Review: A Little Wanting Song - Cath Crowley

Charlie Duskin is a musician, but she only sings when she's alone, on the moonlit porch or in the back room at Old Gus's Secondhand Record Store. This summer, she's staying with her grandpa in the country, serving burgers to the local kids and missing her mom and grandmother, who have both died. Charlie finds comfort in her music, but she wants more: a friend. A dad who notices her. The chance to show Dave Robbie that she's not entirely unspectacular.

Rose Butler lives next door to Charlie's grandfather and spends her days watching cars pass on the freeway, hanging out with her troublemaker boyfriend, and ignoring Charlie summer after summer. But Rose has just won a scholarship to a science school in the city, where Charlie lives, and suddenly it seems Charlie Duskin just might be her ticket out.

Visit Cath Crowley's website for more information

Review:
When I read Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley earlier this year I loved her descriptive writing style and the way she was able to bring the paintings in the story to life. In A Little Wanting Song she does the same again but this time with music, I love the poetic feel to her writing and the way she pulls you into the story and makes you feel emotionally connected to the characters.

A Little Wanting Song is told from two different perspectives. First you have Charlie, a lonely young girl who is trying to cope with the loss of both her mother and grandmother. Her father has become withdrawn since her mother's death and her best friend is spending all her time with someone else so Charlie has become very isolated. She always goes with her father to stay with her grandparents in the country for the summer but since the death of her grandmother nothing feels the same and she is even more lost than ever. I felt so badly for Charlie, her pain and her loneliness were heartbreaking and I was desperate for her to find a way to reconnect with her father and make some new friends. To cope with her loss Charlie loses herself in her music, she works in a record shop and has an impressive collection of Cd's but she also plays the guitar and sings although only when nobody is around to hear her.

Our other main character is Rose who lives next door to Charlie's grandfather. Rose has a pretty good life, she has a boyfriend, Luke, who she loves and they spend most of their time with their good friend Dave. The boys are happy to follow Rose and go along with anything she wants and she enjoys making fun of Charlie whenever she is visiting. Rose has big ambitions though, she doesn't want to spend her whole life stuck in a small town, she wants to make something of herself and earning a scholarship to a school in the city is the first step towards achieving her goal. She knows that her parents will never let her go to the city alone though so she decides that her best option is to befriend Charlie so that she can return to the city with her and her dad.

I have to admit that I didn't like Rose at all to start with, she is the kind of character I love to hate and I was so angry at the way she had treated Charlie in the past. The fact that she befriended Charlie just because she saw her as a ticket to the city just made me even more annoyed with her. In spite of that I found myself warming to her almost against my will as I got to know her better. She puts on a tough face to the world but deep down she can be quite nice and caring and she did genuinely come to like Charlie once she got talking to her. I really enjoyed watching their friendship develop and I loved the way Charlie's confidence grew thanks to both Rose and Dave. I don't want to say too much about Dave but I think he was one of my favourite characters and I really liked the way he supported his friends and how he eventually came to stand up for himself.

A Little Wanting Song is a beautifully written coming of age story, a story about friendships, first love and learning who you are. It's a journey of loss, grief and betrayal but also about getting past those issues and starting to live your life. I enjoyed this book even more than Graffiti Moon and I can't wait to read more from Cath Crowley in the future.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Graffiti Moon - Cath Crowley

'We've got at least seven hours to get what we want before the sun comes up.'

School is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. Somewhere in the glassy darkness, he's out there, spraying colour, birds and blue sky on the night. And Lucy knows that a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for - really fall for.

The last person Lucy wants to spend this night with is Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since punching him in the nose on the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells Lucy he knows where to find Shadow, the two of them are suddenly on an all-night search to places where Shadow's pieces of heartbreak and escape echo off the city walls. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

Visit Cath Crowley's website for more information

Review:
Lucy, Jazz and Daisy are going to celebrate the last day of school by staying out all night and they all have different goals that they want to accomplish by morning. Jazz just wants to be kissed, Daisy wants to get over her ex-boyfriend Dylan and Lucy is determined to track down the mysterious graffiti artist known only as Shadow. She has been a fan of his work for ages and feels like she has come to know him through his paintings, if only she could actually meet him she is sure they would be perfect for each other. Dylan wants to win Daisy back so he tells them that he knows Shadow and Poet and offers to take the girls to places where they might find them. Ed and Leo are dragged along for the ride but as the friends get sidetracked it ends up being just Lucy and Ed continuing the search.

Graffiti Moon is told from both Lucy and Ed's points of view in alternating chapters with some of Poet's poems scattered throughout the story. This allows us to really get to know both main characters and gives us the advantage of seeing the same scene from their differing perspectives. Lucy is such an interesting character to get to know, she comes from an unusual family and has definitely been raised to think outside the box. Her way of looking at the world is at times innocent but also very astute and her observations about the people and world around her were fascinating. An artist herself Lucy works with glass rather than with paint and I really enjoyed learning a bit about her training as a glass blower. I've watched glass blowers work in the past and was amazed at the way they were able to create such beautiful and intricate works from what is basically just melted sand with a few extra ingredients. Lucy has been falling for Shadow since she first saw his paintings and she is convinced that if they ever met he would be the perfect guy. She has had all these imaginary conversations with him and thinks they would be able to have these fantastic discussions about their favourite artists and paintings.

Ed dropped out of school because he struggled to read and write, he isn't stupid by any means but words always confuse him. I believe he is probably dyslexic but as he was never diagnosed he didn't get the help he needed. He isn't a stranger to Lucy, in fact they even went on a date once but it ended up being a disaster when she broke his nose for touching her arse! They haven't spoken since and both have their own resentments from that night. As Ed helps Lucy search for Shadow she starts to discover that they have much more in common than she ever suspected but will she realise what is right in front of her before it's too late? Ed is keeping secrets of his own and is afraid of the way Lucy will react if he owns up. With their past and secrets between them can they find a way to reconnect?

This was the first book I've read by Cath Crowley but I'm sure it won't be the last, I really enjoyed her descriptive writing style and she really brought to life the paintings she described so I could see them in front of me as I was reading. Graffiti Moon was an enjoyable read and one I would recommend to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance or who is interested in art.

Source: Received from Hodder in exchange for an honest review

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Publisher Spotlight: Hodder & Orchard - July - November 2012

I thought it would be fun to start spotlighting new releases that different publishers have coming up over the next few months for us to look forward to.  I'm constantly looking for new books to add to my wish list and thought it would be a nice way of spreading the bookish love with other bloggers.  It's been a little while since my last Publisher Spotlight post so I thought it was about time for another one!  So in the spotlight today we have . . .

 & 

Today I'm going to talk about the YA titles that Hodder Children's Books and Orchard Books are publishing in the second half of 2012. They all look fab & I can't wait to read them!  Check out the Hodder Children's Books website and the Orchard Books website for more information. All book descriptions have been taken from Amazon UK unless otherwise stated.

July the 5th:

First up we have A Witch in Love by Ruth Warburton, this is the second book in her Winter trilogy and one I'm really looking forward to. You can read my review of the first book A Witch in Winter here. Can I just say how much I love this cover - don't you think it's gorgeous? Visit Ruth Warburton's website for more information.

Anna still finds it hard to believe that Seth loves her and has vowed to suppress her powers, no matter what. But magic - like love - is uncontrollable and soon, Anna is being hunted. Abe wants Anna to embrace her power, while Seth is pushing Anna to accept that his feelings are real. She finally does ... a moment too late. Suddenly, it's like the Salem witch trials all over again: burnings, torture and faceless judgements. In the face of the ultimate betrayal, who will save her?

The second novel in the Winter trilogy, this follows the critically acclaimed debut A WITCH IN WINTER.

Next we have the first book in a new series by David Gatward called Doom Rider. I don't read a lot of YA horror because I'm a big wimp but I think this may be more of an action story and I'm very curious about it. Visit David Gatward's website for more information.

Seth Crow has lived a thousand lives, and in each one he's been murdered before he turns thirteen.

And now he's being hunted again. But this time it's different.

Enter Lily, who tells him of his fate: Seth is CONQUEST. The first of the four riders of the Apocalypse. And people want him dead, before he can fulfil his destiny.

Seth's only hope lies in finding the other riders - Strife, Famine and Death.

Together, the fate of the world lies in their hands ...

Next we have Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley. Now I don't read many contemporary books but I absolutely love the sound of this one and am looking forward to picking it up soon. Visit Cath Crowley's website for more information.

'We've got at least seven hours to get what we want before the sun comes up.'

School is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. Somewhere in the glassy darkness, he's out there, spraying colour, birds and blue sky on the night. And Lucy knows that a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for - really fall for.

The last person Lucy wants to spend this night with is Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since punching him in the nose on the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells Lucy he knows where to find Shadow, the two of them are suddenly on an all-night search to places where Shadow's pieces of heartbreak and escape echo off the city walls. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

Also published in July is the second book in Ally Cater's Heist Society series Uncommon Criminals. I've heard really good things about this series and it sounds like a lot of fun but it is one I haven't started yet. Perhaps I'll get around to trying it soon! Visit Ally Carter's website for more information.

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she's simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That's why Kat isn't surprised when she's asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn't been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long - and in Kat's world, history almost always repeats itself. But it's the third problem that makes Kat's crew the most nervous, and that is...the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she's not going down without a fight. After all, she has her best friend -- the gorgeous Hale - and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless for this heist.

This time, Kat's going to have to make up her own rules...

The final July release is one of the ones that I'm looking forward to the most and that is Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. It's not often we get to read books written from the boy's point of view and this one sounds fabulous. I also adore the cover - so eye catching! Visit Kendare Blake's website for more information.

Cas Lowood is no ordinary guy - he hunts dead people.

People like Anna. Anna Dressed in Blood. A beautiful, murderous ghost entangled in curses and rage. Cas knows he must destroy her, but as her tragic past is revealed, he starts to understand why Anna has killed everyone who's ever dared to enter her spooky home.

Everyone, that is, except Cas...

August the 2nd:

If you enjoyed Sam Hawksmoor's debut novel The Repossession then I'm sure you're already looking forward to the sequel The Hunting with is being published in August. I guess I need to hurry up and read the first book so I'm ready for this one! Visit Sam Hawksmoor's website for more information.

Genie and Rian thought they'd beaten The Fortress and stopped the dreadful experiments. But now someone even more ruthless has taken over, and wants to investigate why the experiments didn't kill Genie Magee. She is Fortress property, he claims - along with the other survivors.

Now there's $10,000 reward on their heads, armed roadblocks on the highway, and the dreaded threat of 'Mosquito' that can shut down their brainwaves by using their genetic information against them. There's only one possible escape from the bounty hunters with shotguns, and that's down the wild unforgiving river to a bleak future forever on the run.

Or they must turn and face The Fortress, find out its secrets, and use them against it. Seize their lives back, and fight for their very right to exist!

Have you read Robert Muchamore's CHERUB series? Guardian Angel is the second book in his spin off Aramov series that started with People's Republic. Visit Robert Muchamore's website for more information.

Guardian Angel is the second book in a brand-new CHERUB series from Robert Muchamore. Ryan has saved Ethan's life more than once. Ethan thinks he must be a guardian angel. But Ryan works for CHERUB, a secret organisation with one key advantage: even experienced criminals never suspect that children are spying on them. Ethan's family runs a billion-dollar criminal empire and Ryan's job is to destroy it. Can Ryan complete his mission without destroying Ethan as well?

For official purposes, these children do not exist.


Next up we have Lisa Stasse's debut novel The Forsaken which sounds amazing. It's been described as a cross between Lost and The Hunger Games which immediately caught my attention and I love how kick ass the main character looks on the cover. Yup, I definitely can't wait for this one! Visit Lisa Stasse's website for more information.

Alenna Shawcross is a sixteen-year-old orphan growing up in a police state formed from the ashes of Canada, the US and Mexico after a global economic meltdown.

But when she unexpectedly fails 'the test' - a government initiative which supposedly identifies teens destined to be criminals - she wakes up alone on a remote island reserved for the criminally insane.

Terrified and confused, she soon encounters a group of other teen survivors battling to stay alive, including Luis, a boy who will become her love...and her lifeline.

Soon Alenna makes the terrifying discovery that there's more to the island (and her past) than she could ever have guessed... But who can she trust? And can she ever escape?

The first of a planned trilogy, this incredible novel will leave you gasping for the sequel...

Another August release I'm really excited about is The Blessed by Tonya Hurley. I love the idea of a contemporary retelling of three famous female martyrs, it's so different from anything else I've read and I can't wait to try it. I also adore the UK cover for this book - let me just say if I didn't already have a tattoo between my shoulder blades I think I'd be getting one done that looked very similar to this cover! Visit Tonya Hurley's website for more information.

Brooklyn teens Lucy, Cecilia and Agnes find themselves in the emergency room at Perpetual Help Hospital at the lowest point in their lives. Lucy, the superficial party girl; Cecilia, a drop out rock chick; and Agnes, a hopeless romantic. All rebels running from their lives and themselves, plagued by broken hearts and broken dreams.

Enter Sebastian: mysterious, compelling, seductive.

He brings the girls together and seems to provide each of them with what they long for ... and they begin to heal.

But Sebastian is on the run - and soon the girls are hunted too ...

A dark, contemporary rock 'n' roll retelling of three famous female martyrs - Agnes, Cecilia and Lucy - and their transformation from street delinquents to soul models.

September the 6th:

If you're a fan of The Secret Circle series created by L.J. Smith then keep an eye out for the fourth book in the series The Divide written by Aubrey Clark. I have to admit that even though I bought the first 3 books way back before I started blogging I've never got around to reading them!

The bonds of the Secret Circle are weakening. Cassie's evil half-sister has surfaced and won't rest until she has taken Cassie's place in the Secret Circle. And a band of powerful witch-hunters are targeting the group, determined to destroy them.

Will the circle remain intact despite the powerfully evil magic that has infiltrated their ring?

And will Cassie survive this ultimate battle between good and evil?




Shut Out by Kody Keplinger sounds like a fun read for contemporary fans. I've heard great things about Kody's debut The DUFF so must add this one to my wish list! Visit Kody Keplinger's website for more information.

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention.

Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all. She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. And Lissa never sees her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling, coming.
(Description taken from Kody Keplinger's website)

October the 4th:

Now I'm a massive fantasy fan so I'm really excited about Catherine Fisher's new book Obsidian Mirror. Time travel, mystery & adventure with a male main character - what more can you ask for? Visit Catherine Fisher's website for more information.

Jake's father disappears while working on mysterious experiments with the obsessive, reclusive Oberon Venn. Jake is convinced Venn has murdered him. But the truth he finds at the snow-bound Wintercombe Abbey is far stranger ...

The experiments concerned a black mirror, which is a portal to both the past and the future. Venn is not alone in wanting to use its powers. Strangers begin gathering in and around Venn's estate: Sarah - a runaway, who appears out of nowhere and is clearly not what she says, Maskelyne - who claims the mirror was stolen from him in some past century. There are others, a product of the mirror's power to twist time. And a tribe of elemental beings surround this isolated estate, fey, cold, untrustworthy, and filled with hate for humans.

But of them all, Jake is hell-bent on using the mirror to get to the truth. Whatever the cost, he must learn what really happened to his father.

November the 1st:

For those of you who read R.J. Anderson's Ultraviolet you'll be pleased to know you don't have much longer to wait for the sequel Quicksilver. This is another one of those series that I've heard good things about and want to read at some point but haven't got around to adding to my mountainous to read pile yet! Visit R.J. Anderson's website for more information.

Once I was a girl who was special.
Now I am extraordinary.
And they will never stop hunting me.

The compelling follow-up to the bestselling ULTRAVIOLET, this psychological thriller will take your breath away...

I'm sure Vampire Diaries fans will be excited about the third book in The Hunters series created by L.J. Smith - Destiny Rising. I read the original series back before I started blogging & have always meant to re-read them so I can review them but never seem to find the time. One day I'll get around to it so I can read the two new spin off series too!

Elena Gilbert has never been an ordinary teenager. After falling in love with the irresistible vampires Stefan and Damon Salvatore, she became a vampire, died, returned from the dead, and journeyed to hell and back to save Stefan. Now in college, Elena faces a terrifying new danger and discovers her destiny.

I read the first book in Gabriella Poole's Darke Academy series Secret Lives not long after I started blogging (you can read my review here) and although I enjoyed the book it seems to have been one of those series I completely forgot about. With the fourth book Lost Spirits being released in November it really is about time I get caught up! Gabriella Poole is the pseudonym of Gillian Philip and you can find out more about the series by visiting her website here.

A new term, a new location for the Darke Academy - and everything is different for Cassie Bell. The beauty of the turquoise Kenyan sea can't make up for the loss of her soulmate, Ranjit. He's on the run, and Cassie will do anything to find him.

But when the evil Katerina and her mother appear, more powerful than ever, Cassie has to make a crucial decision.

And her love for Ranjit might just be her ultimate weakness ...




Last but not least is another one for Robert Muchamore fans. If you love the CHERUB books and always wanted to know about the history of the organisation then you need to look out for One Shot Kill in November.

Spring, 1943. The war is turning against Germany, but Hitler isn't giving up. In a secret bunker deep in occupied France, scientists are hard at work on Hitler's latest deadly weapon: code name FZG-76.

Back in England Henderson's boys will need to undergo advanced sniper training if they've any chance of infiltrating the bunker. Parachuting into occupied France, they track down a secret dossier filled with invaluable material - and uncover the meaning of the enigmatic code.

For official purposes, these children do not exist.

So what do you think of the Hodder & Orchard upcoming releases? Which ones are you most excited about? Personally I can't wait for A Witch in Love, Anna Dressed in Blood, The Forsaken, The Blessed & Obsidian Mirror!