Review: Ms Marvel Volume 1 - No Normal

“Good is not a thing you are. It's a thing you do.”

Marvel Comics presents the all-new Ms. Marvel, the groundbreaking heroine that has become an international sensation! Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City - until she is suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the all-new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! As Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to handle? Kamala has no idea either. But she's comin' for you, New York!

Ms Marvel is the comic that this world needs right now. Kamala Khan smashes down stereotypes of young Muslim-American women and opens up the discussion about teenage identity. She is one of the most relatable female protagonists in Marvel comics; instead of being squeezed into a skintight catsuit or revealing bikini, she's in a practical costume and out there saving the neighbourhood. She struggles between following the strict rules her parents have set for her and her desire to defy them to sneak out and do good in this world. Kamala is smart, funny and strong, but she's also a little unsure of herself and it's this innocence that draws us to her on her path to discovering her identity. 

This comic is more than a superhero story; Ms Marvel is creating a much needed dialogue about the treatment towards the Muslim community in our society. Comics have a large influence across a diverse community so it's just that the narratives Marvel are creating reflect this. Kamala and her friend Nadia struggle with offhand comments about their religion or choice to wear the hijab and both grapple with the teachings in their Mosque as they strive to modern feminists. I think it's fantastic that Marvel has created such a diverse but realistic character that reflects and represents so many young women and will help them feel more involved in the world of comics. Kamala shows that being a Muslim does not hold her back in anyway but instead gives her the principles to use her powers for good.

The illustrations in this graphic novel are outstanding - the artists have truly established their own style unique to Ms Marvel but reminiscent of the Captain Marvel comics that came before her. The colours work perfectly and blend well with the text and story being told. All of the characters have been personified amazingly well and the illustrations complement this. All in all, an amazing comic that I can recommend to lovers of Marvel, a good female protagonist or anyone searching for better Muslim representation in the world of literature.

9/10

Review: How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

“Whenever I see someone reading a book, especially if it is someone I don't expect, I feel civilisation has become a little safer.” 

Tom Hazard has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary forty-one-year-old, but he was born in 1581. Owing to a rare condition, he’s been alive for centuries. From Shakespeare’s England to Jazz Age Paris to voyaging the Pacific alongside Captain Cook, Tom has seen a lot, and he now craves an ordinary life.

Always changing his identity to stay alive, Tom now has the perfect cover—working as a history teacher at a London school. Here, he can teach the kids about wars and witch hunts as if he’d never witnessed them first-hand. He can try to tame the past that is quickly catching up with him. The only thing Tom can’t do is fall in love.

'How to Stop Time' is one of those books that stays with you long after you read it. It's the kind of book you find yourself thinking about staring out of the bus window on a rainy day. It's the kind of book you remember months later staring at the stars thinking about the meaning of life. And it's also the kind of book you'll remember with a fond smile or a giggle at some of the humorous parts. Basically, what I'm trying to say in a very cheesy way is that this is a book everyone should read, whatever your age or background because it's one of those books that will genuinely change your outlook on life itself, maybe only slightly but it will. 

Matt Haig has written a book for everyone because it is about the one thing the whole world has in common: life. The protagonist, Tom, struggles to find meaning in his life as he nears his 5th century on Earth, which isn't exactly the circumstances most of us find ourselves in but I think it goes without saying that everyone on the planet questions where life is taking us at some point. Various characters in the novel view life very differently: Tom has lived most of his life grieving for his only love Rose and searching the world for their daughter; Hendrich lives his life hiding away, always on the run and instilling fear into other 'albatrosses', whereas ordinary 'mayfly' and Tom's potential new love interest Camille seizes every opportunity she can, knowing how precious life can be and how quick it can disappear. Having these very different perspectives on life is a very clever device that Haig uses to show us readers there is not one right way to live life but that it must be lived, it is not enough to merely survive whether you have 80 or 800 years on Earth. 

The gentle romance blossoming between Camille and Tom is relatable to the reader because it is like any other romance. Tom is incredibly awkward and passive, wanting a relationship but wracked with guilt over Rose's death. Camille is interested but frustrated by Tom's blunt replies. We root for Tom but cringe at their awkward exchanges and his mistakes. Their romance isn't the main feature of the book but it plays an important part in Tom's journey to finding meaning in his life.

This is a truly beautiful book and Haig is a fantastically talented writer. It's the kind of story that will never lose relevance and is destined to be hailed as a classic by the next generation. Time will not need to be stopped for this book as it will survive and thrive for many readers to come.

10/10

New Year at Hogwarts | Pottermore Sorting

In celebration of this year, 1st September 2017, being nineteen years later, the last canon scene featured in the Harry Potter books, I've decided to share with you my Pottermore sorting experience as unfortunately I never received my Hogwarts acceptance letter.... 

I've been a member of Pottermore since about 2014, so I've been using it since before the big change in the sorting quiz and the format of the website. I think I preferred it before but I'm definitely getting used to it! When the website changed, there was an option to reclaim your old house, which I did because Hufflepuff is the greatest house and I wouldn't want it any other way. Still, I got curious, so I made a new account and did the test again. I was actually terrified I might be sorted differently so I was very happy and relieved to be sorted back into the house of the just and loyal! I really enjoyed the new sorting quiz, it's a really interesting way to find out what you value most and although the questions seem vague at first, it's a lot of fun. If you've never actually been sorted on Pottermore, I would highly recommend doing it because it's a great way to connect with other fans and the test was devised by JK Rowling herself so what are you waiting for?! 

I know a few people are actually disappointed to be sorted into Hufflepuff *gasps* So, I think it's important to remember this is the house of Tonks, Cedric and Newt Scammander, some of the most renowned wizards! And who wouldn't want to be part of a house which values hard work and loyalty, those are clearly great qualities. Also, the whole Hufflepuff aesthetic is very bright and sunny which I love. And for bonus points, the Hufflepuff common room is right next to the kitchen so need I say more? I mean I could, but we'll move on.

I was really excited to discover the new Ilvermony houses and get sorted! I didn't really know much about any of the houses at first so I was eager to learn more about Thunderbird. Apparently, it's the house that represents the soul and values adventures, which are great traits to have. To add to that, Porpentina Goldstein of the Fantastic Beasts movie is a proud member of Thunderbird so if you've been sorted into this house you're among the best Ilvermony have to offer! Furthermore, JK Rowling and Evanna Lynch have both been sorted into Thunderbird on Pottermore so what better reason is there to be proud of your house?!

So I actually own Cedric Diggory's wand but on Pottermore I have a unicorn hair core, hornbeam wood 14 1/4 inch wand! I think part of the reason you're assigned a wand is to make the sorting process even more realistic, which is what we all need really seeing as we all have a complex after never getting that sorting letter... 

I remember when you could first discover your Patronus, a hugely exciting time for all us Potter fans! As someone who always thought theirs would be a hamster or something slightly pathetic or something I was pretty happy to discover it was a dolphin! On Pottermore, it doesn't tell you the significance of the dolphin but a bit of digging revealed that apparently having the dolphin as my Patronus signals me to be an adventure-seeking and social person who can sometimes appear incompetent due to asking for help. Interesting! Though this isn't from the official site so I took it with a pinch of salt.

An Evening with Victoria Aveyard | Talk and Book Signing with the Bestselling Author of Red Queen

A spoiler free summary of Victoria Aveyard's Talk and Book Signing!

I was lucky enough to meet Victoria Aveyard on her Liverpool stop of her UK Red Queen Tour! She was promoting her collectors edition of Red Queen and gave a talk on everything from how Pokemon inspired the powers of protagonists Mare and Cal to how she feels the way society is socialised may have limited people's impressions of her books. It was an honour to hear Aveyard speak, she was a funny and intelligent lady with a wild imagination and it was clear she inspired myself and many other young minds in the room. 



There was a hum of chatter as all the fans awaited her entrance but as soon as she neared silence fell as the moment we were all anticipating arrived! Seated in front of the small crowd, Aveyard was initially interviewed by Lucy Richardson, who was clearly as big of a fan as anyone else in the room, before a Q&A session with the audience. An imaginative and creative author, Aveyard discussed being a visual writer. She explained how the first idea for Red Queen popped into her head as an image of a girl about to be executed who then electrocutes her executioner and evades her impending death. She was intrigued by this story and decided to explore it. Usually a screenwriter, Aveyard felt this narrative wouldn't work on screen and set about writing a novel. Red Queen was born and Victoria spoke of how she loved world building and enjoys drawing fantasy maps in her spare time. Initially, the series was to be 3 books but Victoria felt she couldn't reach an ending in King's Cage and so the fandom eagerly awaits the fourth and final instalment in which she has promised even more plot twists, which she is renowned for. (I still haven't recovered to be honest). The most shocking thing Aveyard revealed was that in her first draft of Red Queen, Mare's brother's power was initially going to be time travel but it was going to impact the story too greatly and so she was advised by her editor to change it and so Shade's power became teleportation.


With an evil laugh, she revealed to us she has never been afraid to kill off characters, as long as their deaths aid the story, drawing parallels between the death of Dumbledore and Obe-Wan Kenobi and how the death of a mentor allows character development. Victoria also discussed with us how she loves a strong female character, revealing her favourite to be Sansa Stark, who she is a self-confessed 'stan' of! This led her on to explain how Game of Thrones has inspired the fantasy side of the series, which was probably inevitable considering how big of a fan she is. Relating to the nerds in the room (myself included) when questioned about how she came up with the powers for her characters, Aveyard excitedly told us she was inspired by Pokemon, referring to Mare as Pikachu and Cal as a Charmaleon. She was also eager to talk about LGBT representation and how she hopes to add to a more diverse narrative in YA literature, something she hopes she's always improving on. Aveyard also acknowledged that the way society is socialised has led to a potentially narrower audience of readers as sometimes boys are reluctant to pick up her books that perhaps appear more feminine. She doesn't however feel limited by being marketed as a YA author as she sees her audience is vast due to the many themes she covers, such as fascism, oppressive class systems, terrorism and war, all relevant to our world despite being set in a dystopian fantasy world. 

A final piece of advice for aspiring authors in the audience was to always finish a draft! Aveyard assured us that it is far harder to complete a perfect first draft than to just draft all of your ideas and edit it after. She advised making notes of what you want to improve later and also warned against trying to mirror another author's journey to publishing. She ended her talk warmly thanking us for coming and then patiently met every fan and signed everyone's stack of books, happy to answer any extra questions and take pictures. An incredibly smart author and a lovely lady!

Visit Victoria's website: https://www.victoriaaveyard.com/ and follow her on twitter

Review: One of Us Is Lying by Karen M McManus

“I don't know why it's so hard for people to admit that sometimes they're just assholes who screw up because they don't expect to get caught.”

Yale hopeful Bronwyn has never publicly broken a rule. Sports star Cooper only knows what he's doing in the baseball diamond. Bad boy Nate is one misstep away from a life of crime. Prom queen Addy is holding together the cracks in her perfect life.

And outsider Simon, creator of the notorious gossip app at Bayview High, won't ever talk about any of them again. He dies 24 hours before he could post their deepest secrets online. Investigators conclude it's no accident. All of them are suspects.

Everyone has secrets, right?

What really matters is how far you'll go to protect them.

This book has been described as "Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club" and I suppose that's true to some extent in that the whole book really lacks originality. It was one of those books where the whole idea for the plot is very exciting but the actual novel doesn't live up to the hype and seems kind of lackluster. I found the characters to be very cliche of a teen novel, there really wasn't anything unique about them, which was quite disappointing actually. I was also kind of gutted that all four of the protagonists seemed one dimensional and undeveloped, all of their backgrounds and their individual stories weren't given the time they deserved as the author flitted between them all each chapter. It was interesting getting everyone's unique perspective but the readers don't really get a chance to fully understand the characters, meaning none of the scenes are particularly shocking or emotional.

What I love most about murder mystery novels are the plot twists that usually have me gripped and hanging on to every word but all of the supposedly surprising revelations in this novel were predictable and I'd already guessed them. The scenes in school were overly cliche and unrealistic as well, and I appreciate that it is a work of fiction but it does make it harder to enjoy the book and relate to the characters when that's the case. Also, the overly done, typical bad boy romance in this book was poorly written. If done well, it could have added a lot to the plot but as it was it just wasn't believable or relevant. 

This book was marketed and hyped up as a shocking murder mystery book with some unlikely teens banded together who bond over their shared experience as falsely accused but it just didn't live up to that at all. It was slow and not fast paced as a good thriller should be. I can't recommend it but you should always read a book for yourself to make your mind up!

3/10

If You Liked Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon...

Everything Everything is a beautiful, sweet coming of age romance with the stakes being slightly higher than usual when protagonist Maddy leaves the house to chase her true love despite being confined to her home due to a rare medical condition. Maybe you loved the film, released in the UK August 18th, and you want to read books of a similar genre. Therefore, if you loved this novel, here are my top 10 books you should read next!

1. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
This book will always be a favourite of mine and I think at least one element of the story will mirror your own experiences of growing up. It's a story about two siblings experiencing their first love and loss at the same time but in different ways. It's beautifully written and full of bright, vivid descriptions. It reads almost like poetry, a truly perfect novel.







2. Ask the Passengers by A S King

A friend got this book for me and I'm so glad she did because it's completely changed my perspective on things. A coming of age novel mixed in with the beginnings of a teenager asking philosophical questions, despite being fiction it feels like a very true story. Astrid is beginning to discover her sexuality and find first love while struggling with the constraints of unaccepting parents and judgey small town life.






3. A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard
This book is about an anxious, mute teen girl who finally finds her voice communicating through sign language with her deaf boyfriend Rhys. It's a lovely story as neither is dependent on the other in developing themselves but instead supported in a healthy relationship that feels as perfect and sometimes painful in all the ways first loves do. 







4. The Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr
Living with a rare form of amnesia, Flora has no recollection of anything longer than a few hours ago and her last memories are from when she was 10. Her parents keep her overprotected and when the chance arises, Flora travels halfway across the world for an opportunity to make her own memories. Very reminiscent of the rebellious streak in Maddy when she defies her mother!






5. When We Collided by Emery Lord

When I say this story is vibrant, I'm not just talking about the front cover! It's an absolute rollercoaster of first love and a beautiful exploration of the feelings of both people involved. The intensity of it all will keep you gripped as a reader and the realism in this novel is what really makes the story. Nothing is sugercoated!







6. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

If what you're looking for is a genuine first discovery of romance then look no further than the novels of YA romance author Jenny Han! A perfect read for the summer, you can practically feel the rays on you as you're reading. Protagonist Belly begins falling for family friends Conrad and Jeremiah while discovering her independence as a young woman. Definitely worth the read!






7. This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales
This novel is a little different to the others in this list but if you liked Everything Everything I'm guessing you really love a coming of age book! Outsider Elise discovers an underground DJ scene where she finally feels accepted and as though she can be herself despite a traumatic incident in her near past and difficulties at school. 







8. Unspeakable by Abbie Rushton

A beautifully honest book about two young girls discovering themselves through their first relationship. Megan doesn't speak but bubbly new girl Jasmine brings out the voice in her. Something has happened that Megan cannot speak about but around Jasmine, she can finally speak. One of the best YA LGBT romance books with a mystery thrown in.








9. Everything Leads to You by Nina Lacour

Set in LA, everything about this book screams that it needs to be made into a film. Vibrant Emi and her best friend Charlotte are working on a film when they embark on a search for an old Wild-West movie star's grand daughter, all while being left with the heavy responsibility to do something epic while staying in her brother's flat for the summer. Hope, betrayal, loss and guilt make this a recipe for a perfect coming of age novel.






10. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Lovers of Rainbow Rowell probably hold this novel to be the single book that embodies all the best elements of a YA romance/coming-of-age story. Eleanor and Park have an intense relationship, realistic to that of when your 16, all whilst exploring their identities and struggling with problems in their personal lives. A fantastic read that I fully enjoyed and can definitely recommend. 

My Dream Adaptation of Everything Leads to You by Nina Lacour