Archive for November, 2016

The Fairytale Hairdresser Beauty and the Beast

Abbie Longstaffand Lauren Beard (Illustrator)

fairytale hair dresserThe Big Bad Beast’s heart is melted by Bella, the most beautiful girl in Fairy Land – but could she ever love someone so beastly?
The Fairytale Hairdresser teaches Beast that beauty is on the inside (although there’s always time to treat yourself to a little makeover!) in this fabulous modern twist on the classic fairytale. There are witty fairytale jokes to spot and beautiful details to discover, read after read. Featuring all the fairytale favourites, this is the spectacular seventh story in the bestselling Fairytale Hairdresser series.

This is an exciting book.
I liked looking at all the different hair styles in this book.
I liked seeing the Beast looking funny.
I always like seeing all the different fairy tale people.

Verdict:I think it was the best book out of all of them.

Reviewed by Sienna aged 6

Publisher: Picture Corgi
Publication Date: March 2016
Format: Picture book
Pages: 32
Genre: Picture book, fairytale
Age: Picture book
Reviewer: Sienna (6)
Source: Provided by publisher
Challenge: British book
Posted on: by Caroline

A Very Merry Manhattan Christmas

Darcie Boleyn

Lucie Quigley hates Christmas. It’s the time of year when everything goes wrong in her life. So this year, when she’s asked to be a bridesmaid at her friend Petra’s Manhattan wedding, she jumps at the invitation to escape the festivities.
Dale Treharne has been best friends with Lucie for as long as he can remember. He’s used to looking out for his oldest friend and when she asks him to be her plus one, he can’t seem to find a reason to refuse. Instead, he sees it as a way to help Lucie get through what is, for her, the most miserable time of the year.
In New York, as the snow starts to fall, Lucie and Dale start to realise that their feelings run deeper than just friendship. But can they overcome their pasts, and make it a very merry Manhattan Christmas?

Five Things Faye Would Do in Manhattan at Christmas

1. Relish in the beauty.
Manhattan is beautiful in the summer but I can only imagine how wonderful it would look in the winter covered in the snow with lights shining across the city. So one of the things I would make sure to do would be to take it all. Take actual and mental pictures so that I could essentially return whenever I needed to.

2. Ice Skate
It’s something that I actually haven’t done since I was a teenager but I would definitely strap on some boots and go skating on an outside ice rink because… well… how magical would that be?

3. Visit the Rockefeller Christmas Tree
I can really only imagine how beautiful this tree must look up close.

4. Taste of Home Gingerbread Boulevard.
Sounds bizarre, yes? But it also sounds really great. Amazing and beautiful gingerbread houses all lined up and ready for you to visit while you munch on chocolate and drink coffee – I mean, yes please!

5. Wrap up warm, curl up inside and drink hot chocolate.
Maybe this is boring, and could be done anywhere but this is always my favourite part of Christmas and I’m not going to miss out on doing it just because I was in Manhattan!

Reviewed by Faye

Publisher: Canelo
Publication Date: November 2016
Format: Ebook
Pages: 201
Genre: Romance
Age: Adult
Reviewer: Faye
Source: Provided by publisher
Posted on: by Faye

Accidental Superstar

Marianne Levy

If I’d known that two million people were going to be watching, I’d probably have done a bit of tidying up.
Katie Cox is used to going unnoticed, by her mum, her dad, even her best friend. But when a video of her singing in her bedroom goes viral, she becomes a superstar overnight. As the views skyrocket and a recording contract beckons, the real world starts to feel very far away.
And now Katie’s riding high on her newfound fame. But the higher she goes, the further there is to fall…
Accidental Superstar by Marianne Levy is the first in a hilarious series about a girl who accidentally finds fame singing online.

What were your initial thoughts of the book?
I thought this book was one of those really lovely and uplifting books that fills you with hope and happiness. I ended the book feeling just that little bit better about the world. The rest of the book is emotional and addictive. The perfect combination to make this book a quick, heartwarming and cute book that is sure to make you happy by the end of it.

What was your favourite aspect of the book?
I think my favourite aspect was the way that Katie learnt so much from her viral video. It took her on a very intriguing journey that she certainly wasn’t expecting and she didn’t deal with very well but I loved that by the end of it, she seemed to grow so much as a person. I would actually love to read a sequel to the book just to see where she took the rest of her life.

Who was your favourite character and why?
My favourite character was probably Mad Jaz, which is surprising but I loved how much of a surprising character she was in the book. She was edgy, different and unique but deep down she also cared, seemed lonely and just wanted to fit in. I thought she really made the book that little bit more exciting and fascinating to read.

Would you recommend this book?
Definitely. Especially if you’re looking for a real pick me up kind of book where everything sort of fits together by the end of it. I will say that if you’re really struggling with Katie at the beginning to preserve as it is definitely worth the journey by the end.

Summarize the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
A surprisingly emotional and uplifting story about a girl who has a lot of lessons to learn about what is important in life.

Reviewed by Faye

Publisher: Macmillan
Publication Date: January 2016
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Genre: Contemporary
Age: YA
Reviewer: Faye
Source: Borrowed
Posted on: by Faye