Category: Review Archives

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Review: I Rise by Marie Arnold

I Rise
Marie Arnold
Versify, September 2022
Hardback, £14.99
ISBN: 9780358449041

I Rise is a coming-of-age novel that transports you into modern-day Harlem with all its beauty and political imperfections. It follows Ayomide (Ayo) as she struggles to deal with balancing the norms of her teenage years and the pressures of activism. Ayo yearns to be a ‘normal’ teenager and embrace her youth. However, with a mother who runs the largest political movement in the country, she must prioritise her mother’s mission for equality over her own wants. Her whole world is turned on its axis when her mother is shot and she is now given the responsibility to stand up and take on those who caused the life-altering event. 

This book is filled to the brim with poignant messages and offers a daring insight into the lives of those affected by everyday racism and police brutality. It is also a beautifully written homage to Black culture in all mediums from J.Cole and Nina Simone to Nikki Giovanni and Sojourner Truth. Not only does Arnold delve into the beauty of Black culture and its people, but she also pays stunning tribute to the victims of police brutality and the consequences for their families and those they leave behind. The themes in this book are ones that have gripped the world over. It addresses the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement and how integral support for these movements is. The novel does not shy away from the uncomfortable truth of the racism that is suffered daily by many people all over the world. It does not shy away from controversy and Arnold does a brilliant job of calling out the micro-aggressions and the double standards of our so-called ‘modern’ society. 

The book is very accessible and I would recommend it to everyone. I was blown away by Arnold’s writing and how eloquently she weaved both the hardships and beauty of her culture into this novel. The characters are complex and each adds a layer of depth to the novel. I was delighted to see such great representation in this book with strong Black female leads. The pursuit of justice is eye-opening and handled perfectly.

Shauna Dalton

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Review: Something Certain, Maybe by Sara Barnard

Something Certain, Maybe
Sara Barnard
Macmillan, July 2022
Paperback £7.99
ISBN 9781529003604

Rosie is eighteen and about to embark on a pharmacy degree at Norfolk University. Away from home, away from her friends and away from her beloved mum, Rosie is equal parts nervous and excited, ready to live college life to the full. Except it doesn’t happen that way. University life is nothing like Rosie expects, and so this novel becomes about learning to adapt as well as about growing up, love and expectations vs reality. Rosie is richly drawn by the author; we live inside her head for the duration of the novel and so we get to know her in all her complexities. She is stubborn and rude and sullen – but also caring, sweet, and open to love when it finds her. She’s a wonderful YA protagonist – complex yet relatable, not always perfect but always trying her best.

This novel is one that will strike a chord with anyone who didn’t get a “best days of your life” experience at university. The novel is also a celebration of friendship – Rosie’s two home friends, Caddy and Suze, remain her rocks in a turbulent year. Barnard writes with compassion and tenderness towards all her characters which made the novel all the more moving.

However, the pacing lacked, flattening the reading experience; cutting fifty pages would make for a stronger novel. Fully-realised friendships and plenty of drama are slowed down by pages of meandering, which kept this novel from becoming a great one.

Áine O’Connell

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Review: Big Bad Me by Aislinn O’Loughlin

Big Bad Me

Aislinn O’Loughlin (cover art by Jai McFerran with lettering by Rosa Devine)

Little Island Books, October 2022

Paperback, £8.99

ISBN 9781915071040

Big Bad Me is a very enjoyable book, with its own type of humour alongside the more gory moments, this is different to any other book I have read. Evie is a very good character. From living her life not knowing about her being a werewolf to being thrown into the world of werewolves and vampires made this very interesting to read. I can relate to Kate in a weird way. I always feel like my sister will end up getting hurt doing something stupid. Seeing Kate try to stop Evie from running off made a lot of sense to me. Kevin may have been my favourite character in the book. His tragic backstory made me really like him and also his love for Evie was very well-paced throughout the book. Asher and his gang are very menacing. Asher fits very well into the role of the bad guy of the book but it is possible to understand what made him like this. The pacing is very good. No part feels drawn out to make the book longer or skimmed past to get to more important parts. The ending is very open and could easily lead to more books with the characters going against different monsters. I do hope to see more from this book series and I await the next one! 

Arda Dogan, 13

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Review: Reign Returned by Katie Keridan

Reign Returned

SparkPress, October 2022

Paperback £12.99

ISBN 9781684631551

Reign Returned is an incredible high fantasy novel that follows Kyra, the most powerful healer in Aeles, as she deals with the loss of her father. On the day her father died, Kyra discovered her ability to travel to Vaneklus, the realm of the dead. This ability, known as being a Recovrancer, is outlawed. We follow Kyra as she navigates her newly changed life with the help of her Cypher, Aurelius. On the other side of Aeles, we are introduced to lone wolf Sebastian, who works as an assassin for those at the head of the social hierarchy.

Katie Keridan crafts such an intricate world with complex characters that are so troubled and courageous, you can’t help but fall in love with them. Keridan does not hold the reader’s hand and slowly guide them into the beautiful world of Aeles, but rather throws them into the deep end, allowing them to be fully immersed in this universe from page one.

This is the perfect novel to read if you have struggled to find a fantasy world to settle into. Keridan gives the reader a comforting world with an incredible history to delve into, which has everything from animal spirit guides and dragons, to lovers who are destined to find each other in every lifetime.

Nik Scully

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Review: Jameela Green Ruins Everything by Zarqa Nawaz

Jameela Green Ruins Everything 

Zarqa Nawaz

Mariner Books, March 2022

Paperback, $26.00

ISBN 9780358621232

Have you ever wanted to read a book about a woman who saves her friend from a terrorist organization?

Jameela Green is a rebellious, eccentric, and at times ignorant woman who wants to rebuild her relationship with God — but not for the reasons you might expect! Jameela’s ambition is to have her book at the top of the New York Times Bestseller’s list and apparently she will go to any means to get it.  

She visits her local mosque in search of spiritual guidance, where she meets a man named Ibrahim — kicking off a bizarre chain of events.

Jameela Green Ruins Everything is a defiant novel which explores topics like friendship, loyalty, faith and patience in one crazy adventure, as well as exploring American foreign policy in the Middle East and how it impacts society. 

This is a thrilling tale that has you on the edge of your seat, eager to see what happens next. The author weaves in prayers from the major characters in this book, which I believe was a brilliant addition, giving the reader a sense of inclusion and connection. 

Something I liked about the novel was the reality that not every character was perfect — Jameela struggled with faith, sustaining relationships, while Ibrahim seemed to be too trusting. This provided us with insight into the characters’ daily lives and their struggles. 

I also felt the novel had a strong, undercurrent message of loyalty and friendship. Jameela struggles to preserve her connections with her husband, daughter, friends, and family, and embarks on a mission to discover what I believe she had all along — a loving and supportive community. 

I must say that the book’s ending was a little disappointing, as I became disoriented with many events happening at once. However, the book was an enjoyable read overall and I would recommend it to anyone.

Lasairíona Scarff, 16

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Review: Cinder & Glass by Melissa De La Cruz

Cinder & Glass

Melissa De La Cruz

Putman, March 2022

Paperback, £8.99

ISBN 9780593463086

Inspired by the stories of the court of Louis XIV, the sun king and based on a fairytale, Cinder & Glass is an entertaining read, adding its own twist to the story of Cinderella. Left at the will of her cruel stepmother and stepsisters after the death of her father, Cendrillon De Louvois is forced to become a servant to her new family. After attending the royal ball, she captures the heart of Prince Louis and his brother Auguste. Although she has a disinclination towards the Prince and a connection to Auguste, Cendrillon knows that the only way to leave the cruelty of her stepmother is to compete against the other courting girls for the Prince’s hand. This leaves her faced with an impossible decision. Is she willing to lose the boy that she loves in order to escape the life she so desperately hates?

While based on a well known fairytale, this book offers enough nuance to make the characters feel new. I really adored the friendship between Cendrillon, Elodie and Marius, it was heartwarming to see how much they cared for each other. The book has a way of getting you invested in the characters quickly and so it wasn’t too long before I found myself rooting for Cendrillon and Auguste’s relationship. The writing had good descriptions, in particular when the Hall of Mirrors was being described, it felt like I was actually standing right there. The only minor issue for me was that I felt like the pacing was a bit off however, at no point did I feel bored of the story. The quotes at the start of a new part were lovely and in my opinion, a great addition to the telling of the story. 

Perfect for fans of the Cinderella fairytale and fantasy genre, Cinder & Glass is an elegant, inventive retelling with a twist and a story worth reading. 

Sarah Thompson O Sullivan, 16

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Review: Harley Quinn: Reckoning by Rachael Allen

Harley Quinn: Reckoning

Rachael Allen

Random House, April 2022

Hardback, US $18.99

ISBN 9780593429860

Harley Quinn: Reckoning is a phenomenally excellent retelling of Harley Quinn’s origin story. It’s a book that not only focuses on her backstory but also targets topics such as relationships and the importance of feminism, as well as more sensitive themes such as trauma. It touches on a wide range of emotions, and has a lot of action and mystery. It basically encompasses everything you could ask for in a book!

Through reading the book we are able to see Harley Quinn’s vulnerable side, as well as where the walls she has built up around her heart come from, which is imperative to our view on her character. Throughout the book we also see Quinn’s mental state gradually and unexpectedly deteriorate.

The book is predominantly filled with simple, everyday language and the tone overall is quite casual so it’s a relatively easy and quick read. As well as this, it’s a real page turner and quite fast paced in my opinion which makes it all the more interesting. There is also a hint of mystery in the background as the plot plays out, which really adds an additional feel of excitement. Previous knowledge of Harley Quinn isn’t necessary for the understanding of the book however it might be beneficial.

I would definitely recommend this book to any DC fans out there as well as anyone who is looking for a quick, interesting read.

Issues some readers might find difficult: sexual assault 

Amina Abbassene, 18

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Review: The Eternal Return of Clara Hart by Louise Finch

The Eternal Return of Clara Hart

Louise Finch

Little Island, August 2022

Paperback, £8.99

ISBN 9781915071026

The Eternal Return of Clara Hart is an incredible novel that tells an important message of toxic masculinity through an engaging story that anybody can connect to. The book follows Spence, a teenager who finds himself stuck in a time loop where he must relive the same day in which his classmate, Clara, dies at a house party.

I found Finch’s writing style to be well done as it brings the reader into the mindset of a teenage boy. Spence makes the overall theme of the book easy to engage with as we see how his toxic mindset has been influenced by the world around him. He’s a flawed character that must learn from his mistakes which just makes him more realistic. 

The rest of the characters were all well-rounded too as each had their own problems that didn’t just revolve around Spence. We see snippets of their lives and personalities through Spence’s repetition of the same day which honestly made me feel as if I was reading about a real class. 

Another thing I loved about this book was seeing the different ways Spence dealt with the time loop. I thought this was extremely fun and the short chapters make it easier to keep reading. I found myself not wanting to put this book down and ended up finishing it in two days. 

I think this is an exceptional debut that can be enjoyed by anybody, but especially by teenage boys who can connect to Spence and his struggles.

Rachel Stephens, 18

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Review: Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys and Andrew Weiner

Girl on Fire 

Alicia Keys, Andrew Weiner

Illustrated by Brittney Williams

Harper Alley, March 2022

Hardback, £12.99

ISBN 9780063029569

Girl on Fire follows the story of Lolo Wright and her discovery of her hidden power, the ability to control objects with her mind. This is a beautiful graphic novel that portrays the realities of being a teenager with superpowers thrown into the mix. Prejudice, class, race and the importance of family and friends are just some of the themes explored within the colourful illustrations on each page. It was a refreshing change of pace to read about a strong female superhero. The authors don’t sugar coat the truth in this book, they tackle many different issues head on.

Lolo is such an endearing and inspiring protagonist as well as a great role model. At fourteen years old, she is razor sharp and top of her class. Even as she faces extreme danger and threats to herself and her family, she displays remarkable strength and resilience. The reader gets to observe her journey as she grapples with her newfound power, antagonists and fitting in at school.

I would highly recommend this graphic novel to anyone looking for a unique read, it is penned by Alicia Keys and the title comes from her chart-topping song of the same title. It is suitable for younger teens and anyone looking for a nail-biting, action packed read.

Emma Daly 

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Review: Three Girls by Katie Clapham

Three Girls

Katie Clapham

UCLan Publishing, May 2022

Paperback, £7.99

ISBN 9781912979806

Three Girls is a book about three different personalities thrust together to promote their school’s inclusivity and friendships. However these girls were made to pose for their school’s brochure, and told to pretend to have a friendship forged through differences. 

This book is relatable, inclusive and very much down to earth with what goes through teenagers minds today. 

These three girls put on an act however, one of them has a secret. A secret that may forge their friendship into something more than an act.

In my opinion I would rate this book a seven out of ten as it’s very much relatable in today’s society. I would recommend it to people who have read One of Us is Lying or any school drama or mystery book. 

Aoibhe O’Dwyer