I really enjoyed writing my last Tea Talk so I decided I'd try to make it a regular thing, it won't always be about a single book - this one is about an author and everything she has written to date - Holly Bourne.
I discovered Holly Bourne in August when I picked up her most recently published 'Am I Normal Yet?' from Waterstones. I knew from the first page that I wanted to read everything else she'd ever written and ordered her debut novel 'Soulmates' and 'The Manifesto on How To Be Interesting' from Amazon that same day. It was not a mistake.
'Soulmates' was not what I expected, especially since I read 'Am I Normal Yet?' first and Soulmates has an element of supernatural in it which was a cool twist. It is what it says in the title - it's a book about a girl called Poppy and everything that happens inside her head and around her when she finds her soulmate, Noah. From the blurb I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it, but Poppy's cynical perception of love took the edge off the potential mushiness and I found myself really invested in the story.
'The Manifesto on How To Be Interesting' is, without a doubt, one of the best books I've ever read. I'm not just saying that and that's not something I throw around when it comes to books - I read a lot, this one is truly one of a kind. It focuses on Bree, a wealthy girl at a private school fighting against everything around her - her school, her life, her parents - until she starts a blog titled 'The Manifesto on How To Be Interesting' and with that she begins to shape her life to that of one of the most popular girls in school. She has a makeover, befriends the popular girls, betrays her best friend, falls in love, then betrays her new "friends" all in the name of research. I connected with Bree from the very first sentence where it shows the multiple rejection letters she has received from literary agents aged only 17 - I was that girl and it made me love her instantly. I knew I was going to like it from the blurb, but I didn't expect to love it quite as much as I did - I devoured it in almost one sitting and haven't stopped recommending it since!
'Am I Normal Yet?' is one of the most powerful YA novels I've ever read, it explores some really sensitive and important issues and Holly does an absolutely amazing job with it. The book focuses on Evie and her issues with OCD and anxiety and navigating sixth form while trying to hide it all from her friends. I was so impressed when I finished it at how much Holly does in 433 pages to raise awareness of mental health - I learnt more in 'Am I Normal Yet?' about what it can be like for someone with OCD than I ever thought possible. Luckily for me and everyone else who fell in love with the characters in this book, the second instalment 'How Hard Can Love Be?' is coming February 2016!
There seems to be a new kind of YA author in the UK at the moment and I am loving it. I love the idea that if I ever make it into the 'published author' circle that there are writers like Holly filling the heads of young people with things that matter. I love these books full of powerful girls and women. All three of Holly Bourne's books focus on girls and all of those girls have something - an issue or a problem that could overcome them, but instead of focussing on the weakness Holly focuses on the strength in fighting it and that is what resonated with me the most. I think it's more important than ever for mental health issues to be incorporated into books in a way that eliminates the stigma around them and Holly Bourne, in my opinion, is leading the charge with this. I can't wait to see what she'll do next, I know she won't disappoint!
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