So last week I joined in with the Contemporary-AThon readathon. The goal was to read seven books in the seven days. I pretty much knew I wouldn’t manage all seven but I figured it would be fun to pick a TBR and give it a shot. I managed five and a bit books which I’m really pleased about, so here’s my readthon wrap up!

Challenge 1: Read a book with orange on the cover
For this challenge I read Another Place by Matthew Crow. This book was a really interesting blend of mystery and exploration of mental health. The story follows Claudette, a young teenager dealing with depression. On her release from a mental health facility she learns that her friend Sarah has disappeared. Desperate to know what happened to her Claudette delves into the seedier parts of town to discover the truth behind Sarah’s disappearance. This book was fast paced and intense and I really really enjoyed it. I ended up rating it 3.75 out of 5.
Total Pages: 288

Challenge 2: Read a book by a new to you author
For this I read A Thousand Perfect Notes by C. G. Drews. This is definitely an emotional and hard hitting book. The story follows Beck, a young boy forced to play piano by his physically and emotionally abusive mother. He is incredibly unhappy, but when he’s paired with August to work on a school project, he glimpses the chance of something better. This book will definitely stay with me for a while and I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars.
Total Pages: 570

Challenge 3: Read a book that is dark/spooky/taboo
For this I read Easy Prey by Catherine Lo which I absolutely loved. After a teachers nude pictures are leaked online, three students are deemed responsible. But each student swears they are not responsible, so who did it? I honestly couldn’t put this one down. It was such a twisty, turny read – jumping time and perspective. I gave this one 5 out of 5 stars and it was definitely my favourite read of the readathon.
Total Pages: 970

Challenge 4: Read a diverse book
I decided I would for once in my life complete a series and read the last book in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series. I really enjoyed Always and Forever Lara Jean, it was just as sweet and lovely as the other books and it really was a great end to the series. I’m definitely going to try and pick up more books from Jenny Han in the future. This one got a 4 out of 5 stars.
Total Pages: 1247

Challenge 5: Read a book in a non-traditional format
Now I had originally planned to read Valley Girls by Sarah Nicole Lemon on my Kindle but I didn’t get the chance to read it. Instead I decided to pick up a mystery graphic novel instead. The Woods Vol 1: The Arrow is a dark mystery story in which 437 students, 52 teachers and 24 additional staff all disappear without a trace. What happened to them and where are they now? This was dark and creepy and I loved it! It turned out to be less of a contemporary and more of a horror/science fiction but I’m still counting it because I read it for the readathon. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Total Pages: 1375

Challenge 6: Read a book with your initials on the cover
This is the challenge that I haven’t finished yet which is why I only completed five and a half challenges. For this challenge I picked The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente. The story follows a comic book artist who is framed for a murder at comic con. I found the story a little difficult to get into and I’m just over 100 pages in, so I’m hoping the rest of the book picks up.
Total Pages: 1475

Overall I’m pretty pleased with my ContemporaryAThon reading. If I hadn’t been at Bloody Scotland and doing some other bits and pieces I might have completed all the challenges but it was still really fun! Did you participate in the readathon? What books did you read? And if you’ve read any of these let me know what you thought!