Burning Impossibly Bright

Say Her Name James Dawson June 5th 2014 Hot Key Books Roberta 'Bobbie' Rowe is not the kind of person who believes in ghosts. A Halloween dare at her ridiculously spooky boarding school is no big deal, especially when her best friend Naya and cute local boy Caine agree to join in too. They are ordered to summon the legendary ghost of 'Bloody Mary': say her name five times in front of a candlelit mirror, and she shall appear... But, surprise surprise, nothing happens. Or does it? Next morning, Bobbie finds a message on her bathroom mirror... five days... but what does it mean? And who left it there? Things get increasingly weird and more terrifying for Bobbie and Naya, until it becomes all too clear that Bloody Mary was indeed called from the afterlife that night, and she is definitely not a friendly ghost. Bobbie, Naya and Caine are now in a race against time before their five days are up and Mary comes for them, as she has come for countless others before... A truly sp...

Title:  Say Her Name Author:  James Dawson Series:  Pages:  240 Publisher: Hot Key Books Date of Publication: 5th June, 2014 Source: Publisher* for review Synopsis from Goodreads: Roberta 'Bobbie' Rowe is not the kind of person who believes in ghosts. A Halloween dare at her ridiculously spooky boarding school is no big deal, especially when her best friend Naya and cute local boy Caine agree to join in too. They are ordered to summon the legendary ghost of 'Bloody Mary': say her name five times in front of a candlelit mirror, and she shall appear... But, surprise surprise, nothing happens. Or does it? Next morning, Bobbie finds a message on her bathroom mirror... five days... but what does it mean? And who left it there? Things get increasingly weird and more terrifying for Bobbie and Naya, until it becomes all too clear that Bloody Mary was indeed called from the afterlife that night, and she is definitely not a friendly ghost. Bobbie, Naya and Caine are now i...

Murder Most Unladylike Robin Stevens  June 5th 2014 Random House Children's Books Deepdean School for Girls, 1934. When Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong set up their very own deadly secret detective agency, they struggle to find any truly exciting mysteries to investigate. (Unless you count the case of Lavinia's missing tie. Which they don't, really.) But then Hazel discovers the Science Mistress, Miss Bell, lying dead in the Gym. She thinks it must all have been a terrible accident - but when she and Daisy return five minutes later, the body has disappeared. Now the girls  know  a murder must have taken place . . . and there's more than one person at Deepdean with a motive. Now Hazel and Daisy not only have a murder to solve: they have to prove a murder happened in the first place. Determined to get to the bottom of the crime before the killer strikes again (and before the police can get there first, naturally), Hazel and Daisy must hunt for evidence, spy on their suspects a...

So! The Fault in Our Stars. That's a thing now. Kind of a big thing, which you know if you are a person who lives on the planet and has access to the internet. I was really lucky in that I got to go and see it about a week early thanks to Penguin (seriously, thank you!) which was kind of a new thing for me. I never get invited to stuff like that so I was very excited, and it was such a fun experience to get to go and see the film with a bunch of people who were all fans of the book, and who had been waiting for ages to see it. Honestly, the sound of other people's tears has never been so comforting or hilarious. And I enjoyed the film a lot, but it isn't a new favourite or anything. Since I read the book two and a half years ago, I feel like my opinion about has changed a bit. I still think that it's a good book, obviously, but it doesn't stand out to me in my memory. I feel like the only reason I give it special consideration in my mind is because it's a John G...

Title:  Out of Control Author:  Sarah Alderson Series:   Standalone Pages: 320 Publisher:  Simon and Schuster Children's Books Date of Publication: 22nd May, 2014 Source:  Publisher* for review Synopsis from Goodreads: When 17 year old Liva witnesses a brutal murder she’s taken into police custody for her own protection. But when the police station is attacked and bullets start flying it becomes clear that Liva is not just a witness, she’s a target. Together with a car thief called Jay, Liva manages to escape the massacre but now the two of them are alone in New York, trying to outrun and outwit two killers who will stop at nothing to find them. When you live on the edge, there’s a long way to fall. My Thoughts: Sarah Alderson is fast becoming one of my absolute favourite authors. I've read five of her young adult titles now and have thoroughly enjoyed every single one of those. Out of Control is Sarah's newest offering and it was great. I don't often g...

Rooftoppers Katherine Rundell March 7th 2013 Faber & Faber  Everyone thinks that Sophie is an orphan. True, there were no other recorded female survivors from the shipwreck which left baby Sophie floating in the English Channel in a cello case, but Sophie remembers seeing her mother wave for help. Her guardian tells her it is almost impossible that her mother is still alive, but that means still possible. You should never ignore a possible. So when the Welfare Agency writes to her guardian threatening to send Sophie to an orphanage, she takes matters into her own hands and flees to Paris to look for her mother, starting with the only clue she has - the address of the cello maker. Evading the French authorities, she meets Matteo and his network of rooftoppers - urchins who live in the sky. Together they scour the city for Sophie's mother before she is caught and sent back to London, and most importantly before she loses hope. This book came to my attention because of the fact th...

Title:  Lobsters Author:  Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison Series:   Standalone Pages:   306 Publisher:  Chicken House Books Date of Publication:  5th June, 2014 Source:  Publisher for review* Synopsis from Goodreads: Sam and Hannah only have the holidays to find 'The One'. Their lobster. But instead of being epic, their summer is looking awkward. They must navigate social misunderstandings, the plotting of well-meaning friends, and their own fears of being virgins for ever to find happiness. But fate is at work to bring them together. And in the end, it all boils down to love. My Thoughts: I was super excited for Lobsters and I had such high hopes, so let me tell you, it did not disappoint. It's awkward but light hearted and I have not laughed out loud (in public, too!) so much at a book for such a long time! I was sat in the common room at school, trying to suppress my giggles so that the other people in there would not think I was crazy. I'm ...