The Hate U Give Review.

Title – The Hate U Give

Author – Angie Thomas

Publisher/Published – Walker Books/April 2017

Genre – Young Adult, Contemporary , Fiction, Realistic Fiction

Pages – 438

Summary from Goodreads
Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighbourhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed.
Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl’s struggle for justice.

My Thoughts

5 out of 5 stars

So I read this in 3 sittings over 3 days and Wow. I finished this a couple of days ago and I’ve been think about what I want to say. If I’m really honest I don’t think I could describe just how much I loved this book and the message it portrayed. This blew me away and I would highly recommend that every body give this book a try because it is so powerful and shows a harsh reality. There were moments in this where I was actually crying. I’m not doing to say much more except give this book a try and see how it impacts you.

Quotes that impacted me.
“Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.”
“What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?”
“Brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared. It means you go on even though you’re scared.”
“I can’t change where I come from or what I’ve been through, so why should I be ashamed of what makes me, me?”
“Once upon a time there was a hazel-eyed boy with dimples. I called him Khalil. The world called him a thug.
He lived, but not nearly long enough, and for the rest of my life I’ll remember how he died.
Fairy tale? No. But I’m not giving up on a better ending.”

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Inspired by Susan Schaefer Bernardo Blog Tour.

Inspired
by Susan Schaefer Bernardo
Genre: MG/YA Fantasy/Mythology
Release Date: May 2018
Inner Flower Child Books

Summary:

Rocket Malone is not thrilled with the direction her life is taking. Her mom has just remarried, and they are moving from their hip cottage in Venice Beach to her stepfather’s home in Hollywood. Her best friend, Gillian, has a new friend and a new boyfriend, and Rocket feels left behind. When she finds out that her mother is pregnant with twins, she is furious.

All of these problems are quickly overshadowed when Rocket discovers that she is descended from the Greek muses, and is therefore obligated to serve as an apprentice to the nine mythological sisters. Rocket sees herself as smart but not creative, and apprenticing to the muses does not come naturally to her. She tries to help several people, but just cannot find the right person to aid.

Along with the fun, intelligent story about Greek gods, muses, and other mythological figures, Inspired captures the trials and tribulations of discovering oneself while dealing with the challenges of middle school. Rocket does not want her life to change, but she must adapt, learning to share her mom and her best friend while finding new ways to create her own joy.

Rocket and her friends have some very serious problems. Rocket’s father committed suicide; her mother is in the midst of a high-risk pregnancy. Her friend Ryan lost his sister in a car accident and then was abandoned by his father; the home he shares with his mother is destroyed in a fire. These issues are thoughtfully addressed in the story as the adolescents learn not to blame themselves, to accept what is, and to help one another through the hardest parts.

Inspired is delightful, insightful, and charming as it encourages kids to face their obstacles and chase their own passions.

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Grab yourselves a copy of Inspired HERE!

About the Author

Hello! My name is Susan Schaefer Bernardo, and I’ve been writing poetry and stories since I could hold a crayon! I am a big believer in the power of creativity. The process of writing poetry or making art allows me to express and understand my emotions. Through our imagination, we find ways to move through painful experiences and transform them into something very beautiful and healing.

I wrote my first book Sun Kisses, Moon Hugs because I wanted to reassure my kids (and myself!) that we are always connected to the people we love. Writing my poem “Tonic Waters” helped me cope with grief over my mother-in-law’s death. I was so honored when “Tonic Waters” was published in an anthology and read aloud at the 2014 World Cancer Day Concert – because it meant my words might console others experiencing similar pain. I’m currently finishing my first YA novel for girls, and I’ve just finished collaborating on a wonderful new book to support children who have suffered a traumatic event.

I love to learn just as much as I love to teach, and I hold a B.A. in English (UCLA), M.A. in English Literature (Yale) and elementary/secondary teaching credentials (Pepperdine). I keep my inner flower child happy and inspired by sculpting, dancing, exploring tide pools, raising chickens in the city, traveling to cool new places (and attempting to speak the language, even if it’s just please and thank you), and taking long nature walks with my sons and our rescue terrier Poppy. I’m happiest when I’m barefoot and surrounded by beauty.

Author Links:
Website│Goodreads│Twitter

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Blog Tour Organized by:
YA Bound Book Tours

April 2018 Wrap – Up

Hey guys, time for my April Wrap Up. So I had a bit of a reading slump this month and didn’t read as many books as I wanted too. April was not the month of loads of books for me and I think the slump played a big part in that but I am hopeful that May will be better. On to the books I read this month and the ratings I gave them.

• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury – 4 Stars.
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher – 3 Stars.
• Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth – 5 Stars.
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle – 4 Stars.
• The Piper by Danny Weston – 4 Stars.

So there is the 5 books I read in the month of April.

How did your reading month fair?

O.W.L’s Week One Update April 2nd – April 8th 2018

Hey guys, so week one of the O.W.L’s Readathon is complete and I haven’ read as much as I would have liked but I still have three weeks to catch up.

I read and finished Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher which has 344 pages and I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

I finished Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury  but I’m not including it in this readathon because I started it before it started. I gave the book 4 stars.

I started reading A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle and I am 95 pages in and quite enjoy it. I hope to have that finished today.

I decided to change Percy Jackson and The Last Olympion for Carve The Mark by Veronica Roth and I am 130 pages in so far. I’m’ hoping to finish it in the next couple of days.

Books finished: 1

Pages Read: 569

Stay tuned for another update.

O.W.L’s Exams Readathon TBR

So I came across a really exciting readathon on booktube which was created by G at Book Roast This readathon is based around Ordinary Wizarding Levels or the O.W.L’s. G has came up with a list of 12 O.W.L’s and a challenge for each one. So you read a book based on that challege. The readathon begins today the 2nd of April and finishes on the 29th of April. I am a huge Harry Potter fan so this is a perfectly themed readathon. I have picked a book for each challege, so a total of 12 books. I might not be able to get to them all but I will try my best. I’ll list the challenges and the books I have chosen below and I will also list the pass and fail grades.
O.W.L’s

Ancient Runes – Read a book with a symbol on the cover. – Assasin’s Creed: Renaissance by Oliver Bowden.

Arithmacy – Read a book with a number on the cover or in the title. – Thirteen Reasons Why.

Astronomy – Read a science – fiction novel – A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.

Care of Magical Creatures – Read a book that includes magical creatures or Features a magical creature on the cover – The Goblins of Bellwater by Molly Ringle.

Charms – Read a fantasy novel – Wizards and Robots by will.i.am and Brian David Johnson.

Defence against the dark arts – Book about/featuring secret societies/clubs – The Secret Seven Collection by Enid Blyton.

Divination – Read a book about prophecies – Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan.

Herbology – Read a book with a nature related word in the title. – The Roses of May by Dot Hutchison.

History of Magic – Read a Historical Fiction book – The Fortune Hunter.

Muggle Studies – Read a muggle non-fiction book – Manuel: Portrait of a Serial Killer.

Potions – Read a book about/with alchemy – The Alchemist’s Touch by Garrett Robinson.

Transfiguration – Read a book that deals with transfiguration/ shape shifting/ similar theme or A book with a cat on the cover. – Prince of Wolves by Quinn Loftis.

Pass Grades:

• Outstanding – Sit (and pass) at least 5 O.W.L’s
• Exceeds Expections – Sit (and pass) at least 3 O.W.L’s
• Acceptable – Sit (and pass) at least 2 O.W.L’s

Fail Grades:

• Poor – Sit only one O.W.L
• Dreadful – Start but not finish any O.W.L’s
• Troll – Don’t show up for your O.W.L’s

So there are all the books I have picked, like I say I’m not sure how many I’ll read but I will try to read as many as possible. I’m also going to post weekly updates and then a wrap up at the end.

Are you taking part? What kind of books have you picked? Do you plan on completing all the challenges?

March 2018 Wrap Up

Hey guys. So March was a not bad reading month and I managed to read a total of 7 books which was the same as I read last month. Ive read 25 books so far this year which I’m rather happy about. I’m hoping to read more books in April because I’m taking part in an awesome readathon which I’ll be posting about tomorrow so stay tuned for that.

So onto the books I read including my ratings for each book.

• Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell – 62 pages – 5 stars.
• The Intruder by P.S Hogan – 288 pages – 4 stars.
• Ask a silly question: Messages from eBay’s Trickest Customer by Martin Hammond – 124 pages – 3 stars.
• Screams You Hear by James Morris – 275 pages – 5 stars.
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – 375 pages – 4 stars.
• Psychopaths and Enthusiasts by Jamie Shreeve – 201 pages – 3 stars.
• Cold Caller by Jason Starr – 218 pages – 4 stars.

There you have my wrap up for March. I hope you all had a good reading month!

Psychopaths and Enthusiasts Review

Summary from Goodreads

Psychopaths and Enthusiasts follows four individuals whose paths intertwine following the kidnapping of a little girl from her home on Christmas Eve.

The satirical thriller begins when a man finds himself in a room with two dead bodies, a girl tied to a chair, and no memory. He must find a way to figure out how he got into this situation, and how to get himself out of it. With the interference from a questionable detective, a woman with a samurai sword and an axe-wielding psychiatric patient, this quest will be anything but straightforward. What will happen when these strange characters collide? The frayed and fractured hands of fate will eventually decide who sees it into the New Year.

My thoughts

3 out of 5 Stars.

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of this book thanks to the author, this does not however affect my opinion.

So at the begining of the book the author had put a disclaimer that the book wasn’t for everyone and unfortunately I am one of those people. Personally this book just wasn’t for me which is a shame because I really thought I’d enjoy it.

Things I liked:

• I liked the flow of the story and how all the stories intertwined together. Each part was told from a different point of view but the stories linked together.

Things I didn’t like:

• The over use of obscene language. I don’t mind reading a book that has cursing in it but when it is used on almost every page it becomes too much and at times I wanted to stop reading.

There you go guys a quick review for you.