Sky Pirates: Echo Quickthorn and the Great Beyond

11 year-old Echo Quickthorn has grown up believing that nothing exists outside the Kingdom of Albion, but everything changes when an eccentric professor parks his airship outside her window armed with a map that shows all the magical places that exist beyond the city walls. Together with her pet lizard, Gilbert, Echo sets off on an incredible adventure to find her missing mother; an adventure that will take her to unimaginable places… {goodreads summary}

This Middle Grade adventure novel is so much fun! Echo's story is full of twists and faced-paced action. There was a little bit of everything: chase scenes, mechanical dragons and (of course) pirates.  The plot was really tight and everything came together very well at the end (although I hope we discover what happened to the second hair pin in book two...)

The locations were wonderful and vividly described. I would love to visit the Violet Isles and Port Tourbillon. The man-eating fauna, beautiful butterflies and an assortment of pickled food brought English's world to life, creating a story that young readers will love to lose themselves in.  

Echo is a really strong protagonist - she's opinionated, brave, and never gives up. I loved her relationship with her pet, Gilbert, and her complicated friendship with Prince Horace. Both Echo and Horace undergo some really strong character development over the course of the novel, and it is heartwarming to watch them grow.

I really hope there's more to come from Echo, Gilbert and Horace. 

I was provided with an advanced copy of Sky Pirates by Alex English via NetGalley for review.

Picture This: Grumpy Fairies

A sweet picture book that will resonate with parents everywhere! 

This story is lots of fun. Everyone thinks fairies are sweet and helpful, but there are lots of fairies - usually the youngest ones - who are a "foot-stompy, frowny, bottom-lip-sticky-outy kind of grumpy" instead.

The grumpy fairies don't want to walk snails or water wildflowers. They're too busy stomping off through the forest to help the woodland animals they come across, or to notice the goblin who's been creeping up behind them...

Grumpy fairies are a goblin's favourite things to eat. Can these five fairies change their attitudes before it's too late? 

Grumpy Fairies is full of adorable illustrations and funny words. It will be a hit with anyone who loves fairies - and any grownups who are used to spending time with grumpy ones!

Picture This: The Sloth and the Dinglewot

A magical story of friendship and adventure. 

Samuel the sloth dreams of leaving his sleepy home and discovering the wonders of the forest beyond, but his family would rather sleep the day away and Samuel is afraid of what he might find outside the safety of his home. When a sparkling dinglewot arrives to lead him off on an adventure, Samuel discovers that facing your fears can lead to endless fun and new experiences. 

This is one of the prettiest picture books I've read this year! Every page is full of colour and joy. The cover sparkles with a beauty it's very hard to capture on camera and the inside is just as wonderful. I would buy other books illustrated by Amanda Enright immediately off the strength of this. 

The words were also lovely, encouraging readers to take risks by trying new things, and not to let their fears hold them back. Samuel and the dinglewot go on an adventure filled with animals, parties and flights through the jungle, providing non stop excitement and fun.

Thank you so much New Frontier Publishing for sending me a copy to review. 

Cinderella is Dead

This novel is amazing! Cinderella is Dead is one of the best YA novels I've read this year. I spent a few days walking around glued to my Kindle while reading it. Cinderella is Dead will be adored by teen readers who love political fantasies and dystopian novels about rebellion. 

I love fairytale retellings and this one was completely unique. Sophia's world is a fairytale morphed into a nightmare, bringing a new twist to the saying that history is written by the victor. 

Bayron's characters are superb. Sophia is strong, kind and determined not to follow the path set out for her by Lille's cruel king. In Cinderella is Dead, heroines don't need a handsome prince to save them from dark fates - they rescue themselves and tear unjust, patriarchal systems to the ground in the process. 

The novel has strong feminist themes, exploring the way society treats women, and the lives we should demand for ourselves. If you like the sound of a queer, fantasy version of Only Ever Yours (with a greater sense of hope) you'll love Cinderella is Dead.

Cinderella is Dead contains plenty of magic and twists that were difficult to anticipate. At its heart, however, is a beautiful romance, and Sophia and Constance's relationship is definitely one of this novel's main strengths. 

I know you should never trust a book by its cover, but this is one of the prettiest I've seen for ages. It will be seized eagerly off of bookshop and school library shelves, and I love how striking the title is too. There are definite hints in this story about other fairytales which might have been mis-told, and I would love to see this concept return in future books. 

Picture This: The Incredible Hotel

Stefan is a kitchen porter who dreams of being a chef. He starts every day at five am, making coffee to wake up the chef, and finishes at eleven pm, washing dishes and wishing his life contained more pastries than dirty plates.  When Stefan's leaves the hotel the night before an important guest is due to arrive, the Incredible Hotel discovers it may not be able to run without him, giving Stefan an opportunity to save the hotel and amaze his coworkers.

Isabelle Follath's artwork is very special. There's so much detail on every page, especially in the kitchen scenes, and I loved all the little touches Follath gives the hotel. However, the book's show stopper is Stefan's delicious profiterole tower, which my children could have admired for ages! 

The Incredible Hotel is a sweet story which shows that even the smallest of roles can be vitally important, and also encourages readers never to give up on their dreams. 

Every Little Piece of My Heart

I love Non Pratt's stories so I was really excited to start this one. It's another brilliant contemporary YA told from the perspective of four very different but equally engaging characters. 

Non captures teenage life in a way that will resonate with teen readers without feeling patronising. Sophie's refusal to think about her exams, the whole-life encompassing impact of friendships, family fallings out are just a few of the ways she creates authentic teenage characters. 

It was interesting to read about a teenage character with a chronic illness and Non's author note at the end is really informative. It's clear that Non really did her research before writing Every Little Piece of My Heart, and I've finished it feeling more empathetic, and also having learnt a lot about Lupus. But Sophie is far more than just her illness, and it doesn't define her character. She is loyal and funny and in desperate need of a friend. 

Every POV character was fun to read, and I was never disappointed when they switched. Win was strong and stable and she kept the peace. Her story will resonate with lots of readers. Lucas's toxic friendship with Kellan is something many teenagers will relate to as well - the conflict between knowing someone isn't a good friend for you, but wanting to keep them in your life because you're afraid of letting go. Ryan was different again, believing himself to be unloveable and pushing everyone away. 

Although the shining star of Every Little Piece of My Heart wasn't a POV character at all, but Sunny. She was an absolute delight and impossible not to love. I also found it fascinating how much Freya dominated the narrative, despite her absence. 

I loved the way the timeline flipped back and forth, so the story slowly fell into place. There's a great mystery element to the plot which will keep readers going late into the night.

This is a wonderful story of friendship, growing up, and being yourself. Every Little Piece of My Heart is a must-buy for school libraries this September. 

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It, is a sweet, funny romance with plenty of laugh out loud moments! I struggled to put this story down, which meant lots of walking around the house glued to my kindle.

I loved Ros's friendship with Sumi, Lucy and Adrian. They were a special group and their bond was so supportive and joyful. They were all different, but blended together perfectly because of their great mix of personalities. Their's is a gang I would love to be part of. 

The novel has a slow-burn, satisfying romance. There is brilliant early tension between Ros and John., and they also have what is possibly the funniest meet cute ever. Their story has an inevitability to it which compels you to read on so you can reach its conclusion.

Through Ros, Kelk also explores lots of common insecurities. Nostalgia for the past prevents Ros from moving forward and Kelk perfectly captures the unease that life is moving too fast, and everyone else is taking steps forward that you're not ready for. 

In Case You Missed It is the first story I've read by Lindsey Kelk and I'm looking forward to reading all of her previous work off the strength of this.