There’s so much that spoke to me when I read This Song Will Save Your Life. For this I loved it very, very dearly. It reminded me why I crave stories and why I can care so much about fictional people. Elise was my girl. She reminded me that I’m not alone and never have been. All that bullying I went through in high school, searching for acceptance, wanting to be someone — these aren’t alien experience to many of us. Despite that, resultant feelings of loneliness can be very overwhelming. This Song Will Save Your Life tapped into that psyche and spun a raw and engaging tale.
THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald
I am so glad I didn’t study English Literature at A Levels. The Great Gatsby was a set text for the exams and after finally reading this novel, I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed taking it apart. I have a friend who absolutely adored The Great Gatsby back then and still avidly references it in his conversations with people. Frankly, I don’t see the appeal.
THE RULE OF THIRDS (Pippa Greene #1) by Chantel Guertin
Let’s start with the best part of The Rule of Thirds: photography is front and centre! Pippa Greene loves photography. She lives and breathes it, is in the school photography club and is gearing up to take part in a photography competition. As someone who loves photography, I’m always sad at the lack of it in the books I’ve read. A lot has been written about music and art but photography has mostly been missing. Well, here we have a good book in The Rule of Thirds.
A MAD, WICKED FOLLY by Sharon Biggs Waller
I absolutely adored A Mad, Wicked Folly. It is hands down the favourite book of mine thus far this year. The Victorian setting of Trouville, France, followed predominantly by London was glorious. There was such a great mix between history and fiction, I felt like I could see myself as an observer right there by Vicky’s side; at the same time, immersing myself in stunning storytelling. Victoria Darling could be such an impossible main character — rather naïve, really — and yet I found myself caring a great deal for her plight.
BEING SLOANE JACOBS by Lauren Morrill
I don’t think any book that is so steeped in sports can get any more charming than Being Sloane Jacobs! After I closed that book,I was just sitting there with a silly grin on my face. No kidding. I wanted to hug the book to sleep. It was that adorable. And yet I totally got into the sports parts. They were realistic, they were intense, and all the dynamics between team mates and competitors were so on point, I recognised a lot of the situations both Sloane Emily and Sloane Devon found themselves in.
