If Your Find Me by Emily Murdoch

Taken from Waterstones.com:
"What happens in the woods, stays in the woods... For almost as long as she can remember, Carey has lived in a camper van in the heart of the forest with her mother and little sister, Jenessa. When her mother disappears, Carey's father arrives and everything changes. Suddenly Carey and Jennessa must adapt to the wider world of family, school and boys. But Carey feels trapped by a terrible secret. If she tells, it could destroy her future. If she doesn't, will she ever be free?"

I wasn't sure what to expect of this book. The cover of the arc I received looked like it might be a horror story (which in some ways it is as it's definitely one of nightmares) but the finished cover looks a little more friendly.

It's set in the real world, one that is a parent's worst nightmare. I don't want to say too much more about the plot because the way this book is written is very powerful and so I wouldn't want to ruin this effect by giving out any spoilers. Murdoch handles the subject matter very sensitively though and writes it incredibly well. It was heartbreaking getting to know Carey and Jenessa and finding out the details of their lives - there were places where Carey is revealing part of her history that made tears fall down my cheek. They are both incredibly strong and vivid characters and Jenessa is absolutely adorable - I couldn't help but feel love for her and Shorty. At first I thought the lack of the letter g at the the end of -ing words was going to irritate me but I soon found myself being sucked into the book and only experiencing them as part of Carey's accent. When I say sucked into the book I really mean it. I got so involved in the plot so quickly that I really struggled to put it down at the end of my fifteen minute break. This book isn't one that has a teen romance as the main focus which makes a nice and refreshing change (there is a slight interest but its definitely a minor focus and is more about friendship).

I've finally figured out the pattern between all of these traumatic books that linger with you. It's not just the terrible events that haunt the reader but the authors often choose to leave part of the story unfinished and so you are left wondering what happened to the characters after the book finished. This is exactly the tool that Murdoch uses and it is brilliant as I haven't stopped thinking about Carey all day.

A quick note on the content: there are sexual abuse and drug references which are essential to the plot and so this book is definitely not one that is suitable for younger readers.

Overall, this is a brilliant, if traumatic, read. One that is filled with powerful and heart-wrenching emotion. It is one of those books that has great crossover appeal to adults too.

I give it 9/10 :)

Title: If You Find Me
Author: Emily Murdoch
Publisher: Indigo
Teenage Fiction

Jesus is _____. by Judah Smith

Taken from the back of the book:
"Jesus is _____. How would you finish that sentence?

The subject is there, and so it the verb, but what comes next? Your answer could shed light on the path to becoming who you were made to be.

In these pages, Judah Smith fills out that sentence again and again, each time further revealing the character of Jesus. He writes as if to a friend, illustrating the importance of Christ's message to modern men and women. This is a book for new believers, for lifelong followers, and for the merely curious.

Judah Smith shows us the Jesus that sombre paintings and hymns fail to capture. With passion, humour, and conviction, he shows that Jesus is life. Jesus is grace. Jesus is your friend.

Jesus is a new and better way to be human."

Quite simply this is a book about Jesus. Who he is. Why he came. What this means for us. The idea behind it stemmed from giving people the chance to finish the sentence "Jesus is..." and the various responses they gave. Judah Smith answers it in various ways, explaining the answer and its importance for us.

Over the years I've read a few Christian books, yet few have affected my life as much as this one. Smith states simple truths that should be obvious but in some ways are so obvious we miss them, kind of like when you look through a window, how often do you see the glass? It is refreshing, honest, easy to read and actually made me laugh out loud in places as well as having a profound effect on how I think and live my life. It's rare that I get truly passionate about one book in particular to the point that I keep talking about it for over a month to everyone I know but this is one of those gems. It's a book that has helped me to remember the heart of my faith and has refreshed my way of thinking.

Judah is an American and so this does shine through occasionally but this isn't necessarily a bad thing and it doesn't create any barriers as can happen in some pieces of writing. In some ways it adds to the humour, e.g. "Money, for example, is amoral. Cars are amoral. Sports are amoral, except for maybe cricket - any game that takes five days to play must be sin. Apologies to my British friends." He writes in a very friendly and approachable way that means his book isn't a chore to read and the things he shares are easy to remember.

I recommend it to anyone who is remotely curious about Jesus and the truth of the Christian message, whether you think you know it all or not. It really is a book that those who want to know Jesus should read.

I give it 10/10 :)

Title: Jesus is _____.
Author: Judah Smith
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Christian Writing/Non-fiction

Touching the Void by Joe Simpson

In 1985 Joe Simpson and Simon Yates decided to take on the unbeaten challenge of climbing the West Face of Siula Grande, a mountain in Peru. Little did they know the nightmare that was awaiting them. They faced some of nature's fiercest powers including changing weather, extreme cold and mighty cliffs hiding in poor visibilty. Touching the Void is the true tale of the events and psychological trauma they faced.

As you can tell from my blog, I mostly read YA fiction even though I run a floor filled with non-fiction books. This is mostly because I love to escape and get sucked into the author's world when I'm reading and this isn't so easy to do when you're reading something that is factual. It takes me a lot longer to work my way through non-fiction books because they are a lot easier to put down and forget about for a few days. So when I tell you that I was hooked and really struggled to stop reading Touching the Void this should give you an idea of just how good it is!

It took me a chapter or so to get into the book as Joe sets the scene and describes the run up to the climb but once I got used to the style of writing and the setting I found I didn't want to stop. Simpson describes everything so well and I found that I got sucked into the setting just like I do with fiction. At times I could have used a dictionary as Simpson mentions various climbing terms that I'm not familiar with even though I now know a little bit about climbing and so perhaps a glossary would be useful but even this didn't spoil  the book for me. Simpson crafts his and Yates' experiences so vividly that when I read the part where Joe's leg gets broken I literally felt dizzy (I'm really not good with broken bones!). The way that they faced death and overcame truly is powerful and terrifying and towards the end I was so desperate for Joe to reach the camp before it was too late. Even though you know how it will end you still experience the doubt and uncertainty along with Joe and Simon every step of the way.

This is a dramatic and gripping read that tells the story of how two men showed true courage in the face of some of nature and life's toughest challenges. If you like adventure, travel, climbing or a thrilling tale then this book is for you, even if non-fiction isn't really your thing. And even if you're only mildly curious you should give it a go!

I give it 9/10 (because even now I'm not entirely sure I what a crampon is! Perhaps I should invest in the accompanying York Notes...)

Title: Touching the Void
Author: Joe Simpson
Publisher: Vintage
Travel Autobiography/ Outdoor Pursuits

By Any Other Name by Laura Jarratt

Taken from the back cover:
"I picked up the book and thumbed through the pages.
Names in alphabetical order,
names with meanings,
names I knew,
names I'd never heard of.
How to pick? Nothing that would stand out, nothing that would link me to the past -
those were the instructions.
The past.
As if everything that had gone before this moment was buried already.

New girl, new school, new home, new life - everything about Holly is new. That's the point of witness protection; nobody knows the truth. But one wrong move will put her whole family in danger..."

The idea of the story of a girl in witness protection sounded like it could be good as you can imagine the possible danger she could be in as well as expecting the back story as to why she's in witness protection in the first place as being quite exciting. Add in the selling point that it's written by an author who is rumoured to be pretty good and you've got me interested. I am happy to say that for once I wasn't going to be let down!

By Any Other Name is a really good story that is brilliantly written and very gripping especially as Jarratt doesn't feed you everything at once but keeps you hooked by dangling little pieces of information within your grasp and then just when you think Holly is going to reveal something major she snatches it away again! It was done in a way that kept you hanging on without infuriating you and so you just wanted to keep reading.

Holly is your typical teenage girl who finds herself being confronted by some uncomfortable truths and so has to decide what to do with what she learns, growing and discovering who she really is and who she wants to be. She acts exactly as any normal teenager would, giving in to temptation when it becomes too great and then experiencing the regret that goes with it. I really loved her honesty. She has so much more to deal with than most and Jarratt does a fantastic job of writing each issue into the plot. Joe is also brilliantly written. I loved him instantly as he's that darker, more appealing type and by the end he is so warm that he really works his way into your heart. You really go on an emotional journey as you feel the loss and hurt and happiness along with each of these characters. Jarratt's characters really come alive as you read them and they are so beautifully human.

Overall, this is a good, solid read and is perfect for any teenage girl (or woman!) who loves a gripping and emotional novel set in the real world. Plus it's a stand alone novel which is an added bonus these days!

I give it 8/10!

Title: By Any Other Name
Author: Laura Jarratt
Publisher: Electric Monkey (Egmont)
Teenage Fiction