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Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Romance, Contemporary, GrumpyxSunshine  Thoughts: This book is soo cute. The setting of Violet’s manor in Falling Stars is so mesmerising with a sprawling grounds that could be creepy in a different story but instead gives us the romantic feeling of nobody in the world but you. I think it’s almost as magical as ‘Maybell Coffee Shop AU’ which adds an interesting layer with Maybell being able to wander off into her own world when it all gets too much. Maybell herself has such a beautiful heart and is definitely a ray of sunshine throughout, even when trying to bicker or dig at Wesley. It also instantly made me hate Gemma and think she is a POS, as who would do something like that to another human and no wonder Maybell is ‘Twice Shy’ after being (once) bitten like that. Her trying to take some form of credit like she did a good thing later showed a huge lack of growth in her character but then again some people never change their ways. Wesley is a complex chara...
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The Emergency Poet by Deborah Alma

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Poetry  Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I just had to request this book as I read quite a bit of poetry and the concept of poetry as a prescription intrigued me. There seems to be something for everyone in most times of need. For the most part they are well curated but I did notice that there was a Christian bias with quite a few sections from the Bible in as well as many poems referring to God. The list of further poems at the end was interesting as it let the book stay fairly short but doesn’t miss others that Alma ‘prescribes’ frequently.  Favourite Quote: “I know that  hope is the hardest  love we carry.”
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Infantoms by Jim Bishop

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Graphic Novel Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. At first when I was reading this I thought it was really quite strange while it looked at the outsiders with poor grades but the counsellor and parents were soo weird. But the more I read the more it made sense, the pressures from parents and teachers can break a students spirit which is shown quite literally. The ghosts/spirits were such cute depictions though the detective was a little different from the others shown. The end of the story showing hope was unexpectedly deep and intense. The artwork throughout was good, especially in the creeper moments.  Favourite Quote: “It’s the educational system that doesn’t care about us! You’re crushing us with homework and your grading curves. Instead of encouraging personal development, you encourage competition between students so that you have good little modern slaves.”
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The Believers: Stories by A. K. Herman

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Fiction, Short Stories, Africa Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This book is made up of 7 short stories based on Caribbean experiences from different walks of life. Many of them were raw and enlightening, especially the first one and those around pregnancy. The first story with the books title is especially emotive, showing how the wrong church can prey on the more vulnerable and how they exert their grip over them for years to come. Exile also stuck with me and I really felt for Paula being so out of control due to her age despite the fact that all the decisions being made were about her. Her strength and determination of character developed through her story in a way that left me proud of her by the end. Favourite Quote: “Columbus like them gangstas, dangerous men from Trinidad East-West Corridor, who could get people to do things they don't want to do. 'Cause Columbus understand that if yu...
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Hunger Pains by Derek Owusu

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Quick Reads, Mental Health, Psychological Fiction, Eating Disorders Thoughts: This was a really difficult but poignant read. Watching Ray’s descent felt both slow and painful and too fast like watching a crash you can’t stop. I could feel quite early how bad his behaviours were going to get and seeing how long it took any friends to notice felt bad, especially those who are also into the gym and food. It was an interesting take to mark the chapters in part two by Rays weight rather than the dates we’re used to seeing in books, it also made his decline so much sharper. It also felt soo real despite being fiction and at points my eyes were watering and I pretty much never cry at books.  Favourite Quote:  “Obviously I didn't wanna die. That's the whole reason I stopped eating ultra-processed food. This was just supposed to be about self-control. Reaching a goal. Being pure muscle, no soft bits, no fat. But the fear was a next ting.”
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The Morning They Came For Us: Dispatches from Syria by Janine Di Giovanni

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, History, Syris, SWANA Thoughts:  This book started off really strong with Di Giovanni addressing the descent into the Syrian civil war through the eyes of different people living there. Her sections on torture and the sexual torture of the women who had been detained were impactful and the fact she was in danger at points investigating it shows how difficult it is to obtain that information. I didn’t mind the comparisons to other wars in which Di Giovanni has been a journalist for as it is done often in reports anyway and it can help to get across the full extent of an ongoing atrocity with the comparison to one we already know well. However, towards the end the book became more about Di Giovanni’s own experiences and fears rather than focusing on the reality for Syrians like the blurb indicates the book will do. Favourite Quote:  “War means endless waiting, endless boredom. There is no electricity, so no television. You can't read. You can...
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Our Jacko by Michael Morpurgo

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Children's, Historical Fiction Thoughts:  This book is a cute but significant book. Otto and Michael are very different kids with different views to violence, with us spending most of our time with Otto who dislikes violence and wars so much he doesn’t want to take part in the class trip and project. This in itself was quite interesting, seeing a child’s mature viewpoint against war when we’re so used to being shown kids like Otto dressing up and playing soldiers for fun. The boys finding out about a relative who had fought in the war through a random comment and mad dash not to throw out an old suitcase may be replicated through many homes as the generations grow. I liked seeing the development of Michael and his views and the ending was quite cute too. Favourite Quote:  “Surely, if you want what you say you want a world at peace you have to understand the consequences of a world at war. Plenty of consequences buried out there in the battlefields of th...
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