The Case of the Exploding Loo

Title: The Case of the Exploding Loo
Author: Rachel Hamilton
Genre: MG
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 10/10

I would like to thank Rachel Hamilton for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What can I say? I know it's not what I usually blog about, but the blurb made it seem like a good laugh, and I'm glad to say that it was. Absolutely hilarious from cover to cover!

Rachel Hamilton really captures the essence of the pre-teen girl. Noelle is funny because we've all been there before; we've all seen conspiracy theories everywhere, and we've all fought with out sisters incessantly, while loving them to pieces at the same time. Hamilton captured that mix of innocence, confusion and utter certainty that they know all there is to be known (though in Noelle's case, she has more reason to think that way than most of us, since she's like a mini Sherlock Holmes!). That vulnerability really made her a very likeable character.
I also applaud the way Hamilton presented Noelle's father, Brian. At the start of the novel, he is an almost god-like figure to Noelle, who looks up to her father and his intelligence. But, as readers, we know that something isn't quite right when Noelle tells us about his plans to eradicate the world of people with lower IQs. It is an important message, and one that Hamilton puts across beautifully in the book - that just because they're an adult, doesn't mean that what they say is always right, and that sometimes our heroes disappoint us in the worst way possible. And Noelle goes on with her life, visiting her father in prison, but well aware of the fact that his actions were wrong.

It's safe to say that this well please Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans everywhere.

Geek Girl

Title: Geek Girl
Author: Holly Smale
Genre: YA
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 10/10

"Harriet Manners knows a lot of things. 

She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves. 

As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did. 

And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?"

***

Refreshing, funny, spunky and just plain fun to read. Seriously, it was like hopping in a time machine and going back to my 13 year old self just discovering the world of Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries.
Harriet's story is just as fun-loving and filled with moments that made me literally laugh out loud. A nice, easy read - definitely recommend it for poolside entertainment ;)
Granted, this seems to be focused on a younger demographic than what I usually read these days, not being that 13-year old again, but the message of the book is one that many adults could do with learning - of being true to yourself, always.
Most importantly, though, is the fact Holly Smale creates a character that is both endearing and familiar to most bookworms like myself, but also strong and determined. The book flies by, and you've finished before you know, it ready for the next one (which is already out, incidentally)

How I Live Now

Title: How I Live Now
Author: Meg Rosoff
Genre: YA
Rating: 3/5
Cover: 6/10

This book was different, and definitely not what I was expecting.

Knowing it was YA, I never thought it would deal with something like incest so openly, and yet there is no doubt in the book about what is going on, and Daisy shows no real qualms about it. That is one of the aspects that drew me in. Daisy's voice was so guileless, so innocent and naive, despite her age, that I couldn't help but feel protective of her.

Rosoff's account of the war was fresh and interesting in that the war didn't really play that big a part in the first half of the book.

What did annoy me endlessly, and made me have to put the book down more than once to re-focus, was the lack of quotation marks for speech. The lack of that distinction does give the book an original feel, but it messed with my brain way too much, and ended up disrupting the narrative for me, making everything more complicated than it needed to be.

The Stone Rose

Title: The Stone Rose
Author: Jacqueline Rayner
Genre: Sci-fi
Rating: 5/5
Cover: 6/10

WHY wasn't this filmed?? Ultimate Rose/Doctor episode ever. 

And it has all the stuff we love the most about Doctor Who: crazy aliens, impossible situations, lots of humour, and the best of all... it takes place in Classical Rome. Picture The Fires of Pompeii, take away Donna and put Rose in her place, and add a hell of a lot of Doctor sass, and you have The Stone Rose.

And when I say it would have been the ultimate Rose/Doctor episode, I mean it. The Stone Rose is like a mix of Tooth & Claw, The Idiot's Lantern, The Impossible Planet, Satan's Pit and Army of Ghosts, all rolled into one beautiful package of Doctor/Rose cuteness. The Doctor is worried and possessive. Rose is teasing and flirty. And yes, there is kissing.

This is what feeds those NC17 fanfictions out there. Amazing. Fantastic. Allons-y!

And if all that wasn't enough to convince you to read it, how about this: the audiobook is read by David Tennant in his Scottish accent ;)