Spreading the book love!

One of the main gripes I hear lately within the publishing world, is the lack of written space for book reviews. The area available in many well known magazines and  national newspapers has shrunk so dramatically, only a Borrower could read them, and even then they would need a magnifying glass. Alongside the recent dismissal of Amanda Craig from The Times, it seems that the printed media world is turning it’s back on it’s long term written companion.

As book bloggers we do our best, always trying to boost the popularity of newly published books and debut authors online. Through our blogs, joint review sites, Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook, we spread the love of books to the online community. But what about the off line community? Is there any way as book bloggers we could reach out to them and convince them that what the next book to read is?

I was always under the impression that the answer would be no. Until I came up with an idea. I decided to contact my local magazine. Now this publication, may not be able to compete with it’s richer, more sophisticated relatives, but it does get read by a lot of the local community – from youngsters to parents, right through to their grandparents. Not only does it provide useful adverts for local traders, but it also allows us to catch up with local news and events, not to mention being  freely delivered through our front door every month.

So I contacted the editor of the magazine and asked if she would be interested in publishing my reviews in her magazine. She requested a sample and after just a few hours I received an email back, saying she would be happy for me to send them and hopefully she would be able to fit them in each month. I thought nothing more of it, until this popped through my door today.

And lo and behold, over half way in, my review for A Little Night Magic by Lucy March, appeared in the magazine. To say I was chuffed, would be an understatement. So not only had a reviewed this book online on my blog, I had also managed to get it into a local magazine which would reach many of the offline community who don’t always know what new books are available.

Now if I can do it, what is stopping the rest of the book blogging world doing the same. It wouldn’t take you long to approach your local magazines and newspapers to see if they were interested in featuring one of your reviews you have already posted online. The good thing about book bloggers, is we cover the whole country, so why not get out there and see if you can pull in some readers for the books we all love, by getting your reviews published locally. Don’t expect to get paid for it, as you probably won’t; but as book bloggers we only review for the love of books anyway.  By doing this, I see us helping to spread the word a little bit further than before and perhaps we might be able to help bridge the gap now widening with the loss of written reviews.

Go on – spread the book love!

Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando

An engaging and heart-warming 'two voice' story of an East Coast/West Coast digital friendship that begins when Elizabeth emails her soon-to-be college roommate, Lauren. On the cusp of freedom during their last summer before starting a new independent life away from home, they discover the catharsis that an anonymous email friendship can bring as they chronicle the tension, excitement and anxiety of leaving their homes, falling in love, and finding the right mini-fridge

Published by Hodder and Stoughton in January 2014

Pages – 235

******

Reviewed by Elizabeth Dale

It’s the start of the summer after graduation and Elizabeth (EB to her friends) can’t wait to leave her miserable mum with her desperate love life and head all the way across to the other side of America to start college in San Francisco, where her gay dad now lives. When the university emails her contact details of her college room-mate, Lauren, so they can sort out what they’re each bringing, EB emails her. Lauren’s feeling about starting college just across the bay and escaping her chaotic home life with her mum and dad and five younger siblings are more ambivalent.  She’s going to miss them so much, but she relishes the thought of finally having some peace, so she is very disappointed to discover that her request for a room of her own is refused.

As the correspondence builds that last summer, both girls find themselves telling each other their hopes and worries, and confiding details of their new romances  that they don’t even reveal to their friends.  But when Lauren meets EB’s dad and tells EB things she doesn’t want to hear, their relationship fractures before they’ve even met. Can you just have too much truth?  

This novel is a great read, capturing all the conflicting emotions that come with leaving home, no matter how much you think you want to go.  Written by two authors from each girl’s totally unique perspective, the reader really enters each girl’s totally different world. It captures the excitement and fear, not just of heading off to college, but also growing up and accepting and adjusting to relationships both within and outside the family. My one criticism would be that the voices of the two girls aren’t quite distinctive enough,  and some of the other characters, particularly EB’s mum could be more developed, but I very much enjoyed it all the same and really felt I was there with the girls as they say goodbye to everything they know and love, and face up to such a  momentous change in their lives.  

The Black Crow Conspiracy by Christopher Edge

Fog clung to the Tower, a cloaking mist that shrouded the fortress in a grey-white gloom, its battlements and turrets ghostly silhouettes against the sky. Beyond the bulwarks and the ramparts, the Thames lapped at the wharf that lay beneath the ancient keep. The distant creaking of ships at St Katharine Docks and the clatter of their cargo were the only sounds that could be heard as dusk gave way to darkness. Even the guttural croaks of the ravens guarding the Tower had by now fallen silent.

Published by Black Crow in 2014

269 pages in paperback edition

Summary from Nosy Crow

It’s 1902. London is looking forward to the new King’s coronation and ignoring the threat of war from across the sea…

Penelope Tredwell, the pen behind bestselling author, Montgomery Flinch, is cursed with writer’s block. She needs a sensational new story or her magazine, The Penny Dreadful, will go under. So when a mysterious letter arrives, confessing to an impossible crime, Penny thinks she has found a plot to enthrall her readers: the theft of the Crown Jewels by the diabolical Black Crow.

Ghostly apparitions, kidnap and treason – this is the stuff of great stories. But what if it’s all true?

*****

Reviewed by K. M. Lockwood

The cover artwork by Eric Orchard reflects the tone of this 1902 set adventure story. There’s a spooky atmosphere with dark hues and period detail, but also plenty to engage the contemporary reader.

We are given a likeable, inventive and patient heroine in the writer Penelope Tredwell who keeps her cool through a sequence of exciting predicaments. There’s an appealing array of early 20th century historical events given a rather different spin and overall, it’s an enjoyable thriller. 

You could imagine it filmed as a serial for Saturday morning cinema once-upon-a-time – full of cliff-hangers and thrilling escapes and mysteries. The relationship between Penelope, Alfie her assistant and the actor playing Montgomery Flinch gives plenty of warmth and humour to the adventures.

This book would suit a wide range of confident readers – the lightness with which it is written means that the perils shown are unlikely to upset even the most sensitive of souls – yet there is a pleasurable frisson from the more ghostly aspects.

You don’t need to have read the two previous stories  - but I expect those who have will find the ending of this one particularly satisfying.

Ideal for when you want a good, fast, escapist read in a less-than-obvious time period.

Waiting on Wednesday–Sweet Damage by Rebecca James

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, started by Jill at Breaking The Spine, highlighting future book releases everyone is waiting on!

Sweet Damage by Rebecca James

Published by Faber and Faber in March 2014

As soon as I heard about this book I knew I wanted to read it. Just mix a sinister house, a mysterious owner and thrown in a scary past and you know you have an excellent thriller!

'I still dream about Anna London's house. In my dreams it's as if the house itself has sinister intentions. But in real life it wasn't the house that was responsible for what happened. It was the people who did the damage ...'

Book Summary

When Tim Ellison finds a cheap room to rent in the perfect location in Sydney it looks like a huge stroke of luck. In fact the room comes with a condition, and the owner of the house, the mysterious Anna London, is unfriendly and withdrawn. When strange and terrifying things start happening in the house at night, Tim wonders if taking the room is a mistake. But then his feelings for Anna start to change, and when her past comes back with a vengeance, Tim is caught right in the middle of it.
A thrilling rollercoaster of a story - read it with the lights on!

Oksa Pollock: Forest of Lost Souls Blog Tour

To celebrate the publication of the second instalment of the Oksa Pollock series this week, I am pleased to welcome the authors onto the blog to talk about how they work together to write each book. The authors have included some fabulous photographs of their home town and their working spaces.

The Forest of Lost Souls the second instalment in the series publishes in hardback next week on 27th February. The first book in the series The Last Hope publishes in paperback on 27th also.

Cendrine Wolf:  Our writing duo is based on one simple principle: it doesn’t matter who does what, it’s only the end result that counts!

Anne Plichota: To be more precise, to start with we work out the plot, the plan and the profiles of each character together. We each bring our own ideas to the table, based on our own feelings and imagination. We talk about each scene (a lot!), and we discuss what happens, step by step, and in as much detail as possible. Then I write down the outcome of this first brainstorming session. I start telling the story and I pass it on to Cendrine, who brings new bits in. I write in black and Cendrine writes in red, and that’s how we review each version, which we gradually improve and add to until we both agree with everything. Then, when the text is entirely black, we move on. It’s a bit like the work of an artist with layers of paint, one on top of the other.

CW: And one last thing: when one of us has an idea which the other one had not thought of initially, we talk about it. We sometimes have to argue, defend our points of view, challenge and convince each other – it’s a proper debate! This also forces us to look closer and question what we have written, which we would not do if we wrote alone (and the overall outcome makes much more sense!).

AP: Writing is a passion for me but it’s also my job. And, as with every job, you need to be disciplined and methodical. I try to stick to set working times, just as I did when I went out to work, even though writing is a little different – it takes a lot of concentration and mental preparation.

I usually write on average for 5 hours a day, and I have a set routine. In the morning, I write at my desk, next to my strangely shaped plants, with my iPod docking station on one side and a bottle of sparkling water on the other. I have a coffee at 9am, a cup of tea at 10am with some chocolate (four pieces, no more!). In the afternoon, I migrate to the living room to sit on a small sofa, with my feet on the coffee table and a computer on my lap. I keep the iPod remote control in hand (I always write with music), and have tea, coffee and all-you-can-drink Pepsi Max (masses of it). I always work with dimmed lights and in a warm room. Fascinating details, don’t you think?

CW: Inspiration comes from everything around us, constant and intense, in a never-ending flow. Looking and listening to everything around you, imagination, dreams and nightmares, fantasies – everything contributes to creativity. But lots of ideas also come from everyday life and real-world experience, which we spice up with fantasy and adventures. As for where I write, I’m at my desk, on my chair in the worst possible posture. I need music and a can of coke and then all is well. 

Thank you ladies for sharing details of how you write.

As you can see the covers for the books are gorgeous and will be available this week to buy.

To find out more about the authors and the books:

Twitter / Website

Secret Serendipity Seven with Liz De Jager

I am over the moon to be on the blog tour for Banished by Liz De Jager! Her debut novel will be published this week and I think you will all love it as much as I do. Liz is kicking off the blog tour here by revealing seven secrets about the book and the characters.

It’s really difficult writing this without giving too many spoilers, but here we go:

1. The opening sequence for Banished changed very little since I first drafted it.  I loved the image of this girl, sitting in a park, talking to a very handsome boy.  Outwardly it would seem innocent and sweet.  You can tell that he likes her and you can tell that she’s flattered.  But it’s all a ploy because really, she’s presenting herself a victim, so that she fight back and give him his dues.  

2. I come from a huge family, I’m the youngest of six kids.  My dad was one of eleven.  So I’ve ALWAYS been around loads of cousins and nieces and nephews. But there was also this disconnect because I never actually got to know my cousins really well.  When I conceived this idea of Kit joining this massive family called the Blackharts, I really portrayed what I felt going to visit my aunts and uncles.  All these people whom I should know and yet don’t.  It was very awkward and strange, even if we were family.

3. From the outset people assumed that Banished would have a love  triangle.  I mean, there’s Kit, my main character.  Then Thorn, the young Fae Prince she rescues and then, later, they meet up with Aiden Garrett, the werewolf boy.  And hey, two boys and one girl obviously means love triangle, right? No. I wanted to show how a girl can be friends with a boy and it can be a bit flirty, with lots of laughter, but it’s friendship. True friendship.  Someone you can totally rely on to have your back in a battle. He’s the guy who drives you nuts because he’s got a smart mouth but because of everything you’ve been through together, the bond that binds you is stronger than romantic love.  It’s a kind of family bond even if they aren’t actually family.   And to me that bond is between Kit and Thorn and Aiden.  But here’s the thing: it’s also between Thorn and Aiden.  Aiden is constantly annoying Thorn because it’s just how he is, especially with his brothers.  This means he sees Thorn as family and it’s kinda sweet and funny because Thorn’s grown up very differently to the chaos of the human world. 

4. The fight sequences in Banished are very close to my heart.  I love action movies.  I watched a lot of them growing up and still distinctly remember watching Bruce Lee’s Enter The Dragon sitting in the garden with all my friends around me, the film being projected against our garage wall.  I knew the fights had to be described well, for my own sanity. So I relied on Mark who’s had a lot of martial arts training but also I spoke to his swordmaster, David Rawlings from the London Longsword Academy - http://www.londonlongsword.com/page2.html - who explained to me how sickle fights worked and other little details like knife fights and such.  Most of the fights I write about have been tried out.  I have the bruises to prove it. 

5. I use a lot of lore and mythology in Banished. I have an entire two bookcases dedicated to books on mythology and fairy tale lore and the occult.  It’s something I’ve always been interested in and really, with bookshops like Foyles, Watkins and Blackwells on my doorstep, I’ve become addicted to buying them and reading them.  My Fae are heavily Norse and Scandinavian influenced with smatterings of Celtic lore tossed in for my wolves and of course there’s a bit of antediluvian lore too.  Basically, the Blackharts will use whatever lore they can find at their disposal and use it to figure out the cases they’re on.   And so will I.  Book 2 has more Fae lore and book 3 I’m hoping to pack full of Russian and Japanese lore. 

6. When I met with my agent, Juliet Mushens, for the first time to talk about The Blackhart Legacy it was one of the scariest moments of my life.  We chatted for ages and then we got talking about edits she’d like me to do.  And basically we realised that one major player had to be written out of the book. I knew, at the back of my mind, that I’d have to do it but I needed someone tougher than me to tell me to do it.  Juliet was adamant.

If we kept this character in…it would become his book and so, I went back home, terrified out of my mind and I deleted and rewrote huge scenes in which this character was pivotal.  And, I hope it’s worked.  

7. I have playlists for my characters, for certain scenes and general writing playlists.  It’s such a Pavlovian response now that, if the music comes onto shuffle onto my ipod, I feel the need to stop whatever I’m doing and go and write.  This can’t be a bad thing, right? Also: just as a teaser: Book 2 (Vowed) is hugely influenced by music.  Just saying. 

Thanks Liz for sharing your secrets.

Banished is published by Tor Books on the 27th February 2014

To find out more about Liz De Jager:

Twitter / Website

Faber and Faber–Middle Grade and Young Adult Books

As I mentioned in my last post, Faber and Faber are about to publish some fantastic books and I can’t wait to share the details about them with you. Earlier today, I discussed the picture books they will be debuting, so now let’s look at the Middle Grade and Young Adult books they will be publishing.

Middle Grade

Flora in Love by Natasha Farrant ( second book in the The Diaries of Bluebell Gadsby series)

I missed out on hearing about the first book and I could kick myself after hearing Natasha read a passage from the sequel. It is funny and yet heart warming at the same time. In this instalment, Bluebell’s sister Flora falls in love. From what I have heard about this series, I think it’s definitely one to read. This book is published in April, but you can buy After Iris, the first book in the series right now.

Next up we have The Tornado Chaser by Ross Montgomery. This is an inspiring book aimed at the 8 to 9 year old audience, where kids chase tornadoes for fun. At the moment, there isn’t an image available of the final cover, so I will just tell you it sounded fabulous. The author, Ross Montgomery, has already exploded into the publishing world. His debut novel, Alex, the Dog and the Unopenable Door was shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award last year. So expect more great things from him.

Memoirs of a Neurotic Zombie by Jeff Norton.

Now the name Jeff Norton might be really familiar to you, but not necessarily with Faber or as a Middle Grade author. Jeff is well known for his Young Adult series, MetaWars published by Orchard. If you ever have the pleasure of meeting Jeff, you will be utterly delighted by his warm personality and witty sense of humour. He is definitely one of those authors who you will always remember meeting. During the Faber event, he read a passage from his new novel and I was crying with laughter. Everyone know I hate zombie books, but I will definitely make an exception at reading this one.  Unfortunately there isn’t a cover available to drool over yet, so you will have to look at Jeff’s lovely face.

The Girl Who Walked On Air by Emma Carroll

I am very excited by Emma’s second book as I loved her first novel, Frost Hollow Hall, which was set during the Winter of 1881. Her new novel, The Girl Who Walked On Air is also set during the Victorian era, but in a completely different setting. With this book, we will find ourselves transported to the circus, where orphan, Louie, want to be the show stopping act instead of just working in the ticket office.

Finally in the Middle Grade bracket, we have Archie Green and The Magician’s Instruction by DD Everest. Archie receives a book in a box for his birthday; with the book comes a Summoning from Oxford, asking him to return with the book in the box. When he arrives, he discovers the world of the Book People. This book sounds utterly enchanting. A place to discovered enchanted books shelves and librarians who are secretly sorcerers. Could Archie be the new Harry Potter?

So that concludes the exciting books that were discussed for the Middle Grade audience. Now let us delve into the Young Adult books.

Young Adult

Dead Ends by Erin Lange

Erin Lange is the author of the book, Butter, which many bloggers were raving about last year. Now I haven’t read either, but I did manage to get hold of a copy of Butter, so I look forward to being able to tell you more about it. Erin Lange is already being compared with John Greene and R.J. Palacio, so I am excited to read one of her books. Dead Ends is  about an incredible friendship between a Downs Syndrome child and a bully, with the story being told from the bully’s point of view.

There are rumours that Erin will be visiting the UK in April, so an ideal time to buy your books in order to get them signed when she arrives.

Sweet Damage by Rebecca James is the second book to be published by this author with Faber and Faber. Her first novel, Beautiful Damage, was published last year. Rebecca will appeal to fans of April Henry. Imagine a scary house, a mysterious owner and terrifying bumps in the night, not to mention a past coming back at you with a vengeance! Can’t wait for April for this one.

Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke. This book has the best opening line ever…

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Imagine a Great Gatsby setting with hints of Gothic as Violet tries to work out just who the mysterious man she has fallen in love with, actually is. Out in March.

Another book mentioned that won’t be available until Autumn, is Winterkill by Kate A. Boorman. Being pitched alongside Patrick Ness and Moira Young, she is definitely an author to look out for. This book won’t be available until the Autumn. Set in a puritanical and medieval alternate world, Emmeline has the opportunity to repair the damaged name of her family by marrying the settlement leader. But Emmeline wants more.

Also mentioned during the brunch was the fabulous debut by Alexia Casale, The Bone Dragon.  I have heard such good things about this book and I really need to read it soon. It will be published in paperback in April, so it is definitely time to read it.

So there you have an abundance of exciting books coming from Faber and Faber over the next few months. Which book would you like to read first?

Faber & Faber Afternoon Tea– Picture Books

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be invited along to book blogging event at Faber & Faber, to hear about all the wonderful publications they have coming out in the next few months.  We were treated to cakes and sweets, which is always guaranteed to delight me.

Before we got to hear about all the books, the heavily pregnant but extremely blooming Leah Thaxton, who gets to pick all the titles published, got up to talk to us about Faber & Faber.

For many years, Faber and Faber were better known for their poetry, plays and literary fiction, so the children’s fiction department has been a more recent development for them. Last year, they published 35 books in the children’s section, however this year will see that number rise to 47. Not only will they be publishing sequels, but they will also be introducing new authors as well as debuting in the picture book market with four very special picture books this year.  Leah’s aim is for children’s publishing at Faber and Faber to totally eclipse the other parts of the company. From what I have seen so far, I would say the Children’s publishing team are well on their way to achieving that.

As there are quite a few books to talk about, I am going to split this post into two parts. So this part will  give you a sneaky peek at the picture books while the second post will focus on the Middle Grade and Young Adult books coming from Faber this year. 

Hog in the Fog will be the first one to be published in March and is told in rhyme, telling the story of what happens when Harry the Hog doesn’t turn up on time at Candy Stripe Lil’s house for tea. Full of humour and charm with something lovely revealed at the end.

Now I am not going to tell you anything about Squishy McFluff as I will let Ava tell you all about him herself. I shall just whisper that it is out in February.

The third book to be published will be Macavity, by as most of you know, T.S. Eliot. The poem has been given a new burst of life, being regenerated with lovely new illustrations for the under 5’s. Who hasn’t loved Macavity in the past? This is being published in May.

The fourth picture book is called Dinosaur Rhyme Time which will be published in August. Unfortunately the cover isn’t finalised, so I can’t share that with you yet. However I can tell you that you are about to see all your favourite nursery rhymes invaded by cuddly dinosaurs!

Aren’t they adorable? Come back later today to see all the other delights to be published by Faber and Faber this year.

Looking For JJ by Anne Cassidy

Everyone was looking for Jennifer Jones. She was dangerous, the newspapers said. She posed a threat to children and should be kept behind bars. The public had a right to know where she was. Some of the weekend papers even resurrected the old headline: A Life for a Life!

Republished by Scholastic in August 2013 for tenth anniversary.

Pages – 299

Summary

Three children walked away from the cottages on the edge of town toward Berwick Waters. Later that day, only two of them came back. Alice Tully knows exactly what happened that spring day six years ago, though it’s still hard for her to believe it. She’ll never be able to forget, even though she’s trying to lead a normal life—she has a job, friends, and a boyfriend whom she adores. But Alice’s past is dangerous, and violent, and sad... and it’s about to rip her new life apart.

******

This really isn’t an easy book to review. Coming to it from the perspective of a parent, I found my insides churning as I read it. This has to be one of every parent’s nightmares and when this book was originally published it would have been something that played heavily on every parent’s mind after the Soham murders. I know that this book is a completely different style of murder, but it still makes you feel uneasy reading it.

To be fair, I think Anne Cassidy has handled a very delicate topic extremely well and with great sensitivity and I can see why the book was so popular. The author has managed to gain your sympathy for Jennifer Jones. You realise she was just a child and the situation her mother had put her in, tipped her over the edge. She needed help early on and it seemed as though the justice system had lost sight of her needs. She was a boiling kettle about to overflow, yet no one picked up on it.

You felt sympathy for the adult, Jennifer Jones, she was full to the brim of self loathing, just waiting to be discovered. Every day was a waiting game for her and she struggled to live a normal life. Whether people felt she was entitled to a normal life, is a difficult question to answer, as emotions tend to be at their rawest when a child is hurt.

I liked the way the book is set out into three parts, so you get a sense of the past, present and future. I am curious to what happens to Jennifer after this book finishes, and will shortly be reading the recent sequel, Finding Jennifer Jones, because in my mind, I cannot see how a character like this can ever find peace and lay to rest the past. It must be something that wakes you up in the morning, and greets you as you lay down to sleep. Jennifer had accurately sensed how people would react to her secret and the author has written these with sensitivity for both parties involved.

An emotional read, that makes you question a crime from the other side. At times it was disturbing to read, but it is definitely a book that should be read and one I would vigorously hand out to every teenager to read.

Model Undercover Competition with Usborne

For those of you who have arrived at my page by chance and haven’t a clue what this is all about, then please read below.

To celebrate the publication of Model Under Cover by Carina Axelsson on the 1st February, Usborne are giving readers the chance to wind their very own Nikon digital SLR camera as shown below. Want to know more about Axelle first? Read the following blurb to find out more.

Introducing Axelle Anderson: fashion's most stylish detective…

Sixteen-year-old Axelle is furious at being sent to stay with her uber-Fashionista Aunt Venetia for Paris Fashion Week. She may have incredibly long legs, but all Axelle wants to do is solve mysteries, and is far more likely to be found nose down in a Nancy Drew than wiggling her foot into a Jimmy Choo.

But when top fashion designer - Belle La Lune - vanishes into thin air, Axelle seizes the chance to go undercover as a model to solve the mystery. Thrust into the frenetic, eyelash-curling and sequin-encrusted backstage world of fashion, Axelle is swept up in a whirlwind of castings, shows and photo shoots as she starts to unravel the mystery behind Belle’s disappearance. Capably aided by London’s most stunning supermodel and Sebastian, the very gorgeous and thoroughly distracting son of Paris’s bumbling Chief Inspector, Axelle races against the clock (and the arrival of her mother on Eurostar) to solve the mystery at the heart of Paris Fashion Week…

Sounds like an excellent read.

In order to be in with a chance of winning the Nikon camera pictured, then read the information below.

 

The Book Depository will be advertising the Belle La Lune competition on this page www.bookdespository.co.uk/modelundercover, on banner adverts placed throughout their website and in a newsletter to all their 3 million subscribers.

The model undercover page will take users through to Model Under Cover author, Carina Axelsson’s Facebook page, where she will post a different clue each day leading users to the website that Belle is hiding on.

Once users locate and click on the graphic of Belle, they will be taken to the you have found belle page above, where they can enter the competition.

See! Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! So what are you waiting for? Click on the top image, to be in with a chance of winning. If you are still stuck, please find some useful links below to help you.

Carina Axelsson’s Facebook page

- The Book Depository Facebook page

- The Book Depository Twitter

- Usborne Facebook page

- Usborne Twitter

Now if you will excuse me – I have a camera to try and win!

Dead Silent by Sharon Jones

It had to be here.

The soles of his shoes squeaked from marble to wood as he ran between the choir stalls, swinging the torch beam like a whip that could beat back the night.

Published by Orchard in February 2014

Pages - 336

When Poppy Sinclair and her boyfriend visit snowy Cambridge, she doesn't expect to discover the body of a student - arms outstretched in the act of smearing bloody angel wings on the chapel's floor.
Suddenly, Poppy is faced with the possibility that the one closest to her heart might be the one committing the most malicious of crimes.
Dodging porters and police, dreading what she might find, Poppy follows the clues left by a murderer bent on revenge...
Long-hidden secrets are chillingly revealed, an avenging angel seeks forgiveness and red-hot vengeance must be quelled in the amazing new Poppy Sinclair thriller.

*****

I can’t help myself, but I really do love Poppy Sinclair. She really isn’t your average teenager. She overthinks everything and comes from the strangest mix of parents. On one side, she has her mum, who walks firmly on the Pagan side while her estranged father has found his calling within Christianity. Throughout this book, it is intriguing to watch Poppy’s internal struggle between Christianity and Paganism as she tries desperately to sit on the atheist fence, while events occurring around her make it very clear she won’t be able to sit there for long. Something is changing in Poppy and as she grows older it becomes more apparent which latent and unusual skills she has developed.

This book is set in Cambridge during the winter, just before Christmas and I found myself reminiscing fondly my days as a new adult in Cambridge. I felt the author captured the tone and the feel of the academic town and really brought it to life.  I was left with a yearning to revisit.

The prologue sets the scene perfectly and you realise straightaway that Poppy is about to be drawn into another murder mystery. Poppy comes across as the UK’s version of Nancy Drew, but with a few unusual added extras. It doesn’t feel contrived in any way that she is at the centre of a murder investigation again, which was one of the things I was worried about before reading it. She really does have an unfortunate knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

In this book, we learn more about the relationship between Poppy and her father, and discover exactly why it appears to have unravelled so disastrously. We also witness the next step in the relationship between Michael and Poppy, as Poppy stands on the threshold of losing her virginity. I really felt the author dealt with this in an honest and mature way, which would hopefully help other teenagers discuss this situation before rushing into anything they might feel uncomfortable with.

With an array of quirky and colourful characters, I whizzed through the book at great speed, to discover which one was the murderer. And yet again, I was dumbfounded by the truth, after following a line of red herrings.

I thought this was a brilliant second novel, which really establishes Sharon Jones as a crime writing YA author. I really do hope there will be more novels with Poppy Sinclair in the future, as I desperately want to know what happens between Poppy and Michael.

Banished by Liz De Jager

Sitting on one of the swings in the park opposite the school, my watch tells me I’m forty minutes early for the start of my school day and I wonder how much longer this assignment will last.

Published in February 2014 by Tor

Pages – 389

Book Summary

Kit is proud to be a Blackhart, now she’s encountered her unorthodox cousins and their strange lives. And her home-schooling now includes spells, fighting enemy fae and using ancient weapons. But it’s not until she rescues a rather handsome fae prince, fighting for his life on the edge of Blackhart Manor, that her training really kicks in. With her family away on various missions, Kit must protect Prince Thorn, rely on new friends and use her own unfamiliar magic to stay ahead of Thorn’s enemies. As things go from bad to apocalyptic, fae battle fae in a war that threatens to spill into the human world. Then Kit pits herself against the Elder Gods themselves – it’s that or lose everyone she’s learnt to love.

*******

I have to state before you read my review that I do actually know Liz De Jager. She was very much a pioneer in the UKYA book blogging community and her imput is sorely missed. Now I guess you are thinking that my review will be biased because I know Liz. Well you couldn’t be more wrong. I was extremely nervous about reading this book; I was worried that I might not like it, that it might not live up to the early wide spread love already gained. In fact, I did speak to Liz via email before reviewing it and she knew I would be honest with my review.

As soon as I started reading it, I was surprised by it. Firstly it wasn’t what I was expecting. I was convinced it was higher fantasy when in actual fact, it was more urban fantasy set in the UK. From the very first chapter I was completely engrossed in Kit’s story and my word, she is one butt kicking character! She makes every young lad she meets looks weak in comparison. She is afraid of nothing and really ignites this story. There is obviously more to Kit than we find out in this book and I am looking forward to hearing more about her past in the next book.

The world building for this book is amazing. I knew Liz had a love for folklore and legend, but it really shines through in this book, as her knowledge is so detailed, adding an intricate level to the story.

The plot is fast paced and there were a few times I found myself holding my breath. Could Kit and Thorn save the day? How on earth would they get out of each explosive situation? And yet each time, they did. They solved it. If you think this might be a case of insta-love, think again. Although the relationship between Kit and Thorn develops within the book, it is a slow burning need for each other. They rely heavily on each other, before even a glint of romance appears.

I really really loved this book. I can hold my hand up and say that I loved it more than Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones, which is something I never ever thought I would say. It feels like Liz has not only successfully created urban fantasy set in the UK, but she has smashed it! I want more, I need more! I am desperate for Book 2, even though Banished didn’t end on an almighty cliff hanger. You can tell that Liz has listened to the YA market as well as encompassing her own knowledge to create a fast paced, explosive book that captures your imagination and leaves you wanting more.

A Pig Called Heather by Harry Oulton

When the pig called Heather woke up after lunch, the first thing she thought was that she had absolutely nothing to do. That was good, doing nothing was one of her best things, and also one of the things she did best.

*  *  *

Published by Piccadilly Press December 2013

192 pages

Heather's best friend is a girl called Isla, who lives with her dad on a farm in Scotland. Their idyllic life together is shattered when a thunderstorm destroys the farm and forces Isla's dad to sell up and move to London - leaving Isla and Heather miles apart and utterly miserable. Then fate intervenes, turning Heather from an everyday pig into a national celebrity, and catapulting her to fame, fortune and most excitingly of all ...London. Armed only with her own pig-headedness, Heather embarks on a quest to track down her best friend. After all, how many girls with freckles can there be in London?

*  *  *

Reviewed by Caroline Hodges

Reading A Pig Called Heather took me back to my childhood days spent happily reading the likes of Dick King-Smith, completely immersed in the animal worlds the author created.  Harry Oulton pulls off this same total absorption but with a modern flair.  Heather is, well, as pig-like as you’d imagine; easily distracted by food, laid back and easy going. She takes things very much as they come without dwelling on the negative. Even when her best human friend has to sell up the farm they live on together and move to London, Heather doesn’t get melancholy, she just plans how she’ll get to London with her!

The best part of the book is the personification of the different animals Heather encounters – from her life long friends on the farm to the dogs she encounters on her trip to London – they’re all full of character and somehow completely believable considering the animal they are. Rhona the goat for instance, will quite happily spout wisdom whilst she eats a newspaper.  

The book as a whole can illicit giggles from all ages, but there are certain parts where the humour is subtle, maybe more for the adult reading to their child (Isla carefully removing a slice of ‘pink stuff’ with an ‘oops’ from her sandwich before giving it to Heather).  There are also some grown-up topics which are explained very well for a young audience – we’re not talking icky stuff here, just grown up stuff, like when Rhona the goat explains the concept of insurance to Heather when the farmer’s crops are ruined by fire. 

I think the only thing I found unbelievable (and a little sad) was that once she travels to London, Heather doesn’t seem to spare a thought for the farmyard friends she’s left behind.  She didn’t even say good bye!  Yet the beginning of the book suggests that whilst Isla is a very close friend, she has other friends just as important, like Rhona the goat and Alexander the sheepdog.  Perhaps it’s just my personal nostalgia from similar books I read as a kid, but I kind of hope Isla and Heather don’t stay in London.  I want them back on their farm where they belong!

Happy International Book Giving Day!

I know, I know it is Valentine’s Day too, but I think International Book Giving Day is so much more important!!! Don’t you? What better gift to give than the joy of reading.

If this is the first time you have heard of  International Book Giving Day, then here is a little more information for you. Basically it is a day dedicated to getting new, used and borrowed books in the hands of as many children as possible. If you want to know more, then  check online at http://bookgivingday.com/ or check on Twitter - @bookgivingday.

Luckily for me, the lovely Lauren from Random House Children’s Books asked if I would like to get involved. Of course, I said yes. And before I knew it three copies of Wonder (one of my favourite books of 2012)

So as the day progresses I will be giving these three books out, all in the name of International Book Giving Day.

If you haven’t read Wonder yet, then you are definitely missing out. Especially as it was announced only yesterday that R.J. Palacio will be publishing 3 new books and e-original with Random House Children’s Books worldwide.

Here is the gossip I heard about the new books!

365 DAYS OF WONDER: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts, a companion book to Wonder will be published in hardback in August 2014, and THE JULIAN CHAPTER: A Wonder Story e-original will be published prior to that in May 2014. The titles will have global publication dates.  Two additional untitled novels by Palacio were acquired in the deal and will be released on dates to be announced.

Exciting news! I personally can’t wait. So if you haven’t read R.J.Palacio’s book yet, I strongly suggest you do in readiness for her next three books.

Happy International Book Giving Day everyone!

The Grey Girl by Eleanor Hawken

Ghosts are all in your head. That’s what I keep telling myself, over and over. She’s dead and buried. She didn’t come back.

Published by Hot Key Books in February 2014

Pages – 272

Summary

Poor Suzy thought she'd never get over the terrifying events from her time at St Marks, but she's resolved to put all thoughts of ghosts and murders (and school...) behind her as she sets off to stay in her aunt's country estate for the summer. Unfortunately, that quickly looks unlikely. Almost as soon as she arrives Suzy begins to feel watched, and she starts to see strange things. Things like a mysterious grey girl running towards the abandoned boathouse in the dead of the night. Is the girl real - or something altogether more sinister?
Helped by the rather hunky Nate (not that Suzy's letting herself get distracted, of course) Suzy sets out to discover exactly what happened to this girl. She's determined not to let another ghost get the better of her, but she might not have any choice in the matter...

*****

I do love a good ghost story. I loved to be spooked enough that I have to check under my bed before I sleep, not to mention peering nervously in my cupboards for bogie men. Did this book have me reaching for the light switch every time I heard a noise?Mmmm, nearly. It was quite scary, but not scary enough for me. However, when you then take into consideration it is aimed at a younger audience than myself, you can safely say it will probably scare them a lot.

I loved the setting. Give me a haunted house and I am a happy girl. This one reminded me of all the great haunted house mysteries that I have seen on TV over the years. I also really enjoyed the links to The Lady of Shallot, giving the book a timeless feel. If I had to compare it to any book out now, I would say it reminded me a little of Moondial, a popular book and TV series from the 80’s. I can’t say why as that would be giving you just too much information!

I really liked the idea of the murder mystery weekends at the property. That really added to the suspense of the story.

If I am honest, I would have liked Suzy, the main character, to be a bit more ballsy. You can’t see ghosts and tremble with fear in fiction, not when it is becoming a habit and you are the main character dealing with them. I do understand that it was a semi new skill for Suzy, but she will have to pull it together if she is going to cope with more drama in future books. I have her pitched as the Nancy Drew of the paranormal world, so she needs to man up.  Now if we are talking about Nate, he was hot! Yes indeed, he really sizzled off the page. I hope he will be making more appearances in the series in the near future.

On the whole, a good ghost story, with avenues open for more adventures in the future.

Who Framed Klaris Cliff? by Nikki Sheehan

“People used to call them 'friends' and said how they were good for your brain. And then a day came when all that changed . . . when they became our enemy.”

Published by Oxford University Press in February 2014

Pages - 256

Reviewed by author, Jill Atkins

Thirteen-year-old Joseph Reece has a secret, something too awful to admit to his best friend, Rocky, or his dad. He is plagued by a rogue imaginary friend called Klaris Cliff who comes into his brain and tells him what to do. Although she is benign and her advice is always passive, Klaris is a ‘rogue’ imaginary person because she has been a ‘friend’ to Flea, the seven year old boy next door, for a long time.

The trouble is, as soon as word gets out that Joseph has been infiltrated by Klaris, the authorities are alerted. There has been a very nasty incident elsewhere that nobody wants repeated. So Joseph and Flea are in for the COSH which is, according to the book blurb “an operation that fries your imagination and zaps whatever is in there, out of existence”!

Flea is one of five children, all with very individual names (Pooh, Rocky, Flea and identical twins Will and Egg) who live in the adjoining house to Joseph and his dad. Flea’s dad, Dr Cliff, has compiled a list of misdemeanours he claims have been perpetrated by Klaris against his unusual and somewhat dysfunctional family.

Joseph and Flea set out to disprove these claims and the tension builds as the day of the COSH approaches.

Meanwhile, Joseph’s mum has gone to Spain to live, temporarily she assured Joseph at the time, although she has been gone for several years. She promised to return for his eleventh birthday two years ago, but she didn’t arrive. Joseph is disappointed, but cherishes her postcards and misses her terribly.

Who Framed Klaris Cliff? is a heart-warning story, told in the first person through Joseph’s eyes and takes place over only six days. The book is full of fantastic relationships (Joseph with Dad, Joseph with Rocky, and latterly Joseph with Flea, for instance); believable and funny characters; eccentric children; just enough baddies to make life very unpleasant at times; some great humour mixed with the fear of the forthcoming COSH and the pathos of Joseph’s missing mum.  

This is clever writing, with excellent plotting and an unexpected twist at the end. It is not too long, has lovely short chapters, and is easy to read – I read it in one go! I would wholeheartedly recommend this, Nikki Sheehan’s first children’s novel, to any readers aged nine and upwards.

Two New Reviewers and One Returning

Apologies for such sporadic appearances in the blogging world of late – there has been a lot going on in my life. Lots of changes which have required my attention but I honestly do think things might be turning around.

On the blog, I have managed to convince some fabulous author friends of mine to join my reviewing team. These ladies are members of my Chichester SCBWI group and are extremely well established in the literary world. There will be others joining soon, so keep a look out. I shall hand over to the lovely ladies in question, so you can learn more about them.

Jill Atkins

Hi! I’m an escaped teacher and have been writing for children for quite a while now. I don’t have an agent, but I’ve had 46 books published for children and YA by various publishers. 

I’ve got two grown-up children and five grandchildren who love to read my books, but I’d never dream of putting any of them in a story!

Since I was a child, I have always been an avid reader and loved writing stories. Now I still read, read, read - adult, YA, children’s and I’m always amazed at the brilliant stuff that is written so I’m very happy to review new books. My favourite age group is 7-9 and 9-12.

I’m currently writing a book for 7-9 year olds set in Victorian times. It’s for a new series for Scholastic that will be out in August.

Elizabeth Dale

(if you are thinking the surname is very familiar, you would be correct. Elizabeth is author, Katie Dale’s mum and just as fabulous an author!)

'Hi, I'm delighted to join Viv's team as that means I can read lots of lovely children's books and tell myself I'm working! I live in West Sussex, looking out on my garden for inspiration with my lap top keeping my knees warm. I originally began writing teenage and women's fiction for magazines and then, when I discovered the joy of reading to my three daughters when they were young, I started writing for children, too. And that's turned out to be the greatest fun of all. I have had nearly thirty children's books published, from picture books up to age 12, but I've also returned to my roots and now write for teenagers again, too. I would love to review anything from picture books up to teenage. ‘

As if having new reviewers isn’t wonderful enough, I am pleased to welcome back the wonderfully talented author and reviewer, Sophie Duffy, who has been busy writing, but has finally re-joined the team. So glad to have you back Sophie!

Sophie Duffy

Hi, I’m Sophie Duffy, mother of three teenagers who lives at the seaside in Teignmouth, Devon. I used to be a primary school teacher but now I write novels. My first, The Generation Game was published last summer. My second, This Holey Life, came out in August 2012.

I can officially say now that all the reviewers on Serendipity Reviews are either published authors or aspiring writers. I really have brought together a talented bunch.

A Little Night Magic by Lucy March

There’s magic linoleum at Crazy Cousin Betty’s Waffle House.

Okay, maybe it’s not magic, exactly. It’s this one weird sparkly blue square, the midst of all the solid, checker boarded blues and whites. I first noticed it when I was six, and I remember tugging on Betty’s periwinkle blue skirt and pointing down at the floor. Betty, who’d seemed ancient to me even then, knelt down to level her wrinkled eyes at mine.

Published by Piatkus in January 2013

Pages – 310

Goodreads Summary

Olivia Kiskey needs a change. She’s been working at the same Nodaway Falls, New York, waffle house since she was a teenager; not a lot of upward mobility there. She’s been in love with Tobias, the cook, for the last four years; he’s never made a move. Every Saturday night, she gathers with her three best friends—Peach, Millie, and Stacy—and drinks the same margaritas while listening to the same old stories.
Intent on shaking things up, she puts her house on the market, buys a one-way ticket to Europe, and announces her plans to her friends... but then she meets Davina Granville, a strange and mystical Southern woman who shows Olivia that there is more to her life than she ever dreamed.
As Liv’s latent magical powers come to the surface, she discovers that having an interesting life is maybe not all it’s cracked up to be. The dark side of someone else’s magic is taking over good people in town, and changing them into vessels of malevolence. Unwilling to cede her home to darkness, she battles the demons of her familial past and her magical present, with those she loves at her side... and in the cross fire.
Can the most important things in life—friendship, love, magic, and waffles—get her through the worst that the universe can throw at her?

*****

I really thought paranormal was on it’s way out. After an abundance of vampires, witches and demons, I really didn’t think there was room for anymore, however this book proved me wrong.

Originally published in America last year, this book went on to top the New York Times Bestseller List. With it’s unique blend of magic and southern charm it reminded me strongly of the True Blood series by Charlaine Harris.

Olivia is just rambling along in life, finding it more and more difficult to deal with as Todd continually ignores her feelings for him. After one too many rejections, she decides on the spur of the moment to travel to Europe without any intentions of ever returning. All set to go and leave behind the friends that have always supported her, she is stopped in her tracks by a flying gym sock, which has an profound effect on her.

Olivia slowly comes into possession of her latent magical powers and realises life will never be the same again. As everything changes around her, Olivia has to learn who she can and can’t trust. A strong emphasis on friendship holds this plot together, resulting in an explosive situation that demonstrates how you can survive with a little help from your friends.

A page turning plot, held together with a cast of quirky and unusual characters who help to make this a most enjoyable read. If you love True Blood, or find yourself constantly flicking over to the SyFy Channel, then this book is definitely for you. Part urban fantasy, part paranormal romance, all mixed together with a soft scoop of southern hospitality.

Longbourn by Jo Baker

'If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats,' Sarah thought, 'she would be more careful not to tramp through muddy fields.'

Published in paperback by Black Swan, 1st January 2014

Goodreads Summary

There could be no wearing of clothes without their laundering, just as surely as there could be no going without clothes, not in Hertfordshire anyway, and not in September. Washday could not be avoided, but the weekly purification of the household’s linen was nonetheless a dismal prospect for Sarah.

In this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice, the servants take center stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended. 

Jo Baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of Jane Austen’s classic—into the often overlooked domain of the stern housekeeper and the starry-eyed kitchen maid, into the gritty daily particulars faced by the lower classes in Regency England during the Napoleonic Wars—and, in doing so, creates a vivid, fascinating, fully realized world that is wholly her own. 

*******

Review by Sophie Duffy

As much as I have always liked the sharp wit of Austen, I’ve always preferred the brooding darkness of Hardy. Of course, there’s no reason why you can’t like both sharp wit and brooding darkness, and so maybe this tension is what drew me in so completely to Longbourn.

Longbourn is the story of the servants of the Bennet family who we all know from Pride and Prejudice. This retelling of a classic novel, loved the world over, is not fan fiction or gimmicky. Instead, Longbourn offers us an alternative viewpoint of life in Austen’s England – a country built up on the proceeds of trading, slavery, and empire. A country full of poverty, cruelty, and drudgery.

Baker shows us the relentless hard work of life downstairs – the early starts, the fetching of slop buckets, the laundry of five young women. The chilblains, the raw hands, the lice. But more importantly she shows us that these barely mentioned servants of Austen’s original, they too have hopes and dreams. They too face an uncertain future as Mr Bennet has no legitimate male heir. They must impress Mr Collins with their housekeeping, cooking, laundering, cleaning, serving, butlering, footkeeping…

Most of the time we are in the viewpoint of the maidservant, Sarah. She has been in the Bennet household since she was orphaned aged six. She has a dry sense of humour though must keep these thoughts to herself as her status does not allow her to share opinions. Better not to have opinions. Better to keep your head down and learn the satisfaction of a job well done. But Sarah knows there are other worlds beyond the narrow one she inhabits. For Sarah is lent books from Elizabeth Bennet.

Mrs Hill – the cook and housekeeper – is like a mother to Sarah though she is tough from a lifetime of servitude. She also harbours a secret that flips our view of the family upstairs and accounts for Mrs Bennet’s ‘nerves’. Mr Hill, the butler, is a gruff older man but even he is given a backstory that makes you grateful you were not alive at this time. The youngest member of this downstairs ‘family’ is Polly, another young girl who Sarah takes under her wing, allowing her moments of childhood where she can wander off and play. 

And then enters the footman with a mysterious past, James Smith. I warmed to James, his gentleness and love of horses, the way he looks out for Sarah and Polly, the quiet taking on of chores, the tough life he has previously led. And this is where Longbourn becomes a creation in its own right and not a pastiche of Pride and Prejudice. When the characters are not confined within the village of Longbourn, when they are out in the wider world, we see the realities of what it was like during the Napoleonic Wars, when you were subject to your superiors, half-starving, beaten, flogged. When you had to survive on your wits.

Baker is in great control of her craft as a writer and reader.  She uses Austen’s famous free indirect speech, to give us her characters’ thoughts. Like Austen with Lizzy, Baker’s main focus is on Sarah. But she too switches viewpoints from time to time to give us information that Sarah couldn’t know. 

When the narrative takes us away from the village of Longbourn, the writing too becomes altered. Freed from the confines of Austen’s style and the structure of the plot, Baker’s prose glitters and her narrative shocks. For me this is the triumph of Longbourn. It stirs things up and I will never read Pride and Prejudice again in the same way. And, although it is a novel I know well, I am grateful for that. I needed to see the underside of the Bennet girls’ lace petticoats, the muddy soles of their delicate shoes. I needed to see the hearts of those not allowed to choose a life for themselves, whether above or below stairs.

Austen somehow leaves me more troubled than Hardy, maybe because I know there is far more going on below the surface of her stories than she would, or could, show us. Baker does something magical with her love of Pride and Prejudice, in a way that should add to its longevity and without diffusing its power.

(And I think the ending is perhaps one of my favourites of all novels.) 

Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

‘You stop fearing the Devil when you’re holding his hand.’

Published by Faber and Faber in March 2014

Pages – 360

Book Summary

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town… until River West comes along. River rents the guest house behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard.
Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more?
Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery... who makes you want to kiss back.
Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

******

Doesn’t that first sentence at the beginning of the post just send shivers down your spine? I think that has to be one of the best first lines I have ever read. It completely captured my interest and I had to keep reading to find out more.

I loved the idea behind this book. I thought it was intriguing and refreshing, if not rather creepy. The first half of the book has you looking over your shoulder constantly as you really don’t know what to expect. Poor Violet is like a fly trapped in a spider web. River has such an effect on her that she doesn’t know what she is doing – she is acting completely out of character. River’s presence in the town adds to the creep factor – as I read the book, I kept thinking of the 90’s TV show, American Gothic. The book definitely had that feel to it, as well as a hint of Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca. I can see where the references to The Great Gatsby come from as you learn little bits about Violet’s grandmother as the book progresses.

I found it difficult to work out whether this book was set in the present day or not as it has a timeless feel to it. The characters have none of the mod cons you would expect to see on our present day YA characters. Hell, half the time, they don’t even have electricity! I can’t even begin to guess which era it is set in.

I have to be honest and say I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second half. Don’t get me wrong, the story is good, but I found the second half didn’t reach the scary levels the first half had pushed me into. The arrival of a couple of new characters half way, diffused the creepiness for me. I would also have liked a certain character to have appeared or been mentioned more in the first half to give him more credibility in the second half of the book.

Apart from this though, I did enjoy the book. I loved the setting. It had a strong New England feel to it, and it felt like a place the author knew well. I really liked the characters too, especially Sunshine. I’m not sure but I get the impression this book might be the first part in a series, and I would definitely like to find out what happens next.

A promising debut with an unusual YA premise.

The Visitors by Rebecca Mascull

Imagine if you couldn't see couldn't hear couldn't speak... Then one day somebody took your hand and opened up the world to you.

Published by Hodder & Stoughton in January 2014

241 pages in review copy

Summary from the publisher’s website

Adeliza Golding is a deafblind girl, born in late Victorian England on her father's hop farm. Unable to interact with her loving family, she exists in a world of darkness and confusion; her only communication is with the ghosts she speaks to in her head, whom she has christened The Visitors. One day she runs out into the fields and a young hop-picker, Lottie, grabs her hand and starts drawing shapes in it. Finally Liza can communicate. Her friendship with her teacher and with Lottie's beloved brother Caleb leads her from the hop gardens and oyster beds of Kent to the dusty veldt of South Africa and the Boer War, and ultimately to the truth about the Visitors.

*******

Reviewed by K. M. Lockwood

The Visitors has a striking cover: scarlet and slate grey silhouettes on a mottled cream vintage paper. There are hops, a ribbon across a child’s eyes and a rather lovely High Victorian font - all very suitable for the story inside.

It’s a large tale which broadens out from Adeliza’s intimate childhood in Kent to her adventures in South Africa as a young woman. The intrigue of who and what the Visitors are, and what they want spans the whole two-decade time-scale. It leads you on, as does Adeliza’s engaging personality.

Whilst the story covers her emergence into adulthood, it would not be unsuitable for a younger reader of high ability. There is romance – but it is handled with grace and sensitivity. I am happy to say that the supernatural element is also delicately and convincingly portrayed. It is unlikely to cause nightmares – yet it is essential to the plot.

Ideally, readers of The Visitors would revel in all the rich sensuality of Liza’s experience. They would delight in the beautifully realised turn-of-the-century setting, language and period detail. 

There are aspects of British Imperial history in the Boer War portrayed that are far more distressing than anything supernatural – not least, because they are based on truth. For me, reading about this through Caleb’s letters was less engaging than following Liza’s direct experience – but I suspect that’s a matter of personal taste. Besides, letters were often used in novels of the time, and they work well to distance the reader slightly from the events so that they are brought in gradually.

I would cheerfully recommend this book to lovers of rich, sweeping historical drama with an eerie core to it. There is a small cast of characters to engage deeply with and a fine mix of adventure, romance and ghosts.

Zoe Marriot Big Reveal

Today I am super excited to be part of the massive cover reveal of Zoe Marriot’s latest instalment in her urban fantasy series, The Name of the Blade. Not only is there a new cover for Darkness Hidden, but the first instalment, The Night Itself has a brand new cover too. Don’t they look amazing????? Personally, I can’t wait to read Darkness Hidden.

As part of this big reveal, each blogger taking part, got to ask Zoe a question. Here is mine below.

Question: Would you ever consider writing for a different age group or venturing into a new genre?  

Answer: Definitely, if the right story came along. I have actually written half of a fantasy novel for younger readers, but my agent at the time didn't like it and didn't think she could sell it, so I lost heart and gave up. I may resurrect it one day. Most of my favourite writers - Diana Wynne Jones, Terry Pratchett, Robin McKinley, Lois McMaster Bujold - skip between genres like fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction and fairytale retellings without missing a beat, and that's the kind of writer I've always aspired to be as well. I've got ideas for two science fiction novels bubbling at the back of my brain currently, for instance. When I've finished work on The Name of the Blade - which is urban fantasy - my next project will be a high fantasy fairytale retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in the same Japanese-inspired land as Shadows on the Moon. After that, I'm hoping to write a very different kind of paranormal romance...

As if that wasn’t enough, we are giving you the opportunity to read an extract from the Darkness Hidden. You will need to go to the Inkslingers site to read the first extract and then follow the trail.

Extract:

But this wasn’t the time to kick my own butt over that. Or the place, either. I had to keep it together and get us home. 

“Well, it wasn’t exactly like that,” I mumbled. “But ... thanks.”

There was a pause. It felt significant. I tried to figure out what else I should have said.

“Sword-bearer.” The king’s voice rang like the toll of a warning bell. “You have not yet asked for the favour that was promised you.”

“Oh.” I blinked a couple of times in my bewilderment and ended up looking the king in the face again by accident – damn – before I managed to glue my gaze to his ear. 

After we’d left the abandoned power station at Battersea, the fox spirits had hustled us straight back through a rupture in the veil between the mortal realm and the spirit world. We’d washed in steaming, opal green hot-springs under the trees while the Kitsune brought us delicious food and ministered to us with strange potions and ointments that magically numbed the pain of our various injuries. I’d taken the brunt of the Nekomata’s attack last night, and after our little disagreement on who was going to be wielding whom, the sword

had shown no signs of being willing to heal me the way it had when I had the car accident, so I’d really appreciated those potions. Once we were fed and fixed up, the Kitsune gave us clean clothes to replace the shredded, blood-covered ones we’d fought in. I had new leather boots that fitted me as if they’d been hand-tailored for my feet, and a new back harness for the katana. The plain wakizashi and katana that Shinobu had borrowed for the battle were taken away and replaced by a much finer pair with silver wrappings and a saya inlaid with mother of pearl. 

The Kitsune had lavished particular care on Rachel, and by extension Jack, since Jack wouldn’t leave her sister’s side even if Rachel had been willing to let go of Jack’s hand. Being kidnapped and held captive by a psychotic cat-demon had already pushed her to the limit. Jack’s and my mostly unedited confession of just what had been going on before and during her ordeal – swords of mass destruction, trapped warrior spirits, immortal armies and all – had been too much. Rachel was almost catatonic with shock by the time Hikaru had carried her into the spirit realm. But the last time I’d checked, Jack and Rachel were tucked under a tree listening to soothing music and drinking warm drinks, with Rachel just nodding off on Jack’s shoulder. They’d both looked much better.

The spirit foxes had treated us like treasured members of their own family who had returned from some legendary quest. And since no one had mentioned the favour that the king had promised me again, I’d sort of assumed this treatment was their way of paying us back for taking the Nekomata out while managing to bring Hikaru and all the other soldiers back alive.

You should never assume anything when dealing with supernatural creatures. I ought to have learned that by now. 

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I hadn’t forgotten, but I thought...” I gestured at myself and then at Shinobu. “I thought that your kind attention to us was payment enough for any service that we, um, might have performed for you.”

There was another growling silence. Hikaru rolled his eyes at me. His blush had faded to leave him tense and pale.

Crap. What did I say? What didn’t I say?

Shinobu took a step closer, his large frame unmistakeably shielding mine. My hand brushed against his sleeve, and suddenly, regardless of everything else that was happening, I had to look at him. 

Those endlessly dark eyes were waiting to meet mine. Our gazes connected with an almost physical shock, and the strange connection between us leapt up, alive and dangerous, like the arcs of electricity that danced between the king’s fanned tails. I stopped breathing as I heard Shinobu’s sharp intake of breath.

There you are, the yearning part of me whispered, deep inside. I’ve got you. I won’t let go.

One of Shinobu’s eyebrows quirked expectantly. You can do this. Go on.

I made myself start breathing again and reluctantly turned my attention back to the immortal ruler stewing in front of me. All right, he’s right. I can do this. Focus.

“If the offer of a favour from your Majesty still stands,” I began, “would it be possible for me to hold it in reserve for now? I wouldn’t want to waste such a – a precious thing by failing to consider it properly.”

Hikaru let out a little sigh, and his tail drooped in what looked like relief. The king inclined his head regally. “A very wise request, Yamato-dono. The Kitsune shall stand ready to serve you.”

Wow! Wasn’t that fantastic? Now head over to Raimy’s site, Readaraptor, to read the next instalment.

Oksa Pollock – The Forest of Lost Souls by Anne Plichota and Cendrine Wolf

Zoe kept rushing around the McGraws’ house, frantically looking in every room.  Orthon had disappeared and there was no sign of his wife Barbara or his son Mortimer.  She was alone. 

     “Go to your room, Zoe, don’t worry,” Mortimer had told her tow weeks ago.  “I’ll pop up and see you in a bit.”

     That was the last time she’d spoken to him.  She’d waited all evening, then she’d fallen asleep, worn out with worry.  The house was empty when she’d woken up.  Horribly empty.  Again Zoe had waited for hours for Orthon or Mortimer to come back, wandering from room to room and leaving worried messages on their mobiles which had rung unanswered.  Hours had turned into days.  The cupboards and fridge gradually emptied, dust settled on the furniture, growing thicker by the day, and spiders’ webs formed high up on the walls.  With all hope gone, she’d finally had to face facts: she’d been abandoned.  She was all alone in the world with nowhere to go and no one cared if she lived or died.  The house felt as if it were closing in on her like a tomb.

Published by Pushkin Children’s Books on 13th February 2014

488 pages

Summary

The last day of term – and no one is looking forward to the holidays more than Oksa Pollock, still recovering from her epic battle with Orthon McGraw.

But rest and recuperation will have to wait…as her best friend Gus has vanished without a trace.  Accompanied by a band of her fellow Runaways, including the moody, mysterious Tugdual, Oksa goes to his rescue in a secret, parallel world – there the group must all face their personal demons, not to mention an assortment of horrific creatures, in a desperate attempt to bring Gus back alive.

As she confronts terrifying new dangers, Oksa is forced to make some heart-breaking choices, trying to protect those she loves from her enemies…

And from each other.

*******

Reviewed by Georgina Tranter

Building up from the climatic battle at the end of Book One, the Oksa Pollock series continues with The Forest of Lost Souls and it continues in just the same vein as it did previously.  Orthon McGraw has, thankfully, vanished, and Zoe, with nowhere else to turn goes to the Pollock family for their help.  Back at school again, one day, Gus gets bored waiting for Oksa so sets off down the corridors to find her, but then he hears a mysterious voice and suddenly vanishes, leaving nothing behind….

Oksa and the Runaways can do nothing else to do but go looking for him.  It turns out he has been impictured by mistake and the only way to get him back is to enter into the picture too, but they are not the only ones who want it!  Unfortunately, this takes them into the Forest of Lost Souls, where even the plants have voices and feelings.  It’s not a place to enter into lightly, full of danger, personal demons and horrifying creatures, from which the whole tribe will struggle to return from alive.

The Forest of Lost Souls is another page-turner.  Full of magic and mystique, tension and drama, I raced through the book, in order to find out whether The Runaways would find Gus; whether they would all make it back from the forest in one piece; and whether Oksa would fall under the spell of  Tugdual, who claims ‘he would do anything in the world for her’!  Keeping the drama going right to the very end, Anne Plichota and Cendrine Wolf have created another excellent book for anyone missing the Harry Potter books.  I’m looking forward to number three already!