This is Not the Jess Show by Anna Carey

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review.

Reading the description of this book, I expected a fun YA take on The Truman Show with a 90s twist. Instead I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of this book. It manages to take a concept which has been done before (and quite successfully) and put a unique, interesting spin on it.

This is Not the Jess Show is the story of Jess, a girl living her best teenage 90s life. However, soon enough people around her start behaving really odd. She confesses having a crush on her male best friend to her other friends but they act as though she hasn't said anything, pushing her onto some other guy instead. When a strange device falls out of her friend's bag and no one gives a satisfying explanation, Jess starts to suspect there might be more to her reality than she's been told.

I really loved the execution of this plot. Like I said, it goes in quite a unique direction which I won't spoil but I immensely enjoyed. The characters were pretty great and it raised some interesting questions about celebrity and the nature of privacy. I did find Jess frustrating at times, mainly in her reactions to finding out her world was false. I wanted more anger or for her to react in a more direct way. Having said that, she does become somewhat proactive eventually so I did appreciate that.

Sadly I can't say much more about this book because I don't want to spoil it, but if the basic premise interests you then you won't be disappointed. It does more than just copy The Truman Show and it definitely deserves credit for that. The writing is fun, the plot is engaging and I genuinely had no idea what was going to happen. Overall a great read.

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Revenge of the Sluts by Natalie Walton

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Wattpad Books in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately captivated by the premise of Revenge of the Sluts. How could I not be with such a provocative title? This is the story of Eden, a high school reporter who gets caught up in a news story when naked pictures of her fellow students are leaked. She is banned from reporting on the issue but is determined to find who is responsible and bring the girls justice.

I was hoping for a little bit more of a team-up from the girls and Eden based on the blurb, and sadly I was disappointed with this aspect. Instead Eden is mostly working alone or observing what the Slut Squad are doing rather than actively teaming up with them herself. I almost wish her best friend Ronnie had been the main character instead because she felt like she had more fire and more of a drive to her character. Eden was likeable but she was also very meek, and a story of this kind needs a passionate protagonist.

Having said that, I loved what we saw of the Slut Squad. Sloane was a fantastic character with the perfect amount of depth. She owned her desire to have sex and also orchestrated most of the interesting protests in this book. Again, she could have made a great protagonist but she was a brilliant side character nonetheless. I wish we'd gotten to know more of the girls in the Slut Squad but she was a good face for the group for sure.

Overall, Revenge of the Sluts raises some good talking points surrounding teenage sexuality and how that sexuality can be used against you through no fault of your own. I felt it covered these topics well and made for an interesting story, I just wish that the feminist angle had been focused on a little bit more. This could have been a story about a really empowering group of girls and instead, it just falls a bit flat. I still recommend it but perhaps set your expectations a little lower than I did,

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The History of Sweets by Paul Chrystal

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Pen & Sword in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to read this book. Look at that cover! This is essentially what it says on the tin, a brief history of different kinds of sweets and famous (mostly UK) companies. I live in York and I have a friend who lives in Birmingham so I had some background knowledge of the history of sweets with regards to the companies that operated in those areas. Chrystal clearly has a specialty in York knowledge so I did really enjoy that angle from a personal point of view.

This book hits all the key aspects you would expect and it is quite neatly organised. It firstly does a quick run through of different types of sweets, their historical origins and some interesting facts about their development. Next it hones in on some particularly important sweet companies and periods of time, before discussing advertising, wartime rationing and other factors of sweet history.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I felt like I learned a lot. I particularly liked the broad range of sweets it covered and I felt there was enough detail without it being overwhelming. This book is a little dry compared to some nonfiction books, but it was very readable and accessible. I felt it hit the information level just right and enabled me to seek out further details on certain things if I wanted to. Just be aware that it is written in a more academic style than pop-history.

Overall, I definitely recommend this book for a good overview of the history of sweets and chocolate. It was easy to dip in and out of and I had a lot of fun learning more about this topic.

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The Ravens by Kass Morgan & Danielle Paige

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Hodder & Stoughton & RB Media in exchange for an honest review.

The Ravens is the story every witch-obsessed teenage girl wants to read (and quite a few young adults too). It is simply the story of two college girls who are part of a sorority which actually turns out to be a coven. We have Scarlett, the more experienced and older sorority member who is keen to fight for her place as leader (and also for her failing relationship with her boyfriend) and Vivi, the new girl who is discovering she is a witch for the first time (among a blossoming romance with none other than Scarlett's boyfriend). Tensions rise when the use of dark magic is suspected and a girl from the sorority goes missing.

I was lucky enough to be given both an audio and an e-ARC of this book, so I'm in the unique position of having listened to 75% of it and read the other 25% physically. I will say, I wish I had listened to less of it as I connected so much more with the written version. The audiobook is fine and there's nothing inherently wrong with it, but this book has a very specific style of dialogue and I think it got lost a bit in translation. When I was listening, I found that the characters blended together more. I could tell Vivi and Scarlett apart but I had no idea there were even two male characters until I read someone else's review on Goodreads. The dialogue being very stylised also means that it comes off a bit awkward when it is read out loud.

As soon as I switched to the ebook though, I was hooked. Instantly the characters and plot came to life, and I desperately wanted more of this world. I think this is a fantastic set up for a much larger, Buffy-esque series focusing on this sorority fighting the powers of darkness and I really want that. This is a solid fantasy story with a cool use of magic, interesting worldbuilding and great characters to populate that world.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I definitely have plans again to read it entirely in print as I think it will get a higher rating from me. As it is, it still has a lot of strengths and I want to be clear that my view of the audiobook is mostly down to personal taste and preference. If you enjoy witchy stories and like a focus on exploring the supernatural through college-age characters, you should definitely give The Ravens a try.

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