Review - SHIFT By Em Bailey

"There were two things everyone knew about Miranda Vaile before she'd even started at our school. The first was that she had no parents - they were dead. And the second was that they were dead because Miranda had killed them."

Olive used to be the school queen-bee. But that was before her breakdown. Now she's the class loner, and can only watch as new girl Miranda latches on to Olive's ex-best friend Katie. Soon Miranda is talking like Katie, dressing like Katie - even going out with Katie's boyfriend.

And then Katie dies. Everyone seems to believe it was a tragic accident, but OIive isn't so sure. What if the wild rumours are true? What if Miranda really is a killer...?" taken from Goodreads

I was instantly intrigued when I first heard about Shift.  Although the idea may have been done in a fashion before, for me it was new and the idea highly appealed to me.

The cover is fantastic and so applicable to the story.  I love how the face created with the different parts kind of fit.  Very clever work there!!

This is a great suspense builder of a read.  Every page you read you find out a little, but never quite enough so that you aren't questioning where is the story going next.

There are constant mentions of an incident which really had me wondering what is it??  It kept me dying for more!!

What I didn't expect from the story was an element of paranormalcy.  It was an inclusion that I greatly appreciated as I am a huge paranormal fan, so I was extremely happy.

About mid way through the book there is a BIG reveal - I was in complete shock by it.  I didn't see it coming at all, but I have to say when I read it, everything pieced together and I saw it quite obviously.

I was seriously creeped out by the character of Miranda.  She is the epitome of the nightmare person for me.  And so when you read characters swarming round her I couldn't help but want to scream NO STAY AWAY!!!

I have to say with the added pieces that I didn't expect this was a very different reading experience to what I was expecting, but that made it all the more enjoyable for me, although I was left with several lingering questions.  I wonder if these will ever be addressed??

This is a hugely addictive, suspenseful read that had me gripped!!

Rating 4 Out Of 5

Published In The UK By Electric Monkey

This Can Be Purchased HERE and from all good book sellers

NB - For Anyone in the South East London area SHIFT is the July Book club read for Waterstones YA Reading Group

SHIFT BLOG TOUR - What Makes A YA Novel A YA Novel?

When the lovely people at Electric Monkey Books asked me to be a part of the Shift blog tour I was thrilled.  I'm currently reading the book and am totally addicted, desperate to know what happens next.  And then getting the opportunity to have Em Bailey write something for my blog was just too awesome to pass up.  Here is her fantastic post......

What makes a YA novel a YA novel?

When I was a teenager YA didn’t really exist in the way that is does today. But even then there were books that felt different somehow - ones which focused on adolescent characters who did and discussed things I’d never read about in any other books. These books had an aura of “the forbidden” about them – which of course made them all the more alluring. You hid them at the bottom of your school bag to pull out only when no one else was around and discussed them in hushed tones in the school grounds. I remember being particularly riveted by Go Ask Alice – the (supposedly) factual first person account of a teenage girl's descent into drug addiction. This book scared the life out of me as a thirteen-year-old, because the narrator seemed so normal at the start, so much like me.

And then there were the Judy Blume books – ones like Forever and Tiger Eyes where the characters actually slept together! These books remain fixed in my memory in a way that few ‘grown-up’ books have done since. They were instructional too – providing me with information that I was way too shy to actually ask anyone. Their very existence (and the fact that it took a three week wait to get them from the library) was deeply comforting. Other people clearly had the same questions that I did.

Since then of course the whole YA category has expanded dramatically, now covering seemingly topic imaginable. Even so, I didn’t really consider writing one myself until I’d already written a number of books for younger readers.  And then one day a character started forming in my head – a teenage girl who could seemingly take on the appearance and personality of anyone around her – and I knew that she belonged in a YA novel.

Then I started wondering what a YA novel was exactly and how did it differ from literature for younger or older readers? Even after finishing Shift I’m still not entirely sure. In general terms I guess you could say that a YA novel is one written for teenagers and about teenagers. YA novels are often told in the first person, creating an intimate, personal feeling and the slightly pared-back language pushes the plot to centre stage. But none of these characteristics are true of all YA novels because the category is so broad and covers so many genres. Vampire romances, historical fiction, gritty realism – anything goes with YA. To be honest I’m not even sure what genre my own novel is exactly. Supernatural mystery? Psychological thriller? Luckily, YA allows for endless variations and permutations.

YA has been recently criticised for a perceived trend towards darkness (insert link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303657404576357622592697038.html). Perhaps there is an abundance of less-than-cheery themes in recent novels but I honestly believe that when most YA authors explore such topics they do it to cover issues that are pertinent to their readership. I would suggest that they also generally offer ways through the bleak times. Novels aimed specifically at adults seem to do this far less frequently and I think it’s this offering of hope and sense of solidarity that makes YA so appealing to readers – even ones who are technically not in the YA demographic.

One of the things I loved about working on Shift was how it allowed me to push things – characters, plot - much further than I could when writing a younger title. I felt almost giddy with the possibilities suddenly open to me. This is not to say that I don’t still love writing for a younger audience, because I do. But writing YA with the endless opportunities it offers – well, I can see how it could easily become an addiction.

Letterbox Love (2)

Letterbox Love Is Hosted By The Fabulous Lynsey over at Narratively Speaking.  Its a fun way for us to showcase our weeks new books here in the UK

Book links will take you to Amazon UK

 

 

 

This week has been rather fab!  I got to attend the launch of Tanya Byrne's debut book Heart-Shaped Bruise, Which was just incredible.  

Then yesterday I got to attend another fabulous event held at Foyles with lots of awesome authors.

 Here is what I got this week!

 

RECEIVED

 

 City Of Lost Souls By Cassandra Clare

I was thrilled to get a copy of this, this week.  I had actually bought a copy the week before, but receiving this meant I could give it to my Mum and keep my book to myself!!  Many Thanks to Walker Books

 Shine By Jeri Smith-Ready

I have the first two books in the series  and am still to read them - I've heard amazing things about them!  Many Thanks To Simon & Schuster

Shift By Em Bailey

This I am so intrigued by - Really looking forward to starting it.  Thanks To the people at Electric Monkey

 The Pledge By Kimberly Derting

I love the Body Finder series and although I know this is different, I have it on very good authority that it rocks.  Thanks to Alison & Busby for my Copy

BOUGHT

The Last Echo By Kimberly Derting

I've not got round to getting this yet, so HAD to buy a copy at the signing

Heart-Shaped Bruise By Tanya Byrne

I was lucky to receive an ARC of this, so have already read this story - I was so blown over by it!!  I had to get myself a gorgeous copy of the book!! 

Book Trailer - SHIFT By Em Bailey

I heard about Shift By Em Bailey recently and have been quite intrigued by it since.  The blurb makes it sound utterly enthralling.  Then I was sent the trailer to share with you guys - now I just NEED this book in my life!  I feel chilled to the bone, yet morbidly excited........

This Is Published In The UK By Electric Monkey Books

Here's a it more about the book courtesy of Goodreads:

Olive Corbett is not crazy. Not anymore.

She obediently takes her meds and stays under the radar at school. After "the incident," Olive just wants to avoid any more trouble, so she knows the smartest thing is to stay clear of the new girl who is rumored to have quite the creepy past.
But there’s no avoiding Miranda Vaile. As mousy Miranda edges her way into the popular group, right up to the side of queen bee Katie – and pushes the others right out – only Olive seems to notice that something strange is going on. Something almost . . . parasitic. Either Olive is losing her grip on reality, or Miranda Vaile is stealing Katie’s life.

But who would ever believe crazy Olive, the girl who has a habit of letting her imagination run away with her? And what if Olive is the next target?