I'm So Starstruck: 'Star Struck' Review

'Star Struck' by Jenny MacLachlan
Review by Christopher Moore

Summary:

Following on from Flirty Dancing, Love Bomb and Sunkissed, Jenny McLachlan's next book is perfect for fans of Geek Girl and Louise Rennison.

A spotlight shines down on the two of us and everyone drifts into the shadows...Pearl is destined to be the star of this year's school musical. Being the lead is all she wants - especially as it means kissing super-hot Jake Flower.

Then a new girl walks into the audition...Hoshi can sing, she's an amazing dancer and she's seriously cute. Before Pearl knows it, she's stolen her part, her friends and Jake's attention! But this girl doesn't know who she's messing with. Pearl's used to battling every day and she's not going down without a fight. Sparks are going to fly!
 

Review:

Star Struck is the last in the Ladybirds series. I should probably point out now that I haven’t read the others but that didn’t take away from my reading enjoyment.

If I’m being honest, I thought that Pearl was an absolute cow. She came across as a complete rhymes-with-witch but I get it. MacLachan crafts her characters on two levels; their characteristics and outer appearance and their internalised problems like Pearl's home life where we get to see her softer, more vulnerable side. So yes, on the outside, Pearl isn’t a very nice person but when we get a 360 view of her life, we begin to understand the complexities that drive her and make her act the way she does.

Domestic abuse haunts her home life. Pearl has to lock her bedroom door to prevent her brother from invading her personal space and finding new ways to torture her. There were parts where I was actually scared for Pearl; where I experienced her panic and fear as if there were some sort of fictional-real-world, psychic link tethering us together.

I don’t think the book covers do justice to the stories. When I picked it up, I wanted to put it down again because the cover gave the impression that this was going to be a girly, all-frills kind of book when it’s more than that. It’s a book that touches on some really strong issues like abuse and there's a nice surprise towards the end. Pearl, as the narrator, is funny and cruel but she demands your attention and makes you want to read her story.

Is this the best book I’ve ever read? No. Is this a book I’d recommend? Certainly. It’s an ideal beach read. The only drawback for me was the way the abuse was handled; I don’t feel like there was any sense of resolution and for younger readers, that’s a bit dangerous, hence why I knocked off a star.

Rating: 4/5 Stars  ★ ★ ★ ★

 

Christopher Moore:

  

Christopher is a co-founder of the YAfictionados blog and is best known as the YAblooker. He is a twenty-five year old book blogger who has previously worked in marketing and consumer insight for various publishing houses and writes in his spare time. He loves to travel and will read anything YA-related and some general fiction and fantasy.

Sally Green Knocks It Out Of The Park With 'Half Lost'

'Half Lost' by Sally Green

Review by Christopher Moore

Summary:

Nathan Byrn is running again. The Alliance of Free Witches has been all but destroyed. Scattered and demoralized, constantly pursued by the Council's Hunters, only a bold new strategy can save the rebels from total defeat. They need the missing half of Gabriel's amulet - an ancient artefact with the power to render its bearer invincible in battle. But the amulet's guardian - the reclusive and awesomely powerful witch Ledger - has her own agenda.

To win her trust, Nathan must travel to America and persuade her to give him the amulet. Combined with his own Gifts, the amulet might just be enough to turn the tide for the Alliance and end the bloody civil war between Black and White witches once and for all...


Review:

I have been a fan of Sally's work since I first read Half Bad. I love her characters and the way she gets inside Nathan's head and vividly portrays the traumas and tortures he endures and the impact it has on his fragile mental health. Not to mention, major props to the designer of some of the best YA covers to grace bookshelves in the last decade.

Half Lost is the final book in the Half Bad trilogy and culminates in a battle between Soul (and his Council) and the Hunters versus Nathan and the Alliance of Free Witches. Sally's writing is gritty and the subject matter continues to push the boundaries and really force a reaction out of the reader. In particular, I adored the dynamic between Nathan and Gabriel. The contrast between characters - Nathan who is fiery, violent and aggressive while Gabriel is calmer, more pensive and caring - makes their scenes come alive and more exciting to read than the in-the-moment, action scenes.

Each of the witches that Nathan encounters, whether Black or White, have their own agendas, their own individual abilities and their own personalities which really distinguish them from each other and lend the story additional levels of complexity. My favourite character has to be Gabriel but I'm very fond of Mercury and Van too. Sally's characters are flawless in the sense that while, yes, they are flawed people, Sally writes them into existence so they become something more than words on a page.

Nathan's journey takes him around the world and again, Sally captures the intricacies of the witch world while anchoring us in real places. My only criticism is that I wanted to see more of the witch world side of things. I feel like there's more there to be explored.

I have a feeling that the ending will divide readers so anyone that's read this review and has read or is reading Half Lost, tweet me your thoughts: YAblooker. Half Lost publishes on the 31st March 2016. Pre-order your copy now!

Rating: 4/5 Stars  ★ ★ ★ ★

Christopher Moore:

  

Christopher is a co-founder of the YAfictionados blog and is best known as the YAblooker. He is a twenty-five year old book blogger who has previously worked in marketing and consumer insight for various publishing houses and writes in his spare time. He loves to travel and will read anything YA-related and some general fiction and fantasy.