Chicklish

NEWS: Nobody's Girl by Sarra Manning

This week's "Waiting on Wednesday" is a book by one of my all-time favourite authors, Sarra Manning, whose other books include the brilliant Diary of a Crush series (see our reviews here and here), Pretty Things, Guitar Girl, Let's Get Lost and the Fashionistas series (reviews of Laura, Hadley, Irina and Candy).

I absolutely can't wait to read this book, which is out in February 2010. Here is more about it:

Bea thinks she's the most boring seventeen-year-old in the world. She's not pretty or popular or funny, unlike her mother who had Bea when she was 17. The only glamorous thing about Bea is the French father who left before she was born and lives in Paris. She yearns for la vie Parisienne every moment of her dull existence. So when Ruby Davies, the leader of her school's most elite clique picks Bea as her new best friend and asks her to go on holiday with them, she's wary but delighted. If nothing else it's two weeks away from her over-protective mother . But when the gang arrive in Spain, Bea is crushed to realise that Ruby and her posse have simply been using her. Bea wreaks vengeance on her so-called friends, and plans to decamp to Paris to find her father. But when she falls asleep on the train and wakes up in Bilbao, she meets a group of American students who are backpacking around Europe and bonds with them straight away, especially the gorgeous Toph, who helps heal Bea's hurting heart. And though Bea has a shock in store when they finally get to Paris,  the 'City of Lovers ' really works it magic on Bea and Toph, who spend a week wandering the sun-dappled streets of Paris, talking, holding hands and falling in love.  When it comes time to go home to confront her Mum about her mysterious father, the new version of Bea is determined that she 'll never go back to her old, boring way  of life  - she's no longer Nobody's Girl; she belongs to herself and to Toph... But with an ocean between them, will he wait for her?

Nobody's Girl is available for pre-order in the usual places, but I'm going to link to Waterstone's because I like their revamped online catalogue.

And also, is it my imagination or is the Fashionistas series being re-released next year? If so, I'm Waiting on Wednesday for those, too!

Waiting on Wednesday is from an idea by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This post is by Luisa Plaja.

Sarra Manning has posted the real cover picture here.

REVIEW: Selina Penaluna by Jan Page

Review by Sasha

It's the start of the Second World War and twins Nellie and Jack Morrison are being evacuated from the dangerous blitz of London to the sandy, retiring shores of Cornwall. They seek a home with Clara and Charles Rosewarne; a loving, wealthy couple who dote on Jack as if he was their own leaving Nellie in the background. First of all, their stay is successful, but as time goes by Jack is becoming suspicious of them. He is disturbed by the eternal love in their eyes and he is convinced this couple are not what they seem. The two cockney twins are transformed into well-off siblings attending snobby grammar schools and taking part in a range of activities but Jack is appalled by this. So why is he still their favourite?

When tragedy strikes Jack seeks comfort in the arms of beautiful Selina, the fisherman's daughter who was abandoned by her mother and abused by her father. After her mother gave birth her baby was dropped into a rock pool. She frantically tried to find her daughter, but she was replaced by Selina, a mermaid changeling. The Rosewarnes do not encourage their relationship and do not welcome Selina into their home thinking that Jack could do better. In spite of this Jack carries on his relationship with Selina. Jealousy hits Nellie as she loathes after Selina beauty. But can the couple seek refuge in each others arms and build a happy life for each other?

I read many positive reviews of this book and was expecting many positives from it. Fortunately some of these were delivered. From the first chapter it was clear that everything was described with much detail which contributed to the book being really, really well and beautifully written. Sometimes the description would kind of drone on a bit and you wanted it to get to the point a bit more quickly. The beginning was also quite slow paced and I found myself waiting for the main plot for a while.

The characters had their good points and bad points. They were extremely well portrayed and as each main character had their turns telling their story in first person, you really got inside their heads; some more than others. The only problem with this was that it wasn't printed at the top of each chapter which character was telling which and this got very confusing. After a while a few of the lesser characters got a bit annoying. Most of the ones that actually came from Cornwall spoke in a weird kind of way. For example rather than saying 'you' they would say 'ee' and you had to work this out for yourself.

The thing I really liked about this book was the fact that it was set in the 1940s and revolved around the theme of mermaids. The scene was set really clearly and you also got to see what wealthy war-time life was like. I usually really enjoy books set in the 1940s and, even though this one has its faults, it's still a good book. Maybe it's just me being a bit over-critical. The last thing I will say is that this book is definitely NOT suitable for younger readers as it deals with strong language and quite explicit sexual scenes. I'm sure it would be a good discussion point for the 'Sex in Teen Lit Month'. I give this book a 3 out of 5 but that doesn't mean it is not worth reading.

Review by Sasha, aged 13

REVIEW: The Glittering Eye by LJ Adlington

Review by Alexandra

The ARC cover and title don’t do this book justice.  I automatically thought I wasn’t going to love it – I know I judged – but I don’t read the back of review books, I hate spoilers, so I only have the title and cover to go on! It turned out that this was an amazing novel that I can fully recommend. Firstly it’s interesting and gives you a fascinating view of the time of the Ancient Egyptians and secondly the fictional story is really engrossing. 

The story is split in two. Alternate chapters follow the stories of Amy, who arrives in Egypt to accompany her archaeologist father, and Shabti whose story is from another time in Egyptian history altogether. Through seeing the two sides of: finding history (Amy) and being history (Shabti) you are taken on a fantastic journey, involving lots of mystery (and some tricky and dangerous moments).  Along the way you learn much about Egypt and Egyptology.

Sometimes I get the impression historical novels change too many facts and I fear learning things that are not real. But in this one you can really sense what is the fictional story around the facts and afterwards you definitely want to go to Egypt to see some of the things for yourself, although your trip may not be as exciting as Amy’s!

Highly recommended. Check out the author's website for more information about her inspirations and other work.  

Review by Alexandra

GIVEAWAY: Be Beautiful by Alice Hart-Davis and Molly Hindhaugh

Written by beauty journalist Alice Hart-Davis and her teenage daughter Molly Hindhaugh, this is a beauty book with a difference. It aims to give mother-and-daughter insight into questions about looks, hair, skin and makeup. Here's a bit more about it, in the words of Alice Hart-Davis:

"When my daughter Molly started asking me about everything from moisturisers to mascara and whether she should shave her legs, it wasn’t too hard to give her answers. My job is writing about beauty and health, and over the years, I have worked out what works best. One question led to another: how to deal with spots, how to blow-dry hair, how to choose the right things to eat... When we put them all together, this book began to emerge. Be Beautiful is about getting to grips with the basics of skincare and discovering the fun of make-up. It’s also about learning to do all this in a way that isn’t going to cost the earth – and that’s not too grown-up. As Molly puts it, ‘If you look good, you feel good. And isn’t that what we all want?’"

Thanks to Walker Books, we have a copy to give away to a lucky reader chosen at random after the closing date of 12th October 2009. As a special bonus, Walker are also offering a Beautilicious gift box from Baylis and Harding - see picture!

To enter, just send us an email with BEAUTIFUL in the subject line. The competition is open only to entrants resident in the UK. Good luck! (And watch out for our review of the book, coming soon!)

-----------GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED, WINNER (S.B.) HAS BEEN CONTACTED. CONGRATULATIONS!------------------------------

NEWS: Falling Hook, Line and Sinker by Helen Bailey

We received a fantastic newsletter from Helen Bailey the other day, full of fun details including news of the latest Electra Brown book, Falling Hook, Line and Sinker, out in January 2010. Here's the summary:

"Electra is head over heels in lurve. She's fallen hook, line and sinker for a testoreone-packed hunk. He's cute, he's cool and he's been expelled from school. He's also totally in to her! There's just one minor problem. Electra already has a boyfriend, FB. She should do what's right and walk away. But will she? As if! Enjoy more frank and sometimes serious freaky rants from Electra Brown's crazy world! Available January 2010."

You can find out more about Helen Bailey on her site, or join her mailing list. There are also links to first chapters of her books.

And catch up on Electra's adventures in shallowness so far in the first four books in the series. (Click for our reviews of: Life at the Shallow End, Out of My Depth, Swimming Against the Tide and Taking the Plunge, books 1-4.)

I love this series - Electra's take on life, love, school, family and friendship is guaranteed to make me giggle, sympathise and occasionally cringe, and I can't wait for the next instalment!

P.S. This is our Waiting on Wednesday post this week. Ssh, yes, I know it's Thursday. Waiting on Wednesday is from an idea by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This post is by Luisa Plaja.

REVIEW: All American Girl by Meg Cabot

Review by Amber

'What I did next was so atypical of my normal behaviour that it was like someone else took over my body for a minute, or something. All I know is, one second I was just standing there, watching the man raise his gun to fire at the President as he exited Capitol Cookies... and the next, I had jumped on him.'

Sam Madison has always been totally ordinary. Apart from having two weird sisters, of course. But then she does something utterly out of the ordinary - she stops a crazy psycho from assassinating the President.

Sam Madison starts going to an Art Class next door to a shop called Capitol Cookies. When she's about to cross the road, a strange man in a long coat is in front of her. Suddenly, a long black limo pulls up and the President steps out! He crosses the road and pops into Capitol Cookies, but when he steps out, the strange man secretly opens his coat and takes out a gun... and Sam jumps on his back, the bullet shooting into the air. But does the President survive? You'll have to read it!

I give All American Girl 5/5, definitely! My favourite character except for Sam Madison is... probably David because he is so kind. I loved this book, and I didn't really expect something as huge as someone shooting the President! It was a brilliant twist to the story. I loved it!

Review by Amber

NEWS: Lisa Clark, Grace Dent and Chris Higgins at Bath Festival

I've just read on Pink World, Lisa Clark's fabulous site, that there's an event this Sunday at the Bath Festival of Children's Literature featuring Lisa Clark, Grace Dent and Chris Higgins - three fantastic authors of brilliant books for teen and pre-teen girls.

Tickets cost £4.50 for the whole event and there is a signing afterwards. More details below. I wish I could go!

Teen fiction for girls is on a roll! This is your chance to hear Grace Dent, Lisa Clark and Chris Higgins talk about their marvellously readable latest books. Join three of the tip toppest writers for girls in this exciting and revealing event that is not to be missed.

Sunday 27th September 2009 - 12 - 12.45pm, Bath Guildhall

Ring the ticket hotline to book your tickets: 01225 463362

REVIEW: The Puzzle Ring by Kate Forsyth

Review by Caroline

When Australian Hannah gets a letter from The Countess of Wintersloe in Scotland claiming to be her granny, she is furious that she hasn’t been told more about her heritage. She knew her Scottish father disappeared near Loch Lomond right after she was born, but had no idea that she came from an ancient family living in an actual castle. There’s mention of a curse in the letter too, which Hannah’s rational mother pooh-poohs as a load of suspicious nonsense. Mum would much rather the past stayed where it was but as feisty Hannah is on the verge of being expelled for rubbing mud into the headmaster’s daughter’s face, mum is persuaded to move across the world and make a new life in Scotland. Swapping sunshine and beaches for cold winters and deep, dark lochs, Hannah soon realises that the curse is not just a story. Along with a group of friends she takes on a quest to find a ‘puzzle ring’ – which has been scattered in pieces in the past and is connected to bad luck that has befallen Hannah’s family. With her friends Donovan, Scarlett and Max they find a gateway to the past and scour the country looking for pieces of the ring. But in the days of Mary Queen of Scots, when suspicion and treachery were rife and witches were burned at the stake, four strangers with odd ways can only draw unwelcome attention…

The Puzzle Ring is one of those stories where you can’t imagine how the heroes are ever going to get out of the situation they’ve got into. Just as they get out of one dangerous mess, things get ten times worse... these poor characters are put through the mill! The story was gripping and the historical parts were so vivid you could almost smell the 16th century world as they travelled through it. If you like a satisfying mystery that has just enough magic and mayhem to be gripping but isn’t hardcore fantasy, then this is an excellent read.

Review by Caroline

INTERVIEW: Hayley Long

 Sasha interviews Hayley Long, author of Lottie Biggs is (Not) Mad, reviewed here.

Do you use your own experiences in your books?
Yes, all the time. Actually almost everything I write about is either inspired by something which has happened to me or something which I’ve heard about from someone else. I couldn’t possibly write some off-the-wall fantasy novel because I don’t think I’m imaginative enough. But I do have a really good memory for collecting strange useless pieces of information - stuff like funny things I’ve heard people say, song lyrics, weird objects… they all seem to get stuck in my brain forever. I can remember a talking doll I had when I was about five and every single weird thing she said. So I put that doll into the Lottie Biggs book.  

Then there are bigger experiences like how I worked in a shoe shop on Saturdays when I was a teenager and even how I started to feel really miserable a while back. Obviously that wasn’t a good state to be in but by writing Lottie Biggs, it helped me to make something worthwhile out of even that rubbish time.

Having said that, I’m definitely not Lottie Biggs and what I write is always fiction and not autobiography. Lottie would be a lot more boring if she merely represented me at 15. She wouldn’t have a lush boyfriend like Gareth for a start!

Did you think you had a chance of becoming an author?
Um, I never really thought about the end result of actually being an author. To be honest, I don’t really think of myself in that way even now.  If anyone asks me what I do, I usually say that I’m a teacher.  I find it easier! But I’ve always wanted to write novels since I was in primary school. When I was about eight, I even typed one up on my mum’s typewriter and sent it to a publisher. In my head, it always seemed to be a question of when I get published, rather than if. But that’s because I was always writing something.

Who inspired you to write?
That’s difficult.  I’m not sure really. In my family nobody other than me was a big reader and certainly nobody else ever wrote anything down just for the fun of it.  But I’ve always been reading books.  When I was really young, my mum used to make me put my book down and go out to play more with the other kids in my road because otherwise I would have just stayed indoors all the time. I don’t know where I got that reading habit from. But I suppose I should thank Enid Blyton really. Although her books are not really fashionable now, I read hundreds of them when I was a child. So perhaps it was her who made me want to tell stories of my own.

Are there any recent books that you admire?
Well it’s quite a few years old now but Holes by Louis Sachar is one of my favourite ever books and definitely my favourite book for young people.  In fact, it was reading that book a few years ago which  encouraged me to write for a younger audience. Until then, I’d only ever written for adults.  I haven’t read anything to topple Holes from my number one spot. I do read some teen fiction but I try to avoid anything which looks remotely like what I’m writing.  I wouldn’t want it to influence how I write.  Some readers have suggested that I've adopted the style of Louise Rennison.  I take this as a compliment because she is hugely successful but the truth is - I haven't actually read any of her titles.

I know that books about vampires are very popular at the moment and I did give a couple of these a go but didn’t really get on with them. But there is a book called The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova which came out a few years ago which is absolutely stunning. It’s very exciting, very frightening and very intelligent. I definitely admire that book.

Interview by Sasha

Hayley Long's website

Lottie Biggs extract

REVIEW: Darke Academy: Secret Lives by Gabriella Poole

Review by Mya.

When the new scholarship girl, Cassie Bells joins the Darke Academy, an elite school which travels to a different city every term, she almost immediately becomes involved with The Few. But when Cassie finds herself wandering the corridors at night, avoiding her snoring roommate, she finds something that will change her stay at the Academy forever. The more Cassie discovers, the more danger there seems to be lurking around the corridors...

At the moment there are a lot of ‘after Twilight’ books which seemed to have hit the shops. I wouldn’t say this is one. I found that this book had just the right balance between fantasy and realism and an ever-twisting plot! The main protagonist, Cassie Bell, had a well-developed character and I could relate to her feelings towards the pupils of Darke Academy. I was hooked from the start and couldn’t find it in me to put the book down!

I’d give this book a definite 5/5 and recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy books!

Review by Mya, aged 12