Book Review #706 - Saving Jazz by Kate McCaffrey

Jasmine Lovely has it all – the looks, the grades, the friends. But when a house party spins out of control, Jazz discovers what can happen when your mistakes go viral ...

We know our kids are at risk of becoming victims of cyberbullying. But do we know how at risk they are of becoming perpetrators? This controversial new novel tackles cyberbullying from a whole new perspective.

My Rating: 5/10

This review is likely to contain spoilers so you have been warned!

This book tackles a very serious topic that is prevalent in society today. The book approached this topic in a very intense and realistic way. 

I loved the small town setting of Greenhead, especially as it was set in my home state of Western Australia and I had actually been to the town which made the book feel even more realistic for me.

The narrator Jasmine at first comes across as someone likable and relatable as she supports her friend who is being cyberbullied. It is not until midway through the book that Jasmine's real role in the whole thing is revealed that I started seeing her differently. 

It was interesting to have the narrator be in that role and not the victim like any other book probably would have done especially the way it was suddenly sprung on the reader. 

After the big reveal, I felt like Jasmine was trying too hard at trying to play at being a victim when this was very far from the case. 

Overall, I loved that this book was brave enough to tackle this type of story especially in the way it did, but I didn't connect to it as much as I expected to mostly because of the way Jasmine tried to be the victim rather than owning up to what she did. 

Book Review #705 - Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.

Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. 

In his long-awaited return, John Green, the acclaimed, award-winning author of Looking for Alaska and The Fault in Our Stars, shares Aza’s story with shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.

My Rating: 7.5/10

I have read all John Green's previous novels and loved the majority of them and so I had relatively high expectations for this one. I would say that for the most part my expectations were met, although never exceeded. 

Aza was an intriguing protagonist and her battle with mental illness was portrayed really realistically and felt very raw especially as because she is the narrator, it was never glossed over in any way. 

I loved the mystery component with the story although I felt like this took a backseat to Aza's mental health issues throughout and the mystery never really took priority until the end. 

Aza was definitely an introvert and her best friend Daisy was the total opposite and they really balanced one another out thus creating a really interesting friendship. 

This book reminded me of how much I love John Green's unique writing style especially his way with dialogue and how quotable all of his books are. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this one, not as much as The Fault in Our Stars which retains its title as my favourite John Green novel but it is definitely one of my favourite reads of 2017! 

Book Review #704 - Supernatural: The Roads Not Taken by Tim Waggoner

Whether the reader is new to the Supernatural family or has been with them since the beginning, they’re in for a wild and surprising ride with Supernatural: The Roads Not Taken.

For the first time ever, you can make decisions alongside Sam and Dean Winchester in their quest to battle monsters, demons, and every Big Bad looking to crawl out of the dark recesses of America’s small towns. Open up a local paper in a diner and pick which strange occurrence the boys will investigate first. Jump headfirst into your very own adventure with the Winchester brothers and pick your cover story: will you be an FBI agent, reporter, or bikini inspector? Figure out which lead to follow. Decide whether to split up or stay together. Do you call Bobby Singer for help? And remember, the clock is ticking! If you make the wrong decision, another victim could meet a dark and gory death.

Demons, spirits, and ghouls lurk around every corner, waiting to get the drop on Sam and Dean — and only by following all the clues, interviewing the right suspects, and making the right choices can you lead them to victory. This heart-pounding interactive adventure will be broken down into a series of five original stories, each with branching storylines and multiple endings, all based on the choices the reader makes.

My Rating: 6/10

I used to read a lot of 'Choose your own adventure' books as a kid and loved how you could reread the book numerous times and get a different story each time. This book isn't like that however, as your choices have consequences. If you don't pick the right option each time, you get Sam and Dean killed. 

I have read a number of Supernatural related books now but this book is definitely the closest I have found that captured Dean and Sam's personalities. 

I loved the ending how the four very short stories all connected together unexpectedly.