Book Review - LIA’S GUIDE TO WINNING THE LOTTERY by Keren David

LIA’S GUIDE TO WINNING THE LOTTERY

BY

Keren David

Money can’t buy you love. But it can buy many other very nice things. Lia’s mum is a nag, her sister’s a pain and she’s getting nowhere in pursuit of the potentially paranormal Raf. Then she wins £8 million in the lottery, and suddenly everything is different. But will Lia’s fortune create more problems than it solves? Everyone dreams of winning the lottery - but what’s it really like? Find out in this hilarious story by Keren David, whose acclaimed debut novel, When I Was Joe, was Highly Commended for the Booktrust Teenage Prize.

MY THOUGHTS…

Does winning the lottery bring happiness or more problems?

Lia's family always seem to disagree with her and then she wins £8 million. But this brings the initial problem of her family thinking thatthey have won the lottery. When this initial thought blows over, the comes the issue of popularity at school, hate comments and people asking for things. How can Lia say no? She ends up spending over £1000 on people she doesn't know, and her family keep pestering her with more things she needs to pay for.

My favourite character was Raf. He had such a hard past, although what happened in his past isn't know until the end of the book is nearing. I wanted everything to turn out okay for him, and it did.

I liked this book, and I Recommend it to anyone who hopes to win the lottery or anyone in need of a good book to read.

WHERE CAN I PURCHASE
THIS BOOK?

Amazon

Book Review - A SWIFT PURE CRY by Siobhan Dowd

A SWIFT PURE CRY

BY

Siobhan Dowd

After Shell's mother dies, her obsessively religious father descends into alcoholic mourning and Shell is left to care for her younger brother and sister. Her only release from the harshness of everyday life comes from her budding spiritual friendship with a naive young priest, and most importantly, her developing relationship with childhood friend, Declan, charming, eloquent and persuasive. But when Declan suddenly leaves Ireland to seek his fortune in America, Shell finds herself pregnant and the centre of a scandal that rocks the small community in which she lives, with repercussions across the whole country. The lives of those immediately around her will never be the same again.

MY THOUGHTS…

I loved reading this book. The story is a good one, the main character, Shell, being responsible for her siblings, Jimmy and Trix. Her mother had long since died, leaving her father a drunken, religious mess. But how would Shell cope?

I felt sorry for Shell all the way through the book. Her best friend isn't the nicest of people, and she had no one else to turn to but Declan. But Declan only made things worse for her. I won't give out any spoilers, but I cried when I read about Rosie.

My favourite character was Shell, followed closely by Jimmy, Trix, Rosie and Paul. It seemed such a travesty that Rosie and Paul could not have survived and Shell raised them as well as her siblings. It seemed so sad when no one believed Shell about Rosie and Paul, and I hoped that the ending would bring a little happiness for Shell.

Siobhan Down wrote a fantastic book, and I Highly Recommend this book to all Young Adult readers and anyone else wanting an amazing, yet heartbreaking, story to read.

WHERE CAN I PURCHASE
THIS BOOK?

Amazon

Book Review - WINDRUNNERS DAUGHTER by Bryony Pearce

WINDRUNNERS DAUGHTER

BY

Bryony Pearce

A sabotaged colonization attempt leaves the last humans in the universe stranded on Mars. Braving a half-terraformed atmosphere, terrifying indigenous species, and a colony government that is openly hostile, a young girl named Wren must defy tradition to save her mother and perhaps, every human left. 
 It is forbidden for women to steal the wings that allow a select group of runners to carry messages and goods between colonies. It is forbidden to cross the wastes with a sand storm on the horizon and it is certainly forbidden to share the secrets of the windrunners with those who spend their entire lives in the biospheres. 
But what choice does she have?

MY THOUGHTS…

*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review*

Traveling around Mars would be hard enough challenge on its own.

Traveling around Mars in mid-air, using wings that don’t belong to you, with a man who has never flown before, is near on impossible.

Wren takes on the impossible task of flying across Mars to find her brothers and her father, who haven’t returned from their last flight yet. The only problem – girls aren’t allowed to fly. So, stealing her brothers training wings, she leaps off the platform and into the wind, picking up a follower on the way…

My favourite characters were Raw, Jay and Cole.

Raw seemed nice, and he was concerned for Wrens safety, even when he was in more danger than she was. I felt sorry for him when I read about his past and he became my favourite character.

Jay and Cole, like Raw, were always concerned for Wrens safety and I cried when I read about what happened to Cole and how Jay coped with it.

This is one of my favourite books and I Highly Recommend it to anyone.

WHERE CAN I PURCHASE
THIS BOOK?

Amazon

Book Review - ARTICHOKE HEARTS by Sita Brahmachari

ARTICHOKE HEARTS

BY

Sita Brahmachari

Twelve-year-old Mira comes from a chaotic, artistic and outspoken family where it’s not always easy to be heard. As her beloved Nana Josie's health declines, Mira begins to discover the secrets of those around her, and also starts to keep some of her own. She is drawn to mysterious Jide, a boy who is clearly hiding a troubled past and has grown hardened layers - like those of an artichoke - around his heart. As Mira is experiencing grief for the first time, she is also discovering the wondrous and often mystical world around her.

An incredibly insightful, honest novel exploring the delicate balance, and often injustice, of life and death - but at its heart is a celebration of friendship, culture - and life.

Winner of the 2011 Waterstone's Children's Book Prize.

MY THOUGHTS…

I liked this book a lot. I think that it was very genuine in expressing the troubles of Mira's family as her Nana Josie fights her illness.

I believe that this book shows that everyone has their secrets and that some of those secrets have been bottled up inside of them for as long as they remember. Jidé is my absolute favourite character, along with Laila, which is such a sweet name.

The artichoke heart that Nana Josie gives Mira is the central concept of the book. It fits into everyone's lives. If something bad happens, you shed one of the leaves. I wonder if you do something splendid, you can get the leaf back?

I loved reading this heart warming story and Highly Recommend this book to all Young Adult readers.

WHERE CAN I PURCHASE
THIS BOOK? 

Amazon