Book Review: How to Build a Girl

Title: How to Build a Girl

Author: Caitlin Moran

Publisher: Ebury Press

Star rating: * * * *

If there's one thing you need to know about Caitlin Moran, it's that her writing is absolutely outrageous.

Strident feminist and long running columnist for The Times, How To Build a Girl is Moran's first fictional venture, published in September of 2014.

And yes, it might just sound like another generic, probably-going-to-be-alright title dealing with the perilous journey of 'growing up' and 'finding yourself'. But this book... well. It's unique to anything I've ever read before- in the best possible way.

But firstly, I'd like to introduce our protagonist.

Dolly Wilde is young and outrageous. 'The livewire'. Obsessed with music, sex and booze, she's dripping with eyeliner and paid by the word. Dolly's the girl that Johanna Morrigan became when she'd had enough of being herself, and decided to build her own girl. Top hat and all.

She's a quirky character, and it's not hard to see where Moran plucked her inspiration from, with heaps of similarities stemming from her own working-class, council house dwelling adolescence. In fact, parts of this novel really are so similar to anecdotes from Moran's memoir How to be a Woman, despite the fact that this novel is entirely fictional.

There seems to be a lot of Caitlin in Johanna Morrigan, and that only makes her character all the more honest.

One of the stand out characteristics of Moran's writing is that she doesn't feel the need to mince her words, which is a nice way of saying that she talks about sex a lot, and isn't afraid to cut out the naughty bits. Moran's frank in a way that a lot of writers are afraid to be, and it actually makes me feel like I can see right into Johanna's head, cogs-a-whirring.

We often hear about Johanna's family (which is vast), her friendships (or lack of) and her love life (which to start, is often with herself). Growing up is tough, and Johanna is trying to decide what sort of woman she wants to be, and where she wants her life to go.

As with much of Moran's writing, this book has a large helping of feminism to deliver as well, in that a woman should never feel that a man's needs are above her own. In this world, equality is key-even in the bedroom. Oh Johanna.

But most importantly to me, this book reinforces the concept that we should always be to true to ourselves. It takes her a while, but that's something that Johanna eventually discovers, as we all do.

Still, I wish I was cool enough to wear a top hat like Dolly Wilde.

Book Review: The Ask and the Answer

Name: The Ask and the Answer (Chaos Walking #2)

Author: Patrick Ness

Publisher: Walker Books

Star Rating: * * * *


Well, Chaos Walking, we meet again.

It's been an entire year since I read (and loved) the first book in the series, The Knife of Never Letting Go, and now I've returned for round two with the second book, The Ask and the Answer.

 Following on from a cliff hanger, this title really did have some questions to answer (no pun intended!) and it turns out to be a decent continuation in the series.

Okay, so what's going down plot-wise?

In one major development, 'Mayor Prentiss' of Prentiss Town and his army have succeeded in taking absolute power over New World. Renamed as 'President Prentiss', the society is preparing for the arrival of thousands of settlers, whose landing could potentially change the course of life on their planet forever. President Prentiss' leadership results in  repression over his population and the segregation of men and women, so it isn't long until he begins to find himself with a little challenging opposition...

And then there's Todd and Viola, who are still alive after a perilous situation in the previous book, but separated by the President, and desperately trying to find each other again. 

I've actually found myself caring more about the planet itself and the people on it collectively, instead of Todd and Viola themselves. I like them as characters, and I like them separately, but honestly it gets pretty annoying when Viola is the only thing that Todd can think about. All. Of. The. Time. Seriously.

For those of you who aren't aware, a characteristic part of this world is a concept called the 'noise'. Which basically means that the thoughts of every animal and male human being on the planet are audible- nothing is private and only the women are exempt. It's a bit of a twist, and creates a lot of conflict.

One thing that really shocked me in this book was the town's treatment of the spackle, an animal like creature that's similar to a human being. The way that they were treated is absolutely appalling, and made me cringe on so many occasions. As beings that share a bloody history with the humans, I understand that they can be dangerous, but I longed to see them treated with compassion and respect. This is probably what Ness intended readers to feel, but still, it riled me up.

The spackle are intelligent creatures. Where exactly is the line between 'animal' and 'human', and does it even matter?

The element of war is prominent once again in this second book, and it's something I that enjoyed. Todd and Viola are a part of something much bigger then themselves and the future of their world is in a state of imminent change. Expect explosions, death and sacrifice, as well as a ton of danger and oodles of bravery. A combination which, of course, makes for an exciting read.

I've been pretty harsh about Todd and Viola, they mean everything to each other, and it's not as if they have anyone else in the whole universe. No parents, and no family. I do want them to end up 'happily ever after', but I guess that I'm just going to have to read book three and find out what happens!

I'll earmark it in for next summer.

Book Review: The Encyclopedia of Early Earth

Title: The Encyclopedia of Early Earth

Author: Isabel Greenberg

Publisher: Jonathan Cape

Star Rating: * * * * *

Fear not, dear reader, for this is no factual encyclopedia!

A graphic novel written and illustrated by the hugely talented Isabel Greenberg, this is a book with many stories to tell, each providing glimpses into the fictional 'Early Earth'. A younger and much smaller planet than our own, Early Earth was home to a civilisation of human beings, much like us, who lived long, long ago.

Published in late 2013, 'the encyclopedia' is Greenberg's debut graphic novel. Achieving a place on the NYT Graphic books bestseller list, as well as two Eisner award nominations, it is easy to see why this book has been successful. 

The main plot follows the epic journey of one young storyteller, eager to discover the missing part of his soul, lost, between three women and one silly medicine man, when he was only a baby. In a journey that spans halfway across the globe, from pole to pole, stories are swapped and shared, in a novel that celebrates the art of storytelling itself.

From vicious warring clans to a power crazed king, a pair of star-crossed lovers and an all powerful god named 'Bird Man', this book really has got it all, and everything has its own story. Man, there's even a cyclops!  

Filled with the author's gorgeous illustrations, this book is engaging in a way that only a graphic novel can offer, and we're able to explore the world that Greenberg has created very visually. It doesn't just tell a story, but is a work of art in itself, which I have found incredibly refreshing. 

So what else did I enjoy?

Well, the element of mythology was really great. A theme that runs throughout, readers are introduced to the religious variations on Early Earth through the sharing of stories during the storyteller's travels. They make for a bunch for quirky tales, and all, of course, revolve around the almighty god Bird Man. His kindhearted daughter, Kiddo, is among my favourite characters, but I shan't go into too many details (no spoilers!).

The storyteller, our protagonist, is easily likable, and I was eager for him to reach his happy ending by discovering that elusive part of his soul. It's a cute plotline, but also got me thinking outside of the book. Did the Medicine Man truly lose that part of the young man's soul, or was the journey simply a metaphor for our lives on modern day Earth? After all, the quest to find ourselves and our place in the world is very relevant to many of us today.

And for those students out there, maybe even more so!

Yes, this is a graphic novel, but don't let the format put you off. Full of complex and interweaving storylines, this book is sweet, slightly savage, and highly readable. It's perfect for those who (like me) are newcomers to the genre, but engaging enough that I'd recommend it widely.

This really is a stunning piece of literature. Isabel, I'm waiting on a sequel!

'Follow your gut, Storyteller, it will lead to your happy ending.'

Book Review: The Shock of the Fall

Name: The Shock of the Fall
Author: Nathan Filer
Publisher: Harper Collins
Star Rating: * * * *

‘I’ll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother. His name’s Simon. I think you’re going to like him. I really do. But in a couple of pages he’ll be dead. And he was never the same after that.’

It’s true, Simon never was quite the same after that. Not in a he’s-gone-forever kind of way, but in more of a he-never-left kind of way. After a tragic childhood accident that led to the death of the young boy, Simon stuck around in the mind of his younger brother, Matthew, and on the occasions that he did leave it was never for very long. 

This beautifully written story follows the life of Matthew Holmes and his spiralling descent into mental illness. Upon reading, I was struck by the normality of Matthew’s character. Schizophrenia as a disease is accompanied by so much stigma, and I applaud Nathan for writing Matthew with a rich personality. Matthew isn’t portrayed as a madman, but as a nineteen year old man who is suffering from a terrible illness. It’s clear that Matthew is not a fool, although he isn’t always quite in touch with reality either.

Simon has a voice inside Matthew’s head. His death was the trigger for a lifetime of guilt and an illness that was sitting only a few branches up in the family tree. Mental illness happens. It happens to ordinary people, living ordinary lives, and this book delivers that message home.

As well as being wonderfully written, I want to take a moment to appreciate this book’s beautiful design. For one, the cover is gorgeous (it’s just so shiny) and it really stands out on a bookshelf. 

Matthew is writing his own story, in different locations while using different tools and mediums. This is captured visually through the text itself, his font switching a computer and a typewriter. The inclusion of letters and drawings also adds to the telling of the story, and I can easily visualise the stack of papers building up as Matthew continues to write and compile his life.

Matthew is in and out of hospital and in and out of touch with reality. With each page we learn more about his struggles, but also about the treatment of severe mental illness in 21^st century. The author has done a wonderful job at tackling such a sensitive topic, and as a registered mental health nurse, Nathan’s years of practical experience are clear within the words that he has written.

The Shock of the Fall is a fantastic debut novel. It is a haunting, insightful and enjoyable read.

Book Review: Paper Aeroplanes by Dawn O'Porter

Name: Paper Aeroplanes

Author: Dawn O'Porter

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Star Rating: * * * * *

I'm going to state it outright: Paper Aeroplanes is a fantastic book. I loved it.

This title thrives on a strong ability to reflect the kind of messy relationships that girls have with their friends, family and boys during the sticky years of teenage-hood, and to be completely honest with you, it's been a good while since I've read anything that has felt so breathtakingly real. I'm sure that you can tell, I just can't stop gushing!

The key theme that we're looking at here in Paper Aeroplanes is friendship. The bare bones of it, in all of its fragile, unromanticised, and beautiful imperfections. The sheer importance of friendship in our lives is something that I feel passionate about, and O'Porter has captured this concept wonderfully through the troubled voices of two teenage girls, Renée and Flo. Together they guide us though the hardships that they face, and identify some of the issues that teenagers grapple with year after year. The girls' contrasting personalities also manage to bring out happiness in one other, which I found beautiful to read. Interestingly, the book has been set in the mid-nineteen-nineties, so we experience this story without the complications that the internet has thrown at us ten years later. Facebook, I'm looking at you.

Friendship isn't just about how many snapchats you've sent each other in the past five minutes, it's so much more raw than that. True friendship is about being there when it counts, and Renée and Flo bond over life's hardships as well as it's simplest pleasures.

I was thrilled to discover that this story doesn't end after turning the last page, either. O'Porter has recently just finished up her UK tour in support of Goose, the sequel to Paper Aeroplanes, which hit bookshops on March the 27th of this year.With the promise of two additional titles to follow in the series, I'm ridiculously excited to watch how these girls develop, both in terms of their friendship, and in themselves. I really cannot describe how happy I am to hold on to the lives of Renée and Flo for a while longer yet.

If you're a fan of YA- read this. If you've ever been a teenage girl- read this. A well deserved five stars!

Book Review: No and Me by Delphine de Vigan

Name: No and Me

Author: Delphine de Vigan

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Star Rating: * *





I began with high hopes for this book, but it didn't really live up to my expectations.

Lou is a highly intelligent young teenager. She's two classes ahead at school, possesses a sky high IQ, and is clearly struggling in the wake of a terrible loss in her recent past. The passing of her baby sister Chloe, several years previous to the beginning of the book, left a gaping hole in her life, one that is finally filled when she meets the young homeless girl No. This story is about homelessness in a world where anything is possible, a family's diverse reactions to grief, and the pressures that a young girl must face while growing up.

My biggest problem with this read was that I didn't feel connected enough to the characters. This is a really important factor for me, and impacts how deeply I enjoy and engage with the story. I need to either passionately love (or passionately hate) at least some of the characters, in order to love the story. There were moments in the book that I really rooted for No, where I wanted her to break out of the tragic cycle of homelessness that she had fallen into, but these were rare in the entirety of the book. The relationships between the characters also didn't sit quite right with me. The friendships didn't seem real- even Lucas didn't seem to have much of a personality.

As this is the first translated novel that I've read, it was interesting to consider how it affected the flow of the story. No and Me did definitely feel different to read, especially as at times the language choice and sentence structures felt a bit repetitive. One thing that I did really enjoy was that this book didn't lose its distinctive 'Frenchness', despite being a translation. It was packed full of French language that represented the names of people, places and things that the characters encountered. I know that English language writers can, and do, write tales set all over the world, but this book felt genuinely French, which was pleasing.

Overall I was pretty disappointed with this book, and felt that it had a lot of unused potential. Homelessness is an incredibly prominent and often under addressed issue, but I just didn't feel engaged enough with the plot or, most importantly to me, the characters. It's a short read at only 258 pages in length, and I'd say to pick it up if you're feeling curious, but it is not a book that I would recommend. I've settled on awarding it only two stars.

Book Review: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

 

Title: The Rosie Project 

Author: Graeme Simsion

Publisher: Penguin

Star Rating: * * * *

Introducing Don Tillman; a thirty nine year old geneticist whose scientific mind led to the formulation of The Wife Project, in order to help him find a compatible partner. To be fair it's pretty easy to become a candidate. All you have to do is complete the answers to fifty nine make or break questions in Don's carefully designed questionnaire. Answer them correctly, and you've found yourself a date- just make sure that you're not imaginary first! Rosie would definitely fail the test, of that Don's sure. She's completely incompatible.
 
I'd seen this book dotted around bookshops for weeks before I was able to pick up a copy for myself, and I'm really pleased that I did.

A rather socially challenged individual, I found that Don's quirky personality was reminiscent of The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper. As a character I found him easy to love and his peculiar habits made me snigger endearingly throughout the novel. There has definitely been a dark past to Don's life, but that is uncovered more as the story progresses. Don also struggles greatly with understanding the emotions of others, acknowledging the technicalities behind how people work but never really knowing how to interact with them as his peers would. As I read on, it was wonderful to watch Don open up and loose some of the rigidity that had ruled lived his life for so long.

Don's new found love is not only heartwarming but also conveys a crucial life message that I wish more people could hear. It is important to realise that other people should love you for who you truly are, and that no-one should ever be expected to change in order to fit the expectations of others. This point was reinforced through Don and Rosie's romance, two characters who have learned to compliment, but not force change, upon one another.

Quite the unconventional love story, The Rosie Project is a highly entertaining, often hilarious read that offers something a little different than the standard Romance novel. Four stars.

Book Review: How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

 Title: How I Live Now

 Author: Meg Rosoff

 Publisher: Penguin

 Star Rating: * * *





Young Adult Dystopian Fiction is one of my all time favourite genres, so when I came across this title in a YouTube video by booksandquills I was eager to get my hands on a copy. I'm going to say upfront that some elements of this book can be very controversial, and I will be discussing themes such as anorexia and incest in the course of my review.

How I Live Now features Daisy, a troubled fifteen year old whose father sends her away from America to live with her cousins in England. These are relatives who she's never actually met, and provide a link to her mother who passed away long before Daisy can remember. Shortly after her arrival in England war a breaks out and, with the absence of her aunt, the group must fight in order to stay together and to stay alive.

The  story itself is written through Daisy's perspective, and told through her own thoughts as she was thinking them. Naturally this has resulted in some very long, rambling sentences of teenage thought that help us to more deeply understand her character. It is through this in particular that we become acquainted with Daisy's battle with anorexia, the reason it began, and how she finally overcame her addiction, as well as many more of her innermost thoughts.

I really enjoyed being able to watch the war unfold through the eyes of the children who lived together in the house. At the beginning of the book the group seemed very detached from the events that were unfolding in England, and at first the outbreak of war allowed them to expand on the unusual amount of freedom they were already accustomed to. For a while it was almost like reading a novel set in Britain during one of the previous World Wars, a bit strange for a title set in the present day! Because of the way the book is written, we as readers come to understand the seriousness of the situation at the same time as Daisy, so it is not until further on in the story that I began to understand the full extent of the war and the terrible consequences that it brought with it.

One of the most controversial elements of this book is of course the inclusion of incest between Daisy and her cousin Edmond. I'm always a sucker for a good love story but I don't really understand why the romance between these characters was a necessity. Alas, this is something that I became less shocked about as the story progressed, and the controversy of the relationship was adequately addressed in Daisy's thoughts. Still, I remain a bit uneasy about the issue.

This title was definitely an interesting read, and I settled on a three out of five star rating for the book overall. I want to recommend it to any pre-existing fans of Young Adult Dystopian fiction as it certainly has a variety of strong points and, at almost two hundred pages in length, isn't very time consuming to read.

Book Review: Perfect by Rachel Joyce

Title: Perfect

Author: Rachel Joyce

Publisher: Random House

Star rating: * * * *




So I finally finished turning the last pages of Perfect, and my mind is buzzing with thoughts. If you've already read Part Two of my Christmas Book Haul you'll know that I received this title while knowing very little about it. Initially I found Perfect to be one of those books that took me a while to really engage with but, by the time I was halfway through, I couldn't stop turning the pages. In fact I spent an entire day in my pyjamas specifically to finish reading the book; and it was worth it.

The privileged eleven year old Byron Hemmings is the voice for many chapters in the novel. The plot begins by focusing on two seconds that were to be added to time in England during 1972, and we soon learn of Byron's fixation on the consequences of their addition. Indeed, this fixation ignited a chain of events that caused his life to alter in inconceivable ways. It began with an irregular movement in the ticking of his watch, and a collision with a little girl and her red bicycle. 'If only James had never told him'.

I personally found that the chapters set in 1972 were the most interesting for me to read, particularly in terms of characterization. I warmed greatly to Diana, Byron's mother, and her emotionally abusive relationship with her husband Seymour often pained me to read. James, Byron's best friend and the individual that informed him of the two seconds, was another character that I enjoyed following as the story progressed. Although James was often in the sidelines to begin with he played an instrumental role in 'Operation Perfect' and the unfolding of the book's events.

I also found it really interesting that many of the characters were from an upper class background. It gave them an alternate outlook on life, one that was often highly pressurized and a direct contrast to many of the characters that were encountered in other chapters in the novel.

Perfect uses a split narrative and those chapters that did not occur in 1972 took place in the present day, and through the voice of a middle aged character simply named as Jim. His struggles are clear from the very beginning, but it is not until I finished the book that I fully understood them, and his link to Byron Hemmings. I found that I didn't really engage with the characters as well in these sections of the novel, but their inclusion was definitely vital and enhanced my understanding of the story, although I didn't realise this in the beginning!

I definitely recommend Perfect to anyone that enjoyed Joyce's previous novel 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry'. For me a bit of perseverance was required, but the deeper I progressed into the novel the more gripping I seemed to find it. Because of this, I have given it a four star rating out of five.