Blogging for Me

In the last year, I've had a lot going on in my life. Between mental health, moving my life back to Ireland, finally finishing my manuscript and the everyday admin, I've found it hard to focus on my blog. More than focusing on it, I've found it quite tough to stir up the passion to write. Don't worry, I'm still going to write. I used to tell myself I had to write twice a week and really, the only person telling myself this was me. No one else expects me to churn out two blog posts a week and really, I'd rather produce something really heartfelt and poignant - something that makes you think and/or feel - every fortnight than publish half-baked posts that aren't a reflection of me or this blog. More than any of this, I need to remember why I started this blog. I started it for me, to voice my thoughts and chat books and if someone loves what I do, fantastic.


So what does this mean for the YAfictionados blog?
It means a couple of things:

1. This book will no longer be limited to book chat. I love books and bookish chat will remain one of the central tropes I'll discuss here but I also want to talk about my writing journey (especially if I manage to get an agent and find a publishing home - fingers crossed!) to help inspire others to write. I want to talk about some of the beautiful places I've visited abroad on my travels but also in my hometown of Dublin. I want to peel back the layers and let you guys (and girls) see a different side to me; to see beyond face value and get to know the different parts that make me, me.
2. I won't be posting with any fixed regularity. I'll aim to post every second week but I'll only be posting when something strikes or moves me and really, when it feels like something worth sharing with all of you.
3. I love reviews but my focus will move away from single reviews and look at some of the books I enjoyed reading in that particular month (a monthly round-up starting in May).

I hope you're all excited and be sure to share all your bookish thoughts with me on Twitter. I want to know what you're reading and what you're looking forward to reading this year.

I'm looking forward to sharing some of my mental health experiences and a bit more about my illness so subscribe and keep an eye out for 

 

Christopher Moore:

Christopher is a co-founder of the YAfictionados blog (@YAfictionados). He's currently working on his debut LGBT YA novel. When he's not reading, writing or blogging, he can found in coffee shops or baking in his kitchen (watch out for his book cookies!). He loves to travel and will read anything YA-related and some general fiction and fantasy.

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.