Review of 'Fierce' by Gin Phillips*

It's rare that I sit and read a book in one sitting. If I don't like a book, it's hard to force myself to read it all, and if I like it, I want to treasure the story and make it last a little longer. Fierce is a book that's designed to be read in one go, as the story takes you through an intense tale of one afternoon. I gave this a good go, but after reading two-thirds of the way through I put it down for the day because it just wasn't gripping enough for me to get through the whole thing (and if I'm honest, I can't really think of a book that would be, so there's no shade being thrown here).

Fierce tells the story of Joan's and her four year old son Lincoln's disastrous trip to the zoo one Sunday afternoon. It's their favourite place to spend time together, until they hear shots fired. Two gunmen are making their way around the zoo and Joan has no idea where's safe. She calls her husband, and keeps in touch with him over the phone, but as it starts to get darker she fears that the phone light will attract the armed men, and abandons it in some bushes. 

Joan will do anything to protect her son, even if it means making questionable choices to leave others behind. But as Lincoln gets more tired and upset and loud, Joan realises that they need to do something drastic, because they can only hide for so long ...

This was quite a gripping read in some places, but I just felt as though it was missing that big twist that shocks you and changes the force of the novel. There were quite a few parts where I felt the narrative dragged, and there wasn't enough action to rectify it. It was definitely readable, and I'm glad to have pushed myself out of my comfort zone by trying to read it in one sitting, but I'm not sure if it's something I'd recommend.

*This book was gifted to me, but as always my words and opinions are my own*

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Review of 'Stand Tall Little Girl' by Hope Virgo

Books about mental health can be a bit of a challenge for me. Whilst I find them inspiring and thought-provoking and beautiful, they can awaken thoughts that I've been trying to squash down and get rid of (although I guess it's probably good to end the repression). 

Stand Tall Little Girl was such a powerful read for me. It's a true story, and almost a memoir, of the author's struggle with anorexia as a teen, and moving into adulthood. Hope started developing the illness when she was 13, and the book follows her hopsitalisation and eventual recovery. This all makes it sound pretty straightforward, but Hope opens up about the devastating effects that eating disorders have not only on your mind and body, but on all aspects of life and those around you.

There are snippets from Hope's mother in the book, which I think are so important, explaining how things can get out of hand when you have an eating disorder. I always see people asking 'how did the parents not notice?!' when a teen gets to a point of extreme illness due to an ED, and Hope's mum explains how hard it actually is.

I think it's so important that Hope shows there's no quick fix to an ED, and the reality of relapse, even when it's way down the line from the start of your recovery journey. This was a book I really connected with, and I would definitely recommend it, especially to parents of teens that want a better insight into what might be going on.

Hope's also doing some fantastic charity work to raise money for the Shaw Mind Foundation, and you can donate here if you want to support her!

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Review of 'Extraordinary Means' by Robyn Schneider

It's been a little while since I read this (I'm super behind on reviews, but I WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU 2018 BOOK PILE), and I'd almost forgotten how much I loved this until I picked the text up again. This is one of my favourite YA reads of the year, and it came at me totally unexpectedly. I downloaded it to my Kindle, thinking it would be pretty average, and it blew me out of the water so much that I started to hunt down everything Robyn Schneider's ever written.

This dystopian YA starts off with Lane moving into Latham House. All he wants to do is to be back at school studying to ensure he gets the best possible results in his tests to set him up for the future. But Lane is sick. A rare form of TB has emerged in modern society, and Lane has tested positive for this. He's not showing the signs of his illness yet, but at some point it'll happen, and there's no going back. 

Latham House is part boarding school, part hospital. Lane's completely isolated from his family, friends back home and his old life. Although he's not sick yet, a lot of the other kids are and life at Latham is tense. There, Lane meets Sadie, a girl he once knew from a summer camp years ago. There she was shy and quiet, but she owns the room here, making everyone chuckle. 

All Lane has ever wanted to do is study to become the perfect student, but as his illness starts to catch up with him, he's forced to realise that there are other things in life worth enjoying.

This is an incredible coming-of-age story that broke my heart a little as well as making me smile. The characters were so easy to connect with, and I feel as though I've left a little bit of my heart back in Latham. I would definitely recommend this if you're a fan of YA fiction! 

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