Review for The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson by Paige Toon

The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson by Paige Toon 
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release: 30th January 2014
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, UKYA
Source: Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review





Goodreads Summary:

"My fifteenth birthday was the worst day of my life, and it's inconceivable to think that any single day in my future will ever be as bad. My mum was killed in a freak accident on her way to pick up my cake. Even when there was still no sign of her after two hours later, and my friends started to arrive at our house, it never occurred to me that she wouldn't be coming back.

That was six months ago. My mum died without telling me who my real dad was. And for a while I hated her for it. I thought she's taken the secret of my father's identity with her forever. But she didn't. Holy hell, she didn't. Because three weeks ago I found out the truth. And I'm still reeling from the shock of it. My dad is none other than Johnny Jefferson, mega famous rock star and one-time serial womaniser. And now I'm on my way to LA to meet him and his family. My tiny little world has just got a whole lot bigger…"

Review 
Jessie is a teenage wild child who’s been acting out ever since her mum’s unexpected death on Jessie’s fifteenth birthday. I have to be honest and say that Jessie didn’t make a good first impression with me – in fact I thought she was a bit of a brat with the way she treated people. But my advice is to stick with her folks! It soon becomes apparent that it’s all just a tough girl act to mask the pain and guilt she feels over her mum’s death and the fear that she doesn’t really belong to any one now that it’s just her and her stepdad Stu. Paige Toon did a fantastic job of capturing a young girl’s grief and those weaker moments with Jessie when her mask would slip and she’d let us in were some of my favourite moments in this book.

With Jessie’s behaviour spiralling out of control stepdad Stu thinks it would do her good to learn the truth about her real father who is none other than famous rock god Johnny Jefferson. When Jessie flies out to LA to get to know Johnny and her new family is where the fun really begins. There are A-list parties, designer clothes shopping, and yes, a cute boy. Whilst all this is really fun and glamorous to read about there are also some really touching moments as Jessie starts to bond with her family.

My favourite thing about The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson was how every character felt realistic. I could understand every characters thoughts and feelings over this big change in their lives and I loved that this book wasn’t all fun and smooth sailing in Jessie’s new life. Seeing how everyday things would trigger Jessie’s memories of her mum brought a tear to my eye on several occasions. And Jessie’s gradual character development was spot on to the point where I closed the book feeling really proud of how far she’d come.

Overall The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson was a lot of fun and had a lot of heart. I’ll definitely be continuing on with this series to see what happens to Jessie and her family next and I also want to pick up ‘Johnny Be Good’ Paige’s adult series to find out how Johnny and Meg’s story all began!

January Round Up and Book of the Month!

January's Book of the Month is Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Side Effects May Vary was a book that despite its March release date I just had to read as soon as I received an e galley for review and as soon as I read it I just had to talk about it so I posted an early bird review here. Side Effects May Vary is the best cancer book that's not actually all that much about cancer since The Fault in Our Stars. This was an absolutely beautiful debut novel about life and second chances and if it's not already on your radar it should be!

Read in January 
1.) The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton (4*)
2.) Where The Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller (4*)
3.) The New Hunger by Isaac Marion (4*)
4.) Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken (3.5*)
5.) Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy (4.5*)
6.) A Breath of Frost by Alyxandra Harvey (3*)
7.) The Wish List by Jane Costello (4.5*)
8.) Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas (4*)
9.) The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson by Paige Toon (3.5*)
10.) The Unbound by Victoria Schwab (4*)

Ten books read is an excellent start towards my 2014 100 books reading challenge on Goodreads and I'm two books ahead of schedule! I read some fantastic books this past month but am still waiting for my first 5 star read of 2014!

Monthly Book Awards 
Best Plot: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
Best Writing: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
Best Cover: Where The Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller
Best Characters: The Wish List by Jane Costello
Best Ending: The Unbound by Victoria Schwab
Best Romance: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
Most un-put-down-able: Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas
Most Memorable: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
Best Moral: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Top 3 Most Recommended Books: Side Effects May Vary, The Wish List, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

Books I’m Looking Forward to Being Released in February 
Echo Boy by Matt Haig
The Dead Wife's Handbook by Hannah Beckerman
A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon
The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
Cress by Marissa Meyer
Banished by Liz de Jager

What was the best book you read in January? And what are you looking forward to reading this month?

Review for Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas

Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas 
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release: 16th January 2014
Genre: Adult Fiction, Psychological Thriller
Source: Bought




Summary: 

"Meet the Hurst Family.

Meet Violet Hurst -16 years old, beautiful and brilliant. So why is she being accused of being a danger to herself and others? 

Meet her brother Will Hurst – the smartest and sweetest twelve-year old boy around. But does he really need all that medication he is being told to take?

Meet oldest sister Rose – the one who got away. She disappeared one night in her final year of school, never to be heard from again.

And then meet their mother – Josephine. Perhaps it will then all start to make sense."

Review 
Psychological Thrillers are an old love of mine but unfortunately I don’t read them as often as I used to. However, when I read the synopsis for Mother, Mother it sounded just like the dark and menacing read I was after and so after reading some glowing reviews for the book I decided to give it a try. Mother, Mother is the kind of book that crawls under your skin without you realizing it. It’s not the kind of thriller that’s fast paced and full of twists but rather one that makes you feel uneasy and suspicious of every character. It’s so compelling that it practically turns the pages itself as you dive deeper into the world of this deeply dysfunctional family and their twisted relationships.

The book is told from two of the Hurst children’s point of views with oldest daughter Rose having recently run away from home and escaping their mothers clutches. Will is a twelve-year-old autistic boy who has withdrawn so much from the world that his mother and her approval is all that really matters to him. Then there’s Will’s older sister Violet the middle child in the family who’s recently been sectioned in a mental health unit due to a crime against her brother that she has no recollection of committing.

Will and Violet are both such unreliable narrators that you’re never quite sure what to believe especially when the different accounts on their home life begin to clash. Trying to piece together exactly what’s going on in that household made captivating reading.

All members of the Hurst family are broken, flawed and interesting characters to read about. None more so than mother Josephine who really is the puppeteer behind their family and the perfect façade they show the world. I won’t say too much about Josephine other than she’s an incredibly clever individual who kept me guessing throughout the book. Is she the loving and attentive mother that Will adores? Or the deranged psychopath who is ruining Violet’s life?

The only thing that let this book down for me was the ending. I would have liked something a little more surprising and sinister to have taken this book to new heights.

Overall Mother, Mother was a chilling and thought provoking read that proves that you never really know what’s going on behind closed doors.

Letterbox Love (36) Birthday Book Haul!

Letterbox Love is a meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking for UK based book bloggers to showcase the books that they’ve received each week.

Thursday marked my 24th birthday and I had so many nice messages from you guys on Twitter! Thank you so much for that, they were coming in all day long! I had a really relaxed day of eating cake, reading my book, and catching up on some TV. I received make-up, PJ's, lovely smelling things from The Body Shop, chocolates, a gorgeous handmade Twiss pen, perfume and books. More books than I was expecting actually! I'm guessing you guys are here for the books so here's what I got for my birthday as well as the books I got for review this week. Needless to say I am feeling very lucky and spoilt! On a side note sorry about the quality of these photos - I took them whilst it was dark and storming outside.

 Birthday Books

Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas
It's been ages since I read an adult thriller but I really felt like picking one up recently so after reading some good reviews from my blogger friends I bought this with some birthday money. I've been reading it this weekend whilst it's been stormy and I'm loving it!
How to Fall in Love by Cecelia Ahern
This one was a gift from my brother. I used to love Cecelia Ahern and read her books religiously but I haven't read any of her new books in recent years. This ones synopsis really caught my attention and I'm looking forward to rediscovering this author soon.
Kiss Me First by Lottie Moggach
This is another book a little out of my comfort zone but I think it sounds fantastic and I've seen so many good reviews for it! Maybe this will be the year I rediscover my love for adult thrillers?
Vicious by V. E. Schwab
This one has been on my wishlist since it was first released in the US but I've been holding out for the UK edition and was so happy to receive this from my mum and dad. I love Victoria Schwab's YA novels and I can't wait to read this!

Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
This book has been on my wishlist for ages but there are so many gorgeous editions of it that I wasn't sure which one to get! I was really pleased to receive this edition which has the girl in the dress from the UK cover and the lovely design of the US hardback. Basically it's the best of both from the two covers I was torn between! I've heard great things for this series and can't wait to see what the fuss is about.
Golden by Jessi Kirby
Jessi Kirby is an author I've been meaning to check out for a while. I've read so many rave reviews for Golden and I'm so glad I have a hardback copy - it's absolutely beautiful!
The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson
Laurie is one of my favourite authors from when I was a teen so I was all over this one when I opened it! It's also about PTSD which I've been diagnosed with so I can't wait to see how she handles it. 

For Review

Far From You by Tess Sharpe (Proof Copy)
I was so excited when this came in the post! It sounds like a fantastic YA thriller and has been on my radar for a while now. I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing this soon.
The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
This book arrived as a total surprise and I couldn't be happier! I've only read one book by the author before and that was the beautiful Me Before You which is actually one of my all time favourite books so I'm really excited to read something new from Jojo.
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
This one I've actually already read and reviewed (check out my review here) but it arrived as a surprise along with Far From You from the publishers. This is the new paperback edition and I'm completely in love with this cover! I only had the proof copy until now so I'm so happy to replace it with this beautiful edition.

 From Netgalley 

Netgalley got me again this week! Simon and Schuster UK have recently joined and have been tempting me with their upcoming titles. I just finished reading The Wish List by Jane Costello which I read for my birthday and I absolutely loved it! I just had to snatch up The Time of Our Lives when I saw it on there! The Year of the Rat is one that I've heard exciting things about for months now and it sounds absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful. Then there's the new J.A Redmerski who is one of my favourite NA authors. The publishers emailed me about The Memory Book which sounds right up my street and like another beautiful and moving read. It also has a comparison to Me Before You which completely sold me. I have so many exciting books on my Kindle right now that I'm like a kid in a sweetshop - spoiled for choice and not sure where to begin first!

 As always thank you to the lovely publishing folk for the review copies. If you decided to do a Letterbox Love, Book Haul, IMM, Showcase Sunday, Mailbox Monday or whatever else featuring the books you got this week leave me a link as I’d love to check out your books too! ^_^ 

 Happy reading till next time!

Character Interview With Isaiah From Crash Into You by Katie McGarry PLUS Giveaway!

Katie McGarry is one of my favourite authors and so I'm thrilled to have her back on the blog today! I absolutely loved her most recent novel Crash Into You which you can read my review of here so I'm very excited to have Isaiah on the blog today for a chat. I'm also giving away 3 copies of Crash Into You courtesy of the publishers for any of you who haven't had the chance to check out Isaiah's story yet. But firstly here is Isaiah talking tattoo's, racing and Rachel...

Character Interview With Isaiah

1.) Hi Isaiah, what have you been up to since we last saw you in Dare You To?
Noah and I moved out of my foster parents’ place. As long as I stay out of trouble and they continue to get their monthly checks from the state, my foster parents don’t care where I stay. 

Other than that, I’m still working at the garage and finishing out my senior year.

2.) We’d love to know a bit more about Rachel what is she like?
Rachel’s perfect. Blond hair, blue eyes, and drop dead gorgeous. But what’s amazing about her is the way Rachel sees past what people look like on the outside to see who they really are on the inside. Truth…she’s one in a million. 

3.) What’s your favourite thing about Rachel? 
I love the way she laughs. I love the smile on her face. I love how she blushes and paces the floor when we enter a room alone. But what I really love is how each kiss she gives me is like the first one over and over again. It’s innocent and hot all at the same time. 

Rachel’s like no one else I’ve met. For years, I didn’t think I belonged anywhere and with a brief smile in my direction and a light touch of her hand, each time it’s like being called home. 

4.) How are things with Beth now?
Beth is complicated and so is our relationship. I don’t see that changing. She’s at where she’s at and I’m exactly where I need to be, but we’ll always keep in touch. What else can you expect from family? 

 5.) What do you love about Racing?
When I’m staring down a stretch of road in those brief few seconds before I hit the gas, it’s like I can see every possibility before me. The light turns green, the entire world comes alive, and for six to seven seconds, I absolutely control my destiny. 

There’s not too many times in life anyone can claim that. 

6.) Of all your tattoo’s which is your favourite and why?
The dragon that winds up my arm and goes down my back. There’s one person who believed in me once….one person who thought I was more than a street rat. That tattoo was for him so I’d never forget. 

7.) Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
Definitely see myself suping up dragsters. My goal is to start my own garage and maybe I’ll be close enough to tucking away seed money in about five years. If life works in my favor, Rachel will still be by my side.

8.) Describe your dream girl 
Rachel Young. There’s no one else for me. 

 Giveaway Rules 

 To enter please fill in the Rafflecopter 

 Open to UK residents only 

 End date: Friday 31st January 2014 

Three winners will be drawn and will be contacted by email with 1 week to reply else another winner will be selected. 

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