Heather James's Blog, page 10

Cinderella is Dead

This novel is amazing! Cinderella is Dead is one of the best YA novels I've read this year. I spent a few days walking around glued to my Kindle while reading it. Cinderella is Dead will be adored by teen readers who love political fantasies and dystopian novels about rebellion. 
I love fairytale retellings and this one was completely unique. Sophia's world is a fairytale morphed into a nightmare, bringing a new twist to the saying that history is written by the victor. 
Bayron's characters are superb. Sophia is strong, kind and determined not to follow the path set out for her by Lille's cruel king. In Cinderella is Dead, heroines don't need a handsome prince to save them from dark fates - they rescue themselves and tear unjust, patriarchal systems to the ground in the process. 
The novel has strong feminist themes, exploring the way society treats women, and the lives we should demand for ourselves. If you like the sound of a queer, fantasy version of Only Ever Yours (with a greater sense of hope) you'll love Cinderella is Dead.
Cinderella is Dead contains plenty of magic and twists that were difficult to anticipate. At its heart, however, is a beautiful romance, and Sophia and Constance's relationship is definitely one of this novel's main strengths. 
I know you should never trust a book by its cover, but this is one of the prettiest I've seen for ages. It will be seized eagerly off of bookshop and school library shelves, and I love how striking the title is too. There are definite hints in this story about other fairytales which might have been mis-told, and I would love to see this concept return in future books. 

Picture This: The Incredible Hotel

Stefan is a kitchen porter who dreams of being a chef. He starts every day at five am, making coffee to wake up the chef, and finishes at eleven pm, washing dishes and wishing his life contained more pastries than dirty plates.  When Stefan's leaves the hotel the night before an important guest is due to arrive, the Incredible Hotel discovers it may not be able to run without him, giving Stefan an opportunity to save the hotel and amaze his coworkers.
Isabelle Follath's artwork is very special. There's so much detail on every page, especially in the kitchen scenes, and I loved all the little touches Follath gives the hotel. However, the book's show stopper is Stefan's delicious profiterole tower, which my children could have admired for ages! 
The Incredible Hotel is a sweet story which shows that even the smallest of roles can be vitally important, and also encourages readers never to give up on their dreams. 

Every Little Piece of My Heart

I love Non Pratt's stories so I was really excited to start this one. It's another brilliant contemporary YA told from the perspective of four very different but equally engaging characters. 
Non captures teenage life in a way that will resonate with teen readers without feeling patronising. Sophie's refusal to think about her exams, the whole-life encompassing impact of friendships, family fallings out are just a few of the ways she creates authentic teenage characters. 
It was interesting to read about a teenage character with a chronic illness and Non's author note at the end is really informative. It's clear that Non really did her research before writing Every Little Piece of My Heart, and I've finished it feeling more empathetic, and also having learnt a lot about Lupus. But Sophie is far more than just her illness, and it doesn't define her character. She is loyal and funny and in desperate need of a friend. 
Every POV character was fun to read, and I was never disappointed when they switched. Win was strong and stable and she kept the peace. Her story will resonate with lots of readers. Lucas's toxic friendship with Kellan is something many teenagers will relate to as well - the conflict between knowing someone isn't a good friend for you, but wanting to keep them in your life because you're afraid of letting go. Ryan was different again, believing himself to be unloveable and pushing everyone away. 
Although the shining star of Every Little Piece of My Heart wasn't a POV character at all, but Sunny. She was an absolute delight and impossible not to love. I also found it fascinating how much Freya dominated the narrative, despite her absence. 
I loved the way the timeline flipped back and forth, so the story slowly fell into place. There's a great mystery element to the plot which will keep readers going late into the night.
This is a wonderful story of friendship, growing up, and being yourself. Every Little Piece of My Heart is a must-buy for school libraries this September. 

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It, is a sweet, funny romance with plenty of laugh out loud moments! I struggled to put this story down, which meant lots of walking around the house glued to my kindle.
I loved Ros's friendship with Sumi, Lucy and Adrian. They were a special group and their bond was so supportive and joyful. They were all different, but blended together perfectly because of their great mix of personalities. Their's is a gang I would love to be part of. 
The novel has a slow-burn, satisfying romance. There is brilliant early tension between Ros and John., and they also have what is possibly the funniest meet cute ever. Their story has an inevitability to it which compels you to read on so you can reach its conclusion.
Through Ros, Kelk also explores lots of common insecurities. Nostalgia for the past prevents Ros from moving forward and Kelk perfectly captures the unease that life is moving too fast, and everyone else is taking steps forward that you're not ready for. 
In Case You Missed It is the first story I've read by Lindsey Kelk and I'm looking forward to reading all of her previous work off the strength of this. 

Picture This: Ninja

A Ninja must sneak, hide and scale walls, mastering the element of surprise and capturing cookies and milk in enemy territory. But a ninja also needs to look after his younger sister...
The perfect story for little Ninjas everywhere! This fun picture book has a bright, comic-book style young children will love, and short impactful text that is fun to read aloud. We particularly liked the fiery dragon backgrounds on many of the panels and every illustration is full of movement and action.
Everyday items can transform children into stealthy ninjas - something which has proved very popular in my Ninjago obsessed household! This story is certain to inspire imaginative play and plenty of fun. 
There are two more Ninja stories to enjoy (one of which is a Christmas story called Ninja Claus!) which I hope will be brought back out in paperback soon, as my children would love to read more ninja-filled adventures. It looks like Mixed is sold out from most online retailers, but I'm looking forward to ordering it once it's back in stock.

Thank you so much MacMillan Children's for sending me a copy to review
Ninja is written and illustrated by Arree Chung

The Unadoptables

When a sinister merchant tries to purchase them to work on his ship, five unadoptable orphans in Amsterdam set out in search of freedom and family. With superb villains, plenty of mystery and a lot of heart, The Unadoptables is a story everyone will love. Here are three reasons I adored it:
1. The stakes in this story kept getting higher and higher. Every time the orphans looked like they were safe, something else would happen to threaten their happiness. This story kept me up - I couldn't go to sleep until I reached the end. 
2. The mystery element kept me on the edge of my seat. When I wasn't reading The Unadoptables, I was thinking about it and trying to work out what the orphans would do next. I came up with so many theories about Milou's family that I could have started by own Book of Theories! The mystery surrounding Milou added to the dark, uneasy atmosphere in The Unadoptables, giving it a brilliant Gothic flare.  
3. Milou, Sem, Lotta, Egg and Fenna were so special. They were all well developed and had their own unique stories and personalities.  I cared about all of them and desperately wanted them to be happy. Each had their own dreams which wove into the central plot and all five grew over the course of the story. 
This creepy MG has a little bit of everything; from found-families, to puppets shows and fortune tellers. It's one of the best books I have read this year. 

Picture This: Goodnight World

Goodnight World is a lovely picture book which celebrates languages from across the world. 
We may all live in different places, but we all go to bed at night, and wish those we love a "Good night" "Bonne nuit" or "Usiku mwema". 
This story is a great opportunity to explore languages. The pronunciation guides are really helpful, and I found my three-year-old mimicking me and trying the phrases out for himself while we were reading. Picture books are a great way to introduce children to different languages, as the illustrations ensure the meaning is clear. We have a small collection of foreign language picture books (all European at the moment, unfortunately), but I think this is the first book we have with a range of languages inside. 
Hannah Tolson's illustrations bring the world to life in a soft, sleepy colour scheme which fits Goodnight World's theme perfectly. Her cast of characters are diverse, with brilliant representation throughout. 

Thank you Little Tiger for sending me a copy to review. 
Goodnight World is written by Nicola Edwards and illustrated by Hannah Tolson

A Thousand Ships

A thousand ships set sail for Troy to return one woman. Haynes's masterpiece is the story of the woman affected by the ensuing war. From Hecuba in ruined Troy, Penelope waiting for her husband in Ithaca, and the goddesses on Olympus, squabbling for dominance, A Thousand Ship explores the lives and tragedies of every woman except the one those ships were launched for. 
Their narratives are woven together with expert care and knowledge, with every new voice bringing a unique and fresh viewpoint. Haynes's masterpiece unravels in all directions, flitting between past and present in the manner of one of Cassandra's prophecies (and it's always nice to see my favourite classical figure getting such sensitive treatment in a story). Of all the viewpoints, Penelope was my favourite. Her letters to Odysseus were full of snark and wit, perfectly pinpointing the flaws of the Odyssey's hero. 
A Thousand Ships is beautifully written and full of emotion. It contains brilliant explorations of war, grief, and life after the death of a loved one. The final chapters brought me to tears, others made for uncomfortable reading, but all subjects were sensitively handled. This novel drew me back into narratives I love, providing depth and voice to figures often overlooked. It's been a while since I've read the myths and narratives this story is inspired by. A Thousand Ships felt like returning to a much loved world, with the focus shifted to the characters I'm most interested in hearing about. It is accessible to readers who don't have any prior knowledge of these stories, but equally enjoyable for those who do. 
A Thousand Ships is a view of war beyond the battlefield. Sometimes, being a hero is about more than swords and arrows, it is picking up the pieces of a ruined life and moving forwards, it's having the strength to keep going when everything feels lost, or remaining strong and composed in the face of anguish. There is no 'right' way to be a hero, just as there is no 'right' way to retell Classical literature. 
Writers like Natalie Haynes and Madeline Miller are rewriting classics with women in the foreground, and I love it. They are inspiring a new generation of women to enjoy classical literature, and I can't wait to see what they write next - and the new writers their stories inspire. 

10 Things I Hate About Pinky

Another feel-good romance from the master of swoon-worthy YA. Menon is one of the authors at the top of my auto-buy list as I know her stories will give me brilliant characters and lots of reasons to smile.
Pinky was a great protagonist. She's so passionate and determined and unwilling to let anything stand in her way. But she's also insecure and sensitive and Menon gives a brilliant insight into her thoughts throughout. I think teenage readers will really warm to her, thanks to her desire to change the world and never let her age hold her back from challenging social injustice. I also loved her complicated relationship with her mum and her strong bond with her step-dad. 
Samir was another brilliant character. I loved how kind and caring he was. He spends most of the novel making plans and preparations to help him feel in control (which I completely identified with as I'm definitely more of a Samir than a Pinky). But he also had moments of startling confidence and wasn't afraid to push himself out of his comfort zone to do what's right.
Their romance had all the trademark strength of a Menon story. She describes emotion so well and captures the excitement and insecurities of new love perfectly. While Pinky and Samir have their differences and argue plenty, their relationship is based firmly on mutual respect and trust. 
The setting, in hot, summertime Ellingsworth with its secluded lake and butterfly habitat was another huge draw. 
I hope a Dolly novel is coming next - she could definitely carry her own stand-alone story and I would love to see her having more luck in love than she does in this story. 

The Ghost Garden

A strange series of coincidences lead Fran and Leo to search for an Anglo Saxon burial ground. With the threat of war looming, this is a story of those who will be left behind.
This spooky story is brilliantly tense throughout. Rich in history and filled with ghosts, family dynamics and friendship, there is something for everyone to enjoy. 
Fran and Leo's friendship is one of this story's strengths. I loved their curiosity, and desire to track down the burial ground, and also the way they reassure each other. Together, they learn that hardship and fear are easier to live with when you don't have to face them alone.
The impending war threatens to alter all of the character's lives, and it is this change and uncertainty which causes frictions in the narrative. The threat posed by the future is something a lot of readers will find familiar even now, and Carroll's exploration of it will prove comforting - we may not be able to avoid the huge global challenges we face, but we can find strength in our connection to others.
Barrington Stoke's trademark font and style make this clear and easy to read. The story is complex and engaging, but the writing is simple enough for unconfident readers to follow. This story will be popular in school libraries, with children who want a spooky, more grown up story that isn't too complex to read. 
Thank you so much Barrington Stoke for sending me a copy for review.