Review: Moonrise

Moonrise | Sarah Crossan

Published by: Bloomsbury Children's, September 7th 2017

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Poetry

Pages: 400

Format: Ebook

Source: Bloomsbury, via Netgalley

'They think I hurt someone. 
But I didn't. You hear?
Coz people are gonna be telling you
all kinds of lies.
I need you to know the truth.'

Joe hasn't seen his brother for ten years, and it's for the most brutal of reasons. Ed is on death row.

But now Ed's execution date has been set, and Joe is determined to spend those last weeks with him, no matter what other people think ...

From one-time winner and two-time Carnegie Medal shortlisted author Sarah Crossan, this poignant, stirring, huge-hearted novel asks big questions. What value do you place on life? What can you forgive? And just how do you say goodbye?

This book was so sad. I expected it to be full of grief but it was just SO sad and lonesome. The premise itself was really unique and interesting and just heartbreaking, with the main character's brother on death row. But he was so alone throughout much of this and that really came through the poetry and the language. I like how the book wasn't a hundred percent about Joe's brother, that there were elements of life outside that, and there was a bit of a romance but not too much to detract from the heart of the book. My only niggle is I wanted justice for Ed, wanted the killer to answer for the crime, but I still like the ending. 

This book is so pure and sad and honest that it hurts.

Characters ★★★☆☆

Setting/world ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★★☆

Review: We Come Apart

We Come Apart | Sarah Crossan & Brian Conaghan

Published by: Bloomsbury Children's, February 9th 2017

Genre: YA, Contemporary, Verse

Pages: 320

Format: Ebook

Source: Bloomsbury Children's,  via Netgalley

From two acclaimed authors comes an emotional story told in verse about friendship, love, and overcoming unbeatable odds.

Authors Brian Conaghan and Sarah Crossan have joined forces to tell the story of Nicu and Jess, two troubled teens whose paths cross in the unlikeliest of places.

Nicu has emigrated from Romania and is struggling to find his place in his new home. Meanwhile, Jess's home life is overshadowed by violence. When Nicu and Jess meet, what starts out as friendship grows into romance as the two bond over their painful pasts and hopeful futures. But will they be able to save each other, let alone themselves?
For fans of Una LaMarche’s Like No Other, this illuminating story told in dual points of view through vibrant verse will stay with readers long after they've turned the last page.

This is a quiet, heart-full novel about friendship and abuse and immigration and racism and I loved it. At first I wasn't sure at all. Nicu's broken english made me feel two ways - that it was a stereotypical portrayal of an immigrant and why couldn't he have perfect english, and why should he HAVE to speak in perfect english? The more I read, the more I felt the second way, and his speech was just part of him. And I loved this book. It has so much to say and does it so well.

It's a quick read, despite the heavy-going themes, and I quickly fell in love with the two main characters. I will say one thing - it escalates quickly toward the end, which comes as a bit of a shock. But I love the ending really, and all it says for Nicu.

Honestly, this is just lovely and memorable and upsetting and really well written, and you should read it.

Characters ★★★☆☆
Setting/World ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★★☆

The Wolf Wilder (ARC Review)

The Wolf Wilder | Katherine Rundell

Published by: Bloomsbury Childrens, September 9th 2015

Genre: Children's, Historical or Contemporary (I can't tell which, oops) (if it helps, it has a real Fantasy feel)

Pages: 256

Format: Ebook

Source: Bloomsbury Childrens, via Netgalley

Feodora and her mother live in the snowbound woods of Russia, in a house full of food and fireplaces. Ten minutes away, in a ruined chapel, lives a pack of wolves. Feodora's mother is a wolf wilder, and Feo is a wolf wilder in training. A wolf wilder is the opposite of an animal tamer: it is a person who teaches tamed animals to fend for themselves, and to fight and to run, and to be wary of humans.

When the murderous hostility of the Russian Army threatens her very existence, Feo is left with no option but to go on the run. What follows is a story of revolution and adventure, about standing up for the things you love and fighting back. And, of course, wolves.

The Wolf Wilder is what children's fiction is all about. A sweeping landscape, an unforgettable main character, a budding revolution, and wolves!

This book held my attention from the first page, so much so that I read a huge chunk of it in one sitting (50%!) I was instantly drawn into the snowy wilds of Russia, and my heart attached itself to Feo and the wolves without my knowing. This book is just so unique, and genuine, and unlike anything I've read before that it was impossible to put down.

When we get into the second half of the book, we're made aware of the state of Russia, and how beaten they are by Rakov, the terrible tyrant who rules over Feo's little corner of Russia. And we meet a slowly-building revolution, with ordinary, and angry, children at the heart of it. This book, if nothing else, tells of the power of children. And it shows, when organised and determined, that someone small can accomplish something great and affect the lives of hundreds. Feo's bravery drove this story, but her love for the wolves, her mother, and Ilya really brought it to life.

Charming and magical, The Wolf Wilder is a captivating novel of courage and love for people of all ages. I loved it!

Characters ★★★★☆

Setting/world-building ★★★☆☆

Writing ★★★★☆

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