Honest and Unflinching // REVIEW: Editing Emma by Chloe Seager

Title: Editing Emma
Author: Chloe Seager
Publication Date: August 10th 2017
Publisher: Harper Collins
Part of a Series?: No, A Standalone
I Got A Copy Through: Harper Collins India (THANK YOU!)
Buy Links: Amazon IN || Amazon UK || The Book Depository || Wordery || Infibeam || Foyles || Waterstones || WHSmith || Kobo || Google Books

Blurb Description: When sixteen-year-old Emma Nash is ‘ghosted’ by the love of her life Leon Naylor, she does what any normal teenage girl would do…Emma spends the summer lurking in her bedroom, avoiding all human contact (and the shower), surrounded by the collection of chewit wrappers she saved from packs Leon gave her, back when he actually acknowledged her existence…
But seeing Leon suddenly ‘In a relationship’ on Facebook with the perfect Anna, spurs Emma into action and she embarks on a mission to make positive changes to her life (or ‘edits,’ if you will) and vows to use the internet for more than obsessively stalking Leon’s activities! Instead, she will use it for good and noble causes like finding someone who will actually be nice to her, and recording her findings for the rest of the world to see (i.e. BFF Steph and her mum) on her new Editing Emma blog.
But Emma soon discovers her ‘habit’ is harder to break than she first thought – turns out she’s not the only one ‘editing’ herself online (thank you Tinder for finding her mum’s profile, age 35, really?) and that life through an Instagram filter isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. But it could be worse, she could have outed her best friend, accidentally chatted up a 12 year old boy and revealed to the world why Leon Naylor is worth no girl’s time or virginity… oh no wait, that’s exactly what happened…

A book about a girl blogging about her life, discussing issues like periods, masturbation, boys and booze like they shouldn’t even be ‘issues’ to talk about? I’d been hoping for a really long time for Editing Emma to be released in India and when I got the opportunity to read and review it for Harper Collins India, I was BEYOND overjoyed!

I finished Editing Emma in a mere two days (or should I say very busy evenings) and while at times, the book frustrated me, I did really like going on this journey with Emma through her blog posts.

Here are my thoughts:

1.       After reading this book from end to end, I can HONESTLY say teenage girls are confusing and I AM A TEENAGE GIRL, so you could tell how confusing it was for me. I really liked Emma – she was honest and spunky and slightly irritating and I spent 330 pages immersed in her innermost thoughts and I came out of them confused.

2.       In fact, even the boys confused me. (WAIT: IF I DON’T GET TEENAGERS, DOES IT MEAN I’VE GROWN PAST TEENAGER-DOM?) They were cute and charming and nice until they were needy and rude and GHOSTED GIRLS FOR NO REASON?

3.       I actually think all the confusion that I’m talking about above just goes to show HOW ACCUTARELY the life of a high-schooler was portrayed. It felt real and it also annoyed me, and I laughed and felt for the characters. ESSENTIALLY, THIS BOOK CAPTURED EVERYTHING YOU FEEL AS A TEENAGER.

4.       I REALLY like that this was told through blog posts. Essentially it was The Princess Diaries, but in the form of a blog and not a diary.

5.       Emma’s sense of humour and sarcasm levels were OFF THE CHARTS, which was what made this book funny. There are resolutions and lists and awkward first text-versations with boys and also not to mention, a beheaded stuffed giraffe. I loved the hilarity of her life and her spin on it.

6.       This book was about growing up and learning to love yourself in a world where nobody will let you. It was about finding your corner and your people and what’s important and it was done through a teenager which I TRULY applaud.

An honest, unflinching and hilarious (if at times eye-roll worthy) coming of age book that should be added to the top of your ever growing TBRs. 4 stars and definitely worth a read!

Chloe Seager grew up in London with her mum and her much loved cat, Katie. She studied English Literature and Drama at the University of East Anglia where she realised she couldn't act, but did rediscover her love of children's books. 

Children's literature was one of her favourite modules and it made her wonder why grown-ups ever stopped reading them. She now works with YA and kids' books full time. Chloe lives back in East London with her boyfriend and pet fish.

Have you had the chance to read Editing Emma yet? What did you think of it? 

Have you ever had a dairy/ blog/ some form of writing down what went on in your everyday life? How old were you then? 

I hope you guys check out Editing Emma because it's definitely worth the read!

BLOG TOUR: The Year We Fell Apart by Emily Martin - Review, Favourite Quotes and GIVEAWAY

The Year We Fell Apart by Emily Martin
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: January 26th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction
Rate: 5 STARS

Synopsis: In the tradition of Sarah Dessen, this powerful debut novel is a compelling portrait of a young girl coping with her mother’s cancer as she figures out how to learn from—and fix—her past.

Few things come as naturally to Harper as epic mistakes. In the past year she was kicked off the swim team, earned a reputation as Carson High’s easiest hook-up, and officially became the black sheep of her family. But her worst mistake was destroying her relationship with her best friend, Declan.

Now, after two semesters of silence, Declan is home from boarding school for the summer. Everything about him is different—he’s taller, stronger…more handsome. Harper has changed, too, especially in the wake of her mom’s cancer diagnosis.

While Declan wants nothing to do with Harper, he’s still Declan, her Declan, and the only person she wants to talk to about what’s really going on. But he’s also the one person she’s lost the right to seek comfort from.

As their mutual friends and shared histories draw them together again, Harper and Declan must decide which parts of their past are still salvageable, and which parts they’ll have to let go of once and for all.

In this honest and affecting tale of friendship and first love, Emily Martin brings to vivid life the trials and struggles of high school and the ability to learn from past mistakes over the course of one steamy North Carolina summer.

*Warning: Some Serious Fangirling and Gushing and Nonsensical Words Below. Please don’t blame me, it can’t be helped.*

First Sentence: Sometimes I think the White Oak tree was listening that night last August.

You use the name Sarah Dessen, and I will read the book. Most of the time, I’ll probably tell you that I was disappointed because not much can match up to Sarah Dessen, but, Emily Martin, you can take the cake. Or the prize. Or the award. Or anything you want, really, because after that book that made me root SO badly for a relationship I knew almost nothing about, you DESERVE everything you want!

“It was more than just state lined dividing us. I missed you and I missed her and I needed to feel something else. Something less.”

Declan and Harper, you guys, will be the first 2016 couple that I will never forget. They were perfect – they knew exactly what the other thought like, what the other person was like, their fears and insecurities and even exactly where to hit, so that the bruise would hurt the most. More than that, though, they had ALL this CHEMISTRY and this pining, and this love story that should have been written in the stars. And I loved it. Every moment – the good, the goofy, the moments that hurt even my heart, the pissed off ones, the worst, the drunk and the best. Emily Martin created this ideal non-ideal (and yet to me, ideal) couple that I could NOT get enough off!

Imma fangirl over the rest of the characters in order, now that I got that out of the way:

CORY: BEST BEST FRIEND EVER, coolest boyfriend, dork extraordinary.

Mackenzie and Gwen!

Graham!

Harper’s Mother!

HARPLAN! (Declan + Harper)

Okay. I don’t even know what I’m saying. These characters are all just swirling around in my head and I want them to stay there FOREVER.

Okay, I don’t know what I said – comprehensive thoughts are not forming in my head, due to serious sleep deprivation, economic exams, candy crush and this book. I’m not going to keep you here any longer – go down, enter the giveaway, tell me I’m a teeny bit crazy in the comments – but just one thing before you do: BUY THE BOOK. BUY IT NOW. YOU NEED IT. TRUST ME.

Also, COOL FACT: Emily Martin and Laurie Elizabeth Flynn who debuted with her AH-MAE-ZING novel, Firsts (REVIEWED HERE) are CRITIQUE PATRNERS! So, aspiring writers, all of your dreams will come true, and these two lovely ladies are proof. Of course, help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who need it, so you can always take it from there too!

POINTS FOR: Coolest, most realistic relationship, the above characters, swimming, practical jokes, that storyline. And just EVERYTHING!

QUOTES:

“He’s heard it all. Everything I never wanted him to find out.”

“I’ve been waiting all summer to see that smile.”

“If you give someone the power to break your heart, you sure as hell won’t see it coming when they do.”

“My head falls into my hands and I slump down to the pavement. He’s sorry. And I’m sorry. And it isn’t enough to fix anything.

Follow the The Year We Fell Apart by Emily Martin Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Emily Martin lives and writes in the Greater Boston area, though she will always call Michigan home. She has a penchant for impromptu dance parties, vintage clothing, and traveling to new places. When not writing, she can be found hiking New England’s peaks, searching for the perfect cup of hot chocolate, or baking something pumpkin-flavored.

Emily’s debut young adult novel, THE YEAR WE FELL APART, comes out January 26, 2016 from Simon Pulse.

Her work is represented by Lara Perkins of Andrea Brown Literary.

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BLOG TOUR: Half In Love With Death by Emily Ross - Review, Favourite Quotes and Giveaway

Half in Love with Death by Emily Ross
Publisher: Merit Press
Release Date: December 18th 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Rate: 4 STARS 

Synopsis: It's the era of peace and love in the 1960s, but nothing is peaceful in Caroline's life. Since her beautiful older sister disappeared, fifteen-year-old Caroline might as well have disappeared too. She's invisible to her parents, who can't stop blaming each other. The police keep following up on leads even Caroline knows are foolish. The only one who seems to care about her is Tony, her sister's older boyfriend, who soothes Caroline's desperate heart every time he turns his magical blue eyes on her. 

Tony is convinced that the answer to Jess's disappearance is in California, the land of endless summer, among the runaways and flower children. Come with me, Tony says to Caroline, and we'll find her together. Tony is so loving, and all he cares about is bringing Jess home. And so Caroline follows, and closes a door behind her that may never open again.

Inspired by the disturbing case of Charles Schmid, ‘the Pied Piper of Tucson’, Half in Love with Death is a heartfelt thriller that never lets up.

While the title - Half in Love with Death - is extremely misleading (this is a straight up contemporary, not anything paranormal) there's something about this book that tends to strike that naive, childlike nature hidden in each of us, where we just want to believe something, even though all the evidence points in the opposite direction.

I know pretty much nothing about the 1960's, not on a social basis at least. What was the status of women? What was life like in general? And yet, despite not knowing, the very thing that stood out to me in Half in Love With Death, is the same thing that annoyed me at times. 

"We all die." She stared at me. "You can't believe everything everyone tells you."

"I don't," I said, though I wanted to believe in things like that."

Jess was the bad sister and Caroline was the good one. Jess got thrown out of boarding school in three months because she stole liquor. Jess dyed her hair blonde with no ones permission. Jess smoked, Jess drank, Jess snuck out and now, Jess is missing.

With not even a goodbye to anyone, or even a note left lying around somewhere, The rumours are that Jess got into a red car with a boy and drove away. That's it. Poof.

Caroline's life is falling apart. Her mother seems to be having an affair. Her father turns to the bottle every time things get even a little hard. Her friends are fake - tattling to her parents and copying her poems. The only person who understands her is Tony. Tony, who everybody tells her is nothing but bad news and that she should stay away from him. Tony, who Caroline has been in love with since he first started dating her missing sister. 

And together, with the boy who can apparently defy death, Caroline starts looking for clues that will lead her to her sister. That is, if her sister even wants to be found...

As I said before, while I commend Emily Ross for giving me such an authentic feel of a young, naive girl's mind, I'm not exactly in a position to judge was lifestyles were like in the 1960's, I just don't know if it should offend me, or amaze me that people were so brazen and yet not back then.

Caroline's voice is only I can only assume is authentic, and it moved me. I completely bought that she believed what she was thinking, even if it at times, I couldn't believe she was thinking it. 

At the end of the day, it's a book I would definitely recommend. 4 stars.

QUOTES: 

"You said he was boring."

"I did, but things changed. It's complicated for us. You can't expect me to not feel what I feel just because of what you feel. That wouldn't be fair, would it?"

Reaction: Um, Wow. Do you say that to your friends. Really?

"Remember I told you that the you were as pretty as May?" he finally said. "The only thing she has over you is her hair." he leaned close. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret. If you dye your hair blonde, you'll get Billy back."

"Tony's an expert at hair dyeing," she said. "He likes his girls to look a certain way."

Reaction: Just a slight comment to you, Tony: We girls aren't here to 'look a certain way' for you. Suck it up. What you want doesn't really matter, so don't go around changing what girls look like just so you can jack off more.

"The thing is, once you don't fear death, it loses its power over you. You live life differently."

Reaction: I guess...

Follow the Half In Love With Death by Emily Ross Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Emily Ross's YA mystery/thriller HALF IN LOVE WITH DEATH is forthcoming from Merit Press(12/2015). She received a 2014 MCC Artist Fellowship finalist award for fiction, and is a graduate of Grub Street's Novel Incubator program. When not writing she works as a web developer and is the mother of two millennials. Find out more at http://www.emilyrosswrites.com/ or https://twitter.com/emilyross816.

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