Ferryman by Claire McFall

He sat on the hillside and waited.

Another day, another job. Before him, rusting tracks disappeared into the depths of the tunnel mouth. In the grey gloom of the cloudy day, the light barely penetrated beyond the stone arch of the opening. His eyes never left the entrance. He was expectant, but jaded.

Published in March 2013 by Templar Publishing.

Goodreads Summary

When Dylan emerges from the wreckage of a train crash onto a bleak Scottish hillside, she meets a strange boy who seems to be waiting for her.
But Tristan is no ordinary teenage boy, and the journey across the desolate, wraith infested wasteland is no ordinary journey.
Life, death, love-which will Dylan choose?

*******

When I first heard the premise of this book it sent a tingle down my spine. I knew it would be a book that I would love and I wasn’t wrong. The premise is original and breath taking. The legendary tale of the ferryman taking you to your final destination is one that you can only dream is true. I am a big believer in the after life so I honestly couldn’t wait to read the book.

The author writes beautifully. Her prose is almost poetic in nature as the words flow off the page. It’s rich, deep and absorbing. Her descriptive passages full of original metaphors and similes. Her characters vibrant. You can’t rush through this book, as the writing is too filling to allow you. You want to savour every sentence.

The story is told in third person  and alternates between Dylan and Tristan, who dominate the book all the way through. This story isn’t just about life after death, it’s also about everlasting love; finding your soul mate in the last place you would ever think of looking.  Dylan is a really strong female character who accepts her situation maturely but will fight for the boy she loves. Tristan will warm your heart as quickly as his own melts. This has to be the most unusual love story I have ever read. I believed it could happen, against all the odds that were telling me it was doomed.

The ending took my breath away. I wouldn’t ever have considered the ending chosen, yet on reflection no other ending would have worked and it was the right one for this book.

I can see this book winning awards over the next year, because it is one that will touch your heart and make you believe that there is more to life than what we can see.  A stunning original debut from an author we will need to watch out for in the future.

Lenore Applehans - Level 2 Blog Tour

Today I am pleased to present Lenore Appelhans, the fabulous blogger that made it through the debut author gates with her fabulous novel Level 2.

March 2008 was a pivotal month in my life. That’s when I first became aware of book blogging and someone told me I must read Scott Westerfeld’s UGLIES series. By April 2008, I was hooked on both book blogging and reading YA. In fact, by the time I started brainstorming LEVEL 2 in June 2010 and put pen to paper five months later, I had read well over 300 YA novels. 

Reading so many novels gave me an excellent education in what works (and doesn’t) in terms of crafting a narrative (pacing, plotting, characterization, etc). And blogging about those novels forced me to read more deeply so that I could talk intelligently about my reading experience.

This act of sharing my thoughts on books led to many blogging friendships with both fellow readers and authors as well as a sense of belonging to a community of book lovers.  Bloggers challenged me to read more and read more diversely. Authors answered my questions about the writing process and gave me the first glimmer of hope that getting published was an attainable dream.

Book blogging also gave me access to bookish events such as Book Expo America where I got the chance to network with publishing staff, authors and fellow bloggers. In some cases, social contacts led to opportunities that not only had a part in LEVEL 2 getting published but also helped build buzz for it long before its’ publication.

It’s also thanks to blogging that I joined up with the debut author groups The Apocalypsies and The Lucky 13s who have been an amazing source of support as I go through the debut author experience. It’s also the reason I was invited to join The League of Extraordinary Writers, a group blog for sci-fi YA. 

I owe so much to book blogging, I can honestly say that I can’t imagine being where I am today without it. I’m also immensely grateful to my fellow book bloggers for all that they do for the love of books. Thank you!

Head over to Overflowing Library tomorrow for the next stage of the LEVEL 2 blog tour - how to achieve the perfect LEVEL 2 nails!

If you would be interested in winning a copy of Level 2 please click here.

To read my review, please click here.

To find out more about Lenore Appelhans:

Website: http://lenoreappelhans.com/

Twitter: @lenoreva

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

Pages - 317

Published by Usborne Books in January 2013

I'll sleep when I'm dead. I used to say it a lot. When my dad suggested I turn off the torch I thought I so expertly hid under my covers. That time youth pastor Joe told us to pipe down at the church lock-in. The balmy summer night I convinced Autumn to sneak out after midnight so we could dance in Nidda Park., arms outstretched to the stars. But then I died.

Goodreads Summary

Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighbouring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the centre of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.

*******

I have been waiting to read this book for ages. Lenore is a well known book blogger  from Presenting Lenore who has managed to cross the divide and become a published author and I am very much in awe of her ability. When I read the blurb, I had a feeling this book would be good and it most definitely was. It can only be described as a heavenly version of The Matrix, only better. 

I loved the memory chambers, the idea of being able to relive whichever memories you want really appealed to me. As well as being able to relive other people's memories. Ingenious and unique - you will all be wishing that heaven was really like this. 

I love the detail and description used to portray such a clear picture of how heaven might operate. Or should I say the in between place where you evaluate you life by experiencing again everything you went through  on Earth. I felt the author presented an excellent visual of something no one has ever seen, only guessed at. This has to be the first after life book that has really captured my attention.

I loved Julian, even though on looking back over the book, I felt I really shouldn't. He was trouble and brought about the downfall of Felicia. His arrival on Level 2 changed everything again. Every little detail she had grown to believe about her very existence was instantly shattered by Julian. As the book progresses, his words and actions make her question her own sanity as well as her past memories. He had a manipulative way about him, yet you instantly understand that his actions were purely led by his love for Felicia. As a lead character Felicia kicked butt. She was very quick to come to terms with the changes occurring around her and she really shone bravely by the end. 

As the story progresses, you are shocked and surprised by the information revealed, leaving you to believe that everything is questionable. Even from the first chapter, I was shocked by the ending, because I had already been led to believe rather quickly that events like that were impossible. The ending was definitely a surprise for me, yet again I was stunned by what was revealed. 

On the whole this book was an excellent, fast moving thriller through the heavenly plains. I thought the plot was ingenious and well paced, with lots of surprises to keep me reading more. An excellent debut. 

Keep an eye out for the blog tour for Level 2 in January because there just might be an international giveaway of a copy of this book! *taps nose*

The Feathered Man by Jeremy De Quidt

Image from Goodreads

Pages - 360

Published by David Fickling books in November 2012

The window of Kusselmann's shop was full of teeth. They were laid out in neat rows along polished ebony shelves, and piled into small mounds in blue and white porcelain bowls the size of your hand. 

Goodreads Summary

In a German town, long ago, lives a tooth-puller's boy called Klaus. It isn't Klaus's fault that he sees his master steal a diamond from the mouth of a dead man in Frau Drecht's lodging house, or that Frau Drecht and her murderous son want it for themselves.

He has nothing to do with the Jesuit priest and his Aztec companion who turn up out of the blue looking for it, or the Professor of Anatomy who takes such a strange interest in it. No, Klaus doesn't want any trouble.

But when he finds himself with the diamond in his pocket, things really can't get much worse - that is, until the feathered man appears. Then they become a matter of life . . . and death.

*******

This really is a rather dark and disturbing tale that starts off quite innocently. The story is told in third person and you find yourself privy to the minds of many unusual characters who all have an important part to play in the unravelling of this tale. 

I found this book thrilling in parts and strange in others. The concept of the Feathered Man was rather frightening, yet compelling at times. When the creature first appeared, the description turned my stomach. He now sits at number two in my Top Ten of scary characters, pipped to the number one spot by Chucky...need I say more? 

The book is very plot driven and at times I found myself questioning which character was actually being followed. I did find a  few too many characters whose name began with the letter K, a tiny bit confusing at times. I also struggled a little to feel any empathy towards the characters with the constant change of narrator. 

This book is very gory at times, reminding me of books such by Marcus Sedgewick and Cliff McNish and would definitely appeal to the older YA readers with a love of horror.

On reading further around the book, I found myself intrigued by the philosophy behind the story - the author mentioned Vitalism in his post for me here, which I found an intriguing subject to read more about. The way I can only define it is the search for the soul after death. The book is looking to present a fictional theory concerning what might happen when your body stops living - what happens to your soul upon death. The author's representation of the after life is rather ghoulish and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't end up there.

On the whole, this is a thought provoking tale full of dark shadows and nerve-wracking moments. A helter skelter ride from the slightly scary to  the terrifying. Not to be read alone...

Soul Fire by Kate Harrison

Pages - 400

Published by Indigo in June 2012

Happiness is simple. All you need are the people you love.

After Meggie died, I thought I'd never be happy again. Yet here I am on the Beach, where life is absolute heaven. I can hear my sister humming softly as she draws patterns in the sand. I feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, and the touch of Danny's body against mine, and the sway of the hammock as the sea breeze rocks us. 

Goodreads Summary

Alice Forster talks to her dead sister, Meggie, in the virtual world of Soul Beach - an online paradise for the young, the beautiful and the dead - but paradise can be stifling and the Beach’s guests want to move on.

If Alice can solve the mystery of her sister’s murder then Meggie will be free.

But passions are running high, the temperature’s rising and as Alice gets closer to finding the killer, the killer is getting closer to Alice . . .

*********

The thing I really love about the Soul Beach books is how easily I can consume them. Seriously! With short sharp chapters, I could easily read this book in one day, which just adds to the intensity of the already gripping story. 

Nearly a year has passed since Meggie's murder and Alice's parents finally realise that Alice is spending far too much time online. They have no idea that she is wiling away her time on Soul Beach in the arms of the gorgeous but dead Danny. By setting down rules, Alice has to find another way to get to Soul Beach. On top of that, a newcomer to Soul beach has changed everything about Meggie's murder. Alice embarks on a rather dangerous mission to discover who really killed her sister.

 Poor Alice, she is really struggling to appear to move on in the way her parents want. Luckily her friend Cara, comes to the rescue and helps to rekindle the relationship. Alice is finally getting out of the house and spending time with people who are alive.

I really do love Soul Beach. The concept behind it really calls to me and I honestly hope that a part of Heaven resembles something like this. It is just gorgeous. Everyone is just beautiful,on the inside and out and  you long for a dip in the sparkling blue ocean.Not content with just one gorgeous setting in this book, the author takes us to another as we embark on a thrilling adventure in Barcelona.  I came away with a yearning for the exotic. Barcelona has definitely been added to my list of future holiday destinations. 

It is impossible to warm to any of the other characters outside of Soul Beach, as you don't want to be lulled into a false sense of security and be ridiculed when you discover they are the murderers. 

 My only niggle with this book, is that I would have liked to have seen us move forward in finding Meggie's killer. Instead I felt we gained more possible killers instead of losing them.  I have a theory about who might have actually done it and I am really hoping am I am wrong.  I also came away with more questions unanswered. I want to know the truth!

 So we may not have discovered how Meggie died, but we do find out how another character died, which was lovely to discover. Alice really saves the day in this book. 

Alice is a bit like a supernatural crime solver, bringing peace to many as she searches eternally for the truth. I really do like Alice, yet I can't help but wonder how she will cope when her time at Soul Beach ends. I am not convinced that real life will be able to compete. 

Another cliff hanger ending to leave us desperate for the next book. It was good to be back on Soul Beach with the beautiful people and I long for my next visit.  Well done Kate Harrison, you have definitely earned your YA stripes. 

Radiance by Alyson Noel

Pages - 178

Published by Macmillan's Childrens Books in 2010

Most people think that death is the end. 

The end of life- of good times-the end of, well, pretty much everything. 

But those people are wrong.

Dead wrong.

And I should know. I died almost a year ago.

Goodreads Summary

Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. She has picked up life where she left off when she was alive, living with her parents and dog in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. When she’s summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a possibly cute, seemingly nerdy boy who’s definitely hiding something. They return to earth together for Riley’s first assignment, a Radiant Boy who’s been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But all of that was before he met Riley . . .

**********

If heaven is real, then I sure hope it is like this! Alyson Noel makes it sound so idyllic,especially the part about being able to have exactly what I want just by thinking about it. Wouldn't that be lovely?

For those of you who may not  have realised this book is a spin off from the Immortals series which featured Ever, Riley's older sister. Riley has died in a car accident alongside her parents and her beloved dog Buttercup. This book gives an idyllic look at what we might get up to in heaven, if we ever get there.  I was so glad that Riley got to keep her dog with her, as in my version of Heaven all our animals would come back to us, so I was pleased that Alyson Noel seemed to have similar views. 

Riley is given a job in heaven as a Soul Catcher, which involves her coming back down to Earth to help troubled souls finally pass over. Her first assignment finds her at a castle where the Radiant boy is scaring the wits out of everyone who stays in the Blue Room. Riley, a sassy twelve year old, takes on the Radiant Boy and won't give up until her assignment is completed. I really liked Riley, although it scared me how mature she was for her age and I worried that her voice didn't always fit her age, but then  I found myself looking at my eleven year old girls and fearing the worst for the forthcoming year!

This is a short delightful read that can definitely be read in an evening. An ideal book for a reluctant reader who has shown a spark of interest in the paranormal world.  A fun lighthearted look at death and the afterlife.