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Title: How to Be Parisien Wherever You Are

Author: Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline De Maigret, Sophie Mas

Genre: Non-fiction

Publisher: Ebury Press

Publication Date: 1st October 2014

Goodreads Summary: From four stunning and accomplished French women -- at last -- a fresh and spirited take on what it really means to be a Parisienne: how they dress, entertain, have fun and attempt to behave themselves.

In short, frisky sections, these Parisian women give you their very original views on style, beauty, culture, attitude and men. The authors--Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret, and Sophie Mas -- unmarried but attached, with children -- have been friends for years. Talented bohemian iconoclasts with careers in the worlds of music, film, fashion and publishing, they are untypically frank and outspoken as they debunk the myths about what it means to be a French woman today. Letting you in on their secrets and flaws, they also make fun of their complicated, often contradictory feelings and behavior. They admit to being snobs, a bit self-centered, unpredictable but not unreliable. Bossy and opinionated, they are also tender and romantic.

You will be taken on a first date, to a party, to some favorite haunts in Paris, to the countryside, and to one of their dinners at home with recipes even you could do -- but to be out with them is to be in for some mischief and surprises. They will tell you how to be mysterious and sensual, look natural, make your boyfriend jealous, and how they feel about children, weddings and going to the gym. And they will share their address book in Paris for where to go: At the End of the Night, for A Birthday, for a Smart Date, A Hangover, for Vintage Finds and much more.

How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are will make you laugh as you slip into their shoes to become bold and free and tap into your inner cool.

Review

I picked up this title because it kept cropping up on bloggers' pages and since I've just moved to Paris for my year abroad, it seemed like an appropriate title to get me into Parisian life. The book itself is very glossy - hardback, thick glossy paper, lots of large high quality pictures and illustrations and funky formatting. This book is evidently meant to please the eye and that it most certainly does. Some passages of this book are quite long and others are very bitty and short. Some parts are written in prose, others are simply bullet pointed ideas. This means that's book is easy to pick up and put down, you don't need to dedicate a chunk of your time to reading it. You don't even need to read it in order as there isn't much of a structure to it. For the most part, each two page spread has a discusses a certain part of Parisian life, so each part is short and snappy, and you can dive in and out of different sections whenever you please.

All the random aspects of life that you probably didn't think you needed advice on are covered in this book so you get a very rounded view of how the Parisian women lives her life. There are tips on how to dress, how to shop, how to eat, how to act on a date, how to woo a man, which perfumes to wear, which colors to wear in winter etc. etc. etc. At the end of the book there are also lists of recommended places to visit, eat and shop at, which will no doubt be handy for those that are actually visiting Paris.

How To Be Parisian doesn't seem to be aimed at any particular age group of women so is sure to be enjoyed by teenagers and retirees alike. There are some passages detailing how to behave in your youth, and others about how to behave so that you age gracefully. There are a lot of timeless tips in here, which I genuinely found to be rather inspiring. They're the sort of tips that are handed down from mother to daughter for generations and you can get quite a good picture of the respect that these women have for their mothers.

There were some parts that I didn't particularly agree with, especially those concerning love as the advice given almost seems to condone, and indeed encourage cheating. All the romantic advice is along the lines of 'treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen' and seems to involve a lot of hiding who you really are for the sake of Parisian 'etiquette'. These parts are a little frustrating to read and I can only assume the authors haven't heard of a little thing called feminism. Their portrayal of Parisian women as incredibly independent women is something that I really liked, but in some passages they took it a bit too far and made it sound like all Parisian women were downright arrogant. Confusingly it seems to advocate both being yourself and keeping yourself in check on a date. This book is full of contradictions, but apparently that's the way that Parisian women are.

Really this is just an insight into the lives of four particular 'Parisian' women and their thoughts on how to go about life's daily business and no more than that. The content is lighthearted and funny, this book doesn't take itself seriously and it is by no means a true guide to the Parisian woman. A lot of the 'advice' is incredibly clichéd and plays off a stereotype that probably doesn't fit most Parisian women and I think a lot of this book is just four women having fun with writing. This book would make a good gift for those who love Paris and makes for a nice, quick Saturday afternoon read. If you're reading this for the glossy pages, you won't be disappointed.

Title: Crow's Revenge

Author: Marcus Alexander

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publisher: Puffin Books

Publication Date: 2nd February 2012

Goodreads Summary: I've just had a flesh-eating giant tearing around my house and now I'm in this strange land I don't know anything about'!

Before she can untangle the mystery that will save Bellania, Charlie Keeper needs the answer to a life-changing secret her guardian, the dastardly Mr Crow, has been keeping from her ...Just who is Charlie Keeper?

{ Review }

I recently became aware of this series when I won a copy of The Dark Army (Keeper of the Realms #2) from Goodreads and whilst I wasn't too keen to get started on Crow's Revenge, I was surprised to find that I was actually quite drawn into it from the opening pages.

In Crow's Revenge, we meet Charlie Keeper, a young teenage girl who has lost her parents and lives with her grandma in a big shabby house. Her lawyer Mr Crow is a selfish man who constantly makes her sign forms without telling her what she is signing and she is convinced that he is stealing her family fortune. One day, Charlie finds a strange creature in her home, Jensen the treman. Of course, Charlie has no idea what a treman is but after going through several doors and corridors she has never explored before in her house, she discovers herself in Bellania, a whole new world, that she has entered via a portal in her house. She learns that she is a Keeper of the Realms which means that it is her duty to guard the portal between the human world and Bellania where magic exists. Trouble is brewing in Bellania though as Bane, an evil spirit, tries to capture Charlie and the pendant which is so precious to her. Just as Charlie was starting to think her life in London was really dull, she is thrust into a whole new world with new responsibilities.

The plot is really well thought out and there are several major twists along the way. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next and begging for someone to explain how things worked in Bellania, a new world. It is impossible to know which characters are the good guys and which are the bad guys which keeps your attention focussed on looking out for the smallest clue that might help you figure it out. There are several plot strands working throughout this story, all involving Charlie Keeper but also many other characters as well so there's always a lot going on. My only complaint would be that I think the plot could've been condensed and the end of the book could have been reached a lot sooner. There was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing with the plot line and some parts seemed a little repetitive to me, despite the fantastic amounts of detail. There were a few parts that I thought were unnecessary that didn't progress the plot in any way and I think I would've enjoyed the book a bit more had these extra parts been removed.

The characters were all really likeable, those you were supposed to like anyhow, which made me really root for these characters and their cause. The main character, Charlie, is an admirable character who has such spunk for someone so young. I felt like I'd gotten to know her character really well quite early on in the novel which made me feel closer to her as a character. She's not a perfect character as she has her strops and can be a little selfish at times but she's a young teenage girl so it seems justified. The fact that she's not a perfect princess makes her all the more likeable and young girls reading this story will no doubt want Charlie Keeper to be their new best friend.

The description of the bad guys is really quite creepy and scary and the pictures to go alongside them don't make me feel any less uneasy about them! There is such a great atmosphere in this book and I was spooked out by several of the creepier passages in this story. The characters of Mr Crow and Bane, two of the most evil characters in the story, are also really fascinating and although you can't like them as characters, I greatly enjoyed reading about them.

Marcus Alexander really does need to be commended for his excellent use of description. The world of Bellania, or even the ordinary London, is so vividly described that you can visualise every last detail of this new setting. There are also a few pictures along the way in this book which gives you even greater clarity as to what the different beasts and species are supposed to look like (rather helpful in some cases where the description was so in depth that my mind couldn't keep up!). He has created so many different creatures, places, and ways of life that all need to be explained and he manages to do this without overloading the reader with new information.

What I would say, however, is that this book is aimed at the lower end of 'young adult' readers I would not recommend this book for children over the age of around 17. Although I could still appreciate the detailed descriptions and the intricate world that Marcus Alexander has built up, I did find the whole book rather childish at times and this made me feel a bit bored, but I think this was down to my age rather than the content itself. I imagine that a 14 year old would find this to be an incredibly interesting and stimulating read, however, in my opinion, this book is largely inaccessible to those that have progressed beyond their teen years.

All in all, Crow's Revenge is a great read that has perhaps passed a little under the radar and should definitely be picked up by those interesting in fantasy in their teen years. Crow's Revenge ends on a cliffhanger and there is clearly much more to come which I am rather excited for. I can't wait to get started on the second book to see what new adventures lay in store for Charlie!

Title: The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia

Publisher: Chicken House

Publication Date: September 2014

Synopsis: When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas remembers is his first name. But he's not alone. He's surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade - a walled encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible stone maze. Like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they came to be there - or what's happened to the world outside. All they know is that every morning when the walls slide back, they will risk everything - even the Grievers, half-machine, half-animal horror that patrol its corridors, to try and find out.

[[ Review ]]

The Maze Runner is a young adult dystopian story and if you haven't already heard of it, you're going to be hearing a lot about it soon. The film adaptation of this story has already hit cinema screens in the US and is scheduled for release in the UK on the 10th October 2014. It's not hard to see why this story was snapped up by 20th Century Fox as it's a gripping story full of twists and turns set in a world that will no doubt make an impression on the big screen.

This story starts when Thomas arrives at the Glade in the box. Thomas has absolutely no memories about his past or who he is and is very confused by his surroundings, which is to be expected given that the Glade is occupied up of a small group of teenage boys (no adults and no girls) and is enclosed within the confines of massive stone walls. Thomas soon discovers that these boys are trapped in the Glade, which is surrounded by a huge maze, full of dangerous creatures called Grievers. Everyday, the walls open, revealing the Maze and the Gladers send out 'runners' to try and figure out a way out of the Maze. The Gladers have already been trapped for two years but they still haven't found a way out. Why? Because every night, once the stone walls close, the walls of the maze change. Escape seems futile. Everyday is the same in the Glade, that is, until Thomas shows up, when everything starts to change. Ordinarily, only one new person arrives at the Glade a month, but the day after Thomas arrives, another person is delivered via the box. A girl. A girl that recognises Thomas, no less. Things are changing in the Glade and it seems like the time to finally escape has come - but only if they can figure out the code - and their escape mission will not be easy.

Although the story is written in the third person, it follows Thomas as he tries to figure out what the hell is going on - what happened to him (and the other boys), where they are and what their purpose is. I didn't connect as much with Thomas as I expected to but he is definitely a strong male lead and a great character to read about. Not all of the characters in the story like Thomas and I think that that feeling rubbed off slightly on me as there were times when I questioned whether I really trusted him. With so many character with little to no memory of who they are and where they've come from, it can be a little difficult figuring out which characters to trust and the success of this story is probably down the huge amount of suspense that the reader feels. It is not until the very end of the story that anything really becomes clear and when it does, you kinda wish you hadn't found out what's really going on.

Dashner has created a unique and terrifying world which will probably haunt me in my dreams tonight. It's very Hunger Games-esque as you've got a group of young kids fighting for survival against what they assume is a system adults created to test them. (Why they are being tested, they have no idea). The difference is however, these kids are working as a group to try to survive so themes of friendship and how a society should function are important. Although all the main characters are children, if their age was never mentioned, I could very well believe that this was a tale for adults. This is classified as a YA novel, however, there is nothing remotely 'childish' about this book. This is a serious tale of survival and I have to be honest, Dashner's imagination frightens me.

There isn't much romance in this story but you can see that there is something developing between Thomas and Teresa, the only girl in the camp. There are some nice moments between these two but this definitely isn't one of the main plot points though I look forward to this blossoming in the future books. I am a big fan of romance in YA books, but in this case, I didn't really care that there wasn't all that much of it because there was so much going on in terms of friendships and the developing ties between different characters.

All in all, The Maze Runner is definitely up there with top YA titles such as The Hunger Games and The 5th Wave and if you haven't read it yet, then you absolutely must pick up a copy before the film comes out next month. The cliffhanger at the end of The Maze Runner makes sure that readers will want to pick up the next book and I cannot wait to see how the plot develops from here. I absolutely tore through this book and finished it in no time, desperate to find out what was going on. Dashner has now been added to my list of favourite authors and I would give this story 5 stars simply for the terrifying world that Dashner has created.

The Maze Runner out now in paperback (£7.99, Chicken House)

Check out the trailer for the film adaptation of The Maze Runner, starring Dylan O'Brien, released in UK cinemas on the 10th October 2014.

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Title: Half Bad

Author: Sally Green

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Puffin

Publication Date: 3rd March 2014

Goodreads Summary: Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches.

You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch.

You get sick if you stay indoors after dark.

You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one.

You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen.

All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday.

Easy.

[[ Review ]]

Half Bad follows the story of Nathan Byrn, a half White, half Black witch. White witches are good. Black witches are bad. That's what he's been told anyways. He's always been discriminated against for his entire life, by his classmates and even his half-sister, Jessica. Nathan is the son of the most powerful and most feared Black witch of all time - Marcus - and because of this, the Council, made up of White Witches, have been keeping a very close eye on him for his entire life. As time goes on, people become more and more suspicious of Black witches and Nathan knows that before long he'll have to leave home and find his father. There are so many things that Nathan is kept in the dark about and he's desperate to find out about his past and his family before he turns 17 - when the Giving ceremony is performed (by a family member) and he officially becomes a witch. Nobody will give him the answers he is looking for so only one solution remains - find his father. The most powerful and dangerous Black witch of all time.

I must admit that Half Bad was nowhere near as good as I was expecting it to be. Although I found it to be an interesting read, I wouldn't describe it as particularly exciting. The plot isn't chronological and the book begins in the middle of the story. The first 50 pages are very exciting and are full of suspense so at the beginning stages, this book was un-put-down-able; however, after this point, the plot moved back to the present and slowed down considerably. A lot of the middle section describes Nathan's home life and how he grew up which is great for setting the scene and you get a really good sense of what it's like to be someone like Nathan in the world that Sally Green has created, however, I wouldn't say that all that much happens in these parts. The last fifty pages are also really exciting as things really start moving for Nathan so the book ends with enough of a cliffhanger that leaves you want to read more. It's a shame that the middle passage is so slow as the beginning and the ending are really superb.

I think one of the main reasons that I didn't enjoy this book all that much is because although you emphathise with the protagonist, Nathan is not a particularly likable character. You certainly feel sorry for him as he is treated incredibly badly and you're willing him on because you want him to find out more about himself, mostly so you can understand what's going on, but you don't really end up 'liking' him. He is not a happy character, understandably given his circumstances, however, this makes for a rather somber read. I suppose it was refreshing to read a young adult novel, featuring a male protagonist who wasn't a vampire, or incredibly hot, that the reader doesn't end up falling head over heels for so I'll give the novel brownie points for being different and refreshing.

I'd say that one of the best aspects of this book is the character development, both that of Nathan, and all the other characters. We see Nathan as he ages through his teenage years which are the most interesting years and the discrimination he faces as a half-black, half-white witch is comparable to modern day racism which is fascinating. Nathan is the only sibling in the family who is the son of Marcus so his relationship with his siblings is really interesting to read about. Whilst he gets along really well with Arran, his half brother, his half sister Jessica despises him, despite their blood ties. You're never really sure which characters Nathan can trust and which witches are working for the Council which means that the reader is kept in suspense for a large part of the novel. Even when you think you can finally trust someone, don't, because something will happen soon after to make you doubt everything you know.

There is a slight romance aspect to this novel but it very much takes a backseat compared to the theme of discrimination. This is not your typical young adult novel in the slightest, it is a lot darker and some quite deep themes are discussed. There are some unpleasant scenes in which Nathan is treated very badly and basically tortured, so this is definitely an upper young adult novel and I'm sure adults will be able to enjoy this story too. There seems to be a dark cloud covering this entire novel and there aren't really any happy moments. You will definitely find your mood subdued when reading this, so I would recommend reading this on a rainy day.

All in all, I think Half Bad did a really good job of introducing the protagonist of the Half Life trilogy, Nathan, and setting the scene for the rest of the books. Although I wasn't completely taken with Half Bad, I think that there is the potential for the next two books to be really great so I'm still really looking forward to reading Half Wild.

Title: The Geography of You and Me

Author: Jennifer E Smith

Genre: Young Adult, Romance

Publisher: Headline

Publication Date: 15th April 2014

Goodreads Summary: Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.

{ Review }

Despite owning all of Jennifer E Smith's books, The Geography of You and Me is the first book of hers that I've read. There is quite a lot of hype surrounding her books so I've always had high expectations of them and unfortunately I think this is what tarnished my reading of TGoYaM. Don't get me wrong, I thought that it was a great read, it just didn't blow me away which is what I expected.

The Geography of You and Me follows the story of Lucy and Owen, two teenagers who get stuck in an elevator one fateful night in New York after the entire city loses power. Owen is the builder manager's son who lives in the basement and Lucy lives in a swanky apartment on floor 24 but despite living in the same building and seeing each other around, they have never spoken to each other. After just 30 minutes in an elevator together, they both realise that their first impressions of one another aren't completely accurate and they spend the rest of the night together walking around New York before eventually ending up on the roof of the building they live on. After talking for hours they fall asleep lying side by side on the roof, but when Lucy wakes up the following morning Owen is gone. Shortly after this night, Owen's dad loses his job as building manager and they are forced to vacate the basement apartment. Not long after that, Lucy dad gets a new job in Edinburgh. Despite being on opposite sides of the world, the two of them continue to send postcards to each other, keeping their relationship alive but both of them wonder whether the distance between them, both metaphorically and physically, is just too great.

The Geography of You and Me is a great young adult romance that isn't overly sappy or melodramatic. It's simply about two people who have a connection fighting to keep that connection alive, even when oceans separate them. That is what makes this novel more unique and, dare I say it, better than other YA romances on bookshelves today, because it focuses on two people finding common ground in the unlikeliest of situations and it isn't some whirlwind romance. What's interesting is that there isn't actually that much interaction between Lucy and Owen throughout this story. A lot of the narrative focuses on their individual lives in their respective cities and yet there are still threads which keep the two together in your mind so you don't forget about one whilst you're reading about the other. This was nice as it meant that this story isn't solely focussed on romance but about personal growth and development. The only problem with this was that it made it a little difficult for me to find their connection credible as I didn't think that the amount of time that they'd spent communicating was enough for a relationship as deep as theirs to develop.

Although I liked the romance aspect of this story, it's nothing earth shattering and I never got butterflies in my stomach or anything like that. I think the real winning factor of this story is the two characters themselves and it's seeing them develop as individuals, rather than as a couple, that really had me engrossed in this story. There's something very real about both the protagonists, Lucy and Owen. Although this story isn't written from the first person perspective, Jennifer E Smith still manages to give the reader a real insight into their minds and their way of thinking. Both characters are surprisingly mature for people their age and I can imagine both of them being real people that I'd like to get to know. There is a certain chemistry between the two and their, for lack of a better word, 'banter' made me chuckle to myself frequently throughout this story.

I did feel that certain aspects of the story were rushed or under-developed but the overall plot and story were still excellent. This story is heartwarming and it restores your faith that sometimes those small moments can turn into big moments as long as you're willing to chase after what you want. There's something about this book that made me want to read it all at once. I read this entire story in one sitting and it's the sort of you flick through on a lazy afternoon when you're in the mood for something light-hearted.

All in all, I greatly enjoyed reading The Geography of You and Me and the only reason I say I was disappointed is because I expected this to be a book full of romance and I believe that it what Jennifer E Smith's books are marketed as, but I didn't really get that vibe from this novel. Instead I thought this to be a great story of personal development and going after what you want even if the chances of your dream coming true are minute. This book leaves you feeling really content, not overly happy or sad, but content and I'd highly recommend it to fans of YA, particularly YA romances.

p.s. TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY! I just thought I'd share that with you guys haha :)

Title: Fish Tank

Author: Scott Bischke

Publisher: MountainWorks Press

Publication Date: 8th January 2012

Goodreads Summary: FISH TANK is an insightful allegory about the human condition, tackling issues of politics and power, limited resources and climate change.

FISH TANK is the ANIMAL FARM for our times.

--Dr. Pete Coppolillo, Ecologist

FISH TANK is a clever and fascinating fable that provides an insightful mirror on the folly of current human attitudes concerning climate change and global degradation.

--Dr. Steven W. Running, Nobel Laureate as a member of the IPCC, University of Montana

FISH TANK is a throw back to the times of Aesop... Take it as a great story, but know that it is real.

--Conrad Anker, elite mountaineer and author of THE LOST EXPLORER: FINDING MALLORY ON MOUNT EVEREST

FISH TANK could benefit young adults in the same way LORD OF THE FLIES benefitted previous generations, helping them understand that bad things can happen when self interested people are not kept in check.

--Peter Cook, high school teacher, Melbourne Australia

FISH TANK [is] a great read for all ages. It has many different layers that appeal to people of all reading levels, from the enchanting characters and plot to the deeper messages that leave you thinking. I was really able to relate the issues and characters in FISH TANK to issues and people that I deal with in my life. FISH TANK leaves you thinking about the role you play in our society and challenging yourself do better.

--Tessa Exley, student, age 14

Just as the "Occupy" movement has shouted its intolerance for corporate greed and corruption, it's time we do the same when it comes to climate. We need a revelation. FISH TANK forces you to realize just that.

--Kelly Matheson, Program Manager for the Americas, WITNESS, New York City

{ Review }

So I've been rearranging my bookshelf and I discovered Fish Tank by Scott Bischke at the bottom of a very big pile of books. I actually received this book to review back in 2012 so I'm pretty darn ashamed that it's taken me this long to get round to it! Better late than never... right?

Fish Tank has been hailed as a modern day Animal Farm, a fantastic novel, so I was immediately interested in reading it. Instead of taking place on a farm, this story takes place in a small aquarium owned by a Professor Brown. The story goes that Professor Brown is given the opportunity to take a year long sabbatical in Australia to save a rare species of seahorse. However, this means that he has to leave his beloved aquarium at home in the hands of Augustus, a lazy man who is only interested in money. Despite Professor Brown's reservations, he has no choice but to leave Augustus in charge as there isn't anybody else willing to take the job he posted. Augustus agrees to check up on the fish tanks twice a week, though the fish feeder has enough food in it to last a week and being the lazy man he is, he has already mentally decided that he won't visit the tanks anymore than he needs to. As soon as Professor Brown leaves, Augustus tries to think up a plan for how he can minimise the amount of work he has to do, but still pick up his pay cheques. His master plan is to enlarge the feeder to last for longer than a week so that he doesn't need to keep coming back on a weekly basis. Augustus, or AgainstUs as the fish call him, attaches a 55-gallon drum to the top of the feeder and fills the drum with food. Thinking he's a genius, Augustus leaves with absolutely no intention of returning to the aquarium again before the year is up. Meanwhile, the fish have been watching Augustus' actions and debates spark up as they ponder whether or not they have enough food to last the year. Some fish are more dominant than others and have different ideas about how they should handle the fact that they are now alone, with the possibility of a food shortage before the year is up and the story continues...

Fish Tank is a very easy read that I sped through in one sitting. It's an interesting tale that explores different personalities and different attitudes towards dealing with problems facing society, in this case a shortage of food, but the same model can be applied to other situations facing society today, such as global warming. Although it may seem a little silly to use fish as the characters for such a story, that is what is so effective about this fable. You think that you are reading a simple short story, with interesting characters, but in fact this is subtle commentary on society. The nature of the characters as fish means that this novel is easy to understand as well as entertaining and can be read by readers of all ages. This is the sort of book that should be studied in schools and discussed and debated openly because this isn't a story about fish, it is a story about us and the society that we are living in today.

The aim of this fable is to get people to think about the problem of limited resources and how society needs to work together to solve said issues. I firmly believe that this book has achieved its aims as it certainly made me think about the shortage of natural resources that we are facing today as well as how the failure to cooperate can destroy an entire society. This book shows just how important it is for the entire world to work together to combat our issues but it also demonstrates the sad reality that this will almost certainly never happen, sealing our fate.

I think that the ending to this story could've been a little better developed as this was the really crucial point and there could've been more commentary on how the actions of these fish led to this point. The reader is supposed to learn from a fable and I think that the message of this story needed to be reiterated more strongly at the end to make this work even better than it already is. However, I don't think the ending is at all obvious or predictable which is a bonus point because the entire way through the reader is left wondering whether this society will survive or not which encourages you to keep reading.

All in all, Fish Tank is a fantastic short read that will keep you entertained and intrigued throughout. This story carries with it an important message and the author has done a brilliant job of conveying a serious message through the medium of fiction. I sincerely hope that this book gains popularity as it a must read for our generation and gives you much food for thought.

Title: Gretel and the Dark

Author: Eliza Granville

Genre: Young Adult, Fairytale

Publisher: Penguin Books UK

Publication Date: 6th February 2014

Goodreads Summary: Gretel and the Dark is Eliza Granville's dazzling novel of darkness, evil - and hope.Vienna, 1899.

Josef Breuer - celebrated psychoanalyst - is about to encounter his strangest case yet. Found by the lunatic asylum, thin, head shaved, she claims to have no name, no feelings - to be, in fact, not even human. Intrigued, Breuer determines to fathom the roots of her disturbance.

Years later, in Germany, we meet Krysta. Krysta's Papa is busy working in the infirmary with the 'animal people', so little Krysta plays alone, lost in the stories of Hansel and Gretel, the Pied Piper, and more. And when everything changes and the real world around her becomes as frightening as any fairy tale, Krysta finds that her imagination holds powers beyond what she could have ever guessed ...

{ Review }

Gretel and the Dark is set in Vienna in 1899 and alternates between two different stories every chapter, that of a young girl named Krysta and that of a beautiful young woman named Lillie. Krysta is a spoilt little girl who is sheltered by her father due to the loss of her mother. Her father is some sort of 'doctor' who works with 'animal people' whilst Krysta remains at home with her doll all day. Krysta is very imaginative girl who is always telling her doll stories, some of them are quite dark, and she frequently talks of her old minder, Greet, who used to tell these stories to her. Alongside Krysta's story we have that of Lillie, a beautiful young woman, who is discovered naked and alone in a forest. She is found and brought to Dr Josef Breuer by his young gardener, Benjamin and she is cared for in his household as they try to figure out where Lillie has come from, though she claims to not even be human and was created to kill 'the monster'.

Prior to reading Gretel and the Dark, I had read numerous reviews, all of which were extremely positive with reviewers ranting and raving about how awesome this book was. Needless to say, I had very high expectations as a result. A lot of other reviewers emphasised how this story is an adaption of the fairytale Hansel and Gretel and the title would certainly make you believe that, but the plot is actually so much more complex than that. Whilst there are indeed many fairytales mentioned, their significance does become apparent until the end of the novel, and the story of Hansel and Gretel is not the only fairytale that features in this novel. Not only that, but this story is also a subtle look at the oppression of the jews in the build up to the World Wars, something that wasn't at all apparent to me until I read that in someone else's review. This theme becomes a bit clearer as the novel goes on, but I think these references are so subtle that the average reader would miss them if they haven't been forewarned.

I have to admit that whilst I had high hopes for this novel, the book did not live up to expectations for me. It's taken me over a month to read the entire story as I didn't really have any motivation to carry on reading. Although the story is interesting and very well written, I found it very hard to get into and I never really felt like the plot was actually going anywhere. I kept hoping that the novel would pick up and the story would become clearer but, unfortunately, I still felt this way at the end of the novel. That's not to say that this story is boring or that there weren't moments when I was really into it, because there were, I just didn't feel like there was an overall movement towards some sort of finale, but instead it seemed as the majority of the novel was just setting up the world the characters were living in.

I think one of the main reasons I couldn't really get into this novel is because the two alternating plot strands seemed completely unrelated for a large portion of the book. It is only towards the end of the novel that you begin to see how the two stories may fit together and how the fairytale is relevant to the story. Krysta turns from an annoying brat to someone with an extraordinary imagination but I feel like there were certain gaps in her development and I could probably think of Krysta as a different person at each of the defining moments of her story. This is a shame because her story really is fascinating and I just wish I fully understood it. Lillie's story seemed to have much more a focus than Krysta's and yet it didn't fulfil this in the end. A lot of her story was spent trying to figure out who she is, where she'd come from and what her purpose is but I think this got a bit lost with all the other characters' stories around her.

There is a sort of plot 'twist', or rather a great revealing, towards the end of the novel, but it was all just a little too late in my opinion. I will admit that said 'twist' was extremely clever and I definitely appreciated the ingenuity of the author in how she had constructed and written her story; however, this revelation did not actually clarify a lot of the story's events for me. I have a vague understanding of how the two stories are related, but I'm still very sketchy on the details and to be honest, if someone asked me to explain the plot to them right now, I'm not sure I could do a particularly good job.

As I said, this is extremely well written story and the language that is used is complex and compelling and very, very dark, however, there was something that just didn't quite mesh together in this novel. There were so many brilliant elements to this novel, but I couldn't connect them all which left me feeling like there were bits and pieces of brilliance floating in a river that I was trying to cross, but none of them were coming together to form a bridge for me to do so safely. This is a shame because the writing is really is very, very good, so good and complex, in fact, that I would say that this is more an adult book than a young adult book. The darker themes that are explored also make this book more appropriate for adult or mature teen readers. My only criticism of the writing would be that a few too many phrases were in untranslated German to the point where I was sometimes really frustrated that I didn't know what people were saying to each other. There was literally no way for me to figure out what the characters were saying which left me in the dark which I think was more a negative thing than a brilliant stylistic device.

All in all, Gretel and the Dark is a so-so book that had the potential to be phenomenal. I am definitely in the minority when it comes to Gretel and the Dark as most people who read this book were completely taken with it, giving it four or five stars, but I really didn't connect with the story at all. Perhaps I missed a trick whilst reading it or something, but I am still so confused about so many things about this story which is incredibly frustrating. One of my main problems with this novel is that I am still in the dark about what was real and what was imaginary. In addition, what I thought was going to be the main 'plot', was not fulfilled at the end of the novel, at least I don't think it was, which leaves me wondering - what was the point? I'd probably still recommend Gretel and the Dark though I'd recommend reading it very thoroughly and carefully to avoid ending up incredibly confused, as I am now.

Salvage by Keren David.

Title: Salvage
Author: Keren David
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Atom
Publication Date: 16th January 2014
Goodreads Summary: Aidan Jones was my brother. But I couldn't really remember his face. I couldn't remember talking to him or playing with him. He was just a gap, an absence, a missing person.

Before she was adopted by a loving family and raised in a leafy Home Counties town, Cass Montgomery was Cass Jones. Her memories of her birth family disappeared with her name. But when her adopted family starts to break down, a way out comes in the form of a message from her lost brother, Aidan. Having Aidan back in her life is both everything she needs and nothing she expected. Who is this boy who calls himself her brother? And why is he so haunted?

I glance at the paper. There's a big picture on the front page. A girl with dark red hair. A girl with eyes that might have been green or they might have been grey. I sit down and stare at Cass, and it is her, it is. My stolen sister.

Aidan's a survivor. He's survived an abusive step-father and an uncaring mother. He's survived crowded foster homes and empty bedsits. His survived to find Cass. If only he can make her understand what it means to be part of his family. . .

Aidan Jones was my brother. But I couldn't really remember his face. I couldn't remember talking to him or playing with him. He was just a gap, an absence, a missing person.

Before she was adopted by a loving family and raised in a leafy Home Counties town, Cass Montgomery was Cass Jones. Her memories of her birth family disappeared with her name. But when her adopted family starts to break down, a way out comes in the form of a message from her lost brother, Aidan. Having Aidan back in her life is both everything she needs and nothing she expected. Who is this boy who calls himself her brother? And why is he so haunted?

I glance at the paper. There's a big picture on the front page. A girl with dark red hair. A girl with eyes that might have been green or they might have been grey. I sit down and stare at Cass, and it is her, it is. My stolen sister.

Aidan's a survivor. He's survived an abusive step-father and an uncaring mother. He's survived crowded foster homes and empty bedsits. His survived to find Cass. If only he can make her understand what it means to be part of his family. . .

{ Review }

When the opportunity to review Salvage by Keren David arose, I was incredibly excited. It sounded like a brilliant new book that seemed to have already received much praise. Whilst the book wasn't quite what I had expected, it was an excellent read that discusses much deeper issues that your average young adult book.

Salvage is written from the alternating perspectives of half brother and sister Cass and Aidan. They haven't seen each other in over ten years having been separated at a young age when they were both put into social care. The lives of these two siblings couldn't have been more different with Cass being adopted by a MP, sent to a leading grammar school and thought to be heading to Oxford University, whilst Aidan has moved from foster family to foster family and eventually ended up on his own, at the age of 16, having left school with little to no qualifications and now works in a shop. When Cass' Dad is revealed to be having an affair, her family life is spread all over the newspapers and catches the attention of Aidan who can't believe his luck. Finally having found his little sister he searches for her on Facebook and gets in touch.

Although Salvage may seem like the story of two long lost siblings finding each other, it is actually so much more than that. There are so many different things going on that are all somehow interlinked including family, young love, friendship, parenting and much more. All these different plot strands are seamlessly woven together to create a complex story that will hold your interest throughout. This isn't a particularly action-filled story so don't expect lots of plot twists or anything like that but it's still a really, really good story. Serious issues that affect many youths today are explored and I can't say whether they're factually accurate, but this story sure does make you grateful for the family life you have.

A lot of teenage girls will probably be able to relate to the character of Cass who is 16 years old, under a lot of pressure from her parents to seem outwardly 'perfect', achieve high grades and go to a good university whilst dealing with boy drama and family drama. I wouldn't say she's particularly likeable, but she's got a lot of sass that you can't help but admire. Aidan is a character that you grow to really sympathise with and he has such a big heart. None of these characters are perfect; their lives are pretty messed up and the author isn't afraid to show this. Salvage is definitely a more 'real' story than a lot of other teenage fiction that is currently on shelves and not just because it doesn't feature vampires or werewolves - the characters genuinely seem like real people.

I have to admit I did find the ending a little disappointing. As I was reading the last few pages I could see that there wasn't much story left to go but I felt like there was so much left to say. The ending was bad, per say, I just felt slightly let down in that there wasn't a conclusive ending with one character's story left very open-ended. For some, this could be a good thing as there is plenty of room for imagination and future development, but personally, I like it when stand alone stories have complete finales that leave me satisfied and not feeling like there was something missing. There were a few lose ends which weren't exactly 'important' but it still bothered me that there were left unfinished.

All in all, Salvage was a refreshing young adult read that isn't a story you've read a hundred times before. It is refreshing and deep, the perfect thing to pick up if you're starting to tire of your standard teenage drama.

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Thanks every so much to Team Atom for sending me a copy to read and review!