What I've Been Reading: August 2017

My work schedule has been hectic so I haven't been able to read as much as I wanted to this summer. That being said, I have managed to read two books that were recommended to me by friends and I have some very strong, and quite controversial, reviews on them. 

'To All The Boys I've Loved Before' - Jenny Han

The first book I read this Summer was the 'To All The Boys I've Loved Before' by Jenny Han. This is the first in the series of the Lara Jean trilogy - a series I'd heard so much about - so I was very excited to see what all the hype was about. I'll admit, my expectations were pretty high but I can't help but feel disappointed by what I read. The story follows Lara Jean, a young girl who lives with her father and two sisters and who seems like a hopeless romantic. Lara has a box of letters that she's written to every boy she's ever 'loved' - and I'm saying 'loved' very lightly as I don't see how you can know what true love is at that age. These letters are for her eyes only, she has no intention of sending them to anyone, but when her crush Peter approaches her with the letter in his hand she realises that her letters are no longer her little secret.

In terms of plot, I was very impressed - it's the perfect teen book and I know I would have loved it if I would have been 13. However, it was very poorly written and at times it felt like I was reading one of those awful fanfictions that we've all read when we've gone through an obsessive phase with a band. For me, one of the most important aspects of reading is having a connection with the characters but I just didn't find myself connecting with anyone - it was only towards the end of that story that I started to feel sympathetic towards Lara and if I'm honest with you, I'm very surprised I made it to the end. I think the main reason for the lack of connection was the poor description and imagery, I struggled to picture the scenes in my mind meaning it took me a while to really get into the story. Don't get me wrong, it's the perfect book if you're not an avid reader and just want something you can dip into now and again but don't be counting on it to be amazing because it really isn't. 

Despite the criticism, the ending was such a cliffhanger and I couldn't believe what I was reading. Do you ever finish a book and are so shaken by the ending that you just sit there clapping your hands in excitement, raring to find out what happens next? Because that was me. I need to know what happens to Lara and Peter - I know I would've been in love with Peter - and if Margot and Josh ever get back together. Jenny Han may not be the best for description but she must have been doing something right to make me want to buy the second book in the series. 

'Girl Online: Going Solo' - Zoe Sugg

The second book I read was 'Girl Online: Going Solo' by Zoe Sugg aka Zoella, an author, blogger, and YouTuber loved by her millions of fans around the world. This is the third book in her 'Girl Online' series, one of which I have followed and loved since it was first released. The story follows Penny and her adventures after Noah's departure in the second book. I remember that ending being another cliffhanger so I couldn't wait to see what happened to Penny and to see if Noah ever made a return. 

Overall, I was very impressed with the story and it's definitely her best written from the series. However, I did prefer the plot of 'Girl Online: On Tour', it had more twists and turns, was less predictable and I remember reading it very quickly. The story is very 'Uniquely Zoe' and although the plot is obvious in parts, I thoroughly enjoyed reading. It was so nice to see the development of Penny as a character - she's really grown up in the same way her readers have. I think Zoe has got the perfect balance of keeping it as a young adult book whilst tackling modern day issues that affect the younger generation. 

If I could critique anything about the book, and this is only a very small criticism from a writing perspective, it would be that Zoe gives too much away. When we're in a lecture, we're always told to show instead of tell - an example of this would be if someone is sad, instead of writing 'Penny was sad' you'd describe her emotions. facial expressions and actions and then let the audience do the rest. If there's one thing I've learned from my degree, it's that you need to let the audience do some thinking work or else they'll get bored. Although the book was cringeworthy in parts, I'm very interested to see where it goes next. 

'To All The Boys I've Loved Before' - Jenny Han
Recommended: Maybe

Rating: 2 Stars

'Girl Online: Going Solo' - Zoe Sugg

Recommended: Yes

Rating: 4 Stars

Lots of Love,
Meg

xox

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Girl Online: On Tour by Zoe Sugg

Considering the fact that Zoe released this book over a year ago, I'm extremely late to the party but here I am with another book review for you lovely book lovers out there. 

'Girl Online: On Tour' is the second book in the 'Girl Online' series written by Youtuber and Blogger Zoe Sugg (aka Zoella). I read the first book in the series and I absolutely loved it; it was so gripping, incredibly well written and very impressive considering Zoe is not a professional writer. I am aware that she had some help writing her first novel, but there was a lot of Zoe's character weaved into the story and that's what made it unique. When Zoe announced that she would be writing a sequel I got so excited and couldn't wait to read it. I don't know why it's taken me a year to get round to it, but finally it was on offer in Asda so I got it for myself. 

My first impressions before reading the story were that it was either going to be much worse than the first story or six thousand times better. My standards were pretty high as I remember the first book ending on a bit of a cliffhanger and leaving me with a desire to know what happened to Penny, Noah and their relationship. However, when I started the book I got a little lost. I couldn't remember anything that had happened in the first one which meant that I had to go back and refresh my memory before I could start reading properly. 

The novel follows Penny, a clumsy sixteen year old girl who runs a blog, and her boyfriend Noah, a super famous musician who is about to head out on his first world tour supporting boyband sensation The Sketch. Penny is invited to join Noah on his European part of the tour, and we get to go on all sorts of adventures with them but also see the impact a long distance relationship can have on people.

In terms of plot, I would say that this was just as good, if not a little better than the first book. There was so much going on, so many twists and turns that it was like an emotional rollercoaster. It was very slow to start off with as there wasn't really anything that gripped you, but as you get further into the story it's very hard to put the book down. Some of the ideas Zoe came up with were absolutely amazing, it was one of those stories where you thought you knew what was going to happen and then it'd take a complete turn. It definitely keeps you on your toes.

However, I do think that the book was poorly written. I feel like it resembled something I probably would've wrote when I was 14 and going through my 'Bieber Fever' stage. In parts, it resembles one of the better written fan-fictions. It is very clear that Zoe wrote more of this novel, not because it is badly written but it is less professional; not in a bad way of course. 

I'd definitely recommend to check Zoe's books out if you get the chance too because they are definitely worth the read. 

'Girl Online: On Tour' - Zoe Sugg

Reccommended: Yes

Rating: 4 Stars

Lots of Love,
Meg

xox

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Girl Online by Zoe Sugg (Zoella)

Girl Online is the debut novel by online sensation Zoe Sugg, best known to many as Zoella. With over 5 million subscribers on YouTube and 2 million Twitter followers, the novel was destined to be a success and it didn't disappoint.

'Girl Online' follows 16-year-old Penny who owns an anonymous blog called 'Girl Online'. She uses her blog to write about her hopes, dreams and troubles in her everyday life. Whilst on a trip to New York she meets mysterious Noah Flynn, a guitar playing, floppy-haired guy from Brooklyn. Penny falls in love with Noah, blogging everything about her experience online, but little does she know that Noah is hiding a secret, a secret that could destroy her friendship and her anonymity forever.  

There has been a lot of controversy over 'Girl Online' with rumours of a 'ghost author' but regardless of this, it is a brilliant story. I read 'Girl Online' in approximately 3 days, I couldn't put it down. I ended up staying up until 3am reading because the story was so intriguing. Penny is a character most girls can relate to; a clumsy young girl who struggles with relationships without making a fool out of herself. The book made me laugh out loud, some of the things Penny and Elliot get up to are absolutely hilarious.

It is clear that Zoe didn't write the whole book herself but it is evident that she has had a lot of input; the story has 'Zoella' written all over it. When I started the book, I thought that Penny was going to be based on Zoe but, although they both have a blog and suffer from anxiety, they couldn't be more different. I completely fell in love with Noah and I wish I could have a Noah of my own! The big secret he is hiding is quite obvious from the beginning (well it was for me) and the suspense for him to reveal the secret to Penny is at times unbearable but the adorable ending really makes up for it.

Also, I really loved the front cover of the book. The fact Zoe got her viewers involved by including their photos on the front of the novel was a lovely touch and the bright colours made it appealing. As a viewer of Zoe's videos and a reader of her blog, I knew that I couldn't wait to read 'Girl Online' and I seriously wasn't disappointed. 

Girl Online - Zoe Sugg

Rating: 5 Stars

Recommended: YES

What did YOU think of Girl Online?

Lots of Love,

Meg

xxx