lisa /

Title: Where We Go From Here

Author: Lucas Rocha

Pages: 288 Pages

Publisher: David Fickling Books

The Blurb

A touching, urgent #ownvoices LGBTQ+ debut novel from Brazilian author Lucas Rocha.

Ian has just been diagnosed with HIV. Victor, to his relief, has just tested negative. Henrique has been living with HIV for three years. 

Then, their worlds collide…

Where We Go From Here is an honest and compulsive novel which unveils the common misconceptions and prejudices surrounding HIV in the twenty-first century, showing how far we’ve come while shining a light on just how far we have to go. 

Heart-breaking, heart-warming and ultimately hopeful, it is a desperately needed and powerful piece of fiction.

The Review

It is going to sound strange and I admit I probably come off a little weird for this but I find that some of the stories that have made the biggest impact on me over the years are the ones that look at the AIDS epidemic.

Fiction or Non-Fiction, the heartbreaking stories of the late 70s to the 90s are so powerful and move me. Over the years, some writers have approached this topic in a positive way. Living with HIV. I think it is absolutely essential that these stories are told. About how HIV isn’t the equivalent of a death sentence like it was.

Where We Go From Here is the story of three friends who are all connected through HIV. Some have it and some do not. It is story about learning to love yourself and those around you without prejudice and being the found family that is often needed in times of crisis.

It was a lovely story with strong spiky characters. Part of me homes that Lucas Rocha writes a sequel in a few years time so we can catch up with Ian, Victor and Henrique.

Where We Go From Here by Lucas Rocha is available now.

For more information regarding Lucas Rocha (@lucasgsrocha) please visit his Twitter page.

For more information regarding David Fickling Books (@DFB_storyhouse) please visit www.davidficklingbooks.com.

lisa /

Title: Bunny vs Monkey and the League of Doom!

Author: Jamie Smart

Pages: 256 Pages

Publisher: David Fickling Books

The Blurb

This brand new remastered book collects together Bunny vs Monkey 5: Destructo and Bunny vs Monkey 6: Apocalypse for the first time. Since he crash-landed to Earth in a rocket, Monkey has been causing absolute mayhem! Bunny and the gang (Squirrel, Pig [the Pig], Action Beaver, and Skunky the Inventor) have almost had enough. Monkey’s eternal struggle for world domination is getting more ridiculous every day, and it’s impossible to predict which bizarre plan he’s going to put into action next… In this comic extravaganza, the pint-sized friends must face a giant robot whale, a pig cannon, a camping trip that goes wrong… oh, and the actual end of the world! Can Bunny and Co stop the apocalypse before it’s too late?!

(AMAZON BLURB)

The Review

I have really loved this silly, wacky, out there series of comics. I love the thought that our animal kingdom has its own nuances and hierarchies that leads to all sorts of misadventure. Jamie Smart really has managed to bring it to life in his Bunny vs Monkey series. Personally, this one hasn’t been my favourite. I personally love the parts that feature Le Fox – the fox who isn’t actually French. I am excited to see what more comes of this series.

Bunny vs Monkey and the League of Doom! by Jamie Smart is available now.

For more information regarding Jamie Smart (@jamiesmart) please visit www.fumboo.com.

For more information regarding David Fickling Books (@DFB_storyhouse) please visit www.davidfickingbooks.com.

lisa /

Title: Bunny Vs Monkey and the Human Invasion

Author: Jamie Smart

Pages: 256 Pages

Publisher: David Fickling Books

The Blurb

Since he crash-landed to Earth in a rocket, Monkey has been causing absolute mayhem!

But Bunny and the gang (Squirrel, Pig [the Pig], Action Beaver, and Skunky the Inventor) have almost had enough…

In this rollicking comic extravaganza, the pint-sized friends must tackle a helliphant, rocket-powered hot air balloons, and the most mind-boggling creatures of all: hew-mans…

The Review

I love the Bunny Vs Monkey books. They are silly and fun and really do brighten up your day. I am always a fan of silliness and Bunny Vs Monkey and the Human Invasion definitely delivers on that. If you love silliness, cute animals, deranged monkeys and fantastical adventures then Bunny Vs Monkey and the Human Invasion is the graphic novel for you.

Bunny Vs Monkey and the Human Invasion by Jamie Smart is available now.

For more information regarding Jamie Smart (@jamiesmart) please visit www.fumboo.com.

For more information regarding David Fickling Books (@DFB_storyhouse) please visit www.davidficklingbooks.com.

lisa /

Title: Bunny Vs Monkey Book One

Author: Jamie Smart

Pages: 256 Pages

Publisher: David Fickling Books

The Blurb

This brand new remastered book collects together Bunny vs Monkey 1: Let the Mayhem Begin and Bunny vs Monkey 2: Journey to the Centre of the Eurg-th for the first time. Smaller easy-to-read format! 256 hilarious pages! FAST AND FURRY-OUS! 

Welcome to the woods. It’s chaos in there! Bunny and his friends Weenie the Squirrel, Pig (the pig), Action Beaver and Skunky the Inventor lived a peaceful life in the forest – until Monkey’s rocket crash-landed and he decided to take over! Now Monkey is causing mayhem, Bunny is determined to put a stop to it, and… what’s that? It’s an out of control shark tank, ruining a lovely picnic! 

Join bestselling comics sensation Jamie Smart for this hilarious collection of stories, available in a new chunky format!

(Amazon Blurb)

The Review

Oh I haven’t chuckled this much in ages. Bunny Vs Monkey is a graphic novel about the acrimonious relationship between a bunny and a monkey. Monkey believes he has been sent to another planet to colonise the land. Little does he know is that the scientists who sent him away didn’t quite reach outer space and his is in fact still on earth in the woods. 

The relationship between Bunny and Monkey is brilliant. It is like Roadrunner and Wiley Coyote yet they both have more elements of Wiley Coyote than anyone. Along with a colourful cast of characters such as Pig, Weenie the Squirrel and Skunk and my personal favourite – Le Fox – this graphic novel is chock full of silliness and I, for one, salute the silliness.

A brilliant distraction from life, Bunny vs Monkey is a must read for anyone who loves a good laugh.

Bunny Vs Monkey Book One by Jamie Smart is available now,

For more information regarding David Fickling Books (@DFB_storyhouse) please visit www.davidficklingbooks.com.

lisa /

the-art-of-being-normalTitle: The Art of Being Normal

Author: Lisa Williamson

Pages: 353 Pages

Publisher: David Fickling Books

The Blurb

David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl. On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal – to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in Year 11 is definitely not part of that plan. When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long . .

 

The Review

For the past few years I have had a growing fascination with the transgender community. Not in a weird, creepy, voyeuristic way but more in a sympathetic, can’t even begin to imagine how it must feel to be trapped in the wrong body way. I think people who openly identify with a gender that conflicts with the one that they are born into are so very brave. I find the whole subject rather heartbreaking.

Equally, I am a huge fan of Young Adult literature because writers of this genre are tackling subjects way beyond subjects that I read about in my teens. Never has there been more literature that opens up the world to diversity and the fact that it is targeted at future adults gives me hope for a more (and I hate this word but I can’t think of a better one) tolerant society.

The Art of Being Normal is a book about the LGBTQIA community, friendship and is also a coming of age tale of self discovery and acceptance. It centres on the friendship between David and Leo: two outsiders that form an unlikely friendship. They meet in high school and whilst David is battling with his gender identity, Leo is struggling with being the new kid and dealing with a bad reputation that has followed him to his new school.

I don’t want to say anything more about this book. I just want to give you the bare bones because it is rather wonderful and you should be allowed to discover it yourselves. What I will say is that Williamson deals with the topic of identity in a sensitive but honest way. She isn’t patronising or clichéd nor does she treat the subject as a novelty. Her writing is warm and rich and she has created a story that is rich and intoxicating from the very first page.

The Art of Being Normal was a pleasure to read.

The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson is available now.

For more information regarding Lisa Williamson (@lisa_letters) please visit www.lisawilliamsonauthor.com.

For more information regarding (@DFB_storyhouse) please visit www.davidficklingbooks.com.

4-stars