Wishbones by Virginia Macgregor

"Depression is sneaky. It hides, waiting for something to happen to knock you off your stride and then it pounces. And once it's got its claws in you, it swallows you whole."

Published by Harlequin Teen, 9th March 2016 

384pages in paperback.

Cover by TBC

Summary from Amazon:

Feather Tucker has two wishes:

1)To get her mum healthy again

2) To win the Junior UK swimming championships

When Feather comes home on New Year’s Eve to find her mother - one of Britain’s most obese women- in a diabetic coma, she realises something has to be done to save her mum’s life. But when her Mum refuses to co-operate Feather realises that the problem run deeper than just her mum’s unhealthy appetite.

Over time, Feather’s mission to help her Mum becomes an investigation. With the help of friends old and new, and the hindrance of runaway pet goat Houdini, Feather’s starting to uncover when her mum’s life began to spiral out of control and why. But can Feather fix it in time for her mum to watch her swim to victory? And can she save her family for good?

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Review

Wishbones is a contemporary YA novel which explores eating disorders, obesity, depression, family relationships, first love and sexuality, all with sensitivity and warmth.

The characters are extremely well-drawn. Feather is a brave teen who loves her mum and is both sympathetic to and frustrated with her mum’s seeming lack of interest in her own health. Feather’s mum, Josie, is obese, but never a caricature. There are people who make fun of her and behave in underhand and dehumanizing ways towards her, and there are plenty of secrets and lies throughout, but the book focuses on how sharing your darkest truths can shine a light on them and lift you up. This is, at its centre, a story about hope.

Hope is something that Clay, the new boy in town, also seems to have lost. He suffers from male anorexia, the opposite of Josie’s disorder, and a rarely talked about, much less written about issue. As with Josie’s depression, Clay’s story illustrates the power that love and support can have, though ultimately, the book is very clear that the steps towards recovery must come from the person themselves. There are no quick fixes here, no matter how much Feather wants them for everyone.

Author Virginia Macgregor has a way of creating worlds that are real and warm and truthful; settings and characters that stick with you so that you want to stay with them. Wishbones is a fine example. It’s well paced, skilfully plotted with characters you root for and revelations that will keep you turning the pages. It’s a brilliant book and one I know I’ll be recommending to all. 

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Sarah Baker is a children’s author. Her novel for 8-12 year olds, Through the Mirror Door, is available now.

Website: bysarahbaker.com 

Twitter: @bysarahbaker

Instagram: @bysarahbaker

Pinterest: pinterest.com/bysarahbaker

Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder

Pages - 413

Published by Mira Ink in December 2012

Book received from publisher via Net Galley

'I'm dead,' I said to Kerrick.

He kept his flat expression, and I knew I'd get more cooperation from the cave's stone walls. Too bad for him that I didn't need his approval. But it would be nice if we worked out an agreement at least.

Goodreads Summary

Avry of Kazan, the last Healer of the mystical Fifteen Realms, has a power that can’t be matched. But in the minds of her friends and foe alike, Avry no longer exists. Now, as the psychotic King Tohon builds an army mightier than any that has been seen before—a league of undead soldiers—Avry must face her toughest, most terrifying battle alone. Fighting to be reunited with her family and her lover Kerrick, Avry must infiltrate Tohon’s troops. But does she have the power, the rare magic; to do what legend says is impossible?

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I love this series! When I read this series, it makes me want to rush out and buy every book by Maria V. Snyder. It is just so good.

This is the second book in the Healer series and before I go any further, I have to tell you to stop reading this review if you haven’t read the first book as it will contain spoilers!

 

*taps feet* *checks watch* *whistles while the people who haven’t read the first book leave the blog*

Are we ready?

Well as you already know, Avry, didn’t die. Nope, she is a living, breathing, snarky yet gutsy girl  out to get her sister back. Even though her sister would rather be eaten alive than spend time with her. So Avry departs on a dangerous mission to save her sister leaving Kendrick behind to return to his army and his own kingdom and prepare to fight against Tohon. The book is told in alternating viewpoints. Avry’s story is told in first person, while Kendrick’s is told in third. I have noticed more and more YA books writing like this lately and I have to say I really like this style of writing.

All the well-loved characters from the first book appear in this one. Kendrick’s men remind me of Robin Hood’s merry men, as they defend Avery at every moment. I loved them all. Avry and Kendrick are still my favourite characters. Unfortunately they don’t spend enough time together in this book for me as I love the sparks that fly in their tempestuous relationship.

Avry’s power is pretty amazing. The way she can take anyone’s illness and pain and make it her own is awe inspiring. However it comes with a price, any scars that the other person would have had become Avry’s and occasionally she pushes her body to the limit and death can often look inevitable for her. I think this power and her need to heal against all odds, shows her incredible strength of character.

Every chapter is short, compact and thrilling, leaving you on a cliff hanger every time as you alternate between points of view. I struggled to stop reading as I always ended up on a cliff hanger and I needed to know what happened next.

The ending! Oh my goodness. That completely left me in shock. I haven’t a clue how Book Three will deal with that.

I am so intrigued by the Peace Lilies and the Death Lilies and the way Avry has such a strong connection to them. The way they work seemed to change dramatically in this book and I am presuming we will learn more in the final book.

A brilliant world building fantasy book with an exciting plot that leaves you breathless. I can’t wait to find out how it all ends. This is the best second book in a series I have read in a long time. It is just as strong if not stronger than the first.

Hooked by Liz Fichera

 
 

Pages - 368

Published by Harlequin Teen in January 2013

Copy obtained via Net Galley

I believed that my ancestors lived among the stars. Whenever I struck a golf ball, sometimes the ball soared so high that I thought they could touch it.

Goodreads Summary

When Native American Fredricka ‘Fred’ Oday is invited to become the only girl on the school’s golf team, she can’t say no. This is an opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to university, something no one in her family has done.
But Fred’s presence on the team isn’t exactly welcome — especially not to rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make a spot for Fred.
But there’s no denying that things are happening between the girl with the killer swing and the boy with the killer smile...

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I enjoyed Hooked more than I thought I would. To be honest there is something about the cover that I find off putting. I think it might be the colour; the black and white aspect of it. Shallow I know! Luckily I read the blurb before I made my decision to read it and that literally had me hooked.

Firstly I can’t remember ever reading a YA book about golf, so hats off to the author for originality there. I was surprised how much I loved the golf aspect of the story, seeing as I have never picked up an iron in my life. One of the main characters Fred is an American Indian girl playing on an all-white, all male golf team for the school. This girl has got guts! She goes up against Seth, with his psychopathic tendencies, who hates her intensely because she took his spot on the golf team. He goes out of his way to make her life a misery. I loved Fred because she was so strong even though she wore her innocence like an extra layer of skin, she wouldn’t let them defeat her and pull her down. She continued to believe in herself.

Secondly, I loved the fact the author let us delve into the world of the American Indians.  We were privileged to be allowed access to traditions that they hold sacred. I don’t think there are enough books featuring American Indians, the only others I can remember are the Twilight books by Stephanie Meyer. I think they are such interesting and vibrant people that they should definitely feature in more YA books.

The book is told from alternative perspectives between Fred and Ryan, who is the All American boy, who gets everything he wants, delivered to him on a shiny silver platter. Yet his family is dysfunctional and he plays up against that fact. You want to hate him to begin with, but he falls so hard and so quickly for Fred, you find yourself nodding in approval at this blossoming yet fragile romance.

This book looks strongly at relationships that go against the odds. When two people come from such different backgrounds, this book shows it isn’t impossible for their relationship to work. Fred and Ryan couldn’t be more opposite to each other, yet it was lovely to see their love grow. I did struggle a little with the romance, as both characters struggled to get it right. There was a lot of will they, won’t they going on, which got a tad annoying.

This book reminded me of Pretty In Pink but with golf!

I thought this was a really good start to the series and I can’t wait to read the second book where we see Riley, Ryan’s younger sister find romance with another character already featured in this first book.

 

The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter

Pages - 395

Published by Harlequin Teen in July 2012

In all the years I'd existed, I'd never expected to be free. I was the daughter of Titans, and as such, I'd always accepted it as fact that they would rule. They were without question the most powerful beings in the universe after all.

They controlled everything and everyone. They were our makers. 

They were our gods. 

But after ten years of rebellion and war in an effort to protect humanity from our father's twisted games, we were the gods now. 

Goodreads Summary

For millennia we've caught only glimpses of the lives and loves of the gods and goddesses on Olympus. Now Aime e Carter pulls back the curtain on how they became the powerful, petty, loving and dangerous immortals that Kate Winters knows.

Calliope/Hera represented constancy and yet had a husband who never matched her faithfulness....

Ava/Aphrodite was the goddess of love and yet commitment was a totally different deal....

Persephone was urged to marry one man, yet longed for another....

James/Hermes loved to make trouble for others-but never knew true loss before....

Henry/Hades's solitary existence had grown too wearisome to continue. But meeting Kate Winters gave him a new hope....

Five original novellas of love, loss and longing and the will to survive throughout the ages.

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This book is fantastic! It is like the guide to the Gods of the Goddess series. If you ever wondered why certain characters acted in the way they did within these books then now you will know why. Did you ever wonder why Henry was so distant to Kate or why Calliope was just so evil? Well read these novellas and you will know. 

This book really brought all the Gods alive to me, their motivations and feelings cemented them into well developed characters as they each had their time to stand in the spotlight and shine. I felt like I understood them all when I came away from reading the book.
The book is broken up into five novellas and was surprisingly longer than I expected. I think I may have just read the word 'novella' and my mind expected a hundred pages, when this is the size of a normal book. 

Out of the five novellas, my favourite ones were Calliope's and Persephone's stories, which I adored. I actually felt really sorry for Calliope when I reached the end of hers and I never thought I would say that. The way she was treated by Walter was just dismal and you could see why did the things she did. Persephone didn't come across as selfish as she had in Goddess Interrupted; it was very clear that she never felt love for Henry at all and she was pushed into a marriage she really didn't want. 

The only novella I didn't seem to enjoy was the one starring James. I found that one difficult to get into as I couldn't really connect to him as a character. However, I could understand why it had been included and when I read Henry's story it all made sense. 

This book is a must read for all fans of the The Goddess series by Aimee Carter, as it lays the foundations for the books in the past as well as the future within the series. I am so glad I read this book and I can't wait for the next installment. 

Beyond The Grave by Mara Purnhagen

Published by Harlequin

Pages - 253

' I never should have sent my boyfriend to the electric chair. Watching Noah from the monitor in the next room, I felt awful for him. Frayed leather straps restrained his arms. Shackles held his legs in place and, even though his eyes were squeezed shut, I knew he was anxious and uncomfortable. 

Being Charlotte Silver, the daughter of famous paranormal investigators, means my life isn’t like that of other teenage girls. Especially after what happened to my parents. Things changed. I missed prom and deferred my big college plans. But I still have my boyfriend, Noah. He’s everything I could want—if I can figure out what’s up with him. Suddenly Noah is secretive. 

I fear it has something to do with what happened to us three months ago. The bruise Noah suffered during a paranormal attack has never completely faded. Now I’ve learnt Noah is researching demons. And when he disappears, it’s up to me to find him—before something else does.

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A you can read from the paragraph above, the book explodes in the first page. I began reading and I was panicking about the situation Charlotte had found herself in. Seriously, an electric chair! 

The story is told in first person, so you get to experience everything just as Charlotte does, which really works for this series. There is a quite a twist at the end, which really pulls the rug from under you. I will be honest and say it was a bit slow going to begin with, but it is definitely worth carrying on, as the plot thickens and throws out some unexpected  fireworks. 

It was lovely to see this book finish with a happier ending than the previous one which had a shocking and violent ending. I have really enjoyed this series but I was left unsure as to whether this book was the last one or not. 

I can't say too much about this book as I don't want to give away spoilers, so I will try and be really careful.

Noah, Charlotte's boyfriend is very strange in this book. I was really worried how his character was going to develop. He really had a lot going on in his head and I  was concerned that Charlotte might be in danger, throughout the book. 

The development of the friendship with Bliss was a bit of a turn up for the books. Extremely unexpected, after the claws being out between them  in the previous book.  Michael was a gorgeous addition to the list of characters - definitely one you could get to know better. 

A good plot with surprises along the way. 

The Abandoned by Amanda Stevens

The prequal to the Graveyard Queen series. 

Published on the 1st April by MIRA, an imprint of Harlequin. 

Book read via NET GALLEY

Ree Hutchins was dozing at the old woman's bedside, a dog-eared copy of The Call of the Wild open on her lap, when Violet Tisdale passed away. 

Synopsis from the Amanda's website.

When her favorite patient at a private mental hospital passes away, psychology student Ree Hutchins mourns the elderly woman’s death.  But more unsettling is her growing suspicion that something unnatural is shadowing her.

Amateur ghost hunter Hayden Priest believes Ree is being haunted. Even Amelia Gray, known in Charleston as the Graveyard Queen, senses a gathering darkness. Driven by a force she doesn’t understand, Ree is compelled to uncover an old secret and put abandoned souls to rest—before she is locked away forever…

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I just can't get enough of this series! Amanda Stevens is seriously becoming a favourite author of mine. I loved The Restorer and I love The Abandoned just as much too.

Amanda can write Southern Gothic with style. There is a real darkness to this book, and is just as gripping as The Restorer.

Two of the main characters from The Restorer make an appearance in this book, which takes place just after Amelia has been commissioned to work on the local graveyard,where The Restorer is set. Amelia and Devlin don't meet in this story, so we don't see their blossoming romance begin. However, we don't miss out on the romance side, as Ree and Hayden are a hot topic in this book. They shouldn't be together, but neither can resist the pull of lust. 

There are ghostly apparitions as Ree seems to be haunted after sitting with Violet whilst she passed over. Amanda Stevens is just so good as giving ghosts a realistic and sinister appearance in her books. I get a chill every time I read about them.

This book is only 108 pages and is easily read in one sitting. I just couldn't stop myself reading it all in one go. 

If you are looking for a spiritual sensation enveloped in Southern charm, then I urge you to read The Abandoned and The Restorer. I cannot wait for The Kingdom. These books are not published in the UK yet, but you can buy used copies of The Restorer on Amazon co.uk and you can buy The Abandoned online. 

The Graveyard Queen Series:
Prequel: The Abandoned (April 2011Book I: The Restorer (May 2011)
Book II: The Kingdom (November 2011)
Book III: The Prophet (May 2012)

One Hundred Candles by Mara Purnhagen

Pages - 235

Published by Harlequin Teen in February 2011

Book: Review copy via Net Galley kindly requested from Harlequin Teen

This book is the second in the Past Midnight Series.

I would never get used to spending Christmas in a an insane asylum. My parents laughed and said that, after seventeen years, I should have looked forward to it, but I would much rather sit in front of a roaring fire with a mug of hot chocolate listening to Christmas carols instead of this year's version of holiday cheer: roaming the barren hallways of an empty sanitarium in a quest for restless energy.

Charlotte comes from a rather infamous family who are well known as being paranormal investigators.She is just getting to a place in her life where she feels she can actually be a normal teenager. She has started a new school and made new friends who don't seem to be obsessed with her family's chosen career.   She has even got a hot date with Harris, the school football star.

Yet things don't seem to want to run smoothly for Charlotte and after Harris takes her to a party where a spooky game called One Hundred Candles is played, things start to wrong. Rather creepy and sinister events begin to occur at school, frightening everyone. Can Charlotte get to the bottom of it, without putting herself in danger.

Although this book is the second in the series, I never felt for one minute that I needed to read the first book beforehand, a huge plus in any book for me.

I love a book that can send shivers up my spine and have me constantly checking that no one is lurking behind the sofa and this one did not disappoint.  All the way through, you were just waiting for the bad things to happen and scaring yourself silly.

Charlotte is a rather feisty go getting girl who for some reason reminded me of  a cross between Nancy Drew and Velma from Scooby Doo. I think it might be her super sleuthing ways to discover the truth.  She is feisty and fearless and goes through hell with a lot of dignity.  She has no special powers to deal with the ghosts, she is just an ordinary girl with a family with an unordinary career.

The other characters didn't really stand out to me. I felt they were a little two dimensional and I would have liked to have got to know them a lot better. Avery and Noah really captured my interest but they just didn't stand out as much as Charlotte did. This may be more defined in the first book but as I haven't read it, I can't really say.

I found the action moved swiftly through the book and the build up of tension kept me reading. It is definitely one of those books you quickly get lost in and feel an urgency to find out what is going on. I thought the pacing was excellent and I found myself finishing this book in two sittings.

If you like ghost stories with a hint of mystery then this book will really appeal to your inner Nancy Drew!

There is a free ebook available here, which is a bridging novella between the first two books. If you would like to read the series from the start the first book is called Past Midnight.