Izzy Moffit's Road to Wonderland

Been awhile, hasn't it? It feels like I haven't been near this thing in years, which makes sense because it's been about two weeks. In the land of the internet, that's like at least two centuries.

But now I'm back and I get to talk about this amazing, wonderful, terrific book that I read: Izzy Moffit's Road to Wonderland by Victoria L. James. When the ladies at Bare Naked Words offered this book to me, I jumped on it. Without hesitation. It sounded intriguing and fun, and I was right! Just read this synopsis and not be interested:

Making it to seventeen in one piece isn’t usually a concern for your average teenager, but if there’s one thing Isabella Moffit has never been, it’s average. Dragged through life by parents who couldn’t care less and surrounded by violence on a daily basis, Izzy reaches that epic birthday milestone in her life with only one person to thank for getting her there: her best friend and soul sister, Paris Hemsworth. 

Vowing to stand side by side through thick and thin since they were four years old, the two of them have made it this far and are confident that now is their time to tackle the world head on, one shaky, naive little footstep at a time.

Except they have no idea what awaits them both on the other side of adulthood, and before either one of them can strap on their hard hat, they’re taking so many knocks and bruises that Izzy’s childhood suddenly seems like a stroll in the park.

Dodging as many bullets as they can along the way, Izzy tries to hold on to Paris’ hand for as long as possible without either one of them slipping away. But no-one ever told them how rough their journey would be. No-one told them that friends and family would change or leave along the way. And no-one told them that for every good intention they have, there’s a thousand people out there with bad ones, waiting to rip them apart.

Follow Izzy’s journey in part one of the Road to Wonderland series - a coming of age novel with a difference, where you’ll face tears, tantrums, laughter and heartbreak, but above all else, hope. Hope that no matter what life throws your way, it’s all part of setting you on the right path to your very own Wonderland and that, more often than not, everything happens for a reason.

Super awesome, right? This book is so much better than I can say. This was an emotional journey from beginning to end. When I thought that Izzy's story was going to be about one thing, it was about another, and the turns kept coming. This poor girl is hit with everything under the sun, and still she perseveres, because she is that strong and that faithful to herself. It's beautiful and sweet and utterly terrible at times, but Izzy and Paris are so wonderful. Their friendship is amazing, the kind of friendship that people wish for. I think the best part about this book was that, of course, there were guys and relationships and love and all that junk, but it's mainly about a girl trying to find her way through life and trying to keep those that she loves afloat, as well. 

Here's all the links that you'll need in order to find this little piece of awesomeness:

• Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/1qB3jbE

• Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/1pfXoIA

Victoria L James is a teenage girl stuck in a thirty-something year-olds body. Living somewhere 'oop north' in England, she has had a strong passion for words and stories going as far back as she can remember, which she credits to her grandmother and her love of reading anything that was on sale and cheap from the local market stall. Never once did she think she would release a novel, though. At best, she thought her love of language and her ability to create stories in her mind would provide her with a 'get out of jail free' card whenever she messed up and her parents were mad at her during her teenage years... and when even that didn't work out, she thought she was pretty much done for.

When an opportunity presented itself for her to take a back seat from paid working life for a few years, she knew straight away that she had to try and write about a few of these worlds she'd come up with along the way, and quieten all the voices in her head without racking up a heavy psychiatry bill for the pleasure.

Wearing her heart on her sleeve and trying to lighten her friends’ and family’s lives with naff, and more often than not, badly timed, nineties jokes, she has yet to learn the art of knowing when to shut up. Which is another reason writing became a passion of hers. With pen and paper, there are no limits.

A firm believer in never quitting, with a ridiculous obsession for all things Rocky, she hopes that one day she writes a story that will inspire at least one person out there to keep on going if they're struggling. Other than that, she's just a regular old converse wearing, corona sipping, English version of Chandler Bing, who loves and adores her family more than life itself. Oh, and she also has two cats. Every writer has to mention their cats, right? Connect with her at the following links:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaLJamesAuthor
• Wonderland Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RTWSeries
• Twitter: @Victoria_LJames

Also! Click the link below for a chance to win some books and other goodies:

• http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/95cb028286/

Okay, I'm done. Go forth and grab this book. Read it. Savor it. Enjoy it.