Tadpole Summer - Catherine Bruton

 

Summer is on the way and Frog (whose real name is Frances) is looking forward to spending it with her younger brother, Tad, collecting tadpoles and watching them grow into frogs as they have done for the past few years; however, Frog quickly discovers that things are going to be very different this year.  She has always known that Tad is unwell but when he becomes sick and is taken to hospital, it becomes apparent that things are far more serious than she thought.  Feeling helpless and unwilling to sleep in the bedroom they share whilst he's away, Frog decides to camp in the garden until Tad returns.  But once he's home, things aren't what she expected and she may need to accept that she can't fix everything.

Catherine always writes poignant books (No Ballet Shoes In Syria; Following Frankenstein; Bird Boy) and a quick read of the blurb for Tadpole Summer told me that this was going to be an emotional read and I was right (I really like the warning at the bottom of the back cover), but even thought I knew what would be coming at the end, nothing prepared me for how I felt for Frog and her family.

Frog  is looking forward to the summer with her brother.  Although she's always known that he is sick, it's not something she has really thought about until now.  Emotions and thoughts swirl around inside her but she feels she has to be strong for everyone else.  I loved that we heard all of the thoughts she had, including the difficult negative ones.  Being the sibling of someone with a chronic or terminal illness (SMA-PME in this case) is difficult and Catherine shines a light on this well; from drifting through lessons to trying to find ways to make things better, readers will begin to understand some of what many children actually go through. I'm so pleased that Frog had her Grandad whose calm and reassuring manner felt like a hug.  With her parents concentrating their efforts on Tad, she feels left out and lonely so her grandad's presence is an important one for her.  

Tadpole Summer is a poignant book full of love, the joy of nature and the power of family.  It will absolutely stay with you long after you have finished reading it and I can highly recommend having tissues handy (I cried several times whilst reading it).

We Wait For The Stars - Bridget Hamilton

When Celest's Dad dies suddenly, she feels like everything in her life is falling apart.  With her friends not sure how to behave around her, the distance between them widens and Celeste feels increasingly alone and isolated.  But can new friends help to heal her heart or will those emotions that are being bottled up find a way to come out?  

Celeste is understandably lost following the sudden death of her father who was the heart of the family; her siblings and mum are navigating their way through their own grief and Celeste feels she has no-one to turn to, so when Katie comes along their friendship blossoms as she feels Katie gets her.  They seem to share a love of the beach and she can talk to Katie easily.  Then she meets Reuben at school who shares her love of photography, but she begins to realise that her feelings are growing for Reuben but doesn't know if he feels the same way about her. 

The book feels very honest in its portrayal of Celest's emotions and her day to day feelings; she's a very relatable character which will be important for teenagers who find themselves in the same or a similar situation.  Not only is she trying to navigate her own grief and how that grief is changing the other members of her family, she is also finding her way through her final years at school, the dilemma of what to do at university - she has a lot to cope with and feels very alone at times. 

The book is set in the north-east, in a small village on the coast where Celeste and her family have spent many happy times at the beach, and it's the beach that provides comfort to Celeste throughout the book.  Being a north-east girly myself, I loved that the book is set up here and particularly liked mention of Bamburgh and trips to see Santa in Fenwick's (that really brought back childhood memories!).  The coast is very much part of life in the north-east and I love that it plays a pivotal role of the book. 

Out now, We Wait For The Stars is a beautifully written YA in verse; poignant and touching, it is a story of grief and learning to live and love after the death of a parent.  It's a book that will reach out and grip your heart, and will stay with you long after you have finished reading. 

Goodnight Silver - Abi Elphinstone

Emmy and her family have only just arrived in Mongolia when Emmy heads to collect wood for the fire but ignores her parents' warnings to stay close and quickly becomes lost in a blizzard. In her attempt to avoid a snow storm, she shelters in a cave where she meets the rarest of creatures, a snow leopard. This one is a cub who has lost their mum. Together the lost pair head out to find their way when they come across Tuli, a boy who is desperate to help.  Before long, the pair find themselves on the adventure of a lifetime, trying to avoid hunters, find Silver's mum and find their way home. 

I have a real soft spot for Abi's books and I adore the way she writes. There is something quite magical about it and that rings completely true with Goodnight Silver.  From the start, I need to say that this is a book to be savoured. It's beautifully written and transports readers to a simply magical place.

Emmy is a pessimist by her own admission and is listing everything that could go wrong in the trip before it's even begun.  It is clear that there is something awful that has happened before they came away, something that is weighing on Emmy. She is lost and is looking for answers. Quite by accident, she ends up lost in Mongolia and has no choice but to find answers. She needs to find an inner strength and positivity that she didn't know she had.  In contrast, Tuli is very much an optimist who loves poetry and finds the joy in almost everything.  These two opposites stumble across each other and become a wonderful balance. 

I remember Abi talking when she visited school about writing stories based on maps and creating stories that follow the map. Goodnight Silver demonstrates how well Abi does this, and the map of 'somewhere in Mongolia's Mountains' is beautifully illustrated at the beginning of the book (shout out to Olivia Lomenech Gill for the illustrations) meaning that readers can track Emmy and Silver's journey. And what a journey it is!  Adventure, danger and just the right amount of suspense weave seamlessly in this perfectly crafted tale of hope, finding yourself and learning to let go. 

This is a book full of magic, wonder and utter joy; it's a book to savour (although the temptation to gobble it in one sitting will be real), and it's a book you will want to hug once you have finished reading it (yes, I shed a tear!). Goodnight Silver cements Abi's place as a master of storytelling (as if we didn't already know that).

Get ready to lose your heart to Silver and Emmy when Goodnight Silver publishes on the 27th October. 

Behind The Sky - Megan Angharad Hunter

 

16 year old Deian and seventeen year old Anest meet at a psychiatric facility.  They attend the same school but their friendship doesn't evolve until they attend a birthday party.  From then, they support each other through everything but can they also find a way to free themselves from their own burdens?

Deian and Anest are two very different teenagers: he is quiet and very unsure of himself, all he want to be is 'normal'; Anest, however, is loud and talkative but hides her emotions because she doesn't want to trouble anybody.  The one thing they have in common is that they are both struggling with their mental health.  As their friendship grows, they find it easier to support each other, without being able to always help themselves.  The friendship and support that builds between the pair is lovely to see and really showcases the fact that people struggle differently with mental health issues.

Told in dual narrative, Megan cleverly distinguishes between the two main characters in the way she writes their voices, particularly Anest's.  This is a powerful book that tackles some very tricky issues (suicide, self-harm, panic attacks) and comes with a warning at the front of the book and a list of ways people can reach out if they need help (this is definitely a book for older YA readers).  Things get very dark for both characters at times, particularly Deian, and readers need to be aware of that; however, Megan does this sensitively and in a believable way.

Publishing on the 1st October, Behind The Sky is a heart-felt, powerful YA novel that will stay with readers long after they have finished reading it.

Yearning Difficulites - Elle McNicoll

Zella loves her job on the school's student radio, the only problem is her co-host is her ex, Dave, who happens to be a complete chauvinist.  Killian, however, is entirely different and seems happy to help Zella get into the writing programme at school that his mum runs.  But to do that effectively, they need to pretend they are dating; Killian has secretly been in love with Zella for quite some time so is happy to play along, but the longer they are 'together' the more it appears they enjoy each other's company, so when it comes time for them to split up, will they realise what everybody else can already see?

Heading back to Lake Pristine is like being wrapped in a favourite blanket: it fills you with warmth and familiarity and makes you want to sink into it and never leave.  Yearning Difficulties is part of Elle's Lake Pristine series so it is lovely to bump into some familiar characters from the previous books as well as getting to know some new people (it is very easy to read this as a stand alone book but I would highly recommend reading Some Like It Cold and Wish you Were Her first).

So, once again, I find myself struggling to put into words how much I enjoyed this book (it's becoming a habit of mine after reading Elle's books!), so I've reverted back to listing everything I loved about it... 

❤️the unrequited love - oh goodness, it's swoonable!

❤️Killian's way with words; especially when he's righting wrongs with Dave (oh       how I envied his ability there!); I really wish I'd been at school with somebody like him

❤️that Zella's self discovery unfold as the plot does - I could relate to much of   what she said, especially as I was always considered different at school 

❤️the way Elle once again seamlessly weaves neurodiversity into the plot and  allows readers to see themselves represented in books

❤️the fact that the characters feel very real and relatable (ok, so Dave is a snake  but I'm sure many of us have come across a Dave in our time)

❤️the support Zella's parents give her, especially when they are called into school

❤️the crisp autumn vibe - I'm very much a summer girl but the book really made me want to carve a pumpkin

❤️the fact that I read the book in Carcassonne and it made me seriously consider heading to one of their jousting tournaments!

❤️the fact that the hopeless romantic in me was glad I had sunglasses on when I read the book (yes, I shed a tear!)

❤️ the fact that I genuinely got lost in the book in the most delicious way

❤️ Killian's desperate desire to do the right thing whilst trying to hide his true feelings 

❤️I didn't want the book to end and didn't want to leave Lake Pristine behind once I'd finished the last page

I could carry on, but it's safe to say that Yearning Difficulties is a book that YA readers are going to adore when it publishes on the 8th October.  It will make the perfect autumn read whilst the leaves are turning brown, the nights are drawing in and the blankets are calling...

The Shadows of Kensington Gore - Ross Montgomery

I've been anticipating The Shadows Of Kensington Gore since getting an early read of Murder At World's End last summer and, despite having itchy fingers, I waited until I knew I could devote time to it before wading in.  And so it was, that I headed to Kensington last week whilst lying on my sunbed at the same time as my husband was thoroughly engrossed in the first book!

Oh boy, people, are you in for a treat!

Miss Decima and Stephen have replaced the remote stately home with an apartment in Kensington and they are bumbling along together. Unlike the other servants in the building, Stephen has a room in the apartment instead of the basement so he can be at Miss Decima's beck and call.  They are desperate to get their teeth into another juicy case but, so far, have found nothing ... until a policeman is brutally murdered on the steps of their building with Stephen as the only witness.  With three young suffragettes as the main suspects,  Decima and Stephen get to work to discover exactly what happened before time runs out.

Decima hasn't changed one bit thank goodness! She's still the feisty, outspoken, potty mouthed aristocrat I came to know and love in Murder At World's End; she has a no nonsense attitude to everything and doesn't suffer people lightly - she is utterly brilliant!

Stephen is grateful for everything he now has but is feeling a little lonely and a bit left out of their detecting at times: is he her partner in detecting or her servant? He often feels the lines are blurred and I like that he grows a bit more bolshy in this book.  Together, they make the perfect pairing and the combination of his sense of justice and her intelligence is a force to be reckoned with.

The historical links to the suffragette movement add real interest to the mystery, and the plot keeps you guessing and smiling.  Ross' ability to maintain drama whilst making readers chuckle is clever and an absolute joy to read. 

Publishing on the 22nd October, The Shadows of Kensington Gore is a triumph of a sequel and I can't wait to see what the pair get up to next (by the way, Mr W is now trying desperately trying to nab my iPad so he can read this!)

We Are All Made of Molecules - Susin Neilson

Stewart lost his mum to cancer nearly 2 years ago. 

Ashley's parents divorced following her father's announcement that he is gay.

Stewart's dad and Ashley's mum have found love again together and so Stewart and his dad are moving in with Ashley and her mum. 

Stewart and Ashley are very different from one another but they need to find a way to get along for their parents' sake.

This is a wonderful book that looks very much at family relationships and blended families.  Stewart is a geeky, gifted child who has, until now, attended a school to cater for like-minded children but with the move he is now starting at the same school as Ashley.  Ashley and he couldn't be more different: she is driven by looks, fashion and popularity, especially when it comes to getting the attention of Jared, the school hunk.  However, Ashley is still coming to terms with her dad's sexuality so hasn't told a soul, not even her best friends.  I loved both characters for very different reasons: Stewart's quirks and his unique way of looking at things I found really endearing; he is happy in himself and this was lovey to see.  Ashley's mis-quoted phrases kept me chuckling throughout.  Although I found her shallow and unlikeable to begin with, she really grew on me. 

Told in dual narrative, We Are All Made of Molecules is full of warmth and humour and deserves to be celebrated with this 10th anniversary edition.  It's an uplifting, feel-good read that reminds readers to 'always be yourself. Unless you can be a unicorn.  In which case, be a unicorn.'

This is the perfect summer read.