Lobsters, Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison

Pages: 307

Publisher: Chicken House

Release Date: 1^st June 2014

Edition: UK proof, review copy

Sam and Hannah only have the holidays to find ‘The One’. Their lobster. But instead of being epic, their summer is looking awkward.

They must navigate social misunderstandings, the plotting of well-meaning friends, and their own fears of being virgins forever.

In the end, it all boils down to love...

I’ve been hearing wonderful, wonderful things about this for months now, and man, they were all true. Lobsters is one of my favourites books of the year.

Ellen and Ivison have such strong, realistic voices. Hannah and Sam are vivid, funny and flawed characters who could so easily be one of the girls I go to school with, one of the boys in my year at school. They are spot on. The dialogue between all of the characters is perfect and fresh and perfectly current. There’s swearing, the constant references to sex and discussions about it and it’s right that it’s that way – that’s how 17/18 year-olds talk!

In terms of actual plot or action, Lobsters is pretty thin on the ground, but it didn’t matter at all. Set during the summer between the ending of A-level exams and going to uni/gap years/whatever, Sam and Hannah expected an epic summer. What they got was pretty different, but still subtly epic. There were adventures, kisses, awkward moments, lots of awkward moments, misunderstandings, drinking and bitching. It’s glorious.

The pressure on all of the remaining virgins to lose it is one of the main focus’ of Lobsters. Even though it was only the girls who outright admitted that they were looking to find their lobster (‘The One’) to lose it to, they all were. I really enjoyed how Ellen and Ivison portrayed the differences in the pressure between girls and boys; it was really interesting, and nice to see that it really wasn’t all that different. But more than anything, I loved that Sam and Hannah’s journey was far from perfect. And so was their happily ever after.

Lobsters is fresh, funny and easily one of my favourite books of the year. I’ll read anything else these two write.

Thanks to Chicken House for the review copy.

Sophie  

FILM REVIEW: Maleficent

RELEASED: May 2014

RUNNING TIME: 97mins

RATING: PG

ANGELINA JOLIE ~ Maleficient

SHARLTO COPLEY ~ Stefan

ELLE FANNING ~ Aurora

SAM RILEY ~ Diaval

KENNETH CRANHAM ~ King Henry

ISOBELLE MALLOY ~ Young Maleficent

MICHAEL HIGGINS ~ Young Stefan

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

You think you know the story of Seeping Beauty – cursed by an evil witch to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall into a death-like sleep on her sixteenth birthday, only to be awoken by true love’s kiss? Think again.

TRAILER

VERDICT

I went into this film knowing only the story of Sleeping Beauty, that Angelina Jolie played Maleficent and that is what Disney. The first and last were enough to get me in, but I was pretty much in love after the first few minutes. 

Now, I’m not really a fan of Angelina Jolie and I was worried about her taking on a role in a story that’s so beloved, but I actually thought she played Maleficent brilliantly. There was one cringey moment where Maleficent cried, a pivotal scene in the film, and I think it went a little too far; it was overly dramatic. But overall, I think Jolie played the range of emotions that Maleficent goes through over the course of the film perfectly. She varies from young and innocent to strong and powerful to angry and revengeful to ashamed and sorrowful. 

That range of emotions isn’t something you’d associate with one of the original, and biggest, Disney villains, but Maleficent isn’t all she seems. I adored how the story was taken apart and reconstructed around her character. I loved that we got to see her grow up and the fairy she was before Aurora was born and exactly what led her to curse the baby princess. Unlike in the animated classics, Maleficent isn’t a villain for that sake of the film needing an antagonist; she has reasons and feelings and a history and I adore it. I want a whole series of Disney villain films, especially Hades from Hercules, Ursula from The Little Mermaid, Snow White’s Wicked Queen and the Voodoo Man from The Princess and the Frog. So many possibilities... 

As well as the drama, there was a fair dose of humour too. I always love the balance of adult and more childish humour in the later Disney film – there’s something for everyone! Diaval was one of the biggest sources of this, as well as some of the wonderful creatures that live in the Moors, Maleficent’s home. I think they’re all adorable and I love magical lands anyway, but the creatures alone made the Moors one of my very favourites. 

Everything in this film looked spectacular. The costumes, the sets, the CGI, the visual effects; it became clear why it took so long for this film to hit cinemas after hearing about it ages ago! Everything about it looks wonderful and it really transports you to a world of magic, greed and evil.

I thoroughly enjoyed Maleficent and I highly recommend it to all of you, even if you’re not a huge Disney fan (though, who isn’t?).

CINEMA|DVD|BORROW

Sophie

Out of Control, Sarah Alderson

Pages: 305

Publisher: S&S

Release Date: 22^nd May 2014

Edition: UK paperback, review copy

Other Titles by this Author: Hunting Lila, Losing Lila, Fated, Severed, Shadowed, The Sound

She’s not just a witness – she’s a target!

An onlooker to a brutal murder, Liva is taken into police protection. But the police station is attacked and bullets start flying – and it’s Liva in the gunmen’s sights.

With a car thief called Jay, Liva escapes the massacre. Alone in New York, they are desperate to outrun and outwit two killers who are willing to stop at nothing to find them.

When you live on the edge, there’s a long way to fall.

I thoroughly enjoy the high-octane action, break-neck pace and sexual tension of Sarah Alderson’s books. Out of Control was no exception!

 Liva was my far my favourite aspect of Out of Control. I think she’s my favourite of Alderson’s heroines so far – there’s just so much to here! She had a really strong character arc over the course of the novel and I loved how much she adapted to her situation while still reacting realistically. Liva went from being frozen with fear, panic and desperation as the Brooklyn police station was attacked to serious badass-ery and ingenuity that saved her and Jay’s life many, many times. And yet she retains her ability to act like a person being chased by crazy people with guns. She’s scared, she occasionally freezes up and she finds comfort in what she can. I love her.

I was also quite fond of Jay, unsurprisingly. He’s sassy, sarcastic and has a wicked smirk – what more do you need to know?! Oh yeah, he’s also a complete sweetie. I loved the chemistry between him and Liva; they sizzled. I also thought they made a fantastic team. Their talents and skills and opposing backgrounds made them have such a wide set of knowledge to keep them alive, and to put together what was going on as more of the story was revealed.

Out of Control delivers a shocking twist that actually made me reread to page to make sure I hadn’t got the wrong end of the stick – so unexpected! The book also took on a rather heavy and important subject that I didn’t expect to see come up. Liva’s dad runs a team of civilians that work in the Middle East to stop human trafficking so she’s been heavily protected all of her life. Naturally, when she’s got a target on her head when she’s in new York and her dad is in Nigeria, she realises it must be something to do with that. Though the trafficking wasn’t about or really mentioned that often, there is a single scene in the novels about the survivors of human trafficking that really punched me in the heart. It was great to see such a difficult and sadly relevant topic in YA and I hope it opens some eyes.

Out of Control is action-packed and thrilling with an emotional punch and I can’t wait for Sarah’s next offering.

Thanks to S&S for the review copy!

Sophie

Letterbox Love #49

Letterbox Love all of the lovely, lovely books I’ve gotten in the post, bought and everything else. Summaries are taken from the cover, or Amazon/NetGalley/Goodreads in the case of e-books, unless otherwise stated. Hosted by Narratively Speaking.

For review:

Shut Out, Kody Keplinger (paperback)

Let the battle of the sexes begin!

The girls of Hamilton High are sick of the rivalry between their boyfriends’ football and soccer teams. Lissa’s quarterback boyfriend Randy is always ditching her to pick a fight on or prank the other team. The girls are tired of competing for the boy’s attention.

They want their boyfriends back!

Lissa rallies the girls and calls a sex strike. The boys won’t get any action from them until the teams make peace. What they don’t count on is a new rivalry: a girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave first. And Lissa finds that it’s much harder that she ever though it would be...

I LOVE Kody Keplinger’s books so I’m super excited for this. Thanks Hodder!

Trust Games, Simon Packham (papaerback)

When kind, charismatic new drama teacher, Mr Moore, arrives at school, Beth’s life starts to look up. She’s cast as the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, and as she grows close to super-popular Hannah (Juliet), Beth finally has the female friend she’s been yearning for.

Meanwhile it seems that all the girls – including Beth- are in love with Mr Moore. And when a scandal breaks, Beth must make a decision that can only have dire consequences for everyone involved.

This sounds so intriguing! Thanks Piccadilly Press!

Bought:

City of Heavenly Fire, Cassandra Clare (trade paperback)

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon and Alec must flee – even if their journey takes them to the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned. Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the thrilling and long-awaited final instalment of the bestselling and acclaimed Mortal Instruments.

Bloody hell, this book is massive! I’m genuinely considering buying the e-book so I have actually read it without straining my back...

Sophie