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The Moonlight Dreamers
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I won a copy of this book over at Maximumpopbooks in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book all about friendship.It was a cute, fun and heart warming read and I enjoyed the twists and turns along the way.

Amber is sick and tired of being treated differently at school, she is not one to conform. All the girls at school are obsessed with beauty, fashion and boys! All she wants is to have a proper conversation with someone her own age about her interests and not to be judged on her views. Inspired by her favourite author Oscar Wilde she plans to start a group called the Moonlight Dreamers, where she can find like-minded people, others who have dreams,others that are different and can talk about anything in the group without being taunted. Four girls join the group but they couldn’t be more different.

Amber,Sky, Maali and Rose couldn’t be more different. Amber is being bullied at school, the main reason being that she has two dads, also she is not getting on with one of them and is leaving her quite stressed. She tries to de-stress with writing on her blog and starting the Moonlight Dreamers. Sky is still grieving for her mother, trying to become a poet and perform in front of others whilst her dad is canoodling with a celebrity. Maali is trying to get the courage to speak to boys so one day she will find her soul mate and Rose is sick and tired of being told what to do by her mother and feeling pressurised by her boyfriend. These girls were so different from one another,we had different religions, race and backgrounds. There was also so much creativity from poetry, writing, art and baking.The diversity in this book was amazing. As soon as I had read that Amber had two dads I knew that I was going to enjoy this book, I have never read anything where there have been same-sex parents and loved that Siobhan Curham added it into the book. There were parts in the book where I was so worried for some of the characters that I was reading as fast as possible to make sure they were alright.

    " Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”

The book is mostly about developing friendships, families and identity. I liked that this book had no romance in it and it wasn’t needed as there was so much going in on with the girls lives that you were focused on their individual issues. The book was fast paced with a short paragraph or two from each of their point of views. There were also different formats used such as texts, emails and notes from blogs which made the book read quicker.

This book was so honest and relatable,the problems that Teenagers go through at school such as not fitting in, bullying,boyfriends,sex etc etcera. Parents are being……well… Parents!,you know what it’s like when your young, your parents are insufferable, embarrassing and doing everything in their power to make your life hell. I think this book will be great for teenagers and very influential, I personally would have loved a secret society when I was at school.

The ending was really heart warming and wrapped up nicely. My favourite characters from the book are Rose and Maali, I would say this book is for younger YA readers from 13+

I rated this 4.25 out of 5 stars
  
Darius the Great is Not Okay
Darius the Great is Not Okay
Adib Khorram | 2018 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
YA contemporary
For the most part I really enjoyed Darius the Great is Not Ok by Adib Khorram. This young adult contemporary novel was heart wrenching and at times heart breaking to read. At times I felt like the main character Darius was a little over the top with how sensitive he was but for the most part I was rooting for him to rise up. This was a great story showing the struggles of living with depression while trying to find yourself and dealing with the teenage awkwardness of growing up. I completely felt for Darius and could relate to a lot of his struggles throughout the book, especially with trying to see where he fit in with his culture and being the only one standing awkwardly to the side not understanding the language of his heritage. I really loved all of the characters and learning about this culture and I would definitely recommend.
  
The Art of Escaping
The Art of Escaping
8
7.3 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fast read
I really enjoyed The Art of Escaping by Erin Callahan a lot more than I thought I would. This novel was a super cute contemporary and a fast, fun read. I loved seeing the characters grow and develop as the story went on. The friendship that starts between Mattie and Will, and later with Frankie and Stella, is an inspiring relationship that most people can connect with and would love to have in their own lives. Together, they overcome their fears and come into their own, as well as helping the people around them grow and learn. The character of Miyu was probably my favorite, I loved her attitude and learning about her and her mom Akiko. I would love to read a whole book based off of these two characters, and to learn more about their relationship. Overall, I really enjoyed this ya contemporary story, and would definitely recommend for all ages.
  
A Season for Fireflies
A Season for Fireflies
Rebecca Maizel | 2016 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Great YA Read
A lot has changed in the past year for Penny. She has quit theater, and made a new set of friends. When she is struck by lightning she loses all memory of the last year, and is confused by the changes in her life. Now she most win back her old friends, and try to piece together the time she lost.
This story was done fantastically. It would have been easy to make either Penny's old or new friends unlikable. Instead all of the characters are complex, and have reasons behind there actions. Penny herself struggles with coming to terms with decisions she doesn't remember making. She has to figure out how to get her old friends back when they no longer speak to her, and she isn't sure why. This book also has some romance, however it is Penny's character development that truly makes the story shine.