KJK Reads

Rating: 5 Stars Themes: Historical Fiction, World War 2, Middle Grade Thoughts: This book is split up into three parts, in the first part we are in Lancashire, England and with the way in which Da behaved towards Stanley I was starting to think it was a bit too down for me atm but it is actually important to the rest of the story. Stanley’s love for animals, especially Soldier, is soo sweet and the way in which he describes them makes such a clear picture in our minds. I was torn between thinking Stanley running away to war felt like a severe overreaction and underestimation of what he was signing up for and being glad the situation with Da would be ending. It was interesting to see the way that many different soldiers reacted to Stanley since we knew he was only 14 and records suggest that as many as 250,000 boys under 18 actually served in WW1. I liked the way in which many of the older soldiers as senior officers did what they could to keep Stanley away from the horrors of the front...

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Fantasy, Romance, Retelling, Dual POV Thoughts: I’m still quite new to fantasy stories but I absolutely loved this one. Since it’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling I knew they would get together in the end but it’s definitely a slow burn when halfway through the book they could still barely talk to each other. I enjoyed seeing the way in which they started to care for each other through trying to protect the people of Emberfall and also how those people took to the complete stranger of Harper and their new roles. I loved how Harper’s Cerebral Palsy is portrayed. As someone else with a disability it was refreshing to see her condition took in the stride of Rhen and Grey but she also admits when she’s struggling to slow down the horses or take a hot bath so it isn’t just treated like we should push through everything regardless of what it does to us. It also led to the ‘baddies’ being shown as insulting her through her illness, constantly calling her broken, but I...

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...

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.”

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.”

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...