BOOK 148: THE DROWNING OF ARTHUR BRAXTON: CAROLINE SMAILES

BLURB: An urban fairy tale from the acclaimed author of 99 Reasons Why.

Arthur Braxton runs away from school.

He hides out in an abandoned building, an old Edwardian bathhouse.

He discovers a naked woman swimming in the pool.

From this point on, nothing will ever be the same.

The Drowning of Arthur Braxton is an unflinching account of the pain and trauma of adolescence and of how first love can transform the most unhappy of lives into something miraculous. It is a dark and brooding modern fairy tale from one of our most gifted writers.

REVIEW: I’m going to keep this short, and so I probably wont do this justice.  First of all I am too old for this book.  It is a teenager’s book, one of those ones with sex and swearing in to make it really appealing to the teens, make them feel like they’re doing something a bit naughty when they read it.  The word ‘cock’ was used, in my opinion, far too many times and as an adult I found it juvenile. However the book it narrated by teenagers, so then one could argue that the writer really does have an ear for the way teenage boys speak. And they do say cock a lot.

Many who read it describe this book as an urban fairy tale but I think it’s missing something that a fairy tale should have, it’s missing heart.  And I agree with many reviewers that Laurel (a criminally underused character that you start to connect with in the first chapter) is the most (or only) appealing character in the whole thing.

However, despite my criticisms, I did read this quickly and despite the fact that I knew what would happen in the end (Clue: it’s in the title) I did want to read the whole thing and it did keep me engaged. I must say it wasn’t what I was expecting but it was a quick read especially since the chapters with dialogue were laid out as a script and without the added nuisance of he said/she said, a technique I would like to see more often if I’m honest but also found quite lazy writing, I’m torn by this book, I am. Read it, you’ll either be confused or you’ll love it.

(A side note: If I’m honest, I didn’t like Arthur Braxton, I know teenage boys can be like this, but they don’t have to be, you should feel sorry for him, he’s going through a terrible time but you don’t because he’s a twat (and this is what he calls himself.)

BOOK 129: MORE THAN THIS: PATRICK NESS

More Than This is a young adult novel by Patrick Ness, published by Candlewick Press in 2013. It follows a teenage boy named Seth who, after drowning in the ocean, wakes up alone on a desolate suburban English street in what he believes to be hell.

More Than This was reviewed favorably by critics and readers. Martin Chilton of The Telegraph describes the novel as "an impressively challenging and philosophical book for young adults," capturing "ambiguity and bewilderment of being young and the uncertainty of what will happen to any of us next in life." Tony Bradman of The Guardian concurred, writing: "Seth is a terrific exemplar of the eternal teenage desire for there to be, in the words of the novel's title, "more than this” “As of early March 2015 the book scores 4.04 out of 5 stars on the social reading site Goodreads John Green's review of More Than This is printed on the front cover of the book. John comments, "Just read it."

MY VERDICT: I started this book full of hope, I do not usually read books as new as this, or aimed at young adults, but I had seen so many great reviews that I felt compelled to read it. I hated it… at first.  It started so badly that I was not looking forward to the rest. I can understand why it is clunky at the start but it really could have been written better.  And it does get better, it had me hooked after the third or forth chapter and I was glad I persevered because it was thoroughly entertaining.  Admittedly a little juvenile for me but like watching a good children’s TV program it had me empathizing with the characters and dying to know how it would end.

BOOK 109: FANGIRL: RAINBOW ROWELL

Fangirl is a 2013 contemporary young adult novel written by Rainbow Rowell. Fangirl is notable for having been chosen as Tumblr's first book club selection. The cover illustration is by popular webcomic artist Noelle Stevenson, creator of Nimona. Fangirl's publication follows Rowell's previous YA novel published earlier in 2013, Eleanor & Park.

The critical reception to the book has been positive, noting in particular its realistic portrayal of fan culture. A reviewer for Tor.com calls it "true-to-geek-life" and notes that "Rowell understands something vital in her novel, and that is that fandom is so much more than escapism—it is, whether conscious or unconsciously—a way for folks to interact with their surroundings." Entertainment Weekly gives Rowell credit for capturing both the universe of fan fiction and the inside of a young person's head. A Kirkus starred review calls the novel "absolutely captivating." When Fangirl was chosen as the inaugural book for the Tumblr book club, a Tumblr representative noted its themes of loving books and creating art, its appeal to readers of all ages, and Rowell's existing fan base on the social media platform as reasons for the choice.