Reading the not-quite-blockbuster books Part 5

Welcome to another semi-regular feature here on Fluttering Butterflies, Reading the Not-Quite Blockbuster books in which I look at some great books (sadly, usually YA books written by British authors) that have had fewer than 50 ratings on Goodreads. I really loved all of these books and I wish that more people would be discovering and loving them! 

Undeniable by Liz Bankes (22 ratings)

I'm so shocked that this book hasn't been read and rated more than it has! I loved Undeniable SO MUCH. I loved the characters and the relationships and the way in which the mystery of it all unfolds over the course of the novel. And the ending! I loved that ending so much. Yes, it is a companion novel to Irresistible in that some of the same characters are mentioned but you do not need to read that book in order to enjoy this book.  So no excuses! This is such a great book about a girl who, after some turmoil in her own life, takes a chance and finds a job as an intern on her favourite television programme. There's love and drama and TV stars and I love witnessing how Gabi manages to figure out what she wants and what's important in her life. What a great book!

This Northern Sky by Julia Green (25 ratings)

Have you yet discovered the gentle and beautiful writing style of Julia Green as yet? If not, what are you waiting for?  This Northern Sky was the first book I'd read by Julia Green so far but it certainly will not be long before I pick up her others.  I really fell hard for This Northern Sky. I loved how I felt like I was there alongside our main character, Kate, as she and her family spend the summer on the Hebrides. I could completely relate to Kate's fears for what might happen between her parents as my parents went through this difficult time before their divorce and everything is feeling about her parents was so believable and relate able.  And this island! And all of the islanders that Kate befriends made me want to jump on a plane and/or boat in order to spend time in this gorgeous place.

The Name On Your Wrist by Helen Hiorns (40 ratings)

The Name On Your Wrist really made me think and I love when a book does that.  Helen Hiorns was the winner of the first Sony Young Movellas Award and I believe the deciding judge for the award was Malorie Blackman. And you have to think, if Malorie Blackman chooses this book as a winner, it kind of has to be good, right? And it is. I really loved the interesting concept of a world in which the name of everyone's soul mate is tattooed on people's wrists and that everyone's goal in life is to find that person who's name is on their wrist. But rather than being a very straight-forward dystopian novel, The Name On Your Wrist brings up really thought-provoking ideas about placing such a large amount of a person's own happiness into the hands of someone else and what happens when things go wrong? And about free will and making different choices and the fairness of the whole system. Plus, it has a pretty shocking ending!  Overall, this book has quite a bleak tone to it but it also isn't very long and everything moves at a quick enough pace that I'm pretty sure you could fly right through it in no time...

Monkey Wars by Richard Kurti (37 ratings) 

Monkey Wars is one of my favourite books that I discovered last year and despite it being a book that I read a fairly long time ago, it is still a book that has burrowed into my heart and stayed there.  I really loved this book.  I loved how surprising this book was to me.  It's about two groups of monkeys, the Rhesus and the Langur fighting but it's also more than that. Through the two main characters, Papina and Mico, Richard Kurti shows us about politics and war and power and the consequences of war and about propaganda and how terrible things happen and how certain personalities might come into power. This is a book about monkeys but it's also a book about humanity.  I really want more people to read this book.

Silent Saturday by Helen Grant (40 ratings)

Silent Saturday is the first book in the Forbidden Spaces trilogy and it is in hardback still which (I'm hoping!) is why it doesn't have more ratings than it does. Silent Saturday is wonderful story about these two teenagers, Veerle and Kris, as they reconnect after many years. When they were both little they witnessed something traumatic and now that they are sort of friends again, Kris initiates Veerle into a secret society that goes about breaking into empty properties. But Kris and Veerle start investigating when some of the members of this group go missing and they start to wonder if they'll be the next target. It's a very thrilling and exciting book to read. I loved the setting of Flemish Belgium, I loved both main characters and I'm dying to read the next book in the series, which thankfully, is being published later this year...

Have you read any of these books? What books have you been reading lately that you wish more people would read and review/rate?

Reading the Not-Quite Blockbuster Books ... 4

 Playing around on GoodReads earlier today and I noticed a feature that allows me to see a list of books I've read and order them by the number of ratings the books have recieved. This is something that I've been thinking a lot about recently - reading books that aren't necessarily the huge blockbusters or the popular books that EVERYONE is raving about.

Sometimes, I'd much rather read reviews of books that I've never heard of than the 20th review of the same book. I'd like to be a blogger who reads the less-than-blockbuster books and also one who supports them. I won't say that I'll stop reading the popular books, just that to balance it out, I'd like to have a look at other books too. Especially when I see so many great books (see below) having so few ratings. I think a lot of book bloggers really focus on new or upcoming books (including me!!), but let's not forget about all the other wonderful books out there!

Welcome to another post where I talk a bit about the wonderful UKYA books that aren't being read and rated which should be.  Most of the books that appear on this feature have all been by British authors, and I find that ridiculously sad.  And it just strengthens my resolve to do more to read, feature and support books by British authors!

The Taming of Lilah May and Lilah May's Manic Days by Vanessa Curtis (26 ratings and 7 ratings) 

I really love these two books and, in fact, all of the books that I've read so far by Vanessa Curtis.  I like that Vanessa Curtis takes topics such as anger management or OCD (which I haven't seen much written about in YA) and writes a compelling story with interesting characters and a lot of heart.  

I read both Taming of Lilah May and Lilah May's Manic Days within a short period of time and I really felt for her character.  She's going through a really rough patch with her family and she really has no idea how to cope with the strong emotions she's feeling.  So she lashes out in anger at those around her. And then things start crumbling between her and her only friend and I just wanted to give Lilah a really big hug.  There are other strands of the story that go into a darker place, with teen pregnancy and drug addiction, but the main story is really about one girl trying to figure stuff out, with herself, her family and with her friendship with her best friend.

Forget Me Never by Gina Blaxill (19 ratings)

Last year, I read Gina Blaxill's previous novel, Pretty Twisted, and I liked how much I could relate to the characters meeting up with people they've met on the Internet.  I've done that too.  Plus, I kind of like the thriller aspect of it. 

So when I saw this new book, I was intrigued. Especially as the story centres around the death of a girl with mental illness issues.  The fact that the police are quick to rule it a suicide and not look into her death further made me incredibly sad. And while that tempted me to the story, it was the relationship between Sophie and her former best friend, Reece, which had me riveted to the story.  I really wanted to know their history and I loved the tension within Forget Me Never, both between Sophie and Reece and also the tension of investigating a murder charge involving some shady individuals.

The Disappeared by CJ Harper (19 ratings)

I know this book has only just been published in January of this year, but I still feel like more people should be reading, rating and reviewing this book!  It's a dystopian/thriller and I think the thing that I loved the most about it is how much the main character, Jackson, changes throughout.  At the start, he's such an arrogant, horrible boy with his pompous attitude and he keeps repeating the most inane things as though they are important.  

And then Jackson is forced into a world very different from his own, in which violence and arbitrary things like the colour of your hair is rated highly over intelligence and reasoning.  And he really changes.  I loved his relationships with the other people at the Academy and the ways in which these connections change the way that Jackson thinks and behaves.  What's more, is the way in which language and literacy is viewed as a powerful and important things. 

It's a wonderful journey to go on alongside Jackson, I urge you to give this book a look.   

A World Between Us by Lydia Syson (20 ratings)

I seriously cannot write enough good things about this wonderful book! I loved it so much.  A World Between Us hasn't been published for that long, but still.  I want to see more people raving about this amazing book! 

I love the way in which the reader is introduced to historical aspects of the time of the Spanish Civil War, the volunteers that came in support against fascism, and the outcome of this battle without being overly burdened by the history of it all.  Everything flowed very easily and I loved the three different perspectives and these three main characters.  I especially loved the relationship between the three and watching how they change and develop throughout the course of the novel based on each of their experiences with the war.  There's history and romance and heartache.  Please read it.

The Seeing by Diana Hendry (32 ratings)  

And finally, we have The Seeing. Which is a strange, disturbing little book, I'll admit.  It's still in hardback, I believe, which could explain why I haven't heard very many people talking about this one?  

But they should be.  It has an interesting format, with the story told through one girl's narrative voice, another's diary entries and an artist's letters to his sister.  I've never really considered what it would be like for war-time children during the times of peace that follow.  The war is what they've been accustomed to.  And how do you really explain questions about evil or of Nazis?

The Seeing is the story of three children one summer trying to work through these and other things with quite heart-breaking results.  

Are there any books that you've read lately that you think aren't being widely read?

Reading the Not-Quite Blockbuster books... 3

Reading the Not-Quite Blockbuster books is a semi-regular feature on this blog!  Read how it came to be:

Playing around on GoodReads earlier today and I noticed a feature that allows me to see a list of books I've read and order them by the number of ratings the books have recieved. This is something that I've been thinking a lot about recently - reading books that aren't necessarily the huge blockbusters or the popular books that EVERYONE is raving about.

Sometimes, I'd much rather read reviews of books that I've never heard of than the 20th review of the same book. I'd like to be a blogger who reads the less-than-blockbuster books and also one who supports them. I won't say that I'll stop reading the popular books, just that to balance it out, I'd like to have a look at other books too. Especially when I see so many great books (see below) having so few ratings. I think a lot of book bloggers really focus on new or upcoming books (including me!!), but let's not forget about all the other wonderful books out there!

In a happy coincidence, the following books all also happen to be books with UKYA authors.  I really like to wave the UKYA flag and do what I can to promote British authors, so I please urge you all to check the following books out...

Spy For the Queen of Scots by Theresa Breslin (13 ratings)


I wouldn't normally think that historical YA would be my 'thing' but Theresa Breslin has really changed my mind about that.  I really enjoyed her previous book, Prisoner of the Inquisition so I was really intrigued to read this book.  I really didn't know much about the time period before reading Spy for the Queen of Scots, but it didn't seem to matter. I picked up everything that I needed to know whilst reading.  I find the information that Theresa Breslin presents to the reader to be very accessible and also incredibly fascinating as well.

This story is told from the point of view of a girl in close association with Mary, Queen of Scots and it follows as Mary is put into some very difficult political positions.  As the story moves from France to Scotland, I was always absolutely intrigued to know more.  I love her friendship with Mary and also her confusion and doubts over her possibly-romantic relationship with Scottish lord, Duncan.

The Twice-Lived Summer of Bluebell Jones by Susie Day (12 ratings)

WHY hasn't this book had more ratings?  I really want everyone to go out and read this beautiful book!  I really love the seaside setting, the characters, the music but especially this importance placed on making friends, valuing your family and also with being more confident in yourself.  This book really did change the way that I've been thinking of myself and the way in which I behave around other people.

Plus it has that cool element of Blue's future self appearing and giving her tips on what to do and say and wear.  I find that an awesome idea.  With birthday wishes and a terrifying roller coaster accident and really beautiful writing, this book is not to miss!

Silenced by Simon Packham (12 ratings)

I only read Silenced recently (and shamefully have not yet reviewed it!), but it is wonderful.  I'm sad that there aren't more people who have read and rated/reviewed this book.  It's similar to Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, in which the main character  is struck dumb after a car accident claims the life of his best friend.  It is similar, but I found Silenced to not only be quite serious and sad, but also incredibly funny.  And the combination of those two things really make this novel stand out for me.  Yes, parts are sad but other parts are absolutely hilarious.  I loved how that line between the two really blurs, I think Simon Packham did an amazing job with how he included both.

The main character, Chris, is very likeable and sympathetic right from the start.  My heart absolutely ached for him and for what he goes through right from the very beginning.  His grief feels incredibly real and raw.  I loved the way in which Chris and Declan's friendship is portrayed - there's  a fair bit of planning for Chris and Declan as a comedian duo with their sights set on the Edinburgh Fringe festival.  Wonderful, sad, and funny story about grief and friendship and finding your voice again.

What's Up With Jody Barton? by Hayley Long (23 ratings)


 Man, I loved this book.  It's hard to talk about this book in detail and explain exactly the reasons why I enjoyed it so much because of the huge twist that appears halfway through this novel.  I was reading this book thinking that it was a very light-hearted romantic story of two people with a crush on the same person and the complications that that might pose.  ...And then, no.  This story takes a turn into something else entirely and I love it for doing that. 

In the same way that the Lottie Biggs books by the same author, What's Up With Jody Barton? also includes some really fun illustrations and a really great new teenage voice in Jody Barton.  It's funny and serious and engaging all at the same time.  Seriously, do pick it up.

Dads, Geeks and Blue-Haired Freaks by Ellie Phillips (26 ratings)

If there's something I really, really don't about, it's hair. My hair is thin and flat and I can rarely do anything with it.  And one thing that I found very interesting and useful with this book is that each chapter begins with a step-by-step guide to managing a certain hair style.  I think things like are really fun!

But this book also has a really great story about identity and family and has an incredibly sweet beginnings of a love story between our main character, Sadie and one of the geek-boys of the title.  It's a title and a cover that really grabbed my attention when it first showed up and I really raced through the story.  I liked going on this journey of self-discovery along with Sadie who is absolutely determined to find out who her sperm-donor father really is once and for all.  And on the way, she might just figure out who she wants to be, what her family means to her and who she's beginning to fall for.  I really dig stories involving families like Sadie's, they pull at my heartstrings and make me slightly envious.

Love at Second Sight by Cathy Hopkins (36 ratings)


I haven't yet reviewed Love at Second Sight, but I really loved it.  Cathy Hopkins is an author that I only discovered this past year and I'm a total convert.  After reading and loving her Million Dollar Mates series, I picked up this book with excitement.  And Cathy Hopkins writes in such a great way, pulling me into the story, making me care about her characters in such an effortless way.

This story, involving psychics and tarot cards is not something that I'd normally be into, but I love that our main character, Jo, is a cynic as well. Some nutjob clairvoyant tells Jo that she's loved a boy in a previous life and they are both in this life waiting for each other and she is all set to ignore that bit of information and carry on.  Only things begin to happen, and it looks as though the clairvoyant might just be right after all...

This story and Jo's romantic journey is really cute.  It's a big 'AWW' kind of book, one that makes me smile silly-ly while reading and when I finished I was thoroughly content and quite happy.  You know, it's really nice to read these sort of stories every now and again.  But it is far from being sickly sweet, it has a great cast of characters and some really authentic teenage dialogue.  If like me you are only just discovering Cathy Hopkins, I really recommend this book to start out with.

Have you read any of these books?  Do you know which of the books on GoodReads that you've read has the fewest ratings?

Reading the not-quite blockbuster books, Part 2

Earlier in the year, I featured a list of books that I'd read, reviewed and enjoyed, but had also noticed that on GoodReads the books had recieved fewer than 30 ratings. I really loved the response that I had to that post and decided to make it a regular feature. I'm always keen to read and review and highlight books that haven't had as much attention than others. Especially if I feel that these books are being overlooked and that deserved to be more widely read.

But this list of books below is special in another way as well. Not only are all of these books ones I've read and enjoyed, as well as not have as many ratings as I feel they should, but all of the books below are also written by British authors.





Hidden by Miriam Halahmy - 4 ratings I really loved this book! I loved the setting of Hayling Island and the interesting topics raised of immigration and asylum seekers. It really made me think and I love that it holds a mirror up to as well questioning different prejudices. The story revolves around Alix, a teenage girl struggling with some family problems, and her classmate Samir who together rescue a man from the sea who has come into the country in order to seek asylum.

This is a really wonderful and thought-provoking book, one in which I thoroughly enjoyed. I look forward to the other books by Miriam Halahmy, set in the same series, especially the next book which is about Lindy, one of the minor characters from Hidden.


Duty Calls: Dunkirk by James Holland - 8 ratings Now I don't read a lot of historical fiction, and while I've always had an interest in World War II, I can't say that I know very much about famous battles or what war looks like from a soldier's perspective, so I wasn't entirely sure how much I would enjoy this book. I heard the author speak earlier in the year though and found him to be quite interesting so when the book came for review, I was happy to give it a chance. And I'm really quite glad that I did.

This is the story of 16 year old soldier, Johnny Hawke, and the group of soldiers that he fights alongside. I loved all the details of soldier's life - the food, the living conditions, the weaponry, the uniform but also how he feels about writing home and how he feels after killing a man for the first time. It's incredibly gripping stuff, and I really hope this book is the first in a new series exploring different battles!


Lottie Biggs Is (Not) Desperate by Hayley Long - 11 ratings Now everyone must know by now how much I love Lottie Biggs, right? Well I do. I adore her zany ways. And this, the second book in the series is really wonderful. It sort of steps away from Lottie's mental disturbance of a significant nature, and is more focused on Lottie's urges to have sex with Gareth Stingecombe. And of course it is hilarious!

In this book, aside from the Lottie and Gareth storyline, Lottie has a new part-time job to deal with as well as a falling out with her best friend Goose. The book's structure is diary-esque, and it's filled with all of these fantastic observations of Lottie's life together with some great drawings. There's so much to love with this series! And it is very, very funny! I would love more people to be Lottie converts! Get reading.


In the Bag by Jim Carrington - 13 ratings In the Bag is a book that I probably wouldn't have picked up on my own, but also one that I'm really glad to have read. It's a very interesting story, one that really made me think about my own choices and decisions. What would you do if you found a bag full of millions of dollars? Would you report it to the police? Or keep it for yourself? That's the moral dilemma facing two teenage boys in this fun novel. I loved the thought patterns of these two boys, as they go from excited to apprehensive to guilty, as they think more about what this money means and where it comes from. It's a really thrilling read as well, filled with lies and secrecy.

I read this book at the beginning of the year and I told myself that I really must pick up Jim Carrington's previous book, Inside My Head, but I haven't quite gotten around to it yet. I do hope now that I've remembered, I'll get on that fairly quickly.


Mistress of the Storm by ML Welsh - 15 ratings I really loved Mistress of the Storm! ML Welsh writes this story so magically. I loved Verity Gallant right from the start. A young girl who feels overshadowed by her older sister, a girl who doesn't fit in and feels she's large and plain with nothing special about her. And suddenly, she's thrown into this dangerous and important mission to save both her family and her little seaside village.

There's such an importance in this book on friendship and storytelling but also of action and adventure and a beautiful mix of fantasy as Verity struggles to find the strength within her to defeat an evil witch. Fab story, this one. I'm thrilled and excited to now have my hands on a copy of the sequel, out early next year!


An Act of Love by Alan Gibbons - 19 ratings An Act of Love is definitely a book that deserves to be more widely read, probably especially within secondary schools!

My heart absolutely ached when reading this story. An Act of Love is about two best friends, Chris and Imran, and how their friendship was torn apart by race riots and terrorist attacks like 9/11 and the tube bombings on 7/7. I've been aware of huge political and cultural changes and events within the UK over the past years, but reading this story and witnessing personal (though fictional) accounts of everything happening really opened my eyes to things that I've missed and not seen due to how little events like this have affected my daily life. I'm ashamed now of my decision to not be more interested or involved. It's important to know about these things and be aware of things affect different people. I'm not being very articulate here, but I think An Act of Love is a wonderful and powerful story. One I really recommend reading.


Long Reach by Peter Cocks - 23 ratings I don't read a lot of crime/thriller fiction. I've never really seen the appeal ... until reading this fab YA book. Long Reach is so fast-paced and gripping that I absolutely flew through the pages. And I loved how emotionally connected I felt towards Eddie Savage, our main character, right from the start.

Eddie is a 17 year old boy who's just found out two things about his older brother, Steve. The first is that's he's dead from a possible suicide and the second is that he was undercover for the police. Eddie decides to follow in his brother's footsteps and go deep undercover, trying to get close to the daughter of a powerful crimelord in London. What follows is edge-of-your-seat exciting and dangerous.

I'm really looking forward to more book in the Eddie Savage series and also reading more YA thrillers!

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So there we have it. Which books have you read that nobody else seems to have read? How do you feel about these lesser-known books or the focus that bloggers have on the new, popular books? Are there any books by British authors you've read recently and feel like it should have more recognition? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Reading the not-quite blockbuster books

Playing around on GoodReads earlier today (how much do I love GoodReads, by the way?!) and I noticed a feature that allows me to see a list of books I've read and order them by the number of ratings the books have recieved. This is something that I've been thinking a lot about recently - reading books that aren't necessarily the huge blockbusters or the popular books that EVERYONE is raving about.

Sometimes, I'd much rather read reviews of books that I've never heard of than the 20th review of the same book. I'd like to be a blogger who reads the less-than-blockbuster books and also one who supports them. I won't say that I'll stop reading the popular books, just that to balance it out, I'd like to have a look at other books too. Especially when I see so many great books (see below) having so few ratings. I think a lot of book bloggers really focus on new or upcoming books (including me!!), but let's not forget about all the other wonderful books out there!

Here are the books that have 10 or fewer ratings on my GoodReads account. Perhaps another day, I'll do a post on the books with 10-20 ratings!


The Killer's Daughter by Vivian Oldaker - 2 ratings I was lucky enough to have this book sent to me direct from the author. I read it during Anti-Bullying Week last year and really loved it. I think the novel really touches on some interesting subjects, from school bullying to justice. Despite the overly pink cover, I think it is one that would be enjoyed by both male and female readers.

Our main character, Emma, is forced into moving away from her home after allegations that her father was involved in the death of her grandmother. Despite the taunting and bullying that Emma is met with at her new school, she also finds a friend in Bruce. Together, Emma and Bruce travel to Greece in order to gather any information available in order to clear her father's name.

There's a bit of murder-mystery there and some very tense moments, but there's also a very sweet and believeable, burgeoning relationship between Emma and Bruce. Honestly, this book was absolutely lovely to read and I would love it if more book bloggers were behind this book.



Boy Vs. Girl by Na'ima B. Robert - 5 ratings Here's another book that I recieved direct from the author. I'm really glad as well, particularly as I feel it's very important that people from all backgrounds and perspectives are shown within literature - diversity, for me, is very much wanted and needed. And this book, and another book by the same author (From Somalia With Love), gives a voice to teenage Muslims.

In this book, a brother and sister struggle with fitting in, falling in love and peer pressure. But they must also do this under difficult circumstances - how do they balance out the traditionalism of their parents with modern Britain? How does their Muslim faith affect their lives and how they are treated and viewed by those around them?

I really loved the gentleness of this novel. I loved the way in which Ramadan played an importance to the book, giving a peek into the lives of a typical British family. A very sweet and gentle story, it was a really refreshing book to read.




The Dead by David Gatward - 9 ratings I won this book in a competition on Twitter. I hadn't read many YA horror books before it, but I found myself quite drawn into the gruesomeness of The Dead.

I love that it's the first book in a new series of books that won't be drawn out at all (I've already seen the sequel floating about!) and that's so action-packed. There's lots of gory scenes and frightening events that could really appeal to male readers.

Lazarus Stone and his best friend Craig are just two typical teenagers, when one night they learn that the thin veil that separates their world from that which the dead reside will soon burst open and a torrent of angry demons will rip through and cause death and destruction to life as they know it. Lazarus must track down his father and along the way piece together all of the new information he's learnt recently in order to what he can to protect his way of life. I loved the emphasis on how little children (and this can be of any age) really know of their parents.

I thought it a very promising start to a horror series!




Slog's Dad by David Almond - 10 ratings I'd heard absolutely nothing about this book before I picked it up at the library and read it while my boys were playing in the children's section. I admit, it is quite short, and I was finished in less than half an hour. But with text by David Almond and the illustrations by Dave McKean, I felt like it was a book I really couldn't pass up on.

The story itself is quite sweet. There's two boys, Slog and his friend Davie. Davie doesn't believe that people come back after death, but Slog does. In fact, he's convinced that the homeless man he sees in the street is his dad come back to check on him.

The reader is then told the circumstances of the death of Slog's Dad and with Dave McKean's haunting illustrations we can see the effect that it's had on poor Slog and his mother. The hope that still burns brightly within Slog is both sweet and hard to read.

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So there we have it. Which books have you read that nobody else seems to have read? How do you feel about these lesser-known books or the focus that bloggers have on the new, popular books? Would love to hear your thoughts.