BOOK REVIEW | WE COME APART

Title: We Come Apart
Author: Sarah Crossan & Brian Conaghan
Series or Standalone: Standalone 
Genre: Contemporary YA
Publication Date: 09/02/17
Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher (Bloomsbury)/NetGalley
Star Rating: 3 stars
GOODREADS


Synopsis ->

Authors Brian Conaghan and Sarah Crossan have joined forces to tell the story of Nicu and Jess, two troubled teens whose paths cross in the unlikeliest of places.
Nicu has emigrated from Romania and is struggling to find his place in his new home. Meanwhile, Jess's home life is overshadowed by violence. When Nicu and Jess meet, what starts out as friendship grows into romance as the two bond over their painful pasts and hopeful futures. But will they be able to save each other, let alone themselves?
For fans of Una LaMarche’s Like No Other, this illuminating story told in dual points of view through vibrant verse will stay with readers long after they've turned the last page.

This book is definitely coming out at the right time (with what's happening around the world right now) and its message is immensely powerful. 
It follows two unlikely friends as they meet and get to know each other as a part of a juvenile reform course due to both Nicu and Jess being caught shoplifting. Nicu has recently emigrated to the UK from Romania and Jess lives in an unsafe and abusive home. 
As this book isn't officially released yet, I'll just list the things that really stuck out for me: 

- the look into Nicu's mind as he navigates his way in a new country and how hard it is to be in an unfamiliar environment and having to learn a new language, especially when no one gives you a chance (as is often the case in this book).
- It's also a glance behind those kids who act up in class. I often always thought as a kid, 'Why don't they just stop and do what they're told? Why are they so naughty?' etc., when there is ALWAYS a reason, even if it isn't always apparent to you. Having a look inside Jess's mind on why she did the things that she did was incredibly eye-opening. 
- the way that teachers treated Nicu was absolutely despicable. Not even giving him the time of day, not even a smile and always assuming the worst of him was absolutely heartbreaking to read. A teacher can literally make or break a student. 
- It's told in dual perspective and in verse, and to be honest it felt like the wrong format. I honestly don't understand why it was told in verse and it certainly didn't bring anything to the table for me.
- Another thing I was unsure about was the writing from Nicu's perspective. It felt almost wrong to be reading the disjointed English and the innermost thoughts of Nicu when he was written by a white man (I'm assuming Brian wrote Nicu). I'm still unsure how I feel about this because while the message of the book is super important, it just felt a little weird to me if that makes sense. 
- The ending was absolutely gut-wrenching. Prepare yourself. 

BOOK REVIEW | Victoria by Daisy Goodwin

Title: Victoria
Author: Daisy Goodwin
Series or Standalone: Standalone at this point in time
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: 20/10/16
Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher (Headline Review)/NetGalley
Star Rating: 3 stars
GOODREADS


Synopsis ->

In 1837, less than a month after her eighteenth birthday, Alexandrina Victoria - sheltered, small in stature, and female - became Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and from the moment William IV died, the young Queen startled everyone: abandoning her hated first name in favour of Victoria; insisting, for the first time in her life, on sleeping in a room apart from her mother; resolute about meeting with her ministers alone.
One of those ministers, Lord Melbourne, became Victoria's private secretary. Perhaps he might have become more than that, except everyone argued she was destined to marry her cousin, Prince Albert . But Victoria had met Albert as a child and found him stiff and critical: surely the last man she would want for a husband?
Drawing on Victoria's diaries as well as her own brilliant gifts for history and drama, Daisy Goodwin brings the inner life of the young queen even more richly to life in this magnificent novel. 

Victoria is a novelisation of Queen Victoria's ascension to the British throne in 1837. However, what you may or may not know, is that the author of this book is also the writer and creator of the ITV series (also titled Victoria) that coincides with it. I actually watched season 1 of the show first before reading the novel, so it's extremely difficult for me not to compare the two and to be honest, I much prefer the show to the novel. That's not to say it's a bad book, because it's not. It just lacked a few of the things that I adored from the show and even if I never watched the show, I still feel as though I would have the same issues with the book. 

So here is what I will tell you (if you don't want to know anything about the show or the book's plot and don't already know the history of Queen Victoria, then perhaps don't read on) - The novel only reaches the point of Victoria's engagement, whereas the show continues farther than that until the birth of her first child. This, combined with the fact that Prince Albert only enters the novel 80% of the way through, was my main issue. If you're a massive romance fan like I am, then you'll probably be reading this wondering when the HECK Albert is finally going to show up and woo you and this is exactly what happened. I was waiting and waiting and waiting and then it only leads up until their engagement??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS LITERALLY WHAT I'M HERE FOR!

Don't get me wrong, the first 80% of the novel is still important, as it follows Victoria's ascension and relationship with Lord Melbourne, but it dragged on for far too long and, in my opinion, should have only taken up 40-50% of the novel MAX, and the rest to be focussed on Victoria and Albert, their relationship, and how they rule together and start a family. 

I would be fine with the novel how it is if it were the first in a series, but Daisy Goodwin has stated that her next novel will follow an entirely different main character and it will take place after Prince Albert dies SO THE WHOLE REASON I WANTED TO READ THESE BOOKS IS COMPLETELY OUT OF THE PICTURE. WHAT THE HECK. 

I did love seeing Victoria ruling by herself, standing up to all of her enemies and coming into her own, but Albert was such a HUGE part of her life and I really, REALLY wanted to read about them together, so I was super disappointed. 

In terms of the content, it's pretty historically accurate for the amount of information available and Daisy Goodwin relied on a hefty biography of Victoria's life so she knew what she was talking about, even if some aspects were embellished for the sake of TV drama. 

So yes, I recommend this book if you want to know more about the Queen's early reigning years, but I don't recommend it if you're purely here for her and Prince Albert's relationship. I would definitely recommend the TV show over the novel in any case. The acting is superb, the costumes and settings were incredible and PRINCE ALBERT IS IN MORE THAN HALF OF IT, SO THERE'S THAT. He comes in at the end of episode 3 and there's 8 episodes in total in the first season, so get on that! 

Overall I gave it a 3 out of 5 stars! 

Here's a picture of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (from the ITV series) for your viewing pleasure ;)