Amy’s Thoughts On…Nothing Ever Happens Here and A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Mini Review Monday)

Welcome to another Mini Review Monday! I hope we are all keeping safe and well and staying at home! I have only been out for a few walks, but I’m lucky to have a garden to get fresh air.

Today I’m going to be mini reviewing two of my most recent reads. Those being, A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer and Nothing Ever Happens Here by Sarah Hagger-Holt. Both incredible books!

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Published by: Bloomsbury

Released: 29th January 2019

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper Lacy. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.

Many people have been telling me to read this book for months now, so, I finally decided to take the plunge and read it and…OH MY GOD! Why did I wait do long to read this book!? It was incredible and I literally devoured it. To say I was captivated from the very start would be an understatement really. Everything about this book had me wanting to read on and I finished it in a couple of days. The intertwining of modern day Washington D.C. and the kingdom of Emberfall was genius and it really does show that two completely different settings can mix to create something special. Also, Harper was such a kick ass character! I loved her determination and loyalty and how she didn’t let her disability get in the way. I am so pumped to read A Heart So Fierce and Broken ASAP.

Nothing Ever Happens Here by Sarah Hagger-Holt

Published by: Usborne

Released: 9th January 2020

“This is Littlehaven. Nothing ever happens here. Until the spotlight hits my family.“

Izzy’s family is under the spotlight when her dad comes out as Danielle, a trans woman. Izzy is terrified her family will be torn apart. Will she lose her dad? Will her parents break up? And what will people at school say? Izzy’s always been shy, but now all eyes are on her. Can she face her fears, find her voice and stand up for what’s right?

I haven’t read a MG novel featuring LGBT topics before, so was very eager to get into Nothing Ever Happens Here. This was such a heartwarming, very real story that got right into the heart of one family as they come to terms with one of them coming out as trans. It was written in such a poignant way and really did open my eyes to a topic that I did have knowledge of, but not enough. I was moved by everything that happened throughout the story and there were times where I did well up. It was so compelling and packed full of empathy. It’s definitely a book that should be in every primary school (upper KS2) and secondary school across the country.