Chicklish

REVIEW: Classic by Cecily von Ziegesar

Review by Daria.

It's Valentine's Day at Waverly and love is surrounding the Waverly Owls. Or at least some of them. When Easy Walsh comes back Callie Vernon doesn't know what to do. Stay with her perfect and sweet boyfriend Brandon Buchanan or go back to the bad boy Easy Walsh? Who will she choose? The Waverly Academy's tradition for Valentines Day is Perfect Match, where each owl has to fill our a survey and then wait to find out who their perfect match is. Jenny Humphrey is convinced she'll be paired up with her new boyfriend Issac Dresden until he starts acting strange and Jenny starts to have doubts. While love is in the air, hate also makes an appearance. Brett Messerschmidt and Tinsley Carmichael hate Isla Dresden (Issac's sister) after she steals Tinsley's thunder and Brett's boyfriend, so they decide that revenge is about to get Isla. Will everything work out for the best for the Waverly Owls? Or will Valentines Day be the worst day of their life?

Classic is the tenth novel in The It Girl series and to me it's as good (if not better) as the other ones. This book is about love and hate and it's the perfect novel if you like a bit of drama, especially if you watch Gossip Girl, which the character Jennny Humphrey is from. This novel is sassy and exciting and you never know what's going to happen next, which I love about it! This book is also perfect for older teens. I also liked the names like Isla and Tinsley.

The character Brandon Buchanan had his heart broken so many times by Callie Vernon, but he just keeps going back to her. Brandon is sweet and perfect, but Callie just can't make her mind up about who she loves more, Brandon or Easy? I feel sorry for Brandon because he always loses when it comes to Callie. Jenny Humphrey thinks she founf the perfect boyfriend, but later she finds out something that makes her change her opinion about Issac. Can't she ever find love?

Review by Daria, aged 13

NEWS: Chicklish break

Chicklish is having a little break now for the next few weeks. There are some timed posts on their way, with huge thanks to the reviewers who made this possible! On the whole, though, it's going to be very quiet around here. (And sorry I won't be commenting on other book blogs for ages either, but I'll be thinking of you all!)

Please stop by again soon for our timed posts. Normal service should resume in September, I hope!

Meanwhile here are a few highly recommended books for Summer reading...

- Lifted by Hilary Freeman (out now) - the story of a girl who does the modern-day consumer equivalent of stealing from the rich to give to the poor... and blogs about it. Fascinating characters and a truly compelling storyline. I loved it!

- My Rocky Romance Diary by Liz Rettig (out 8th August) - the latest fantastic instalment of Kelly Ann's hilarious life and loves. I'm in the middle of reading this right now and I'm really enjoying reading about a slightly older Kelly Ann. This is a must-read for fans of the series, but I also think it stands alone perfectly. Very funny and highly recommended!

- A Most Improper Magick (out 1st August) - I was lucky enough to get hold of this amazing fantasy adventure story a few weeks ago and I can't recommend it highly enough for its lifelike characters, magical happenings and family mystery.

- City of Thieves by Ellen Renner (out 5th August) - if it hadn't been for the brilliant Castle of Shadows, Ellen Renner's first book, I probably wouldn't have read A Most Improper Magick, so I have Ellen to thank for opening up a whole new genre of wonderful books to me! City of Thieves is the much-awaited sequel to the fabulous Castle of Shadows, reviewed here. I haven't read it yet but I can't wait and I just know it's going to be amazing!

by Luisa

REVIEW: Tall Story by Candy Gourlay

Review by Mel.

Be careful what you wish for... Andi is short. And she has lots of wishes. She wishes she could play on the school basketball team, she wishes for her own bedroom, but most of all she wishes that her long lost half brother, Bernardo, could come and live in London, where he belongs. Then Andi's biggest wish comes true and she's minutes away from becoming someone's little sister. As she waits anxiously for Bernardo to arrive from the Philippines, she hopes he'll turn out to be tall and just as mad as she is about basketball. When he finally arrives, he's tall all right. But he's not just tall... he's a GIANT.

I didn't really know what to expect from Tall Story. Reading the blurb, I couldn't be sure whether it was a contemporary novel, an urban fantasy or something entirely different. What I do know now is that it's all of these things and more.  I loved it!

It's written from the alternating perspectives of sister and brother, Bernardo and Andi, as their lives join after years of living on separate continents.  Both have their own histories, personalities and passions, but despite these differences, they learn to forge a warm relationship over the course of the story. Their journey is complicated - often hilarious and at times, incredibly moving. Alongside the family theme, there are also other plot strands involving witchcraft, legend, wish fulfilment, gigantism and gender inequality to list but a few. This book is tardis-like - small on the outside, but massive once you're inside. It's hard to describe the full scope here, but it's definitely not just about basketball!

So hats off to Candy Gourlay. Tall Story is a cracking debut, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys multi-layered, heartwarming stories with a touch of magic. A potential classic.

Review by Mel

REVIEW: Forest Born by Shannon Hale

Review by Georgia K.

“That girl sees the bones inside birds,” her Ma would say. ‘That girl can see your soul.”

Rin is a forest-girl, used to spending her days running through the trees with the Agget-kin, and her nights soothed by the closeness of her Ma and brothers. The trees of her beloved forest are her friends and allies, and she only has to lean her head against the bark to feel calm and strong.

But one day, the forest changes towards her, and Rin knows that something is wrong. Lost and confused, she flees to the city, where she is engulfed in the dangerous magical business of the ‘fire sisters’. Now, she must have the courage to face the mysterious happenings in the kingdom of Kel, the treacherous ‘fire-speakers’, and, hardest of all, she must find and face what lies within herself.

 
I absolutely adored this book, and really enjoyed the descriptive, imaginative style of writing. The characters were genuinely lovable, and Hale creates beautiful, believable friendships between them which were a joy to read about. I felt completely immersed in the gripping storyline, and would definitely recommend this book to a friend. The only downside was that a few of the plot twists were fairly easy to work out before they had happened, but the story was excellent, and there were many shocking events which made up for the slightly predictable ones.
 
I would recommend this book to any teen readers who enjoy fantasy novels, and would love to try the rest of the ‘Books of Bayern’; The Goose Girl, Enna Burning and River Secrets.
 
A book I really enjoyed all the way through.
 
Georgia K

REVIEW: The Glass Demon by Helen Grant

Review by Kati.

“That’s Bonschariant Lin; they call him the Glass Demon”

A spine-tingling novel from an author fast making waves on the literary circuit. Lin Fox, a scientific rationalist, is forced to move to rural Germany due to her Father’s thirst for historical knowledge regarding the mysterious Ellgerheinen Glass. However, the sleepy area Lin and her family are to call home for the next year houses some dangerous and deadly secrets with death and shattered glass seeming to follow Lin wherever she goes. As the coincidences mount Lin is forced to confront new and frightening ideas which will make you look over your shoulder and a shiver run down your spine... Do demons really walk among us?

I personally immensely enjoyed the book as it struck the perfect chord with something for every reader: horror, suspense, romance and mystery. With all these genres together you would think the book would be all too much to take in but I couldn’t put it down and found myself liking and engaging with the central characters. With the novel all written from Lin’s viewpoint we see her battle her rational and scientific instincts as the evidence around her mounts in favour of the supernatural. The novel is clever and enjoyable with flying plot twists and I can only advise you to expect the unexpected!

I have already lent this book to a friend and would recommend it to anyone aged 14 or over, due to the adult concepts and the raw suspense of the novel itself. The story is well paced and exciting making it a real page-turner and the perfect read for those who enjoy suspense and mystery. Clever and dynamic - the perfect combination for me as a reader.

Review by Kati

REVIEW: Dead Boy Talking by Linda Strachan

Review by Kate.

“Josh has 25 minutes left to live. Lying alone in a pool of blood, Josh has not much time to think. Yesterday he stabbed his best mate, and now it has happened to him. But there are questions he cannot get out of his head. Like, how did he get into this mess? Will anyone find him in time? Will his girlfriend forgive him, and what really happened to his older brother? As his life slips away, the events of the last 24 hours start to look very different.”

“Dead Boy Talking” is a story told mainly from two perspectives. In the minutes after he’s been stabbed, Josh looks back on events in his life with a new outlook. There’s also a third-person perspective of the day before, when Josh stabbed his best friend. These two perspectives intertwine, meaning that the reader never truly knows what happened until the end of the story.

The length of the book reflects well the little time that Josh has left to survive. At less than 200 pages, it strikes a nice balance between telling the reader everything they need to know and making them understand that time is running out.

I think this story would do well as an educational resource. It’s a short but engaging read that highlights the issues of knife crime and gang culture without seeming like a lecture. The one thing I picked up on that made me think the book was amazing was the fact that Strachan never tells the reader what the gang name YHT stands for. That said to me that gangs ultimately stand for nothing and that there’s no point in the tension they cause. Whether the author meant to make this point or not, I can only speculate.

It wasn’t just a book about knife crime though. Occasionally one of the supporting characters got to step into the spotlight with a story about their home life. While it wasn’t strictly necessary to have these chapters, it gave a great insight into why the characters acted the way they did, making them seem more human.

This story made me appreciate the life I lead and I felt thankful that people in my area don’t feel the need to join gangs or carry weapons. I’d recommend this to any teenager looking for a short, serious read that they can be drawn into.

Review by Kate

NEWS: Mister Toffee's "The Twilight Boys" Competition

Just in case you entered our recent "Twilight Boys" competition and didn't win, you can head over to Mister Toffee's blog at Piccadilly Press for another chance!

Enter the Twilight Boys Competition here.

REVIEW: Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey

Review by Daria.

The action and romance continue as the Drakes face a new vampire with a 200-year-old grudge. It’s been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix barely survived the French Revolution. Now she’s made her way back to the living and she must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who left her for dead the day she turned into a vampire. That’s if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks.

The clans are gathering for Helena’s royal coronation as the next vampire queen, and new alliances are beginning to form now that the old rifts of Lady Natasha’s reign have started to heal. But with a new common enemy, Leander Montmarte—a vicious leader who hopes to force Solange to marry him and usurp the power of the throne for himself—the clans must stand together to preserve the peace he threatens to destroy.

At first glance this book seems to be about love. Well, now I know you should definitely not judge a book by its cover because this book is a lot more than that. This book is a very original version of a vampire novel because it's not filled with just romance, there's a a lot of action too. I liked the fact that Isabeau spoke some French in the book, not a huge amount, but enough to really make me feel that she is in fact French not English even though she speaks fluent English.

To me Isabeau seems very strong, but if you know how then you can see the soft and hard side of her (only Logan Drake ever sees that side). I felt pity for Isebeau because she was stuck in a coffin for 200 years; luckily for her she was a vampire so she survived, but it must have still been terribly hard for her.

Review by Daria, aged 13

There's a Facebook fan page for all the latest Drake Chronicles news

REVIEW: Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper

Review by Summer.

Two sisters, a dead baby and a story of great poverty set in the cruel times of the Victorians... Life for Grace Parkes has by no means been easy, looking after an older sister, Lily, who is incapable of looking after herself, struggling for food and a means to live and now things have gotten worse... Grace has just given birth to an illegitimate child, who tragically dies upon birth; Grace is forced to go through the ordeal of burying her baby, her precious child, so she sets of to the infamous Brookwood Cemetery and upon reaching there she slips her child into the grave of a rich woman to save her child being buried in a pauper's grave. By doing this Grace sets in motion a chain of events which will intertwine her life with a curious plot to defraud two young heiress of their fortune, a lawyer whose sister was recently buried and a truth that may shatter her whole life.

Fallen Grace is a fantastic novel; a great historic story brimmed to breaking point with so many twists and turns. The character of Grace is a tragic one, someone we immediately sympathise with, but yet admire for her strength to get up each morning and carry on looking after herself and her sister despite the odds stacking up against her. Hooper has crafted a novel of greatness, a story that thanks to great description I really felt I could see playing out in my head, with characters who are awe-inspiring, a few who we are infuriated by and some we wish we could meet ourselves to have a few words with. Hooper has masterfully created characters that put us through a mixture of feelings and as such help us to further connect with the novel and the amazing story told. I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to anyone. This is a story which should be read and savoured, for it is a brilliant one, and one of utter genius.

Review by Summer

Watch a trailer for this book here.

Read an extract here.

REVIEW: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Review by Kate.

“She is pretty and talented – sweet sixteen and never been kissed. He is seventeen, gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future. And now they have fallen in love. But…they are brother and sister.”

When I first read the synopsis of this book, I knew I wanted to read the rest. The subject is quite controversial and the plot may disgust some but I wanted to look past that and think about the subject more intelligently. Why is it considered so wrong to fall in love with a family member? Will society be looking at this issue in the same way in 50 years time? Obviously this book couldn’t answer those questions but it did provide a nice insight into how people in similar situations might view their relationship and the way people to react to it.

The narrative is written very intelligently from the perspective of Maya and Lochan, the siblings that the story centres around. It would’ve been nice to see a difference in writing style between characters as a way to identify who was telling the story but other than that minor criticism, I thought the writing and imagery was very strong.

Suzuma does well to ensure that the story isn’t just about Maya and Lochan falling in love. There were other great subplots, such a Lochan’s struggle with confidence, a power struggle with their single mum who doesn’t want to look after her kids and the constant fear that social services will take their brothers and sister away. Despite the synopsis, this book is about a lot more than incest.

This story reminds me of the tale of Romeo and Juliet, showing that our world isn’t that different from Shakespeare’s day regarding social attitudes. “Forbidden” has to be read with an open mind for it to be enjoyed.  A great read but quite mature, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone under the age of 15. If you enjoyed “Noughts and Crosses” by Malorie Blackman and are open to new ideas, I think you’ll find this an unforgettable read.

5/5

Review by Kate.