Saturday 14 November 2015

Review - All of the Above by James Dawson



Title: All of the Above
Author: James Dawson
Pages: 336
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Release date: 3rd September 2015

Blurb from Goodreads: 

When sixteen-year-old Toria Bland arrives at her new school she needs to work out who her friends are, all in a crazy whirl of worry, exam pressure and anxiety over fitting in. Things start looking up when Toria meets the funny and foul-mouthed Polly, who's the coolest girl Toria has ever seen. Polly and the rest of the 'alternative' kids take Toria under their wing. And that's when she meets the irresistible Nico Mancini, lead singer of a local band - and it's instalove at first sight! Toria likes Nico, Nico likes Toria . . . but then there's Polly. Love and friendship have a funny way of going round in circles.
 







My Review:

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Bonnier Publishing and NetGalley*

3.5/5 stars

Victoria 'Toria' Grand has moved to a sea-side town and is starting at a new school. She worries about fitting in but soon falls in with foul-mouthed Polly and her gang of friends.
Toria then meets Nico Mancini, bass player for a local band and falls head over heels.
Polly becomes Toria's best friend but is she more than that?


All of the Above was an enjoyable read with relevant themes and diverse characters.
Toria was a relatable, believable and likeable protagonist. She wasn't perfect and I liked that she knew that.
Toria's friends were a mixed bunch. Daisy and Beasley were my favourites. I liked Polly at times but she was a bit unstable.
The storyline was interesting and I really enjoyed the writing style - it held my attention and made me want to read on.
I liked how diverse the characters and themes were - there were characters struggling with their sexuality, characters who had embraced their sexuality as well as self harm, eating disorders and alcoholism.


Overall this was an enjoyable, diverse read.

 


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