The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil

Title: The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl

Author: Melissa Keil

Release Date: 1st September 2014

My Rating: 5/5

Blurb:

Alba loves her life just as it is. She loves living behind the bakery, and waking up in a cloud of sugar and cinnamon. She loves drawing comics and watching bad TV with her friends.

The only problem is she’s overlooked a few teeny details:

Like, the guy she thought long gone has unexpectedly reappeared.

And the boy who has been her best friend since forever has suddenly gone off the rails. 

And even her latest comic-book creation is misbehaving.

Also, the world might be ending – which is proving to be awkward.

As Doomsday enthusiasts flock to idyllic Eden Valley, Alba’s life is thrown into chaos. Whatever happens next, it’s the end of the world as she knows it. But when it comes to figuring out her heart, Armageddon might turn out to be the least of her problems.

In A Nutshell:

The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl is a feel-good story with apple strudel, comic books, great friends, and one very adorable, swoon-worthy boy.

My Review:

Alba’s life has always been about her and Grady (besties since the day they were born), comic books, her illustrations, her mum’s bakery, and Eden Valley. But that all changes during the summer after she finishes year 12. 

One of my favourite things about The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl is Alba’s friendship group: Grady, Eddie, Caroline, Tia and Pete. The six of them are so close and even though they like a multitude of different things, they are a strong group that is always there for one another. Anyone would be lucky to be in a group like theirs. Unfortunately, with the summer holidays upon them, decisions have to be made. 

Grady and Caroline are desperate to escape their small town and know exactly what they want: for Alba and Tia to go with them. But Tia’s not so sure, especially since her boyfriend Pete thinks he wants to stay in Eden Valley. And Alba, who used to think she had it all worked out, is having second thoughts. Does she stay in Eden with her mum and the bakery, or head to the city with Grady and a potential art-school placement? The prospect of going their separate ways at the end of the year is one that many teens deal with each year, as is the anxiety of what direction their lives will take. 

Adding to the excitement is Armageddon, which a once unknown YouTuber has predicted and declared the only place that will survive is Alba’s town, Eden Valley. Suddenly their valley is filled with outsiders believing the world is about to end on New Years Eve and they are going to party until the end comes, and then have a front row seat to whatever is left. 

For Alba, it all becomes too much when her quiet town turns into a version of Woodstock and the publicity brings back an old friend, now a daytime soap star. Daniel’s arrival sends Alba’s group into a little spin and creates a wedge between Alba and Grady’s once unbreakable friendship. With so much uncertainty in her future, Alba holes herself up in her bedroom illustrating her new character, Cinnamon Girl, and avoiding having to make a decision. Change isn’t always easy, and for Alba, it’s all happening at once.

The potential end of the world mirrors their own personal unknowns for what the future holds, making it the perfect setting to decide what really matters in life and where happiness is found, sometimes in the most unexpected places. From the author who gave us Life in Outer Space, The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl is a feel-good story with apple strudel, comic books, great friends, and one very adorable, swoon-worthy boy.

Severed Heads, Broken Hearts by Robyn Schneider

Title: Severed Heads, Broken Hearts (UK/AUS), The Beginning of Everything (US)

Author: Robyn Schneider

Release Date: 1st September 2013

My  Rating: 5/5

Blurb:

Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: In one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra's knee, his career as a jock, and his social life.

No longer a front-runner for homecoming king, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra's ever met— achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.

Together, Ezra and Cassidy discover flash mobs, buried treasure, secret movie screenings, and a poodle that might just be the reincarnation of Jay Gatsby. But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: If one's singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes?

With lyrical writing, nerdy humor, and realistic romance, Robyn Schneider's The Beginning of Everything is a story about how difficult it is to play the part people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.

In A Nutshell:

Major love for this book. If the title doesn't instantly make you want to read it then the inclusion of geocaching, Harry Potter references, flash mobs and nerds being awesome should seal the deal.

My Review:

I absolutely, completely loved Severed Heads, Broken Hearts, but I can't put my finger on the exact reason.

Perhaps it is the coming of age story when the popular kid gives up trying to impress others to fully recognise his own interests and what real friends are. It could be the beginning of first love, the high school setting, or that it portrays that nerds know how to have fun too.

Or it could be the witty remarks, terrible puns, pop culture references which remind me of my childhood, the likeable characters, the music references, the sneaking into college classes, watching Disneyland fireworks from the hood of the car, the flash mobs, the Harry Potter love, debating competitions, geocaching or the giant poodle named Cooper… the list goes on.

Severed Heads, Broken Hearts, aside from having a freakin’ awesome title, has a good mix of comedy and tragedy, with the heart-warming storyline of people finding ‘their people’ but also the heartbreaking moments when life just doesn’t go to plan. Ultimately it asks, when the ‘thing’ you and everyone else have always used to define you disappears, what comes next? Who are you really? In this case, who is the real Ezra Faulkner?

If you liked this, try:
Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil

Holier Than Thou by Laura Buzo

Title: Holier Than Thou
Author: Laura Buzo

Release Date: 1st May 2012

My Rating: 5/5

Blurb:
Holly Yarkov has a boyfriend who is a gift from the universe. She has a job that fulfils her even as it wears her down. She has a core group of friends from high school. And she has a layer of steel around her heart that is beginning to tarnish. Just as she is reaching for a future she can't quite see, Holly is borne back into the past by memories of her beloved father, and of the boy-who-might-have-been...

Grief and longing run like veins of quicksilver through this beautiful novel, at once gloriously funny and achingly sad.

In A Nutshell:
I absolutely loved Laura Buzo’s second novel. I could honestly have read about Holly’s life forever as we delved into the pitfalls of her relationships throughout high school, university and the beginning of adulthood, with all the responsibilities that come with growing up.

My Review:
Slight Spoilers Ahead..

Holier Than Thou is a wonderful coming-of-age story of the new-adult vibe. It chronicles the life of Holly Yarkov from her time in high school through to the year after she graduates from university. It jumps back and forth between these time periods, which was confusing at times but once I worked it out, it was smooth sailing.

Perhaps the most emotive part of the novel is Holly’s father’s battle with cancer and his subsequent death. The situation is not sugar coated and is told in stark reality as his condition declines and Holly takes the supportive role, helping her mother and administering medication, while protecting her younger brother. Holly, who was always closer with her dad, buries her grief from those around her and acts as the stoic pillar of the family, something that will come back in later years to haunt her.

Holly has a very close-knit group of friends but over the years she has to face the fact that people change. They are often influenced by new people or new jobs, their ideals can change, and friendships grow apart, they become different people to those you first felt a connection with back in high school and the realisation that the friendship is dying can be heartbreaking. One of my favourite aspects of Holly’s small friendship group of Lara, Abigail, Daniel and Liam is that they were so very close, with their cute nicknames and the illusion that they were ‘living the dream’ together. Their summer after high school actually reminded me of my own after finishing year twelve. It was so much fun but like Holly’s, it didn’t last forever.

Liam was a tremendous support to Holly throughout her father’s rapid decline. The beginning of their friendship was painfully slow but gradually they grew to be the best of friends. Unfortunately for Holly, she also had a major crush on him which festered for many years, finally culminating in an awkward drunk evening in which they both had the opportunity to tell the other how they felt, but didn’t. Because of this, they drifted apart to the point where two people who used to be as close as imaginable, no longer spoke. This is something that Holly couldn’t deal with and Liam is a pivotal character throughout the book. One of the hardest things in life is watching someone you love, love someone else, and Holly has to face this throughout most of the story. I think this aspect is something a lot of people can relate to. She never did anything about it and then in an instant, it was too late.

In the present day, Tim is Holly’s boyfriend and the two of them have just moved out of home, now that they have ‘real’ jobs. At first they are super excited about moving out and the freedom that comes with it, even the fact they will be practically broke is not enough to sway their excitement. This however, like many cases, does not last, and the reality of working full time and being exhausted soon takes its toll on the couple and the ‘honeymoon period’ ends. Holly works as a social worker and is the type of person who always puts immense pressure on herself to succeed and prides herself on her stances on human rights and taking the moral high ground, hence her nickname, Holier-than-thou. So when Nick becomes part of the picture, there shouldn’t be any moral dilemmas for Holly to tackle, right?

Nick is Holly’s partner at work. He has dreadlocks and likes to learn circus tricks, his current obsession being fire twirling. He is many things that Tim is not and he and Holly have a very good working relationship, fun and light-hearted with nicknames and a relatable understanding that can only come with working together.

I absolutely loved Laura Buzo’s second novel. I could honestly have read about Holly’s life forever as we delved into the pitfalls of her relationships throughout high school, university and the beginning of adulthood, with all the responsibilities that come with growing up. I can understand while some people found Holly annoying but I found her to be very realistic and the novel outlines many of the trials and tribulations new adults go through. There are so many books about high school, but not many that look at what happens afterwards. I also loved having an older protagonist, even if it was only for half the book when Holly hits her twenties.

Second Opinions
Cherry Banana Split
Words on Paper
Books on Marrs

Also by Laura Buzo:Good Oil

Alaska by Sue Saliba

Title: Alaska
Author: Sue Saliba

Release Date: 27th June 2011

My Rating: 2/5

Blurb:

mia's heart made a sound that no one heard except for mia late one night when she woke from dreams into darkness. ethan was asleep beside her, and em was a forest away. outside it was night and dark and alaska. the sky was upside down.

When Mia follows her sister halfway across the world to Alaska, she discovers that love can be found in the most unexpected and beautiful of places. But can Mia find the courage to follow her heart in Alaska? And what if the one you love is not all that you wish them to be?

In A Nutshell:
I'm sorry to say that I just couldn't connect with the story or it's characters.

My Review:
I have read quite a few good reviews of Alaska so I think I am most definitely in the minority here when I say that Alaska really didn't grab me. I don't like writing reviews for books that I haven't enjoyed so I am going to try and keep this short. I found Mia, our main character, quite difficult to like and just couldn't connect with her. I thought she was a naive, lost little girl who seemed to think her life would become a fairy-tale and that all the bad things in life would go away once she had arrived in Alaska. I realise it is a coming-of-age story but I still didn’t feel 'it’.

Mia has come to Alaska to visit her older sister Em, and to disappear from her undesirable life. Em escaped to Alaska a few years ago and left Mia in Melbourne, caring for their alcoholic mother.

The story follows a couple of different storylines. Firstly we have Ethan, the boy Mia meets in the forest and who seems to be her perfect fairy-tale guy. I couldn't warm to Ethan either and pretty quickly thought there may be something 'off' about him. While I had my suspicions, I wasn’t completely right. Then there is the storyline of Mia’s mother who is in hospital back in Melbourne. Mia battles with the feelings of wanting to stay in Alaska with Em and Ethan, and the responsibility and love she feels for her mother back home. There is the relationship between Em and her husband Terrence that Mia ponders and how it has changed Em from the sister she used to know to someone else. And finally there is the forest, a beautiful Alaskan forest that an oil company wants to get rid of in favour of a pipeline. Mia takes an interest in the protest group who are fighting to save it but can’t quite get Em or Ethan to be as enthusiastic as she is.

With so many different storylines, the only one that really gets any sort of closure is the one concerning Mia and her mother, with a semi-conclusion to Ethan, and I was left wondering the outcome of the other plots. My favourite part of the book was the environmental aspect and fighting for what you believe in but it’s fate is left unknown. I also wanted to know more about the relationship between Em and Terrance. There is the suggestion/implication of a controlling spouse but it just never really develops into anything.

I understand the story is about Mia’s journey, how she changes as a person due to the time she spends in Alaska, but I didn’t like being kept at arm’s length with the other characters. I suppose the story is supposed to show that you can't run away from your problems and expect everything to turn out bright and shiny. But who knows, maybe I just totally missed the ‘magic’ of the whole story?

FYI, there were no capital letters throughout the entire story and this bugged me. But, isn’t the cover pretty?!


Second Opinions
inkcrush
Words on Paper

Wavelength by A.J. Betts

Title: Wavelength
Author: AJ Betts

Release Date: 2nd August 2010

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:
Oliver’s world has shrunk. It’s all about Year 12 finals. It’s about that magic 80% average he needs to get into uni, get his dream job and get cashed up. If only he can find a quiet place to study – away from the chaos and mess of living with two small kids and his Mum’s booming muffin business.

A study break in a small coastal town seems just the ticket. But Sunny Haven Recreation and Leisure Centre is like some weird parallel universe. He arrives cashless, bookless, phoneless and fuming in the back of his Dad’s clapped out Cortina only to find his new study space is home to an array of elderly citizens.

They’ve each got their own opinions on Oliver’s life plans and he “doesn’t wanna hear it!” But gradually, with their help, Oliver’s universe expands.

My Review:
I was really interested in reading this book because it is set in Perth (where I live) and Busselton (where I have holidayed). In other words, I am familiar with the scenery which is rare as not alot of books are set in Perth so a big shout out to local author AJ Betts! I briefly met Betts once when she came into the book store I was working in. This was before Wavelength had been released which is a pity because now that I have read it, I would have loved to have had the opportunity to tell her how much I enjoyed it!

The topic of Wavelength is something we can all identify with, our final exams, our TEE. For those of you not familiar with the Australian school system, the mark we get on this determines if we can get into the university course we want. Oliver's frustration is all too easy to identify with and I can remember back to when myself and my friends took our TEE exams and the stress we felt we were under to get great scores. If I remember correctly from our little chat, Betts is a high school teacher so she would be very familiar with Oliver's position, having witnessed it many times over. I also think that showing Oliver's home life reaches out to other teens because he is constantly having to take on other responsibilities due to his mum's job. This helps show that teenager's can have other things in life to worry about besides school. Being a teenager can sometimes be a very lonely time, and, one of the fantastic things about alot of young adult fiction, is that it helps teens understand they are not alone.

For those of you who have read the book, I personally can relate most to the character of Emma. While our circumstances were different, we both ended up going down the same path. I really admire the overall message in the book (well it's what came through the strongest to me anyway) and that's DO SOMETHING YOU LOVE. SOMETHING YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR. I could go on and on about this but it will probably get a little too personal and bore you all to tears so I shall stay on track shall I?

The character development was great and the teasing and banter between Oliver and Emma was really well done. I thought it was important to have Emma's character and her gradual feelings towards the exams revealed because, while Oliver does represent a large portion of year 12 students, not everyone views the exams as the be-all, end-all (because they're not) and I think this is a very important point to keep in mind. That said, this is not an anti-TEE review/book, more a reminder to do what makes you happy.

As a side note, I loved the scene where Oliver is learning how to make coffee for the first time. Very well written!

Sometimes I felt the language was a little off, that some of the words used would not be used by a 17-year-old boy, but ultimately this was a very enjoyable story that I would recommend and that I hope goes into high school libraries.

Beyond Evie by Rebecca Burton

Title: Beyond Evie
Author: Rebecca Burton

Release Date: 1st May 2010

My Rating: 1/5

Blurb:
Charlotte doesn't talk about herself much. Her sister, Amy, is leaving her to start a whole new life, and since her dad's death, Charlotte and her mother don't seem to talk, either. Her friends are great, but they've got their own problems, so how can she tell them about what happened last year? How can she tell them about Evie?

My Review:
Charlotte lives a rather distant life. She loves sport and hanging out with her friends but mostly keeps to herself, especially her thoughts and feelings. But one day, Evie appears. Charlotte has no idea how she feels towards Evie, who is her complete opposite and is always confusing her; she never knows if Evie is being serious, truthful, or just saying something for the shock value. All she knows, is that she feels something.

Beyond Evie explores the relationship between our narrator, Charlotte, and Evie. The story is told from the perspective of Charlotte, addressing the reader as Evie, writing to her after the events of the previous months. We discover Charlotte's instant infatuation with Evie, her confusion as she questions her sexuality and the constant questioning over how Evie possibly feels towards her.

In terms of the characters, none of them are very likeable, with the exception of maybe Amy and Noah (Charlotte's sister and her boyfriend). While I can relate maybe to Charlotte on one or two points, I can't relate to Evie's nature at all, and I just couldn't like her as a character. I don't feel the personalities of the supporting characters are easy to like or relate to either.

This story is told with a huge amount of suspense, hinting to us the whole way through that something negative has happened concerning the girls and why Charlotte feels the need to be writing to Evie. It is all very cryptic and the only reason I pushed on with this read was because I did want to know what had happened. Unfortunately I felt the ending was rather anti-climatic and while the story is ultimately about what Charlotte learns about herself and her outlook on life, it just wasn't enough for me.