Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

This book is extremely well done. I don't necessarily mean well-written, although it is that too. But seriously, how many authors could make a book like this work? How many could make a character who regularly sleeps with other people's boyfriends into not only a likeable, but a sympathetic one?

Mercedes is one of the most complex and compelling characters I've ever seen in YA fiction. I totally got what was going on inside her head at any given moment which is very impressive considering she spends most of the book making the wrong choice. Even though the plot is fairly predictable, there are plenty of new elements to stop it feeling samey. I must admit, I didn't care much for Faye. Something about her was...off. I didn't get her the same way I got the other characters. Angela's boyfriend also gets demonized to a ridiculous degree, although I am glad they didn't make it a rape thing.

Having said that, this book is a weird one and I can get why people might not like it. I've seen a lot of arguments as to whether this book is sex-positive or not and honestly, I don't really know the answer. Angela is not portrayed as wrong for wanting to wait until marriage and Mercedes does enjoy sex when she's doing it for the right reasons. Ultimately I'd say it is more sex-positive and definitely more frank about sex than many other YA novels and I can only see that as a good thing. It's maybe not the portrayal of someone who enjoys sex and so has a lot of it that some people wanted to see, but it's complex and I'm not sure that's what the author really wanted to do anyway. I always put story before messages and this one has a story that I very much enjoyed. I would highly recommend giving it a try if the blurb intrigues you.

Overall Rating:

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

I don't think I like this book.

I say 'think' because admittedly, I'm not entirely sure. I really wanted to like it, or maybe I felt like I should. Ultimately though I have to be honest and I feel Brave New World falls flat in what it's trying to do.

Okay, my first reason is probably the most 'controversial' but honestly, I don't see the future world as being all that bad. Obviously it is bad in comparison to the real world, I'm not an idiot. But in comparison to other dystopias? Everyone is happy and those who aren't get sent somewhere else to be with a whole bunch of other people like them. Not killed, not brainwashed or imprisoned. Just sent away to live their lives how they please. Again obviously, the constant drugging, biological manipulation of the lower classes and lack of art or science are all terrible things. I do not want to live in this world by any means but I think the sex part is what is supposed to be so awful about it and honestly, that makes the book come across as dated and diminishes its impact.

My second issue is with the characters. In the entire book, the only characters I kind of liked were Lenina, Linda and Helmholtz. Bernard was okay but I could not stand John at all. I think my dislike of John is one of the reasons I can't quite see this as a terrible world. He was so pretentious and utterly joyless that, when presented as the alternative, he doesn't make a very good argument for it. It also makes it harder for me to agree with any of his arguments, no matter how valid they are. His treatment of Lenina is appalling and I did not find him particularly sympathetic. The crush angle also seemed repetitive to me as Bernard's crush on Lenina and John's crush were pretty similar in terms of how they fit into the plot and both played the same purpose narratively.

However, the thing I disliked the most was how unsubtle this book was. Characters literally have long discussions about the theme of the book and it feels like the author is whacking you in the face with it. I do not like books which are purely a vessel for a certain message and while this book was too well-written and developed to be just that, it came dangerously close.

Honestly though, there were a lot of good things about this book. I think I like projecting my own interpretation of the story more than I like the actual story itself. Like John-the whole part where he pleads for the right to be unhappy feels like it should be really meaningful and in my head now, it is. But when I was reading it, I felt nothing but weariness. I think this book has a lot to say but its execution lets it down, which is weird because it is well-written. Something is missing but I'm not sure what. For the first time ever, I'm not going to rate this book because I honestly have no idea what to rate it on. My review probably sounds a lot more negative than I feel and this book will certainly stick with me if nothing else.

Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

'But it wasn't like you had to really search for the philosophy. It was pretty straightfoward, I thought.'

^ That quote up there pretty much summarises Perks perfectly. I knew I was not going to love this book, purely from the kind of book it is. I was pleasantly surprised to find I enjoyed it more than expected. Perks is one of those 'life lesson' books, complete with the usual detached and 'intelligent' protagonist who somehow knows very little about actual life and yet gets to have all these experiences.

'The thing is, I didn't know what it said even if it said it very well.'

Perks has exactly the opposite problem of that. There is no way in hell you could miss the (admittedly good) messages in this book, mainly because they are all just stated by the narrator with no finesse or attempt to show and not tell. Every single one is presented as something really profound that the main character has discovered and must share with you. Newsflash-this book has nothing very meaningful to add in terms of messages. Sure, it makes several good points but it's nothing we don't all know from a) our own life experiences and b) much better media. Having the narrator announce basic life lessons as though they're something new and deep is just annoying at best.

Ah yes, the narrator. I do not buy Charlie as a super intelligent person. I genuinely thought he was 12 for most of the book and was shocked to find out he was 15/16. I know intelligence takes many forms and presumably his detached, childlike style of narration was a deliberate choice by the author but I'm sorry, it doesn't work for me. He knows so little about everything it seems and apart from reading apparently advanced books (Is To Kill a Mockingbird really that advanced/hard to understand?), his intelligence is not depicted at all. It makes his teacher just seem naive for singling him out.

Those two issues aside, Perks is mostly a hipster dream. For me, a book needs strong character voices in order for me to truly love it and that just didn't happen here. I found it interesting and I didn't hate it but it covers so many traumatic issues without actually covering them properly. They're plot devices to be dismissed a few pages after they happen, nothing more. In the end, Perks didn't disappoint me but probably only because I expected so little.

Overall Score:

.5

The Grownup by Gillian Flynn

MILD-ISH SPOILERS

Gonna be honest, I thought this was a book. Nevermind. I'm not one to turn down a good short story, especially not when it's as engaging as this. Quite different from her usual work in a good way. I'm getting a bit sick of the whole 'evil woman' thing, if only because it makes her work predictable.

This story had such potential. I was mildly shocked by the first line and drawn in soon after. I just wish, wish, wish it had ended at the first twist. That was good, that was clever, that was something I could get behind. Instead Flynn tries to go one step too far but then somehow takes the step back and then it just kind of ends in a really unsatisfying way. I get what she was going for and sure, the ending makes sense I suppose. Maybe I'm just too fond of my more horrific short stories.

There's not really much else I can say about this. If it hadn't carried on the way it did, I would have given it a much higher rating. It's still wonderfully written and very engaging so I can't fault it too much but yeah, ultimately it disappointed me.

Overall Score:

Girl Online by Zoe Suggs

Expect my choice of books to get a whole lot more diverse because I have joined a book club. Hence why Girl Online is the book I'll be talking about today.

Okay, so reading this wasn't my choice which isn't a great place to start from to be fair. But hey, I was optimistic. I've been known to read and occasionally enjoy my share of crappy YA books. Why should this one be any different?

Oh dear god, this book is a sugary wonderland of tween fantasy. I can never eat more than one marshmallow at a time because it hurts my teeth and this book was like someone had stuffed a hundred in my mouth at once. There is no substance whatsoever in this. The author is so terrified of conflict that any drama introduced before the last few pages is immediately solved, just in case the readers start to worry that things might not be perfect after all.

Let me make one thing clear-I am a hopeless romantic. The key being 'hopeless'. Everything is just a little too perfect here. Like I said, it's a tween fantasy sold in a shiny pastel package. The main character (whose name I have already forgotten) manages to solve her anxiety, get the guy, gain self-esteem and become a fairly famous blogger all in just over a week. It's a shame because the conflict at the end could have been interesting but not when the story has been so irritatingly perfect so far. Also it felt like the story completely changed plots when she went to America. I guess it was on purpose but it was still a bit odd somehow. Not sure why.

I'll give this 2.5 stars because a) I appreciate I'm not the target audience and b) the writing is okay and the characters are at least semi-interesting (or different from each other). Maybe I'm being too kind but if you're not allergic to fluffy, soulless marshmallows like me, you might actually find something to enjoy here.

Overall Score:

.5

Dying for Christmas by Tammy Cohen

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

'Misery meets Gone Girl'. Now how could I resist that?

Now to be fair, that's not an entirely inaccurate description of the book. You just have to add the words 'without good writing or any original thought' onto the end of it.

Dying for Christmas is a book I came across by chance and I was instantly intrigued by the blurb. Sadly I can't say this book was worth the read. It's split into two parts, with the first part being the whole Misery kidnap thing and the second half bringing the Gone Girl 'twist'. By which I mean it literally copies exactly what Gone Girl did-a vengeful blonde who dyes her hair red and fakes her own death to spite her husband. Only this time there's another girl as well.

This book is baffling in the way it doesn't make sense. If you're not paying much attention, nothing will really seem wrong with it. But important details just get skirted over. At one point, Dominic tortures Jessica by giving her a tattoo except we're never told what the tattoo is of. At all. She just refers to it as a generic tattoo at all times. The other torture methods are also really weird. Jessica is horrified by being made to eat 5 croissants...is that really so bad? 5? Sure, it's not something you'd do by choice but it's hardly the worst thing ever to happen.

Dominic is freaking hilarious as a villain. He fails in all the ways Annie Wilkes succeeded. Dominic's thing is he is a massive narcissist which unfortunately means he spells out every single detail of what he's doing and his motivations as though everyone reading the book is a moron. I was so bored and uninterested in everything he said. Annie Wilkes was scary because she didn't tell Paul anything about herself really-he stumbled across it. The first part is just pages upon pages of Dominic screaming things at Jessica, proclaiming how evil and scary he is. Can this be excused by the fact Jessica made it all up? Not in my eyes.

That's another thing-the book doesn't really explain exactly what really did happen. Like the tattoo, details are strangely sparse. The second part of the book infuriated me massively because it was a) ripped straight from Gone Girl and b) not much actually happened in it. There were so many huge coincidences that I couldn't buy the plot anymore, not that it was all that easy to swallow in the first place.

Finally, the ending...what was that? What does it mean? I guess it means that Kim let Jess go (because apparently going back to her family meant she couldn't reveal the truth for some reason) and Dominic has now become one of the voices in Jess's head but still. It's such a rushed and clichéd ending (again, ripped straight from Misery) that it sealed the deal for me. The only reason this gets two stars instead of one is that I found myself strangely compelled to keep reading it. It's not badly written in terms of style, just in terms of plot and missed details. But yeah, don't read this book. Just read Misery and Gone Girl instead (and I'm not even that fond of Gone Girl)

Overall Score:

Misery by Stephen King

SPOILERS

I am going to start this review by saying I am 100% biased towards this book and I am not ashamed of it.

Okay so, Misery. This is the first Stephen King book I ever read and the one which made me love him so it's no wonder I'm biased. However, I tried to read it this time round as critically as possible (I was reading it as part of a book club) and even then, I found myself still loving it. This is pure King at his best-no supernatural elements, no weird things with aliens or monsters, just pure psychological horror and two really good characters. Let's start with those.

Paul is of course the main character. It was pointed out to me that he's a little flat by my book club and I really have to disagree. True, Paul is a typical King self-insert and perhaps the most blatant example there is. But Paul has such a strong voice as the narrator that he comes alive. I don't think anyone could read this and not root for Paul, not feel every ounce of his pain. Speaking of which...

Annie Wilkes. My god. As awful as she is, I LOVE her character. By which I mean, I love how detailed and fleshed out she is. Maybe now we're spoiled by murderers with tragic backstories but she was one of the first and one of the best. Not that she isn't causing all the tragedies herself. One thing that did surprise me upon rereading is just how quickly she turns on the crazy but hey, I like that the plot gets kickstarted instantly. I especially like when she gives up all pretence of letting Paul live and how easily she talks about killing him out of sheer weariness. Annie is horrifying in the best way and every second she's on the page, you can't help but tense up.

I promise I will get onto the negatives in a second but first, more gushing! One thing I thought was particularly done well was Paul's descent into Stockholm syndrome. It was blended so perfectly with his med addiction and his growing love of the book he was writing. It felt completely realistic to me and I loved how Annie also seemed to be aware of it, and how needy it made her despite her cynicism.

Okay, so actual criticisms. I have very few to make (big surprise there). A few of the rambly chapters probably could have been cut without too much being lost. I'm not sure what purpose the loss of Paul's thumb served, especially since it happens off-screen right after the on-screen loss of his foot. I guess it's supposed to highlight how awful she is but really, the foot scene worked better and the thumb felt like an add on that wasn't needed. And that's literally all I can think of right now. I really love this book.

Do I even need to sum up? King's fantastic writing style combined with a tense, sardine can thriller that stars two incredibly in-depth characters. A lot of horror, a lot of food for thought and a lot worth reading.

Overall Score:

.5

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Originally the last of Flynn's books I read (starting with Gone Girl of course) I decided to re-read this one after finding out they were releasing a film about it. I remembered very little about it despite only reading it about a year ago, which wouldn't bode well except that I also remember very little about Sharp Objects and I by far thought that was the strongest of the Flynn books. Anyway, the first time I read this book I felt very little except abrupt disappointment. This time round I was more prepared and I definitely enjoyed it more.

The main problem with Dark Places is it sells itself as a mystery but the conclusion is so unsatisfying and contrived that it doesn't make a very good one. On both read-throughs I was sucked in, keen to learn what really happened to the Day family. It definitely helped to read it again knowing that I wasn't going to be happy with the ending. Instead the book became about the characters, and viewed like this makes it much stronger on the whole.

In terms of Flynn's style, I guess it's quite formulaic. All the female characters are deeply flawed and not that pleasant but honestly, I adored Libby. She's not a nice person but at no point is she expected to be. At the end of her story, she is essentially just as flawed but also on the way to being happier. Female characters are so rarely allowed to be flawed in the first place that it's great to have one where her flaws aren't something she has to change in order to get her happy ending. Instead the plot is about what happened to her and that's much more powerful.

I also loved the character of Krissi, especially with how similar she was to Libby. Patty Day just broke my heart, and her part in everything made much more sense to me the second time around. Diondra...let's just say I forgot about her completely until I read it again which is very bad considering how much she is in the novel. I know I'm not supposed to like her [HIGHLIGHT FOR SPOILERS] but like Amy in Gone Girl, her comeuppance is not good enough for me. I also don't really get why Ben lets her kill his sister and in general, Ben as a character troubled me. Am I supposed to see him as redeemable and sympathetic? I really don't.

On the whole, I stand by my statement that this is the second weakest of Flynn's books, with Gone Girl being the weakest in my eyes. However, I do think Gone Girl is the more interesting and enjoyable book the first read-through. The difference is, I would not read Gone Girl again without skipping the first third. Taken as a character story rather than a mystery, Dark Places is brilliantly written and gripping throughout. Heck, even as a mystery it still manages to succeed for most of it. It's just a shame that I certainly didn't buy the conclusion, nor did I think it was a worthy end to the story that proceeded it.

Overall Score:

.5

Favourite Quotes:

'It meant having the blues in a way that annoyed other people. Having the blues aggressively.'

~

'I don't have friends but I have people who invite me places.'

~

'How could you kill something you cared enough to name?'

~

'And still she'd gotten pregnant three more times, because he didn't like to wear condoms and it was too much trouble to nag.'

Only Ever Yours by Louse O'Neill

*MILD ENDING SPOILERS (NO REAL DETAILS)*

I first read this book almost in one sitting on one frenzied day during exam time. It was probably the worst time possible to be engulfed by a book but it was so compelling that I couldn't put it down. I promptly finished it and while I was desperate to share my thoughts on it, I was so emotionally-drained that I wasn't quite sure what those thoughts were. A couple of months later, I picked it up again and once more finished it in a day. It's that good.

Only Ever Yours is an emotional gut-punch of a book, in a similar way to how Some Girls Are was. To quickly sum up the plot, global warming has hit, resulting in a future where the only women who exist are 'eves'-perfect girls grown by scientists to serve men. There are three ways eves can accomplish this: companionship (a marriage of sorts), becoming a concubine (prostitute) or (the most dreaded third) remaining at their school to teach future generations as a chastity. The school is where eves live until the end of their 16th year and where they are taught important things like how to hate your body and how only men matter.

Obviously this book is an exaggeration of a modern-day issue, like many great sci-fi books. I can't even begin to describe how compelling I found this world which is surprising given how relatively simple it is. I think what I loved most is how gradually and quietly the horror seeps in. The protagonist casually tells us about how all companions are terminated when they turn 40, how female babies rot in the womb and how infertile companions willingly burn themselves alive so that their husband may choose a 'better' eve to replace her. It's very realistic in the way the main character doesn't realise the horror herself, having grown up in this world. Unlike some dystopian protagonists, she has no unlikely liberal views tainting her view of her world.

Speaking of the protagonist, Frieda is about as heartbreaking a character as they come. She is utterly broken by the world around her and yet is powerless to do anything about it, not that she would have the insight to do anything if she wasn't. The other characters are equally engaging-even evil Megan is vaguely sympathetic in that she is only doing what she has to in order to survive (not that that stops you hating her). By the time the ending comes, you feel as broken as poor Frieda in the best way. Again, this isn't a book I can say I 'enjoyed' reading but it's one I am eternally grateful I did.

Oh, and the ending. It crushed me completely both times and yet, what else did I expect? This isn't the sort of book which can have a happy ending and Frieda is not the sort of character who gets one. And in the end, who is really happy anyway? Not a single character gets what they want, or if they do then it turns out to be a hollow victory. The ending really hammers home the theme of the book, right down to the last bleak sentence.

In case you couldn't tell, I love this book. It's one of those I think everyone needs to experience and like Some Girls Are, it will haunt me forever. It carries an important message in a well-written and utterly compelling package. I strongly recommend you check it out

Overall Rating:

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

MAJOR SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Okay, after being deeply underwhelmed by Panic, my hopes weren't all that high for this book. The blurb sounded interesting but I wasn't sure what to expect. To my surprise though, I actually got drawn in pretty quickly. Unlike Panic, the characters in this book were very compelling and actually felt like detailed, potentially real people.

Imagine my horror when I discovered one of them wasn't real.

Yeah, unfortunately this book decided to go with the whole split-personality thing. To its credit, I didn't see it coming. However, that's mostly because it makes NO FREAKING SENSE WHATSOEVER.

Seriously, I understand that twists kinda seem necessary these days but this book definitely didn't need one. All it needed was a decent resolution to the plot it set up but instead of that, we get this cheap copout ending. It doesn't fit at all with the story-if Dara has been dead all along, why are her parents talking about her in private emails (that Nick doesn't see) as if she's still alive? Why aren't they more concerned by Nick expecting her sister to show up? Why is her phone still so active? When I read the big reveal, I didn't feel excited or satisfied. All I felt was shock followed by a slow, sinking feeling in my gut.

I can't even begin to really explain how disappointed this book made me. There's nothing worse that a book which is almost enjoyable and for that reason I can't give it a very high rating, no matter how good 3/4s of it were.

Overall Score:

.5

All the Rage by Courtney Summers

One of the many things I love about Courtney Summers as an author is that her books always, always have something to say. They're brutal and ugly and almost painful to read in their honesty yes, but each one says something that needs to be said. Unfortunately, I don't think All the Rage follows this trend.

Rape books. Rape is a tough subject to write about and I am not one of those people who think you shouldn't write about something just because of that. But rape has been covered so many times in YA fiction that honestly, I don't see why we need another book about it. Yes, the majority of rape books cover the subject so badly that it shouldn't be allowed. Yes, All the Rage actually manages to cover the topic well and doesn't shy away from the unpleasantness of it all. But it's still a rape book and, as a story, we all know how those go. I don't think anyone thinks rape is right (what constitutes as rape is a different matter but that's not touched on here) and so, what does this book say that is new?

Don't get me wrong, this is still a fantastically-written story and it does have some interesting elements presented in the usual raw style. It doesn't pull any punches. If you read any book about rape it should probably be this one. I just think in comparison to Summers' other books (particularly Some Girls Are which is very similar but infinitely better) it falls a bit flat.

My other main problem with it was the ending. Summers' usually ends books abruptly and without resolution but this was one of the worst examples I've seen. While with the others I can usually make some excuse for it, this book was definitely lacking. That doesn't mean I don't understand why it ended where it did but it was incomplete in a way that doesn't justify it. I felt the story owed me more that it gave and there was no true payoff to getting emotionally invested in it.

The bottom line? If you only read one book by Summers, go for Some Girls Are. Otherwise this is sill miles better than most YA fiction out there, if not deeply more uncomfortable to read.

Overall Rating:

.5

Fifty Shades of Grey: Chapters 10-15

Brief Recap: Ana meets Grey's mother, Grey gives her a computer and they start emailing. Ana reads the contract properly, they meet to discuss it and eventually she agrees to be Grey's sub. Also Ana graduates.

Thoughts: Ah, now here's the dickish Christian Grey I was waiting for. Not that he hasn't shown signs of being a dick before this point but this is the part of the book where he really becomes intolerable. There are red flags all over this relationship.

"But I'm worried you'll hurt me."

~

"I could make you stay," he threatens

~

"You scare me when you're angry,"

NONE OF THESE ARE SIGNS YOU SHOULD BE ENTERING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS MAN ANA. Especially not when he literally says he doesn't want you to think about what's right because he'll do it for you.

 “All those decisions – all the wearying thought processes behind them. The – is this the right thing to do? Should this happen here? Can it happen now? You wouldn't have to worry about any of that detail.”

Christian is sooooo creepy. As a joke, Ana sends him an email saying 'it was nice knowing you'. He takes it seriously and shows up at her house to persuade her through sex to change her mind. Sure, he concedes on minor points and to be fair, Ana has a lot more of a backbone than I expected. But she completely ignores the fact she doesn't want a sub/dom relationship. She basically says 'I don't want to be whipped' and he's like 'No, you'll like it, trust me'. And she agrees to it! This is some deeply unhealthy relationship stuff here.

I expected to hate the emails but honestly, they're probably one of the best parts. At least Ana sticks up for herself more via email. Also there's no weird asparagus flirting.

Chapter 15 ends with them having sex for the first time since she agreed to be his sub and what does he do? Tell her she can do anything she wants, she's in charge! He basically taunts her with what she won't ever experience with him again.

This is definitely the worst set of chapters so far. I have a horrible feeling this is the start of a very slippery slope

Fifty Shades of Grey: Chapters 6-10

Brief Recap: Ana wakes up in Grey's bed and he tells her they slept together but didn't have sex (still creepy). Also she isn't wearing pants. He tells her he likes her but there are some things she should know about him before they go any further. He then kisses her dramatically in the elevator because mixed messages are perfectly acceptable. Later on they go to his house and he introduces her to his Room of Eternal Kinkiness and shows her the Sub/Dom contract. She informs him she's a virgin and he's so outraged that he generously takes her virginity right there and then. Sexy times happen, morning times happen and the chapter ends with the arrival of Grey's mother.

Thoughts: Well, we have our first sex scene! And it didn't disappoint. A lot of these chapters is just setting up the whole BDSM concept which unfortunately is kinda problematic. You see, Grey's 'contract' isn't really what BDSM is all about. I mean, it can be but it's a much more mutual thing than this book makes out. Just because Grey is the Dom doesn't mean he gets to decide everything about their relationship without any discussion whatsoever. Also, his reaction to Ana's virgin status is definitely not okay. Despite claiming he doesn't do 'vanilla', he has regular sex with her so she can see what it's like. He is the true king of mixed messages, doing things whilst claiming the whole time that he 'never does them'.

The sex scenes themselves aren't the worst I've ever read but they're hardly realistic. Ana's first time and she feels no pain and has three orgasms. Also, there's even more of unrealistically innocent Ana here. Apparently she has never masturbated/orgasmed either because she's had no sexual feelings whatsoever until Christian shows up with his magical penis.

Christian. Oh dear lord. He has sex like a robot, I swear.

'I am going to take you from behind, Anastasia'.
'Anastasia, I am going to come in your mouth '.
'Error 404-orgasm file not found'.

Ana's subconscious is starting to get on my wick as well. It honestly reads like Ana has some deep psychological problem with the way she's either berating herself or urging herself to be more daring. This kind of inner conflict isn't healthy guys! Ana's repressing so hard that there's no way it can end well.

I'm interested to see how much of the book becomes sex after this. Since the last 5 chapters featured no one but Ana and Christian, it doesn't bode well for the rest of it.

Current Opinion: Getting worse but still palatable

Fifty Shades of Grey: Chapters 1-5

So I've finally decided to do it. Yes, I am going to read 50 Shades of Grey. In order to be able to stomach it though (and to give it a more detailed review) I'm going to split it up into sets of 5 chapters. Hopefully this will make it easier to swallow.

I don't think this really needs much background explanation. If you don't know this book, Google it. Done? Okay, good. So this was a Twilight fanfiction turned goldmine BDSM book. The basic story is vulnerable virgin meets experienced sexy millionaire and they have lots of kinky sexy sex together. I probably won't be too graphic in my reviews of this but I might quote particularly funny parts so be warned if that sort of thing offends you.

Brief recap of chapter contents: Anastasia Steele (henceforth known as 'Ana') meets Christian Grey when she has to interview him for her college newspaper. They then meet again at her place of work where he buys rope and cable ties (subtle book) and finally yet again for a photo shoot. This leads to a coffee date. Ana goes out after her final exams and gets super drunk, hit on by her friend Jose and rescued by Grey.

Thoughts: Okay, so far this isn't as bad as I feared. Christian is a douche from the get go but Ana is not as weak as I expected, nor as one-dimensional. She's still not great but she has a pretty substantial
life of her own at the moment. Of course, I fully expect this to vanish when they actually start having a romance.

Kate is a plot device really, nothing more. She's someone for Ana to muse about occasionally and to talk to about Christian. Again, she's alright but suffers from a bad case of 'show don't tell'. Instead of describing Kate through actions, we know everything we know about her because Ana tells us it.

Things that annoy me so far-Ana is far too innocent, weirdly so. Apparently she has never drunk before she gets super drunk in Chapter 5 which I find it very hard to believe given that she's 21 and has just finished college. Of course, it would be different if it was a personal choice but it seems more like she's just never gotten round to it. Christian is also awful in this chapter-after rescuing Ana from sexual assault and watching her throw up, he then takes her to the dance floor and they dance until she literally passes out. Because clearly the perfect time to tango is right after you've vomited up two litres of margaritas.

Unfortunately, far too many elements of this remind me of Twilight. Jose is very similar to Jacob in physical description and the role he plays as the best friend/third love triangle part. Their dads are best friends too (something I'm sure will never be mentioned again and so serves only to highlight its Twilight roots) and he does the forceful kiss thing Jacob does. That aside, Grey saves Ana's life from a vehicle like Edward does and Ana has a crappy car like Bella. Coupled with the fact Kate falls for Christian's brother, there are too many similarities here for me to be comfortable with it. Hopefully this will change later on.

Current opinion: Not as bad as I feared

No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale

I didn't realise until I finished this book just how odd it was. I mean, it's a murder mystery where a teenage girl is killed horribly on the first page and yet it doesn't take itself all that seriously. You know the events the words are describing are awful and yet they don't seem that bad.

Probably one of the first things I should say is I loved this book right up until a certain point. For those of you who have read it, that point is when Kippy goes to the mental asylum. After that, everything just went sort of downhill.

Let's start with the positives. Kippy-I adored Kippy as a character (even if I did think she was a boy for the first five pages which was somewhat jarring when I discovered she wasn't). She's so weird it should be off-putting and yet she remains delightfully likeable and somehow down to earth throughout the whole book. Yes she has issues (everyone has issues basically) but they're just a part of her. She's definitely one of the less annoying YA narrators.

Unfortunately, this strength is also the book's main downfall. I just didn't feel the emotional side at all which is downright weird in a murder mystery. When the actual murderer is revealed, it's almost done with no fanfare at all. There was no emotional impact because the character didn't seem to feel an emotional impact. In fact, everyone reacted just a bit too normally to the brutal murder at the start. Kippy is sad for her friend obviously but the author doesn't focus on what anyone thinks about the actual method of murder. Even at the end in the big reveal, it's just presented as another fact.

Now this alone wasn't enough to make me dislike the book since the first three-quarters are so strong and hey, it almost feels like it could be a stylistic choice done on purpose. But it is a shame when a murder mystery book decides not to make a song and dance about the murder. I would still greatly recommend this book and I'm so glad I read it but if you're hoping for a dark read, you're going to be disappointed.

(Also, final spoilery rant: Does the murderer really have to be the loner kid who was sad after his parents died and collects a bunch of nerdy/weird stuff? Because that stereotype hasn't been done enough)

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