Category: Review Archives

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Pretty Funny

Rebecca Elliott

Pretty Funny

Penguin Random House, March 2020

Paperback, Ebook, pp. 336, £7.99

ISBN 9780241374627

Haylah Swinton lives with her mother and her brother, a small dictator. At school she is called Pig, a nickname she adopts to prevent further teasing about her weight. Refreshingly though, this is not a book solely about Haylah’s weight and her size is simply a nice fun fact about her rather than the novel’s driving narrative. Her mother starts dating a man totally wrong for her – he wears shoes with no socks – and she develops crush on Leo Jackson after watching him do comedy at her school’s talent show. When she overhears Leo saying he has no inspiration for new material to perform, Haylah decides to help him out because she is pretty funny too and has her own nascent aspiration to be a comedian.

This is Rebecca Elliott’s first YA novel and the first of an upcoming series. If you enjoy feminism combined with comedy then this is the book for you. Haylah is a witty and realistic character who gets into embarrassing situations and makes mistakes. She may be overweight, but Haylah embraces her body and shows that there is so much more to a person than what they look like. Elliott’s writing is sharp and observant, with a healthy serving of jokes throughout. I particularly appreciated the novel’s ending as it affirms that standing up for and loving yourself is more important than standing on the side-lines and loving a boy. This book will have you giggling under the covers, cheering for girl power and applauding female comedians.

Evangeline Henry

Pretty Funny book cover
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Music from Another World

Robin Talley

Music from Another World

HQ Young Adult, May 2020
Paperback, pp. 384, £7.99
ISBN 9781848457218

Patti Smith says: ‘Personally [I] am not interested in people trying to pigeonhole me’. Tammy does not feel understood. The seventeen-year-old belongs to a strict, 1970s conservative Christian community who attempt to force her to be someone she is not. Solace is found in writing unposted letters to her hero, Harvey Milk, in whom she confides her biggest secret; Tammy is gay. The teen enrols in a pen-pal project and is matched with punk-loving San Franciscan, Sharon. Neither of them can believe their luck. Finally, someone understands.

Best-selling author Robin Talley treats her characters with more kindness than their repressive communities do. Talley does not pigeonhole the story’s protagonists but grants Tammy and Sharon the space, of which they have been starved, to breathe. The story is told exclusively through diary entries and letters. For the social media generation, this intimacy is reminiscent of direct messaging (or DMing). This narrative device brings an immediacy to the book, making it difficult to put down. We feel the characters’ unease as we await the next communication. Music from Another World is a book with a cinematic quality. The soundtrack is Patti Smith, Blondie and Bowie. Scenes are set in feminist bookshops, punk shows, and protest marches. It’s an empowering read with a powerful message; if you don’t fit in, why not stand out!

Brigid O’Dea, teen reviewer

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Tuesdays Are Just As Bad

Cethan Leahy
Tuesdays Are Just As Bad
Mercier Press, 2018
Paperback, pp. 255, €12.99
ISBN 9781781175644

For Adam Murphy, transitioning back to “normal” after a suicide attempt is made even more difficult by the fact that he’s being haunted by a ghostly version of himself. Adam has to reintegrate back into the life of a teenager and all it entails – school, making friends, budding romance – with this ghost that nobody else can see or hear at his shoulder. It becomes increasingly difficult to tell if its presence is good or bad, but it certainly makes life more complicated for Adam.

Told through the perspective of the ghost, Leahy tells an increasingly important story about mental health with a voice that is humorous but which never trivialises. He fleshes out his tale with a colourful cast of characters – particular joys are the irreverent Douglas and quirky goth, Aoife – who are delightful even if they tend to outshine his protagonist. Bursting with empathy, Adam (and the reader) learn that everyone has their own struggles, but this doesn’t diminish your own. The ghost’s narrative voice is a wonderful addition; it distances readers with familiar topics, allowing for a new perspective, be that on mental health or the ridiculousness teenagers can get up to.

Leahy’s light touch successfully brings this coming-of-age story together. The familiar threads of school struggles and first loves are freshened with his depiction of mental health and the rocky road of recovery – not to mention his strong dash of comedy and the paranormal. An incredibly clever book which I very much enjoyed.

Aoife Sheehan

cover of Tuesdays Are Just As Bad
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The Pure Heart

Trudi Tweedie

The Pure Heart

Chicken House, 2020

Paperback, 266 pages

ISBN 9781912626007

When teen Iseabail of Hebridean Island is summoned to the house of a wealthy merchant to be a companion for his daughter, her life takes a chilling turn. Here, Iseabail recognizes a sinister vibe and she knows there is something not quite right with the house. As Iseabail discovers more and more unnerving secrets, she wonders if she will make it back home to her beloved Hebridean Island, before it is too late.

I enjoyed the storyline of this book which I thought was very original. I was astonished by the ending which I liked as I hadn’t been expecting it. To me, the story of this novel reminded me very much of ‘Jane Eyre’ and I think that this is a worthy option for those who feel they are too young to read ‘Jane Eyre’. 

As a fourteen-year-old, I found this style of writing a little too basic and think that it is perhaps wrongly marked as ‘young adult’.  I think this book would be better suited for readers around the ages of nine to twelve.

Rebecca Downey, teen reviewer

cover of The Pure Heary
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All The Bad Apples

All The Bad Apples

Moïra Fowley-Doyle

Penguin Random House, 2019

Paperback, pp. 337, £7.99

ISBN 9780241333969

On the morning of her seventeenth birthday Deena Rys comes out to her unconventional family. Branded as a bad apple by her distant father and bullied in school for her sexual orientation, she seeks her eldest sister Mandy’s comfort. However, the next evening Mandy is missing and presumed dead. Deena begins an adventure into her family’s past in the hope of breaking a family curse which affects Rys women who contradict societal norms. The curse provides a magical backdrop and additional excitement in an already fast-paced narrative.

Moïra Fowley-Doyle’s All The Bad Apples at times feels overwhelming, but it succeeds in creating a commentary on the historical perception of women coinciding with the contemporary situation of women. Perhaps Fowley-Doyle has taken on too much, nevertheless, the supernatural element allows for the novel to take on a surreal undertone providing a different platform for tackling big contemporary issues. Deena is far from a stereotypically flawed teenage protagonist, she is a modern, refreshing and appealing character who invites the reader into her world.

I was excited by the confrontational attitude of the narrative as Fowley- Doyle does not shy away from the biggest topics of today. While there were times when it felt the novel was overreaching, it is clear the characters are serving a greater purpose by shedding a stimulating light on issues which many young people today face. This novel is for curious, intuitive and opinionated young people who wish to explore a magical female-centred text.

Lorna O’Dea

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The Secret Commonwealth

Philip Pullman 

The Secret Commonwealth

Penguin Random House, 2019

Paperback, pp. 687, £8.99

ISBN 9780241373347

The release of the second in the Book of Dust series, The Secret Commonwealth, in October 2019 was a fitting way to close the decade. The events of this book take place ten years or so after the conclusion of the Northern Lights trilogy. Lyra is grown up and halfway through a university degree, with Oxford and Jordan College as recognisable as ever. However, the Magisterium is gaining power, global trade is in uproar and sinister hints abound of an underground market for daemons. To top it all off Lyra and Pantalaimon are engaged in a coldness that threatens to undo their unity forever. They must each set out on a quest that tests their beliefs and loyalty to all they have known.

This book is heavy with political nods to our world. On her journey to the Blue Hotel, Lyra meets refugees whose conditions bear a striking resemblance to our daily news stories. Right-wing policies are clearly on the rise. Through the shortage of elite rose oil, we see the increasing power of corporations. The book is also aimed at a slightly older reader due to some references to sexual violence. While this jump in maturity could be the result of the vulnerable, adult Lyra being more in tune to the dangers of the world, at times I thought this came at the expense of some of the series’ iconic subtlety.

However, over the course of nearly 700 pages, Lyra’s world is developed with mature complexity. Don’t let the length put you off; the story carries the reader at such a pace that it ends far too soon, on a juncture that has left me eagerly anticipating the final instalment.

Deirbhile Brennan

The Secret Commonwealth cover
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Connor’s Brain

Malcolm Rose

Connor’s Brain

Ransom, 2016

Paperback, pp. 233, £7.99

ISBN 9781785911354

Connor Markham is a fifteen-year-old boy who, following a virus that leads to the removal of his temporal lobe, is left having to learn how to do everything all over again. Although he has no memory of his past life, other people do, and their intentions aren’t so pure. This is a book imbued with gentle humour throughout, with vivacious characters such as Connor himself, depraved nightclub owner GG, and Connor’s distraught girlfriend, Hattie. However, it does not shy from more sinister themes, such as child sex trafficking, robbery, and manipulation. Connor himself is a deeply likeable character who has invented new words for things he cannot remember, such as eel for finger and volcano for flower. His interactions with other characters make for hilarious and at times moving reading.

Connor’s Brain is hard to pin down to one genre. It is both a-coming-of-age story, a thriller, and a crime novel. It makes for compulsive reading and is a perfect book for slightly older teenagers. Readers will find themselves rolling around with tears of laughter, and at times sobbing with tears of empathy for Connor, who is determined not to let a brain defect get in the way of a rich life. Overall, this was a highly entertaining read that keeps one guessing. Rather than making Connor a victim, writer Malcolm Rose has created an effervescent character still totally in charge of his own destiny. The only downside was that the book wasn’t longer.

Caitríona O’Malley

Connor's Brain cover
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Always Here For You

Miriam Halahmy

Always Here For You

ZunTold, February 2020

Paperback, pp. 288, £7.99

ISBN 9781916204218

Fourteen-year-old Holly Bennett’s best friend Amy has just moved away. Her parents are constantly busy dealing with ‘Gran’s Crisis’ after Holly’s grandad has passed away. She’s lonely, she’s bored, she’s scared Amy has forgotten about her, and she wants a boyfriend. When a girl from school introduces her to Jay, a boy her age online, Holly falls in love fast. He seems perfect, until some of his messages start to sound a little controlling, some of the photos he sends her make her uncomfortable, and the pressure to keep his existence a secret has dangerous consequences.

Always Here For You gently tackles the issues of online grooming in a way that will appeal most to younger teens, despite it being marketed as a YA novel. Because the novel is heavily influenced by topical issues, I feel those who are used to reading YA will perhaps find Holly to be quite young and the message of the novel to be more heavy-handed than they are used to. Halahmy shows how circumstances can create the perfect conditions to put a young teenager at risk of grooming and exposure to paedophilia. Holly is cautious and generally aware of online dangers, but grief over her best friend moving away and loneliness at home created the perfect storm of vulnerability. This is the first time I have read a teen novel about online grooming and it was great to see an example of how personal introductions from peers can legitimise a profile claiming to be someone they’re not. Holly’s new friendships that developed throughout the novel were endearingly supportive and were a positive anchor within a story that dealt with such a heavy issue.

Courtney Smyth

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Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre

Tanya Landman

Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre

Barrington Stoke, 2020

Paperback, 115 pages

9781781129128

Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel Jane Eyre has been adapted by Tanya Landman in the most refreshing and accessible manner. Designed for reluctant and dyslexic readers, this adaptation is perfect for young readers looking to explore literary classics in a uniquely refreshing form. 

Jane Eyre has had a troubled childhood, from living with abusive relatives, to experiencing loss in a charitable school for orphans. But when she is presented with the opportunity to teach at the formidable Thornfield Hall, her life changes. She is haunted by Mr Rochester, the mysterious owner of Thornfield, uncertain of where she stands in their relationship. But something else haunts her in her new home, an eerie noise coming from the attic. 

Landman does a remarkable job in this adaption. She encapsulates Brontë’s humour, wit, mystery and intrigue, all through clear expression and accessible dialogue. Not once is the plot of the original novel compromised, but rather condensed in an elegant manner through concise language that highlights the core of Brontë’s writing. This adaptation demonstrates an excellent opportunity for young readers to engage with the literary classic in an engaging format that expertly showcases the writing skills of both Brontë and Landman. It was a truly enjoyable experience to read this book. 

Ruth Ennis

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Queen of Coin and Whispers

Helen Corcoran

Queen of Coin and Whispers

The O’Brien Press, June 2020

Paperback, pp. 447, €12.99

ISBN 9781788491181

Lia is a newly made queen, determined to be a better ruler for her people than her corrupt late uncle.

Xania is focused on avenging her father’s untimely death, which means she needs access to secrets and power.

When Xania becomes spymaster for the queen, both young women think they’ve struck a good bargain; driven by ambition, vengeance and duty, they are not prepared for the tenderness and attraction that starts to simmer between them. But the court is a quagmire of intrigue and treachery, where one false step could bring all they’ve hoped for to ruin; must they juggle the demands of family, country and legacy before listening to their hearts?

Atmospheric and packed with details that bring the vividly realised world of Edar to life, even the secondary characters in Queen of Coin and Whispers are fully formed. The primary focus, though, is on the slow burn romance between Lia and Xania as they struggle to survive the deadly undercurrents of court life and forge their own destinies. One of the joys of this book is that being queer in this world is not a big issue. Also, women can and do hold powerful positions in Edar and are just as likely to be adversaries as allies.

A tautly paced, yet lushly written, book that heralds Helen Corcoran as a great new voice in Irish writing.

Karina Clifford