Everything, Everything Book Review

http://www.nicolayoon.com/

I need to confess that I may have first picked up this book at 10pm and not put it down until I had devoured the whole thing…But now I've read it once I just want to read it again! 

Everything, Everything is a perfect coming of age story, so beautifully written with annotations in emails, messages, letters and occasionally illustrations that defines the teenage feeling of falling in love with the world and that one person. It leaves me with hope that humanity will continue to thrive with happiness and humanity in the next few decades (trust me sometimes I worry). I made me want to laugh, want to cry and want to live my life out to the fullest. My life now feels complete! I cannot wait to see what else Nicola Yoon will write. I received this book from Lovereading4kids.

Izzy

x

Conversion Book Review

When girls in their final year of St. Joan’s Academy start coming down with symptoms of an unknown illness, as school officials scramble for explanation or something to blame. As more girls fall ill, the world descends on the school, desperate for the latest scoop.  But when Colleen figures out that the school is on the site of Salem village she’s determined there’s something more…

I thought that Conversion is not only perfectly had two ongoing narratives, but captured the crushing, claustrophobic pressure that today’s students are under. Colleens striving in her school work blinded her almost to her friends around her and comprised her in other ways. The mystery ‘illness’-eventually called conversion- was cleverly done in a realistic way that set fear and paranoia in to the minds of students and parents alike. I loved the way that you couldn’t just predict what was happening, everything was unknown and to be found out. Overall, I adored Conversion and how terrified and in the dark I felt reading it! Katherine Howe captured teenage life extremely well and, although I do not expect on I would love a sequel or something similar!  

Hope you enjoyed this,

Izzy

x

The Lie Tree Book Review

© 2015 Goodreads Inc

When Faiths father dies a short time after moving to Vane, everyone believes that he committed suicide. Faith, however, is adamant that he was murdered, and she’ll do anything to prove it, so he father can finally be buried. As she tries to uncover the truth she uncovers a strange little tree that feeds off lies and produces the truth…

With a historical setting, I already was drawn in to the story of Faith; an intelligent girl who was born before her time, when girls were only good for wives, but all she wants to do is study Natural Science.  The plot was similar to a regular murder mystery but it had a lot more depth to it, including the lie tree in the midst of it, a magical plant that listens to your whispered lies, growing the more people believe in them. One of my favourite features of the Lie tree was how Faith grew as a person through her discovery’s, learning revenge is not what it seems. I felt that at times Frances Hardinge made you question whether Faith was really the villain, rather than the heroine. Overall, with unexpected plot twists, lies, a mystery and the tale of underdog, I loved the Lie Tree and hope it gets the credit it deserves!

Until the next time,

Izzy 

x

I'll Give You the Sun Book Review

© 2015 Goodreads Inc

© 2015 SLV

When I went into this book, I was imagining an average teen fiction novel but boy was I wrong! It was as amazing as the bright orange cover; a poetic, tragic story about loss, grief, art, mistakes, families, sexuality, and all-consuming love. Jandy Nelson covered so many big topics that all go not just being a teenager but life in general.  She captured the many ways people grieve. The storyline differed with many dips and turns, making me laugh and cry. With a clever split narrative, I’ll give you the sun told the beautiful story of twins Noah and Jude, before and after a tragedy drives them apart. Overall, I'll Give You the Sun summed up life and love perfectly and was very thought provoking at times, I'd get the tissues ready for this novel, that is just brimming full of emotion!

I was sent this courtesy of LoveReading4kids. Go check them out!

Until the next time, 

Izzy 

x

SEED Book Review

I'm back with another review! This time I will be reviewing a new book being published in early March, this book is SEED by Lisa Heathfield. I received this book from Lovereading4kids.

Pearl had lived her whole life at Seed, never doubting Papa.S or anything she ever had to do. But when a new boy from the outside arrives she starts to feel and hear new, different things and thoughts, Pearl starts to doubt everything she was ever taught…

The more I read the more I realised the people in the seed weren’t just extreme hippies living in nature; there was something dramatically more sinister with layers of lies, abuse and mistreatment obvious to any outsider. I really liked the different view in this book, as Pearl wasn't the rebel or the heroine, she was just a somewhat naïve girl confused with what she was being told.  I hadn't read any cult books before this so I enjoyed the mystery of it. However I felt the ending was quite shocking and unpredictable; it took me a while to recover from it! All in all I felt, SEED was a complex and interesting book with believable characters and surprising story line.  I got this book in an uncorrected bound proof but the cover I have seen online (above) is so colour and pretty and would look fantastic on a bookshelf!

Until the next time, 

Izzy 

x

Flesh and Blood Book Review

For my first review on this blog I am reviewing Flesh and blood, a new novel written by Simon Cheshire in the new Red Eye series.

When Sam Hunter, a budding journalist, moves to No.3 Priory Mews in Hadlington, after his father makes some big money with his song writing, he starts to notice a few strange things. When he decides to check things out for himself, he doesn’t know how much danger he could be in and how far the lies go back…

When I say something disturbs me, whether it’s a book or movie, it usually intrigues me greatly as well. I have read a couple of horror books in my time and the have all recklessly gripped me, making me finish them within 48 hours; Flesh and Blood was no exception! Messed up and gory, Flesh and blood goes beyond the unwritten boundaries of ordinary books into something completely different that makes my stomach turn and my blood pump with a mixture of excitement, nervousness and horror.  The more Sam discovers about the Greenhill’s the more you realise he is slowly digging his own grave, unlike this novel however, as it lived up to my expectations and the standard of the other books in this series.  I loved this book but I will warn others that if you aren’t into scary or gory content then maybe say away…

If you enjoy this sort of book then you might enjoy Frozen Charlotte, Sleepless or Bad Bones, all in the Red eye series. Flesh and blood was sent to me by LoveReading4kids so go and check them out in the link below!

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/

Enjoy yourselves,

Izzy x

You may be wondering who I am after my slightly bizarre first post on how to bake chocolate chip cookies. Anyway, hi. My name is Izzy and this is my blog, Muddy Puddles. The name was inspired by my many dog walks I have completed over the years and my urge to jump in all the puddles I see along the way. I hope to post when I can, about whatever interests me. However, it will mostly fall under the categories of Books and Lifestyle; at least to start with! If you have any requests on what i should post let me know in the comments! 

I hope you are having/had a wonderful day! Keep smiling!

Izzy x