Chicklish

NEWS: Lola Love's life in a new series by Lisa Clark

Just about to be released is a new series by Lisa Clark, following the life of Lola Love, the character from Lisa's Go-For-It life guides. (See our reviews of Think Pink, Beauty*Licious and Viva La Diva.)

There are reviews of these new books right now on Mizz Hannah, and we've just received the books at Chicklish headquarters so there should be reviews here soon too!

Livin' La Vida Lola
This is the book where it all begins - the story of how Lola goes from drab to fab and learns to think pink, all in one eventful summer.

Lola Love and the Rainbow Hearts
In which Lola and the Pink Ladies are officially a band, entering a competition to win a meeting with guitar god idol Tom Tutti.

Cupcakes and Glitter Shakes
Lola Love gets a holiday job at Missy Magazine and finds out what life is really like behind the scenes.

And there are two more titles coming in June: Time to Shine and L'il Miss Bliss. We can't wait!

Check out Lola's Land online

And Lisa Clark's Pink World 

REVIEW: Viva La Diva by Lisa Clark

Review by Sasha

Viva La Diva is the ultimate guide for all of the wannabe divas out there in the world. That doesn't mean the kind of diva that throws hissy-fits and demands more Iced Tea every hour of the day, no siree. That means the kind of diva who speaks loud and proud, walks with confidence and is never afraid to be You-nique, chic! So it might be totally rude that a limo doesn't come to collect you for school every day and that Jonny Depp is pestering you with phone calls 24/7 but that is no excuse not to live like a diva! Lola and her friends, The Pink Ladies, show you how to live the luxe life, without being a Hollywood celeb. After all, no one is going to start treating you like a goddess until you start acting like one! Full of cool new illustrations, helpful tips and instructions to let the art-girl within you shine!

This book was super-cool! It was jam-packed full of handy hints and tips as well as a gorgeous array of cute pictures on every page. The language used was so friendly or positive and it was just like getting advice from a close gal pal. Unlike many other self-help books out there, there was never-ever a dull moment and Lisa Clark really shined through with her creative thinking and 'go for it girl' tude'. Another thing that I totally loved about this book was that it was filled with arty-party things for you to do like the 'oh-so-much-fun' Viva La Diva Scrapbook of Fabness. In the world of Lola Love nothing seems like a chore and that is the exact same thing with this must-have book. This book is for any girl who wants to unleash her inner diva.

Review by Sasha, aged 12

About Chicklish, and Chicklish Policy

**January 2012 update: we regret that we're not currently accepting review books except from our usual sources, due to a huge backlog of books to be read. Another exception to this is e-books in the teen chick-lit/YA romance genre, which we hope to find time for. Thank you very much for visiting our site!**

Chicklish Facts

Chicklish is a UK-based teen book site, launched in 2006 and still going strong as it approaches its 6th birthday. The site is run by author Luisa Plaja and is regularly updated with book-related contributions from readers, including young contributors aged 11+ and adult fans of teen fiction.

Chicklish Review Policy

All enquiries should be sent to chicklish@googlemail.com. We're very sorry that, due to a high volume of enquiries, we can't always reply to every message. Also please note that we're based in the UK.

Most of the books reviewed here are free copies provided to us by publishers and authors, though some are bought or borrowed by reviewers. If you send us your book we don't guarantee a positive review, or a review at all, but we'll endeavour to give our honest opinion and feature the book on the site if we can. We also try to give a good home to all books that are sent to us. Some will be used for giveaways on the site, others will be given to keen readers or donated to school and public libraries.

We mostly review books aimed at teenagers. We don't usually review adult fiction or picture books. We can accept e-books.

Please note that the site's editor is an author (Luisa Plaja) and so is the co-founder and site host (Keris Stainton), and we have other contributors who are writers and/or work in the publishing industry. We will feature our own books, and books by writers who happen to be our friends, colleagues and acquaintances, on the site. All contributors give their honest opinions about the books they review.

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More about Chicklish...

Every now and then we're asked: What is Chicklish? And... why?

Here are some answers.

Chicklish is a site devoted to teen fiction published in the UK. (But we cover fiction from other countries too, as long as it's written in, or translated into, English.) We aim to provide all the latest book news, reviews and author interviews.

And why? Well, the reviewers here love reading this type of fiction and writing about it. We started out, back in 2006, as a "teen chick lit" review site but we now read and review across most genres aimed at teenagers, and also cover a few books aimed at younger readers. Possibly we still have a slight leaning towards more light-hearted, fun reads, but we really hope all readers can find interesting books through our site.

So. Chicklish. It's kind of like chick-lit mixed with chocolate, it's de-lish and it's as fun as being ticklish. Or something like that, anyway. As for our subtitle: "Reader, I snogged him..." Well. Sorry, Charlotte Bronte.

Love from Chicklish

P.S. For other great sites that discuss teen fiction, check out the links under "Chicklish Places".

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Privacy Policy

Please stay safe on the internet! When you enter our giveaways, there's no need to give your address unless you're contacted as a prizewinner. If and when you do give us your address, it will not be kept or used in any way except to provide a prize. (This will sometimes involve passing it on to a third party, such as a publisher, but only for the purposes of sending the prize.)

If you are not an adult, we would ask you to please make sure a parent or guardian knows that you are writing to us and exactly what information you are giving us. Details such as addresses should be provided to us by your parent or guardian. If you would like to be one of our young reviewers, please note that we require parental permission.

Under no circumstances disclose your address or personal details about yourself in the site's comments - if you do, your comment will be deleted for your own safety.

Thank you!

Check out this great link about online safety: Thinkuknow - 11-16

More information about online protection:

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act

COPPA

REVIEW: The Island That Wasn’t There by Ruth Snowden

Review by Alexandra

Rosie considers herself a bit of a pirate and she thinks this will help her become a full member of the boys-only gang she wants to be in.  But the boys aren’t so sure and only let her in as an ‘associate’ until she can prove herself.  When she comes across a mermaid, Rosie sees this as a potential turning point.  Will this convince them she’s a worthy gang member?  Unfortunately things aren’t that simple.  The mermaid disappears before her friends can see her themselves.  Rosie is desperate to find her again as she knows she’s in trouble, away from her sea home. 

Only one of the old men they regularly eavesdrop on, Yan Eye, helps her out when she re-finds the mermaid, Anemone.  Yan Eye and Rosie try to take Anemone home.  This opens up a whole adventure for them, one with Fin Kings, cat fish (as in cats that look like fish!), a sea witch, sea legends and the curse of the Island of Hildaland.

Will Rosie return home again with Yan Eye?  Will she make it into the gang?  Or does some other fate await her?

This was a vivid, lively read.  Suitable for younger teens and older children who like imaginative tales.

Review by Alexandra

NEWS: Spinebreakers and Joe Dunthorne in Gateshead

Spinebreakers, the online book community for UK teenagers, is hosting a special event for 13 to 18 year olds at The Sage in Gateshead on Tuesday 17th February 2009.

There will be workshops in the following:
- learn book jacket design skills with a professional designer
- create a short story – practical tips on creative writing with an experienced editor
- produce multi-media content for your favourite book – videos, soundtracks & photo stories         

Plus you can hear Joe Dunthorne, author of Submarine, reading from his book and discussing life, the universe and everything.

Tickets cost £5 and are limited, so visit The Sage's site to book, or call the ticket office on 0191 443 4661. Time: 9.45 arrival for a 10am start till 4.30

Find more information at Spinebreakers or The Gateshead.

REVIEW: Love Ya Babe by Chris Higgins

Review by Hannah

Gabby's a normal girl with a... not so normal family. Everything's going fine until she gets a big shock on Christmas Day. It causes a lot of chaos at her house. What's worse is that a boy is coming in between her and her BFF Angie. Gabby's life is spinning out of control - can a average 14-year-old girl handle this?

I loved this book; I couldn't wait for it to come out. I got stuck in on the first paragraph, which is good. I was interested by the funny (and creepy), rude and embarassing characters. I epecially hated the Gemstones (how sad a name is that) and Si, who are nasty, mean characters (a match made in heaven). Gabby and Angie's friendship was really put to the test, and it was nice to see how that affected both of them. And what's more is that the secret actually made Gabby's family realise what has been hidden from everyone's faces. In a weird way, it helped them all. This a funny, interesting, heart-warming story. A great way to start this year. I recommend for everyone aged around 12-15.

Review by Hannah, aged 13

NEWS: Neil Gaiman wins Newbery prize, Melina Marchetta wins Printz

British author Neil Gaiman has won the 2009 Newbery Award for The Graveyard Book, a dark story of a boy named Nobody (Bod for short), who is safe from a mysterious assassin only within the confines of a graveyard, where he's brought up by ghosts. Watch the trailer:

The Graveyard Book Trailer Narrated by Neil Gaiman from The Graveyard Book Tour on Vimeo.

And Australian author Melina Marchetta won The Printz Award for young adult literature for her boarding-school novel Jellicoe Road, which is called On The Jellicoe Road outside the US. Read our review here, our interview here, and check out this brilliant Australian book blog which also reports the news.

NEWS: Amy Green Teen Agony Queen by Sarah Webb

Amy Green Teen Agony Queen by Sarah Webb is a fab new book about a teen mag gossip column with a difference...

When Amy's seventeen-year-old Aunt Clover lands a dream job giving advice for teen mag The Goss Amy quickly realizes that this is no ordinary column. Clover – being Clover – doesn't just want to answer her readers' letters, she wants to solve their problems... personally. From stamping out malicious rumours to handling first kisses and creating the perfect Bebo page, the pair bring happiness to many unhappy girls. But when Amy falls for the cute boy in her art class, she finds she's in need of a little help of her own...

There's a great website where you can meet the characters from the book, read interviews and facts about the author and much more. It's definitely worth checking out.

And watch out for our review, interview and possibly a giveaway, coming soon!

NEWS: Rumours competition

 Spinebreakers, the fabulous book site run by Penguin books, is running a competition to go with the release of Rumours by Anna Godbersen. Rumours is the gossip-filled, addictive sequel to The Luxe (which we have reviewed here).

Simply visit the competition page, enter your rumour in 30 words or less, and you could win £50 to spend on Penguin books. The closing date is 15 February 2009, and make sure you read the rules first. (For example, your rumour can be as juicy as you like, but you're not allowed to name names!)

You can also read all the rumours entered so far.

REVIEW: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Set in one action-packed night, this is a love story with a difference. Nick is struggling to get over his ex-girlfriend Tris, so when he sees her with another boy he turns to the strange girl next to him and asks her to be his girlfriend for five minutes. That girl is Norah, a girl with issues of her own. The book follows their 'first date' filled with music, confusion and passion.

This book is definitely one for older teens as it's full of language that's considered much ruder than the sort Jacqueline Wilson gets complaints about, and there are also some fairly explicit love scenes. I've read mixed reviews of it and I can see its flaws - the characters sometimes err on the side of irritatingly cool/smart/self-possessed (I found Tris in particular made my eyes roll a lot), and their actions occasionally don't make sense or are explained in enigmatic ways. But from the first page, I was completely drawn into the world of Nick and Norah, and I could feel the atmosphere of their electric night. It's a striking, original book which I will definitely read again, and that's why I'm giving it 5/5.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist has been adapted into a film. The UK release date is 30th January 2009, and it stars Michael Cera and Kat Dennings. See the trailer below.