Little Paradise by Gabrielle Wang

As Mirabel watched him, she could not bear the thoughts creeping up on her.  JJ was in the Chinese army and his mission in Australia would one day be over.  Then she would be just like the others, a girl left behind in the wake of war.  'I'm afraid,' she whispered. 'When the war ends . . . what's going to happen to us?'

He put his arm around her and stroked her face.  She knew he could not answer that question.  But she wanted him to lie, to say that he would take her with him, that they would be together always.

Melbourne, 1943, and Mirabel is seventeen.  She's leaving school, designing dresses, falling in love.  Then fate intervenes, her forbidden affair is discovered, and JJ is posted back to China where a civil war is raging.  Despite all warnings, Mirabel sets off for Shanghai to find him . . .

Little Paradise is inspired by a true story.

Little Paradise has been described as "an epic love story set during World War Two in Melbourne and Shanghai"


I am more than a little in awe of  how well incorporated the little details of setting and culture and  have been weaved into the story. It's intricate and lyrical and one of those stories where you truly feel transported to the time and place while reading. It's a perfect example of research not bogging down a story - just used deftly to make it shine. Once the scene is set, the story flows along wonderfully. (The beginning, while beautifully written, took a little for me to warm up into).


The story is fascinating and always a little unexpected. There's family dramas and secrets (I personally loved the Mirabelle's Mothers story - fascinating and mind-boggling), there's friends and a war-time romance, which is kept a secret from Mirabelle's family. There's intrigue, love and disappointments. There's scandal and mental illness and daring adventures.


It's epic not only in it's settings from Melbourne to Adelaide and then a war devastated Shanghai, but also in the period of life Mirabel is going through - she begins as a 17 year old dreamer, longing for love and tinkering with art to having an illegitimate child, risking her life through a war-torn nation in search of JJ, her soldier boyfriend. By the end of the novel Mirabel is in her early twenties.


I loved all the little snippets Wang snuck in the narrative concerning Chinses culture and history. They slipped so effortlessly into the prose adding a richness to the story.


I really enjoyed the first half in Melbourne - but the second half - wow - the story just really took off in China. I was captivated and amazed at events that unfolded. It's really stunning - even more so considering it is inspired by a true story.


Recommended: Anyone who loves historical fiction, fascinating cultural history or a war-torn love story will really appreciate and enjoy this. It's a beautifully told story, heart-felt and powerful - a story that will resonate after the last page. It's particularly rich in setting and just oozes heart.

Bonus: I wasn't sure about copyright so I haven't posted the images here - but you should check out these illustrations  Gabrielle's mum drew, which are also included inside the book (scroll down a little). Just stunning.

The girl on the front cover in that stunning blue dress? It's actually a photo of Gabrielle's mother!

Links you may be interested in:


Little Paradise @ goodreads
Little Paradise @ Penguin
Read an extract
About Gabrielle Wang
Gabrielle Wang's website

Many thanks to Penguin Australia for sending me this review copy

Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti

At the beginning of her sophomore year, Marisa is ready for a fresh start and, more importantly, a boyfriend. So when the handsome and popular Derek asks her out, Marisa thinks her long wait for happiness is over. But several bumps in the road including her parents' unexpected separation, a fight with her best friend, and a shocking disappointment in her relationship with Derek test Marisa's ability to maintain her new outlook. Only the anonymous DJ, whose underground podcasts have the school's ear, seems to understand what Marisa is going through. But she has no idea who he is or does she?

In this third romantic novel from Susane Colasanti, Marisa learns how to "be in the Now" and realizes that the love she's been waiting for has been right in front of her all along.

Waiting for you is a classic coming of age novel - spanning a good year of one teen girls life. Marisa is easy to relate to. Almost too easy, taking me back to those high school days where little things (small fights with your best bud) are the big things. Marisa has recently struggled with anxiety and depression and throughout the book sometimes slips back into that place. It's handled expertly, delving straight into the mind of a teenager with a light touch, never taking the path of melodrama.

Likewise, family issues in the novel are tackled well, as Marisa comes to terms with the image of the family she thought she had and the reality of her parents separation - there's anger, hurt, resentment, disappointment and a yearning to make sense of it all.

The romance. It's a complicated one. There's two boys in the picture and a mysterious third guy. There's juggling of boyfriends and best friends. There's daydreaming and hope and longing and a little bit of kissing too. There's crushing on a best friend, finally getting with the hot guy and romance in her parents, Aunt's and best friends life.

Waiting for you concludes with a powerful message: showing the messy side of relationships and the real side of anxiety, the complications in friendships and the way you can be the difference in your own life - working out who you want to be and how to get there and learning to be happy with who you are. (note: it's done subtlely - no preaching :)

Confession time:

I struggled to initially engage with this novel. Once I got past the first hump (I'll say about 80 pages in) it was a surprisingly addictive and swift little read. I'm glad I settled into the read as by the end I found a lot to admire with how Colasanti handled everything.

The dialogue tags and slang in this alienated me and thumped me out of the book. At first, they grated, then they amused (I'm pretty sure amusement was not the intention). Here's a taste:

He goes, 'What?'

And I'm like 'Seriously'

'Get out!' she's like.

etc. 
At times they jumped out at me and other times they slipped by as I was more caught up in the story. Still, I'm not really a fan...

And now I will bombard you with quotes which can give you a feel for the heart-beat of the novel :)

I wish it could stay like this forever, with the anticipation of everything. 

I know what it’s like when you just need to be alone for a while and block out the world.

It’s weird how time can change something you thought would always stay the same. 

When everyone expects you to be a certain way, it’s really hard to escape that image. It’s like once everyone decides who you are, you’re locked into their version of you and that’s it. 

I love the beginning of the year. It’s all about renewal and reinventing yourself, becoming the person you’ve always wanted to be. 

But we also need to realize that we all have the power to make those changes for ourselves. We all can change the way things are. Maybe not as much as we want to, but we can at least make things better. 

I probably just didn’t try hard enough to be happy. But it doesn’t mean that I can’t try harder now. 

You can’t go someplace that doesn’t exist anymore. 

Failure is not an option. If your life sucks now, it can only improve later. We all feel alone. We all feel desperate. Know that we’re all in this together. You’re not alone, no matter what. Remember that. 

Recommended: It's a bit of a rainy day comfort read that many teens will easily relate too. It's an easy book to read, with clean prose, which makes it a good choice for a reluctant reader. I would particularly suggest this title to teens who may struggle with depression/anxiety - it's an uplifting read that brings a comforting and powerful message. This book is written brilliantly for a teenage audience but I'm not sure it will have wide appeal beyond that :) 


 It's also a lovely PG - no swearing, sex, drugs or violence - mature middle grade readers may be interested in checking it out.


Waiting For You @ goodreads
Susane Colasanti's Website

Thank to Penguin Australia for providing me with this review copy

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

THE YEAR IS 1929.
NEW YORK IS RULED BY THE BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS:
FLAPPERS AND SOCIALITIES SEEKING THRILLS AND CHASING DREAMS
IN THE ANYTHING-GOES EAR OF THE ROARING TWENTIES

Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey have escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis.  All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is gilled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star . . .

Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes.  Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamours than she could have imagined-and more dangerous.  It's a life anyone would kill for . . . and someone will.

The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie.  But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.

Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall-together and apart.  From the New York Times bestselling author of THE LUXE come an epic new series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age (from publishers site)


When I got this book I was enticed by the cover - it sparkles and looks quite decadent and completely captured my imagination. I thought it looked like a fun and classy read, which *dun dun dun*... it absolutely is.

A Bit About the Girls in the Book

Bright Young Things is told from three POV's, each in third person. The girls intersect in each others lives at different points of the novel.

Letty: Talented and dreaming of making it famous in Broadway with her stunning voice. She finds work in a nightclub and loses a some of her innocence along the way...

Cordelia: She leaves her man on the night of their wedding, runs off to New York in search of the father she's never met - an infamous, madly wealthy bootlegger (whiskey smuggler) who throws decadent parties.

Astrid: A flapper, rich and privileged and completely fun and likeable. She's just come home after boarding school, has a few drama's with her boyfriend, and thinks the boy working in the stables is particularly cute...  (Astrid is the girl on the cover)

Some thoughts from me 

This book is dazzling. It so perfectly brings to life an era that is a stunning backdrop for the tale of these three girls. It opens with a prologue that tells us about Astrid, Cordelia and Letty: one will end up married, one will be famous and one will be dead. OooOooh :)


I was thinking it would be one of those delicious guilty pleasure reads (which I absolutely crave sometimes). It was delicious, but it didn't feel like a guilty pleasure because it's so fantastically written.

There are two things that really impressed me about this book

1. Godbersen's gift at story telling. She takes three girls in one glamorous era and weaves their stories so effortlessly along. Each story had its own drama's and villains and complications and I love how the girls paths criss-cross together. Godbersen has a flair for capturing your attention and holding it.

2. The richness of the prose so suited to the era. The descriptions and dialogue and setting is all explored with a unique flavour that adds to the authenticity of the time - yet the story is not bogged down in world-building at all. In fact, it raced along so that there was never a blah moment.

As for the characters, despite the glamorous situations the girls are caught up in, at it's core, they are just teen girls dreaming big, wanting adventure, one crushing on the hot forbidden boy, another doubting her boyfriend's faithfulness, and above all, they're searching for their place in the world.


I love some of the ambiguity with a few of the guys - you are never quite sure if they are the good guy or the bad guy or somewhere in between. (Bring on the sequel so I can figure it out!)


One thing niggles at me: the entire novel takes place in just over two weeks, which does seem a little incredulous in hindsight, but didn't bother me while reading it as I was just getting swept along with it all.


Recommended: Godbersen really is a fantastic storyteller and if this premise captures you at all - you will not be disappointed with Bright Young Things. It's atmospheric and daring and fun and the twists and turns are always a little unexpected. 4 stars of delicious indulgence from me :)

Bright Young Things is available now

Bright Young Things is the first in a series. I don't read many series, but I think this one ends just perfectly - on a lovely-(ish) note for the girls, but also - argh... I need to know what is going to happen next. Especially regarding Thom (I'm rooting for him). 

Bright Young Things @ goodreads

Bright Young Things @ Penguin
Read the prologue


Watch the fashion shoot for the making of the cover below:

Thank you to Penguin Australia for sending me this review copy

Scout by Nicole Pluss

As the Scout sails from England, Kit Lovell cries for the life she is leaving and the life she could have had. Her father was a sea captain who went down with his ship before she was born. Now her mother is to marry a stranger, a lighthouse keeper in the remote colony of South Australia.

But it soon becomes clear to Kit that this voyage across the world's vast oceans is setting something loose inside her, something she doesn't understand. Her secret encounters with Angel, a mysterious young sailor, seem at one moment completely bewildering and at another crystal clear. And her friendship with the bold and brash young Clarissa is opening her eyes in ways she never thought possible.

Yet Kit's internal turmoil is nothing compared to the power of the sea in all its moods as the Scout's melting pot of passengers and crew sail into an adventure that will change all their lives forever (publishers site)

Scout is set in the 1800's and apart from a brief stop-over (about a third into the novel) at Rio De Janeiro, the events in the novel take place entirely at sea.

The descriptions are really vivid - the waves and sea-sickness, the decks and cramped quarters and the gentry living amongst the sailors - it was all painted so wonderfully.

The voice is distinctly from that era - a little bit formal, with this underlying quiet, amused humour in parts and it was easy to imagine the accompanying mannerisms and etiquette of the time. The narrative is like a re-telling, written as a journal after the fact.


The pacing is deliberate and it unfolds in such a gentle and compelling way that I was surprised to suddenly find myself completely sucked in. Hidden amongst the prose are such lovely little details - random intriguing pieces snuck into the story - often these are things I remember the most from stories:

• what happened to the horse in the first storm - ooh - it was horrific
• someone mentioning their first husband in passing: "He'd been desperately handsome but had stepped on a rusty nail and died"
• details of cannibalism in shipwreck times (choosing which sailor to eat first, etc)
• all the intricate back stories for each passing character are so finely woven

As for the characters: Kit (our charming protag) is loyal, quietly fierce, smart and observant and I love her story arc - by the end she is bold and full of hope, although scarred from all she witnessed.


The romance in it is understated which somehow gives it a genuine vibe and the scenes where Angel and Kit are together are a charming portrayal of a young girl experiencing feelings for the first time. 


There's also Kit's new friend, Clarissa, who I loved. She's wild and daring and works hard and pushes the boundaries. She's a lot of fun and her morals anatagonise Kit's mum...


As for Kit's mum. She's so concerned with what others think and with being decent and respectable that she'd rather starve than be thought to be greedy. The relationship between Kit and her mum is so deftly done - her mum will frustrate readers in her small-mindedness (I was especially ready to wring her neck in a particular scene in Rio De Janeiro) but somehow, all the little shades of grey are drawn in their relationship that lets you see how Kit's mum truly does care for her.

It has a bittersweet ending in some ways - but ends on great hope for Kit - who has endured so much and I think the impact of the journey will shape her character for the rest of her life.There is tragedy and deaths and it's haunting - the story itself is a re-imagining but based on research from real ships sailing to Australia.

Me and Scout: 20 minutes north of where I love there is a shipwreck (which you can sometimes see depending on the tide) and also graves of unidentified bodies that were washed ashore. I know my kids are fascinated by the graves and me too - I like imagining the people and the horrific ordeal and the era and the sense of history I get when I'm  walking along the headland. I guess I have always been fascinated by stuff like this and Nicole Pluss brought a story to life so masterfully.

Recommended: Scout is an authentic and moving tale and I think many teenagers will be fascinated and quite taken with this account of sailing to Australia.  I really liked it - an intensely quiet read, rich in it's sense of history. I give it 4 stars :)

Scout @ Publisher's site
Extract (beginning of chapter one)
Scout @ goodreads
Interview with Nicole Pluss @ Between the Lines
Scout Review @ Between the Lines
Scout review @ The Book Gryffin

Scout was released Aug 30 2010 in Australia. Nicole Plüss is an award-winning Australian author of books for young adults, teenagers and children. visit her website.

Thanks to Penguin Australia for sending me this review copy

You Wish by Mandy Hubbard

Kayla McHenry's sweet sixteen sucks! Her dad left, her grades dropped, and her BFF is dating the boy Kayla's secretly loved for years. Blowing out her candles, Kayla thinks: I wish my birthday wishes actually came true. Because they never freakin' do.

Kayla wakes the next day to a life-sized, bright pink My Little Pony outside her window. Then a year's supply of gumballs arrives. A boy named Ken with a disturbing resemblance to the doll of the same name stalks her. As the ghosts of Kayla's wishes-past appear, they take her on a wild ride . . . but they MUST STOP. Because when she was fifteen? She wished Ben Mackenzie would kiss her. And Ben is her best friend's boyfriend. (from publishers site)


You Wish is an addictive, wild and quirky read that cleverly manages to explore some meaningful themes under the madness.

You Wish was always unexpected - anything could happen with the wishes and the way they cropped up in Kayla's life was so creative. It really felt like Mandy Hubbard had a blast while writing this, letting her imagination go wild. She wreaked havoc on poor Kayla with so many cringe-worthy and hilarious situations.

Despite the craziness of the wishes - it did have me thinking about things I've wished for and reminded me of that lovely innocence and make-believe of childhood. At it's core it's a classic coming of age story - Kayla  is in a swirl of her childhood wishes while watching others around her growing up and changing (including her best friend who suddenly blossoms and is leaving Kayla behind for the popular crowd).

As a protag, Kayla is very relatable: she is confident in who she is but unsure of her place among her peers and so wants to be accepted for her quirky, slightly geeky self. She's also crushing on her best friends boyfriend - I think teen readers will find it easy to crush on Ben too - he's pretty spunky, with his grin and motorbike tricks and easy-going nature.

 You Wish is an infectious kind of read - dizzying with wackiness yet touching with some genuinely heart-felt moments.

I recommend this to teens (and it would also appeal to mature pre-teens) who are looking for a fun, quirky and unpredictable read - this could easily cross over into upper MG with it's clean story (no swearing/illicit substances/sex). It's also perfect for reluctant readers, with it's fast pace and accessible prose.

On occasion it was a touch too cute for my tastes - but I think it's spot on for the audience it is written for :)

You Wish is available in Australia now.
You Wish @ goodreads
You Wish @ Penguin
Mandy Hubbard's website

Thank you to Penguin Australia for sending me this review copy

Three books that have me feeling pumped...

Three upcoming releases from Penguin I am absolutely pumped about:

Australian Release Dates

Matched: Dec 7, 2010

Anna and the French Kiss: Jan 4, 2011

Across the Universe: Jan 4, 2011

It's going to be a great summer for reading!

And for Aussies, Penguin is giving away FOUR proof copies (ARCs) of Beth Revis' Across the Universe. Head to their YA blog Between the Lines for details on entering the comp.

I'm torn which of these three titles I want more. 

Anna and the French Kiss looks like it's my perfect read. I was hooked on the title and then the cover and more so after the blurb and then EVERY SINGLE REVIEW I've read of it has positively raved and swooned and fallen in love. 

Of course, Matched is perhaps the most universally anticipated YA release of the year. It's going to be brilliant. And the cover is stunning.I can't wait to see it in the flesh :)

And I recently stumbled across Across the Universe. And, yeah. Wow. Have you read the premise? It sounds amazing and even though I read mostly contemporary, sci-fi completely rules on our TV (My husband is all about sci-fi) and I love the creativity and possibilities with sci-fi. It just sounds brilliant. I think it's going to be BIG. Read the first chapter. The Across the Universe site.

Anyone else hanging out for any of these?

Anyone snagged proof copies and read them yet?