Different For Boys

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Thanks Tandem Collective and Walker Books for my review copy.

I can’t say that I would know what it’s like to come to terms with one’s sexuality and the prejudice that can come with identifying in whichever way you choose.

Throughout this story, Ant our MC, shows us that he comes from an area where being queer, isn’t necessarily going to be accepted. He has love for his friend Charlie and he can’t define if what they’ve done together counts as losing his virginity. It’s all very secret and Charlie’s homophobic language suggests that he can’t accept this within himself and/or he thinks he wouldn’t be accepted in the outside world. There’s so much internal conflict within him.

Ant is such a sweet human. Even after Charlie loses it at him, basically outing Ant at school, Ant chose to keep Charlie’s secret. Definitely some heartbreaking scenes during that moment and it makes you sympathise with those who may have to deal with such situations in real life. I think our world is very accepting these days, but there will always be someone out there in the community, who will make their hate known for those who are just trying to be comfortable in their own skin and their sexuality.

This is a very short YA story with much self discovery. The ending was a sweet interaction with Ant and his friend Jack. I also loved Freddie who was full of acceptance. What I loved about Ant was his patience throughout all that happened with Charlie. It was an emotional read and is more suited for teenagers and above.

Unbetrothed

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This author had reached out on TikTok about their book and I’m so glad to have checked this out! If you’re after a romantasy described as Encanto meets the Selection, then this may be for you.

Beatriz is set to be betrothed, though her love of her best friend Lux, stops her from choosing a suitor. She can’t have Lux as he’s already paired to another person. On top of this, Beatriz fails to possess a magical gift - everyone in her kingdom are usually bestowed a gift from the ages 1-5, though at 17, she is still not charmed and sees herself as useless in comparison to others. Marking her words via an oath to the ancient ones, she goes on a secret quest to be granted her magical gifts in the valle de los fantasmas, gets in a sticky situation and is saved by a group of men, who we find out are from a rival kingdom Himzo. As she embarks on her journey with these men, she realises that not everything is as it seems and she has much learning to do about herself and those around her.

This book was well written and I enjoyed the characters. Beatriz was always going to be a stuck up princess who thought she knew better. There was much learning she needed to do and I appreciated her journey. She was flawed and felt her shortcomings, more so than others, because she was in the spotlight.

I loved her maid Laude and cracked up a lot at the things she would say and do, especially when she was with the Himzo group. She was hilarious to read. I kept thinking about what was this Himzo groups angle - they could capture Beatriz at any point and spark some more conflict. All was to be revealed in time and I loved the developing relationships between all of the characters. Zichri was all things you would want in a man - gentle natured, kind, caring, good looking, would take a sword to the chest for you… like he was built to be loved.

Things really pick up around the 70-80% mark when we encounter some betrayal and deceit. I did guess who the culprit was as it was hinted earlier in the book.

This was a really good read and I would love to read more from this author!

Earth: Magic Rediscovered

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I really love the concept of this book as it’s unique to anything I’ve ever read. If you’re after a YA fantasy filled with adventure and magic then this book is for you.

The story follows a young teen Jon as he his forced through a portal by a mysterious man Alfred. Jon's told that he needs to retrieve the Earth magic core by Alfred and that only he can go through the portal. In this world, magic exists in elemental cores - earth, air, fire, water and spirit. Magic spread throughout the world by mages, but one mage wanted magic for their own personal gain, which then corrupted the core of spirit. It was then decided to protect the cores, that they be separated and hidden, though the corruption still impacted the world.

This book gave me lord of the rings vibes in the sense that Jon ventured to unknown lands, met people along the way that helped him on his quest and that he is the chosen one to restore balance in his world. The whole time I kept thinking his mum must be so worried because he went through a portal and the only way to get back was to find the Earth core to reopen the door. I am really not sure why that thought was lingering in my head lol!

I was not expecting the ending and the decision Jon had to make about giving the Earth core to Alfred or not. It seemed like Jon didn't understand the gravity of his decisions nor the consequences. To me, it would have been clear cut, but it makes for drama and now I'm wanting to read the second book. Hoping the author has a release date for it because I'm hanging for it!

The First Thing About You

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I quite enjoyed this read as it opened my eyes to a world I know nothing about.

Harris is a teenage boy who has a medical condition called spinal muscular atrophy which causes muscle weakness. He’s wheelchair bound and relies on his mum or nurse for assistance. His family move to New Jersey and it means a new start in a new school. He judges people based on their favourite colour as it can really tell a lot about a person. At school, he runs into Nory, wants to get to know her but she won’t let on what her favourite colour is. This intrigues Harris and he is determined to find out. His new nurse Miranda opens Harris to a world of possibility and he starts to realise he’s more than just being wheelchair bound. As he starts to try new things, it’s far from what his friends and family know him to be. He pushes the wrong people away and wakes up to what true relationships really mean.

I enjoyed the read as Harris grew as a character throughout the book. He did come across very cynical and held everyone at arm's length. It's easy to understand why, when he's had so many nurses come and go from his life, but also not having any proper friends until he reaches his new school. I can't imagine what it's like for those with conditions like Harris'/Chaz's and this really was a small glimpse into the mind of someone who has uncertainty not only as a teenager, but may let their condition define them.

Zander was a funny character and in my opinion had a great outlook despite Harris treating him otherwise. Nory was a sweet enough love interest, though to me, she did seem hot and cold with Harris and it was understandable if he felt like he got mixed messaging. Loved Harris' mum! Clare bear was just an overall great human. I liked how the character Miranda opened up Harris, though her inexperience really showed her carelessness in situations.

This really was a story of self discovery and if it mirrors Chaz's life, then it really showed how much he's overcome as an individual.

If We Were Heroes

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I was contacted by the author to check out her book which is a dystopian YA novel. She described it as the walking dead meets the fault in our stars and I would say that's a fairly accurate description.

Ember has survived the apocalypse, though she's held up in a government facility and soon will come a vote where they decide if she lives or dies. Although she holds the cure for a virus that was unleashed onto the world killing many people, she also has a mutated version of the virus in her bloodstream. The world can't go through such devastation once more. As she recalls her harrowing experience for a film crew, humans were becoming the undead with a blood thirst and her story touches on her adoration for her best friend Sam. It's been years since this catastrophic event, but is she still a threat to society?

I love me an apocalyptic story as much as the next person. I'm always interested in someone's take of what could happen and how the world would deal with it after. What happens to the humans in this story is nothing that I've read before so I did find it enjoyable.

When Ember recounts her story for the film crew (who want to make a movie based on her life), there were moments when I thought maybe her or Sam might die. So you really didn't know what was going to happen as they ventured to find their parents. It was all so risky, but you do whatever you can to get to your loved ones.

I thought the love triangle in the story might have played out differently. Honestly didn't know who I was rooting for because in any love triangle, I'm always thinking "why not both?"

Really enjoyed the ending! I did guess the government's decisions, but it was the actions of all Ember's loved ones that was lovely to read.