Review: As Fast As I Can by Penny Tangey'


Published in Australia on the 31st March by UQP Books
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary Fiction
Page Count: 248
Brooklyn's Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
View on Goodreads

Sypnosis from UQP Books:
One girl. One dream. A few hurdles.
Ten-year-old Vivian is determined to win a medal at the Olympic Games one day. Problem is, she hasn’t found a sport she’s any good at yet. But everyone says if you work hard enough you can achieve anything, right? So when Vivian discovers she has a talent for cross country running, finally, her Olympic dream might actually come true.
But then a family illness is uncovered and all of Vivian’s plans begin to unravel. Can she keep her dream alive? Or will she be stopped in her tracks?
A funny, heartfelt novel about resilience, acceptance and dreaming big.
Brooklyn's thoughts:
As Fast As I Can by Penny Tangey is honestly just such a beautiful, heart wrenching and completely at the same time, an uplifting and inspiring read! I absolutely loved every moment and was invested in Vivian's story right from the get go. I completely admired her fierce passion for running, honestly I just feel like she inspired me not to ever give up! Vivian is a ten year old girl who dreams of nothing more than competing in the Olympics, her love for running is completely unlike anything else, running is her life source! I think that As Fast As I Can will not only resonate with anyone who's enthusiastic and passionate about any sort of sports or running, but also anyone who has such a dream for something that ignites their life force. I'm very much not a sporty person myself so I couldn't exactly relate to Vivian's enthusiasm about running, but that didn't stop me from cheering so much throughout this book, honestly I just wanted her to fulfill her dreams! I absolutely adored the family dynamic in this book too! Vivian's Mother is unwell with a condition that makes her faint intermittently, something that could be potentially hereditary, passed down to Vivian and her brother Noah. I love how much Vivian's parents supported her absolutely love for running and I feel like they only stepped in when it was absolutely necessary, when revelations about Vivian's health are made! Noah, whilst sometimes would claim to Vivian that not everything is about her Olympic goals, I felt that the two absolutely did care for one another and I thoroughly enjoyed how much their sibling bond developed throughout! Friendship was such an endearing aspect throughout this book, too. Olivia, Vivian's best friend and Vivian herself had a buddy name, Olivian, which I just thought was the sweetest thing! Both of them always had a shared passion and dream to compete in the Olympics together one day and although Olivia gallops ahead in running drills, it just fills Vivian's fire even more with knowing that she wants to be an Olympic athlete even more and be the best in Australia. However, as she becomes more determined in her goal, cracks begin to show in Olivia's character, as she decides that maybe an Olympic dream for her is exactly that and not realistic for her, well, let's just say it makes for a heated debate when Olivia and Vivian are paired on opposing teams for a discussion as to why or why not the Olympics should be cancelled. Everything in As Fast As I Can is completely honestly portrayed, making for a wholly believable reading experience! One of the many reasons I adore Middle Grade Fiction so much is because it's always so refreshing and enjoyable to read and As Fast As I Can is definitely no exception. I loved how fast paced and addictive it was, being immersed in ten year old Vivian's life and passion for becoming an Olympic athlete was. Her narrative was just completely fresh and innocent and I'll definitely think back fondly towards Vivian's story and encourage everyone to pick it up because it'll definitely give you an added boost of motivation when you're feeling discouraged about anything!

Happy Reading,
Brooklyn.

You can find Brooklyn via her bookish blog, Brooklyn the bookworm and over on Bookstagram.
Author information:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Penny Tangey writes humorous books for young people. Penny studied Arts/Science at Melbourne University majoring in Chemistry and Indonesian. While at university Penny performed stand-up comedy, including in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Penny now works as a researcher for television quiz shows Hard Quiz and The Chase, but is still terrible at trivia.
Penny's latest book As fast As I Can, is her fourth book published by University of Queensland Press. Her three previous novels being; Loving Richard Feynman, Clara in Washington, and Stay Well Soon.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Goodreads | UQP 



FOLLOW THE TOUR HERE



As Fast as I Can Review Tour


UQP, together with the #AusYABloggers are celebrating the release of Australian Author Penny Tangey's recent release As Fas As I Can. On the tour you'll find Australian Reviewers and Instagrammers sharing their thoughts. 

ABOUT THE BOOK



As Fast As I Can by Penny Tangey
Genre: Contemporary, #LoveOzMG
Publication: March 31st, 2020
Publisher: UQP
Add to Goodreads

From CBCA-shortlisted author Penny Tangey comes this funny, heartfelt novel about ten-year-old Vivian and her quest to one day become an Olympic middle-distance runner. Dealing with themes around chronic illness, persistence and acceptance.

One girl. One dream. A few hurdles.

Ten-year-old Vivian is determined to win a medal at the Olympic Games one day. Problem is, she hasn’t found a sport she’s any good at yet. But everyone says if you work hard enough you can achieve anything, right? So when Vivian discovers she has a talent for cross country running, finally, her Olympic dream might actually come true.

But then a family illness is uncovered and all of Vivian’s plans begin to unravel. Can she keep her dream alive? Or will she be stopped in her tracks?

A funny, heartfelt novel about resilience, acceptance and dreaming big.

TOUR SCHEDULE



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Penny Tangey writes humorous books for young people. Penny studied Arts/Science at Melbourne University majoring in Chemistry and Indonesian. While at university Penny performed stand-up comedy, including in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Penny now works as a researcher for television quiz shows Hard Quiz and The Chase, but is still terrible at trivia.

Penny's latest book As fast As I Can, is her fourth book published by University of Queensland Press. Her three previous novels being; Loving Richard Feynman, Clara in Washington, and Stay Well Soon.

You can find Penny at her website HERE and on Twitter HERE.

Reading Challenge: May


Hello there fellow bookish gals, guys and otherwise. You have stumbled upon May's reporting Chat Post for our 2020 Reading Challenge. There is still plenty of time to catch up. If you are interested in what the challenge is all about (there are prizes to be won) click HERE to read the introductory post.

This months theme is After Dark.

To report your months reads comment below, answering the questions.


Reporting questions:

1) What book did you pick for this month’s read?
2) Did you enjoy it?
3) What rating would you give it out of five?
4) Was there anything in your book that touched you /resonated with you in some way?
5) What was your favourite part of the book?
6) Who would you recommend read this book?
7) Try to sum up the book in one sentence.


We look forward to finding out what you've all been reading.

Next Months theme is Coming Out.

SNOW REVIEW TOUR


Wakefield Press, together with the #AusYABloggers are celebrating the release of Gina Inverarity's upcoming release SNOW. On the tour you'll find Australian Reviewers, Instagrammers, and YouTubers sharing their thoughts. 

ABOUT THE BOOK




Snow by Gina Inverarity
Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, #LoveOzYa
Publication: April 1st, 2020
Publisher: Wakefield Press
Add to Goodreads

When the girl brought my bowl she was in and out through the door like she couldn’t move fast enough. And when the lock clicked after her I found something she’d left. A knife. And not one for spreading butter, but a sharp one for slitting throats. 

Locked in a cell by her stepmother, Snow grows small but she still grows. Even so, she’s hardly a match for a world gone wild, where the sun has disappeared behind clouds for good. The night the hunter takes her into the forest with orders to cut out her heart, Snow makes him a promise she isn’t sure she can keep. And then she runs.

Snow’s life is no fairytale. As she grows up her path will take her into the mountains, over misty passes, desolate gorges and alpine rivers, as well as to the city, where she will make her case for the return of what is hers.

And her childish promise will not be forgotten.

A dark and lyrical Snow White retelling set in a postclimate-change world, Snow is a fairytale of the future.

TOUR SCHEDULE


Monday 4th May

Tuesday 5th May

Wednesday 6th May

Thursday 7th May

Friday 8th May

ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Gina Inverarity worked for many years as an editor for a range of publishers. Her first children’s book, The Brown Dog, was published in 2017.

Gina owns a forest in New Zealand and hopes to live in it one day. For now, she lives in Wellington with her partner and two daughters. Snow is her first young adult novel.

You can find Gina at her website HERE and on Instagram HERE.
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