Genre: Love & Romance

Book Review | Sing if You Can’t Dance by Alexia Casale

Posted March 11, 2024 by Emma in 2024 Books, Book Review, Bookish Post, UKYA, YA / 0 Comments

Good morning lovely readers. I’m so excited to be reviewing this book. I wished I read this one sooner and it’s such beautiful, unique and captivating contemporary romance YA book.

Book Review | Sing if You Can’t Dance by Alexia CasaleSing If You Can't Dance by Alexia Casale
Published by Faber Faber on July 6, 2023
Genres: Contemporary, Love & Romance, UKYA, Young Adult Fiction
Amazon | Waterstones
Goodreads

An entirely original and much-needed own-voices perspective from a teenager coming to terms with her disability as she's coming of age. Ven had her life all planned out. her dance group were going places and so was she. Then she passes out right in the middle of a life-changing performance. And she's forced to admit that she hasn't been feeling right for a while now. Ven is about to discover she has an illness that threatens to ruin everything. No more dancing. even walking is proving a challenge, and standing. But don't you DARE feel sorry for her!Ven is no victim, and she is in charge here. Sure, her future is going to be different. but that doesn't mean it's over. Because if you can't dance, you can always sing!

I couldn’t put this book down. I read it in 2 days which is super good for me but I was on half-term which helped. I picked this book up as I was part of the Discovery Tour for Empathy Lab UK which I was really honoured to be part of. It’s something as a librarian that is close to my heart and something that I promote every year in my libraries.

Sing Like You Can’t Dance is a unique story. Our MC Ven was part of a dance performance PopSync until the unthinkable happens, she falls which has left her unable to dance again. Now she has turned to singing as part of her A-Level coursework. A MC Ven is snarky, bossy, takes control of her own life. Her persona, her sarcasim doesn’t always come across friendly and most people tend to turn away from her apart from her best friend Maddie. When she meets Ren, the new american boy, he starts to break down her hardiness to see her vunerability.

Ven is also a natural born leader, taking on The Singers is breath a fresh air, it gives her a chance to be that person she was in PopSync, she opens up. The disability rep is outstanding! It was so realistic, especially in that pushback when you have a deterioration in ability and having to learn to accept aids and help. She also a journey on knowing her limitations. She won’t let her disability define her. I loved that her story, her journey was to figuring out being honest with herself and asking for help. Nothing will stop her! I love her. Being the best you can be.

“I’m not what’s wrong with my body, I’m what I do with myself. I’m the life I make happen.”

Throughout the entire book, you don’t know what she has, but you realise that you don’t need to know, you’re not entitled to know. It doesn’t define you. She doesn’t want those looks but wants the reader and other characters to know who she really is.

I would highly recommend this book! I couldn’t put it down and @hollybourneya quote is so very true. I wished I read this one sooner and it’s such beautiful, unique and captivating contemporary romance YA book.

Thank you to Faber and Faber for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

Divider

Book Review | Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain

Book Review | Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain

Hello my lovely readers. I am about to review the first book to make me cry of 2024 and my second 5 star read. I had a glorious glowing book hangover not in a bad way and it took me a while to really process it. 05/01/2023 – Only 17 pages in and already the main characters Sid and Mel, remind me a bit of 10 Things I Hate About You. Especially Sid specifically I think. I’m just getting that vibe and I love it. 10/01/2024 – Well what a book. I’m still crying… that was not what I expected […]

Divider

Cosy Sunday Reading Update – Heartstopper Volume 4 and 5

Posted December 10, 2023 by Emma in 2023 Books, Bookish Post, Heartstopper, LGBTQ+, UKYA, YA / 2 Comments
Cosy Sunday Reading Update – Heartstopper Volume 4 and 5

Hello my lovely readers, I took a bit of lengthy unintentional break from the blog. Like with everything, work got super busy. But I’m hoping as I my term comes to an end in a week and half I’ll be coming back. But today, I had a very chilled and cosy Sunday, reading and I want to record it, here on my blog. I wanted to document my feeling for Heartstopper whilst reading it. Blanket + Christmas Tree lights + Christmas fireplace ASMR + BOOKS = A Cosy Sunday Reading I’ve been unwell the last few days and today I […]

Divider

ARC Book Review | How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok

Posted September 19, 2023 by Emma in 2023 Books, Book Review, Bookish Post, LGBTQ+, Mystery, YA / 2 Comments
ARC Book Review | How to Find a Missing Girl by Victoria Wlosok

Good evening, my wonderful readers. As I’m writing this, I’m wrapped up in a blanket, I can certainly feel that Autumn is coming. Today’s is an ARC review, I feel I haven’t read a book before publication for ages and it feels so good. I’m really excited for you to read this book and this is great for your Autumn TBRs too. I’lll also be interviewing the author on publication day about this book so welcome to How to Find a Missing Girl themed week! On to the review shall we… How to Find a Missing Girl saved my reading! […]

Divider

Book Review | Overemotional by David Fenne – A laugh-out-loud heartfelt queer YA

Posted September 7, 2023 by Emma in 2023 Books, Book Review, Bookish Post, UKYA, YA / 0 Comments
Book Review | Overemotional by David Fenne – A laugh-out-loud heartfelt queer YA

Hello my lovely readers, it’s a hot one in the UK at the moment, wish this weather was around when I had my summer holidays and not when I’m back at work, starting a new academic year. That the British weather for you. Ha. Today I’m bring you a review of my last read of August and that of my summer holidays and what a cracker it was. It was such a good book so let me tell you a bit more. I knew I needed this book when I went to CampYA at the beginning of the summer and […]

Divider

Under the Cover #4 – with Anna Waterworth author of The Girl Who Grew Wings

Posted July 27, 2023 by Emma in 2023 Books, Bookish Post, UKYA, Under the Cover / 0 Comments
Under the Cover #4 – with Anna Waterworth author of The Girl Who Grew Wings

Happy Thursday my lovely friends, I’m really excited to welcome my next guest to my author series, Anna Waterworth. Under the Cover is where I interview some of favourite authors and authors I’ve recently read and discovered. I’m trying to refresh my blog and I love interviewing authors and getting an insight into their storytelling, hence Under the Cover was born. Anna is best known for her Fandom duology which I read years ago and loved it. She has returned this year with a brand new Greek Mythology retelling, The Girl Who Grew Wings. It is stunning. So sit back, grab a coffee […]

Divider

Blog Tour – Book Review | If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude – a unique sapphic dystopian YA…

Blog Tour – Book Review |  If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude – a unique sapphic dystopian YA…

Hello my bookish friends. I am really excited to be part of the Ultimate Blog Tour with The Write Reads for debut novel, If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come by Jen St. Jude. Sadly life got in the way, so here is my delayed review. It’s the start of Pride Month and I have the perfect YA Dystopian recommendation for your to add to your TBR piles. Whilst I have put a content warning above, the first few pages is about the main character, Avery about to take her own life. There is a lot of reference to it throughout the book. I […]

Divider

Blog Tour | Book Review – Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan

Blog Tour | Book Review – Straight Expectations by Calum McSwiggan

Happy Sunday my bookish friends, today I’m really excited for my stop on the Ultimate Blog Tour with The Write Reads for debut novel, Straight Expectations. My first book of May and what a brilliant start to the month. Before I head into my review here is a little bit more about the book. Another book I didn’t really know what to expect. Opening the first few pages on my kindle and I knew I was going to love it. It instantly it gave me Boy Queen by George Lester and Heartstopper vibes. Max is loud and proud at school, […]

Divider

Book Review | Influential by Amara Sage

Posted April 6, 2023 by Emma in 2023 Books, Book Review, Bookish Post, YA / 1 Comment
Book Review | Influential by Amara Sage

Hello my fellow readers, long time no post. Before I head on to my review of this brilliant book I just wanted to update you on my MIA from the blog. The last two months I’ve been unwell, one thing after another, flu and such and it’s taken me a while to bounce back to normal. To get back to reading, to blogging to really get my energy back. I think I suffered from massive burn out at work, But I’m typing this with the sea in front of me whilst I’m on holiday, relaxing and just feeling refreshed I […]

Divider