Mostly Reading YA

Blog Tour: Sophia Bennett

2012-03-01T09:00:00.000Z

Today is the launch of Sophia Bennett's blog tour for her latest book The Look which is published today! You can purchase a copy here. You can also see our reviews of her previous series Threads here - 1, 2, 3.

First of all, I’d like to thank the team at Mostly Reading YA for very kindly agreeing to let me start off my blog tour here. Today is World Book Day and launch day for The Look, so it’s a Very Special Day. Thank you for sharing it with me.

Today's post is an interview I did at Chicken House, my lovely publishers in Somerset, talking about how I came to write The Look, what made me angry, how it compares to the Threads series, and making my most difficult decision.

You may be wondering whether the cupcakes in the foreground were just there for decoration. Well, I took four of them home with me and, Reader, they were delicious. Just one of the many reasons why I do not have a svelte, model-esque figure like my main character, Ted. Actually, for authenticity's sake they should have been chocolate covered strawberries, which feature in the book. But it's not a story about food. It's a story about taking risks, growing up and making difficult choices. I hope you like it.

Thanks so much Sophia for that great video and I hope everyone enjoys The Look as much as I did. You can see the next post of the tour tomorrow over at one of my favourite teen sites Chicklish.

Review: Nightshade

2012-02-29T21:37:00.001Z

Title: The Poison Diaries - Nightshade

Author: Maryrose Wood (Based On A Concept By The Duchess Of Northumberland)

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 279
Age Recommendation: 12+

Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewer: Catherine

Synopsis

A dark, gothic tale of romance... and murder. In the right dose, everything is a poison. Jessamine has spent her whole life in a cottage close to her father's apothecary garden, surrounded by medicinal plants and herbs that could kill her -- although her father has never allowed her into the most dangerous part of the grounds... the poison garden. And so she's never had reason to be afraid -- until now. Because now a newcomer has come to live with the family, a quiet but strangely attractive orphan boy named Weed. Though Weed doesn't say much in words, he has an instant talent for the apothecary's trade, seeming to possess a close bond with the plants of the garden. Soon, he and Jessamine also share a close bond. But little does Jessamine know that passion can be just as poisonous as the deadliest plants in the garden -- for behind Weed's instinctive way in the garden is a terrible secret.

Catherine’s Review

This book is very enjoyable, with its dramatic plot and many mysteries.

The story begins when 16-year-old Jessamine Luxton is heart-broken. Her true-love, Weed, a mysterious yet charming young man has suddenly disappeared out of her life. Jessamine is recovering from a severe illness which Weed helped to cure her from- and now he is gone she feels like her life has come to an end. However, all is not as it seems. Jessamine, now fully recovered, is suspecting her own father Thomas may have been involved in Weed's disappearance. Thomas was obsessed with poisons; he owned his own poison garden- a deadly trickster if there ever was one. Weed was also intrigued by plants- could there be a connection?

Soon Jessamine learns that Weed is alive and in serious danger. After reading her father's diary she discovers that her mother was murdered by her father many years ago- poisoned. He was testing on Jessamine too, feeding her poison, making her ill, making her grow weaker. As Jessamine knows lots about plants and poisons she decides to abandon her home in Northumberland and find Weed, be reunited with him, whatever it takes- including killing anyone who gets in her way. At this point in the book, Jessamine has changed from an innocent village healer girl to a ruthless murderer.

However this is not exactly at her own will. Oleander, Prince of Poisons has now become more than a mere dream. He controls Jesssamine's mind, instructing her, promising to reunite her with her beloved Weed. Jessamine is very skilled with plants and herbs- she can use them for or against others- and Oleander wishes her to do no good, yet much evil.

The tale goes on, leading Jessamine to Newcastle, heartless Oleander haunting her head day in and day out. In Newcastle she befriends a forgien young girl- who suddenly falls ill with fever. Jessamine can choose to poison her or save her... but these deeds soon get her found out. She is discovered to be using strange and mysterious remedies and thrown in the river Tyne for being accused of witchcraft. Luckily Jessamine is rescued and continues her journey...

Meanwhile Weed ends up elsewhere in Europe, at a place where the plants instructed him to go. Weed owns the abnormal yet astounding ability to hear and talk to plants, who advise him on how to find Jessamine. They lead him to a garden where he meets a Signora who helps him, understanding his ability perfectly.

Yet strange rumours spread about a plot to kill the king. Weed knows that the king is coming to Padua, a nearby town, and he has the ideal antidote to save him if necessary. However Jessamine has been tangled up in Oleander's cruel plans and is now at the heart of the murder. She will be at Padua, so she can meet with Weed again. But he won't love a monstrous murderess, will he? Surely Oleander's plan isn't a trap to hurt Weed? Jessamine longs to be with him again, yet Oleander has other plans to be made...

I really enjoyed this gripping book. It also especially appealed to me because I live in Northumberland, so recognise the locations and can really get into the story.

Anyone could love this book- whether you know the places or not- it's a doomed romance novel with chilling plots and many mysteries to be unravelled.

This book would be recommended to lovers of fantasy love story- full of dark, haunting twists and heartless poisons. You hang onto every last word, a great, unputdownable read!

Review: Unleashed

2012-02-28T21:22:00.001Z

Title: Wolf Springs Chronicles: Unleashed
Author: Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
Publisher: Doubleday
Your Age Recommendation: 14+
Publication Date: 8th December 2011
Available for Kindle?: Yes
Pages: 383
Copy: For Review
My Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Molly

Synopsis:
When Katelyn starts at her new school the only person she knows is the handsome and intriguing Trick Sokolov, an acquaintance of her grandfather. She's surprised when the popular Cordelia Fenner invites her home and when she meets Cordelia's hot brother, she begins to think her new life might be OK after all. But as she spends time with the family, she realises that the Fenners are harbouring a deep dark secret. Every bone in Katelyn's body tells her that the Fenners are mad, bad and dangerous to know - but how can she give up her only friend, and how can she ignore the way Justin sets her blood on fire with a single look? Katelyn finds herself caught between three major werewolf clans who have been at war with each other for centuries - a war, it seems, that Katelyn is destined to end.

Review:
For the most part Unleashed is like pretty much every other supernatural book out there. Orphaned teenage girl. Moves to new town. Something weird lurking in the forest. Told not to go out at night but does anyway. Finds herself caught up in something much bigger than she expected. Oh, and two sexy boys who she finds it hard to choose between. It fills that craving you get every so often for something that is a little predictable, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good book.

It took me a little while to get into Unleashed because it takes so long to get to the werewolves! You spend the majority of the book waiting for the penny to drop for Katelyn. Maybe it’s just me but I knew pretty much instantly who at least one of the werewolves were from the moment they appeared.

Katelyn is an okay protagonist. She spends the first part of the book moaning about having to move to the middle of nowhere, how she can’t do gymnastics anymore and talking about how she and her friend would make fun of people from places like Wolf Springs for being hicks. It doesn’t make you like her very much as she come across as quite spoilt and ignorant, but to be fair she’s an teenage girl being taken away from everything she knows in LA to live in the middle of the woods with her estranged grandfather. I don’t think many teenage girls would be particularly happy about that.

There are some moments where Katelyn is frustrating. She forgets very quickly about gymnastics and makes no effort to find a way to carry on with this one thing she apparently lives for once she’s in Wolf Springs. We know that her mum died quite recently in a fire, but we don’t see Katelyn being very emotional about this. She’s also very naive at times to the point that I felt unsure of her age, especially when you consider that she grew up in a city and her dad was shot, surely she has some knowledge of the world? Apparently not very much.

Katelyn’s friend, Cordelia is equally empty-headed at times but is a little stronger than Katelyn in her actions and because of her background she is quite interesting. She was a beautiful, peppy cheerleader type but as the story progresses she becomes pale and withdrawn because of her family. Her sisters are manipulative and her father is slowly going mad and Cordelia seems to bear the brunt of their actions a lot, although we don’t really see much of that, and I found that interesting.

The love interests are your usual sexy boys with tight t-shirts who always smell amazing and look like they stepped out of a magazine advert. Katelyn is warned off both boys by her friend and other kids from school, but of course finds it hard to resist them. Trick is gorgeous, kind and funny while Justin seems to hold some sort of power over her that even Katelyn doesn’t understand. Neither have a lot of depth to them at this point but they do certainly come across as irresistible. I did feel like Katelyn’s feeling towards the boys were quite realistic and the romances are sweet, and a do get a little hot and heavy in places which is always a good thing, but I was never really rooting for one boy over the other, they both seem to have a lot of secrets. However I did have a soft spot for Trick.

The storyline itself was enjoyable and I found it intriguing. Something in the woods is killing people. Wolf Springs is in the middle of nowhere and most people have lived there forever, so there are lots of old legends about hellhounds, demon bears, wolves and all sorts of other ghost stories which puts Katelyn a little on edge. She doesn’t understand the town and the woods, they’re scary and foreign to her so to know that something is lurking out there that could kill her makes it even worse. Although that doesn’t stop her taking stupid risks.

Everyone she knows seems to have secrets too, I felt suspicious of her grandfather, her friends and their families. At times it felt a little predictable but that didn’t ruin the book for me and I did see some plot points coming a mile off but I still enjoyed the great reveal.

The writing is generally well done but at times there are cringe-worthy mistakes and odd phrasings that made me stop and re-read parts because it didn’t make sense. There are confusing descriptions that left me feeling unsure of what characters really looked like, especially Trick who seems to be a mixture of every nationality under the sun, which is fine but could be described better. Characters also interrupt speech so much at times that there were moment where I wasn’t even sure who was talking anymore. I know that both authors have written hundreds of stories and books so to see such amateur mistakes in a published work irritated me, even more so when they have both written New York Times bestsellers!

There is no mystery with Unleashed that you are going to be reading a supernatural novel about werewolves, you know what you’re getting in to and for many readers that’s what you want. If you enjoyed Twilight, Fallen or similar books then you’ll most likely enjoy Unleashed as well. This book is very much an introduction to the series and so you only get a glimpse of the main plot, the characters are not yet as fully developed as I would have liked and you are left with unanswered questions. There are flaws with Unleashed and yet despite this I still found myself finishing the book and wanting to know what happens next, so I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to Katelyn in the next book and whether the flaws within this book will be rectified in the next.

Review: Shadow Runners

2012-02-28T21:22:00.000Z

Title: Shadow Runners
Author: Daniel Blythe
Author's Website: danielblythe.moonfruit.com
My Age Recommendation: 10+
Publisher: Chicken House Publications
Publication Date: 2nd February 2012
Pages: 288
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Jon

Synopsis
Miranda's new home is a dull seaside town, the sort of place where nothing ever happens. But things do begin to happen. Weird things. And something is happening to her. At school, Miranda meets a group of friends who seem to know more than she does. Together they must race to hunt down a shadowy evil that threatens to destroy them all.

Jon's Review
Shadow Runners is a fast-paced story from start to finish, jam-packed with suspense, twist and turns and plenty of supernatural thrills. Told from Miranda's perspective, the story tells of her father's recent death and her and her mother's subsequent move from London to the sleepy seaside town of Firecroft. I get the impression that the town is loosely based upon a seaside town near where I live, in East Anglia. There are a number of very old seaside towns and villages along the East Anglian coast, many of which are steeped in lore and witchcraft.

Clearly, Miranda, a typical 12 year old, is none too pleased about moving to what appears to be a dead and boring town, where "people go to die" (I thought this was funny!) and she is resigned to a life of boredom. At her new school, she soon makes friends with a pleasant "pikey" girl called Jade who I warmed to; she has a good heart and she wears it on her sleeve. But when weird stuff begins to happen, she meets up with a group of friends who look at her in a peculiar way that seems as if they can see right into her. They appear to know more about the odd occurrences than they should, and more about her than she does herself, which is understandably rather unsettling.

Gradually Miranda comes to trust this group and become one of them, joining their quest to uncover the evil that dominates the edges of reality in their town. However, this shadowy evil, this indescribable phantom, has more power than they imagined; what begins as a quest becomes a battle between a group of friends and the forces of evil. Only one side can win, and the odds are pretty evenly stacked. Who will win? Well, I can't tell you that of course, but what I will say is that the book had me guessing and second-guessing myself the whole way through.

Shadow Runners grabs the reader by the collar and throws you into the supernatural world, blurring the distinctions between reality and dreams, mixing conspiracy with other-worldly evil and throwing a bit of the murky past of Firecroft into the mix for good measure. It is exciting the whole way through, which makes the book addictive to read; a real page turner. The author has created a clever story with enough twists and turns to make your head spin, without making the mistake of over complicating the story or confusing the reader.

So yes, this is a fantastic read, but with one fatal exception: I didn't believe it. That may sound contradictory after my glowing praise in the previous paragraphs, not to mention the fact that this is a fantasy novel. Yes, this is an excellently written book and I enjoyed reading it. Technically, I cannot fault the author; much work and effort has clearly gone into the story and the clever plots and sub-plots, which is why I give the book 3.5 out of 5. This book should have been a 5 out of 5 novel, a chart-topping success in the fantasy genre. But it lacks dimension and depth. For example, the explanation behind the cause of the elemental evil in Firecroft, is in my opinion, rather lacking and not really believable. Whilst this is a fantasy novel, nonetheless it has to be believable. I don't mean this in a cynical way, after all, I have read many novels which feature witches and wizards, dragons and ghosts and I play Dungeons and Dragons role playing games. Within context, these are believable and acceptable because they hold weight under closer inspection. I felt at times that Shadow Runners lacked this quality. Another example of this is the role Miranda's teacher has to play in the story; a teacher spending a lot of time with a group of children at all hours of the day and night in a secret lair, unbeknownst to their parents? I don't think so.

Putting aside these negative aspects, I'm sure any young adult will find this a good read.

Review: An Abundance of Katherines

2012-02-28T20:42:00.000Z

Title: An Abundance Of Katherines
Author: John Green
My Age Recommendation: 14+
Publisher: Speak (Kobo)
Publication Date: October 2008
Pages: 227
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Ben

Amazon Synopsis
When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washedup child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy–loving best friend riding shotgun—but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl. Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.

Ben's Review
My colleague on this site reviewed John Green’s A Fault In Our Stars the other day, giving it a glowing 5 stars. I wasn’t quite so enamoured, but then the stories where somebody gets ill and dies/doesn’t die (no spoilers here) have never really floated my boat.

An Abundance Of Katherines sees Green take a story which could be just as potentially twee and while he doesn’t conquer all the problems, there’s enough wit and imagination to demonstrate why he’s so lauded. There is a definitely a nod to literary fiction here, which is rarely the case in YA. Perhaps that’s why Green gets so many plaudits – he’s a teen writer that commentators and critics feel writes at a higher level to what they perceive as normal to the genre. But personally, I found the literary motifs the least satisfying part of the novel. Colin only dating Katherines, trying to finesse his relationship equation – it’s written with such a po face that it felt not whimsical and fantastical, but unrealistic (and not in that good magic realism Life Of Pi way either).

Where Green does score is in his natural ear for dialogue and the simple plotting that ultimately yields a more complex whole. Like his first novel Looking For Alaska, Green is expert at creating the world his characters live in – in this case a one-horse town with if not a secret, then lots of fun things to be uncovered.

His supporting cast too are well-drawn, while protagonist Colin reminds me of a Harvey Pekar cartoon in novel form, a lugubrious hero straight out of a John Hughes film, if Hughes had carried on making teen flicks rather than tween twaddle. Anthony Michael Hall circa 1987 would have been perfect in the movie version.

Spending a few days in the company of Green’s prose is a pleasure. Let’s hope he continues to hone his skills.

Review: Dark Ride

2012-02-27T18:58:00.000Z

Title: Dark Ride

Author: Caroline Green
Publisher: Piccadilly Press
Publication Date: 1 May 2011
Pages: 185
Reviewer: Catherine

Synopsis
A mysterious boy. A haunting secret ...
A shiver crawled up my spine. It felt like the loneliest place in the world. For a second I thought I caught a snatch of music in the air, but it was just the wind whistling through cracks in the fairground hoardings.

My instincts screamed, `Run away, Bel! Run away and never return!'

But instead my fingers closed around the ticket in my pocket. ADMIT ONE.

Bel has never met anyone like Luka. And the day she follows him into the abandoned fairground, she is totally unprepared for the turn her life is about to take.

Catherine’s Review

When Bel moves to the gloomy seaside town of Slumpton her whole life takes a sudden and mystifying turn. She is out by the seashore one dark afternoon and sees a boy-a boy like no other.

Bel decides to follow him into an eerie abandoned fairground-and suddenly finds herself tangled up in a never-ending string of mysteries. No wonder Luka is different-he's a ghost-yet he is alive and solid. He and his mum were murdered a year ago, when they were forced to drive off a steep ledge into the raging sea below. But that's not even the beginning!

Bel is the only person who can see Luka and despite the hint of ghostliness about him, he enchants Bel-so she feels an urge to look after him. However, other events going on make Bel suspicious. As the old fairground gets dismantled because of the new Marina replacing it, Luka gradually begins to fade away. How can Bel save him from disappearing forever? And how can she use the clues his mum left behind to reveal a deadly and terrifying secret?

This mysterious book sends a shiver down your spine as you hang onto every last word. It's jam-packed with tension, secrets and drama and you really feel like you're in Bel's shoes. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good action-packed and terrifying tale that chills you to the bone!

Review: Words in the Dust

2012-02-27T18:39:00.000Z

Title: Words in the Dust
Author: Trent Reedy
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Publication date: 1 September 2011
Pages: 314
Copy: Paperback
Rating: 5/5
Reviewer: Julia

Synopsis
Words in the Dust is recounted from the viewpoint of a young Afghan girl, Zulaikha. The story only recalls 18 months of her life, but this period is hugely seminal and life-changing for her. Zulaikha’s story is mainly driven by her misfortune of being born with a cleft-lip which distorts her mouth, nose and teeth. Zulaikha’s deformity has brought her a life of misery and suffering.

Early in the story, Zulaikha runs into an American tank and sees American soldiers for the first time. An American soldier sees her cleft-lip and takes pity on her. As a result, the US Captain pursues Zulaikha and offers to facilitate a trip for Zulaikha to undergo corrective surgery.

This begins an emotionally exhausting journey for Zulaikha as her hopes are raised and then dashed. Alongside this thread runs the story of Zulaikha’s sister being set up in an arranged marriage to a man older than her own father. Whilst these two plot lines unfurl, there is a third significant narrative. That is Zulaikha discovering the beauty of ancient Afghan literature and poetry and breaking free from her illiteracy.

Julia's Review
I chose to read this book because it is set in Afghanistan. I have been very moved by other children’s books set in Afghanistan (Boy Overboard, The Breadwinner, The Kite Runner) and I love learning about this fascinating country through stories. Zulaikha is an original heroine – there are not many stories where the narrator suffers from a physical deformity. And Zulaikha is surely a heroine. Her character is humble, kind, generous and determined.

The author, Trent Reedy, was a US soldier serving in Afghanistan in 2004. It was his experience there that inspired Zulaikha’s story. In the author’s note, Reedy explains that whilst he was stationed in western Afghanistan, one of the soldiers saw a young girl with a cleft lip and decided to try and offer her corrective surgery.

Reading Words in the Dust, I would never have guessed that it was written by a male US soldier. Trent Reedy imagines life from Zulaikha’s view point in a hugely vivid and convincing way. The author says that in addition to his time spent in Afghanistan, he also carried out a great deal of research into the country – its people, culture and history. This was certainly well invested research, for the book is overflowing with the grit and reality of life in Afghanistan.

I feel as though I have been a ‘fly on the wall’ in Zulaikha’s household. I have grown to understand their male-dominated culture where women and men do not mix; a culture where a wife does not meet her husband until her wedding day; I saw Zulaikha’s father sweat and toil to earn an income and escape the clutches of poverty; I saw a country whose children have only ever known their country at war, and who have witnessed horrendous violence and brutality.

And yet, in a war-torn country, there is a sacred heritage of rich literature. When Zulaikha fortuitously meets Meena, an old friend of Zulaikha’s dead mother, a journey of discovery begins. Zulaikha continues to meet Meena in secret to learn how to read and write the exquisite Farsi script and recite the 1000 year old tales of Afghan poets. The snippets of poetry that are included in the story have left me wanting to find out more about this ancient literature.

Words in the Dust is my favourite type of book – one that teaches me so much but where the story is so compelling that I do not realise I am learning. There is much that contributes to this compelling nature. Already mentioned is the original viewpoint - an Afghan girl suffering from a cleft lip. In addition to Zulaikha, the other characters are also rich and varied. One particular character has a surprising twist, showing unexpected depth and complexity. Alongside these rich characters, the plot is filled with emotionally-charged events set against the fascinating backdrop of Afghanistan.

It is worth saying that it took me a couple of chapters to become fully immersed in Words in the Dust. Perhaps this was due to adjusting to a world that was wholly different to my own, with unfamiliar names and settings. However, it is hugely worthwhile to persevere, for the reader will soon be spellbound by this deeply moving and impacting story.

Review: A Hen in the Wardrobe

2012-02-27T18:32:00.000Z

Title: A Hen in the Wardrobe

Author: Wendy Meddour

Publisher: Frances Lincoln

Publication Date: 2nd February 2012

Pages: 160

Age Recommendation: 7+

Rating: 3/5

Reviewer: Amy

Synopsis

Ramzi's dad is acting very strangely. He climbs trees in the middle of the night, and even goes into Ramzi's wardrobe looking for a hen. The trouble is, he's sleepwalking because he's homesick for his native Algeria. So Ramzi, Dad and Mum go back to Dad's Berber village in the desert region of North Africa, and Ramzi meets his Berber grandmother and cousins, and even braves the scary Sheherazad. But can Ramzi help his dad and what will happen when they get back home again. This is a funny, heart-warming family story by an exciting new author, set in Britain and Algeria, with fascinating glimpses of traditional Berber culture and lots of colourful characters.

Amy's Review

Multicultural children’s books can, sadly, be difficult to find. A Hen in the Wardrobe is a fun, easy read for children, and despite its quirky title, is, at heart, about mixed families, cultural differences, community and acceptance. There are also some nice little spot illustrations by the author dotted throughout.

Ramzi lives happily with his mother and father in England. But lately Ramzi’s father has been sleepwalking, a sign of just how much he has been missing his family back in Algeria. Together, they decide to visit his childhood home and Ramzi gets to meet his many Aunts, Uncles, cousins and his Nanna for the first time since he was a baby. Along the way he has a few adventures, makes some new friends, and runs into some very strange characters.

The story is, at times, a little random, but Meddour gives the reader some fascinating glimpses into life as a Muslim in England and the Berber culture, which some children may be unfamiliar with. Alongside Ramzi we experience a little of their way of life in Algeria and Meddour weaves in information about their call to prayer, the wedding season, traditional childhood games, Muslim dress and so on. There is also a great section at the back of the book, written by Ramzi himself that explains certain phrases or words that can be found throughout the story.

I really liked that this was a children’s book about a multi-racial family and that it looks at some of the difficulties that can arise when half the family feels at home in one country, and the other half feels more at home halfway across the world. I also really liked the particularly close relationship between Ramzi and his father. A Hen in the Wardrobe probably isn’t destined to become a favourite, but it is well worth a read, particularly if you are looking for a children’s book that subtly introduces a young reader to different cultures.

Review: Desert Angel

2012-02-27T17:38:00.000Z

Title: DESERT ANGEL

Author: Charlie Price

My age recommendation: 12+

Publisher: Corgi Childrens

Publication date: 2 February, 2012

Pages: 240

Rating: 4/5

Reviewer: Adam

Synopsis-

Nowhere is safe...

Angel is on the run. Her mother is dead, her body buried in a shallow grave by her latest boyfriend, Scotty, a ruthless, illegal hunter who is prone to violence and who wants Angel dead before she can talk to the police.

Angel has lived through more than a young girl should have but she's determined to stay alive.

But in the scorching heat of the open desert, where can she hide?

Review-

Desert Angel is an enjoyable novel about Angel, who has fled from her mother's abusive boyfriend Scotty after he murders Angel's mother. But not only must Angel cope with the emotional trauma caused byScotty, she must also try to stay alive in the desert where the heat is high and the hiding places sparse.

Angel, coming from a broken home with an alcoholic mother, struggles to accept help from the people she meets on her escape from Scotty.

Families that are rich in love but short on money are desperate to open their arms to help Angel despite the risk to their own safety. But even though these families help to keep Angel alive, things seem doomed to fail when the police can't find enough evidence to imprison Scotty, thus sending him back onto the streets.

Overall, this book offered a lot of escapism. Sat on my plump sofa drinking a piping mug of tea was a strong contrast to poor Angel's situation in the desert or the dilapidated buildings she ended up crashing in. The locations in this novel really do make an impact. Areas of nature that are both stunning and deadly are described in wonderful detail - the highlight of the novel in my opinion.

Price's depictions of Mexican family life offer an insight into a world we rarely see. Communities that bond together and help one another, and with many facing the threat of deportation their dependency on their fellow family and friends is pure and true.

Rita, Vincente, Momo and all the others are beautifully written, and I especially loved the brashness of Norma; a child that becomes the compadre of Angel (albeit after their rocky relationship when they first meet).

From the cover, you might expect this to be a violent novel with no heart, but I can assure you, it's a touching portrayal of humans facing hardships and adversity and the importance of family - in all its forms - in helping us get through it.

Review: Looking for Alaska

2012-02-26T22:23:00.000Z

Title: LOOKING FOR ALASKA

Author: John Green

My Age Recommendation: 15+

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 31 March, 2011

Pages: 272

Rating: 5/5

Reviewer: Adam

Synopsis-

Alaska Young. Gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, screwed up - and utterly fascinating. Miles Halter could not be more in love with her. But when tragedy strikes, Miles discovers the value and the pain of living and loving unconditionally.

Review-

John Green provides another dose of growing up and falling in love in this heartwarming tale of Miles Halter and his time spent at a new school with new friends.

When Miles leaves his home in Florida to study at Culver Creek Prep School (after a grim going away party where only two guests show up, which Miles views with a lack of concern) he ends up sharing a stuffy dorm room with the Colonel, who immediately christens Miles 'Pudge'. The Colonel helps Miles catch up with how things run at Culver Creek; a school with unspoken rules regarding loyalty, friendship and pranking.

The Colonel introduces Miles to his gang of close knit friends, Takumi, Lara and the sarcastic, mature and alluring Alaska.

Miles feels a connection with Alaska and this book follows the ups and downs of their friendship as Miles comes to terms with his feelings (with, once again, a lot of help from his roommate the Colonel).

I won't say anymore about this book in terms of the plot, as it's more a book that studies the relationship between this group of friends and how the dynamic can change over time.

Like The Fault In Our Stars, this is a book I'd advise you to fall into without any prior knowledge. Foolishly, I allowed myself to spoil this book for myself thanks to that most troublesomely useful devil; the Wikipedia plot summary, and I wouldn't want anyone else to do that.

It's a funny book; the prank towards the end made me laugh so much my stomach hurt and the narrative voice of Miles is filled with sentences that keep a reader like me constantly slashing my highlighter against the page with gusto. Not only this, but it's believability for any teenager gives it a raw and honest outlook on growing up.

Miles's obsession with the last words of famous people is a really clever and original device in this novel and is used subtly in the novel for dramatic effect. The use of the 'before' and 'after' sections in the book were also incredibly smart and I really don't think this book could have been split any other way.

All in all, this book was a fabulous read and I would recommend it to anyone!

Guest Post: Elisa Ludwig

2012-02-26T19:05:00.000Z

Today I'm delighted to welcome author of Pretty Crooked, Elisa Ludwig, who has written a great post for you on characters and voice. I hope you enjoy it! Her book is published March 13th by Katherine Tegen Books.

Characters Rule

My earlier attempts at novels were called “too quiet.” People who read them responded favorably to the voice and the characters but felt there wasn’t enough, you know, stuff going on. My imaginary friends kind of hogged the stage with their narration and dialogue. They were so busy spouting their thoughts and opinions that they stood in the way of the action, and I was told again and again that I was a good writer but my stories would not sell. They were black and white, subtitled, durational films in a 3D action movie world.

I had step up my game. So I went back to the books. I studied plot, learned how to outline, developed a better sense of conflict. Finally I had something publishable. As it turns out, my debut novel PRETTY CROOKED is kind of action-packed. Who knew?

Nevertheless, the type of stories I will always love most, whether they have dramatic plots or not, are the ones where I’m fully entrenched in the characters’ world. Their observations become my observations. Their hopes and dreams become my hopes and dreams. The voice is so strong that I might even occasionally catch myself mouthing the words as I read. (Weird, I know.)

So what’s in the voice? It’s an attitude; it’s a point of view; it’s the emotional place the narrator is coming from; it’s her motivations. It’s her patterns of thought and associations between ideas. Through all of that it should be original yet still ring true to the way people talk and think.

I find in my writing that the voice might sound a lot like me at first, but as I continue on in later drafts, it starts to take its own shape, it starts to reflect the narrator’s own particular world. I don’t think of it as some magical mystical thing like a Ouija board plugged into my keyboard with the narrator speaking through me from the other side. It’s just that the more time I spend with her, the more demanding and individual she becomes. I know her in the same way I know my friends or family.

When I have the narrator’s voice down, I can flesh out the other characters in relation to her. How do other people react to the narrator? Does she bring out the best or the worst in others? Is she someone who has a sense of humor about herself? How do the events that unfold change her voice? For instance, Willa, the protagonist of PRETTY CROOKED, is a little naïve, a little awestruck when we first meet her but once she realizes that her so-called friends are actually bullies, she starts to see the world through slightly darker Ray-Bans. As the book progresses she’s very conflicted about her own choices, and all of these moods affect the way she tells her own story.

The richness of experience is what makes stories stay with us, and the psychology of our characters will always be a source of fascination for writers as well as readers. Now I love to write chase scenes and blow stuff up in my stories as much as the next girl, but give me a choice and I will still pick a long, ponderous French film over a Vin Diesel flick any day. For me, it’s all about the characters.

Review: Vixen

2012-02-26T13:11:00.002Z

Title: Vixen

Author: Jillian Larkin

Publisher: Corgi

Publication Date: 1st March 2012

Pages: 400

Age Recommendation: 16+

Rating: 3.7/5

Reviewer: Amy

Synopsis

Jazz . . . Booze . . . Boys . . . It’s a dangerous combination.

Every girl wants what she can’t have. Seventeen-year-old Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle—and the bobbed hair, cigarettes, and music-filled nights that go with it. Now that she’s engaged to Sebastian Grey, scion of one of Chicago’s most powerful families, Gloria’s party days are over before they’ve even begun . . . or are they?

Clara Knowles, Gloria’s goody-two-shoes cousin, has arrived to make sure the high-society wedding comes off without a hitch—but Clara isn’t as lily-white as she appears. Seems she has some dirty little secrets of her own that she’ll do anything to keep hidden. . . .

Lorraine Dyer, Gloria’s social-climbing best friend, is tired of living in Gloria’s shadow. When Lorraine’s envy spills over into desperate spite, no one is safe. And someone’s going to be very sorry. . . .

From debut author Jillian Larkin, VIXEN is the first novel in the sexy, dangerous, and ridiculously romantic new series set in the Roaring Twenties . . . when anything goes.

Amy's Review

I’m a big fan of historical fiction, which, more often than not, tends to be either medieval or Victorian. While I love to read about those eras, it’s always exciting when you come across something a little bit different within the genre.

Despite some slightly average characters, Vixen was a book I really enjoyed. The passion Larkin has for the 1920’s shines through on every page and it was the rich atmosphere of the book that I loved. The details woven into the story, the intricate fashion, the language, the descriptive setting, all of it brought the 1920’s to life. Reading Vixen, you feel as though you are right there alongside the characters, walking into a tempting underground world of illegal booze, jazz, glitz, sex and smoke.

I also really liked that Vixen is largely about an inter-racial romance, which is rare in contemporary YA, let alone one set in the 1920’s. The danger, prejudice and alienation of such a relationship, along with the constant background presence of the mob, gives Vixen an edge to what is otherwise, a fun, but fairly typical, YA historical romance.

Vixen is told through three different narrators, Gloria, Clara and Lorraine, three society girls drawn to the illicit flapper lifestyle and each with their own secrets. I enjoyed their individual stories, their romances, friendships and break-ups. The other characters, particularly the romantic interests, weren’t as well developed and dare I say it, a little bland. Clara and Jerome’s forbidden relationship was easily the most enticing of the three, but didn’t quite have the sizzle I was looking for. I have to admit that at times the characters felt a little too familiar, like I had read about them all before, but it didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the book.

Aside from the odd, frustrating, moment where the narrative would jump to a different girl, cutting of an important or interesting scene, I felt the multiple-narrative worked very well. Vixen is definitely a finding yourself, romance novel, as not much action really takes place until the last third of the book, where things suddenly become a lot more dangerous and certainly leave the reader intrigued for book two.

Fans of Anna Godbersen’s Luxe series will most likely love Vixen, as it has quite a similar feel (I believe Godbersen also has a series set in the 1920’s but since I haven’t read any of them I cannot compare the two). Larkin brings to life a fascinating period of American history, a time of Prohibition, speakeasies, gangsters and glamour. Vixen takes a while to establish the characters and for the readers to warm to them, but the atmosphere and setting, almost a character in itself, hits you from the first page. This book simply wouldn’t be the same, or half so interesting, set in any other period. Fans of the era should definitely pick this one up.

Review: Floors

2012-02-25T19:44:00.001Z

Title: Floors

Author: Patrick Carman

Author's Website: patrickcarman.com

My Age Recommendation: 9+

Publisher: Chicken House

Publication Date: 5th January 2012

Pages: 272

Rating: 5/5

Reviewer: Jon

Synopsis

There's no place on earth like the Whippet Hotel. Every floor has its surprises and secrets. Guests are either mad or mysterious. And ducks are everywhere. If anyone knows the Whippet, it's Leo, the caretaker's son. But when he finds four strange boxes that lead him to hidden floors, he realises something extraordinary is going on. As the hotel begins to fall apart, Leo's on the ride of his life...without ever having to step outside.

Jon's Review

I was kindly given Floors as a review copy by Chicken House Publications to read and review on this blog. Before I tell you about this book I want to say I'm so happy they sent this particular book to me (I'd never heard of it before) because it's just so good. Really good. Five out of five good (and I don't give 5/5 lightly). I guess you could say I'm "floored" by Floors (bad joke, I know!).

The colourful, exciting artwork on the front cover is very appealing. The synopsis on the back promises surprises, secrets and mystery. Having said that, we're told never to judge a book by its cover, and for good reason. All too often, a book's cover promises the reader a journey of thrills and spills, yet fails to live up to one's expectations. I've read an awful lot of books and consequently I've learned not to fall into this trap.

However, there are those rare occasions when I feel excited by a book, based solely on its cover and I take the leap of faith, throwing myself into the story, hoping that I won't be disappointed. Floors is one of those books. It did not disappoint. What a fantastic story! Seriously, don't waste any more time reading the rest of my review; I assure you it will not be anywhere as thrilling to read as Floors. Get the book now and read it, you will not regret it!

What, you're still here? Hmm, so I haven't convinced you enough to go and read Floors. Very well, I'll explain in more detail why it's such a great book.

The Whippet is a one-of-a-kind hotel occupying a tiny section of a vast area of land in Manhattan dwarfed amongst the skyscrapers. Designed and created by the wealthy, wacky inventor Merganzer Whippet, the hotel has several floors, each of which are custom-built and appear to house just one apartment each. Only the very wealthy stay at the hotel, and several of the extravagant guests stay there long-term, despite (or perhaps because of) the weirdness of their rooms and the hotel itself. Who ever heard of a hotel which has a duck pond on the roof?!

The Whippet Hotel is taken care of by Clarence Filmore, the maintenance man who is assisted by his 10-year old son Leo. Leo loves the hotel, and he enjoys working with his dad to keep the place in order - and it really takes a lot of care and attention. The owner and creator, Merganzer Whippet usually spends time each day tweaking the numerous, incredible rooms, making sure all the features are in full working order (flying animals, cakes, trains, duck ponds and pinballs machines to name but a few). The trouble is, Mr Whippet has been missing for over 100 days, and consequently the hotel is falling to pieces around Leo's ears. Whereas before, Leo and his dad had their hands full maintaining everyday things like repairing the air-conditioning or taking the ducks for a walk(!), now they're rushed off their feet trying to keep the hotel from collapsing completely.

So when Leo finds a strange box that was left for him, it leads him into a thrilling adventure crammed full of clues and puzzles and more boxes. But Leo has to solve all the puzzles in just two days, because the fate of the hotel rides on his success.

Leo is a brave, kind-hearted young man. During the story, we get to meet all sorts of characters, some of which are positively awful (a spoilt little rich girl, a miserable witchy woman); these people add colour to the story and highlight Leo's likeable personality.

The story, along with the archetypal characters certainly made me think of the similarities between Floors and Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which no doubt the author must have heard before. But Floors is such a unique, richly woven story that these similarities quickly fade to insignificance as you are drawn deeper into the fantastic mystery.

For me, this book was an exciting and engaging read the whole way through, a brilliant combination of fantasy, mystery and suspense. I heartily recommend this book for all imaginative young adults.

Don't Miss Sophia's Blog Tour!

2012-02-23T18:16:00.000Z

Review: Graffiti Moon

2012-02-23T18:11:00.000Z

Title: Graffiti Moon
Author: Cath Crowley

Publisher: Alfred A Knopf

Your Age Recommendation: Teen

Publication Date: 2/14/2012 (US - previously pub’d in Australia)

Available for Kindle?: Yes

Pages: 272

Copy: Galley

My Rating: 4.5 / 5

Reviewer: Angela

Summary

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

Angela's Review

More often than not, I judge a book not on its cover but on how many quotes I glean from it. I keep a notebook of lines I want to remember or find particularly striking, and if there aren’t many entries in that journal for a given book, it’s likely that I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I could have.

For GRAFFITI MOON, I have two-and-a-half handwritten pages of quotes, some of which are entire paragraphs.

Cath Crowley has a beautiful way with words, and an uncanny way of carrying an idea through a narrative with only vague references to it. I can’t describe it accurately, so here’s a snippet from the novel (with no explanation, in order to avoid spoilers, of course):

I kept dreaming her and me were tangled like that. Kept dreaming of this spot she had on her neck, this tiny country I wanted to visit, to paint a picture of what I found there, a wall with a road map of her skin.

In addition to this gorgeous style of prose and extended metaphor, Crowley also includes regular chapters composed of brief and impacting poetry; they always go hand-in-hand with whatever’s occurring in the story at that given time, and the words are no less beautiful.

Quite honestly: I loved Ed and Lucy. I felt that Crowley gave them both depth in various ways, and she made her supporting characters believable. I’ll admit that it took me to about the 20% mark to begin to feel really connected with the Lucy and Ed, but once I did, I really, genuinely liked them, liked reading about their story.

Additionally, the POVs alternate in GRAFFITI MOON, and though this can sometimes become tedious and annoying, she does it in a way that is never overkill, even when bits of the same scene are seen through two different perspectives.

The story itself, of Lucy on her search for the elusive Shadow, is done well. It’s never cheesy, and it’s never eye-rollingly coincidental. The character depth helps with this, because Lucy is seeking out Shadow because she feels an honest-to-God connection to his art, which leads me to my final point about this book:

The way that Crowley writes about the creative process is absolutely spot on. Though Ed and Lucy are both artists in different ways, I can honestly say that, as a writer, there are quotes that reflected my feelings about putting words to paper that made me sit back and think, “YES. THAT. Exactly that.”

GRAFFITI MOON is lovely, engaging, and beautifully written. Read it - you won’t regret it.

Review: Rats Saw Good

2012-02-23T18:05:00.000Z

Title: Rats Saw God
Author: Rob Thomas
My Age Recommendation: 14+
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: December 1996
Pages: 202
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Ben

Amazon Synopsis
In hopes of graduating, Steve York agrees to complete a hundred-page writing assignment which helps him to sort out his relationship with his famous astronaut father and the events that changed him from promising student to troubled teen.

Ben's Review
Rob Thomas is now best known as the man behind the teen sleuth show Veronica Mars, but this 1996 book was his entrée into the YA genre after working as a high school teacher.

Slim in length and jumping back and forth in time, it’s a simple rites of passage story with little plot, but buoyed by Thomas’s nagging ear for teenage dialogue.

Of course, like Ms. Mars, protagonist Steven is wise beyond his years. Smart characters can make for smart stories, but occasionally Steve is so pithy and so bright, it’s easier to imagine him as a conduit for an older man talking the way he wishes he talked at that age, rather than a character in his own right.

But though this tale takes a while to get going (I started and then put it down for a couple of months before trying again), the gentle misadventures and easy flow of the criss-crossing narrative makes for an enjoyable if not compelling read. Thomas understands what makes young people tick and their flaws, so while it’s not the gritty lit we’ve come to see a lot of in British non-fantasy YA, the characters are real enough to make them pleasant to spend time with.

This feels like an author slowly walking into the sea – the water that rises over his body is like the level of comfort he feels as he gradually become accustomed to the world he’s writing. By the time he got to Veronica Mars he was swimming. But if you don’t mind paddling, this is worth your time.

Interview: Michael Grant

2012-02-21T18:17:00.000Z

I'm absolutely thrilled to host this interview between author Michael Grant and our reviewer Ben. Michael is the author of the hugely successful 'Gone' series and his latest book BZRK will be in book shops at the end of February. Hope you enjoy reading it.

Your books tend to be quite dark. Was that always the tack you intended to take in your writing?
To be honest, early on I just kind of stumbled into writing for kids. My wife,Katherine Applegate, had started ghostwriting for Sweet Valley Twins and was getting additional work. So she basically said, "Here, write this book." That was phase one of my career. Then came ANIMORPHS. We went quite dark with ANIMORPHS which we co-authored and EVERWORLD and REMNANTS as well. That what was basically phase two. Phase three came after a 5 or 6 year hiatus. I came back with GONE which is definitely edgy. But then I did the MAGNIFICENT 12 series, which is kind of goofy
action. Now with BZRK I'm back to the dark side. But the book Katherine and I just co-authored – EVE and ADAM – skews back toward a slightly lighter take. Which is a really long answer, isn't it? I guess the point is that I write a story and don't think too much about whether it fits a genre.

I described your book Bzrk as nihilistic on this blog. Was that fair?
It wasn't unfair. BZRK gets right at the issues of freedom and responsibility and what is and what isn't real. The morality tends to get a bit tangled. The bad guys are definitely bad, but their professed motives are good. The good guys aren't exactly good, let's just say they're slightly better than the bad guys.

Nano is an incredible and terrifying-sounding technology. Did you do a lot of
research into it?
I don't know that I'm capable of doing a lot of research. I did some, though, which is pretty good for me.

Your teenage years sound more exciting than most. How do you feel it affected you?
Well, as I mentioned on your initial review, by the time I had finished my sixteenth year I had dropped out of school, hitchhiked cross-country, arranged fake ID by signing up for the draft, gotten a full time job and saved enough to take myself and a cashier to Europe for three months where we hitchhiked around. We broke up, I got ripped off, ended up sleeping under a bridge in Frankfurt for a couple weeks and came back to the US carrying nothing but my fatigue jacket and a copy of Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke. Also, by that point in life because I was an Army brat I'd attended more schools than I'd attended years of school, including schools in France where I became bilingual. My mother was 16 when I was born, my birth father disappeared before I arrived on the scene. So yeah, not the usual childhood. I'd had a lot more freedom and responsibility than most teenagers. So I know what kids are capable of.

In GONE I have a kid, Albert, who takes over running the McDonalds. I have zero doubt about the realism of that. I don't see teens as fragile little objects easily overwhelmed or terrified. I'm not sentimental about them. It's funny to me that 100% of complaints I've had about some of the darker and more dangerous teen characters have come from adults. Kids never doubt that their fellow teens can be awful. But adults like to idealize the teen years, they forget the bad and focus on the good. I think I pay teenagers the compliment of seeing them as actual human beings, capable of good and evil, capable of heroism and
cowardice.

I'm not going to be as trite as asking where you get your ideas from. But do you have the whole series in your head when you start, or does it just all pour from the crumb of an idea?
I never know where a story is going. I start it and just keep asking, "Okay, then what?" I don't plan, and that's deliberate: if I plan everything out I'll be obeying the meta-laws of fiction. I'll be predictable, because the readers know the same rules I know. I don't want them figuring it out in advance. I want them surprised and the best way to accomplish that is for me to be surprised myself every day.

I was interested in the kind of fans your books might attract. Obviously they are plentiful, but what kind of people do you find them to be?
Oh, the usual psychopaths and weirdos. Kidding. They seem like a fairly normal bunch. A bit smarter than average, obviously if they're reading hundreds of pages into densely-plotted books.

Getting boys reading is a consistent bugbear for publishers, schools and parents. What's your take on that?
I think adults often don't approve of the kinds of books that boys (and girls, too) like. Adults like "good for you" books. They often think books are medicine that will cure little Johnny or young Alice of the affliction of being an adolescent. Then adults will read crap like Dan Brown for entertainment and stress relief but the kids are supposed to be reading the Bible and Silas Marner. It's ridiculous. Your fifteen year-old needs at least as much stress relief as you do, and they don't get to down a martini at the end of the day, so let them read what they want.

Drake in the GONE series is an incredible creation – for me a mix of Roger from Lord Of The Flies, that snake from the Bible, the alien from Alien and the baddie from Time Bandits. Is that the most random, or indeed the stupidest description of him you've heard?
I like that, actually. I've always written nuanced villains, so I wanted for once to write someone who was purely, unambiguously evil. Just pure, Grade A rottenness.

Drake's last name is Merwin, a shout-out to Trashcan Man from The Stand by Stephen King. Drake's not nice. Just not nice at all that boy.

What is the status of the film versions of your work?
You tell me and we'll both know. I have no useful news on that front. There is movement, perhaps, but my Magic 8-ball says 'reply hazy.'

Go on, give us some insight into Bzrk 2, you know you want to…
Okay, how about this: the President of the United States, under the influence of nanobots. commits a gruesome crime and she's caught by the hacker collective Anonymous?

Thanks Michael and Ben for that great interview!

Blog Tour: Don Calame

2012-02-19T09:00:00.000Z

Today I'm hosting the author of Swim the Fly and more recently Beat the Band as part of his blog tour. You can see Ben's review of Beat the Band here. Hope you enjoy this great post about how Don's own life has shaped his books.

I tend to use a lot of my life in my fiction. Never entire incidents ripped from my life, mind you. More like moments of embarrassment, or humiliation, or awkwardness that I can then expand and fictionalize in order to make my protagonists’ lives a living hell.

One such moment—that I borrowed from my past and used in my latest novel, Beat the Band—was when my older brother decided he wanted to teach me how to drive.

I was fourteen at the time. Still two years from being able to legally learn how to pilot a car in New York. He was seventeen with only a year or so of experience under his own belt.

We were setting out to do the wash at the local Laundromat. Just a five minute drive up the road. I had just placed the basket of laundry in the back seat when my brother said to me, “Get in the driver’s seat. I’m going to show you how to drive.” Very casually, like we did this kind of thing all the time. Like he was going to show me how to throw a Frisbee or climb a tree.

My immediate reaction was terror. I’d never been behind the wheel of a car before. The only driving I’d ever done was with a joystick playing Pole Position on my Atari game system. And let me tell you, I wasn’t even very good at that. But in a video game if you crash you get a second life. In the real world, well, things don’t exactly work that way.

Which is why I protested and said I didn’t want to take any chances. I started to get into the passenger side but my brother wasn’t having any of that. He insisted that it wouldn’t be such a big deal. That we just had to drive up the road, make a couple of turns, and then pull into the Laundromat parking lot. Easy as pie.

And so, like a good little brother, I caved and slid into the driver’s seat. The keys felt heavy in my hand. The steering wheel seemed enormous. My brother played the competent driving instructor and told me to adjust the seat, adjust the mirrors, find my windshield wipers, my indicator light, the gas pedal, and the brake.

A minute later, I’m turning the key and the giant V8 engine comes to life. My heart is racing, my head pounding. All my senses are suddenly heightened. The smell of the little dangling pine tree air freshener seemed overbearing. The sun all of a sudden felt too bright. The engine sounded like an angry T-rex.

I’m not sure why, but I felt like once I’d turned on the car there was no going back.

And so, I set myself, took a deep breath and shifted the car into gear. Making sure, as my brother informed me, to keep my foot on the break while I did so. A moment after this I’m lifting my foot off the brake and steering the car, ever so slowly and cautiously, away from the curb.

Well, if you haven’t guessed by now, things did not go very well after that.

At first, I was fine. I was travelling a cool ten miles per hour down our street. No one in sight. Aimed right down the middle of the road.

And then, all of a sudden, another car was headed straight for us. I didn’t know what to do. I freaked. I couldn’t think clearly. My brother tried to keep calm, saying, “Just ease over to your right, just a little, just a bit.”

But it didn’t seem like there was enough room for both of our cars and instead of easing, I yanked the wheel to the right and slammed us right into the door of a brown Chevy parked by the side of the road.

My brother went into pure panic mode. He screamed at me to get the hell out from behind the wheel. I leapt over the seat and into the back while he slid over and took control.

And we bolted. Not back home to hide the car in the garage. But up the street to the Laundromat to get our wash done. And no, I’m not proud of this moment. Not at all.

As I sat in the steamy Laundromat, watching the wash tumble around and around I started feeling guiltier and guiltier. So much so that when my brother returned from the deli with sandwiches and sodas I told him we had to go back. That we had to confess. Maybe not the entire truth—that it was me, an under-aged driver under the tutelage of my brother who’d hit the car—but perhaps a partial truth. That it was my legal-aged brother who’d caused the damage having barreling into the car while I was distracting him.

And so, that is what we did. Returned to the scene of the crime and begged forgiveness from victims along with offering to pay for all the damages done.

Of course, in Beat the Band, when Coop’s dad agrees to teach Coop how to drive, they do not get off the hook so easily.

It’s moments like these that you never ever forget. Traumatic moments. Humiliating moments. Embarrassing moments. They are burned in your brain. All the details. The sights, the sounds, the smells. They’re still there, even thirty years later.

Which is why these sort of incidents make great fodder for ones stories.

Thanks Don for that personal post, I can't wait to read Beat the Band!

Review: India Dark

2012-02-18T15:08:00.000Z

Title: India Dark
Author: Kirsty Murray
Publisher: Templar
Publication Date: January 2012
Pages: 319
Copy: Paperback
Rating: 5/5
Reviewer: Julia

Synopsis
Based on a true story, India Dark follows the dramatic events of the Lilliputian Opera Company in 1910 as they embark on a world tour, acting, singing and dancing their way from Australia to India. The Lilliputian Opera Company is made up of 29 youngsters aged between 7 and 18. Their boss is Arthur Percival, a lecherous, two-faced man who leads his band of youngsters on a traumatic journey that steals their innocence and leaves them irreversibly changed.

Julia's Review
Kirsty Murray narrates this gripping tale through two different perspectives. The first voice is 13-year old Posey Swift. She is the heroine; innocent, gentle and compassionate. The second voice is 15-year old Tilly Sweetrick. Tilly is savvy, worldly wise and manipulative. I enjoyed the two different perspectives, seeing the world from two very different points of view.

Posey is the heroine of India Dark. It is she who is the most innocent of all the characters at the beginning of the book; and therefore she who has the furthest to fall into the ugly truth of deception, illicit relationships and vanity. I found myself more gripped by the chapters narrated by Posey than the chapters narrated by Tilly. No doubt this is because Posey had the rockier journey to walk.

The events of this story are both gripping and shocking. However, it is the diverse assortment of characters that are most compelling. Complex and volatile interactions erupt in every chapter and each person is continually moulded and impacted by each drama. The troupe of young performers is a bubbling pot of conflict. Love and friendship battle against the swirling mix of jealousy, insecurity, lust and oppression.

As already mentioned, the two characters that narrate the story are starkly contrasting. Tilly Sweetrick is older than Posey and has already accompanied one successful tour of the Lilliputian Opera Company. Tilly and her friends are concerned only for male admirers and are desperate to be recognised as young ladies, rather than children. Posey on the other hand knows nothing of lust. Wide-eyed and innocent, she sees the best in everyone. She is therefore a misfit amongst her peers but finds comfort in two special relationships. The first is with 13-year old Charlie and the second with 17-year old Eliza.

I found myself unable to put down the book, so keen was I to see how these two significant relationships unfurl. Posey’s friendship with Charlie is pure and innocent. They are two kindred spirits; innocent roses amongst the tainted weeds. I loved watching their friendship grow and deepen and the romantic tension that arose between them.

Posey’s friendship with Eliza was equally compelling. From early in the story, the reader knows that Eliza is hiding a secret from Posey. Whilst it is obvious to the reader what this secret it, I still felt the shock and hurt that ricocheted through Posey when she stumbled upon the ugly truth.

The volatile dramas of the Lilliputian Opera Company are set against the exotic, Eastern backdrop of Asia and India. The misadventures begin amongst the unfamiliar spice and sounds of Indonesia and Malaysia. However, it is India that hosts the greater share of the plot. The mysterious, other-worldliness of India with its rickshaws, rupees and street performers all add a unique and invaluable dimension to the story.

It could be argued that this story leaves you feeling depressed and despondent. The loss of innocence is irreversible. When the children eventually return to their homes, they have each been changed forever and nothing can restore what they have lost. This is perhaps the stark reality of life – that despite all the good in the world, there is also depravity and corruption.

However, despite the somber theme of innocence lost, I still loved this book from start to finish. Kirsty Murray has been a genius how she has taken the historical facts and then breathed such vivid life into the characters in order to paint a brilliant story.

I would highly recommend India Dark to 13+ readers.

Review: Shadows

2012-02-18T03:00:00.000Z

Title: A Dark Touch Novel: Shadows

Author: Amy Meredith

Publisher: Red Fox

Pages: 281

Rating: 5/5

Age Recommendation: 12+

Reviewer: Catherine

Synopsis

Fifteen year-old Eve Evergold iscute, sassy and enjoying a busy social life. What she doesn't know yet is thatsomeone close to her is an evil demon that only she has the supernatural power to defeat.

She needs to work out who it is - and fast! Because althoughthere's something very attractive about the dark side . . . dating a demon?Pure hell!

Catherine's Review
Meet Eve Evergold, a cute and cool teenager enjoying a busy social life in theseaside village of Deepdene. However all is not as it seems. Eve realises thatshe has a supernatural power and is capable of melting lipstick, settingpaper alight and turning a boy into a cloud of black smoke-all with only herbare hands. But there's more. Luke, the new minister’s son, has researched intothe village’s history along with Eve and her best friend Jess- and togetherthey have discovered some unimaginably nightmarish secrets. Eve is relatedto the Deepdene witch, a mysterious woman who saved the small town from aninvasion of demons. This information was recorded approximately onehundred years ago and the demons come every hundred years...

Soon sudden and unnerving problems begin to occur. Several village girls arerushed to a mental institution after falling unconscious when having visionsof shadows and demons that no-one else can see. This means that demons areclose-Eve has to act fast! Luckily, Luke has translated a previous minister’sdiary which explains what the demons actually do. They rip at peoplessouls in frightening nightmares and then eventually suck out their victim’ssoul...by kissing. And when Jess suddenly starts to have visions andnightmares Eve and Luke must unravel the mystery-and quickly! Who is this evildemon, lurking in the shadows?

Is there anyone that Eve can really trust? Surely gorgeous new boy Mal hasnothing to do with it all-or does he? Eve has to get rid of the demons- as it’sonly a matter of time before it is too late...

I thought this chilling book was brilliant, I lovedit! When you read it everything seems real- you can really get into the storyand it feels like you can almost interact with the characters andunderstand their feelings. It was very scary and eerie and sent a shiver downyour spine; however, the hints of darkness and romance made it reallyexciting and enjoyable. You can't put it down-it hooks you, you're hanging onto every last word! I would recommend this fantastically gripping novel tofans of supernatural magic, terrifying demons and haunting mysteries - it's aworthwhile read. I'm definitely going to read more of this amazing series-youjust can't get enough!

Review: The Future of Us

2012-02-17T18:12:00.000Z

Title: The Future of Us
Author: Jay Asher/Carolyn Mackler
Publisher: Razorbill
Your Age Recommendation: Teen
Publication Date: November 2011
Available for Kindle?: Yes
Pages: 356
Copy: ARC
My Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Angela

Summary
It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

My Review
In all actuality, I had no idea what The Future of Us was about, not really. I acquired an ARC of it back in October or shortly before, and then we moved 850 miles and into a new state, so I promptly forgot about it, but I picked it up and read it in about 3 sittings once we’d gotten unpacked and such.

It's a cute story, interesting in intent. If you had access to see your future, and you could change it would you? For what? And why?

In that regard, this book made me think. When I was 16, if I'd seen my Facebook, and therefore, I became privy to photos of my little girl and my husband, would that have impacted my decisions? I guess you'll never really know, but that was the lovely part of this book: I could react along with the characters, at least in that regard. Also, the idea of small changes in the present impacting your future was addressed, and I liked the way the authors handled that. Thinking back, that was one of my favorite bits of the book.

That said?

The characters were believable, sometimes almost to the point of stereotype. At times, I found Emma, the female narrator, to be amazingly, almost impressively self-centered, and while I understand that she's an adolescent and that, to a degree, that was to be expected, I have to say that, at a certain point, she became unlikable (albeit temporarily). Josh, the male protagonist and someone who has been friends with Emma for essentially their entire lives, remained largely amiable.

The story moved along nicely for the majority of the time, but in the middle, I definitely felt like it dragged a bit. And the ending was sweet, if a little expected. And, though there were definitely times that I felt ambiguously regarding Emma, I never once though that the authors made these two teenagers out to be thirty year olds trapped in the bodies of adolescents, which is refreshing to have read.

Overall, this was a light, easy read, and enjoyable enough.

Review: Beautiful Malice

2012-02-17T14:53:00.000Z

Title: Beautiful Malice

Author: Rebecca James

Publisher: Bantam

Publication Date: 13 July 2010

Pages: 272

Copy: Paperback

My Rating: 3.5/5

Reviewer: Kate

Synopsis
“Truth or Dare?” she asks. I hesitate. “Truth,” I say finally. “I can imagine one of your dares, and I don't fancy running down Oxford Street naked tonight.”

“Truth,” Alice says slowly, drawing out the vowel sound as if she's savouring the word. “Are you sure? Are you sure you can be completely honest?”

“I think so. Try me.”

“Okay.” And then she looks at me curiously. so. We you glad, deep down? Were you glad to be rid of her? Your perfect sister? Were you secretly glad she was killed?”

Katherine Patterson is looking for a fresh start – new city, new school, new life – as far away as possible from Melbourne, the people she knew there … the people who knew. Katherine used to be Katie Boydell and, in her old city, everybody knew that name. Katie Boydell was famous. Infamous. “The Boydell sisters” were in every newspaper, and everybody had an opinion about what had really happened that night. What had really happened to Rachel. Katherine had to get away from the whispers and the memories.

In her new school, she concentrates on keeping a low profile, and she succeeds until one day the most popular girl at the school asks her to her party and sets about becoming her best friend. Alice is charismatic, funny, beautiful and effortlessly cool. And she wants to be friends with Katherine. Soon, Katherine is spending most of her time with Alice and her boyfriend, Robbie, and their friendship becomes more important to her than anything. Katherine begins to feel happy – truly happy – for the first time in a long time.

But Alice has a darker side, as Katherine gradually discovers. She has secrets too, secrets that begin to threaten Katherine's new-found happiness. Secrets much more explosive and devastating than Katherine could begin to imagine. Even when Katherine tries to break away and create another new life for herself, she can't get rid of Alice. Alice is determined to be part of Katherine's life.

And to get her revenge.

Kate’s Review
In a time when books about vampires, werewolves and fairies are all the rage and futuristic dystopias are hot property, Rebecca James' book stands out from the pack. There are no fangs in this story, or battles to save the world. There are just two girls, a tragic event, secrets layered upon secrets and a whole bucket load of crazy.

When this novel came out, Rebecca James was catapulted from unknown aspiring author to global sensation. She earned awards nominations, gushing reviews, publication deals in several overseas markets and – inevitably – the tag of “The next JK Rowling”. The latter is inexplicable. This book is about as far from Harry and Hogwarts as Patricia Cornwall is from The Chronicles of Narnia. As I said, there's no magic here, and I'm pretty sure the “c” word never slipped from Hermione's mouth (although I'm sure she was tempted at times when Ron was being particularly dopey).

There's no denying there's something about this book – there has to have been to have generated such enormous interest. It's a snappy, atmospheric, edge-of-your-seat page-turner with a fabulously deranged villain – a kind of twenty-first century Single White Female for a younger generation, and it proves that you don't need a supernatural gimmick to write a bonafide young adult bestseller. Rebecca James' strength is her ability to keep up the tension throughout all the 270 plus pages of this novel. It's the definition of “un-putdownable”. She has also created some wonderful characters – Alice is deliciously psychotic from page one, Robbie is a classic wounded puppy dog and Mick is just simply gorgeous (rakish good looks? Check! Motorbike? Check! Rock star cool? Check!).

Where Rebecca James falls down, slightly, is in her protagonist, Katherine. Her character never quite leaps off the page. She seems to act as a catalyst sometimes for all the crazy going on around her and, while you do care about her plight, you're often left wishing that the other peripheral characters could be explored more because they are simply much more interesting. I wanted to know more about Philippa, for example. She is feisty and complex (and she does have the honour of uttering the aforementioned obscenity in a wonderful confrontation late in the book).

The other thing that lets this book down somewhat is that James never seems to go quite far enough in the craziness. Sure, we know Alice is loopy, and she does cause a lot of harm but you can't help feeling she could have done more harm. That might sound, well, malicious, but I think when you select a book called Beautiful Malice – one advertised as being an “intense … psychological thriller”, you're looking for just a bit more intensity and “psycho” than is delivered here. After all the build-up, Alice's denouement, and her final revenge, does feel slightly anti-climactic.

That said, nothing takes away from the fact that this is a hugely enjoyable book. The negatives are far outweighed by the positives and it's definitely a book that you'll want to devour while, simultaneously, wishing it would never end. Rebecca James might not be the next JK Rowling – she might, in fact, be the first Rebecca James – but she has proven herself as a writer of note. Vampires, werewolves and messed-up futures may not have had their day yet, but Rebecca James has proved here that you can write a hugely successful and enjoyable book without them. Readers will definitely be on the edge of their seats waiting for her next move.

Blog Tour: James Dawson

2012-02-17T09:00:00.000Z

Hollow Pike by James Dawson

I'm delighted to have author James Dawson here as part of his blog tour. He's just had his book, Hollow Pike, published by Indigo and it was a huge hit here at Mostly Reading YA. Take a look at Adam's review here. Hope you enjoy his post about covers in YA and then order a copy here.

Hair, Gowns and Dead Girls

In YA fiction, the old phrase don’t judge a book its cover is utterly redundant. Covers are hugely important to the success of a novel, while a bad cover can turn the readership off entirely. Why deny it? The first point of contact between reader and novel is the cover. The jacket has to convey a lot of information – who is it for? What is it about? Which other books is it like? Unless you’re an established author or there’s huge buzz behind a book, the cover is what entices someone to pull a book off a shelf.

On his recent Booker Prize win, author Julian Barnes thanked his cover designer in his acceptance speech. Sense of an Ending is a lovely looking book, and in the digital age, a physical book has to be worth having. The best way to achieve this is to make each book a little piece of artwork for your bookshelf.
I feel blessed that Hollow Pike has a gorgeous cover. I wanted it to be striking, my editor wanted it to be beautiful. The talented designer Laura Brett created cover art that was both striking and beautiful, for which I’m very grateful indeed. Hopefully, that pink and purple will be sparkling on a bookshop shelf near you any day now!

As an author, it’s impossible not to spot covers that make you go ‘oooh’! A cover so strong, it almost doesn’t matter what the book is about! Here I present five books with five outstanding covers that I’ve never read, but want to purely for their aesthetic value.

1. Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne – how could you not love the tarot theme on this one? The model is stunning, the blindfold slightly sensual and, as with any YA worth its salt, features hair being whipped both back and forth.

2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern – I don’t know if you’d class this as a YA read, but the word ‘crossover’ has been mentioned, so I think I’m safe. If the book is as enchanting as the cover, I can’t wait for this Angela Carter inspired read.

3. Candor by Pam Bachorz (UK cover) – Simple and elegant. The Orange of the lolly and the yellow of the wasp are instantly eye-catching. A refreshing change to the sea of black and red in the teen noir section.

4. Envy (An Empty Coffin Novel) by Gregg Olsen – a controversial one. A lot has been written about the somewhat disturbing rise of the ‘dead girl cover’, but at least this one has the guts to really go for it. This girl is definitely dead, and the grim bathroom had me intrigued.

5. Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma – HIGH FASHION. I LOVE this. Yes, it looks like a photoshoot from America’s Next Top Model. I have no idea how it was shot, but it’s graceful, striking, elegant and beautiful. Probably my favourite not-Hollow Pike cover!

Harbinger, The Night Circus, Envy, Imaginary Girls (L-R)

Interview: Melissa Walker

2012-02-16T18:57:00.000Z

Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker is one of my favourite YA books so I'm really pleased that she has answered my questions for the blog. Thanks Melissa.

1) Lovestruck Summer is centred around the Austin Music Festival. Can you tell us a few of your favourite bands?

Ooh, tough. Okay, so I love: The Beatles, Beach House, Taylor Swift, Band of Horses, The Dixie Chicks, Ryan Adams, The Shins... it's a mix.

2) Which character was more fun to write Russ or Sebastian?

Russ! I loved him! I feel like he came to me fully formed and winking. I could HEAR his voice in my head--he wouldn't stop talking (which is the best way for a character to be).

3) I thought Quinn was a great character, who inspired her?

No real person inspired Quinn, but her attitudes definitely came from my own, at that age, and my friends'. We went off to college thinking we know just where we stood on all issues... and then, things shifted.

4) Can you tell us a bit about I Heart Daily and the reason you founded the fantastic site?

My friend Anne and I were editors at ELLEgirl together, and when the magazine folded we missed writing for it... so we started a site about all the good things we'd have put in the magazine if it were still around.

5) Can you tell us the three books you think every teenager should read?

Forever by Judy Blume, Girl by Blake Nelson and The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen.

6) What were the best things about working at ELLEgirl and what would your advice be to someone trying to make it in the journalism world?

I loved ELLEgirl--it was like putting together a magazine with college friends.... my co-workers were the best part. Making it in journalism now requires hustle and a mix of skills from social networking to interviewing to story packaging. Practice it all.

7) I love all of your covers but particularly Small Town Sinners. Do you ever get any input and are you always satisfied?

I do get some input, but I'm not always satisfied... I've told the stories about all of my covers on my blog. Here are two:

Lovestruck Summer

Small Town Sinners

8) What are you writing at the moment and will we ever get a sequel to Lovestruck Summer?

My next book is called Unbreak My Heart, and it will be out in May. I don't think there's a sequel to Lovestruck Summer in the cards... though I do have hope that Russ and Quinn's story isn't over. In my mind, it goes on...

Thanks Melissa - you can find her on twitter @melissacwalker

Review: The Boy Who Made It Rain

2012-02-16T11:04:00.000Z

Title: The Boy Who Made it Rain
Author: Brian Conaghan
My Age Recommendation: 16+
Publisher: Sparkling Books Ltd.
Publication Date: 3rd June 2011
Pages: 208
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jon

Synopsis
At only sixteen Clem's world is turned upside down. His Willy-Loman-like father, a travelling salesman and a loser, is transferred from Eastbourne to Glasgow and along with him go Clem and his meek accommodating mother. But Glasgow is rough and Clem's posh English accent is not well-accepted in the sink school he attends. And he's a brilliant scholar. He soon becomes the target for McEvoy's group of thugs for whom slashing faces is the most important ambition in their depraved lives. When a school tragedy happens, you probably lay the blame on society, the Internet, TV or violent films. Not many of you think it could be the parents' or the teachers' fault, do you? But then, is it? We all have our say, spout off opinions in different directions according to our view of the world. In this novel, too, they all have their say, but who's right?

Jon's Review
This is a strange book.

The Boy Who Made it Rain tells the story of a young man who due to his father's change of job is uprooted from his home, his school and his life in Eastbourne and moved to inner city Glasgow. Coming from an excellent school, well-educated and well spoken, our protagonist Clem finds himself the centre of attention in a low achieving school that is plagued by the Scots equivalent of "Chavs"; the smoking, drinking, knife-carrying, Burberry wearing "Non-educated delinquents" (or NEDs for short). The attention he receives, whilst at times desirable (as in the case of Rosie, who is to become his girlfriend), is mostly abusive and threatening. The village mob mentality of his Glaswegian classmates is all too apparent as he suffers daily verbal abuse, not least on account of his posh English accent.

We are introduced to a variety of colourful characters, each who tell their account of what happened leading up to and including a climactic event. These include Rosie, her friend Cora, his previous headmaster and others who have an opinion on what caused the event to occur. Throughout the book, we are not told what this event was, but clearly it is of an extremely serious nature. I had a pretty good idea of what the outcome was going to be; whilst I was surprised by the technical details, I guessed what was going to happen fairly early on.

That said, this book is not a mystery, more a psychological delve into the darkest recesses of the human psyche; perhaps an attempt to understand why people act the way they do in extreme circumstances.

The sensible grown-up in me wanted to hate this book. The prolific use of foul language, whilst contextual, is wholly inappropriate and unnecessary. That may sound old-fashioned and I'm sure some teenagers who read this know all the swear words (and more, undoubtedly) but that is not the point. The author is clearly a master wordsmith who beautifully crafted some of the most profound scenes and conversations I've ever read in a book before. Unfortunately, I felt that this talent was ultimately tainted by the overuse of offensive language. Yes, this is a story set in a violent sub-culture in a city with frightening statistics of knife crime (and worse), and granted, some of the locals do colour their vocabulary with a considerable amount of swearing. Nonetheless, did the author really feel it added any realism to the story to include it? That is for you to decide.

The teenager in me loved it. As I read the story, I recalled my own turbulent teenage years. Time and again I found myself reflected in the story of Clem. Having been home educated as a very young boy, then schooled in a peaceful part of Devon, I was suddenly uprooted because of my father's career change, and moved to inner city London at the age of 11. Immediately I could relate to Clem's plight. Just as Clem found himself in a poor school in a poor part if Glasgow, I was sent to a sink school in what was the poorest part of South London: Lambeth. Surrounded by South Londoners, my "posh nob" accent and education was the subject of much verbal and physical abuse. Consequently I grew to hate my school, my classmates, the useless teachers and London itself. Like Clem, I had to decide which battles to fight and which to walk away from. Thankfully I survived and came out of it all the stronger! This story tells us how Clem deals with his situation in a way that teenagers (and adults) the world over can relate to, especially if they have suffered similar experiences.

This is an extremely well written, gripping and numbing story that grabs you by the throat and won't let go until you see it through to the end. I'm glad I read it. I love and hate the book in equal measures, and can only commend the author on stirring such strong, conflicting emotions out of me with his words.

Review: Cows In Action - The Viking Emoo-gency

2012-02-16T10:54:00.000Z

Title: Cows In Action: The Viking Emoo-gency

Author: Steve Cole

Publisher: Red Fox

Publication Date: 2 Feb 2012

Pages: 274

Rating: 1/5

Age Recommendation: 6+

Reviewer: Catherine

Synopsis

In the year 878, England trembles under Viking attack - but the deadly Danes are being snatched by sea-monsters. What does this have to do with some stolen zoo animals and a mad bull scientist from the future? Only McMoo, Pat and Bo can find out!

Catherine's Review

This book consists of both fantasy and history. The storyline is basic and easy to follow and understand. The story told, is one about three cows who form an undercover association-Cows In Action (C.I.A). Together they travel back in time to 878 AD, when England is under Viking attack. These Vikings, however, are timid and weak, unlike the mighty brave warriors that they have a reputation for being. The Vikings explain how their courageous and 'proper' Viking friends perished under unknown and mysterious circumstances-leaving them to fight all the hard and tiresome battles.

So Mcmoo, Pat and Bo (the cows) offer to be prisoners and travel with the Danes. But in the ocean there is a sudden sea monster attack and a warrior gets engulfed by the monster. This is when the others realise this must have been the case and with the loss of their Viking friends they need to uncover the mystery once and for all!

With that the story moves on and the three agents meet King Alfred the Great and discover that the other lost Vikings were somehow zombified to follow an F.B.I agents commands-and destroy anything in their path. (In this case the F.B.I is an association to do with cows!) They also realise that the F.B.I have been working on something else behind their backs which involves turning every animal half cow!

I never really got into this book as it was too simple and fast-paced for my liking. There wasn't an exciting and memorable storyline and it didn't have that buzz that makes you want to read on. I think that it was aimed at younger readers and so it never really appealed to me that much. I'd recommend this book to ages 6+ and wouldn't continue to read any more in the series. Despite the fact that I didn't enjoy it, I still think it was written well and would possibly be an appropriate and humorous read for a younger child. This book wasn't a worth-while read as it certainly wasn't my cup of tea.

Blog Tour: Rachel Vincent

2012-02-15T09:00:00.000Z

Today I am pleased to welcome Rachel Vincent back as part of her blog tour for her latest book If I Die. The book was published by MIRA Ink on 3rd Febuary. It can be purchased here. Thanks Rachel!

1. The series is getting quite long now, how do you continue to think of such unique and interesting ideas?

The Soul Screamers world is so broad that anything seems possible, and honestly, at this point, the characters get themselves into as much trouble as they actually solve, so usually the consequences of decisions made in one book usually becomes the plot for the next book.

2. Which book are you most proud of so far and why?

Right now, I’m pretty proud of Before I Wake (though I’m pretty nervous about its reception, after the game-changer that was If I Die). If I Die was a destructive book. The characters destroyed relationships, trust, and lives. I will admit that wreaking that much havoc was fun. But as any nursery rhyme lover can tell you, it’s much easier to push Humpty Dumpty off the wall (If I Die) than it is to put him back together (Before I Wake).

3. Where did the inspiration for Mr Beck come from?

The concept came from the needs of the plot and the themes of the book. As for Mr. Beck himself…I knew several girls in my own high school who had crushes on my sophomore English teacher. So I thought about him, then tried to imagine an evil version. ;)

4. Is it still the plan for the series to be seven books?

Yes.

5. Have you had any amusing fan mail and what is the longest amount of time you have spent signing books in one go?

I get amusing messages from readers all the time. And I once had a line at RT that lasted more than an hour. That’s the longest I’ve ever signed non-stop on my own, though the group signings I’ve done at BEA are always that long, but much more frantic.

Review: BZRK

2012-02-14T10:26:00.000Z

Title: BZRK
Author: Michael Grant
My Age Recommendation: 16+
Publisher: Electric Monkey
Publication Date: 28th February 2012
Pages: 416
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Ben

Amazon Synopsis
These are no ordinary soldiers. This is no ordinary war. Welcome to the nano, where the only battle is for sanity. Losing is not an option when a world of madness is at stake. Time is running out for the good guys. But what happens when you don't know who the good guys really are? Noah and Sadie: newly initiated to an underground cell so covert that they don't even know each other's names. Here they will learn what it means to fight on a nano level. Soon they will become the deadliest warriors the world has ever seen. Vincent: feels nothing, cares for no one; fighting his own personal battle with Bug Man, the greatest nano warrior alive. The Armstrong Twins: wealthy, privileged, and fanatical. Are they the saviours of mankind or authors of the darkest conspiracy the world has ever seen? The nano is
uncharted territory. A terrifying world of discovery. And everything is to play for...

Ben's Review
This is a deeply unpleasant book. That’s not a criticism, it’s a fact. But then anyone who’s read Grant’s work before will know he doesn’t shy away from the gruesome. This novel, the first in a new series, is no exception.

It’s also a pretty nihilistic outlook on life, especially how the teens relate to themselves and each other. None of the young-ish characters are very happy, some are sociopaths and Grant paints them unsympathetically and sparingly. This can be interpreted either as skilful writing or completely the opposite. Personally, I got a bit irritated with it for the first couple of hundred pages. But the author has an uncanny knack for a story and I found myself piling through the chapters. As it went on, so the depth of the characters improved. What began as a series of rather flaky scenarios that seem to exist solely to drive the plot forward became an increasingly complex, dark and satisfying narrative.

I was a bit confused as to who it was aimed at. It’s incredibly violent, gory and sweary, which may well suit videogame-schooled male teenagers. But perhaps this should be one of those books they hold up to debate what YA fiction really is. Is it YA because the main protagonists are teenagers? Everything else about this book screams adult. Or does Grant revel in the vile side of youth – Lord Of The Flies in extremis?

Certainly, I had an occasional issue with the way the younger characters act. It’s all very well having someone mature beyond their years, but the way they behave sexually and/or socially is too advanced (except in Hollywood terms). They don't really act like kids, even savvy kids while they kind of did in Grant’s previous blockbuster saga, the Gone series. The manner in which he writes his anti-heroes here makes me think Grant really wanted to write an adult book but felt tied into his YA success.

Nevertheless, this is an epic story – spoiled slightly by the fact you know it’s a series and thus know it won’t be properly resolved at the end. The epilogue leads us straight into the next instalment, but while the characters have plenty else they can do, a one-off might have been more interesting. Unfortunately, modern publishing doesn’t work like that.

I enjoyed it, but if you have any kind of issue with germs, be very careful. It might cause you to feel quite itchy.

Review: Queen of the Night

2012-02-14T09:00:00.000Z

Title: Queen of the Night
Author: Leanne Hall
Publisher: Text Publishing, Australia
Publication Date: 22 Feb 2012
Pages: 288
Copy: For Review
My Rating: 5/5
Reviewer: Kate

Synopsis
“I feel the darkness sizzle on my bare arms. The night folds over me, cool and dim, and I can instantly breathe easier. Back again.”

It's been six months since Nia saw Jethro. Six months since she was Wildboy and he was Wolfboy and they met at the Diabetic hotel in the suburb of Shyness, where the sun never rises. Six months since that one long night where it seemed like everything had changed forever. Wolfboy never called. He said he would, but he didn't, and Nia has moved on with her life. She's left her dead-end job and is now working in a funky vintage shop. She's moved schools and is looking forward to starting again once the holidays are over. Nia is trying to forget Wolfboy. They had one night together; that's all.

But then Wolfboy does call. And what he tells her shakes up her world more than even that first meeting. He tells her about Shyness, about how his friend Lupe has disappeared; how the Kids seem frightened; how the Mysterious Doctor Gregory is still lurking in the shadows. He asks Nia to come out with him again; into Shyness. Into the Darkness.

And what Nia finds there, in the shadows, is a much more complex world than the one she discovered on that first night. Wolfboy might be howling less, but there are still those who are interested in him and in his “night sickness”. His friend, Paul, has become troubled and dangerous and they don't know why, except that it's something to do with dreams; with flowers in teacups, with the “blue people”, the Datura Institute … and the Queen of the Night.

Can Wildgirl help Wolfboy to save his friend? Can they work together to find out what's really going on in Shyness? And, most importantly of all, will they live to see the darkness lift?

Kate's Review
I loved this book. I didn't think it was possible for Leanne Hall to write a better novel than the flawless This is Shyness and, in fact, I was a bit hesitant to even read this, worried it might spoil the magic. If this was anything less than a masterpiece – anything less than its prequel – I may well have ended up with a book-shaped dent on the opposite wall of my reading room.

Luckily, Hall brings the goods. If anything, Queen of the Night is even darker, more atmospheric and more deliciously gothic than its predecessor.

It was such a joy to meet up with Wolfboy and Wildgirl again. They are two such complex, brilliantly executed characters. Wildgirl is feisty and yet vulnerable – cool and yet endearingly daggy. Wolfboy is a tightly knotted ball of howling angst, and yet he shows his softer side when Wildgirl – and his quirky niece Diana – are around. The villain, Doctor Gregory, is given much more complexity in this book, especially at the end, and the new characters introduced – the titular “Queen” especially – are welcome additions to the series.

Shyness is, as in the first book, an artfully drawn, vivid location, full of eccentric characters hiding in the shadows. Even though it terrifies me, I still want to visit and see the pretend forest and the teacups full of flowers tied to lamp-posts.

Often, books about dreams can feel a bit trite and forced, but Leanne Hall manages to create just the right soporific, hazy atmosphere to make the dreaming in this book so real you almost believe it's what you saw last night, your eyes flickering as you lay beneath your doona.

Queen of the Night feels like a comic book on the page, but it's more than that. It has the wit and edginess of Scott Pilgrim, mixed with the poetry of Edgar Allen Poe. It is an intensely poetic book, but it never feels pretentious or “literary”. It has elements of the paranormal, but this is no Twilight wannabe. It is fiercely unique and bravely innovative and I cannot wait for the next instalment so I can walk once more with Wolfboy and Wildgirl into the darkness.

Review: The Truth About Celia Frost

2012-02-13T09:00:00.000Z

Title: The Truth About Celia Frost
Author: Paula Rawsthorne
Publisher: Usborne Publishing
Publication Date: 1st August 2011
Pages: 336
Age Recommendation: 12+
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Amy

Synopsis
Celia Frost is a freak. At least, that's what everyone thinks. Her life is ruled by a rare disorder that means she could bleed to death from the slightest cut, confining her to a gloomy bubble of 'safety'. No friends. No fun. No life.

But when a knife attack on Celia has unexpected consequences, her mum reacts strangely - and suddenly they're on the run. Why is her mum so scared? Someone out there knows. And when they find Celia, she's going to wish the truth was a lie.

A buried secret, a gripping manhunt, a dangerous deceit... What is the truth about Celia Frost?
I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked up The Truth About Celia Frost. The synopsis was intriguing and it had consistently positive reviews, but I had no idea whether this was a thriller, a paranormal, or something else entirely.

Amy's Review
I think it's actually best to go into this story without knowing too much. There are several twists that I can honestly say I didn't see coming. The truth about who Celia Frost really is and what her mother is keeping from her is a mystery that will compel readers from page one. I read this through in one sitting and found it a nice change from the usual paranormal, fantasy or contemporary romances I tend to gravitate towards.

The Truth About Celia Frost is a well-written, engaging story that is brilliantly paced. After a rush trip to the hospital, it's clear from her mother's evasiveness, her unwillingness to allow further tests and their hasty change of address, that she is hiding something from Celia. Does Celia really have hemophilia? Or is her mother suffering from Munchausen by proxy? And why is someone paying a lot of money to a dubious private detective to track them down?

Celia is a very likable protagonist who grows in confidence as the story progresses. She is feisty, intelligent and brave, with a strong sense of right and wrong. Singled out and isolated from her classmates due to her hemophilia (a life-threatening condition that prevents her blood from clotting), and their constant moving around, we are introduced to a picked on and lonely Celia standing up to a particularly nasty bully and holding her own while doing it. I liked her immediately. I also liked that her character felt like a real, flawed, fourteen year old girl, at times acting out and knowing just exactly what to say to best hurt or punish her mum whenever she felt frustrated or betrayed.

The relationship between Celia and her mother is difficult and interesting (and their arguments all too familiar!) Once it becomes clear that Janice is lying to her daughter, Celia no longer trusts her and begins to hate her mother for preventing her from living a normal life all these years. Her confusion and hurt is understandable (as is the way she reacts) but I also really felt deeply for Janice, who does seem to be mentally ill.

Sol and Celia's friendship was heartwarming and one of my favourite aspects of the book. Since the characters are slightly younger, there isn't any romance between the two, but they quickly become best friends and I loved how they looked out for each other. It was really great to see this kind of childhood friendship, which for some reason seems to be a rarity in YA. I envied them spending their summer hanging out by the lake, learning to swim, having cookouts and riding around on Sol’s bike.

Frankie, the private detective looking for Janice and Celia, was the one character I wasn’t particularly interested by, and I found his role within the story, and his consequent actions, a little too predictable and run of the mill.

The Truth About Celia Frost also raises some interesting moral and ethical questions but in a way that isn't heavy handed or preachy. I felt the truth of Celia Frost, once we learn it, was perhaps a little over the top in terms of believability, but it's certainly a conclusion I wouldn't have guessed.

I wouldn't say this was a gritty, or even an overly dark read, despite the mystery of Celia and the questions it brings up, but it has some likable, relatable characters, a gripping plot line and an easy-flowing narrative that makes this an enjoyable thriller for both younger and older readers.

Review: Polly Price's Totally Secret Diary: On stage in America

2012-02-12T21:51:00.000Z

Title: Polly Price's Totally Secret Diary: On Stage in America

Author: Dee Shulman

Publisher: Red Fox

Pages: 128

Publication Date: 1 May 2008

Reviewer: Catherine

Synopsis

Polly Price is SO embarrassed by her actor mother, who loves to draw attention to herself and hog the limelight. Now Polly's worst nightmare has come true as her mother heads to America to appear in a stage show and Polly has to go with her! Not only that, but she's forced to hang around with the young stars of the show, who aren't exactly lining up to be her friends. Read Polly's wonderfully funny diary as she records the mishaps and mayhem backstage, before all of a sudden the spotlight is on her!

Catherine's Review

Meet Polly Price, an ordinary 11-year-old...or is she?! Polly is in fact the daughter of famous actress Arabella Diamonte, who is constantly embarrassing Polly with wacky nicknames like "Pollypops" and "Polly-petal!".

In this crazy cartoon diary of hers, Polly tells the story of how she is suddenly whisked away to San Francisco, USA, as her mum is performing in a play. But playing along with her hopeless mum's plans isn’t that easy. Soon Polly is slap-bang in the middle of acting mayhem and two particularly glamorous (and mean) girls bickering over fancy party dresses for the show's opening evening.

Then suddenly it's the night of the show-and disaster strikes! Ophelia (mean girl no.1) is hobbling around on crutches after a nasty fall and Aurora (mean girl no.2) has lost her voice-so there's no-one to be little girl, Sarah! Can Polly pull together her acting skills and save the show? For as the saying goes 'the show must go on'...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book -a decent and worthwhile read. It was quite easy to read, however the diary/cartoon strip layout is appealing and fun. Some parts were humorous, others exciting and all of it was enjoyable! I would recommend this book to lovers of a funny story of an extraordinary girl with a crazy mum! This was a great unputdownable book.

Review: Freak the Mighty

2012-02-12T09:01:00.000Z

Title: Freak the Mighty
Author: Rodman Philbrick
Author's Website: www.rodmanphilbrick.com
My Age Recommendation: 9+
Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd.
Publication Date: 30 March 2007
Pages: 192
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewer: Jon

Synopsis
Max is used to being called stupid. And he is used to everyone being scared of him. On account of his size and looking like his dad. Kevin is used to being called Dwarf. And he is used to everyone laughing at him. On account of his size and being some cripple kid. But greatness comes in all sizes, and together Max and Kevin become Freak the Mighty and walk high above the world.

Jon's Review
Freak the Mighty is a story of two boys who become unlikely friends. Max is a boy who is much taller and bigger than other kids his age, and he has learning difficulties which result in him being called a retard by his classmates and considered stupid by everyone who knows him. Kevin is a boy of the same age who suffers from a rare condition which means his organs grow at the normal rate but his body does not. Added to this, Kevin is highly intelligent; he carries a dictionary around with him and he has memorised large swathes of it.

At first, this reminded me quite strongly of a book I read and reviewed recently (The Pasta Detectives) and I suppose this is because the big, strong and stupid kid being best friends with the small, weak and brainy kid formula is a bit of a cliché. Nonetheless, the author's take on the concept is unique and rather clever. As the book cover depicts, Kevin (known as Freak throughout the book on account of him being called that by his schoolmates due to his illness), rides atop Max's broad shoulders and together they become one new person who they call Freak the Mighty. This is so cool, and it works brilliantly.

With Freak's intellect and Max's powerful body, each boy gains that which he is missing, that which he wants more than anything. Together, as one, they go on imaginary quests in a dull city (downtown New York, I think) which comes to life as an exciting world through Freak's powerful imagination: slaying dragons and rescuing damsels in distress. During these adventures, the two boys run in to a number of situations which are not quite what they expected and at times are pretty scary.

The entire story is told from Max's perspective, and so his own story is gradually unravelled with more emphasis on his life than Freak's. However, we do get more of an insight into Freak's life through the way he describes his illness to Max. Each boy's story is hilarious, yet tragic. I found myself laughing out loud at parts of the story, particularly Freak's smart comments and Max's unwavering bluntness. But there were also some tear-jerking moments which ironically makes this not just a good book, but a great book.

A nice little bonus is Freak's hand-written dictionary at the back of the book in which he lists his favourite words together with an amusing definition for each.

Although this book is written with young adults in mind, it's an excellent read for adults too. I was captivated by it throughout and I will be reading it again over the coming week, this time to my 9 year old son (at bedtimes) because I feel it's a story that every young adult should experience. There is one short but beautifully crafted sentence towards the end of the book that summed up the whole story for me. I'm sure if you read this book you'll know exactly which sentence I mean, because clearly the author has mastered the art of touching the reader's heart with his words.

Be aware that there is a dark and pretty scary scene in the book but this is within context and does not dominate the story.

My only complaint is that the way Max speaks at times in the early chapters is a bit annoying. It's rather like the author is trying to appeal to young adults by using terminology he thinks they will be able to relate to (like ending sentences with "right?" or "huh?"). The trouble is, young adults can see right through that and it just comes across as corny. Bizarrely, Max stops using this language by the end of chapter two, so I don't know why it's used at all. I understand the author is American, and the story is based in America, so perhaps that's why I don't get it. Whichever way, this doesn't change the fact that this is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

Review: My Name is Rose

2012-02-11T22:48:00.002Z

Title: My Name is Rose
Author: Sally Grindley
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication date: June 2011
Pages: 218
Copy: Paperback
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Julia

Synopsis
Rose is a ten year old Gypsy girl from Romania. The story opens with Rose living a happy and content nomadic life with her loving family. However, in Chapter 2 Rose’s world collides with the rich, opulent world of the ‘gadje’ (non-Gypsy people). Rose’s entire family is killed when a rich business man, Mr Luca, crashes his car into the gypsy caravan. Racked with the guilt of killing Rose’s family, Mr and Mrs Luca take Rose home with them to England.

Torn away from everything she ever loved and knew, Rose feels out of place and lost in the Luca’s mansion. So traumatised by the crash, Rose becomes mute, not speaking a word for the entire story. The Lucas family is a hostile, cold place for Rose. Mr Luca resents Rose and his daughter Victoria despises Rose. Even Mrs Luca with her incessant fussing over Rose, regards the gypsy girl as nothing more than ‘a project’.

Life becomes even tougher as the Lucas’ hostility and resentment grows. When Rose seems to have reached rock bottom, events take a turn when her musical ability is discovered. Rose begins to recover her identity which leads to the climatic end.

Julia's Review
I was instantly gripped by My Name is Rose. Sally Grindley throws the reader straight into the action. After only a few pages, the reader is firmly attached to Rose as she is snatched away from her homeland and taken to the foreign world of the Lucas’ mansion.

Arriving in this rich and luxurious home, Rose meets a colourful mixture of characters. They tend to fall into two camps; either they scheme against Rose, or they offer her compassion. Often these characters are held in contrast to each other. The hard-hearted Mr and Mrs Lucas contrast starkly to Rose’s recollections of her warm, loving parents. The deceitful and vindictive gardener contrasts to the soft, compassionate housemaid. And the bitter, hateful Victoria is a sharp contrast to Rose’s recollections of her companionable and loving brother.

Aside from Rose, Mrs Luca is perhaps the most interesting character. There are two conflicting elements that drive her behaviour. On one side is selfish ambition and greed, but on the other side, Mrs Luca is shown to be a sad, lonely person with her own baggage of hurt and tragedy.

A key theme in the book is Rose’s loss of identity. She has been snatched out of her gypsy life and forced into a western culture of material wealth, greed and education. Rose’s loss of identity is exaggerated by the physical loss her voice and also by Mrs Luca giving her a new name (Anna) that is not her own.

Rose’s battle for her true identity drives the story. Sally Grindley effectively draws the reader into Rose’s shoes, letting them feel Rose’s traumatic loss and sense of imprisonment. I felt myself cheering Rose on as she gradually grew in determination to hold tight to her roots.

At the beginning of the story Rose recalls her father’s words, “Keep away from the gadje, they’re different from us. They have their ways and we have ours. The two don’t mix.” I had hoped that this statement would be proved wrong as the story unfolded. I hoped that the hard-hearted Luca family might have softened and let go of their greed and selfishness. However, Rose’s struggle for survival and fight for her real identity continue to the end.

Reading this book made me reflect not only on cultural identity, but also on the shallowness of western wealth. Whilst the Luca family had incomparably more wealth than any gypsy family, Sally Grindley demonstrates that this material wealth is poverty in comparison to the wealth of love and contentment.

This is a great book for any readers 9 years and older. The themes and characters are rich and complex and lend themselves to much thought-provoking discussion.

Review: The Considine Curse

2012-02-11T09:09:00.001Z

Title: The Considine Curse
Author: Gareth P. Jones
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: 2 August 2011
Pages: 208
Age Recommendation: 9+
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Amy

Synopsis
Meet the wonderfully weird Considine children and their very normal cousin, Mariel, and discover the dark secret at the heart of their family.

Until recently, Mariel had no idea that she had any relatives at all, let alone a pack of long-lost cousins. And perhaps there is a good reason. Because Mariel’s family are strange… very strange indeed.

Amy's Review
I really enjoyed this children’s book by Gareth P. Jones. Far more than I probably should have, given that I’m about fourteen years older than it’s intended audience!

I have to admit I was drawn to it because of its cover: traditional artwork with a bit of an Adam’s family, Victorian-gothic vibe going on and a host of interesting looking characters.

And I wasn’t disappointed. Straight away we are introduced to Mariel’s strangely hostile cousins, who she meets for the very first time at her grandmother’s funeral. They range from the shy Lily, glamorous Amelia, awkward and formal Gerald, obnoxious Oberon, easy-going Freddie, and the downright creepy and possibly psychotic Elspeth, who was my personal favourite.

It’s clear from the wary and rude welcoming that they give Mariel that she isn’t wanted or considered a ‘Considine’. Mariel, unsurprisingly, is annoyed by their attitude and by the whispered death threats (creatively delivered in verse form by the charming Elspeth). All the grandchildren were unusually close to their grandmother, yet none of them seem particularly upset that she is dead. And Mariel’s aunts and uncles don’t seem to regard her with quite the same reverence when asked about her. Then there’s the mystery of why Mariel’s mother chose to keep her far away for all those years. And how exactly did grandfather die?

All the characters in The Considine Curse have distinct personalities and were great fun to get to know. Mariel and her mother spend a few days at each of her uncle’s houses and things get creepier by the day. There are violent animal attacks on livestock and pets, strange howling at night and local folklore tells of the beast of Wilderdale. Mariel is furious she missed out on knowing her own family, but the more she discovers, the less certain she is that she wants to know them at all. And then her mother announces they’ll be moving back to the family home…

I guessed the family secret pretty easily, given some unsubtle clues, as I’m sure many readers will. Nevertheless, the story is highly enjoyable and well paced, revealing just enough at the right moments while raising more questions to keep the reader engaged. There is a highly unusual ending that I didn’t expect at all and actually left me rather unsettled, as did the ‘coaxing’ which I found beyond disturbing – but in a good way (as strange as that sounds). I like it when writers have the ability to leave me uncomfortable, long after I’ve finished the book, particularly when it’s deliberately intended.

The Considine Curse is a dark, twisted little tale that I think younger readers will really enjoy. Fans of Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events will undoubtedly love this one.

Review: Montacute House

2012-02-10T18:06:00.002Z

Title: Montacute House
Author: Lucy Jago
Author's Website: www.lucyjago.com
My Age Recommendation: 12+
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: 3 May 2011
Pages: 288
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jon

Synopsis
Death is stalking the land. Bodies, bruised and broken have been found and no one knows the cause... Except Montacute House seems to be at the centre of the mystery.

As a creeping evil takes over the land, Cess's best friend disappears and she fears he too will soon be dead. But if she is to find him alive, she must survive in a terrifying world full of secrets, treachery and danger.

Jon's Review
The cover of this book and the synopsis on its back intrigued me because I enjoy a good mystery. Having read nothing else about the story, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it is set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (specifically the 1590s), thereby pushing the book up into my favourite genre of all: medieval historical fiction. It is exciting to see that there are authors out there who want to bring pieces of our island's colourful, complex and rich history to life for young adults.

The heroine of the story is Cess, a fatherless, illegitimate teenage girl who lives with her mother in pretty much abject poverty. Her job as a poultry girl at the stately Montacute House is all that keeps them from homelessness and starvation. Shunned by her legitimate relatives, she doesn't have much luck in life; her friend William is considered to have "the mark of the devil" on account of his club foot, and her only other friend Edith, is a typical herb gatherer and healer who to all intents and purposes is considered a witch by the locals.

During her daily chores on the morning of her thirteenth birthday, she discovers a precious jewelled locket under a hen in the chicken coop, of all places! This discovery, along with the disappearance of her closest friend, draws her ever deeper into a world of witchcraft, politics and religious intolerance. Cess is a reluctant heroine, a fact which makes her all the more endearing. She is head-strong but flexible, has strong moral fibre but is not haughty. According to the strict class system of the time, she is a nobody, worthless in the eyes of the world. However, we soon discover by her actions that she is a far better person than her supposed "betters" in Elizabethan society. The author has painted a picture of a heroine that any teenage girl can relate to and root for.

The story always moves at a constant pace, ensuring the reader doesn't get bored. The plot is cleverly intertwined with historical facts; specifically the power struggle of the era between the Roman Catholic church and the Church of England. Each thread of the story, albeit simple, is elegantly woven together, culminating in a satisfying and complete ending.

Due to the author's personal experiences at the real Montacute village and her attention to geographical accuracy, the backdrop to the story is vivid. This, along with the historical links to the period, lends considerable credence to the tale, making it largely believable. Whilst historical fiction is obviously supposed to be fictitious, an equal measure of fact helps to bring the story alive. Against this backdrop, the author weaves a wonderful tale which satisfied my appetite for intrigue and excitement.

When I decided to read and review this novel, I was well aware of the fact that the target audience is teenage girls and not a man in his 30s. However, I do love reading young adult novels, for they are often the most beautifully crafted works. I also fancied a challenge! So I fully expected to experience some yawns when reading Montacute House, especially considering my aversion to romance novels! On the contrary, this is simply one of the most enjoyable books I've read in a long time.

The author deftly balanced historical fact, mystery, action and romance with a precision that is all too rare. Whilst my personal opinion that too many books for teenage girls these days are pulp-worthy novels about vampires or witchcraft remains unchanged, this is one book that proves not everything in the genre is tripe.

I found myself drawn to the witches in the book because the author didn't embellish witchcraft or try to convince me with overused cliches like "witchcraft is good" or "religion is bad". Instead, she let the characters speak for themselves and this allowed the truth to shine through: genuine witches were not (and still are not) evil, devil-worshipping maidens of death. She echoed my own belief that over the centuries, far too many intelligent and wonderful women were abused and murdered by religious zealots or jealous, close-minded fools.

I'd like to see this made into a film for television as I think it would flow equally well on screen.

When you have read the novel, be sure to visit the author's website for more detailed information on Montacute House. I've found both the book and the actual history so interesting that when I'm next in the south west, I shall make a point of visiting Montacute House in Somerset.

Booktrust Writing Competition

2012-02-10T17:46:00.000Z

- Do you love to read and write?

- Are you 13-17?

- Do you have opinions on last summer's riots?

If yes, you could win a day at Random House Children's Books with author Bali Rai. It's a unique opportunity to learn all of the secrets of the publishing industry and have lunch with Bali Rai.

Plus win a complete signed set of Bali’s books and have your story published on the Booktrust website. Three runners up will also win the signed books.

To enter you need to write a short story (500 words or less) about
last year's riots and submit it to the Booktrust site by no later than 26th March 2012. Get writing!

More details here

Review: The History Keepers

2012-02-09T18:45:00.000Z

Title: The History Keepers: The Storm Begins
Author: Damian Dibben
Publisher: Doubleday
Your Age Recommendation: 10+
Publication Date: 1st September 2011
Available for Kindle?: Yes
Pages: 464
Copy: For Review
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Molly

Synopsis
Imagine if you lost your parents – not just in place but in time...

Jake Djone’s folks have gone missing and they could be anywhere in the world – at any time in history. For the Djones family have an astonishing secret. They belong to The History Keepers: a secret society which travels through the centuries to prevent evil enemies from meddling with history itself.

In his quest to find his parents, Jake is whisked from twenty-first-century Longin to nineteenth-century France, and taken to Point Zero, the headquarters of the society. There he meets an extraordinary group of agents and learns of the evil Zeldt family and their plans to destroy the world as we know it...

Molly's Review
Damien Dibben has worked extensively as a screenwriter and has a passion for cosmology, ancient history, natural science and adventure stories, which is all clear in The History Keepers: The Storm Begins. His first novel it is certainly packed full of adventure and history!

My interest in The History Keepers: The Storm Begins fluctuated as I read it, going from being very interested to very bored within mere pages of each other. The storyline itself is intriguing and I am sure that boys and girls alike could greatly enjoy the book but there were moments where it dragged to almost a standstill. There is a lot going on within the book as you follow Jake while he tries to find his parents, joins The History Keepers as they try to track down Zeldt and there are a few good twists along the way. You also follow Jake’s Aunt for a while as she has her own mission back at the headquarters, and you also jump to Nathan and other characters every so often. There is a lot of switching between characters which at times can become confusing and a little frustrating as it often happens mid-conversation not just between chapters, it can also slow down the pace of the story.

The characters themselves are all different but I got very tired of being told how a character was intelligent, or beautiful, or interesting, or brave when I never really got to see it for myself. When writing you should show the readers how amazing that character is, not just tell us. There were also a lot of references to characters having amazingly coloured eyes, such as Topaz’s indigo eyes, which after a while starts to grate. On the other hand I completely forgot that her brother, Nathan, had long auburn hair until it’s mentioned again at the very end of the book and I wondered who he was for a moment. I never really connected with any of the characters, although I did find Nathan really funny at times, but I hope that in later books they become more fleshed out as they did improve towards the end of the book.

I found Zeldt to be a very typical bad guy but he does come across as being very threatening and quite the force to be reckoned with. However I’m still not entirely sure what his motives were apart from the usual villain motives of greed and elitism mixed with a little madness. It also irked me that we have yet more German villains, it harks back to the days of James Bond and Indiana Jones to me. On the other hand I found Mina to be quite intriguing because she is closer to the main characters ages, but again I’m not sure what her motives are for working with Zeldt. I am sure that these are things we would find out in the next books but I wanted it to be clearer from the beginning. I understand that they were feared and Zeldt’s whole family is evil and crazy but that isn’t a good enough reason for me.

I felt overall that The History Keepers: The Storm Begins is a great adventure story and the history elements are very well-handled. However I do feel that at times Damian Dibben may have slipped back into his screenwriter habits at times and this is why there is a lot of telling at times and there are the occasional info-dumping moments. There are moments where it reads as if it’s a film rather than a book, which can be great in some parts but confusing in others. I can see boys and girls enjoying the book and it’s fantastic to see a book bringing history to life and making it exciting without trying to be educational. There were times where I did get bored and not feel particularly drawn to reading on and I think a lot of that comes down to me not caring about the characters and what happens to them. Towards the end I got much more into it and I imagine that the second book will be even better. If you are looking for a good adventure story then this might be worth picking up as I am sure it has the potential to go on to be a great series of books.

Review: Chocolate SOS

2012-02-06T19:16:00.000Z

Title: Chocolate SOS
Author: Sue Limb
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: 5 Jan 2012
Available for Kindle?: Yes
Pages: 293
Reviewer: Catherine

Synopsis

Jess has broken up with Fred, though really she is waiting for him to come to her door and beg to get back together again. But is that the sort of thing Fred would do? He has said himself that he has no backbone ... Meanwhile, a gorgeous boy has moved in next door and, to Jess's mingled horror and delight, is making it very, very obvious that he would like to be a lot closer than next door ... Surely, now, Fred will be driven, in a fit of jealousy, to sweep Jess back off her feet? Won't he? Full of Sue Limb's very funny take on early teenage life and problems, fans of Jess Jordan will be thrilled to have a new Fred and Jess story.

Catherine's Review

This hilarious book stars Jess Jordan, a teenage girl with a charming but insane life. Jess has just dumped her brilliant boyfriend Fred-well, he was annoying, selfish and SO disorganised! But that's not the only problem. As well as mourning over Fred, Jess is suffering from her best friend despairing over a family crisis and having her too tidy dad living in her room! It's all doom, gloom and for Jess it feels like life's falling apart.

Then one day a amazingly stunning new boy and his dad move in next door-and life gets back it's exciting sparkle. Luke is great fun and a great laugh-he and Jess get on like a house on fire! But is life without Fred just as fun? And one cold night after Jodie's winter party, Jess discovers that Luke has more secrets yet to be revealed...


I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish as it was interesting, funny and a great cliff hanger. Some parts make you laugh out loud, others fill you with concern and sympathy for Jess.

It's very exciting- a great book that you just can't put down. Recommended to fans of a thrilling story of the ups and downs of life with friends and family - following cheeky Jess Jordan all the way!

Interview with Veronica Rossi

2012-02-06T09:00:00.000Z

My reviewer Angela recently reviewed a book called Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. She enjoyed it lots and therefore wrote some great questions for Veronica. The book is being published in the UK by ATOM tomorrow and you can purchase a copy here.

1. How long was process of writing UNDER THE NEVER SKY? Did the writing come relatively easily? 
Thank you! I’m so happy you liked it. UNDER THE NEVER SKY took about a year to draft, and then another six months of revision with my editor. The writing was never really tough, but it became easier and more fun as the story had its overall shape. I love the later drafts, when I can play with the language and find the small but important moments in the story.

2. What was the inspiration for Aria and her (hidden) history? Perry's? 
I knew Aria would be a performer… I just had that sense for her, since she’s always adapting and moving through the Realms. When I was searching for her character, I thought a bit about Natalie Portman’s role in THE PROFESSIONAL. She plays such a tragic, but resilient part in that movie, and while she’s a little actress, there is such a vulnerability and authenticity to everything she does. Mostly, though, Aria came from my imagination J

Perry absolutely came from the desire to write a character who was a product of his harsh environment. He’s a survivor, tough, protective, and an old soul, for having suffered so much in his eighteen years. He evolved from his circumstances, not from any particular person as inspiration.

3. Do you write with a soundtrack or in silence, or something in the middle? 
I love writing to music, and I switch it up often. I actually love writing to movie scores, because they’re so atmospheric. Right now, I’m obsessed with the Bourne Identity movie scores.

4. What are some of your favorite books? 
Two of my favorites are FEED by MT Anderson, and GRACELING by Kristin Cashore. I find the first brilliant and important, and the second, beautiful and moving.

5. If you could have dinner with 3 fictional characters, which would you choose and why? 
1- Titus, from FEED, because I’ve been obsessed with him since I first read that book.
2- Karou, from DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE, because I’m an artist too, and she’s completely badass and I want to be her friend.
3 – Finnick, from HUNGER GAMES, because I think he’d be funny and… ok, I’ll admit it… nice to look at J

6. What did you do on the release day of UNDER THE NEVER SKY? Were you a homebody or did you go see your book baby in stores?
On my launch day, I had dinner with my family. It was pretty mellow. I had a launch party planned for a few days later, so I just took the day to soak it all in. I probably spent more time than I should have on twitter, too.

Thanks so much for having me on your blog!

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi is published by Atom as a paperback original on the 7^th February 2012 and is priced at £6.99.

We're Blog of the Month at Sunshine Smile Publications

2012-02-05T11:33:00.000Z

I'm delighted that Mostly Reading YA has been chosen by Sunshine Smile Publications as their Blog of the Month. They promote some great books so it is a great honour!

You can see more about them here.

Review: The Catch

2012-02-04T13:19:00.001Z

Title: The Catch
Author: Rick Jasper
My Age Recommendation: 9+
Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group
Read on: Advanced e-copy on Kobo
Publication Date: March 1st, 2012
Pages: 120
Rating: 1.5/5
Reviewer: Ben

Amazon Synopsis
When Danny makes "the catch," everyone seems interested in him. Girls text him, kids ask for autographs, and his highlight play even makes it on SportsCenter's Top Plays. A sports-gear executive tempts Danny with a big-money offer, and he decides to take advantage of his newfound fame. Danny agrees to wear their gear when he plays. But as his bank account gets bigger, so does his ego. Will Danny be able to keep his head in the game?

Ben's Review
I decided to read this short book because it reminded me of a series I read and loved when I was younger about British boys going to America and ending up being really good at U.S. sports like baseball and American football. Indeed, most boys have read some kind of junior sports book and that’s why I was excited (even now as an advancing adult) to see what kids get to read these days.

The answer? Not a lot. Though this baseball story is pitched at nine/ten-year-olds, it’s incredibly shallow and barely tells a proper story. Jasper doesn’t focus on one game, or even a series of games as far as I could make out. Instead he charts the egotism of a young player before he realises what sportsmanship really means.

There aren’t any real characters, the narrative is dull and disjointed. All in all, a massive disappointment. Die hard baseball fans might get something out of the play-by-play descriptions, but there’s not a lot else to recommend it. It’s part of a series called Travel Team, but you’d do best to ignore it and check out Michael Hardcastle’s books on Amazon. All about football, they only cost 1p each and they’re fab. This? Not so much.

Review: The Pasta Detectives

2012-02-03T21:55:00.002Z

Title: The Pasta Detectives
Author: Andreas Steinhöfel
My Age Recommendation: 10+
Publisher: www.doublecluck.com
Publication Date: 5th April 2010
Pages: 208
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Jon

Synopsis
My name's Rico. I'm a detective. I notice things nobody else does. From a little piece of cheesy pasta lying on the pavement to something as big as what's going on in the building where I live...

Trouble is, I think a lot but not particularly quickly, which is where my friend Oscar comes in. He can work out anything. Together we could solve the biggest crime ever.

Jon's Review
What a fantastic name for a book! When I first looked at the cover, I couldn't wait to dive in and get to know Rico and Oscar and unravel the mystery. I soon realised the story was nothing like I expected. Written in a diary format and based in Berlin, the mystery that the so-called "Pasta Detectives" unravel spans the first five days of Rico's school holidays. From the very first sentence, the reader is thrust into Rico's world, or more accurately, the world as seen from his rather unique and insular perspective.

Unexpectedly, our protagonist has learning difficulties which impact his ability to articulate himself, remember details and know his left from right. No specific scientific label is attached to said difficulties and this is a good thing. Had the author tried to pigeon-hole Rico or attempt to explain away his personality with labels and scientific terms, I don't think I would have believed in his character. My only reservation is the rather odd label "child proddity" Rico uses to describe himself. What on earth possessed the author to use that term is beyond me, and I felt a little let down by this.

Despite the fact that Rico is at times considered stupid by other people in his life, I empathised with him but I didn't feel sorry for him, and for this I am grateful to the author. Rico has such a strong and robust character, unperturbed by other's opinions, that I felt a certain affinity with him. Obviously, this book is designed for young adults. In my opinion, children should not be made to pity the story's hero, irrespective of his or her personality or perceived shortcomings.

Oscar is the antithesis of Rico; he is highly articulate, considered clever to the point of being "gifted" and can recall precise facts and figures which he has committed to memory with ease. However, he is smaller than Rico and is portrayed as a rather weak and nervous little boy who wears a motorcycle helmet everywhere, so afraid is he of getting hurt.

Fate draws these two boys together. As unlikely as their friendship first appears, they complement each other and build a heart-warming bond. For me, this was the best part of the story as it stirred distant memories of my own childhood; boyhood friends becoming ferociously protective of one another in an age of all too short innocence.

The story itself is a masterpiece of mystery and intrigue. The supporting characters are richly described and the story flows smoothly making it an easy read. I have to say that both the plot and the twist in the tale are excellent. Admittedly I did guess the twist and the final outcome, but that comes from my years of reading mysteries. I'm certain young adults will find it a thrilling read, especially fans of Whodunit novels.

My only reservation is that in places the story is a little "edgy" (for want of a better word). Perhaps I'm old-fashioned, but I felt the way the author described Rico's mother was a tad unnecessary. Additionally, dealing with big issues like learning difficulties, death of loved ones and dysfunctional families is more than enough for a young adult novel, without adding complex problems such as depression, alcoholism and abandonment into the mix. Consequently, what would have been a rip-roaring thriller suitable for anyone from the age of 7 or 8 is instead (in my humble opinion as a father) better suited to a more mature audience (10+).

Review: Hollow Pike

2012-02-02T08:30:00.000Z

Title: Hollow Pike

Author: James Dawson
Publisher: Indigo
Publication Date: 2 February, 2012
Pages: 320
Copy: ARC
Age Recommendation: 15+
Available on Kindle?: Yes
My rating: 5/5
Reviewer: Adam

Synopsis
Something wicked this way comes...

She thought she’d be safe in countries, but you can’t escape your own nightmare, and Lis London dreams repeatedly that someone is trying to kill her.

Lis thinks she’s being paranoid – after all who would want to murder her? She doesn’t believe in the local legends of witchcraft. She doesn’t believe that anything bad will really happen to her. You never do, do you?

Not until you’re alone, in the woods, after dark- and a twig snaps...

Adam's Review
This story is of Lis London, who's left her life in Wales, due to the trauma of being bullied, to go and live with her older sister Sarah, Sarah's husband Max and their son Logan, in Hollow Pike.

Upon joining the local school Fulton High, Lis falls in with the It Girls straight away, headed by the venomous Laura Briggs. While feeling secure at the top of the playground hierarchy, Lis witnesses Laura and her posse commit severe acts of bullying that dredge up painful memories for Lis as she remembers when it used to be her getting bullied.

As a means of escape, Lis sets her eyes on the Freaks of the school as she sees them as fun, exciting and unafraid of Laura's vindictive tactics. Kitty, Delilah and Jack are a strange bunch of outcasts. Kitty, a goth, and Delilah, a gypsy, are a lesbian couple and Jack is their pleasant, effeminate friend. Lis befriends them and thanks to their friendship, Lis begins to enjoy her time at Fulton High...

That's until Laura Briggs is murdered in the forest in Hollow Pike, shortly after being pranked in the forest by Lis, Kitty, Delilah and Jack. The murder brings Hollow Pike's supernatural past into the spotlight, as news emerges that Laura's death appears to be part of a ritualistic sacrifice. Suddenly the Freaks and Lis fear they're going to get caught, and when Lis begins to get threats, things go from bad to worse.

Let me start by saying that this novel is now ranked high on my list of favourite books. Dawson has hit the nail on the head when it comes to his portrayal of school life and all the drama that occurs therein. Fulton High is exquisitely believable and not once did I feel the banter between students or the corridor standoffs where stinted or clichéd.

It's difficult to read this book and not to think of the blockbuster hit Mean Girls (which Dawson cleverly mentions later in the novel with a slight glimmer of irony) but that only made me love it even more. It could be seen as an affectionately British Mean Girls, with a supernatural edge. The bitchiness and the gossip of the Fulton High royalty and the reserved and cutting wit of the Freaks is well written and the reveal of the murderer will make you want to read it again to see if it all adds up. (And to check why you didn't guess it in the first place!)

This is a brilliant book that captures the true nature of secondary school so very well. I also have to note, Dawson speaks with uncompromised honesty about sexuality in a school environment which I found to be refreshing, bold and virtually unheard of. It didn't surprise me to learn Dawson has worked as a teacher, as there is a clear insight here into what it means to be 'different' at school.

Review: New Girl

2012-02-01T21:36:00.000Z

Title: The New Girl
Author: Paige Harbison
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: 31 Jan 2012
Pages: 304
Copy: Paperback
My Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Kate

Synopsis
“Welcome to Manderley Academy. I hadn't wanted to go, but my parents were so excited…. So here I am, the new girl at Manderley, a true fish out of water. But mine's not the name on everyone's lips. Oh, no.”

When The New Girl arrives at her new boarding school in chilly New Hampshire, dressed only in cut-off shorts and a “lifeguard” tee shirt, she's full of mixed feelings. She was the one who'd begged her parents to let her go to Manderley Academy, years before, but since then she's settled into life in her sunny beach town. She's made friends. By the time her parents finally “surprise” her with the news she's going to Manderley after all - that a place has luckily opened up for her just in time for her final year of school – The New Girl (we don't find out her name until the final pages), isn't so sure she wants the “Harry Potter” boarding school experience after all.

Her feelings of unease only increase as she commences her studies, meets her seemingly clinically depressed goth room-mate and finds out that the only reason a place opened up for her at Manderley is that a girl disappeared.

Becca was Queen Bee at Manderley, and her disappearance seems to fill the school. The halls seem full of whispers and The New Girl can't help feeling like everyone is watching her; judging her, somehow blaming her for taking Becca's place.

The New Girl finds comfort in Max, the only one at the school who doesn't seem to have it in for her. But he was Becca's boyfriend, and The New Girl can't help feeling like Becca is watching them, waiting to take Max back. Waiting to take her place at Manderley back.

What happened to Becca? Is she gone for good? Or is she out there somewhere, in the shadows, watching and waiting for her time to return?

Kate's Review
I read Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca as a teenager, and it left an indelible impression on me. I didn't know, when I began reading The New Girl, that it was a Rebecca reboot, but it didn't take me long to twig: the school is called Manderley! The missing girl is called Becca … it didn't take the investigational skills of Sherlock Holmes to figure that one out!

Reboots and updates have been in vogue in teen literature and film for awhile now – Clueless did it first and Ten Things I Hate About You did it brilliantly – and this is just the latest in a long line of “homages” to the classics, reworking them for a new generation. And it does a solid job. While it can't take credit for its main asset – the suspenseful plot is a mostly carbon copy of Du Maurier – there are some interesting characters (I did like Max, though not quite as much as Maximillian de Winter from the original), and it does update the story without becoming too clunky. Though the ubiquitous pop culture references do become annoying, the sex and alcohol scenes a bit grating and unnecessary after awhile, and the “mean girls” are a bit cardboard cutout, the main character of New Girl is feisty and likeable, and Harbison manages to keep the intrigue and mystery going until the final pages. To her credit, too, she does add a bit of a twist to the original – one that I won't reveal here – that may have many Rebecca fans up in arms, but which I found refreshing.

Paige Harbison is something of a wunderkind. She's only twenty-one and the bio one her website says she's studying Fine Art, rather than writing, so she's definitely multi-talented. Her first novel, Here Lies Bridget was very well-received. And there is nothing particularly wrong with The New Girl. I'm sure fans of Gossip Girl will find lots to love about it, but it seems to lack some of the wit, self-referentiality and “meta” nature of many of the other updates. I couldn't help feeling I'd seen it before, and done better. The tone, also, seemed uncertain at times, and did not consistently pull of the atmosphere that was so much of what made the original so powerful. That said, maybe if I hadn't been so affected by Rebecca as a teen I would have found this much more enjoyable.

Also, a friendly warning: The New Girl is definitely not one for younger teens. It is at times graphic and confronting – often, it seems, unnecessarily so. It is definitely recommended for older readers.

The New Girl is a page-turning, fast-paced, often enjoyable (though at times disturbing) read but, like its protagonist, there's something missing.

Review: Everneath

2012-02-01T07:30:00.000Z

Title: Everneath
Author: Brodi Ashton
Publisher: HarperCollins/Balzar & Bray
Your Age Recommendation: 15+
Publication Date: 1/24/2012
Available for Kindle?: Yes
Pages: 384
Copy: Netalley
My Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Angela

Summary
Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

Angela's Review
Truth time: Sometimes, I want to read a book based solely on the title.

Brodi Ashton’s debut novel is an example of that. Everneath, as a word, is simply intriguing to me, so when Netgalley approved me for this title, I was quite excited. However, if I may be honest, I had a good amount of issues with the first half of the book, much as it pains me to say.

First off, the story is initially told in sort of vignettes that waffle between before Nikki vanished into the Everneath and after her Return. This didn’t work for me. It made the story seem disjointed, and when you paired that with the fact that the writing is a bit flat – lacking emotion in most cases – it just didn’t make for a very engaging story. (As a bit of a spoiler, the lack of emotion was fitting for the initial portion of the book – as part of living in the Everneath, Nikki had to give up her essence, and it has to be rebuilt upon her Return. But after a while, she was just dull.) I am convinced that this lack of engagement had a LOT to do with the back and forth of the narration.

Why? Because the last 40-50% of the book was of much more interest, seemed much more cohesive, and moved the plot along much much more - - and it was primarily in the ‘present.’

But, moving along: I’m not sure if this was brave on the part of Ashton or unintentional, but for a large portion of the last half of the book, I found Nikki to be very selfish, almost to the point of wanting to step into the story and smack her just once. The thing is, she thinks incessantly about how terrible her second disappearance will be but doesn’t do anything to prepare any single person, save for Jack, the boy that was her (somewhat weak) rationale for coming back to her old life.

And, regarding Jack: I liked him. Kind-hearted, sweet, typical teenage boy. Everything he did was expected, save for his last act of the book, which did lift my opinion of him a bit. But I preferred Cole. Why? Because Cole had an edge. He was a little hard to decipher, a little hard to like sometimes. But he felt deeply, which was always showcased in subtle ways. He was also kind of a bad ass – musician, motorcycle rider, and quick-witted. (Translation for Ang: YUM.)

Do I like that there’s yet another YA Love Triangle set up? No. But I can see the draw of both boys, and that, in and of itself makes it alright, I suppose. I did like the twisted version of the Tale of Persephone that Ashton took – it’s far from the typical lore in many ways, but I enjoyed her spin on it.

You can probably tell that I’m rather torn regarding my real opinion of Everneath, so I’ll end with this: I liked the tie ins to mythology. I liked the boys. Nikki was alright, though I still wasn’t one-hundred percent a fan by the end of the book. And if the entire book had been written in the way the last half was, I probably would have loved this story. It’s rare that I am undecided with regard to my opinion of any written work, but I suppose it just is what it is.

Pick up a copy and share your thoughts! I’d love to know what you think.

Review: Night School

2012-02-01T01:00:00.000Z

Title: Night School
Author: C. J. Daugherty
Publisher: ATOM
Age Recommendation: 15+
Publication date: 5th January 2012
Available for Kindle?: Yes
Pages: 320
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 1/5
Reviewer: Adam

Synopsis

Allie's world is falling apart. She hates her school. Her brother has run away. She's just been arrested. Again. And now her parents are sending her away. But instead of hating boarding school, Allie is happy. She's making friends. And there's Carter, a brooding loner with whom she feels an instant connection. Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. Her classmates - and maybe some of her teachers - are hiding a secret. And soon it begins to feel like a very dangerous place...

Adam's Review
Allie is a trouble-causer and a real bad girl, but after she spray paints the headmaster's door with profanity, her parents decide to send her off to Cimmeria Academy. Cimmeria is seemingly a wonderland for Allie; lavish classrooms and a magnificent dining hall, not to mention a new set of friends. But soon things take an unexpected turn when things start to go bump in the night.

Cimmeria is then turned upside down when no one tells the truth to Allie and she realises there's something fishy about the people around her. And what exactly is the Night School that everyone tries to keep quiet? The appeal of this novel is the mystery of why Allie is at Cimmeria and what everyone is hiding from her. But beyond that, I didn't enjoy this novel.

About half way through the novel, the secret of Night School is revealed but once that happened, I lost interest in the story and the characters.

The dialogue is, at times, cringeworthy. I found that swearing was included for a few laughs, but I did not find it funny or necessary. A few phrases were used repetitively, not solely by the same character, so all the girls sounded the same, as did all the boys (there was practically nothing different about the three main boys in the novel, except one uttered a little French).

Allie was a hollow character. She was a rebel without a cause for three chapters or so, but as soon as she went to Cimmeria, she changed immediately into this angel child without much explanation. She had friends from her old school that she seemed close to, but she never really thought of them once she moved into her new school.

Personally, I won't be investing in the future books in this series. For mystery and some gorgeous descriptions of a Gothic boarding school, then this is a book for you, but if you want richly detailed characters and a plot that will stick with you long after you've put the book down, then I'd give this one a miss.

Author Interview: Amanda Hocking

2012-01-31T18:26:00.000Z

The self-publishing debate has heightened in recent months but when did this route become a viable means of making money and getting your work out to readers? Is it a sustainable option and when do self published authors turn to conventional publishing contracts? Amanda Hocking, an American author, is probably best equipped to answer these questions having taken both routes. I'm delighted to share with you Mostly Reading YA reviewer Ben's interview with Amanda herself.

Thanks to Ben we also have one signed copy of Switched to give to one of you - to enter fill out this form here (UK only). Over to Ben!

For anyone who’s read about books in the last year, you’ll know Amanda Hocking is something of a publishing phenomenon. And almost all off her own back. Hocking, a 27-year-old from Minnesota, has sold more than a million e-books by self-publishing via Amazon. Writing in the young adult fantasy genre about a teenage girl with special powers, she’s now got a regular book deal (reputed to be in the millions) and is releasing Switched, the first novel in her Trylle saga.

1) It must be quite odd – everyone talking about how much money you made from self-publishing and the size of your traditional book deal?
It’s strange. Just the fact that everybody knows how much money you’re making, no matter how much it is, is a little weird. That’s always the lead and then it’s like now let’s talk about the book and the book kind of gets forgotten. But I understand that’s what makes the story exciting. My story anyway. I sold books by writing a book that people liked and now to sell more books I have to tell how I sold books. It’s kind of silly.

2) What are the origins of Switched. Were you the kid who ran around defeating evil wizards?
Yeah, I definitely was that way. I was an only child – I have a brother now, but he’s fifteen years younger than me – and we lived out in the country and we didn’t have a lot of money and we didn’t have cable. So I was out running around, telling stories of monsters and dragons and I had my animals involved in it and stuff. That was my entertainment.

3) So when did you write the book?
I wrote [Switched] in late 2009, right after the Star Trek movie came out. I watched the Star Trek movie, then I wrote the book, then I watched the Star Trek movie again in the theatre. It has nothing to do with the book, but I was really inspired by [the film]. If you’re looking for a connection, there’s not one!

4) What’s the hardest thing about your sudden fame?
It seems like it’s come so easy to me. And that can be very frustrating. It was a very arduous journey and then it happened very quickly. Everybody’s only seeing the very quick part. It was a perfect storm of things. I had written a bunch of books in a popular genre, had a number of books in my back list and when I decided to self-publish there weren’t many other authors doing it. Now the market’s much more saturated. I priced my book low when there weren’t many other self-published authors. I think people were more willing to give a chance on an unknown author [if they’re paying a low price] and that got people reading it, talking about it and got more people to buy it.

5) Young adult fantasy fiction is huge at the moment. Can you explain why?
Something right now in that genre is resonating with readers. Because it’s escapist fiction and life is being kind of dreary now when they’re talking about all these horrible things all the time. And people want to forget about it for a little bit and that’s what the book at its core is saying to people – it’s allowing them to forget their problems. That’s something that people are looking for right now.

6) And now Switched is becoming a movie?
I started talking to Terri Tatchell, who’s the co-writer of District 9 at the beginning of 2011. She came to me. She had read the books on her own and really enjoyed them. She’s changed some stuff around and every time there’s a big change, she’ll ask me. But she’s made a great movie and I’ve made no movies, so I think she knows what she’s doing. I hoped it would be a movie. I think a lot of authors hope that. Terri says the way I write transitions well to film, so…

7) There must be a lot of girls who want to do what you’ve done. What’s your top tip to them?
When you’ve finished writing, take time to think about it before you put it out. Because when you’re younger, your ego’s more fragile and people can be so cruel on the Internet. Make sure that it’s edited and polished before you put it out. If I had got self-published when I was younger, I think I might have gotten criticism and quit writing altogether and that would be sad. Ignore people if they’re mean. That’s my best advice.

Switched is out now. She’s currently working on the second book in a new saga called the Watersong series. The first instalment due out later this year.

Review: The Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists

2012-01-31T17:17:00.000Z

Title: The Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists

Author: Gideon Defoe
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: 5 January, 2012
Pages: 224
Copy: Paperback
Age Recommendation: Teen+
Available on Kindle?: Yes
Rating: 5/5
Reviewer: Adam

Synopsis
It is 1837, and for the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain and his rag-tag pirate crew, life on the high seas has become a little dull. With nothing to do but twiddle their hooks and lounge aimlessly on tropical beaches, the Captain decided it’s time they had an adventure.

A surprisingly successful boat raid leads them to the young Charles Darwin, in desperate need of their help. And so the pirates set forth for London in a bid to save the scientist from the evil machinations of a diabolical Bishop. There they encounter grisly murder, vanishing ladies, the Elephant Man – and have an exciting trip to the zoo.

Review
Pirate Captain and his bunch of nameless salty sea dogs are on a voyage after a successful adventure with cowboys. Now, they're looking for a new adventure, and one rears its head after a feast with black-hearted Black Bellamy, where Pirate Captain is fooled into believing there's plunder to be scored on the coast of the Galapagos Islands.

However, when the pirates get there, they meet Charles Darwin on his famous voyage of discovery on the HMS Beagle. There's no gold to be had, unfortunately, but the pirates are shown Mister Bobo, a Man-panzee; a chimp that has been trained by Darwin and the Beagle's Captain FitzRoy to act as a proper gentleman.

Learning that Erasmus, Darwin's brother, has gone missing, the pirates head back to Victorian London in the hopes of finding him (and also for Darwin to show off Mister Bobo).

In London, a freak show owned by the Bishop of Oxford is attracting plenty of attention, but the suspicious amount of 'Ladies' Nights' ring alarm bells for Pirate Captain and Darwin so they decide to investigate.

The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists is hilarious; Defoe has created a clever spoof of all pirates in popular culture which is unafraid of showing how ridiculously silly it is. The book oozes pantomime frivolity, as many of the jokes can be seen a mile off, but all guaranteed to make you chortle. The use of footnotes on anything from ham (the principle love affair in the novel is between pirates and ham), to the California Redwood, are gloriously unnecessary which will make you laugh out loud.

Pirate Captain's incompetence as a pirate and his crew's easily-led nature are laid on show at many points in the novel; most notably during a game of crazy golf between the pirates and Darwin and FitzRoy (all while Darwin worries for his brother's safety).

Defoe's fun parody will have your sides splitting and at less than 200 pages, you'll be looking for your next dose of The Pirates! as soon as you've finished. I will be ordering the next installment, The Pirates! In An Adventure With Moby Dick, very soon. I also can't wait to see how the marvellous minds behind Wallace And Gromit turn this cracking book into a film, due to be released in March.

Review: The Vampire Blog

2012-01-31T00:01:00.000Z

Title: The Vampire Blog
Author: Pete Johnson
Age Recommendation: 11+
Publisher: Corgi Yearling
Publication Date: May 2010
Pages: 230
Rating: 2/5
Reviewer: Ben

Synopsis
Marcus was convinced that vampires didn't exist. He was very wrong…On his thirteenth birthday, Marcus Howlett is faced with a bombshell. His parents are half-vampire. And, although he hates the thought of it, he is about to become one too. But, as he secretly blogs about the horrors of his new fangs, bad breath and cravings for blood, Marcus is unaware that his life is in serious danger…

Ben's Review
I guess it was because The Vampire Diaries was taken. The title I mean. Though to be fair, none of this book is particularly subtle and its name is the least of it. I’ll be honest – this was probably a little bit too young for me. It’s all very well watching a Pixar movie and feeling empathy. In fact my favourite book of all-time is Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and that is aimed squarely at younger kids.

But The Vampire Blog left me cold. It felt too much like a bloodsucking cash-in, a piece of mediocrity churned out to capitalise on a craze.

It doesn’t help that the format makes little sense. Johnson makes the blog so specific as to include timings and it’s hard to believe a thirteen-year-old boy would be checking his watch during what he endures in the novel. That may sound nitpicky, but it’s symptomatic of a book which feels rushed, unprepared, a first draft. I don’t know, maybe he owns an iPad and is updating his blog from there as he goes.

For what it’s worth, the story rattles along. Johnson gives it a twist by making Marcus a half-vampire and there are a couple of clever moments, such as when our hero suffers an allergic reaction after unknowingly eating garlic sausage on a pizza.

But overall this wasn’t very enjoyable, it certainly wasn’t funny, there was no menace even at the climax and for some reason, the author thinks it merits a sequel. Personally, I wouldn’t bother.

Review: The Book of Blood and Shadow

2012-01-30T19:00:00.000Z

Title: The Book of Blood and Shadow

Author: Robin Wasserman

Publisher: Atom

Publication Date: 19 January, 2012

Pages: 448

Copy: Paperback

Age Recommendation: 15+

Available on Kindle?: Yes

Rating: 4/5

Reviewer: Adam

Synopsis
It was like a nightmare but there was no waking up.

When the night begun, Nora had two best friends and a boyfriend she adored. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands. Chris was dead. Adriane couldn’t speak. And Max, Nora’s sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also – according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone – a murderer.

Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora’s determined to follow the trial of blood, no matter where it leads. But Chris’s murder is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.

Adam's Review

Nora Kane is the new girl at Chapman Prep. Her parents are distant, solitary and inward after the death of Nora's brother Andrew, and she's been lumbered with the ('sexist') task of translating some old letters, written by a girl in the late 16th / early 17th Century, while the rest of her class decode a much more challenging artifact.

But then Nora makes friends with Adriane, Chris and Chris's initially creepy roommate Max. All in the same Latin class, which is ruled over by the eccentric Hoff, Nora loses herself in the letters she's been assigned to translate.

The letters, by Elizabeth Weston, draw Nora in. Nora relates to Elizabeth and starts to see links between what Elizabeth is writing (presumed by the Hoff to be nothing of importance) and the ancient tome that the rest of the class are eager to crack.

Just as things start to go well for Nora, Chris is murdered in suspicious circumstances which is in some way connected to the work of the Latin class Nora and her friends are involved with. Adriane winds up in a mental institution after being drugged during Chris's murder, Max has gone missing, and Chris's cousin Eli is suddenly plaguing Nora everywhere she goes. Aided by Eli, a coded message left by Max at Andrew's gravestone and the mentions of a mystical Lumen Dei (a device that allows communication with God) in Elizabeth's letters, Nora, Adriane and Eli all head to Prague.

This book leads the reader on a rip-roaring adventure in the beautiful yet sinister ancient city, with a malevolent force always in the shadows, watching the trio as they search for Max and for Chris's killer.

I really enjoyed this book. It's fast paced during the action packed Prague chapters, suitably chilled out as Nora becomes acquainted with long-dead Elizabeth, and magically descriptive throughout.

None of the characters can really be trusted and you'll constantly be trying to second-guess who's up to no good while reading this book. It's definitely a Da Vinci Code for young adults; with murder, mystery, scandal, unsolved clues and the constant threat of a bizarre religious sect.

I loved every page of this novel. I raced through it and was left satisfied by the brilliant climax (and with a slight craving to learn some Latin).

Review: The Fault In Our Stars

2012-01-29T11:08:00.000Z

Title: The Fault In Our Stars
Author: John Green
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Your Age Recommendation: 15+
Publication Date: 10/1/2012
Available for Kindle?: Yes
Pages: 336
Copy: Hardcover
My Rating: 5/5
Reviewer: Angela

Summary
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

Angela's Review
John Green has written a million books, it seems. I mean, there are at least three on my to-be-read shelf here in my living room. But I’ve never read a single one until The Fault In Our Stars was published. Here’s the thing: I had no idea what it was about. None whatsoever. But the buzz was so intense, I couldn’t ignore it, so I pre-ordered a copy and never even bothered to read the summary once it became available. When my copy was finally in my hot little hands, I immediately sat down and began to read.
And I can’t lie: I sort of fell in love.

Hazel. Hazel is wry, resigned, and highly intelligent. Augustus Waters is glorious, and if I may be a little silly here, I feel that Green accomplished something rather major when I stopped associating the name Augustus with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in my head. Hazel’s parents seem real, as opposed to the silly, wraith-like variations of parental units we so often get in YA literature. And perhaps most importantly, all of the relationships conveyed between all of the aforementioned characters – including the friendship shared between a boy named Isaac and Hazel and Augustus – seem believable.

Through a mutual love of a book, Hazel and Augustus grow closer and closer, eventually falling in love. While I can’t say the plot was a surprise – because in many ways, the denouement of the book was inevitable, expected – I feel it was beautiful.

I felt everything. In the time that I read The Fault in Our Stars, I wept, I laughed out loud, I got pissed off, and I grieved. Yes, grieved.

The title implies a bit of star-crossed business, and so I won’t try to hide that this book is, in many ways, a tragedy. It’s difficult to read sometimes, because it’s just so damned sad, but at others, it’s light and lovely, pulling the reader along easily. There’s a crispness of sorts to Green’s writing which I love. The imagery is lovely but never drawn out forever, and is genuinely impacting. These two traits, I feel, make his words easy to read, and easy to fall into.

I’ve read the complaints that Hazel’s voice sounds like the author himself, and not her own independent self. I’ve read the complaints that the pontificating that both Hazel and Augustus do seems unlikely. I’ve even read that this cannot be Green’s best book. Those things may be true.

But if I may be frank, I don’t care about any of that. I haven’t read anything else by Green (though I plan to), and I didn’t find the characterizations to be lacking in any way. At the end of the day, The Fault in Our Stars made me feel, and it made me feel deeply. It made me want to read more, it made me want to write more, and it made me look at the way that I view life – I mean really view life – and reevaluate a few things.

And if that’s not the makings of a damn good book, I’m not sure what is.

Review: Lolly Luck

2012-01-28T13:47:00.000Z

Title: Lolly Luck
Author: Ellie Daines
Publisher: Andersen Press
Your Age Recommendation: 8+
Publication Date: January 5, 2012
Available for Kindle?: Yes
Pages: 192
Copy: For Review
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: YA Reader

Synopsis
Lolly is Lolly Luck by name, lucky by nature. She always wins magazine competitions, on scratch cards and any game you can think of. But when Lolly's dad loses his job and then the family home, Lolly's luck starts to change. And when she overhears her parents arguing, she learns a secret that will change her life forever.

My Review
Lolly Luck is a debut for younger readers from author Ellie Daines and although I don't tend to read books for such young children, her large social media presence on twitter (@chirpywriter) intrigued me. The story is about a young girl called Lollyanna Luck who lives a comfortable life with her family until her father is made redundant. Her family unit begins to disintegrate around her as her father desperately tries to find work.

What I liked about Lolly Luck is that Daines weaves different storylines together; while her family is falling apart Lolly retains security and safety at school through her participation in a performance of Wuthering Heights. Although even at school she has to deal with 'the bully', Mariella, who tries her very best to make Lolly's life even worse.

What makes this book so special is that Daines does not write down to her readers instead recognising the importance that they read about issues that ultimately they may face ace whether that be their divorce, bullying, losing their home or even the shocking revelation that Lolly has to deal with partway through the story. Despite everything that Lolly must tackle she remains remarkably optimistic and this is what makes the book so perfect for younger readers as they realise that whilst life might not always go the way they want, there can be positive outcomes in the end.

Ellie Daines has written a wonderful debut that I'm sure will appeal to all young fans of Cathy Cassidy. The book shares the same charm as Cassidy's stories and it is great to have fresh talent for this age group. I'd highly recommend this for any young girl especially those that love acting and making themselves heard. This is not one to miss!

Review: The Case of the Deadly Desperados

2012-01-27T00:05:00.000Z

Title: The Case of the Deadly Desperados (The Western Mystery series)
Author: Caroline Lawrence
Publisher: Orion
Publication date: 2011
Pages: 269
Copy: Hardback
Reviewer: Julia

Synopsis
This is the first book in what promises to be a brilliant new series from Caroline Lawrence, author of the Roman Mystery series. For her new venture, The Western Mysteries, Lawrence travels back in time and space to Virginia City, 1862 – the wild, lawless land of pistols, spurs and desperados.

The hero of this tale is 12-year-old P.K. Pinkerton. In fact, this story is his story, told in his own words. P.K. is a unique and unlikely hero and whilst he is the narrator, there is a great deal of ambiguity about him.
In the opening chapter, P.K. arrives home to find both his foster parents brutally murdered by the venomous Whittlin Walt. P.K. quickly deduces what Whittlin Walt is after – a valuable letter from P.K’s biological parents, entitling the bearer to a small fortune. P.K. is a smart kid and wastes no time in unlocking the sacred letter from its hiding place and fleeing to Virginia City to seek refuge.

What follows is a tumultuous game of cat and mouse as Whittlin Walt closes in on his prey, determined to take possession of the letter. In order to stay alive, P.K. must keep his wits razor-sharp and adapt to his new surroundings. He soon discovers that life is far more colourful and wild than he ever realised before.

Julia's Review
I have never been much of a fan of Wild West movies but I am now a definite fan of Wild West books! P.K.Pinkerton had me hooked for the duration of his tale – Caroline Lawrence adopts his voice so effectively that I struggle to remember that P.K is not actually a real person. The setting is equally convincing, transporting the reader to a world of smoky saloons filled with gamblers; hurdy girls in hooped skirts; and men dressed in buck skins. I even found myself reading all the speech in a southern drawl (and I can’t do accents at the best of times).

P.K. has grown up with his foster-father telling him that Virginia City is Satan’s playground. P.K soon discovers some truth in these words. Almost every character he meets soon betrays him; there are opium dens, ‘soiled-doves’ and the sound of gun-shot rings through the air. It is a lawless town overshadowed by the formidable presence of Whittlin Walt. With no police force to restore order, it is every man and woman out for their own. P.K. sums it up well when he remarks, “What is it about Virginia City? The people here either want to kill you or kiss you.”

P.K.’s character is fascinating. He is the son of a Lakota Indian lady and a white American rail road detective. P.K.’s ambition in life is to become a detective, just like his father. Early in the plot, P.K. confesses his big weakness in life, what he calls ‘his thorn’. This is that he cannot read human emotions and he cannot express his own emotion either. Perhaps it is his frank acknowledgement of his weakness that makes P.K. so endearing – I was constantly worried for P.K. that his ‘thorn’ would be his downfall and land him in trouble.

P.K.’s lack of ability to express his emotions does not mean he has no depth. On the contrary, P.K. shows himself to be a fiercely brave character with a strong sense of justice and morality. Additionally, his ‘thorn’ is compensated for by his quick-wittedness and sharp observations. He is also a mathematical genius.

The Case of the Desperate Desperados is fast paced and will grip even the most fidgety reader. Every chapter ends with a cliff hanger, to the point where I regularly found myself reading into the early hours of the morning. As the action unfolds, P.K.’s character develops and changes at rapid speed. He becomes more cynical, learning not to trust anyone. More crucially however, P.K. learns for the first time how to read people. This of course is a vital skill for any detective and as the story reaches its climax, P.K. relies on it to save his life.

An aspect of the book I particularly like is the ‘celebrity appearance’. The famous writer Mark Twain plays an important role in P.K.’s escapades, which adds to the historical context of the story.

This action-packed novel kept me glued to the final page… and then what a twist there is at the end! I did not see it coming. And then the plot twists again! The story concludes with a wealth of potential as P.K. sets up his own detective business, opening the door to countless more adventures.

Bring on the second book!

Review: Incarnate

2012-01-26T20:02:00.000Z

Title: Incarnate
Author: Jodi Meadows
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books/HarperCollins
Your Age Recommendation: 15+
Publication Date: January 31, 2012
Available for Kindle?: Yes
Pages: 384
Copy: Netgalley
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Angela

Summary
NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

Angela's Review
Banished to the forest far beyond the walls of the central city of Heart, Ana lives with her mother, an antagonistic creature who has unfailingly taught Ana that she is unworthy of love, reinforced that she cannot feel real emotion because she is a Nosoul, and that she’s a murderer of sorts – because you see, when Ana arrived an existing soul disappeared without explanation . Ciana died but did not return, and therefore, she is the source of fear, disdain, and mistrust.

Incarnate begins with Ana’s journey on foot to Heart. Her intention is to try to learn about herself – where did she come from? Why is she here? What happened to Ciana? – but her trip is thwarted when a last ditch effort of harmful treatment from her mother makes itself apparent. Ana is lost in woods she’s never learned to navigate, where she immediately faces off with Sylphs, dangerous creatures that burn your skin and, according to all the things Ana has learned, will kill effortlessly.

It’s in this situation that she meets Sam, a man from Heart who is kind to her, without an agenda, save for helping her heal from the wounds that resulted from her battle with the Slyph. He seems to be the antithesis of her mother, and even believes her to be worthy of love and fair treatment. While this seems false to Ana, who has grown up with a life of pain and ugliness, she begins to accept it just as the two head off to Heart.

And that is where the real story begins.

There are many things about Incarnate that I adored. But there are a handful of things I took issue with. First, Sam is a lover of music; it infuses everything he does, and Meadows writes that in a way that is palpable and believable. As a lover of music myself, every word rang true, and that’s quite an accomplishment.

Additionally, Ana’s characterization is complete. While she does begin to grow and change through the journey of this novel, at her core, she still battles the lessons she gleaned from life with her mother. Never does she truly leave that negativity or pain – or the idea that she is unworthy of any good thing – not even in the face of true goodness and legitimately caring individuals she meets in Heart.

The story itself is full of action and tender emotion, and Meadows is unafraid to take risks, both with the actions her characters take and the world they live in.

That last part is where I take a slight issue. You see, Incarnate is absolutely a world set in the future, but for me, it was hard to really figure out the world within the pages. The different ideas conveyed are sometimes contradictory, for me: Sylphs are traditionally elemental creatures. The city is called Heart because the walls have a steady heartbeat (which, by the way, causes absolute discomfort to Ana, for reasons unknown). There’s a strange deity at the core of the world as they know it. And there are dragons.

All of this atop the basic premise of constant and unending reincarnation, and to be honest, it’s a lot to take in.

That said, there are several moments of absolute beauty within Incarnate, and Sam is about as swoonworthy as they come. Ana is coming into her own, and I can easily see her becoming a strong, female character, something that is so often lacking in YA Lit. And finally, there is most definitely enough fodder in Incarnate to start off the Newsoul trilogy. I remain confident that Meadows will be able to quell the issues I had with Ana’s world and am absolutely looking forward to the second and third books in this series.

Review: No Use Crying

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000Z

Title: No Use Crying

Author: Zannah Kearns
Publication Date: 2011
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Pages: 311
Reviewer: Julia
Copy: Paperback
Rating: 5/5
Themes: Family; multiculturalism; teenagers; friendship; inner-city

Synopsis
Set in Tooting, London, No Use Crying, follows the life of 14-year old Niki, the daughter of a single, teenage mum. The story opens when Niki and her mother move from a sheltered, middle-class village near Bath, to a multicultural, working class community in Tooting.

Whilst Niki endures the unforgiving intitiation to her new school, she also discovers the life-changing truth about her father. An emotional roller-coaster follows, which although painful, ultimately leads to healing.

Julia's Review

No Use Crying is Zannah Kearn’s debut novel – gritty, moving and thought-provoking. Despite being Zannah’s first published novel, it is written with the insight and craft of an established and experienced author. I was drawn in by the first page and was gripped for the next 24 hours (admittedly I was flying from the UK to Australia so was spoilt for time).

There is no unnecessary preamble to the story. Instead, the story shows just enough of Niki's safe and secure life in Bath in order for the stark contrast with Tooting to be made. Zannah compares the two polar-opposite worlds of inner-city London and middle-class Bath, with vivid clarity. She depicts the raw, tough world of life in a London comp with convincing insight. On the back page of the book, I learnt that Zannah has spent much of her professional life working with teenagers in UK inner cities. I can’t help but assume these experiences have helped shape and mould No Use Crying, giving Zannah’s writing its subtle but genuine authority.

Whilst written in the third person, the story is very much written from Niki's point of view. Zannah enables the reader to step into Niki's shoes completely. I felt as though I was riding the emotional roller coaster with Niki as she struggled to fit in with the new crowd, gradually changing her appearance and the way she speaks.

Niki soon begins to make friends in her new school, yet even her friendships are fraught with complications and divided loyalties. Niki finds herself torn between Chantelle, a dominating ring-leader, and the quiet and timid Sangeeta who is definitely not part of the in-crowd. The dynamics between these friends form an important sub-plot that supports the greater story of Niki discovering the truth about her father.

Whilst this novel looks at messy lives damaged by drugs, insecurities and dishonesty a strong theme of redemption surfaces towards the end of the story - redemption that comes through honesty and friendship. Zannah manages to weave this message of hope into the book without allowing it to have a saccharine 'happily-every-after' feel to it.

Perhaps this is what made me such a fan of No Use Crying - the skilful weaving together of such contrasting threads: gritty, inner-city London; the turmoil of adolescence; and the tenderness of family love and friendship.

No Use Crying is a fantastic, thought-provoking book which I would highly recommend to all teenagers.

Blog Tour: Ellie Daines

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000Z

Today I'm hosting Ellie Daines (@chirpywriter), the debut author behind Lolly Luck. I read the book this month and it is fantastic, definitely worth reading. It would also make the perfect present for any daughter or nieces especially fans of Jacqueline Wilson.

1. Did your journalism degree influence your writing and would you recommend one for those interested in writing books?
My journalism degree taught me the basics of how to edit so I was able to call upon those skills when it came to editing Lolly Luck. However I don’t think my degree influenced the writing aspect simply because the creative techniques involved in writing a novel are different from that of writing a news piece. But I would recommend to any budding author to go on a creative writing course to learn the skills of writing a novel. They could also purchase a How-to book, there are many good ones out there. A book that helped me considerably was Pamela Cleaver’s ‘Writing a Children's Book: How to Write for Children and Get Published’.

2. You have a very active social media presence for an author, has this helped you with your writing and do you ever find social media distracting?
I think social media is a useful tool in helping authors connect with new and existing readers and help spread the word about their books. Twitter particularly has been useful in helping me to not only connect with readers but with other authors who regularly share advice and let you know about their own experiences of being a writer. I do check into my Twitter and Facebook page quite frequently but as I’m a very schedule-orientated person, I make sure that I’m able to fit it around my writing and editing which ultimately takes up the majority of my time.

3. What's the most exciting part of having your debut published?
It’s just great to be able to share with everyone a story that means so much to me. It’s also nice to hear people’s thoughts about it and see my book in bookshops.

4. Did anybody inspire the protagonist of your book Lolly?
I did draw on my own childhood experiences when shaping the character of Lolly. When I was young, I certainly had a bit of lucky streak like Lolly and I too would regularly win competitions.

5. Lolly Luck tackles some quite hard hitting issues, was there a particular reason for this?
Some of the issues that my novel deals with are very real for many children right now and I wanted to give those particular children something that they could relate to. I also hope that my novel is able to show all children how one can cope and overcome tough experiences that life may throw at them.

6. Lolly is obsessed with being lucky, what's the luckiest thing that has ever happened to you?
As a child I dreamed the winning lottery numbers a few times. I gave the numbers to my mum and she won ten pounds on each occasion.

7. What do you hope readers take away from Lolly Luck?
Lolly Luck is a very optimistic person despite all the problems she faces and I suppose I’d like the reader to see that it is possible to maintain a sense of self and stay positive in times of difficulty.

8. Is there a particular celebrity Corey T is based on?
He’s based on Justin Bieber who just so happens to follow me on Twitter and is a huge icon for many young girls. In my book Corey T is Lolly’s idol, she’s obsessed with him.

9. Will there be any sequels?
I don’t have any sequels planned at this time but it might be something I revisit in the future. Right now I’m concentrating on writing my second novel which will deal with some particular hard-hitting topics as well.

Thanks Ellie for these responses and I can highly recommend Lolly Luck! It is a fantastic book.

Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

2012-01-22T10:49:00.001Z

Title: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Author: Jesse Andrews
Publisher: Abrams, Harry N., Inc.
Publication Date: 1 March 2012
Pages: 288
Copy: Paperback
My Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Kate

Synopsis
'I do actually want to say one other thing before we get started with this horrifyingly inane book. You may have already figured out that it's about a girl who had cancer. So there's a chance you're thinking, "Awesome! This is going to be a wise and insightful story about love and death and growing up. It is probably going to make me cry literally the entire time. I am so fired up right now." If that is an accurate representation of your thoughts, you should probably try to smush this book into a garbage disposal and then run away. Because here's the thing: I learned absolutely nothing from Rachel's leukemia. In fact, I probably became stupider about life because of it ...'

Greg is in his senior year in high school. Up until now, his main claim to fame has been that he has no claims to fame. Greg is invisible. He he floats between one clique and another like a dandelion head on the wind, never staying long enough to make a real impact or – even worse – a real commitment. Greg believes the only way to get through high school is by staying under the radar and he does this with aplomb.

Greg has only one real friend: Earl. Earl and Greg share a love of video games, a hatred of Earl's diabolical brothers and a lack of talent for feature film-making. Not that this stops them. After all, they don't make the movies for anybody but themselves. That is, of course, until Rachel comes along.

Greg didn't want to be friends with Rachel (his former classmate from Hebrew school) – especially because she has cancer – but his mum made him. Rachel wasn't part of Greg's plan, and it looks like she's going to put a big spanner in the whole “invisibility” thing. The only good thing? Greg and Earl are going to make a movie for her. And it just might be a good one.

Kate's Review
When I started reading this book, my first thought was, “Oh no. Folks, we've got a Juno on our hands.”
This was almost enough to make me abandon reading straight away. Don't get me wrong, I quite liked the movie Juno (not least because it stars the marvellous Michael Cera). What I didn't like was the spate of acerbic, witty, chock-full-of-sparky-one-liner films and books that came after it: books that I felt had lost their hearts on a walk down epigram avenue. These movies and novels often featured outcast teenage protagonists who dressed like Ben Folds, circa 1995, and talked like Oscar Wilde meets Cher from Clueless. Sure, some of their lines were funny but it got to a point where none of it felt real any more. There was too much “cool” and not enough actual, you know, life.

I call it “The Juno effect”, and it was enough to make me hurl this book at a wall at the first mention of brain fungus. Except a) as it was an eBook, that would have wrecked a very nice netbook and b) I'm not a quitter. So I persevered.

And, despite myself, I got sucked in.

Sure, the book has more memorable one-liners than a Will Ferrell movie, but some of them are laugh-out-loud funny. And the protagonist, Greg, turns out to be much more likeable that he first appears. Also, this book is not your average “kid-with-a-disease” tearjerker. I've read a lot of them lately, from Australian teenage wunderkind Steph Bowe's Girl Saves Boy to a re-read of The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (which also features a dying kid and an aspiring film-maker). It doesn't leave you a beaten, broken, sobbing mess and, in fact, Rachel's illness seems much less a focus of the book than the friendship between Greg and Earl, and the movies they make together.

Movies are, in fact, of utmost importance in this book. Much of the text is written in screenplay format (which I initially found annoying but warmed to as the book went on) and it's obvious film is something the author is passionate about. So it makes sense that this book has already been optioned for a movie. I think it will make a good one. The characters are likeable. The dialogue is punchy. It's hilariously funny and poignant in places without risking a soggy popcorn debacle caused by uncontrollable sobbing. If they could only get Michael Cera to play Greg it would be perfect.

This book is definitely worth a read for laugh-out-loud value alone, and so you can say “I read it before it was a movie”. But it's also worth reading for the heart that's hiding behind the snappy lines. I may have come to this book with apprehension but I left it with fondness.

Review: Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick

2012-01-21T17:35:00.000Z

Title: Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick
Author: Joe Schreiber
My Age Recommendation: 15+
Publisher: Electric Monkey/Egmont
Publication Date: 5th March 2012
Pages: 282 (uncorrected bound proof)
Rating: 3/5
Reviewer: Ben

Amazon Synopsis
Ferris Bueller meets La Femme Nikita in this funny, action-packed young adult novel. It’s prom night—and Perry just wants to stick to his own plan and finally play a much anticipated gig with his band in the Big Apple. But when his mother makes him take Gobija Zaksauskas—their quiet, geeky Lithuanian exchange student—to the prom, he never expects that his ordinary high school guy life will soon turn on its head. Perry finds that Gobi is on a mission, and Perry has no other choice but to go along for a reckless ride through Manhattan’s concrete grid with a trained assassin in Dad’s red Jag. Infused with capers, car chases, heists, hits, henchmen, and even a bear fight, this story mixes romance, comedy, and tragedy in a true teen coming-of-age adventure—and it’s not over until it’s “au revoir.”

Ben's Review
There’s been a rash of adult writers turning their attention to YA recently and here is another example. It’s also no surprise that this has already been snapped by in what is described in the press notes as a “heated auction” by Hollywood (specifically The O.C.’s creator Josh Schwartz). Certain young actors’ agents will already be licking their lips in anticipation.

Au Revoir Crazy European Chick plays like a movie from the get-go and even borrows from several of them, including Collateral and Martin Scorsese’s After Hours. That said, Schreiber knows his way around a (nicked) plot and this rapid-fire actionfest is never less than entertaining.

In cinema, screenwriters often fall down in their efforts to find nuance and depth within their characters and that’s certainly a problem here as well. The hero and heroine (or anti-heroine since she kills a bunch of people) are wafer-thin, the author obviously hoping you won’t really notice as you’re swept along for the ride.

It’s a fun, adrenaline-fuelled journey to be sure, but it would have been nice for Schreiber to add some extra dimensions to what is a fairly bland protagonist. In fact, Perry’s almost the secondary role here, as assassin Gobi (who we’re expected to believe has become one of the great revenge killers with a whole array of tricks and abilities in a remarkably short time) takes the lead.

Me, I like that an author would try to do this kind of caper in a book, while simultaneously chafing at Schreiber’s apparent ignorance of what makes the novelistic form unique from those of other media.

Ultimately, one feels this was always destined to be a flick and the book is merely an unscheduled stop en route, a bit like those movie novelisations you used to get a lot in days gone by (even Star Wars had one which actually came out before the movie).

Good on Schreiber though, a journeyman but prolific writer who was only able to give up his day job as an MRI technician after scoring this deal.

I can’t deny you’ll have fun with the story that changed his life, but you’d do better to wait until it hits your local multiplex.