The Fandom by Anna Day - review

Publisher: Chicken House (4th January 2018)

No story is worth dying for ... is it?

Violet and her friends love being part of the fandom for The Gallows Dance. But at Comic-Con, they’re somehow catapulted into the story itself – for real. Trapped in a twisted world where they’ve accidentally killed the original hero, Rose, there’s only one way to survive: Violet must fill Rose’s shoes and put the plot back on track ...

A fast-paced, genre-flipping YA fantasy adventure from a brand new author, writing in homage to the best YA fiction. (Publishers' blurb)

I was really intrigued by the premise of The Fandom from the start - it's the perfect book for YA readers!

The best thing about this book for me was looking out for pop culture references and familiar tropes from YA fiction, especially dystopians. The only downside of this was that it made the plot a bit predictable in places, but enjoyable nonetheless! There was a good balance of sweet, funny moments, heartbreak and high-stakes tension.

Another thing I liked was the interplay between characters from ‘The Gallows Dance’ and the contemporary characters who ended up in their world. There were lots of opportunities for humour from the clash of two cultures, and I liked the fact that characters from both sides had surprising attributes. By the end, this book really grabbed me emotionally and there was an abundance of feels!

From the ending, I can't tell if there will be a sequel, but I hope so!

Cruel Summer by Juno Dawson - Review

Publisher: Orion Children’s Books (August 2014)

One year after the suicide of their friend Janey, the rest of the group decide to spend the summer together in a holiday villa in the Mediterranean. They're hoping to get over the terrible events of the previous year, but then a new guest arrives, claiming to have evidence that Janey's suicide was actually murder. When the guest is found dead, it becomes clear that the killer must be one of the group - but who is it? And will they strike again? (Publishers’ blurb)

I read this book as part of the British Books Challenge 2017. I’ll definitely be picking up more Juno Dawson books after reading Cruel Summer!

This came highly recommended on Twitter and I was so excited to read a YA horror! It's a fast paced, funny and also very tense book that reminded me of the best Point Horrors.

I loved all of the main characters (especially Ryan). The structure of alternating between their third person viewpoints worked really well, especially as the end drew near and I was trying to work out who the killer was.

This was a very well-plotted book, with good use of clues and flashbacks that left me guessing until the end. There were a couple of plot points that I questioned (such as why they didn’t leave immediately when they realised one of them was a murderer), but overall the plotting was great.

I also liked the fact that Ryan thought of his life like a TV show, as this felt very fresh and it gave the book a cinematic quality.

It only took me a day to read this book because I found it so engrossing. If you want a fun, action-filled horror then this is the book for you!