Blog Tour: Extract + Review of Tulip Taylor by Anna Mainwaring (Young Adult, 10/10E)

20th June 2019, Firefly Press, 296 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Book summary from Firefly Press

Take another look. Challenged to go on a 'survival' reality TV show, fifteen- year-old make-up vlogger Tulip only accepts to escape her mother’s mon- ey-making schemes and protect her younger brother and sister. Set up to fail, can she prove to the TV show, the cute but annoying boy who got her on there and – most importantly – to herself, that she’s more than just a pretty face?

Nayu's thoughts 

With a minor hiccup when I realised the book hadn't arrived safely in the post, everything about Tulilp's life was awesome. The only reason it didn't get full marks is that it took a very long time for Tulip to actually get on her adventure, something which I understood to a point, but would have liked to have experienced more detail of her time on the show, as a day or two were glossed over in a few sentences rather than lived out. All very minor issues in what is a brilliant read, which you can have a sneak peek at in the extract under this review!

Often a big factor in helping me love a book is how much a character's family are included in the adventure. I love Tulip's family so much! Correction, her siblings are adorable and had me giggling away at their liberal antics including a houha (unsure I used the correct spelling), something you will understand when you read the book. I hate Tulip's mother for not being a mother, for not realising the emotional needs of Tulip, and for forcing Tulip to take part in something she really wouldn't want to do ordinarily. That's how desperate the situation was. 

I was eternally grateful to Anna that my fear of what Tulip may have to eat didn't come true, as I can't stand certain bugs which frequently get used in these type of adventures. There were still things that Tulip found hard to stomach, but she was a trooper. 

I was so proud of all that Tulip accomplished in front of the camera. I love her adoration of plushies, her room literally is the same as mine: plushie heaven! Yes I'm in my 30s... While I am rather different from Tulip in that I never ever wear makeup, which would horrify her, I was intrigued because a few of the Youtubers I watch do use makeup, and through them I know a little about being a Youtuber. Tulip has her own style, and while she could loosen up in some areas, I absolutely adored how she stayed true to herself on the TV show, making everything look cute which I could understand completely. Hey, I'm a girl who refuses to use plain white loo paper because everything should be cute so I use a type with flowers on, simply because it is pretty and makes me happy. I think Tulip and I would get on rather well in that area! 

Her romance didn't particularly interest me, but it was well written and sweet in some areas. I sincerely hope there will be more adventures with Tulip, as I doubt that's the last of her story! 

Be sure to follow Anna on Twitter to stay up to date with all things Tulip!

Website: https://annamainwaringauthor.wordpress.com/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/annamainwaringclark

Suggested read

 If you like humour in a teen read then check out Access All Awkward by Beth Garrod (Young Adult, 10/10E)

Extract from Tulip Taylor by Anne Mainwaring (All chapters start with a word)

Word: Auspicious (adjective)

 ‘Tulip, come on. If we’re late again, she’ll turn us into toadstools or something.’ Kate’s voice gets particularly high-pitched when she’s scared. And she’s scared of Miss Regan. Which is fair enough but I’m more scared of being seen without my face looking perfect. Kate bangs on the scruffy toilet door but I’m safely on the other side, scrunched up on the toilet seat with my bag of magical tricks and potions safely on my lap. I sigh, as I try desperately to repair the damage that forty minutes of hockey in a freezing Pennine March wind has done to my appearance. I mean I quite like running around with a wooden implement in my hands – it brings out the inner warrior. But now the inner warrior needs to be transformed into a bronzed goddess with precision engineered eyebrows.

‘I’ll be a minute. I mean, you can’t be the teen queen of make-up vlogs and be seen in real life with a shiny face. It would be bad for my brand as Mum would say.’

Outside I can hear Kate and Anjali muttering. ‘I can hear you, you know,’ I remind them. ‘I know you think I’m being ridiculous. You might not mind going au naturale to lessons but it’s not for me.’ 

The thought of meeting being seen without my mask of primer foundation, concealer, bronzer, highlighter, mascara, eye shadow, lipstick (matte of course), eye liner and finishing powder AND fixing spray makes me shudder.

‘And that Harvey is going to be in our English lesson. He can’t see me like this first time.’ I wave my hand at the bulging bag that’s threatening to fall over in my lap. Then it strikes me that they can’t see this gesture so it’s a bit pointless. ‘It takes time to achieve natural beauty.’

‘Um, I think natural beauty is a bit of a paradox in the current…’ Kate starts.

 ‘Stop whining,’ I interrupt, ‘…and I’ll be done. You know I can do this quickly.’ She mutters something under her breath and thumps the door with what sounds like a particularly thick book, but she stays like I kneow she would. I try to distract Anjali by moving on to her favourite topic. ‘So, Tiffany told me that that the new boy…’

‘Stop right there. Tiffany knows nothing. I have all the info.’

‘Well then…’

‘Rumour has it he had to leave his last school because he threw a javelin at a teacher.’

‘I heard that he looked a bit nervous in form this morning,’ Kate suggests.

Anjali clearly takes offence. ‘That’s not likely. Why would someone who’s clearly an athletic psychopath be nervous about coming here?’

‘The bit I still don’t understand is why the son of TV star is coming to this dump?’ I’ve laid down the base now and I’m on to the eyes, but I still need time, so my question is completely there to hook Anjali in.

Anjali is now fully warmed up to her topic, ‘That remains a mystery. But I will find out. Do you think he knows we were talking about him?’

I shudder at the thought. I mean I’m sure he’s not a great watcher of make-up tutorials, but it would be pretty embarrassing if he found out. I deleted the bit at the end when we were talking but even so, maybe thousands of people were still watching. Suddenly I don’t need any blusher. It’s not that we said anything awful after all, just that he was hot. And he is. Or at least he seems to be in that photo. 

It’s more that I hate the idea of a private conversation being heard by loads of other people – strangers at that. That bit was not for public viewing at all. 

‘Let’s not talk about that. What else do you know?’

She shuffles, ‘Not much more really. He went to a boarding school though.’

Kate says, ‘Like Hogwarts? I bet it had an awesome library.’

I can only imagine Anjali’s withering stare. ‘No. No magic, all boys. Pretty strange if you ask me. He’ll probably be one of those arrogant, posh boys who thinks he’s better than us.’

‘He might be nice,’ I suggest. ‘Especially if he was nervous. That doesn’t show arrogance.’

Anjali tuts. ‘Keep dreaming, make-up girl. You just think he’s the only boy round here who might actually be good enough for you. You are the closest thing to a celebrity that we have.’

Kate pipes up. ‘Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. You and him could become the new power couple on Instagram.’

‘The thought has never crossed my mind,’ I lie as I aim to line out the perfect brow. That the gorgeous son of a TV star might be a suitable boyfriend had struck me yesterday. There was something in his eyes that I liked. A rather sweet expression.

Anjali starts hammering on the door. ‘Tulip, come on. No boy, son of a TV star or not, is worth missing a party.’ 

‘A party? What party? Where does a party come into this? All I’m asking for is sixty seconds,’ I yell back. ‘Nothing bad is going to happen if you wait sixty seconds.’

Anjali hisses through the door. ‘Tulip. If you put as much energy into your make-up as you do into talking we’d be done by now. At parents’ evening last week, I had to sit there while Ms Regan told my parents that you were a bad influence on me and that I was constantly late to lessons because of you. If I’m late again, then Mum will ground me. And you and I both know she means it. There’s Ravi’s party next week. I have been promised boys. Fit boys. Not from this school. I. WILL. NOT. RISK. GROUNDING. Come on, Kate. Let’s go.’

I can hear moving. ‘You’re not going? It’s like a war movie. You don’t leave one of the team behind,’ I plead.

Kate opens the door, knocking my legs so that my precious bundle of beauty products starts to wobble. ‘Anjali’s right. We can’t afford to be late again.’

‘But…’ I start to protest. ‘You’re making me walk to a lesson ON MY OWN. People will think I’ve got no friends. He’ll think I’ve got no friends.’

Anjali adds, ‘Which will be true if you keep being late all the time.’ And with that someone (probably Anjali) slams the door.

‘Haven’t you heard the term ‘fashionably late’?’ I shout. ‘Well, at least give her a good reason why I’m late.’ 

No response.­