Introducing...

The newest member of the family,

 Walter Owen.

Born at 7.31am on 25th August weighing in at 7lbs. Can't thank my amazing mum and wondeful husband enough for helping me introduce this little one into the world. 

He already has quite a collection of books so watch this space for a mini lilypad library!

Can't believe how perfect our little man is.

 Looking forward to sharing lots of stories with him <3

The Butterfly Shell Review

Title: The Butterfly Shell

Author: Maureen White

Release date: 3^rd August 2015

Publisher: The O’Brien Press

THERE ARE SOME THINGS ABOUT ME YOU SHOULD KNOW.

1.       I always wear my butterfly shell

-          even when I’m swimming or sleeping

2.       I don’t hurt myself any more

3.       I believe in ghosts.

I’d better start at the beginning.

The beginning of First Year.  Here goes –

THE STORY OF A STRANGE YEAR AND A VERY SPECIAL SHELL.

Marie seems like an average teenage girl, she isn’t one of the popular kids and is dreading having to start a new school. It doesn’t help that she is haunted by a past that her family are unwilling to confront... a past that Marie can’t escape.

This is a strange little novel which I finished in one sitting (it is amazing the reading you can catch up on when you are awake at 2.30am with a little person pressing on your bladder!). The short blurb on the back of the book suggests a range of themes without much detail which made the novel a bit of a surprise (I much prefer it that way than a blurb that reveals all).  While the novel should technically be described as a ghost story (it contains all the required elements), it was unusual in that the ghost isn’t the main plot point. The Butterfly Shell actually offers so much more, approaching the difficulties of teenage life in a brutally honest way. Being defined as the ‘other’/ another Marie, both at home and at school demonstrates Marie’s difficulty at finding her way in the world and how other’s perceptions about us shape our lives. Marie’s narrative of the events that happen in that year are unapologetically tragic and direct but without being off putting.

Marie’s family are keeping things hidden that they don’t discuss, even amongst themselves. But this past haunts Marie and for me, the book was about how liberating honesty can be. Although Marie never reveals to her family the extent of what she kept from them, there are discussions with her mum that offer warmth and comfort. Her family have suffered a terrible loss and it is only through being open and honest with one another that they can begin to move on.

The book has a lovely ending that ties up the narrative and offers reassurance to the reader after such a tough subject matter. The novel does tackle thought provoking issues such as Marie’s self harm. Although this couldn’t be dealt with in too much depth due to the length of the novel, it isn’t forced upon the reader but is just shown as another piece of Marie’s life, just as the supernatural element is.

Although the supernatural element is never fully developed or explained, I enjoyed that and felt that it added to Marie’s naivety as a character; if she doesn’t fully understand what happened, why should the reader get an explanation?  I think that some people might dislike the book because of its lack of explanations or in depth details. However, I didn’t get the impression that the author was trying to cover too many grand topics, more that she was writing Marie’s story through Marie’s eyes. I really embraced that sense of this is what is happening to this character, rather than the reader being encouraged to think in a certain way about what was happening and I think that is a brilliant sign of fantastic characterisation. I also loved the simplicity of the title and the gorgeous cover design.  

4.5/5 Would definitely recommend, a really refreshing read.

With many thanks to O’Brien Press for sending me a copy of the book.

Geek Girl Review

This review is for Colne Primet Academy Teenage Reading Group – thanks for joining the blog and welcome to the Lilypad Library. I hope that you find some inspiration  J

Title: Geek Girl

Author: Holly Smale

Release date: 28^th February 2013

Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books

Harriet Manners knows a lot of things.

• Cats have 32 muscles in each ear
• Bluebirds can’t see the colour blue
• The average person laughs 15 times per day
• Peanuts are an ingredient of dynamite

But she doesn’t know why nobody at school seems to like her. So when she’s offered the chance to reinvent herself, Harriet grabs it. Can she transform from geek to chic?

geek/gi:k/h noun informal, chiefly N. Amer.

1 an unfashionable or socially inept person.

2 an obsessive enthusiast.

3 a person who feels the need to look up the word ‘geek’ in the dictionary.

DERIVATIVES geeky adjective.

ORIGIN from the related English dialect word geck ‘fool’.

Harriet Manners doesn’t really fit in at school and when she is dragged along on a school trip to The Clothes Show Live in Birmingham, it’s just another opportunity for her to show how socially awkward she is but she didn’t realise that this would  involve having her photo taken by someone from Infinity Models. Whisked into a world that is definitely not her own, Harriet wants to re-invent herself … but that might be harder than she thought.

Despite being a bit predictable, I did enjoy this book. Sometimes, I find, when you want an easy read, predictability is a good thing, like walking down the street and knowing home is just around the corner. That’s not to say that the book didn’t offer some surprises but it’s an easy, read in one sitting kind of book, suiting readers who are after something light-hearted.

Harriet Manners is a brilliantly constructed laugh out loud character (almost as good as Georgia Nicolson- although Georgia is definitely NOT a geek!)  which is demonstrated through her narrative and continues list and plan making. In fact all the characters are well developed (even though some of them are a bit too eccentric – but this only adds to their charm).  Toby (Harriet’s stalker) and Wilbur (from Infinity Models) are hilariously weaved into the story, adding humour and a touch of the ridiculous to Harriet’s world.

For me, it was definitely a girly book, showing an insight into how fickle and mean teenage girls can be (for anyone who has never experienced that!) as well as a love interest, although for me, these are not the main focus of the story. Harriet has to learn to accept that she can’t change who she is and it is only the realisation of this that will make her truly happy – along with the love and support of her family and friends.

A typically teenage read about the struggles with loving who you are and the difficulties of growing up, with lots of laughs and an absorbing plot - I would definitely give the second book a go.

3.5/5 A fast paced, easy read that will make you giggle.

New bookworm arriving soon!

Just to update all the Lilypad Library lovers out there - there will be a new addition to the family arriving in August! So excited about welcoming our little bookworm, no doubt he will love reading just as much as his mummy and daddy ♥