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<channel><title><![CDATA[StoryGirl's Book Reviews - Teen Books]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books]]></link><description><![CDATA[Teen Books]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 23 Dec 2020 18:54:38 +0930</pubDate><generator>Weebly</generator><item><title><![CDATA[I both sell, buy, and borrow Garth Nix's most recent book]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/i-both-sell-buy-and-borrow-garth-nixs-most-recent-book]]></link><comments><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/i-both-sell-buy-and-borrow-garth-nixs-most-recent-book#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Wed, 16 Dec 2020 01:12:45 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/i-both-sell-buy-and-borrow-garth-nixs-most-recent-book</guid><description><![CDATA[       In a slightly alternate London in 1983, Susan Arkshaw is looking for her father, a man she has never met. Crime boss Frank Thringley might be able to help her, but Susan doesn&rsquo;t get time to ask Frank any questions before he is turned to dust by the prick of a silver hatpin in the hands of the outrageously attractive Merlin.Merlin is a young left-handed bookseller (one of the fighting ones), who with the right-handed booksellers (the intellectual ones), are an extended family of magi [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div class="wsite-image wsite-image-border-none " style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;text-align:center"> <a> <img src="https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/3/6/103668378/left-handed-london_orig.jpeg" alt="Picture" style="width:auto;max-width:100%" /> </a> <div style="display:block;font-size:90%"></div> </div></div>  <blockquote><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">In a slightly alternate London in 1983, Susan Arkshaw is looking for her father, a man she has never met. Crime boss Frank Thringley might be able to help her, but Susan doesn&rsquo;t get time to ask Frank any questions before he is turned to dust by the prick of a silver hatpin in the hands of the outrageously attractive Merlin.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Merlin is a young left-handed bookseller (one of the fighting ones), who with the right-handed booksellers (the intellectual ones), are an extended family of magical beings who police the mythic and legendary Old World when it intrudes on the modern world, in addition to running several bookshops.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Susan&rsquo;s search for her father begins with her mother&rsquo;s possibly misremembered or misspelt surnames, a reading room ticket, and a silver cigarette case engraved with something that might be a coat of arms.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Merlin has a quest of his own, to find the Old World entity who used ordinary criminals to kill his mother. As he and his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, tread in the path of a botched or covered-up police investigation from years past, they find this quest strangely overlaps with Susan&rsquo;s. Who or what was her father? Susan, Merlin, and Vivien must find out, as the Old World erupts dangerously into the New.</span></blockquote>  <div class="paragraph"><strong>The Left-handed Booksellers of London (Garth Nix)</strong><br />I&rsquo;ll be honest; I&rsquo;m not a big Garth Nix fan.<br />I often struggle with some of the stuff he writes, especially the foreign atmospheres, outlandish world building, and morally oddball characters. I am, however, often enthralled in the allure of his premises, and so this particular title has been on my to-read list all year.<br /></div>  <div>  <!--BLOG_SUMMARY_END--></div>  <div class="paragraph"><span>Due to a crazy year (in more ways than just the pandemic), I&rsquo;ve only recently been to the library to actually read something new, and I picked this one up on a whim. And when I was finished, I went to work and bought a copy. (For those who were unaware, I currently work at a Bookshop. If this seems financially compromising, I assure you, you&rsquo;re absolutely right.)</span><br /><br /><span>So, the short of it is, this was an excellent book.</span><br /><span>I mean, it&rsquo;s set in an alternate 1983, and starts like this:</span><br /><br /><span>&ldquo;</span><em>This story takes place in a version of England in the year 1983, but it is not entirely as those who were alive then will remember, or those with a historical bent can check up on. But which is real?</em><span>&rdquo;</span><br /><br /><span>Like I said, the allure is real. Especially for readers and booksellers and left-handed people as they relate, but also because ALTERNATE MAGICAL REALITY. This is possibly the reason I enjoyed it so much compare to his other books; because the base of its world building was something I could fundamentally understand instinctively. Further, the exploration of some of the more fantastical elements was assisted by the main character Susan Arkshaw, who began as the metaphorical &rsquo;outsider&rsquo; being inducted into a deeper world full of mystery and magic. And the world full of mystery and magic is pretty awesome! It melded almost seamlessly with 1983 London and drew me in to both the real locations and the new ones. The idea of a group of day-job booksellers separating the &lsquo;Old World&rsquo; from the modern one is exciting and piqued my interest immediately, as that sort of idea always appeals to ordinary readers who can relate and easily imagine themselves within the magic.</span><br /><br /><span>Susan herself is an exemplary main character who has clear goals and is refreshingly hard to phase. Gets chased out the window by a giant flea? Confused and a bit alarmed, but fine. Gets shot at with arrows? Let&rsquo;s see if I can shoot back. I particularly enjoyed this, which you might have guessed if you know about my dislike for characters who get thrust into a magic land and then&nbsp;</span><em>complain</em><span>.</span><br /><br /><span>Anyway, the plot is a beautiful mix of character driven and plot driven which creates that perfect golden crust on top of the delicious pie that is this book. Some decisions are driven by Susan or Merlin (our other main character), and others are driven by the bad guys aka PLOT. It&rsquo;s fairly fast paced and a quick read (by that I mean 368 pages in the copy I bought, or approximately 11hrs 16m if you like Audiobooks).</span><br /><br /><span>Childhood fans of Susan Cooper and fantasy in general will love this stand-alone novel by this famous Australian author. I would recommend it for an older audience than usual, possibly 17+, but I also know that my mother has been really enjoying the audiobook too, so it&rsquo;s enjoyable for adults and teens alike.</span><br /><br /><span>There&rsquo;s a bit of swearing (mostly just the occasional sh**, but there may be rare mentions of a few others I&rsquo;ve forgotten), but it&rsquo;s fairly clean. Oh, and I recommended it to someone for a teen, but I think they were scared of by the fact that Merlin is searching for the &ldquo;Old World entity that killed his mother&rdquo;. If that scares you off, well, you&rsquo;ve been warned (but honestly, Harry Potter&rsquo;s mother was killed, and that gets more graphic screen time than what&rsquo;s in this book).</span><br /><br /><span>All in all, I give it 4.5 stars because I really enjoyed it, and I think you will too. Here&rsquo;s to reading and reviewing more, and a better year next year!</span><br /><span>Merry Christmas,</span><br /><em><strong>StoryGirl</strong></em></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Idealism Breaks]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/the-idealism-breaks]]></link><comments><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/the-idealism-breaks#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Sun, 22 Dec 2019 04:35:37 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/the-idealism-breaks</guid><description><![CDATA[       The Surface Breaks: A Reimagining of the Little Mermaid by Louise O'Neill  Deep beneath the sea, off the cold Irish coast, Gaia is a young mermaid who dreams of freedom from her controlling father. On her first swim to the surface, she is drawn towards a human boy. She longs to join his carefree world, but how much will she have to sacrifice? What will it take for the little mermaid to find her voice? &#8203;Hans Christian Andersen's original fairy tale is reimagined through a searing fem [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div class="wsite-image wsite-image-border-none " style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;text-align:center"> <a> <img src="https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/3/6/103668378/35842338-uy1000-ss1000_orig.jpg" alt="Picture" style="width:auto;max-width:100%" /> </a> <div style="display:block;font-size:90%"></div> </div></div>  <h2 class="wsite-content-title">The Surface Breaks: A Reimagining of the Little Mermaid by Louise O'Neill</h2>  <blockquote><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Deep beneath the sea, off the cold Irish coast, Gaia is a young mermaid who dreams of freedom from her controlling father. On her first swim to the surface, she is drawn towards a human boy. She longs to join his carefree world, but how much will she have to sacrifice? What will it take for the little mermaid to find her voice? <br />&#8203;Hans Christian Andersen's original fairy tale is reimagined through a searing feminist lens, with the stunning, scalpel-sharp writing and world building that has won Louise her legions of devoted fans. A book with the darkest of undercurrents, full of rage and rallying cries: storytelling at its most spellbinding.</span></blockquote>  <div>  <!--BLOG_SUMMARY_END--></div>  <div class="paragraph">I&rsquo;m not quite sure what to say about this one.<br /><br />It was supposed to be a feminist retelling, yet every woman was either weak and conditioned (for example, the sisters &amp; grandmother who were too scared to stand up for anyone) or strong and morally dubious. Sure, they might've had good reason to be, but why can&rsquo;t woman have morals and be powerful? A clear example was the Sea Witch, who despite seeming to have sympathy for Gaia, was not that helpful. I guess the main character was supposed to go on a journey, but I can only tell you the way it looked from here.<br />Almost (apart from George who seems to exist to solely stand against this particular argument I'm about to make) every man was a pig,&nbsp;which I think doesn&rsquo;t actually reflect real life to my experience. I have had many positive male figures who are nothing like the tyrannical&nbsp;Sea King or the uncaring Oliver. My father for one, and my brother, for another, just to name a few.<br /><span>It made a convincing argument for brutally killing the corrupt patriarchy, but somehow, I can&rsquo;t seem to reconcile my conscience/morals/principles to it... Altogether, the ideas of grace, mercy and the capacity for human change were not recognised in men and sometimes even in women. Men who did the wrong thing were evil and needed to be punished and learning and human development could go down the sink.</span><br />Basically all I'm saying is that&nbsp;it had no nuance and is reminiscent to what some people call militant feminism. It's basically saying "You wanna take all my power? Well I'll take my power back and then take yours too so you can see how it feels!"<br />Ugh. No nuance at all.<br /><br />To make matters worse, the author seemed to try and&nbsp;support ALL the prominent social movements as well (LGBTQ+, mental health, lack of self-esteem about your body, domestic abuse etc) not just feminism which made it all&nbsp;feel a little over complicated and the coverage of issues seemed spread too thin. Don't get me wrong, I don't have ANYTHING against these issues being represented in literature, but when people try to support too many causes at once, it makes for a messy book that seems to be more of a social comment than a novel for enjoyment. You can make a social comment and an enjoyable book at the same time, but not if you try to do too much at once.<br /><br />The ending, at first thought, was fair, but I did notice some pretty obvious plot holes.<br />(!SPOILERS! except she, after a month+ of complacent suffering suddenly finds her powers that are apparently more powerful than everything seen thus far for no apparent reason !END SPOILERS!)<br />On the more general side, it wasn't a bad&nbsp;retelling of the original Hans Christian Anderson story; it wasn't&nbsp;boring or predictable and&nbsp;it followed the original tale to a large extent. I enjoyed seeing the actual story (sea foam, dagger, sisters and all) mirrored in a retelling rather than just the Disney version. Kept me engaged throughout<br />All in all, I feel like it dramatised and over exaggerated reality and I understand it probably did that to put the true and real problems discussed in this book into greater focus for readers, but I feel it, in truth, discredited the issue. I think the fact that this stuff happens in real life is terrible, but real life has a greater diversity in character and mutual respect than this book ever shows. It is disconcerting how often this is the case with YA; how often it omits the middle ground in favour of a straight-ford answer to some of life&rsquo;s oldest and most entangled problems.<br />'Be yourself', 'accept others no matter what'&nbsp;and 'empower yourself' seem easy and admirable values, but all too often they clash. If being yourself means murder or if empowering yourself means putting others down, if accepting other&rsquo;s quirks prevents you being yourself, what are we to do? Society is constantly contradicting itself and creating hypocrisy.<br /><br />Anyway, sorry for the rant and here&rsquo;s a short version of the age rating and notable content warnings. I'll give it two stars and recommend it for those who are 16+ (psychological and physical abuse - actual and implied, mature themes, swearing. If anyone wants a more specific description, feel free to contact me through commenting/emailing/etc).<br /><br />Read it if you&rsquo;re interested, but I&rsquo;m not sure I&rsquo;d recommend it. For those who are curious, it can be found on BorrowBox (depending on region probably) and online. Possibly also your local bookstore.<br /><br /><em><strong>StoryGirl</strong></em><br />&#8203;</div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Not Once, But Twice!]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/not-once-but-twice]]></link><comments><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/not-once-but-twice#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Sat, 26 Oct 2019 05:54:19 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/not-once-but-twice</guid><description><![CDATA[Twice Freed by Patricia St.John         Onesimus is a slave. Eirene is a rich merchant's daughter.Onesimus longs to gain his freedom and Eirene's love.However, he doesn't realise where true freedom lies. He wants nothing to do with Jesus Christ. His master, Philemon, may follow the teachings of the Christ and his apostle Paul ... but Onesimus has other plans.      Different people like different types of tea.I, for example, like iced black, chai, or fruit teas with lactose free milk. You might l [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2 class="wsite-content-title">Twice Freed by Patricia St.John</h2>  <div><div class="wsite-image wsite-image-border-none " style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;text-align:center"> <a> <img src="https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/3/6/103668378/published/2fdfb1a749b13e45d7a78c340b786ec0-800x.jpg?1572074252" alt="Picture" style="width:403;max-width:100%" /> </a> <div style="display:block;font-size:90%"></div> </div></div>  <blockquote>Onesimus is a slave. Eirene is a rich merchant's daughter.<br />Onesimus longs to gain his freedom and Eirene's love.<br />However, he doesn't realise where true freedom lies. He wants nothing to do with Jesus Christ. His master, Philemon, may follow the teachings of the Christ and his apostle Paul ... but Onesimus has other plans.<br /></blockquote>  <div>  <!--BLOG_SUMMARY_END--></div>  <div class="paragraph">Different people like different types of tea.<br /><span></span>I, for example, like iced black, chai, or fruit teas with lactose free milk. You might like green teas. Or red teas or blue teas.<br /><span></span>The point I&rsquo;m trying to make, is that some cups of teas may not, as my mother would say, be yours. I mean, they may not be your cup of tea.<br /><span></span>Uh.<br /><span></span>I should also remember what she says to me about extended metaphors&hellip;<br /><span></span>To speak not in riddles, this book is what is commonly classified as Christian Fiction. Do with that information what you will. (Except start any flame wars- those will not be tolerated)<br /><br /><span></span><em>Twice Freed</em> is a little gem of a novel, written in the 70&rsquo;s, sure, but still a gem. I read this for my bookclub and I enjoyed the great character development, relationships, and the accuracy of the world building which drew from historical and biblical contexts. Also, I enjoyed the little crossovers with Paul&rsquo;s travels. It&rsquo;s like in <em>The Horse and His Boy</em> by C.S Lewis when you see/hear of the Pevensies in their golden age. The story isn&rsquo;t about them, but you know who they are and it&rsquo;s all so exciting!<br /><span></span><br /><br /><span></span>There was great character development for Onesimus (the main character) throughout the novel as he struggled with what he believed, what he wanted, and how he wanted to spend his life. You know, typical teenager stuff. He&rsquo;s a slave at the beginning and, by the end, (you guessed it!) he&rsquo;s free.<br /><span></span>As our main character explores the true meaning of freedom, we get so see some great relationship dynamics. Primarily, this is between Archippus and Onesimus, both of whom have wronged each other in various ways. As Onesimus struggles with whether to hate or respect his childhood friend, the colours of the friendship dynamic are deepened and we readers become more invested.<br /><span></span><br /><br /><span></span>Speaking of relationships though, the one between Eirene and Onesimus was brilliant, but I felt it could&rsquo;ve been given more time. As wonderful as their spontaneous connection was, the ending between them felt a bit strange.<br /><span></span>The only other thing I might say against this book was that if you aren&rsquo;t aware of the biblical context this book was written around (Paul&rsquo;s Letters, some parts of Acts, Philemon, generally the history of the early church), some of the meaning and depth may be lost. It provides more for this reality than some works of Christian Fiction, but I feel that it still could be an obstacle, or at least a detractor of enjoyment.<br /><span></span><br /><br /><span></span>Anyway, <em>Twice Freed </em>was a heart-warming novel about true freedom and Christ in the life of a runaway slave. I would recommend the audience be 13+ because there are some themes that would be lost on anyone younger. Also, there&rsquo;s a bit of violence (riot at Ephesus, beating, gladiator arena-but nothing too graphic) and implications of stuff (a few times it was implied that there was *stuff* going on&nbsp;at a temple but it&rsquo;s not elaborated on or even heavily hinted- I only picked up on it because I&rsquo;m a bit older than 13 and I know about the context).<br /><span></span>Anyway, Patricia St.John has written a lot of good books and I&rsquo;d recommend you check them out, even if you don&rsquo;t like this one.<br /><span></span><strong><em>StoryGirl<br /><br /></em></strong><em></em>Ms St.John's Books&nbsp;That I Can Recommend:&nbsp;<br />-Treasures of the Snow<br />-Rainbow Garden<br />-Star of Light<br />-I Needed A Neighbour<br />-Where The River Begins<br /><br /><span></span></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Guitar Notes Is Wonderful!]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/guitar-notes-is-wonderful]]></link><comments><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/guitar-notes-is-wonderful#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Tue, 20 Aug 2019 21:40:19 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/guitar-notes-is-wonderful</guid><description><![CDATA[       Tripp, who plays guitar only for himself, and Lyla, a cellist whose talent has already made her famous but not happy, form an unlikely friendship when they are forced to share a practice room at their high school.      Guitar Notes by Mary Amato  You know the way a beautiful story thrums through you? When you're awake at 12am with tear-tracks glistening in the light of a device containing the book you can't seem to put down? When it ends in a smile and all you can do is lie there smiling  [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div class="wsite-image wsite-image-border-none " style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;text-align:center"> <a> <img src="https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/3/6/103668378/published/710n7cjvhll.jpg?1566337885" alt="Picture" style="width:443;max-width:100%" /> </a> <div style="display:block;font-size:90%"></div> </div></div>  <blockquote><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Tripp, who plays guitar only for himself, and Lyla, a cellist whose talent has already made her famous but not happy, form an unlikely friendship when they are forced to share a practice room at their high school.</span></blockquote>  <div>  <!--BLOG_SUMMARY_END--></div>  <h2 class="wsite-content-title">Guitar Notes by Mary Amato</h2>  <div class="paragraph">You know the way a beautiful story thrums through you? When you're awake at 12am with tear-tracks glistening in the light of a device containing the book you can't seem to put down? When it ends in a smile and all you can do is lie there smiling softly in the dimness? This is that book.<br />It's about two teens and their love of music and songwriting. Lyla and Tripp are both unique characters with their own strengths, weaknesses, and misunderstanding parent. Although it starts with a few notes to the other person using the practise room, it ends in a beautiful friendship.<br />The form this story is told in is a little different, but it's still very easy to follow and a lovely read.<br />I'll keep this review short and sweet, like the book, because there isn't really a lot to say except it gets a five star rating from me!&nbsp;I would recommend it to anyone who likes music or a gentle read, but to compare like to like (not that the story was alike but taste-wise), for those who liked Juliet by Jackie French, this one might be worth a look. There was no swearing, excluding some creative name calling which includes but is not limited to; termite and villain. No overly descriptive romance because there is none. I'll only say that the way Tripp thinks of his mother most of the way through the book is sad and please do not wreak practically harmless but petty vengeful havoc on people who upset you. All in all I'd totally recommend this book to anyone over twelve but content wise it's not a problem for those younger, just maybe not as engaging.<br />Hope to Hear From You Soon,<br />StoryGirl<br /><br />P.S. I've decided from now on to show the author's website, so here it is: www.thrumsociety.com</div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mind-Blown!]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/mind-blown]]></link><comments><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/mind-blown#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Fri, 19 Jul 2019 09:41:50 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/mind-blown</guid><description><![CDATA[       Eila is in&nbsp; the running to represent a global marketing campaign for a new virtual reality skinsuit. But now a fierce battle is raging for control of her mind.Secrets and deceptions abound. Activists reveal a murderous plot. Then someone fills her head with a stranger's thoughts.Who are Eila's true allies? And how far will she go to protect innocent lives?      Mindcull by K.H Canobi  Hello Everybody and welcome back! The holidays are over and I spent a lot of time reading! Specifica [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div class="wsite-image wsite-image-border-none " style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;text-align:center"> <a> <img src="https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/3/6/103668378/published/mindcullcov-hr-300x468.jpg?1563529457" alt="Picture" style="width:261;max-width:100%" /> </a> <div style="display:block;font-size:90%"></div> </div></div>  <blockquote>Eila is in&nbsp; the running to represent a global marketing campaign for a new virtual reality skinsuit. But now a fierce battle is raging for control of her mind.<br />Secrets and deceptions abound. Activists reveal a murderous plot. Then someone fills her head with a stranger's thoughts.<br />Who are Eila's true allies? And how far will she go to protect innocent lives?<br /></blockquote>  <div>  <!--BLOG_SUMMARY_END--></div>  <h2 class="wsite-content-title">Mindcull by K.H Canobi</h2>  <div class="paragraph">Hello Everybody and welcome back! The holidays are over and I spent a lot of time reading! Specifically, rereading many series I like (Fablehaven, The Threshold Series etc, I might tell you the details later &#128513;), but I did enjoy one new book!<br /><span></span>Mindcull is by an awesome new Aussie author I know and this is her first book! It's not my typical genre but by the end I was pumped up and ready for more!<br /><span></span>Right from the start I knew that it was really well written, I could see it in each sentence.<br /><span></span>Eila is a street-smart, conscientious and considerate girl who gets dragged into a world of lies and ulterior motives when she is shortlisted for an international competition involving VR. I enjoyed hearing her realistic voice and the plot twists excited and surprised me much more than I expected! The themes of reality vs fantasy, truth vs deception and right vs wrong (plus all the grey in between!) were explored in a really refreshing way.<br /><span></span>The way relationships were characterised, in particular Eila's guardian Malcom and her friend Mei, were exceptional. From scavenging popcorn and cookies to just talking to each other, Mei was very genuine and true to how a real friend is. Although it was implied that Eila was basically an orphan, Malcom was not your typical guardian in that he didn't hate her neither did he not care as in many YA orphan tropes. Malcom cared about the stuff any reasonable parent cares about when their kid is forced to go overseas alone for a competition! I cannot express my relief at the real characters and real relationships that I see in Mindcull, so different from a lot of other works in the YA genre. Speaking of refreshing differences, I loved the wholesome lack of swearing and Insta-love!<br /><span></span>The only thing I wasn't sure about (apart from how to pronounce Eila's name &#128540;) was just personal preference. The distopic undertones made it hard for me to engage at the beginning but by then end I was still completely sold! Like I said, this isn't the sort of thing I'd normally pick up in the bookstore, but I'm glad I got to read it through a friend's generosity!<br /><span></span>Wrapping up, I reckon because of the themes I'd recommend it for 12+, but otherwise an awesome read! Like I said, no swearing (unless you count 'crap'...I don't), and no sexual content. I really enjoyed this one and was left with a great after-book feeling! All in all I'll give five stars to a great debut novel from a great Aussie author! I'm looking forward to reading more of her work (maybe a sequel...wink wink nudge nudge &#128521;)!<br /><span></span>StoryGirl<br /><br /><span></span>Seriously guys, it can be tough starting out as an author and I really recommend you check out K.H Canobi's website:(<a href="https://www.khcanobi.com/">https://www.khcanobi.com/</a>)<br />&#8203;or the book (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44675227-mindcull?from_search=true">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44675227-mindcull?from_search=true</a>). <br />If you do, don't forget to rate or review it!<br /><span></span></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Everyone Is Lonely Sometimes]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/everyone-is-lonely-sometimes]]></link><comments><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/everyone-is-lonely-sometimes#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Wed, 01 May 2019 14:30:00 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/everyone-is-lonely-sometimes</guid><description><![CDATA[       Eden has always had two loves: her best friend, Lacey, and her crush, Will. And then, almost simultaneously, she loses them both. Will to a car accident and Lacey to the inevitable growing up and growing apart.Devastated by the holes they have left in her life, Eden finds solace in an unlikely place. Before he died, Will set up an account with In Good Company, a service that uploads voices and emails and creates a digital companion that can be called anytime, day or night. It couldn&rsquo [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div class="wsite-image wsite-image-border-none " style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;text-align:center"> <a> <img src="https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/3/6/103668378/39872929_orig.jpg" alt="Picture" style="width:auto;max-width:100%" /> </a> <div style="display:block;font-size:90%"></div> </div></div>  <blockquote><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Eden has always had two loves: her best friend, Lacey, and her crush, Will. And then, almost simultaneously, she loses them both. Will to a car accident and Lacey to the inevitable growing up and growing apart.<br /><br />Devastated by the holes they have left in her life, Eden finds solace in an unlikely place. Before he died, Will set up an account with In Good Company, a service that uploads voices and emails and creates a digital companion that can be called anytime, day or night. It couldn&rsquo;t come at a better time because, after losing Lacey&ndash;the hardest thing Eden has had to deal with&ndash;who else can she confide all her secrets to? Who is Eden without Lacey?<br /><br />As Eden falls deeper into her relationship with &ldquo;Will,&rdquo; she hardly notices as her real life blooms around her. There is a new job, new friends. Then there is Oliver. He&rsquo;s Lacey&rsquo;s twin, so has always been off-limits to her, until now. He may be real, but to have him, will Eden be able to say goodbye to Will?</span><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">&nbsp;</span>&#8203;</blockquote>  <h2 class="wsite-content-title">No One Here Is Lonely by Sarah Everett</h2>  <div class="paragraph">Well, well, well. One of those 'the last summer before college changed my life' chick lit books.<br />On the one hand, I was kept engaged (though I probably shouldn't have stayed up as late as I did for it...); the main character had relatable issues, and the theme of loneness was explored well. But on the other, it was a bit predictable with no obvious climax and some annoying loose ends.</div>  <div>  <!--BLOG_SUMMARY_END--></div>  <div class="paragraph">I liked the main character, whose name was Eden. She was characterised as cautious, had self-esteem issues, and had a dependant personality but she's a pretty decent person.&nbsp;<br />In Good Company is a business that records people's voices/personalities so when they die, they leave their families a version of them to talk to. Unfortunately, its' computer generated, which means it has no memories.<br />Throughout the book Eden tells computer Will (her recently dead crush) about her problems with her friends, family and life. Anyone from the outside can see it's not helpful and the infrequent glimpses of will's mother who also uses this technology constantly reinforces this. The theme of loneliness and independence evolves into the character growth of the difficulty of leaving grief-driven fantasies for a flawed but real reality, a theme which is reflected in the title.&nbsp;<br />The characters were consistent in their characterisation (their actions matched their personality), and the development of the main character was well timed and well done. No One Here Is Lonely had real depth and as a reader (someone who often escapes reality for a fantasy world) it hit home a little.<br /><br />The thing I didn't like was the predictability. I don't really know what I expected, but there wasn't anything that particularly stood out as original to this genre (contemporary fiction), and the romance was also predictable. There also wasn't a particularly obvious climax; a culmination of all the pressures into one heart-wrenching scene, though the writing had a great set up for it. The side characters also felt a bit neglected. For instance, Chris, Kennie, Crate, etc (Eden's eventual friends from work) were cool and interesting, and also a vital part of Eden's growing independence as someone who can make new friends, but this wasn't really shown or explored. This book also had that unfinished, slightly unsatisfying feel of reality during the ending. Nothing seemed completely tied off, kind of like there were loose ends just floating around in the breeze but that it was ok...?<br />...Ah...the beauty of a vague ending that ends with the main character driving off into the sunset....(no, I'm not kidding!)<br />Finally, I would've liked to see Eden's self-hate addressed more fully, instead of just '<em>I kept my own company on the drive [off to college] because I was enough</em>'. That's it. That's all that was said, even though in several places she had commented that she hated herself, or she wasn't good at anything, and she had some obvious issues being the only child out of three without an awesome 'talent'. Sigh. Anyway.<br />It had swearing with moderate frequency (s-word, b-word, f-word), mentions of 'sleeping with' or occasionally ''f-ing' people, but it doesn't get anymore explicit then kissing with Eden.<br />I think I'll give it three stars, all told. <br />&#8203;I think I want to read some kids books now...too much swearing and seriousness in YA for me at the moment...<br /><br />See ya later,<br /><em><strong>StoryGirl <br /><br />*I drive off into the sunset* . XD</strong></em><br /><br /></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Comedic Disaster? I Think Not!]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/april-26th-2019]]></link><comments><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/april-26th-2019#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2019 06:10:54 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/april-26th-2019</guid><description><![CDATA[       Hotshot pilot Nax Hall has a history of making poor life choices. So it&rsquo;s not exactly a surprise when he&rsquo;s kicked out of the elite Ellis Station Academy in less than twenty-four hours.But Nax&rsquo;s one-way trip back to Earth is cut short when a terrorist group attacks the Academy. Nax and three other washouts escape&mdash;barely&mdash;but they&rsquo;re also the sole witnesses to the biggest crime in the history of space colonization. And the perfect scapegoats.On the run and [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div class="wsite-image wsite-image-border-none " style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;text-align:center"> <a> <img src="https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/3/6/103668378/published/y648.jpg?1556259230" alt="Picture" style="width:280;max-width:100%" /> </a> <div style="display:block;font-size:90%"></div> </div></div>  <blockquote><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Hotshot pilot Nax Hall has a history of making poor life choices. So it&rsquo;s not exactly a surprise when he&rsquo;s kicked out of the elite Ellis Station Academy in less than twenty-four hours.</span><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">But Nax&rsquo;s one-way trip back to Earth is cut short when a terrorist group attacks the Academy. Nax and three other washouts escape&mdash;barely&mdash;but they&rsquo;re also the sole witnesses to the biggest crime in the history of space colonization. And the perfect scapegoats.</span><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">On the run and framed for atrocities they didn&rsquo;t commit, Nax and his fellow failures execute a dangerous heist to spread the truth about what happened at the Academy.</span><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">They may not be &ldquo;Academy material,&rdquo; and they may not get along, but they&rsquo;re the only ones left to step up and fight.</span></blockquote>  <div class="paragraph">Two words.<br />Space. Pirates.<br />Sort of. They&rsquo;re kind of innocent&hellip; But they&rsquo;re good enough for me! <br />&#8203;Mostly because I had no expectations or hype for this book, I just looked at the description a couple of times on BorrowBox and eventually agreed to try it. I liked the interesting characters, brilliant setting and engaging story that kept me reading the whole way through.</div>  <div>  <!--BLOG_SUMMARY_END--></div>  <div class="paragraph">Nax Hall, a flunked out pilot, is the main character and POV (point of view) for the whole book. He&rsquo;s a bit unstable and quick to judge, but that just makes him realistically flawed. The books starts with the poetic justice; with the fact that the only people who escaped when the space academy got taken over was the people the academy had flunked out for reasons of discrimination (mostly). Hehe!<br />The hijinks and heists only became funner from there with seat-of-your-pants piloting, and last minute escape plans. The world..heh-hem&hellip;GALAXY building only got better from there by displaying different planet colonies with &lsquo;this could actually be true&rsquo; histories. And not many info dumps either. At its&rsquo; best, The Disasters was a fun space opera filled with rich world building, great action scenes and interesting character dynamics. The crew's banter was pretty funny and I particularly loved Nax&rsquo;s relationship with his brother. It was realistic and I love the was it was developed and excellently foreshadowed. All this was especially brilliant coupled with the fact this was a debut novel.<br />At its' worst The Disasters was another YA &lsquo;fit-as-many-under-represented-groups-as-possible&rsquo; book with too much swearing (f-bomb, b*tch, ass***, da*n etc). In the romance department as well there were too many loose threads and by the end and it ended up being a little confusing.<br />To give an example of the over-representation, the main character was bi, another dude was gay, one girl had anxiety, the other girl was trans, and another was islamic. I don&rsquo;t really have anything against these identities but it&rsquo;s kind of annoying when it feels like these labels have been put on them, not as apart of their character&rsquo;s personality, but just as representation for the labels.<br />Anyway. Sorry &lsquo;bout the rant.<br />There were a few innuendos (kind of impossible to have a YA book with any romance without them!-*sigh/eyeroll*), but nothing more explicit than kissing in actuality. All in all, I think it was a fun space opera with some fairly minor deficiencies. So, three and a half stars! I'd also probably recommend to a 16+ audience.<br /><br />&#8203;Thank you for reading, this is Commander Story Girl,<br />Signing Out.</div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Pirates, Time Travel, and Hawaii]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/march-20th-2019]]></link><comments><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/march-20th-2019#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Wed, 20 Mar 2019 09:46:43 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/march-20th-2019</guid><description><![CDATA[       The Girl From Everywhere by Heldi Heilig  Nix has spent her entire life aboard her father&rsquo;s ship, sailing across the centuries, across the world, across myth and imagination.As long as her father has a map for it, he can sail to any time, any place, real or imagined: nineteenth-century China, the land from&nbsp;One Thousand and One Nights, a mythic version of Africa. Along the way they have found crewmates and friends, and even a disarming thief who could come to mean much more to N [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div class="wsite-image wsite-image-border-none " style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;text-align:center"> <a> <img src="https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/3/6/103668378/21979832-uy400-ss400_orig.jpg" alt="Picture" style="width:auto;max-width:100%" /> </a> <div style="display:block;font-size:90%"></div> </div></div>  <h2 class="wsite-content-title">The Girl From Everywhere by Heldi Heilig</h2>  <blockquote><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Nix has spent her entire life aboard her father&rsquo;s ship, sailing across the centuries, across the world, across myth and imagination.</span><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">As long as her father has a map for it, he can sail to any time, any place, real or imagined: nineteenth-century China, the land from&nbsp;</span><em style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">One Thousand and One Nights</em><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">, a mythic version of Africa. Along the way they have found crewmates and friends, and even a disarming thief who could come to mean much more to Nix.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">But the end to it all looms closer every day.</span><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Her father is obsessed with obtaining the one map, 1868 Honolulu, that could take him back to his lost love, Nix&rsquo;s mother. Even though getting it&mdash;and going there&mdash;could erase Nix&rsquo;s very existence.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">For the first time, Nix is entering unknown waters.</span><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">She could find herself, find her family, find her own fantastical ability, her own epic love.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Or she could disappear.</span></blockquote>  <div>  <!--BLOG_SUMMARY_END--></div>  <div class="paragraph"><font color="#2a2a2a">It was the title that really caught me on this one. <br />As a girl who&rsquo;s dealt with a lot of transition stress, the temptation to investigate was pretty strong. I would've finished faster, but I got caught up with the Keepers of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger (Awesome series, by the way, absolutely recommend it).<br />Anyway, <em>The Girl Fr</em></font><font color="#181818"><em>om Everywhere</em> is a good book with massive potential. From the world building to the characterisation it was engaging and intriguing.&nbsp;</font><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Apart from that, I&rsquo;m still not quite sure there was an obvious climax, which made it a little bit hard for me to immerse myself completely. Still, a pretty solid book with a</span><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">wesome history, mythology and brilliant setting description- I love a good book with solid research. It gives the whole thing a savoury feeling of grounded-ness which can really spice up the flavour of a book.<br /></span><br /><font color="#181818">This book caught my attention and mostly kept it. Between pirates, time travel, and Hawaii, it was a diverse, introspective book with deep roots. You could definitely&nbsp;tell the author had solid experience/research.<br />&nbsp;In the myth, culture and history of Hawaii, but probably&nbsp;not time travel! Speaking of time travel....more accurately, writing of time travel, is a dangerous exercise. Things get messed up fast, but maybe due to the fact that time travel is the key world building factor that sets it apart or purely good plot planning, Ms Heilig manages to keep it together and coherent&nbsp;which means bonus point aplenty&nbsp;for her!&nbsp;</font><br /><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">I did feel the main character, Nix, was a bit iffy when it came to what she felt/wanted/loved etcetera. I like clarity, strength of emotion and consistency when it come to my mains and the whole Blake-Kashmir thing was confusing. Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, it wasn&rsquo;t a love triangle...I think...</span><br /><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">....</span><br /><br /><font color="#181818">Anyway that, exactly that, was what I&rsquo;m not sure I liked. On a side note, if it was a love triangle&nbsp;it definitely&nbsp;wasn't YA Standard Issue, which is pretty cool in itself.</font><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">So, like I said, a pretty solid read.&nbsp;I&rsquo;d recommend it to 14+ as a YA book. It doesn&rsquo;t have any proper swearing (but mentions drugs -opium), though the main character doesn&rsquo;t use them (she disapproves but her father is a user). There are some some themes like loss, love, independence and low level immorality.</span><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Anyway, a solid three and a half stars, I hope you enjoy it as much or more than I did 'cause it was pretty good! Next time I go to the library I&rsquo;ll look out for the sequel- <em>A Ship Beyond Time.<br /></em></span><font color="#2a2a2a">Happy Reading,<br /><em>StoryGirl</em></font><br /></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Navigating Five Stars]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/navigating-five-stars]]></link><comments><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/navigating-five-stars#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Wed, 13 Mar 2019 07:51:34 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/navigating-five-stars</guid><description><![CDATA[       Navigating the Stars by Maria V. Snyder  Terra Cotta Warriors have been discovered on other planets in the Milky Way Galaxy. And Lyra Daniels' parents are the archaeological Experts (yes with a capital E) on the Warriors and have dragged her to the various planets to study them despite the time dilation causing havoc with her social life.&nbsp;When one of the many Warrior planets goes silent, and looters attack her research base, Lyra becomes involved in discovering why the Warriors were  [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div class="wsite-image wsite-image-border-none " style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;text-align:center"> <a> <img src="https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/3/6/103668378/published/navigating-the-stars.jpg?1552463669" alt="Picture" style="width:228;max-width:100%" /> </a> <div style="display:block;font-size:90%"></div> </div></div>  <h2 class="wsite-content-title">Navigating the Stars by Maria V. Snyder</h2>  <blockquote><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Terra Cotta Warriors have been discovered on other planets in the Milky Way Galaxy. And Lyra Daniels' parents are the archaeological Experts (yes with a capital E) on the Warriors and have dragged her to the various planets to study them despite the time dilation causing havoc with her social life.&nbsp;</span><br /><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">When one of the many Warrior planets goes silent, and looters attack her research base, Lyra becomes involved in discovering why the Warriors were placed on these planets. And, more importantly, by who.</span></blockquote>  <div class="paragraph"><span>This was one unexpected five star book. From the world-building to the character development it was great! Lyra&rsquo;s (the main character) voice came through loud and clear with personality, attitude and charm. The plot was real good as well!</span><br /><span>I always find M.V Snyder&rsquo;s books very interesting and engaging with new aspects of the universes she&rsquo;s created revealed every chapter.</span></div>  <div>  <!--BLOG_SUMMARY_END--></div>  <div class="paragraph"><span><span>Possibly the thing I loved most about this book was the shattering relatability of what Lyra and all the space kids went through when moving away. I have never so far in the history of my reading come across a book that captures the feeling quite so clearly as is done here. Speaking from personal experience with transition stress, I found it struck home for me, but of course everybody&rsquo;s experience is different.<br />Navigating the Stars was a wonderful combination of sci-fi and fantasy in the YA genre and I will very much be eagerly awaiting a sequel.<br />Apart from some swearing and light mentions of sex there wasn&rsquo;t much to report, and I would probably recommend it for 14-15+<br />I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!<br /><br /><em>StoryGirl</em><br /><br />P.S Listened to this in audiobook form read by Alice Barrington performance was really good expression but not the biggest variety of voices, I&rsquo;d still recommend the experience though!</span></span></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Cinnamon Girl- A Book Full of Flavour and Fun!]]></title><link><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/cinnamon-girl-a-book-full-of-flavour-and-fun]]></link><comments><![CDATA[https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/cinnamon-girl-a-book-full-of-flavour-and-fun#comments]]></comments><pubDate>Wed, 15 Aug 2018 06:50:43 GMT</pubDate><category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category><guid isPermaLink="false">https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/teen-books/cinnamon-girl-a-book-full-of-flavour-and-fun</guid><description><![CDATA[       Alba loves her life just as it is. She loves living behind the bakery, and waking up in a cloud of sugar and cinnamon. She loves drawing comics and watching bad TV with her friends.The only problem is she&rsquo;s overlooked a few teeny details:Like, the guy she thought long gone has unexpectedly reappeared.And the boy who has been her best friend since forever has suddenly gone off the rails.&nbsp;And even her latest comic-book creation is misbehaving.Also, the world might be ending &ndas [...] ]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div class="wsite-image wsite-image-border-none " style="padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:10px;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;text-align:center"> <a> <img src="https://storygirlsbookreviews.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/3/6/103668378/published/the-incredible-adventures-of-cinnamon-girl.jpg?1534316170" alt="Picture" style="width:416;max-width:100%" /> </a> <div style="display:block;font-size:90%"></div> </div></div>  <blockquote><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Alba loves her life just as it is. She loves living behind the bakery, and waking up in a cloud of sugar and cinnamon. She loves drawing comics and watching bad TV with her friends.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">The only problem is she&rsquo;s overlooked a few teeny details:</span><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Like, the guy she thought long gone has unexpectedly reappeared.</span><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">And the boy who has been her best friend since forever has suddenly gone off the rails.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">And even her latest comic-book creation is misbehaving.</span><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">Also, the world might be ending &ndash; which is proving to be awkward.<br />&#8203;</span><br /><span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)">As Doomsday enthusiasts flock to idyllic Eden Valley, Alba&rsquo;s life is thrown into chaos. Whatever happens next, it&rsquo;s the end of the world as she knows it. But when it comes to figuring out her heart, Armageddon might turn out to be the least of her problems.</span></blockquote>  <h2 class="wsite-content-title"><em><u><a href="https://103668378-214994960404042471.preview.editmysite.com/editor/main.php#"><font color="#000000">The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil</font></a></u></em></h2>  <div class="paragraph"><font color="#000000">It's not what you think.</font> '<span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)"><em>But when it comes to figuring out her heart, Armageddon might turn out to be the least of her problems.</em>'&nbsp;<br /></span>I know what that sounds like. But take another moment and give it a chance.&#8203;<span style="color:rgb(24, 24, 24)"></span><br />One thing I'll say for this book is that it is really not a love story. Well, not the type you're thinking. Not, 'the whole book is about his stupid dreamy eyes' romance. It does have a little at the end but...never mind. The point is, this book is absolutely worth a shot.&nbsp;</div>  <div>  <!--BLOG_SUMMARY_END--></div>  <div class="paragraph">You'll have to forgive me. I read this book a while ago and am only getting around to reviewing it now and am working of notes I made while it was still fresh in my mind. So if I do this book an injustice, I deeply apologise.<br /><br />Firstly, I'd like to recognise the fact that it book is not only written by an Australian and set in rural Victoria, but also IS ACTUALLY GOOD!!! Quality local books that I actually like are a rare occurrence in my world (not that I really go looking for them but...eh).<br />Secondly, let's get on to&nbsp;<em>why</em>&nbsp;I like it. The characterisation is brilliant- Alba (the main character), had a distinctive personality as a stubborn or 'oblivious' yet endearingly real girl from rural Australia trying to wrestle with what she wants to do in life. She perfectly portrays that feeling of wanting to stay in the moment and stop everything from falling apart. She and her friends have graduated High School and are beginning to move on and out of their little town.<br />Thing start to get interesting as the detailed world fills in with colour, dimension and the plot starts rolling into town, or is it the millions of doomsday believers that start invading?<br />The plot flows beautifully, with a 'not-too-fast-not-too-slow' vibe that keeps you engaged. I especially love the fact that Alba is a main character who can be taught! She's not stuck in the rut of bad character development, doomed to be forever making the same boring mistakes!<br />Ah, the charms of good writing.&nbsp;<br />The experience of someone going through the trials of change was refreshing coming from a 'used to change' perspective myself, and compared to other YA plot clich&eacute;s. The great foreshadowing and pacing combined with magnificent plot and characters left me with a satisfied book feeling.<br /><br />The thing I will say about it is that at first it's hard to distinguish the individuals of Alba's friends (Eddie and Pete especially), therefore the characterisation of sub-characters is a little lacking but as the story's about Alba's development, it's not too big a problem.<br />Alba as a person did mope a little too much and in retrospect there were one or two scenes which were a little unnecessary.<br /><br />The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl is an amazing coming of age book with an introspective (though not overwhelmingly so) tone. It's realistic take on the realities of change makes it stand out, especially to me as I have lived through a lot of transition stress. It's funny (not sure if it's trademark aussie or if everyone else would find it funny too so make your own judgement) and endearing and by the end I just sat there for a while hugging it (I've heard that's a sign of&nbsp;bibliophilic tendancies but it was late at night, ok?). I'm going to say 15+ because there was a fair bit of swearing ('feck', damns and Jesus's), and bit of sexual innuendos (the only acts were kissing though). But by the end I was feeling like it should be five stars so that's what I'll give it.<br />I hope you'll enjoy this brilliant piece of local literature as much as I did,<br /><em>StoryGirl</em></div>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>