Sometimes when you read the first few pages of a new book, you just know that it’s a proper novel. And so it goes with ‘The Goldfinch’.
‘The Goldfinch’ has been compared to ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘Crime and Punishment’ and yes, it really is that good.
It’s a tale of love and loss, guilt and addiction, art and magic. It’s all brought together in a quirky orphan’s tale that turns madcap crime caper towards the end in a manner that is, at first off-putting (but page-turningly exhilarating) before a beautiful resolution that is full of life lessons. But there are no moral judgments or patronising teachings here, just a heart-wrenching tale of a life well lived.
This book is very very very good. It’s an amazing thriller and super exciting (no spoilers but the twist is great and unexpected). It’s about smuggling in the 19th century. It’s also a great romance. All the characters are so so so good and but I especially love the main character Mary, who is the perfect protagonist. In addition, the descriptions are so vivid and amazing and the setting is fantastic. It is the perfect balance between beautiful description and exciting thriller. Would totally recommend! In some ways it’s kind of similar to one of Daphne du Maurier’s other books, Frenchman’s Creek, which is also extremely good for many of the same reasons.
I just read Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. It is now certainly one of my favourite teen fantasy/ dystopian books! The story’s protagonist Mare, a teenager living in a deprived village of a dystopian fantasy world, goes on an exciting journey of rebellions, magic powers and dramatic plot twists! A very exciting story with awesome characters. In this book, Victoria Aveyard has created my new favourite dystopian world! I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Would definitely recommend, especially to fans of The Hunger Games style books.
I recently read Atonement. I thought it was an amazing book. The way is shows all the different characters perspectives is really interesting and all the characters are really great. The tragic plot is so well written. I thought the way it is separated into three completely different sections is really clever, and I like the way it shows how the war impacts the characters lives. One of my favourite books, such a good read.
*by no means a complete list of ALL my favourite teen books (that would be a lot longer)
These are a few great books I have read in the past few years that I would recommend to an age 14+ audience.
6. The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth
This is a super fun romance. I enjoyed it so much!!! A really easy read but still a favourite of mine. It’s a rom-com about rom-coms and it manages to be enjoyably cheesy while mocking all the genre tropes.
5. Numbers by Rachel Ward
This is a really great book. The adventure is super exciting and engaging. The romance is amazing. It’s emotional and tragic. The protagonist is a girl who can see the day people will die when she meets them. She has to run from the police with her new friend after she predicts a huge tragedy. This book it definitely one of my favourites. However, interestingly, I HATE the sequel. But book one is AMAZING.
4. The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
This is an intoxicating gothic fantasy/romance. It’s quite dark, but the writing is BEAUTIFUL. The romance is AMAZING and all the characters are fantastic. The story is an imagined backstory for the brides of Dracula. The protagonist and her twin sister are kidnapped and enslaved, but an exciting adventure and a heartbreaking romance follows. I LOVED this book. SO well written.
3. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
This book is so beautiful and heartbreaking and romantic. Such a good read. I loved the characters and their relationships. Literally one of the best books I’ve ever read. I also LOVE all John Green’s other books as well (especially Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns).
2. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
This murder mystery is amazing!!! I don’t normally read or like murder mysteries but this book was SO well written that I loved every page!!! The main character, Pip, is amazing. As a schoolgirl she decides to investigate a mystery long ago left by the police, discovering dangerous and dark secrets. I think the whole trilogy is fantastic. The second book is not as good as the first, but the final books is my favourite of all. I loved Pip’s character arc and her relationship with Ravi. All the plot twists are shocking and unexpected. I TOTALLY RECOMMEND!!!
1. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
I honestly can’t recommend this highly enough. This emotional story about a seemingly perfect rich family who are secretly broken is SOOOOOOO well written. Not only is the writing AMAZING, but the characters are brilliant, the story is heartbreaking and the plot twists are shocking. Everyone should read this. 10/10
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy these as much as I did!
This was a sweet book and sequel. I love Billy Plimpton, he is a legend.
Good points:
It has a strong protagonist
Helen Rutter addresses issues but still manages to keep the humour in the books.
One of the reasons I liked the first book was that it was genuine and you could really empathise. I feel like maybe she lost a bit of that feeling in the second book, but it didn’t really retract from the general enjoyment.
I finished reading this beautiful book just the other day. I love Kiran Millwood Hargrave (she is one of my favorite authors) and think she is a compelling writer. Her stories are moving and so strong in their plotlines.
I read this story many years ago when I got it out of the library. However, reading it for the second time it was like coming to it anew and I was blown away by it all over again.
the front cover.
Mila lives with her sister and brother in the forest. The forest is frozen in winter, as is everything else. When her brother disappears along with all the other local boys Mila knows that he has been taken by a stranger who visited them the night before.
She embarks on a journey to save her brother with her younger sister Pípa and the only boy who hasn’t left — the mage Rune. As they travel through the forest and over the snow, Mila finds that maybe by confronting the stranger who stole her brother they might be able to bring back Spring…
I loved this story so much. I was utterly enthralled by its tale of adventure and family, and was completely engrossed by page one. I was captivated by the mysterious ominous stranger who is takes the boys and he strangely reminded me of the Pied Piper. The story is so moving, a fast-paced plotline with vivid characters who grab your attention and such a spellbinding setting too. I could almost feel the forest for myself. Plus a gorgeous new cover! Kiran’s writing is like powerful poetry that sings to my heart and evokes so many deep feelings inside me. I just want to read this book over and over again, to be gripped by its delightful imagination.
I got this out of my local library after seeing it in a bookshop and I knew I would love it. I wasn’t wrong! This is such a powerful and emotional story with beautiful detail. I wanted to write this to share with you all how wonderful it is. I actually finished it a while ago but life was busy so I didn’t write this straight away. Anyway, I’m doing now. So here is my review of…
“A Pocketful of Stars.”
by Aisha Bushby.
front cover.
“The seconds that pass feel like an age, and it’s like Dad’s next words are spoken hours later, like I could fit a whole lifetime into those seconds.”
Safiya’s parents live apart and have done for some time. Although Safiya and her Mum used to have lots of fun together, they seem to have drifted apart. Safiya tells her Mum that they have nothing in common and that Safiya’s Dad understands her more. Safiya’s Mum says they do, but Safiya, not listening, storms out of her Mum’s flat. A while later Safiya gets a phone call from her Dad, something has happened, and what follows it changes everything…
This story is such a beautiful tale. I loved Bushby’s language and description, and how the story sees Safiya through a soul-transforming journey. I feel that this is one of those tales that is fresh and new every time you reread it. I know that this is a story that I will enjoy coming back to again and again, to laugh, to cry, and to feel inspired.
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