Soulmates - Holly Bourne

Title: Soulmates - Holly Bourne
Publisher: Usbourne Publishing
Series: N/A
Service: Own
Release Date: 01/09/2013
Pages: 544
Format: Paperback

Rating: ★★

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Every so often, two people are who are the perfect matches for each other. Soulmates. But while the odds of this happening are about as likely as being struck by lightning, when these people do meet and fall in love… thunderstorms, lightning strikes and lashings of rain are only the beginning of their problems.

Enter Poppy, the 17 year old cynic with a serious addiction to banana milk, and Noah, the heart-throb guitarist; residents of mediocre Middletown, sometime students, and… soulmates.

After a chance meeting at a local band night, Poppy and Noah find themselves swept up in a whirlwind romance unlike anything they've ever experienced before. But with a secret international agency preparing to separate them, a trail of destruction rumbling in their wake, (and a looming psychology coursework deadline), they are left with an impossible choice between the end of the world, or a life without love...

Give me one word…

Why do you say that?

'Soulmates' by Holly Bourne is an interesting book with some intriguing concepts. Delving into the relationship of two teenagers, Poppy and Noah, whilst looking into the science of it all, I thought this would be my type of book. 

Poppy is a seventeen year old cynic. She has flat out decided that the male species is pretty useless and uninteresting and will hold off until she becomes nineteen. I fully accepted this but felt there was no real reason behind her cynicism and so I struggled to click with Poppy right at the start. However I did love Bourne's description of Poppy's panic attacks. As someone who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks I felt that it was true and it gave another dimension to the character as well.

As the book goes on and Poppy meets Noah she begins to soften. A love at first sight that she refuses herself and I am thankful she did. It stay true to her character that regardless of how strong her feeling were for him she was not about to swoon into his arms the first time he asks her on a date. One thing I adored about this book was Poppy's character growth. Surrounded by a supportive group of friends (perhaps, minus Ruth) she changes gradually and became more likeable in my opinion. 

Noah is a guitarist who first sees and meets Poppy at a band night and falls for her there and then. He can come across quite cocky but it was very interesting to see bouts of vulnerability and insecurity from him once he starts a relationship with Poppy. I almost wish Bourne had written some chapters from his point of view. 

I enjoyed the majority of this book. The growth of two teenagers as they enter a relationship. The general good feelings about reading about two people so in love. And the input that every feels the need to have when they know that their friend/family is in a relationship.

However I had some issues with the twist in this story. I love a good plot twist especially if it involves science but this just felt a little rushed to me. What was explained was good but I wanted more detail and more back story on Dr Anita Beaumont and Rain. It was a good concept but I was disappointed by the execution of it.

Overall I had some mixed feeling with this book. I'm looking forward to the release of Holly Bourne's next book to see if I will find it more fulfilling.

Memorable Quote

And I know we're only seventeen and we're supposed to be kissing the frogs before we get to the prince and all that bollocks, but boys are just such… hard work.

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock - Matthew Quick

Title: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock - Matthew Quick
Publisher: Headline
Series: N/A
Service: Headline via Bookbridgr (In return for an honest review)
Release Date: 16/01/2014
Pages: 288
Format: Paperback 

Rating: ★★★★

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Leonard Peacock is turning 18. And he wants to say goodbye. Not to his former best friend, whose torments have driven him to consider committing something tragic and horrific.

Nor his mum who's moved out and left him to fend for himself. But to his four best friends. A Humphrey Bogart - obsessed neighbour. A teenage violin virtuoso. A pastor's daughter. A teacher.

Most of the time Leonard believes he's weird and sad but these friends have made him think that maybe he's not.

He wants to thank them, and bid them farewell.

Give me some words…

Why do you say that?

I originally picked up Quick's book 'Silver Linings Playbook' and after all the hype I was disappointed to find that I just couldn't bring myself to finish it. So I jumped at the chance to give another one of his books a go and was so pleased I did.

'Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock' is all about Leonard on his eighteenth birthday and his choice to commit suicide after a range of events that have happened over the years. Before he ends his life, Leonard wants to hand out gifts to four of the people who have made his life bearable and in doing so we begin to learn of what happened to Leonard and why these people have such a significance in his life.

This book would have been nowhere near as great had it not been for the character Leonard Peacock. He satisfied for me what Pat at Tiffany did not. Leonard is perhaps one of the loneliest fictional characters I have come across and I felt for him right from the first page. Leonard's highs and lows through the story also became my highs and lows and I found myself in tears more than once. His interaction with those he loves is heart breaking in both good and bad ways. Quick did a fantastic job in  showing that even those you have spent a lot of time with can sometimes surprise you by either exceeding your expectations or showing you a completely different side to them you never knew.

I was confused by the 'letters from the future' sections of the book to start with but that was soon cleared up and they became the parts of the story that I really enjoyed. And perhaps that is the other reason I loved Leonard's character. Throughout all the things that have happened Leonard clearly still thinks of his future and tries to see the positive which makes his resolve to commit suicide, in my eyes, even more heart wrenching.

As far as the other character in this book are concerned, Walt and Herr Silverman are some of my favourites. They were obviously filling in for Leonard's lack of a father figure but both did so in their own unique ways. I found Herr Silverman's story and response to the things he face particularly interesting. I believe he truly care about Leonard and his well being.

On the other hand, Asher Beal and Linda are two people who I grew to intensely dislike throughout the whole book. Linda is an absolute disgrace of a fictional mother and even writing about her now is making me angry. Rather than trying to understand what Leonard is going through she has become to absorbed in her own life and thinks that Leonard just pulls stunts in order to get her attention, downplaying the seriousness of the situation.

Overall, I think this book really reminded me how crap the world can be and how people can be rather cruel. It pays to be kind and be mindful that people are sometimes going through their own battle. 'Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock' has convinced me to continue reading material from Matthew Quick.