Feminist Icons of Literature: Hermione Granger

"Books! And cleverness! There are more important things! — Friendship! And Bravery!"

Brains, sense, loyalty and kindness. An aspirational, hard-working young woman who is confident in her abilities and never apologises for her success. A girl thrust into a completely new world at a young age who never falters, merely taking every new experience in her stride and going out of her way to learn everything she can to set herself apart. Hermione Granger was my all-time favourite character as a child and that hasn't really changed! Now, I admire her as more than a book nerd who's kind to her friends and good at magic, I see the kind of pioneering feminist she was, defying expectations at all ages.

Hermione, born and raised by muggles, enters a world completely new to her at the age of 11. This would be difficult for someone of any age, where everything you thought you knew about the world isn't the truth and there are hundreds of new customs and rules and societal structures to familiarise yourself with, but classic Hermione adjusts amazingly well, throwing herself into books to learn all she can. What is so amazing about Hermione is she embraces the intelligent part of herself from an early age, never denying or hiding her brains but being secure and confident in who she is. This inspired me as a child to not ever be embarrassed about working hard at school or loving books and it's important that we have these kind of role models in children's literature. The characters of books and film are the role models outside of family and friends who influence us most and it's so necessary to have someone like Hermione leading the way and proving to young girls that it's okay to work hard in school and to aim for a successful, academic career.

Additionally to this, Hermione is undoubtedly a feminist icon as she fights for what she believes in: the rights of house elves. They had been enslaved by the wizarding world and Hermione recognised them as deserving of respect and fair treatment. The Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare initially faced mocking from even her best friends but as a cause close to her heart, Hermione persevered and continued to fight for the house elves. This is an important message for young girls because it teaches us that when you find something you're passionate about in your life, you must fight for it because if it's not you, there's no one else who will take up the baton!

Finally, Hermione is an all round badass, amazing woman who is consistently loyal to her friends and the causes she believes in, standing by Harry until the very end despite the difficulties and the threats to their lives that they face. She's the brightest witch of her age and never allows anyone to underestimate her or prevent her from aspiring to the best future possible. And for that reason, Hermione is one of my feminist icons of literature. 

Review: A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard

"Mistakes are an unfortunate side effect of actually doing things, but they're usually worth it in the end."

Steffi doesn't talk. 
Rhys can't hear.
They understand each other perfectly. 
Love isn't always a lightning strike. Sometimes it's the rumbling roll of thunder...
The stunning new novel from the bestselling author of Beautiful Broken Things is a love story about the times when a whisper is as good as a shout.

A Quiet Kind of Thunder is certainly one of the best books I've read this year. It tells the tale of two wonderful people who need to have their story heard: a socially anxious teenager who struggles to have her voice heard due to her selective mutism and a deaf boy struggling with the challenges of starting sixth form at a main stream hearing school. Despite their communication challenges, the pair support each other and develop a strong bond, speaking through broken sign language and messaging apps. But there's more to their relationship than having difficulties in communicating with the world in common - they're a dynamic duo who understand each other, sharing inside jokes and pushing themselves to bring out the best in each other. This beautiful tale of young love despite exploring two minorities whose voices often go unheard is relatable to all young teens starting a new school, moving on to the next stage in life and falling in love for the first time. 

The most refreshing part of the book is that Steffi's chronic anxiety is not magically cured by a handsome boyfriend. Instead, their strong bond gives her the courage to go out and do the things she's always dreamt of, with the added confidence of someone cheering her on at the sidelines. Additionally, Rhys is not overly reliant on Steffi to communicate, they work together to better themselves. Their young relationship is fresh and new and exciting for them and this is tangible when reading, however it is not overly intense as relationships often are in YA novels, so this was certainly refreshing to read.

I believe this is a really important book to be read as it delicately explores the issue of anxiety and mental health in young people while not glamourising it. Steffi's experience is raw and it's easy to see the difficulties she faces. Young people should read this book to better understand the experience of those around them with anxiety, and also for those who experience similar problems to realise they are not alone and this is something a large number of people unfortunately go through.

Furthermore, this is the first YA book I have read where one of the main characters is deaf. Barnard does an amazing job in bringing disability to the forefront of YA books and handles the topic well. Rhys is just a normal teenager who just happens to be deaf and it's really important that he is portrayed that way so that awareness is raised of the difficulties disabled people face but also of the fact that with support they can lead a normal life. This book also sparked an interest for me in BSL as I think it's important for us to be able to communicate with people from all walks of life.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a coming of age YA novel and also anyone who enjoyed Barnard's first YA book Beautiful Broken Things. If you like the writing style of Holly Bourne, you'll probably love this book.

9/10

This week is mental health awareness week and if you're interested in learning more you can visit https://www.mind.org.uk/ or https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week

Review: The Bone Dragon by Alexia Casale

"Although you are afraid to fail, you are also afraid to succeed"

Evie's shattered ribs have been a secret for the last four years. Now she has found the strength to tell her adoptive parents, and the physical traces of her past are fixed - the only remaining signs a scar on her side and a fragment of bone taken home from the hospital, which her uncle Ben helps her to carve into a dragon as a sign of her strength. Soon this ivory talisman begins to come to life at night, offering wisdom and encouragement in roaming dreams of smoke and moonlight that come to feel ever more real.

As Evie grows stronger there remains one problem her new parents can't fix for her: a revenge that must be taken. And it seems that the Dragon is the one to take it.
This subtly unsettling novel is told from the viewpoint of a fourteen-year-old girl damaged by a past she can't talk about, in a hypnotic narrative that, while giving increasing insight, also becomes increasingly unreliable.

A blend of psychological thriller and fairy tale, The Bone Dragon explores the fragile boundaries between real life and fantasy, and the darkest corners of the human mind.

This book was a truly beautiful and poignant story, shrouded in mystery and a dark reality. Despite being a Young Adult novel aimed predominantly at teens I definitely feel this is a book that everyone should read as it offers a whole new perspective on life, death and all of the difficulties we face in between. These themes are explored so maturely even while being told from the perspective of a fourteen year old girl and they offer real food for thought. 

The protagonist Evie is such a strong character and Alexia Casale does such a good job of bringing her to life that she seems like any other teenage girl, despite having a dark past and facing many difficulties throughout her childhood. She is mature in some respects, having to grow up quickly but immature in others, often seeming a little naive.

The character of the dragon was my favourite in the whole novel as he delivered some of the wisest words and messages I had ever read in a YA novel. This is a book that everyone can learn from. The exploration of human relationships and the way that we affect everyone we come across in life was an important and delicately outlined theme in the novel. 

Initially, the book was quite confusing as much of Evie's experiences were still a secret waiting to be discovered as she grew in character by the reader. As the story progressed, the mysteries began to resolve and things began to become clearer. I found I couldn't put the book down! I hugely enjoy books with mystery and secrets running throughout the whole plot.

I would definitely recommend this book. The most important thing to take away from the novel is that Evie teaches us to be brave in every aspect of our lives. Alexia Casale has created a character whose experiences must not be swept under the rug. She has given a voice to victims of abuse who are too often forgotten through this beautiful YA story.

8/10

Review: The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

"Live in the moment whenever you can. You don't need a memory to do that."

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO TO TRUST WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN TRUST YOURSELF? I look at my hands. One of them says FLORA BE BRAVE. Flora has anterograde amnesia. She can't remember anything day-to-day: the joke her friend made, the instructions her parents gave her, how old she is. Then she kisses someone she shouldn't, and the next day she remembers it. It's the first time she's remembered anything since she was ten. But the boy is gone. She thinks he's moved to the Arctic. Will following him be the key to unlocking her memory? Who can she trust?

The One Memory of Flora Banks is one of the most beautiful, poignant books I have ever read. Flora suffers from a form of amnesia that means she only holds memories for a few hours before being confused. Her last memories are of when she was 10 but now she is 17 and struggling to navigate life as a young woman when she is still treated as a child by her memories and her overprotective parents. Then something amazing happens to Flora: she kisses a boy and remembers. Flora seizes this opportunity to start living her life and taking chances, growing up and discovering in her own way. She starts out searching for someone else but discovers herself along the way.

Although this certainly isn't your typical YA novel, Flora is as relatable as any protagonist. Barr has made her raw and honest, far from perfect but full of emotion and a will to find her own adventure in life. She faces the same difficulties as many young teens do: broken friendships, first love and a struggle for independence. This is a story of honesty and discovery. This book kept me gripped the whole way through as Flora is a "wild and wonderful" character who is completely loveable. Everything is not always as transparent as it seems on the surface and Flora and the reader truly face a rollercoaster ride. Flora is the narrator but how reliable is the account of someone with memory loss?

I would 100% recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of YA literature and would enjoy a coming of age story with a twist.

9/10

Review: Exodus in Confluence by Bryant A Loney

I received this ebook from Verona Booksellers in exchange for an honest review.

Five months into the zombie apocalypse, seventeen-year-old Stephen Hart lived in a society where rules and humanity had left him for dead. The remaining survivors clung feverishly to whatever hope remained—maybe it was a family member, or a religion, or a destination. But in less than one week, everything changed. (And so the cycle repeats.)

A year later, his ramshackle settlement has been compromised, as evidenced by the hordes of the undead swarming inside the gates... and Stephen is to blame. Instead of running, he takes to the airwaves, using the transmission in the now-abandoned radio station to broadcast his story via speakers to his fleeing citizens. This way, maybe he won't look like such a total monster.

With the clock running out, venture into Stephen's post-apocalyptic world, where circumstances can make us become something other than ourselves. 

So I generally don't read a lot of novellas, in fact I think this must be the second one I've ever read, but I really enjoyed it! I read the entire short story on my plane journey to Portugal and it definitely kept me interested and held my attention. As it's a short story, I don't want to say too much about the plot as the events unfold pretty quickly. However, I will say that I would recommend it to fans of The Walking Dead or other zombie enthusiasts and anyone whose looking for a short, easy but exciting read this summer.

Maybe it's just the fact that I'm not used to reading novellas but I did find the story a little rushed and found myself wishing that it had lasted longer! I felt the characters weren't very well developed and I didn't feel myself empathising with them but I understand that it is difficult to give characters the room to grow in a fast-pace action-filled novella. The plot itself wasn't the most unique and original story I'd ever read but it was still full of shocking and surprising moments so I never felt particularly bored with it. Despite all of this, at the end of the book, my opinion of everything I had just read completely changed. It's a plot twist I definitely never saw coming and my view of everything I had just read was turned on its head in an instant! I don't want to give away too much and spoil what was really the most thrilling part of the book but take my word for it when I say that it's worth hanging in for the huge plot twist! 

6/10

My Top 10 Ways To Get Out Of A Reading Slump

After reading maybe two or three books a week and finally enjoying my summer, disaster struck. I was suddenly experiencing every bookworm's worst nightmare: the reading slump. We've all been there, unread books taking over our shelves and to-be-read lists a constant reminder of all the books that demand our attention. Nevertheless, no matter how hard I tried to force myself to sit and concentrate, I couldn't get through my book for the life of me. It was insanely frustrating but a mixture of having way too many other things to do and just lacking the concentration necessary to appreciate my book made it impossible to get past chapter 2 in a whole week. So, to help myself and all other avid bookworms out there facing this so-called reader's block, I've compiled my top ten ways to combat a reading slump!

10. Read a book that doesn't require a huge amount of concentration

What tends to put me into a reading slump is lacking the ability at that moment to follow a complicated plot or a storyline with a lot of depth to it. The book series that never fails to combat this symptom of every reader's worst nightmare is The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. I know that it's faced a lot of criticism for various reasons but it will always be my go-to series. I've always found it an easy read that hasn't required too much thinking into the plot but is still really enjoyable on the whole with a dark and glamorous set of characters that really come to life through the pages. It's essential to find an easy read like this if you ever hope to drag yourself out of a reading slump.

9. Read an old favourite

So your easy read has failed to cure your reader's block? Don't fret yet there's plenty of other things to try! Turn your attention next to an old favourite of yours and you'll find yourself reading at the speed of light again in no time. For me, turning back to the Harry Potter series always reminds me why I love reading and inspires me to pick up ten other books after. Rowling's creation is so beautifully magical and vivid, you'll lose yourself instantly and fall back into the wizarding world in no time at all. It'll be like you never left! 

8. Set aside time to read

Trying to juggle a hectic schedule and still finding the time to read can be extremely difficult and failing to do so is another major reason for the common book slump. To beat this particular symptom, I would suggest setting aside as much time as you can afford to reading and sticking to it daily, no excuses! If you devote anything from 10 minutes to an hour a day at a particular time, such as before you go to sleep or during a lunch hour, you might find yourself finally starting to read more. 

7. Go on a book haul!

Perhaps all it may take to defeat your reading slump is a little book haul! You may simply need to remind yourself of the beauty of books once more and there's no better way to do that than a little trip to your local bookstore or a spot of online shopping. Some fresh additions to your shelves may make reading seem more appealing rather than forcing yourself through your reading list!

6. Visit the local library

If you're struggling through a reading slump, the best place to visit might be the library! That way you can dip in and out of any book that takes your fancy with no commitment all whilst supporting your local library service and pulling yourself out of your reader's slump. Libraries often have new releases too so perhaps that book you've been waiting for months to be released will be waiting on the shelves! 

5. Stop reading the book you're struggling with and return to it later

If your reading slump has truly defeated you this time, there's no shame in putting that particular book aside and returning to it later when you're in a better frame of mind. Perhaps you need to admit that that book isn't for you? Or maybe it is you and you simply need to find a way back into reading before you find yourself flying through books in the same way as before.

4. Try reading in a new place

Forcing yourself to read in a cluttered, stuffy room may not be the most productive way to get through a book. Perhaps reading in an over familiar spot is making reading lack the interest it once had? A change of scenery might liven up your reading experience! Try reading in a local park, on a train, in your garden or perhaps in a different room. Changing where you read may change the way you read and could be key to combating your reader's block!

3. Take a break from reading

Maybe it's time to admit that reading at this moment in time is simply not possible? That's okay, it doesn't mean you're failing as a reader! Taking a break may make your return to reading as exciting as the first time you picked up a book. You just need to take time away from reading to remind yourself once more why you love it. Don't worry, you'll probably be back into it again in no time! 

2. Try to avoid reading more than one book at a time

If you're trying to juggle multiple books along with everything else in your life, no wonder you're finding reading difficult! If you've unexpectedly hit a reading slump, it may not be so unexpected if you've got five books on the go. It might be time to drop a few and focus on one for a little while. Perhaps that would take the pressure off reading and give your mind the space to concentrate on your current read. 

1. Try reading a graphic novel

If you're finding it hard to concentrate on an 800 page hardback novel, it might be time to pick up a graphic novel or comic book. I've always found them an easy read and I tend to read them far faster than novels. Death Note is a great manga series to start with, the plot and the mystery are just a perfect mix of a crime thriller and a dark contemporary YA read.

Review: To Hear The Ocean Sigh by Bryant A Loney

I received this ebook from Verona Booksellers in exchange for an honest review.
Jay Murchison believes he is a nobody at his high school in Oklahoma. Coming from a conservative family of affordable luxury, Jay has an overwhelming desire to become something great. After a mysterious girl named Saphnie in North Carolina mistakenly texts him, an unlikely relationship develops that affects Jay's self-perception and influences the rest of his sophomore year. This correspondence leads him to a group of thrill-seekers who provide a grand departure from the quiet life Jay is familiar with and eye-opening experiences to witness first-hand the truth behind the loose morals his fellow classmates have come to know.  

In a story filled with injustice, hope, hatred, love, grief, and understanding, readers will ask themselves what it truly means to hear the ocean sigh and learn of the dire consequences that come with its responsibilities.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and it read like a typical, coming of age YA book, which is the genre I like reading the most. However, I do feel that initially the story was quite slow to get into and I struggled to find myself gripped to the book and truly interested. I felt that some of the text conversations between Jay and his mystery text friend Saphnie, that make up such a huge portion of the book, were often unnecessarily long and slightly generic, adding little to the story.

Aside from that, I really loved the way Rudderless, a fictional book created for this story, tied all the characters together, despite their differences. It shows how books can be interpreted in many ways and gave a new meaning to each person who read it. It was quite clever how this was weaved in to plant the idea that perspectives can truly vary between individuals as this ended up being a key theme throughout the novel.

Another key theme that was presented quite interestingly was the difference in how we present ourselves to the world and the person that we believe we are. I think this was an important idea to be explored in a YA novel where the way others view us can be a huge worry for young adults. This book really did have some wonderful messages that I feel the majority of people would be able to relate to in their own lives. The darker and more emotional themes of the novel were sensitively approached, which made them easier to relate to.

The theme of religion and what it means to young people was considered in a fresh, interesting way. All of the teens found some comfort and advice at the Youth Club and it's where Jay begins his new social life. This was all unique in a way as religion is rarely presented positively in YA literature as many teens feign disinterest.

I found that the main character, Jay, could be frustrating at times as he was more of a spectator as everything happened around him, rather like Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby. I did, disappointingly, find him cringey and unrelatable all too often. He rather sadly came across as dull and boring and I found myself wishing the story had been narrated from one of the more interesting characters' perspectives, such as Saphnie or Lily. However, as the story progressed, I feel that Jay was given more of an opportunity to develop into a more real and less fictional-feeling character. Jay was so desperate to develop relationships and connections with those around him that I found it pleasantly ironic when all characters later appear to be connected in more ways than they realise.

I did like that all the characters were flawed in their own way as it give them more dimensions and aspects to their personalities. At times, I found that Jay's mother came across as unrealistically over-protective and those passages didn't blend with the novel well enough for me to find them relatable in the slightest. I also sadly feel that the girls in the novel weren't portrayed in a fair light overall as they were all either seen to be crazy, prudish or desperate for attention and obsessed with popularity.

That being said, the novel was enjoyable on the whole and sits nicely in the YA genre, making a great, quick summer read.
6/10