Book Review: BILLY AND ME by Giovanna Fletcher

Book Review: BILLY AND ME by Giovanna Fletcher

Blurb: " Sophie May has a secret. One that she's successfully kept for years. It's meant that she's had to give up her dreams of going to university and travelling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop. But then she meets the gorgeous Billy - an actor with ambitions to make it to the top. And when they fall in love, Sophie is whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy's glamorous - but ruthless - world. Their relationship throws Sophie right into the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? And most of all, is she ready for her secret heartbreak to be discovered and shared with the nation? "

I was so sad when I finished Billy and Me. It is such a cutesy, homey book but with a few twists and complications along the way. Sophie is just a bit of a home bird. She has lived in the same village her whole life, in the same house and goes to work just down the road. But this is all because of what happened to her when she was younger. Throughout reading the story you get to understand more about how she thinks and why she doesn't want to do anything other than being comfortable. Sophie does show her more adventurous side when she meets Billy. With Billy, I feel like it was a bit of love at first sight moment for both of them. I love how adorable they are with each other at the start. She takes the plunge and decides to move in with him in his luxurious pad in London. As Billy is a very successful actor however, things aren't all cutesy and rosey all of the time. It throws a mixture of emotions for Sophie and questions whether she is actually doing the right thing and wondering what is she going to do with her own life? What has been her dream all this time? And what is her purpose now? I think this has become my favourite book so far. I was really drawn into the story. It seems to contain everything I like. Such as love, close family, home and lots and lots of CAKE! Even though there are some sad complications in Sophie's life so far, I still felt as though this was one of those "feel good" books. I found myself smiling at how sweet and lovely Sophie is. She has a heart of gold, she is always so caring to everyone. Which is why Billy loves her so much too.


Buy your own copy here: click here to buy!

- Kat Melladay x

Book review: PAPER TOWNS by John Green

Book review: PAPER TOWNS by John Green

Blurb: "Quentin has always loved Margo Roth Spiegelman, for Margo (and her adventures) are the stuff of legend at their high school. So when she one day climbs through his window and summons him on an all-night road trip of revenge he cannot help but follow.

But the next day Margo doesn't come to school and a week later she is still missing. Q soon learns that there are clues in her disappearance . . . and they are for him. But as he gets deeper into the mystery - culminating in another awesome road trip across America - he becomes less sure of who and what he is looking for."

The first thing I realised about this book, which makes it different to any other book I have read, was that the first person is actually a boy/young man. Meaning that you are reading the story all from his perspective. Which was so unusual to me because I always seem to read books which have a lady as the first person. It was actually a nice change. The book is about a young man called Quentin who has always had a childhood crush on his neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman. They went through a creepy situation together when they were children and ever since, Quentin has been mesmerized by every part of Margo. You soon discover that Margo isn't your average, gossiping high school girl. She appears to be in with the popular crowd, gets attention from the boys and is very socially active with going to all the best parties etc. However the truth is, Margo is really the most mysterious girl you could ever imagine. There are so many different parts to her personality and she has so many broad interests, hobbies and opinions that nobody would ever expect of her. Of "their Margo". 

I won't ruin the whole story for you, but throughout the book, Margo manages to really test Quentin without really meaning to. He begins to do things that usually he would never dream of doing, but he would do them for her. He breaks laws and goes on crazy adventures all over America all behind his parents back, which he usually would never dream of doing, but he would do them for her..

I really enjoyed this book. John Green is the author of the massive success which is "The fault in our stars". Please don't hate me.. but unlike most other young woman I know, I haven't actually read that book. I watched the movie at the cinema and thought that it was ok, and I thought I might give the book a go as it would probably be better than the movie. However whilst in Waterstones, I spotted Paper Towns and thought I would much rather read it instead. I would definitely read another book by John Green, the story was really easy to follow but not too simply written, and had me not being able to contain myself for the answers! The ending can be a bit disappointing depending on how you take to the story. I found myself  a little disappointed, however at the same time not so disappointed that it made me hate the story overall as it certainly didn't. 

Buy your own copy here: click here to buy!

- Kat Melladay x

Book Review: FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell

Book Review: FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell

This book made me fall back in love with reading. I hadn't read for years, not too sure why to be honest. I think it was probably a mixture of education, work and socializing that made me forget just how relaxing reading a book could be and also how cheerful it makes me.

Blurb: "Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to university and Wren's decided she doesn't want to be one half of a pair any more - she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It's not so easy for Cath. She's horribly shy and has always buried herself in the fan fiction she writes, where she always knows exactly what to say and can write a romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life.

Without Wren Cath is completely on her own and totally outside her comfort zone. She's got a surly room-mate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realizing that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible . . ."

When I picked this book up at Waterstones, straight away I knew that it was the perfect book for me to purchase. I prefer books where either the characters are in my age range, so that I can relate more to the story or I just get a book because the blurb of the story completely pulls me in. Cath and Wren are twins that are all set to start university. They have been so close their whole lifes, forever doing everything together. From going to the same parties to staying up until early hours of the morning writing fan fiction of Simon Snow together. However, when they start university it all starts to change. With living in separate accommodation, studying different courses, making different friends.. and maybe boyfriends.. they become more independent without each other and begin to like different things.

All of the characters that Rainbow Rowell has created are very interesting characters. She writes about all of them in just enough depth that you can really understand what they are like. The story mainly focuses on Cath rather than Wren, but of course she is very highly included. It is lovely to read how throughout the book, Cath comes out of herself gradually. When it comes to writing her fan fiction though, that is where you really do see her blossom. Rainbow Rowell has portrayed Caths passion for writing her Simon Snow fan fiction wonderfully. Between chapters, there are special pages of either the original Simon Snow books or what Cath has wrote in her fan fiction "Magicath". She also portrays both Cath, Wren and the friends they meet on the way journeys through their first year in university brilliantly too. As of yet I have not started university, but I do hope to. The book has let me have a little look into what joining university might be like. 

I never wanted to put this book down. I think that Rainbow Rowell is a lovely author and I will be sure to read her other books. I have fallen in love with sweet Cath and her story. Hopefully Rainbow might consider writing a second addition of Fangirl.. or I may have to search the internet for some fan-fiction of the book to read for myself..

Buy your own copy here: click here to buy! 

- Kat Melladay x