2016 releases

ARC Review: My Life Next Door

08:00

My Life Next Door
By Huntley Fitzpatrick

 Source: Netgalley
Release date (UK): 7th January 2016
Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary,

"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A transporting debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.


**I received an e-ARC version of this book for an honest review - this does not affect my opinion**

I really didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did! It’s been out across the pond for a while now (I’m British), and I’ve heard loads of good things, so when this popped up on Netgalley, I was super hyped! Also, I read this with some of my best friends on Instagram (Jennifer and Stephanie), so it made me enjoy the book even more as we were doing a buddy read. It was a pleasant surprise that I enjoyed it as much as I did!

This book has a really cute, summery feel to it, and I think that’s one of the reasons I liked it so much, even though I did read it in the middle of winter! It was an easy, light read, which was just what I needed, because before reading this, I was worried that I was falling into a slump. This is definitely one to pick up if you’re in a reading slump, because it’s addictive and so sweet ☺.

Another thing I really enjoyed in this book was all of the family themes. YA Contemporary is a genre with mainly non-existent parents, but families played a key role in this book. I loved the Garretts so much, and all of my favourite scenes were at their house! All of the secondary characters felt so real, so I loved reading about everyone.

I did have a few problems with the book though - one of these being the way it ended. I didn’t like how some plots just weren’t rounded up, especially the one with my favourite character, Nan. There is a companion novel though already released in America (a lovely person on Goodreads told me it’s out in June 2016 in the UK), so I’m hoping these will be rounded up in that. I’m definitely going to try and pick it up!
Overall, if you’re a fan of the genre, I’d highly recommend reading this! It’s a really sweet book, and though there are tense moments, it’s a great feel-good, summer read. All of the characters are so likeable (except for Sam - I wasn’t sure about her...), and it’s a really interesting story. It’s the perfect summer read, and I'm really excited to pick up the companion novel in the summer too.

13 Minutes

ARC Review: 13 Minutes

20:57

13 Minutes
By Sarah Pinborough

 Source: Netgalley
Release date: 18th February 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery, 

I was dead for 13 minutes. I don't remember how I ended up in the icy water but I do know this - it wasn't an accident and I wasn't suicidal. They say you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but when you're a teenage girl, it's hard to tell them apart. My friends love me, I'm sure of it. But that doesn't mean they didn't try to kill me. Does it?


I’ve read one of the author’s other books - The Death House - and I really enjoyed it, so when I saw this up for request on Netgalley, I knew I had to read it. The cover is so intriguing too, so it really caught my attention! Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed - this was a really good book, and I enjoyed it so much! I’d really recommend it to fans of thrillers, when it comes out in February next year.

There were so many plot twists, it was unreal. Every chapter, I thought things might finally settle down for a while, but nope! Each page held something as equally shocking and sinister, so I was never bored. It never went the way I thought it would, so was relentlessly entertaining, which me even more hooked. I'd recommend going in knowing as little as possible too, because then the twists are even more surprising.

I also thought the characters were really well developed. I knew from the start that we couldn’t trust anyone, but even while knowing this, I was constantly surprised on the direction all of the characters went in! I really liked Becca (the protagonist) throughout, and although she wasn’t always the ‘hero’, and the strongest, she made the right decisions, and I really cared about her story.

The ending really shocked me. I definitely wasn’t expecting that! Though, I was really happy with the way it turned out, and I’m glad we were given full closure. It made me really satisfied to finish the book - any longer and it would have felt dragged, but any shorter I would have felt that things were wrapped up too quickly. Overall, this is a really good book, that I enjoyed immensely.