Meeting Carrie Hope Fletcher ❤

As some of you who are reading this will know, I consider

Carrie Hope Fletcher to be one of my inspirations and I was lucky enough to see her at her Manchester book event for 'All I Know Now' in May last year where she talked about her latest book, did a Q&A with the audience, performed two songs on a acoustic guitar (her original song, 'Boys In Books' and a cover of Taylor Swift's 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together') and did a book signing and met fans afterwards. I had an amazing time and I wondered if I would ever meet Carrie again.

When Carrie announced she was doing a book tour with her latest book 'On The Other Side', I wondered if she would visit Manchester. Unfortunately, she was only doing signings in places where she was performing in 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' and since it's not in Manchester until the end of the year and because Carrie finishes touring with CCBB on October 2nd, she wasn't visiting Manchester. However, I noticed that she was coming to Birmingham and doing a book event similar to the one I attended last year. I bought myself a ticket to the events and booked train tickets to Birmingham. I was so happy I was seeing Carrie at last. 

The event was taking place at the 'Glee Club' which is a small venue where many famous comedians, such as Lee Evans,  Michael McIntyre, Alan Carr ect, have all performed. It has a small stage where the main event takes place and hundreds of seats surrounding the stage. I arrived at the Glee Club at the queuing time of 5pm and I was surprised to discover only a small amount of people were waiting because I thought that there would be a huge queue. However, by 5:30pm, a very long queue had formed. At about 6pm, the doors opened and I walked upstairs to grab a seat. I was very happy with where I was sat as I was on the second row and had a great view of the stage. Since the book event was due to start at 7pm, I waited patiently and, at about 6:55pm, I spotted Carrie walking behind a curtain towards the stage and, at 7pm, she appeared on the stage looking beautiful with a smile on her face as she filmed her audience.

When Carrie sat down, she started off by saying that she was nervous but excited to be at the Glee Club. She then began to talk about 'On The Other Side' which is her first fiction book. Without spoiling it for the people in the audience who hadn't read it, she talked about the plot and the main characters. She said that the main character, Evie Snow, is based on herself in both appearance and personality. She said that the story came to her in a dream but forgot about it until a week later when the thought returned to her mind. She then proceeded to make notes of this idea of not being able to get through to heaven as their soul is too heavy and filled with secrets which is this book's main plot. When asked which part of the book was her favourite to write she answered that it was the part of the book where (*SPOILER ALERT*) Vincent Winter's friend, Sonny, turns up at a school concert drunk and gets into a fight with one of the teachers (*END OF SPOILER*). Carrie said that this was her favourite part to write as she thought it was one of the funniest parts of the book. She also said that Sonny is her favourite character in 'On The Other Side'. 

Carrie also talked about her inspirations and said that the only role model she looked up to was her brother, Tom, who, when she was a child growing up, was 1/4 of the boyband McFly. She stated that she couldn't think of anyone that she was passionately inspired by in the media when she was a teenager. After talking with the presenter for about twenty minutes, Carrie answered questions from the audience.

One of the first questions Carrie was asked was about the writing process behind both of her books, 'All I Know Now' and 'On The Other Side' and if the ideas came in to her mind instantly or if it was a long time. Carrie said that it differs and that the main story for her fiction novel came to her in a dream and she just wrote story as she went along. There were certain parts of the story that she struggled with and parts that she wasn't sure would work in the book but, a few months later, she re-read her notes and decided that it would actually work. However, Carrie said that 'All I Know Now', which is a lifestyle guide created to help others, was difficult to write as it included anecdotes and personal events in her life when she was growing up but she knew she needed to write about those things in order for the book to be complete.

When asked which part in 'On The Other Side' was hardest to write, Carrie answered that it was the part of the book where (*SPOILER ALERT*) Evie's drawings shatter because it was a pivotal part of the book and captured all of Evie's emotions. She said that Evie feeling heartbroken wasn't enough so used magic realism to show her being heartbroken by having her drawings shatter like glass as the drawings meant so much to Evie and having the drawings shatter was very similar to having her heartbroken (*SPOILER OVER*). Carrie also explained why she chose to write the story in third person rather than first person from Evie's perspective and she replied saying it was so readers could see things from other character's point of view instead of sharing the thoughts of just one character. After being asked, if 'On The Other Side' was to be made into a film, who would she like to see perform as Vincent, she replied saying Colin O'Donoghue, who is best known for playing Hook in the current TV series 'Once Upon A Time'.

Carrie wasn't just asked about 'On The Other Side'. An audience member, knowing about Carrie's love of Doctor Who, asked her which Doctor she would like to be a companion of and she said that she loved Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor because he was very much the mad man in a box but she said she would love to be, the current Doctor, Peter Capaldi's companion as she was fortunate enough to visit the set in Cardiff and watch Peter filming and even got to meet him afterwards. 

Carrie is also well known for being a huge fan of Harry Potter so when she was asked which spell from the Wizarding World she would use, she answered with 'Alohomora' which opens locked objects because there have been a lot of times when she has forgotten her key to her 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' dressing room.

Carrie also gave tips to anyone trying to make it as an actress and, one of them included making sure you have a CV, a cover letter and a headshot which doesn't have to be professional because Carrie said that her earlier headshots as a child were taken by her mother. She also explained that just because a director or filmmaker isn't interested now, they'll keep your details and, maybe in a few months, they'll come back to you. 

After someone asked Carrie what her favourite musical was, she jokingly replied saying that it was like having to 'pick one of my favourite children', however, she decided on Les Miserables as it was the very first show she watched when she was three years old and a few years later she got the part as Young Eponine which lead to her having a very successful career in musicals. She also stated that being a part of the 30th anniversary of the musical was her career highlight as she got to perform on stage with the original Jean Valjean, Colm Wilkinson, and admits she couldn't finish the final high note as she was taken aback by his presence and said that she cried when he told her that she was excellent.

After the Q&A with the audience, the time finally came for Carrie to do her book signing. I loved meeting Carrie, she asked me if I was having a great day and I said that I was and I was looking forward to today and she was like 'aw that's very sweet of you!'. We then got a picture together on my phone but, unfortunately, I left the flash on and it caught both of our eyes and isn't a very good picture. However, I was very happy to have met Carrie and hugged her twice and, overall, had an amazing day that I'll never forget.

Read my review of 'On The Other Side' here.

Thank you for reading my blogpost, I hope you enjoyed it.

❤

'On The Other Side' by Carrie Hope Fletcher review

*May Contain Spoilers*

In April 2015, Carrie Hope Fletcher published her first book, All I Know Now, a non-fiction in which Carrie shared anecdotes from her life whilst giving advice along the way. It was very heartfelt and I could tell that she had worked so hard on it.

Now, over a year later, Carrie has released her second book, her first novel, On The Other Side and the only thing that's different between this and All I Know Now is that this book is fiction. 

Despite filming and editing YouTube videos and performing in Les Miserables in London until October last year, I can tell that Carrie has, once again, put her heart and soul into her book. From watching her videos, I know how much she has always wanted to be an author and to finally know she has accomplished that dream couldn't make me happier.

This book is unlike anything I've ever read before. It's heartfelt and tells a unique story. The main protagonist is Evie Snow and the book begins with her waking up in the afterlife. Unfortunately, she can't get through to heaven as her soul is too heavy because of the three secrets she's been keeping to herself her whole life: the black bird, the shoe box and the good tree. This book is split into the three parts and shows Evie releaving herself of those secrets. However, the book doesn't always stay with Evie. In a few chapters, we see how her family are coping after her death. It also tells a beautiful love story between Evie and Vincent. I've seen a lot of romantic films and read a lot of books that contained love stories but Evie and Vincent's love story is, by far, one of the best told love stories. When I was reading about Evie's love for Vincent, I fell in love with him too and I even wished he was real. Unfortunately, because of Evie's mother, Eleanor, she is forced to marry a man she doesn't love, James, and the two end their relationship. My heart broke as I wanted Evie to have her happy ending but, as I carried on reading, I realised that she does get her happy ending with Vincent, just not in the way one might have hoped. On the front cover of the book, it says 'a love story like no other...' and I can definitely say that that is true.

One of the things I loved about this book was that Carrie included characters, who were part of the LGBT+ community. In all honesty, the only other book I've read that has included a character that was homosexual was John Green's Will Grayson, Will Grayson. I definitely think that more books need to include characters of all sexualities instead of the typical 'girl-meets-boy-and-falls-in-love-with-boy' cliche. As it turns out, Vincent is bisexual and we learn about his relationships with previous men and women he'd been with. In this book, Carrie proves that it doesn't matter what your gender or sexuality is, love is love and I definitely felt that when reading this. Evie's brother, Eddie, is gay but hasn't come out to his parents as they are homophobic but there is a brilliant part in the book where he does eventually come out and it made me laugh because of how he did it and it showed that he couldn't care less what his parents think.

I also loved how the book was structured. Like I mentioned earlier, it's split into the three different secrets and it shows Evie in the afterlife but we also see her past too. I was amazed by how Carrie managed to cleverly plan her story out so that everything makes sense and isn't confusing.

A lot of people have wondered when it is set and if it's a fantasy. Carrie has said that it isn't set in any time or any where as time only plays one part in the story. This is because she feels that if she set the book in a certain time period, certain things such as technology, clothing, hair styles, speech, accents, music and others would have to be referenced and these are the things that don't contribute to the story in any way. Yes, we're given mild descriptions of the character when we first meet them but we don't need to know what a character looks like in order for us to connect with them. It's the same with all the other things as well. 

This book made me feel so many different emotions such as: love, happiness, heartbreak, sadness and hopefulness and that's the first time I've felt so many different emotions at once whilst reading a book. This is because I really connected with Evie as a character. In all honesty, I didn't want her story to end but when the book did end, I didn't feel sad. I felt happy because I knew, like all good stories, that it had to end and I knew that Evie could finally enter the afterlife with the person she truly loved.

Overall, Carrie Hope Fletcher tells a meaningful story that is full of love and will most likely make you cry.

4/5

Read my review of Carrie Hope Fletcher's non-fiction book, All I Know Now here. 

❤ Meeting Carrie Hope Fletcher ❤

I met Carrie Hope Fletcher today! (09/05/15)

So if you read my last blogpost yesterday, which was a review of Carrie Hope Fletcher's book All I Know Now, you'll know that I was meeting Carrie today and I had the best time. Honestly I couldn't be more happier, Carrie is such a sweet, down-to-earth person. 

I got to the signing at about 4:30pm and the queue was massive! I didn't have to wait long though, I think I waited about half an hour in the queue and I got my seat a bit near the back. I sat patiently with my book, phone and camera on my lap for about 15 minutes until a guy introduced Carrie and she walked right past me! 

She started off by talking about her book and then she did a Q&A and answered my question! I couldn't believe it when the guy handed me the microphone and I asked her what she got from Starbucks which made everyone laugh. She laughed along with everyone and replied with 'a vanilla chai latte'. I was so happy and smiled throughout the rest of the evening.

After asking questions from the audience, she read a chapter from All I Know Now where she talks about when she went to Lake Tahoe in California on a school trip and how she got chased by a bear(now if that isn't a reason to buy her book and read it, I don't know what is)!

After reading from her book, she answered a few more questions from the audience and then performed two songs, 'We Are Never Getting Back Together' by Taylor Swift and her own song, 'Boys In Books'. 

At the end of performing Boys In Books, the guy announced that it was time for her signing and we all rushed to queue up, excitedly. I was in the middle and waited just under an hour to meet her.

When I did finally meet her, I thanked her for answering my question and told her that I would have to try the vanilla chai latte and she said that it was 'so good!' And then I got my picture with her and I went on my way, with the biggest smile on my face.

If Carrie is reading this I'd like to say the biggest THANK YOU for making my day the best day. 

Here's my picture with Carrie :)

Click here to watch my video of my day

❤

❤ Book Review: Carrie Hope Fletcher's All I Know Now ❤

Have you ever wished you had a big sister? Or someone to look up to? Someone to give advice and be there for you in times of need.

Well, wish no more as you can find all of these things in here, metaphorically speaking, of course. 

Carrie Hope Fletcher's book, All I Know Now, is perfect if you desperately want advice but can't seek it from friends, families, teachers, ect. She talks about issues that teenagers are currently struggling with today such as making friends, bullying and having crushes. She also talks about her life growing up whilst giving advice along the way.

I love this book as it is perfect for anyone who is struggling and in need of help. All I Know Now first started off as a blog on Tumblr (which you can still visit), where she would write long blogposts on certain topics. The very first blogpost was published on April 27th 2013, so she has been working on this for over two years now. She has put so much dedication into helping others by writing this book and it has certainly paid off. 

Whether you're a 12 year old on your first day of school or a 20 year old worrying about your first job interview, this book is perfect for you. 

Carrie is also best known for being a YouTuber so if you've watched any of her videos, you'll know that she is a very sweet, funny person and her personality shines in this book. All her opinions have come straight from the heart and every word in this book is written by her so you needn't worry about 'ghostwriters' or anything like that!

I would recommend this book to anyone in need of help or just looking for a few words of advice. 

All I Know Now is available at:

Amazon  .

WHSmith  

Waterstones 

I will be meeting Carrie Fletcher herself at her Manchester book signing tomorrow (May 9th) and I shall do a blogpost afterwards. :)

UPDATE: I met Carrie, here is my blogpost of my day :)