Janay Brazier

I have loved taking part in the Zoella Book Club with WHSmith. I posted about it back in June here and the first part of my book club review (for books 1-4) can be found here. I've loved sharing opinions and thoughts on these books with others on WHSmith's Twitter. The book club nights have all been brilliant and I'm sad that it's all over, but it's been great!

Here are the last four books of the Zoella Book Club:

So let's get on with the reviews and Twitter chat! Before continuing please be aware that there are some spoilers ahead.

I thought this book was going to be too young for me to enjoy but I got right into it and finished it over a couple of days. I definitely reminded me of The Hunger Games, but a less sinister version and with more magic involved. I loved the characters and I could really imagine what it was like to be there. Reading this really does transport you into this magical world.

I'd rate The Potion Diaries as:

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon


Here are the questions, and my responses, to the WHSmith book club night about this book on 31 August, using #BCNEverything

In Everything, Everything, lies and deceit emerge to play a big part. Are there any situations when these lies are justifiable?
I think we all give ourselves reasons to justify the lies we tell, but there really is no excuse. The lies told have such a huge effect on Maddy's life that I don't think they can ever be seen as justifiable. Her mother is clearly ill and needs support, which is very sad, but I don't think it justifies what she did.

Do you think Maddy's mother is motivated by love for her daughter or her own selfishness?
It can be seen both ways, but I'd personally say love. She's so afraid of losing the only person she has left. Maddy's mother just wasn't in the right frame of mind to go about it in the right away.

Who needs the relationship more, Maddy or her mother?
They both need it for different reasons. It's just a shame that Maddy is made to feel like that's all she needs.

How does Olly's relationship with his father change how you think about Olly?
I saw him as someone who felt trapped in his own life as well, just like Maddy - except he could leave the house. It was a heartbreaking situation where, like Maddy, he felt stuck and attached to his mother, but longed to get away. They had similar feelings of being stuck and dreams of seeing other places.

Who would be the ideal cast in your Everything, Everything movie?
I think Amanda Stenberg and Nick Robinson, who have already been cast, are going to do a great job as Maddy and Olly. Before the casting, I thought Tom Holland would have made a great Olly, but I'm guessing he's busy with Spiderman duties.

I read this whole book in three hours! Yep. Three hours. I was addicted. I loved the twist towards the end, and I'd actually just got to this point when I thought 'It's gone 1am, I should probably go to bed', but when that plot twist came up I was all over it and knew I had to keep going! I'm so excited about this being made into a film as well, I look forward to seeing it. I'd recommend this book to everybody. I'm already trying to get my mum to read it.

I'd rate Everything Everything as:


The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson


Here are the questions, and my responses, to the WHSmith book club night about this book on 14 September, using #BCNEverywhere

The book deals with the big themes of life - grief, loss, love. What were the key messages for you?
That grief can make people do things they wouldn't normally do, whether it's for better or worse. It also showed Lennie's coping mechanisms, showing how she dealt with the loss and also shows her working out what love really is, both with her family and romantically.

What did the inclusion of Lennie's poems add to the story?

They give the reader a look at some of her internal words, things she felt but didn't always say out loud. They were beautifully done and were a lovely addition to Lennie's storytelling. Throwing them away shows that she was not ready at the time to say it all out loud.

What is your favourite quote or poem from the book?
It's on the first page of chapter 19 (page 150 in my copy):

I'm lying in bed, hearing voices.
"What do you think is wrong with her?"
"Not sure. Could be the orange walls getting to her." A pause, then I hear: "Let's think about it logically. Symptoms: still in bed at noon on a sunny saturday, goofy grin on her face, stains on her lips likely from red wine, a beverage she's not allowed to drink, which we will address later, and the giveaway, still in her clothes, a dress I might add, with flowers on it."
"Well, my expert opinion, which I draw from vast experience and five glorious, albeit flawed marriages, is that Lennie Walker aka John Lennon is out of her mind in love."

I just love the list of symptoms and the last part about Lennie being 'out of her mind in love' is just lovely. It's such a happy part of a book based around grief and loss.

How do the characters in the novel each deal differently with their grief?
I feel they're split into those who seek companionship to help with the process and those who keep to themselves. Lennie falls in the middle, wanting to share her grief but doesn't always say it aloud, but instead writes it down in the form of poems and throws them away. It's her way of getting those feelings out. Unlike Toby, who seeks comfort in Lennie, she is torn between wanting someone to talk to and going through it on her own, much like Gram.

Who would you like to play the characters in a film adaptation?
I pictured Selena Gomez as Lennie, Liam Hemsworth as Toby and Tom Holland as Joe (I think he would be great for a lot of these books in this book club if they were made into films).

In three words: I loved it. I read this book over two days, and I reckon if you put the time together I did the whole thing in around four-four and a half hours. I was sucked into Lennie's world and was constantly waiting to see what happened with Toby and Joe. I loved the notes and poems throughout the book and I'm also very excited to see that Warner Bros. are making it into a film. I can't wait to see that.

I'd rate The Sky Is Everywhere as:




Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

Here are the questions, and my responses, to the WHSmith book club night about this book on 28 September, using #BCNBilly

What do you think are Sophie and Billy's best and worst qualities?
Sophie always thinks about others but is very critical of herself, wondering why Billy would like her, for example. Billy is very loving and romantic, like on their first date, but he sort of expects her to fit right into his world and be comfortable with it. I got frustrated with them both at times because, if they just spoke honestly, Sophie wouldn't need to feel insecure and Billy could help her cope.

Billy's fame means he, and Sophie, have very little privacy. Do you think that society intrudes too much on celebrities' lives?
I do. It makes those who are happy to share parts of their lives less willing to do so. It's a shame, people just need to know the limits of how much intrusion is too much. It's to be expected to a certain extent, but there needs to be boundaries.

Who would you want to play Sophie and Billy in a film adaptation?
I pictured Sebastian Stan as Billy when I read it. For me, he'd be perfect. Maybe Emma Watson as Sophie, or Amanda Seyfried... As long as I had Sebastian Stan as Billy I'd be willing to compromise on who plays Sophie!

(I had to share WHSmith's reply to the idea of Sebastian Stan portraying Billy, below. I just loved the GIF!)

@JanayBrazier @EmWatson @AmandaSeyfried Sebastian Stan is the perfect choice for Billy! pic.twitter.com/cUF024D00N

— WHSmith (@WHSmith) September 28, 2016

Do you think Sophie overreacts when she visits Billy on set and sees him filming an intimate scene with his ex-girlfriend?
Sophie had a right to feel distraught watching that, even thinking about the person you love doing that is awful. I saw it from Billy's side too. It's his job and she should have believed him when he said there was no feelings there. I spent that whole section of the book wanting to scream at both of them to understand each other's sides and for them to just be OK again.



I adored this book! I loved the storyline and the idea of an actor and a normal girl being together. It's actually very similar to a short story I submitted in my creative writing module at university last year, and I carried it on just because I liked the idea so much, so it was lovely to actually read something just like it. It had me hooked in, I was just so intrigued to find out what would happen next. I can't praise it enough, it's just my kind of book. I actually went straight out and brought the follow-up book, Always With Love, the day I finished Billy and Me.

I'd rate Billy and Me as: