Do you know a young, budding writer?
We’re looking for young people to help us review middle grade (9-12 years), and maybe some young adult books. Together with their grown-up, we can help match children with suitable titles.
We often get sent advance copies of middle grade and young adult books (far too many for us to read them all) – so we’re looking to enlist local readers to help review some of them so we can make sure we’re offering the best books possible for this young audience.
We’d love to invite young readers to come into the shop to select a book to take home to write an honest and candid review for our website. We’d love our reviewers to give us their thoughts on some of the latest books, and maybe even give them the chance to read a book before it hits the shelves!
This lovely initiative was inspired by Jess who emailed the shop to tell us about the fantastic book blog she has created and asked if there were any reviewing opportunities. And so, the Young Readers Review Panel was born.You can read Jess’s review below.
If you know a young person who’d like to get involved, pop into the shop to sign up or drop a message to info@trumanbooks.co.uk
Jess’s Review of Tart by Becki Jayne Crossley
“THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! If you thought a maze had twists and turns, wait until you read this!
The emotions in the characters are described so well I actually felt their pain and their joy. It’s so amazing how the author has written this book from so many different perspectives – that change the storyline completely. The plot-twists are constant, the ‘will they, won’t they’ builds up tension throughout the book. Not only does this book change between three people’s points of view, it goes back into the past.
The amount of excitement and thrill in these pages is insane. I personally, love a romantic, teenager sort of book, so this was perfect for me. Would I recommend this to others? Already have. Would I read it again? I have already started to re-read my favourite parts. Should you read it? YES!”
About the Book
Meet Dan. On the surface, he seems to have everything: nice parents, endless friends, good grades, a girlfriend. He’s practically a model citizen.
Meet Libby. Dan’s girlfriend, suddenly thrown into popularity, always a helping hand.
And, finally, meet Neha. A closeted girl starting at a new school after her parents tragically died in a car accident. Equipped with no friends, the struggles of being queer in a very religious town and a slight crush on an already taken, straight girl, she won’t go down without a fight.
These are our protagonists, living life as normal – when everything changes. A video of Libby seemingly cheating spreads across the internet. And if that’s not bad enough, it happened the same night Dan fell into a coma. With her reputation being ‘the girl who cheated on her sick boyfriend’, bullying is inevitable, but these girls and guys take it to new lengths.
When no one is there for her, a new friend steps in. Will she be different and help Libby through this, is she just like all the others, or is she something better than them, something more?
A heartfelt book about the journey to discovery, self-acceptance and learning to love and be yourself no matter what.
Note: This book does mention themes of death, hospitals, anxiety, and some rude language/derogatory terms. Please research the book before reading it if you are sensitive to any of these topics.
Recommended Age Rating: 12+ (I would agree with this rating. Most 12 years olds I know would be comfortable with reading this book).
Star Rating: 5 Stars!!!!!!!!!!
A special thanks to Truman Books as well. They are an amazing bookshop in Farsley and have been so supportive and helpful of my website.