Review - Vox by Christina Dalcher

Title: Vox

Author: Christina Dalcher

Pages: 384

Publisher: HQ

Release Date: 21st August 2018

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Silence can be deafening. 

Jean McClellan spends her time in almost complete silence, limited to just one hundred words a day. Any more, and a thousand volts of electricity will course through her veins.

Now the new government is in power, everything has changed. But only if you’re a woman.

Almost overnight, bank accounts are frozen, passports are taken away and seventy million women lose their jobs. Even more terrifyingly, young girls are no longer taught to read or write.

For herself, her daughter, and for every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice. This is only the beginning…

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

My Review:

 

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to HQ and NetGalley*

 

Jean McClellan's life changes overnight when females suddenly have no rights. Jean must stay home, cook and clean and look after the children. But most importantly, females can only speak one hundred words a day. If they speak more, they get an electric shock from their counters.

Jean is scared for her young daughter's future. If Sonia is encouraged not to talk will she develop as she should?

What will Jean do when she is given a chance to get her voice back, even if it's just for a few weeks?

Vox was a thought-provoking and scary read.

I liked Jean and I felt sorry for her - it would have been so hard to go from everyday life to being so restricted. I liked that the female characters in Vox were so strong.

The plot was good and held my attention. It went in a different direction to what I was expecting but I found the science interesting.

The concept of Vox was very scary but mainly because I can imagine it happening. Especially with the way things seem to be going nowadays.

The writing style was easy to follow. I'm intrigued to see what else the author writes.

  

Overall this was an enjoyable, thought-provoking read.

 

Review - The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Title: The Wicked Deep

Author: Shea Ernshaw

Pages: 320

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK

Release Date: 8th March 2018

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow… 

Two centuries ago, in the small, isolated town, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town. Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return from the depths, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them down to their watery deaths.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into or the fact that his arrival will change everything...

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself.

 

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

 My Review:

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Simon and Schuster UK Children's and NetGalley*

Two hundred years ago, the three Swan sisters arrived at Sparrow, a small town on the coast. The sisters were tried as witches and drowned in the sea. Every summer since they have returned to Sparrow, each sister taking over the body of a girl to lure boys into the sea as revenge.

Penny Talbot lives on a small island near Sparrow. She has accepted Sparrow's fate and avoids the Swan Season as much as she can.

Then Penny meets Bo, a boy from out of town who has no idea the danger he's in. Penny invites Bo to stay on the island, intending to keep him safe from the Swan sisters.

Can Penny and Bo trust each other when they're both hiding secrets?

Will Bo fall victim to one of the Swan sisters?

The Wicked Deep was an intriguing read that drew me in.

I liked Penny and found her relatable. I would have liked to have seen more of Rose. Bo was quite an interesting character.

The romance wasn't one of my favourites but I didn't dislike it.

The plot held my attention but I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't guessed the twists.

The writing style was easy to follow and I would be interested to read more by the author.

I was slightly disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.

 

 

Review - A Thousand Perfect Notes by C.G. Drews

Title: A Thousand Perfect Notes

Author: C.G. Drews

Pages: 300

Publisher: Orchard Books

Release Date: 7th June 2018

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Beck hates his life. He hates his violent mother. He hates his home. Most of all, he hates the piano that his mother forces him to play hour after hour, day after day. He will never play as she did before illness ended her career and left her bitter and broken. But Beck is too scared to stand up to his mother, and tell her his true passion, which is composing his own music - because the least suggestion of rebellion on his part ends in violence.

When Beck meets August, a girl full of life, energy and laughter, love begins to awaken within him and he glimpses a way to escape his painful existence. But dare he reach for it?

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US









My Review:

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Hachette Children's Group and NetGalley*

Beck has a tough life - his once famous pianist mother forces him to play the piano for hours on end, and if Beck isn't good enough she punishes him by using her fists. Since her stroke, his mother can't play, so she pushes Beck, determined to carry on the Keverich line.

When he's not playing the piano, Beck tries to look after his little sister, Joey, and to hide that he composes his own music.

Then a girl called August enters Beck's life, bringing light and possibilities with her.

Can Beck stand up to his mother?

Is he stuck in a life he can't escape?

I was drawn to A Thousand Perfect Notes by the author and the blurb. There's a lot of hype about this book in the blogosphere and, unfortunately, this was one of the occasions where, for me, the hype led to the book disappointing me.

Beck and August were both interesting characters, but Joey was my favourite character overall.

The plot was interesting and held my attention but nothing happened that surprised or shocked me (apart from the physical abuse!).

The romance was quite sweet and it didn't overshadow other aspects of the story.

There are some tough subjects tackled in this book and I thought they were handled well.

While I did enjoy this book, I do feel slightly disappointed that I didn't enjoy it more.

Overall this was a solid debut and an enjoyable read.

 

 

Review - Clean by Juno Dawson

Title: Clean

Author: Juno Dawson

Pages: 400

Publisher: Quercus Children's Books

Release Date: 5th April 2018

Blurb from Goodreads: 

When socialite Lexi Volkov almost overdoses, she thinks she's hit rock bottom. 

She's wrong. Rock bottom is when she's forced into an exclusive rehab facility. 

From there, the only way is up for Lexi and her fellow inmates, including the mysterious Brady.

As she faces her demons, Lexi realises love is the most powerful drug of all ...

It's a dirty business getting clean.

Addiction and redemption, love and despair. Clean will have you hooked from the first page.

 

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

My Review:

 

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Hachette Children's Group and NetGalley*

Heiress and party girl Lexi Volkov spends her days shopping, partying, drinking and doing drugs.

When she almost overdoses, Lexi is taken to a rehab facility in the middle of nowhere with a group of other troubled teens.

Lexi has a boyfriend back in London but she soon finds herself growing close to Brady.

Can Lexi admit she has a problem?

Will she be able to stay clean?

Lexi Volkov is the kind of girl I would avoid if we were at the same school. Despite this, I liked reading from her perspective. For a seventeen-year-old, Lexi had gone through a lot. I enjoyed reading as she developed.

The plot was interesting and held my attention. The rehab scenes felt realistic.

The writing style was easy to follow but it didn't grip me.

I liked the diversity of the characters. Kendall and Ruby were my favourites.

The romance wasn't one of my favourites but I didn't dislike it.

This is probably my favourite of the books I've read by Juno Dawson.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.

 

Review - The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven

Title: The Exact Opposite of Okay

Author: Laura Steven

Pages: 355

Publisher: Electric Monkey

Release Date: 8th March 2018

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Izzy O'Neill here! Impoverished orphan, aspiring comedian and Slut Extraordinaire, if the gossip sites are anything to go by . . . 

Izzy never expected to be eighteen and internationally reviled. But when explicit photos involving her, a politician's son and a garden bench are published online, the trolls set out to take her apart. Armed with best friend Ajita and a metric ton of nachos, she tries to laugh it off - but as the daily slut-shaming intensifies, she soon learns the way the world treats teenage girls is not okay. It's the Exact Opposite of Okay. 

Goodreads | Amazon UK | Amazon US

My Review:

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Egmont Publishing and NetGalley*

Izzy O'Neill is eighteen, has two best friends and lives with her grandma. Her biggest concerns are whether or not she will be able to get a job so that her grandmother can retire, and whether she will achieve her dream of becoming a scriptwriter in Hollywood.

Then everything changes when explicit photos are leaked online of Izzy in a compromising position with a politician's son.

Suddenly everyone is fascinated with Izzy's life and she is being slut-shamed constantly.

Who posted the photos of Izzy?

Will Izzy be able to become a scriptwriter now that her life has been splattered over the national news?

The Exact Opposite of Okay features some very important themes which were thought-provoking.

I liked Izzy, although her humour did annoy me a little at times. She was very strong - there was no way I would have been able to go to school knowing that everyone had seen such a personal photo of me.

I liked Ajita and her Izzy's grandmother, Betty (who is definitely not your stereotypical grandmother).

I found the humour a bit hit and miss.

The plot was interesting and held my attention, but I wasn't gripped.

In the beginning, I wasn't sure if I was going to like the writing style but after a while it grew on me.

While reading this I found myself thinking a lot about how people have different views on sex. I think of sex of something very personal, but I've never really thought about how other people feel about it.

The way that Izzy was slut-shamed made me very angry. Men aren't treated the way that women are when it comes to sex which is very wrong and frustrating.

Overall this was an enjoyable read which explores important themes.