Reviewing... [49] NORTH POLE REFORM SCHOOL.

Christmas time, mistletoe & wine healthy elf-loved peppermint tea (oops... doesn't fit in the song's timing :'( )

Reviewing... [49] Source: Thanks Jaimie for this... It was a review copy, but this hasn't affected, as always, my review in any way.Author: Jaimie Admans Recommended for: Christmas lovers & Christmas haters. You will get a laugh from this Christmassy comedy (romance?). People who don't believe (and you've got to admit, that includes you & I... even after I've read this) will still find this endearing. This is a young adult but probably best for the upper end (like Afterlife Academy) due to the content. ~

My Thoughts:

Endearing? Woah. That's not the only adjective I could use to describe (cos that's there's function, but whatever) this tale of Mistletoe & some other Christmas-ruiners who find themselves at the: NORTH POLE REFORM SCHOOL.

Jaimie has crafted an amazing place, a novel where so many dramatic things happen. Jaimie is essentially very like a Welsh Miranda Hart... Not that Miranda Hart writes fiction or should write anything like this. As, although this is obviously a comedy, at the heart it's a lot less plain that that. It's mostly funny but also soft, sad, romantic, cute but always... amazing. Honestly. Like yeah...

Yikes!
I'm not just saying that because, as Jaimie perfectly illustrates, Christmas can be all those things. If you want to know my true opinion on Christmas (but I shouldn't think that affected my opinion on this book much at all), for starters, on the Christmas books: I haven't actually read that many Christmas books. I mean most totally devalue Christmas for me or end up not seeming Christmassy... Just because a book is set in Winter does not make it a Christmas book. It's ideal for Winter which is the season Christmas is in if you live in the UK but still: mislabelling. This book is appropriately labeled, even though it's not about the real Christmas... You know, the Christian one which I believe in as I'm a Christian :P

 If you have read a book you thought was closer to the commercial Christmas to the Nativity Christmas (which is my Christmas), I'd like to point out: I don't mind either Christmassses being here, obviously. And this novel is absolutely great, even sticking with the North Pole type of Christmas. It also means NPRS didn't turn that kind of preachy even though I'd say, given the chance, most of the elves would preach better than a really informed prophet. I can't believe they're not against the commercialism of Christmas & although I totally understand their point of view as well, I'm glad we had people against it. I suppose they don't mean to commercial, it's just their lifestyle (candy canes, santa, reindeer) kind of is an example of commercial Christmas. Surreal is more the word for the world our characters inhabit, for a month or... well, we'll let you see the time frame, shall we? But yes, it's bizarre, it's somehow vivid as well & there's a lil' tinge of cute-as-pie girl & boy. Luke isn't exactly your boy-next-door & he's the best guy of the three YA's I've read of Jaimie's, in my opinion.
I think Luke & Mistletoe are the best examples of anti-Christmas individuals (yet I still loved them, because they don't hate everything & are still positive, not miserable, even though they were kidnapped by a purple moose it seems...). Emily is really odd & her Grinch-like approach is totally funny. I think she'll appeal to lots of you, and gain a spot in your heart for her little fear... which I believe she shares with some of my bloggy friends. Ducks, eh? Hugo, well, we find out he hates Christmas because of his parents... His response is totally whacky, And Joe is just a... well, the book explains that quite well & I'm not one for putting in expletives (at least not in a review :P) Plus, his jokes? Joe's the standard loser. NO, Joe, you've not become a comedian overnight. Not even with all the Christmas magic at the North Pole! I don't think anyone could say being reformed turned Joe into a decent human being... Just sayin'. Funnily enough, Mistletoe & Luke (aww! Such cute people... umm, together :D) more than reform & they go from being understandable, likeable & hatin' on this situation in the North Pole to being... Aww. Just so perfect & loveable. Seriously, I want to know these people. Mistletoe has just been unfortunately named & Luke... eared (not a word? OK, apparently it actually is!). She'd be better with a name like 'Hope'. Cos that's what I see Mistletoe as... She's just such a nice human being who probably isn't big on Christmas cos (an annoying thing is totally this) people think it's one of the only times you have to be nice to people. Be nice to people, rain or shine. Holiday or ordinary workday (I hope I'm not getting preachy like Tinsel, one of the head elves, now...)

Should've either begun or ended the review with this but it works here, doesn't it? Riiight?  OK, still that review failure even now I've done 1, of about a million, but whatever. JUST DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT... >.>


Yup, I think Luke and Mistletoe learn their lesson... I mean we see it for a little & wonder why it's dragging on (well, they must think it is!) It's all fun but the serious part of you is thinking, sure it's all jokey at the moment & I'm enjoying seeing the dynamics of the Reform Group but... when do they get their 'Get Out Of Reform School Free' monopoly card? (No, my serious part of my brain probably is more serious than that!) 

And then it was like Chapter 22... All I will tell you is I thought that'd be it. The End. Done & dusted. But, that would've been rushed! My brain was full of unflattering thoughts to elves who dragged poor, admittedly Christmas-ruiners (but sometimes accidentally so!) to North Pole & gave them such a rubbish ending to the programme. Plus, Joe going first? Fissshhhy. But you know, thanks Jaimie, for sorting that out. I now have more flattering feelings towards this book which is just so fun to devour.

You'll see that this book is awesome. Even though the end was better than I'd saw at first judging of seeing that chapter... (which is 84% through. But you can pack a punch in less than 20% of a book, trust us) I wish it hadn't ended. It's a book that I could read a few pages of, that I could read & have epilogues upon epilogues to... (umm, no, be careful what you wish for before you say it) sequel? I mean, we've, almost all of us, read the Harry Potter series & you know that's thousands of pages overall... But that literally summarizes it. It's a fabulous book & you just want to read more about the characters as they are really good at latching on to your heart strings. I can't stop them tugging them!... So maybe, be my besties, guys? I promise I won't "Merry Christmas" you before you show me it's OK (as in, I'll return the favour when you say it first cos you'll be in the mood).

Amy Bookworm (@Amy_Bookworm)rated this book:


 Go read it. I know it's Boxing Day but... go read it. NOW. READ IT. NOW. GO.... GO. GO. 

And did I say?, I hope you had a fab Christmas. Wishing you the best for the new year...

Not Pretty Enough

Page 99 Test (for reference Not Pretty Enough here, my fourth Page 99 Test). 

I assume you saw that post & know about my verdict on the 99th page of this book...

Reviewing... [44]Author: Jaimie Admans (as I've remembered to you, we are buds*) Source: Review copy for tour*

*does not affect my opinions.

Recommended for: Not Pretty Enough is a contemporary YA comedy suitable for ages 13+

So, yes... Jaimie returns again! You know Jaimie... Just a recap of the bare bones of one Welsh author who has written another stunning YA! : Jaimie is a 28-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, drinking tea and watching horror movies. She hates spiders and cheese & onion crisps. She has been writing for years but has never before plucked up the courage to tell people. Afterlife Academy is her third novel and she hopes you enjoy it. There are plenty more on the way!

What was my verdict from page 99 before?    A light dusting of humour there, some good character introduction and things to read the book for the whole picture. Oh and, Chessie, sometimes a hot guy needs his ego crushing. Atta girl. I asked you... "What do you think? Has it intrigued? Caused a LOL perchance? Primark or Prada?"

And after?

I still need to read about a quarter more of the book (around 50 pages!)
There is a real sense of character development, most definitely. Obviously, Chessie was a klutz then & her mistakes continue, going from bad to worse- sometimes her mistakes are forgiveable. Her Mum isn't a total dragon just not a money-making machine, I understand the Primark thing now. Chessie, being the teen chick she is, obviously loves a range of stores- H&M when she has the money! Snap! Chessie hasn't turned from slight idiot to genius but really, that'd be taking the fun out of the story. I loved the humour; it had me in fits of REAL laughter at certain points. Thank goodness I don't take my kindle to English lessons (a curse for a reader that we can't sometimes) or I would have half the dignity I used to...
I’m glad at least it made her a bit more extroverted. Let the girl out of wallflower kingdom & make her into one of those girls you actually cannot fail to notice!
She doesn't do enough to annoy Lloyd on purpose... He deserves the annoyance, but not all the attention. Sure, he turns out to be slightly above average so her taste isn’t entirely skewed- he likes campaigning for a certain charity you’ll find out about- yet is genuinely not a guy I’d obsess over that much. I can’t imagine him equalling book boyfriend material; he’s more like the boys I know, or a mix of them. Lloyd is, plainly put, tall, rich, a bit up himself and has very little in common with Chessie. Why does she like him despite all his flaws I won’t go into?
She just decided to get him to notice her. When that’s just achieved- and the antics all played out (thankfully not involving streaking- the blurb didn’t let you in all that)- she’s still not happy; in fact it’s fair to say, “talk about obsessed!”. It's a laughing matter and a frustrating matter. Can't she just accept that people like her friends Ewan & Debs are right? There's nothing special about Lloyd.
Well, it wouldn’t have been half as funny if she’d played hard to get so maybe I get it. Somewhere, it makes sense. I know it happens in real life. I know this has been written about as a whole text of hyperbole, romance (*cough* attempts at it which Chessie really should not recommend *cough*) & laughter! It is ideal for many teenage girls... Forget teenage, I think anybody with a smidgen of girliness would love this. You end up forgetting that actually she’s too ridiculous, she is making bad decisions and start putting yourself in her shoes (that’s the main thing so I can’t really complain). They aren’t the worse decisions but I’m glad I’ve never had to go through such, utter humiliation! I’d die with red cheeks. Well, he knows who he is. Not sure they’re the best ways to be remembered, it all amounts to something along the lines of “Crazy stalker girl”. Will it work out in the end? How many times can Chessie brush herself off after a disaster only to mess up in another way?
Maybe I should have been a bit more awkward in Year 9? Too late. I didn’t want to be an awkward fourteen year old? Do I have to be an awkward anything-teen? You may not understand how she can just laugh at herself so often in good fun but I hope you’ll still find her as likeable as I did :P
I hope you enjoy Admans writing- it always get the point across & I admire how she can write such funny stuff. I hope Chessie continues to be a joy to write and continues to develop to more mature measures for Book 2.

(Remember, I do say this while still reading! Awkward way to review I know, but I bet the book will still be EPIC).

Not Pretty Enough is awaiting a rating but you will notice I'm still saying I'm enjoying it & the blog tour is giving away Not Pretty Enough... Enter if you like:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks,
Amy Bookworm x

Page 99 Test: Not Pretty Enough

Page 99 Test (for reference my first was here, this is my fourth). 

This test was created by Ford Madox Ford. The test makes complete sense- 99 pages is often about a quarter/third of the way through (give or take a little percentage of the novel).
Today, however, I am testing a kindle book so perhaps its more like the 'randomly drag the location bar on your kindle until you think you've chosen a fair bit of the book less than half, and roughly a third...
Yup. That's my method. I was thinking of doing it properly with maths but that's just not doing it for me & would also mean it's very close to halfway through. That's just not cutting it.

Was RELEASED 1st August!

Series: ☑   Not Pretty Enough is a contemporary YA comedy suitable for ages 13+

“New Year’s Resolutions: 1. Lloyd Layton will know I exist. He once said three whole words to me, so this is obviously progress. If I don’t get a proper conversation out of him soon, then I’ll take my top off and streak through the cafeteria, because nobody could fail to notice these boobs. 2. I will not get expelled for streaking through the cafeteria.” Those are the words that begin her mission. Chessie is fourteen, not pretty enough, and very much in love. Lloyd Layton is hot, popular, and unaware of Chessie’s existence. Her goal is clear: to get Lloyd to love her as much as she loves him, and she has exactly one year to do it. As Chessie’s obsession with Lloyd reaches boiling point and she starts to spin a web of lies that spiral out of control, Lloyd turns out to be not quite the prince she thought he was. Can Chessie avoid the gathering storm before things go too far?

What Amy Thinks
I've got to admit that I'm surprised it gives little reference to things mentioned in the synopsis- it's made me think:
a) Over-dramatic blurb right there. I bet Lloyd is really not boyfriend material! But even so, did she wrap herself in a web of lies? How spoilery was that?
b) Umm, oh well? If anything, Chess' was wrapped in a web of klutz... All the best people have those moments frankly!
Really, she's just being an average girl. Taking dislike to one guy and loving another, but kicking his ass when he deserves the wallop.
Chessie is clearly down to earth but isn't entirely "earth knowledgeable". If she was, she'd probably try and - scratch that, mothers just love Primark. Anyway, you've got to know her mother, you also get to know her crush who clearly is... Lloyd. You may not know what's implied by that name but I can inform you: the only Lloyd I've ever encountered was tall, a bit of an idiot and charismatic, sometimes in that whingey way, too. Is the first step realizing that Lloyd is a cloud with a dim lining?
I do want to know the circumstances involving an apparently punctured trainer, and Lloyd's scratched foot.

Extract sampled (filling in for the 99th page):
Not Pretty Enough (Kindle Locations 1608-1623).

Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike Darren? It’s not that he’s overly horrible, it’s just that he’s completely indifferent. Like Lloyd, but less hot.
Lloyd goes to pick up his bag and leave when he sees me, which is very unlike Lloyd because this old archway is his territory.
“Wait,” I call, running up the steps and almost tripping over my own feet.
Almost. That’s an improvement.
“I hope you know that I can barely walk today because of you,” Lloyd says to me.
“What? It was just a scratch.”
“It hurts.”
“Oh, don’t be such a baby.”
Lloyd looks quite surprised. Nowhere near as surprised as I am. Did I really just say that to Lloyd Layton? That’s the sort of thing I would say to Ewan or Debs, certainly not to Lloyd Layton.
Debs snickers behind me.
I glance at his feet. He has on trainers that are clearly brand new. I wish I had money like that. If I got a javelin through my trainers, my mother would either patch the hole up with sticky tape or buy me a pair of three quid plastic plimsolls from Primark.

Verdict 
A light dusting of humour there, some good character introduction and things to read the book for the whole picture. Oh and, Chessie, sometimes a hot guy needs his ego crushing. Atta girl.

What do you think? Has it intrigued? Caused a LOL perchance? Primark or Prada?
By the way, I would be interested in the answers to only 3/4 of those questions.
(Hint: 2 of them can be answered with 'YES' and if they were... Look!
a Rafflecopter giveaway)

Enjoy reading,
Amy Bookworm x

Reviewing... [23] Afterlife Academy

Do you remember Jaimie? Tea-drinking arachnophobic author? If you don't it's because I mainly talked about her YA book Afterlife Academy last time (by which I don't mean last blog post... it was the cover reveal- lovely that).
Now I've read said YA paranormal romantic comedy.

Reviewing... [23] Author: Jaimie Admans (as I've remembered to you, we are buds*) Source: Review copy for tour* Recommended for: Teens (or above) who've been bullied/been unpopular (and it's got something for a goth not just us laughing readers XD)

It was enjoyable seeing Riley step inside (having not mastered the magically appearing thing after 5 minutes of death) a school identical to her old school- the contents of the school are much different & they are all in their afterlife and apparently understand her "adjustment issues". Yeah, well- it'd be easier if their was a thing to like underneath all the maths, redemption, haunting, visualisation and... well, therapy. It'd have been quiet cool to see Riley learn that but, perhaps, she learns some more valuable lessons (minus maths in this case). There are definitely paranormal aspects but they all seem to be described early on, there wasn't a lot of emphasis put on red-horned dinner ladies, vampire pumpkins and Art rooms devoid of colour. This is just the world which fades into the background (perhaps that's how Wade- the living boyfriend- you & I missed it?) "Death World" wasn't entirely likeable to me (it seemed more "parallel universey", they even called it "life") but this is a paranormal novel- not "Afterlife- the theology" so I suppose it would be original for the death theme.

It's comedy, it's paranormal & it's romance? With a death theme?... *fangirls*

Well, the characters were quite original too. Riley wasn't what she seemed. Sure, she was a bully (and she won't lie, but rightfully shares the blame) but she doesn't want to continue being a bully, especially when it seems like she wouldn't be getting a popularity as a reward. Now, I expected to sort of like Riley but to be honest she spent most of the book getting on my nerves. I don't know why but books that seem to focus on character's & have a plot facade annoy me... I was honestly thinking the reason she must be going in circles so much was so that she could wear a hole in the ground or something & go into a vortex.
However, in hindsight I realize how well it was executed- even with the snakes 'n' ladders I was engrossed, the story was embellished in that respect. I loved Adman's style, it didn't seem like Riley was just whining for the sake of it, it felt like... I don't know, real. Even though the book didn't span over much more than a few weeks it felt like it did. It felt like there was a reason she wasn't learning & if I felt at any point that it was like Riley was just turning to her "readers" to moan every minute I'd have put it down. Probably.
She didn't just get away with it- people do guide her (firmly) & Riley doesn't have her emotions spared (poor girl). I'd like to share one little quote with you that I loved in Afterlife Academy, it summarizes this: "Accepting that you weren’t always fair goes a long way to righting the wrong."
So, I accepted Riley's turmoil eventually- thanks to the goths/emos (and the above). Eeek, I love how there seemed to be a mix of cultures (stereotypes or not, they're up my street) that had to come together! They were the BOMB because they were so realistic. If you're wondering, it wasn't much of a romance (however the visualisations & flashbacks were umm... something like that)- she didn't create a romantic relationship with a goth either. Bonds and friendships seemed to mean more in the afterlife & I think that's something Riley struggled with- I know I would... I do know, I was concealed but I was THERE. Pretending to be the Haribo-eating- and apparently vampire- pumpkin of course... I felt like I was there though (:
Nice bit of scenery, me! Not. :P If I wasn't scenery in the book I'd have created more action... not the bad kind, readers of this know what I'm on about, there was some "action" but not a lot of real of edge-of-the-seat moments (I did read this in two places anyway, neither car: a) bed    b) car on 3-4 hour journey) but there was tension. Tension has more beauty to it... Y'know?
I may have (actually or am I still talking about if I wasn't scenery?) visibly been laughing at Riley's humour. She'd probably appreciate (maybe not on second thoughts) the girl laughing at her & her comical (not clumsiness though) ways/words (yes, I didn't actually laugh out loud, I didn't want family getting grouchy every 5 minutes)... Ooh, it may have distracted her from moaning. I should've been in Afterlife Academy :P

Given that I actually wanted to be in the book (and sorry that I kept stating reasons I should've been like, umm... Caydi a character), I think it's better than the average star rating... That's about 3 and ¾ out of 5.

Whereas, Amy Bookworm rated Afterlife Academy:

However at the end I'm not sure if I'd have read it for more than 3 hours straight if the circumstances had been different. Admans did create a novel worth the read (and the magnet & postcards in my case).

Talking about magnets... That's one of the prizes in this wonderful international giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can win Afterlife Academy notebook, pen, magnet, and signed postcard swag set (INT) during May! Why not enter and buy the ebook?... Here's the blurb (yes, it does sound funny but not romantic, doesn't it? Hence Puck's raised eyebrows, and clearly well-contained fanboying, above):

Even being dead isn’t enough to get you out of maths class. Dying wasn't on sixteen-year-old Riley Richardson's to-do list. And now, not only is she dead, but she's stuck in a perpetual high school nightmare. Worse still, she's stuck there with the geekiest, most annoying boy in the history of the world, ever. In a school where the geeks are popular and just about everything is wrong, Riley has become an outcast. She begins a desperate quest to get back home, but her once-perfect life starts to unravel into something not nearly as great as she thought it was. And maybe death isn’t really that bad after all... Welcome to Afterlife Academy, where horns are the norm, the microwave is more intelligent than the teachers, and the pumpkins have a taste for blood.

*Even if a review copy is provided my review will still be honest & not affected.

Book Promo [#2]: Afterlife Academy Cover Reveal

Hope you all had a good world book day yesterday :P My English teacher was ill on WBD... Irony.
But enough of that... This post isn't about English teachers... I'm pretty sure Jaimie Admans isn't an English teacher. Her name is on a YA book now (not just Adult) so what does that make her?

AN AUTHOR!
And this happens to be her...
Jaimie's Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Jaimie is a 27-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening, drinking tea and watching horror movies. She hates spiders and cheese & onion crisps. She has been writing for years, but has never before plucked up the courage to tell people. She writes mostly chick-lit and young adult. Kismetology is her first novel and there are plenty more on the way!

RELEASED 15TH MARCH 2013!

Series: ý 

 

Do you like Young Adult paranormal romantic comedy? That's what this is-- here's the synopsis!  Even being dead isn’t enough to get you out of maths class.  Dying wasn't on sixteen-year-old Riley Richardson's to-do list. And now, not only is she dead, but she's stuck in a perpetual high school nightmare. Worse still, she's stuck there with the geekiest, most annoying boy in the history of the world, ever.  In a school where the geeks are popular and just about everything is wrong, Riley has become an outcast. She begins a desperate quest to get back to her perfect life, but her once-perfect life starts to unravel into something not nearly as perfect as she thought it was. And maybe death isn’t really that bad after all...  Welcome to Afterlife Academy, where horns are the norm, the microwave is more intelligent than the teachers, and the pumpkins have a taste for blood. ~Afterlife Academy by Jaimie Admans

Lastly, thanks to Giselle @ Xpresso Book Tours for allowing me to be part of this cover reveal! Girl power, right there! Yes, the reason this post has the Women Challenge tag is because... the 8th of March is International Women's Day! We'll be seeing more of Jaimie after the release! Another fantastic release of a book you can grab for the first time TODAY is Young Moon by Sharon Sant- I wish them luck with their recent releases!
Want to support Indie authors who just happen to be lovely ladies? There you go!