cross racial boundaries to do so. Sean worries that his family will be opposed to him dating a black girl and Raffina is getting impatient with waiting and decides to make the first move.

There are six lots of short stories from the girl’s and boy’s point of view in Girl Meets Boy. Some of the stories were sweet, some were shocking and surprising, with twists I could not see coming whilst others fell short of my expectations. Overall, while Girl Meets Boy had twists in many of the stories, it’s not one I’ll remember. I prefer longer stories where characters are more fleshed out than it is possible to be in collections of short stories such as Girl Meets Boy. However, if you’re looking to be surprised, Girl Meets Boy is the book for you.

Thank you for that Kulsuma!

Blog Tour: Best Friends and Bullies by Shelley Corriell

Today it is Fluttering Butterflies' stop on the awesome Welcome Caller This is Chloe blog tour and today, Shelley Corriell is here talking about the inspiration behind her debut book, which I hope you'll enjoy as much as I did.  My review should have been published earlier today, I really liked this one!

To find out more about Welcome Caller, or about Shelley, please do visit the following websites:

Shelley Corriell ... Shelley on Twitter ... Shelley on Facebook 

  Best Friends and Bullies: The Inspiration Behind Welcome, Caller, This is Chloeby Shelley Corriell

The summer before my senior year of high school, I received a phone call from a good friend who went to the high school across town. “I’m switching schools this year,” she said, “and I’ll be spending my senior year at your school.”

While I adored my friend who I’d met through a church youth group in junior high, I knew something was wrong. Why would anyone leave her high school her final year? Especially a good student and well-liked person such as my friend? Especially to go to the cross-town rival school?

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

She paused and took a deep breath. “Problems with my best friends.”

I won’t go into the grisly details, but her two best friends started spreading rumors and eventually most of the school ostracized her. Unlike Chloe, my friend couldn’t escape to a run-down radio station where a quirky bunch of misfits would eventually take her into their radio home and hearts.

The entire drama, including my friend’s eventual reconciliation with her best friends (she returned to her old school mid-year and graduated there), was fascinating…in a train wreck kind of way. What conflict. What pain. What a great idea for a book.

At the time, I didn’t realize my friend was being bullied, but that’s exactly what we’d call it today, and this is exactly what happens to Chloe in WELCOME, CALLER, THIS IS CHLOE. One of her best friends, Brie, turns on Chloe, and her other best friend, Mercedes, does nothing to stop the hurtful words and actions. Brie spreads lies about Chloe, hacks into her social media account, and gets most of the school to shun her.

   “Words hurt. Whether whispered in hallways, written in frosty pink lipstick on your locker, or         keyed in over pictures on OurWorld pages. They knocked you over, pummeled you, and left you with a bleeding heart. Thanks to Brie, I knew all about hurt.” – Chloe Camden

Most readers hate Brie, but some, like me, feel sorry for her. I won’t give away any spoilers, but Brie has MAJOR issues going on with her parents, the kind that rock your world. Angry at her parents, Brie lashes out at the one person who has the perfect family complete with loving parents, doting brothers, and the world’s most supportive grandmother – Chloe. Brie’s jealous of Chloe, but at a deeper level, she’s deathly afraid that her world is coming apart, and when it eventually comes back together, she’ll have no place in it.

I don’t condone Brie’s actions, and it breaks my heart that Mercedes – who does better with things of the head, not of the heart – couldn’t find the strength to support Chloe early in the story. But in the end, these two powerful presences in Chloe’s life needed to do abandon her so she could go on this life-changing story journey with Duncan, Clementine, and the rest of the KDRS radio staff.

Shelley’s question: Have you ever been bullied or seen a bully harm others?

To learn more about young adult author Shelley Coriell and Chloe’s high school radio world, visit www.shelleycoriell.com.

REVIEW: Welcome Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Corriell

I wasn't quite sure what to make of Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Corriell when I first started reading.  I was initially drawn to the striking cover and I really liked the idea of school radio show, but at first I did think that the main character Chloe would be a bit too out there for me. 

The story starts off with Chloe dressed up as a burrito trying to drum up business for the Mexican restaurant she works for.  Chloe is very bubbly and full of life, with an interest in vintage shoes and more than slightly kooky.  But things begin to change for Chloe when her two best friends in the world turn on her and she is left friendless and alone. 

I really felt bad for Chloe, being in this situation, though I'll admit something about Chloe's friendships with her previous best friends didn't quite come across as believeable for me.  I do love that Chloe stays mostly positive throughout and just carries on the best as she can.  Even when her main project for the year is changed and instead she is forced to work for the failing school radio with a bunch of misfits. 

The radio aspect of the book is my favourite part.  I think perhaps I always secretly wanted to be on the radio and I think it all sounded like a bunch of fun.  And once Chloe realises she can be a bit self-centred and tries to be more open to other people and their stories, I thought the book really picked up.  Plus, there is some truly happy-making scenes in which Chloe uses Mexican food metaphors to apply marketing and business techniques which had me cracking up. 

With a sweet relationship with an ageing grandma and the budding of romance between Chloe and one of the new radio crowd, I found Welcome Caller This Is Chloe to be a quick and enjoyable read which touched on some great themes of identity, friendship and finding a place to belong.