Carry On Book Review

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Carry On, though a sequel to Fangirl, can just be read without you reading Fangirl. Also, if you didn’t like Fangirl for some bizarre reason, that by no way means you will dislike Carry On. If you have read Fangirl, you will remember that Cath enjoys writing fanfiction about Simon and Baz. Her most popular fanfiction, the one that she spends all her time writing, is called Carry On. This book is that fanfiction. Set in the world of mages (magicians), this book is brilliant, and is a must read for everyone, fan of Fangirl or not.

Simon Snow just wants to relax and enjoy his last year at Watford with his friend Penny. But things aren’t going to plan. For a start, his roommate Baz hasn’t come back to school. And Simon can’t even enjoy this break from his longtime nemesis because he can’t stop worrying about where he is. And then there’s the problem with Agatha, Simon’s girlfriend, which all started at the end of last year when Simon caught her and Baz holding hands. And then there’s the Old Families, who want to overthrow the Mage (the leader of magician world and headmaster of Watford). Oh, and you musn’t forget the Humdrum, an evil monster who sucks magic out of areas. It doesn’t help that Simon is the Chosen One, the one prophesied to defeat the Humdrum; Simon is the strongest magician in the world of mages, yet he can’t se his powers. Things aren’t looking good for his chances of enjoying his last year at Watford.

This book is inspired by Harry Potter, and is a must read for all potterheads (and TMI fans) as well as anyone else who enjoys that genre. It is a brilliant romance with comedy, adventure and mystery. The plot twists are incredible, the mystery is amazing, and this book is one of my favourites (I actually got it for free in Waterstones as they had a preview that they didn’t want (thanks Waterstones) and it was one of the best days of my life). When I got it, I instantly had three friends pestering me to lend it to them. Everyone who’s borrowed it (as well as me) has finished it in under two days, because you just cannot put it down. It’s one of the best books ever. I cannot express how amazing this book is, everyone should read it right now.

-M

Playlist For The Dead

Playlist For The Dead by Michelle Falkoff

Sam woke up to find Hayden dead. The only clue left was a playlist and a note. But Sam doesn’t understand why Hayden committed suicide. He had a happy life, there was nothing wrong going on, there was no reason for him to commit suicide…so why did he?

Playlist For The Dead is one of my favourite books. I absolutely loved it. I loved to see how Sam not only uncovers the truth about Hayden, but also discovers more about himself. He finds himself and who he truly is, and if anything, Hayden’s death changed Sam for the good. As Sam tries to piece together why Hayden died, you being to wonder why he died yourself, you begin to piece together clues from what you already know.

Playlist for the Dead would be a mystery/romance. I think it’s a good book for anyone who likes YA books, so read it now!!!

-V

All My Secrets Book Review

All My Secrets by Sophie McKenzie

Evie was just a normal teenager – until a lawyer turned up at her doorstep giving Evie a large sum of money left behind for her in a trust fund. The truth behind the trust fund startled Evie, as she left home in a mess of anger and confusion.

Her parents are worried for her, so they decide to send her off to an institute for troubled teens, in hope that her madness and fury would be cooled down by the strictness there. She makes friends with Kit, Pepper, Josh and Anna. However, they notice some strange paranormal activity going on around the island.

This review was really hard to write without giving away an spoilers – so sorry for the lack of content there… It is just such an amazing book, it begins to ask questions right from the very chapter, which is why I struggled to write it. However, I felt that this book HAD to be shared to you guys to read, which is why I made a review anyways, as obscure as it is.

It’s a mix of genres…I guess you could say it was horror, but it’s really mildly scary – so do read it even if, like me, you aren’t really into ghosts and graveyards. I think it’s more of a mystery because of all the questions in the book, but it doesn’t really matter what genre you’re into, this book is perfect for everyone.

Do read it, you’ll get sucked into it – I finished it in one day because I just couldn’t put it down!

– V

Running Girl – Book Review

Running Girl by Simon Mason
He’s smart. He has the highest IQ at Marsh Academy, in fact. But he wastes it all on drugs and smoking.

Garvie Smith has an extremely high IQ, due to his photographic memory. His exams are coming up, but he’s a slacker. He bunks off school with his friends Smudge and Felix to hang around town smoking, which unfortunately for him, his mum has found out about. He’s bored of life, nothing interesting is happening. That is, until Chloe Dow’s body is pulled out of the lake and classified as murder.

Garvie’s whole life becomes a whirlwind for there on. He needs to find out who killed Chloe. But then again, so does DI Singh, the detective assigned to this case, who wants nothing to do with Garvie. If it were up to Singh, Garvie shouldn’t even know about any of details of Chloe’s death. However, Garvie’s memory and his amazing thought process gets him closer and closer to the murderer, infuriating Singh yet fascinating him.

Running Girl sees no end of plot twists and surprising turns, as this murder mystery novel is the book for fans of YA novels and Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. As suggested by the cover of the book, it really is like a maze. Garvie and Singh come closer and closer to a confirmed suspect and then suddenly it is a dead end. This book keeps you hooked on from the moment you’ve open the cover, and I strongly recommend it.

-V