How to be Bad by E. Lockhart, Lauren Myracle and Sarah Mlynowski
Released: 4th June 2015
Published by: Hot Key Books
Genre: YA Contemporary
Source: Publisher
Pages: 288
My Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Goodreads | Bookworld | Book Depository

When you're tired of being good, sometimes you gotta be a little bad ...

Jesse, Vicks and Mel couldn't be more different. Jesse, a righteous Southern gal who's as thoughtful as she is uptight, is keeping a secret that she knows will change her life forever. Vicks is a wild child: seemingly cool, calm and collected on the outside, but inside she's furious at herself for being so anxious about her neglectful boyfriend. And Mel is the new girl in town. She's already been dismissed as just another rich kid, but all she wants is to get over some of her fears and find some true friends.

But for all their differences, the girls discover they've got one thing in common - they're desperate to escape. Desperate to get the heck out of Niceville and discover their true 'badass' selves! Even if it's just for the weekend ...

One 'borrowed' car later, it's time to hit the road and head for Miami. Hearts will be broken, friendships will be tested, and a ridiculously hot stranger could change the course of everything.

Thank you to the Five Mile Press for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

How to be Bad is a fun and enjoyable contemporary YA read with a road-trip, three very different workmates from The Waffle House and slightly eccentric storyline. I was really looking forward to this book from the outset, and what I hoped would be a fulfilling story of friendship, quirky moments and some truly funny pieces of dialogue was exactly what I got.

Having the three alternating perspectives written by each of the authors was a really great way to distinguish each narrative voice. In this book we have:

Jesse:

Don't even think about calling her 'Jess' (she hates it), along with anything 'sinful'. She'll refer to her mother as Mama and grandmother as Meemaw, censor words to come out with things like 'tightbottom' and can be self-righteous at times  most of the time. Despite this, she does genuinely care about Vicks, and her prejudices over Mel at the start perhaps aren't there forever. It's definitely good to see character development in a contemporary novel, and in this case each of the three girls took their own journeys travelling to the same destination.

Vicks:

Vicks is sassy, strong, and almost the complete opposite to Jesse. Her boyfriend woes are part of the reason why the trio are going on the roadtrip in the first place, and she too is more complex than what may first appear. Chances are, people with that carefree, tough outer shell are really the most sensitive of all.

Well. We are alive, we are here.
We are badass.
We have a duckling.

Mel:

She's the Canadian outsider looking in, who has the money but lacking the friends she really wants. She's quiet and doesn't have a lot of self-confidence at first, but perhaps someone else (a love interest perhaps? *hint hint*) can change that. She was a really sweet character, the mediator and the one who you really want to be happy.

We have left our families and their diseases and their worry and expectations. We left our school friends and out work friends and our jobs and our lives. We shook them all off to be here, speeding down the highway singing 'Suddenly I See' in the dark. 

Talk about mangoes, donuts, pirate hotels, flatulence and even Old Joe the alligator make this a novel with so many eccentricities which just work. The story progresses at a steady pace throughout, and what follows with the blow-ups, hurricanes and make-ups along the way makes this a compelling read. It's a book that will make you giggle, smile and swoon, with an ending which feels fitting. Another special feature is the extras at the back - including a list of songs to listen to which go with the book, a quiz, and background information on how the three authors came up with the idea to write this together; plus a reveal on who wrote what.

FINAL THOUGHTS

With an interesting set of characters and different take on the road-trip concept, How to be Bad kept me engaged from start to finish. The character development is well-executed and each author brings their own unique voice to the table which makes for a dynamic read. This book will take you on a fun ride from Niceville to Miami, hitting all the eventful pit-stops in between.

Genie's Weekly News (38)

Hi everyone and welcome to my weekly blog feature to recap the week with bookish news and what to expect coming up! So without further ado...

*Reading Right Now*





Historical fiction in the French Revolution? Love.

*Previous Posts*

• Review: Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
• Review: Leap by Myfanwy Jones  
• Cover Reveal: Stray by Rachael Craw  
• Review: Love May Fail by Matthew Quick  
• Review: The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes  

*Recommendation of the Week*

In my opinion - the hype was well worth it!


*From The Interwebs*

• Cassie @ Cassie the Weird talked about why she has stayed a blogger
• Kaylie @ Potterhead Reviews shared how she keeps track of her reading
• Cait @ Paper Fury did the bookshelf tag
• Mel @ YA Midnight Reads warned of things to say to piss off a YA reader
• Aimee @ Deadly Darlings questioned whether insta-love is really unrealistic
• Mishma @ Chasing Faerytales revealed how blogging changed her as a person

*Haul*

Thank you to Text Publishing Australia for the review copy!

Adrift by Paul Griffin - Five friends lost at sea? Now this could get interesting...

Throne of Glass/Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas - FINALLY I have bought at least a couple of the books in this series, and I'm looking to get the rest soon so I can read the whole series so far before Queen of Shadows comes out.

End of Days by Susan Ee - I still haven't read the second book in the series even though I own it, but I saw this and wanted to complete the set. Now at least when I do read World After I can get to this one straight after.

*Other News*

HOW IS THERE ONLY ONE WEEK OF HOLIDAYS LEFT?



Okay, so admittedly that *is* a little melodramatic - but seriously, I don't know where the time has gone.


*Movie Reactions*

I went to the movies twice this week actually - to see two very different films, but both which I really enjoyed:

1. Inside Out

This movie was as I had hoped - really good! Not only was it cute and funny in all the right places, but showed in a realistic way how different emotions and experiences can shape who we are. Definitely recommend for kids and adults alike!

2. Terminator Genysis

Wow - talk about action-packed! Good ol' Arnie came back in this film looking a little older, but 'old, not obsolete'. This mind-bending movie had time travel, a fantastic cast with Aussie actors Jai Courtney and Jason Clarke and awesome special effects. Emilia Clarke also played perfectly as a strong female lead, and there was never a dull moment! This is a blockbuster that will keep moviegoers coming back to the franchise.

Over to you - what do you think of my book and movie roundup this week?

Review: The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes
Released: 22nd June 2015
Published by: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
Genre: YA Contemporary/Mystery
Source: Publisher
Pages: 288
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Goodreads | Bookworld | Book Depository

The Kevinian cult has taken everything from seventeen-year-old Minnow: twelve years of her life, her family, and her ability to trust. And when Minnow rebelled, they took away her hands, too.

Now the Kevinian Prophet has been murdered and the camp set aflame and it's clear Minnow knows something. But she's not talking. As she adjusts to a life behind bars in juvenile detention, Minnow struggles to make sense of all she has been taught to believe, particularly as she dwells on the events that led up to her incarceration. But when an FBI detective approaches her about making a deal, Minnow sees she can have the freedom she always dreamed of; if she is willing to part with the terrible secrets of her past.

Powerful and compelling. this remarkable and brave debut novel reveals the terrible dangers of blind faith. And the importance of having faith in yourself.

Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly has the hallmarks of The Maiden Without Hands written by the Grimm Brothers, but stands firm on its own as a harrowing original novel which will stay on your mind long after the last page. All the hype for this book did leave me with some high expectations, but I can definitely say that they were exceeded above and beyond. This is a story of one girl grappling with the painful aftermath of disillusionment with the only twisted world she had ever known - and now trying to move on in the real one. This is a novel that is memorable in a way that no other book has been for me this year because it is so unique, left me agape, and was fearless in its raw storytelling. 

I want to ask, Can you get the death penalty for killing because you're told to? How does the legal system prosecute someone under the influence of faith, someone who kills because God wants a little death sometimes?

This cult mentality and concept of blind faith is definitely a fascinating one to explore in fiction. The last book I read covering those ideas was The Passion Flower Massacre by Nicola Morgan which I found enthralling, but this book had that extra emotional depth which drew me in from the hard-hitting first pages. The story doesn't shy away from brutalities and paints a disturbing picture of what life is like when a society is run by a person who is irrational and corrupt. However, the novel holds more complexities than what may first appear. The use of flashbacks to highlight the stark difference between Minnow's time in the cult and her present situation in a girls' prison was a wise choice so that information was revealed in time, leaving you wanting to keep reading for chapters on end.You know a book is good when you say 'I'll just read one more chapter' and instead keep going until it's almost finished and you can't keep your eyes open any more.

There was always the unspoken certainty that we'd have forever. There would be time for all the things we wanted to do in our lives. That time could run out, that limbs could disappear from bodies, was as unfathomable as death. 

The prose in itself is a masterpiece - striking the perfect balance between necessary pragmatism and a subtle creative flair to produce a story that I couldn't put down. The twists which came in bursts along the way just kept the wow factor throughout. The character relationships are similarly well crafted, from the dynamics of Minnow's family to the ins and outs of prison life. Exploring the avenue of 'a disturbed protagonist without hands in a jail setting' is definitely something I haven't ever come across before, so this book was intriguing on both counts. Amidst trust issues and inner turmoil over her own drastic actions, Minnow herself was a character who had so many layers, and underwent her own catharsis to come to terms with the past, and look forward to a different future.

We stepped headlong into a new place where we knew there was something other than good daughters and sons inside us. Because for the first time, somebody bothered to tell me why they were in pain. Everybody around me was in pain, I realize now, but none of them ever poured it out of themselves into another person.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It's official: I love this chilling, shocking and undeniably mesmerising book. When it comes to 2015 releases that you HAVE TO READ - this is definitely one of them. Stephanie Oakes is an author whose other works I'll definitely be looking out for in the future, because this is a book which I can't praise highly enough.

Review: Love May Fail by Matthew Quick

Love May Fail by Matthew Quick
Released: 4th June 2015
Published by: Picador
Genre: Adult Contemporary
Source: Publisher
Pages: 416
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Goodreads | Bookworld | Book Depository

From Matthew Quick, the bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook.

Portia Kane is having a meltdown. After escaping her cheating husband and their posh Florida life, she finds herself transported back home and back to square one. In need of saving herself, she sets out to find and resurrect a beloved high-school English teacher who has retired after a violent incident in the classroom. But she quickly learns that it's not a one-woman job. Luckily she meets a few people on her journey.

Can Chuck, the handsome brother of Portia's old school friend, together with a sassy nun and a metal-head little boy, help Portia's chances in her bid for renewed hope in the human race? It's going to be quite a ride. Moving and funny,

Love May Fail is about the heartache and daring choices it takes to become the person you know deep down you are meant to be.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Love May Fail is a novel about finding yourself after losing something important in your life, and accepting that help can come from the most unlikely places. This is a story that has so many layers, where each character and event all fit into their pieces of the puzzle to show just how complicated life can be, and yet simplified when we find just the answers we need. It's a comforting tale of overcoming hardships and moving on to find a new sense of self, and for that I really enjoyed it.

Portia Kane, Official Member of the Human Race! This card entitles you to ugliness and beauty, heartache and joy—the great highs and lows of existence—and everything in between. It also guarantees you the right to strive, to reach, to dream, and to become the person you know (deep down) you are meant to be. So make daring choices, work hard, enjoy the ride, and remember—you become exactly whomever you choose to be.

The quick-witted prose not only makes this an easy read, but one which has true meaning as well. I love how there were multiple narrative perspectives, which gave a glimpse into each of the main character's lives - their trials and tribulations, and their hilarious moments as well. Mr. Vernon (though not at all the same as in Harry Potter), Chuck Bass (no, not the one in Gossip Girl), and Sister Maeve (sorry, no comparisons for this one). There is a vibrancy to this book, which is counterbalanced with some deeper, more serious issues. Every character has their place, and all of them intertwine in some way which makes for a compelling read. By the end it was so nice to see how it all fit together!

Teachers have to believe. You have to care, and that takes a lot of work and effort. Teachers need people to give back once in a while too, if only a little.

Portia, a struggling writer, goes out to seek her English teacher who after one defining moment was left angry with the world and lost his passion. This book goes to show that perhaps sometimes despite our best intentions, we can actually make things worse by meddling in others' lives. However, what I love is that it depicts the serendipity which life can bring. People help each other in unexpected ways, and sometimes things just fall into place the way they are supposed to as a blessing in disguise. It's also a good reminder of how much of a difference a teacher can make in the lives of their students. Sometimes I think they don't get the recognition they deserve, and should always be treated with respect. Sure, they're only human like the rest of us - but they can make such a profound impact which lasts for years. Life is a rollercoaster - that much is undeniable, and so it was enthralling to see how Portia in particular dealt with the highs and lows, picking herself up and really trying to stand on her own two feet with confidence once more. Every character seems to develop in some way, and as events unfold they all come to learn significant truths about themselves and what their path is meant to be.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Love May Fail is a heartwarming and skilfully crafted novel which will strike a cord with many readers. If you like some life lessons wrapped up with a coating of well-placed humour then this book will not disappoint.

Cover Reveal: Stray by Rachael Craw

*jumps in* You all know what today is right? You know, that special day where that oh-so-amazing cover for Stray, gets revealed to the world? 

*aaand cue the suspenseful music*

As you all know, I LOVE Spark and I can't wait to read this sequel, and now we all get to bask in the glory of the cover together!

But first I have to ask...

and you probably are going to say something along the lines of...

But are you suuuure? I have to warn you, just looking at it will probably cause a case of extreme fangirling, excitement, and eye strain from staring at your screen for too long.....

Well, in that case...HERE IT IS!

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Ta daaaaaaa!

Stray will be released 1st September, 2015 in all good bookstores in Australia and New Zealand, as well as online retailers.

It’s hard to remember hating anything as much as I hate Affinity; a bone-deep loathing for the faceless unknown and the concrete walls of my own DNA. 

Evie is a Shield: designed to kill in order to protect, and the Affinity Project have finally come for her. But Evie isn’t ready for the sinister organisation to take control of her life, her body, her mind. She isn’t ready to follow their rules about who may live and who must die – not when it condemns the innocent. She has one option: risk losing everything and everyone – including Jamie – and run.

Now I don't know about you, but I love it! Not only is it super edgy with that reddish-brown background which matches the 'chaos in blood' slogan, but it matches really nicely with the first book too:

Evie doesn’t have a choice. 

 One day she’s an ordinary seventeen year old, grieving for her mother. The next, she’s a Shield, the result of a decades-old experiment gone wrong, bound by DNA to defend her best friend from an unknown killer. The threat could come at home, at school, anywhere. All Evie knows is that it will be a fight to the death. And then there’s Jamie. irresistible. off-limits

About the author:

Rachael Craw studied Classical Studies and Drama at the University of Canterbury, but became an English teacher after graduation. Working with teenagers has given her a natural bent towards Young Adult fiction and a desire to present a feisty female protagonist in her writing. Her debut novel, Spark, is the first in a series released with Walker Books Australia from 2014. Rachael was born and raised in Christchurch, New Zealand, and currently lives in Nelson with her husband and three daughters. Visit her online at www.rachaelcraw.com

Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads 

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Be sure to keep an eye on the Walker Australia twitter account @WalkerBooksAus , as a special countdown will begin to July 31st where an exclusive short story teaser from Rachael not featured in Spark or Stray will be released on iTunes.

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I hope you all love it as much as I do and can fangirl with me and the rest of the #SparkArmy!