We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan and Brian Conaghan

You have to be quick, 

none of this pretending to be browsing business

that some shoplifters go for. 

It's in

grab what you want

and out again. 

Published by Bloomsbury in January 2017

Pages - 324

Summary

Authors Brian Conaghan and Sarah Crossan have joined forces to tell the story of Nicu and Jess, two troubled teens whose paths cross in the unlikeliest of places.

Nicu has emigrated from Romania and is struggling to find his place in his new home. Meanwhile, Jess's home life is overshadowed by violence. When Nicu and Jess meet, what starts out as friendship grows into romance as the two bond over their painful pasts and hopeful futures. But will they be able to save each other, let alone themselves?

For fans of Una LaMarche’s Like No Other, this illuminating story told in dual points of view through vibrant verse will stay with readers long after they've turned the last page. 

***

I read this book about a month ago and it has taken me this long to decide how I feel about it and be able to put it in words. 

It's obvious from the first poem that every word has been meticulously chosen to create the atmosphere and tone of the story. This is something I've grown to expect from Sarah Crossan and it's refreshing to see it still works when in collaboration with Costa Award winning author, Brian Conaghan. 

The voices of Nicu and Jess are very distinct that I convinced that they were written individually be each author, with Sarah taking on Jess's voice and Brian taking on Nicu's.  Since hearing the two authors discussing the book at Waterstones in Brighton, I've discovered that this is not the case and there were times within the writing and editing stages that each author wrote for the other character, showing just how strongly in sync these authors were with the characters they were writing about. This verse novel is seamless. Both voices blend easily together, each pushing forward with the story, but with such distinct voices. 

Jess and Nicu both come from very different backgrounds. Each of them have struggles and their meeting creates a pivotal point in their lives. At times the poems were extremely emotional and very hard to read. Jess's voice especially hits hard when she describes events from home. Nicu has an innocence in his voice, which comes from his uncertainty and hope about the foreign country that is now his home. 

The ending killed me. It wouldn't have been an ending I would choose, but I tend to be full of hope and belief. However, I understand that the ending was right for the story. Real life doesn't always play out the way we would like it too and this book represents reality in it's harshest form. 

The verse novel is really growing on me and I wonder if these authors are opening the gates to more stories like this coming through. For reluctant readers, they are so easy to read. You find yourself half way through the book before you even realise. 

This is  a book that I will definitely be recommending. A heartbreaking rite of passage that changes two lives forever. 

I'd be really surprised if this book doesn't win awards in the future. 

The Song From Somewhere Else by A.F. Harrold and illustrated by Levi Pinfold

After tea Frank cycled over to the rec. 

"Come straight back,' her dad had said.

In her bag she had a sheaf of posters. They wereA4 bits of paper her mum had photocopied at work with a picture of Quintilius Minimus in the middle and the words MISSING CAT at the top. 

Pages - 240

Published in November by Bloomsbury Children's Books

Summary

Frank doesn't know how to feel when Nick Underbridge rescues her from bullies one afternoon. No one likes Nick. He's big, he's weird and he smells - or so everyone in Frank's class thinks.

And yet, there's something nice about Nick's house. There's strange music playing there, and it feels light and good and makes Frank feel happy for the first time in forever.

But there's more to Nick, and to his house, than meets the eye, and soon Frank realises she isn't the only one keeping secrets. Or the only one who needs help.

*****

This book has a strong nostalgic feel to it. I think the swing ball might have something to do with it. Swing ball is one of those presents I always wanted but never received. I must have asked for it for about five years in a row. 

*sighs deeply*

 But it isn't just the swing ball, this book literally grabbed my hand and had me running back to the endlessly long summers of childhood, where as long as I had my bike I was happy. Where I could do what I wanted all day long, until my mum called me in for tea. Oh how I miss those days. 

This book has a timeless feel to it. I thought it might be set in the 80's, but then Frank uses the computer, so it's set in recently.  

I love how the genre changes in this book. It starts off contemporary and gently slides into a fairy tale. It's like a mythical Primeval. This book is written so beautifully and so realistically, it leaves you questioning your belief that other magical worlds don't exist side by side with this one. 

The scenes between Nick and his mum, are poignant. You feel that sense of longing from both of them. It really pulls on your heart strings, as the unheard musical notes swirl out from the page and swirl around you. I know this will sound stupid, but I've never enjoyed music that I can't hear before, and yet A.F. Harrold's descriptions made it so easy to imagine the music. 

Bullying plays a huge part of the story. Frank is repeatedly bullied by the boys in the year above. At times it was extremely difficult to read. But Frank learns to face her fears. This story is about standing up to bullies. It's about believing in yourself no matter what. It also looks at friendship, showing that should never let others dictate who you should be friends with. Only you will ever know, who makes the best friend.

You can't discuss this book without mentioning the unusually vintage style illustrations in sepia tones. These really enhance the quietness and the sadness within the story. 

A beautiful timeless tale of friendship and hope that leaves you yearning for your childhood. 

#ReviewMonday with KM Lockwood: Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar

Published by Bloomsbury August 2016 in paperback

183 pages in the hardback I won!

Summary from Publisher’s Website

If you go down to the woods today ... Well, every child knows NOT to, don't they?

Tamaya is on a scholarship to the prestigious Woodridge Academy and every day she and seventh-grader Marshall walk to school together. They never go through the woods. And when they arrive at school they stop talking to each other - because Marshall can't be seen to be friends with a little kid like Tamaya. Especially not with Chad around. Chad-the-bully, who makes Marshall's life utterly miserable. But today, hoping to avoid Chad, Marshall and Tamaya decide to go through the woods ... And what is waiting there for them is strange, sinister and entirely unexpected.

The next day, Chad doesn't turn up at school - no one knows where he is, not even his family. And Tamaya's arm is covered in a horribly, burning, itchy wound. As two unlikely heroes set out to rescue their bully, the town is about to be turned upside down by the mysterious Fuzzy Mud ...

From the Author’s own website:

Be careful. Your next step might be your last.

Fifth grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from Woodridge Academy together since elementary school. But their routine is disrupted when bully Chad Hilligas challenges Marshall to a fight. To avoid the conflict, Marshall takes a shortcut home through the off-limits woods. Tamaya, unaware of the reason for the detour, reluctantly follows. They soon get lost. And then they find trouble. Bigger trouble than anyone could ever have imagined.

In the days and weeks that follow, the authorities and the U.S. Senate become involved, and what they uncover might affect the future of the world.

****

Unusually, I’ve given you two summaries rather than an extract. This is because Fuzzy Mud is written in a number of different clever-yet-easily-readable ways - and to pick just one wouldn’t do it justice. Suffice to say, it’s almost a screenplay of a book (in a good way). 

Like Holes, it’s a fine example of how books for young readers can cover some really important issued without being boring or preachy or hard to cope with. It’s got warmth and humour, some scary bits and some parts where you’ll go what? (Trust me, it all makes sense in the end.)

I would utterly recommend this for almost any reasonably secure young reader - and for older readers too. It has enough interesting plot and ideas, and yet it’s not a difficult read. Super material for debate - be it in the classroom or at home. There are a few scares so the most sensitive souls might not like it, but for most children who like an adventure with credible characters and a satisfying finish, this will please.

A fast-paced, intriguing mix of science and American school life.

---

K. M. Lockwood lives by the sea in Sussex - see the pics on Instagram. She fills jars with sea-glass, writes on a very old desk and reads way past her bedtime. Her tiny bed-and-breakfast is stuffed full of books - and even the breakfasts are named after writers. You're always welcome to chat stories with @lockwoodwriter on Twitter.

Fascinating Frida, and her Facial Hair by Kate Pankhurst

To celebrate the publication of Fantastically Great Women who Changed the World,  author Kate Pankhurst is here to talk about one of the amazing women discussed in the book, Frida Kahlo.

I’d love to visit Frida Kahlo’s Blue House in Mexico. The home where she created many of her gloriously mono-browed portraits. The retina wiggling, luminous blue colour of her home was one of the hardest things to recreate for Frida’s cactus-filled, art gallery showcase spread in Fantastically Great Women. 

Frida © Nickolas Muray Photo Archives.jpg

I imagine her studio bathed in dusty Mexican sunshine, filled with scented flowering desert plants and alive with the chatter of her pet monkeys (not to mention yaps from the strange bald little Itzcuintli dogs she loved and her collection of vividly plumed exotic birds). She was a lady who adored animals, colour and life. Frida was fascinating in lots of ways including being very good at living life to the full, even though hers was certainly not the easiest ride. 

Like her artwork and home Frida’s life was very ‘colourful’ to say the least. She proved the biggest challenge to present in an age appropriate way to readers. Her artwork was inspired by passionate and toxic love affairs, grief at the children she was unable to have and her battle with ill health after childhood disease and an accident left her with life limiting injuries. All quite full on stuff to interpret for Fantastically Great Women’s readership! 

Without wanting to gloss over the quirks and tragedies that made Frida one of the most intriguing women in the book I tried to draw out information about Frida and her artwork that young readers would identify with, like the fact that Frida herself was like an artwork. 

I could stare at photographs of her all day. Despite her problems she always looks so serene, her hair piled in crazy braided ribbon filled creations and wearing elaborate traditional Mexican dress. 

Frida’s appearance leads on to the question I thought many children would ask about her - why exactly did she exaggerate her facial hair in all her paintings?! Frida painted every detail in her artworks for a reason, so why the eyebrows and moustache? Women don’t usually present themselves in the beautifully honest way Frida did. 

The version of herself Frida presented refused to conform to traditional femininity, because who says femininity is about being plucked and preened from our natural selves? Not Frida. Her paintings were about being proud of who she was. That’s a great message for young girls and boys alike to tune into. 

When times get tricky, I’ll try to remember the words emblazed on a watermelon in Frida’s final artwork, painted from her sick bed - viva la vida! Long live life! Life is too short to worry about most things, most definitely including stray eyebrow hair.

This is definitely a book to inspire young girls. It is already the No 1 Bestseller in History for Young Adults section of Amazon. RRP £6.99, but available on Amazon for £5.24. Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World is published by Bloomsbury. 

To find out more about Kate Pankhurst:

Website / Twitter

When We Collided by Emery Lord

I knew I was in love with Verona Cove on the first day, but I waited until the seventh to commit. After one week here, I'm carving my name into a tree in the centre of the town.

Published by Bloomsbury in April 2016

Pages - 337

Summary

Jonah never thought a girl like Vivi would come along.

Vivi didn’t know Jonah would light up her world.

Neither of them expected a summer like this…a summer that would rewrite their futures.

In an unflinching story about new love, old wounds, and forces beyond our control, two teens find that when you collide with the right person at just the right time, it will change you forever.

*****

This book is a bit of a heartbreaker! No wonder it's called When We Collided, because when things start to unravel, they spin out of control. The ending was so painful to read, but the book couldn't possibly have ended any other way. 

You get the sense that something is not quite right with Vivvi from the first chapter. Her vivaciousness explodes out, but no one can be that happy and excited by life all the time. Can they? To Jonah, she is the like a beacon of light and hope as she warms the hearts of all his family which have stood frozen since his father's death. Vivvi is summer personified. She is grateful for the things that we often take for granted and hustles the family into returning to the living. 

Jonah is besotted with Vivvi, because he can be himself with her as well as starting to enjoy life again and not feeling guilty about his father's death. Jonah is a beautiful soul. Seriously, one of my favourite male characters this year. 

As Jonah grows in strength, Vivvi spirals downwards out of control. And that's when the heartbreak hits. I spent a lot of the book, whispering,'Oh Vivvi,' as her life lost it's sparkle.

I loved everything about this book. It represents the cycle of life, the excitement of summer and the coming of age journey. Your feelings are tied up in the characters as you hope that life will keep their dreams alive.

Verona Cove is the kind of place you would want to live in. The townies hold such love and respect for each other; there is a sense of purpose and ownership about them as they come together to wave goodbye to the past and herald in the future. 

 

If you love your love stories to be real and not fairytale, then this is the book for you. 

#ReviewMonday: The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

London November 1883

The Home Office Telegraphy Department always smelled of tea. The source was one packet of Lipton’s at the back of Nathaniel Steepleton’s desk drawer. Before the widespread use of the electric telegraph, the office had been a broom cupboard.

Thaniel had heard more than once that its failure to expand was a sign of the Home Secretary’s distrust of naval inventions, but even if the wasn’t the case, the departmental budget never stretched to the replacement of the original carpet which like to keep the ghosts of old smells. Besides Thaniel’s modern tea, there was cleaning salt and hessian, and sometimes varnish, though nobody had varnished anything there for years.

Summary from Publisher’s Website

In 1883, Thaniel Steepleton returns to his tiny flat to find a gold pocketwatch on his pillow. But he has worse fears than generous burglars; he is a telegraphist at the Home Office, which has just received a threat for what could be the largest-scale Fenian bombing in history. 

When the watch saves Thaniel's life in a blast that destroys Scotland Yard, he goes in search of its maker, Keita Mori - a kind, lonely immigrant who sweeps him into a new world of clockwork and music. Although Mori seems harmless at first, a chain of unexpected slips soon proves that he must be hiding something.

Meanwhile, Grace Carrow is sneaking into an Oxford library dressed as a man. A theoretical physicist, she is desperate to prove the existence of the luminiferous ether before her mother can force her to marry.

As the lives of these three characters become entwined, events spiral out of control until Thaniel is torn between loyalties, futures and opposing geniuses.

Published by Bloomsbury Circus July 2015

336 pages in hardback

Cover design by David Mann, Art Director at Bloomsbury

****

Reviewed by K. M. Lockwood

If you had to pigeonhole this curious and fantastical book, I think you’d have to call it ‘literary steampunk’. It’s shot through with little jewels of finely worded prose and you can almost smell the 1880s - but not as we know them. Think Sherlock with a dash of Dr Who - and an oddly satisfying soundtrack of Gilbert and Sullivan to complete this clever concept.

A fine combination of magic, intrigue and science fiction, it involves a particularly beguiling female character amongst all the mechanical delights and time-travelling mystery. There’s plenty of humour too between the three main characters Thaniel, Keita and Grace.

I would recommend it for experienced readers: much of it depends on inference - though happily matters are clearly resolved by the end. It’s clever fun with rather British wit and style. Have a closer look at that gorgeous cover - spot the octopus? I never thought I would get fond of a clockwork cephalopod but there you go!

Recommended for anyone well-read with a passion for mechanisms, mystery and a dash of mayhem.

---

K. M. Lockwood lives by the sea in Sussex - see the pics on Instagram. She fills jars with sea-glass, writes on a very old desk and reads way past her bedtime. Her tiny bed and breakfast is stuffed full of books - and even the breakfasts are named after writers. You'd be welcome to chat stories with @lockwoodwriter on Twitter.

---

Star Struck by Jenny McLachlan

I draw green daggers stuck deep in each heart and then I cover the poster with glittery blood. Just as I'm adding Romeo (dead) the door to the head teacher's office flies open and Carol sticks her head out.

Published by Bloomsbury Childrens Books in March 2016

Pages - 336

Cover illustration - James Grover

Summary

In a huge fantastic final hurrah to our lovable heroines - Bea, Betty, Kat and Pearl - Jenny McLachlan's latest book tells Pearl's story. Pearl is the 'bad girl' of the group - she drinks, she smokes, she swears - and she's mean to Bea and Betty. But she did fly halfway round the world to rescue Kat in Sunkissed. If there's one thing Pearl knows deep down, it is how to be a friend. And now, more than ever, she could really use a friend.

****

This is the last book in Jenny McLachlan's series and we finally get to change our opinion of Pearl. Let's be honest, she hasn't always been the nicest of girls. If you look back at Flirty Dancing, she was pretty horrible to Bea. However as the series has progressed, I've seen Pearl from a different vantage point. When someone is horrible, there is usually a reason for it -no one is born nasty. By being able to see into Pearl's home life, you begin to understand why she has acted the way she has. I wanted to give her a huge motherly hug from the first page of this book.
I love what happens to Pearl in this book. Well not all of it, because there are some rather grim times, but finally Pearl finds genuine happiness in her life. I don't want to give anything away because it truly is a beautiful part of the story and extremely well written by the author.
I loved Hoshi - she was a welcome addition to the gang, who fitted in perfectly. I loved reading about the Japanese girl groups and the way they dressed in public.
I can't believe this series has finished. I am really going to miss the Ladybird gang. I've loved getting to know each girl.
This series shows how important real friendships can be. You will know when you have one, because it will be easy. There will be no constant arguing and bitching, because real friends don't do that. Real friends walk by your side and lift you up high when you are falling. Real friends allow you to be the individual you are supposed to be and not a mirror image of them.
If you know any young girl who is finding friendships difficult, introduce her to the Ladybird gang, then maybe she find herself a friend like one of them.

The Almost King by Lucy Saxon

Summary:

Runaway

Deserter

Adventurer

Dreamer

Aleks Vasin wants to be a hero in Siberene’s famous army. But Rensav barracks is no place for heroes, let alone a 17-year-old dreamer. It’s brutal, corrupt and violent. Without money or powerful friends, Aleks won’t survive. In a bid for freedom, he heads far, far north, to the great city of Syvana, where skyships roam the heavens and a boy who doesn’t want to be found can stay hidden - until he meets a girl, and an inventor, and then danger finds him…

Published by Bloomsbury in June 2015

Pages - 416

*****

Reviewed by Isabella Samuels

There is a science to successful children’s fiction, and the British market is the best in the world for consuming it, a quarter of all book sales last year being made in the Children’s and YA department. Bloomsbury in particular have a well-practised knack for finding such gems: Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, Louis Sachar’s Holes and, of course, Harry Potter… 

The Almost King is no exception to this rule, this thrilling and adventure packed new addition to the house’s repertoire has the makings of a classic. The novel is the second instalment in the Tellus series, set in the same exciting world as Take Back the Skies but with a new cast of intriguing and lovable characters. Readers will eagerly anticipate the other four forthcoming instalments which are set to further expand our Tellian (?!) horizons with more new characters and their own plotlines, each book with the ability to ‘stand alone’.

The Almost King was gripping and exciting to read like nothing I’d read in a long time. I was reminded of the feeling I’d experienced when reading some of the favourite books of my childhood. The style of the set-up and the language, though both good, faded to insignificance as I became enthralled in Aleks’ quest. Saxon has created a world which evoked a kind of Peter Pan nostalgia within me: skyships, eccentric inventors and evil army captains, blended with mad-cap escapades, humour and a dash of romance. 

It is the characters that are the real driving force of the novel however, all endearing and intricately developed. Drazan and Zhora were my favourites, providing the majority of the humour, it was hard not to be reminded of beloved Fred and George. This instalment is bound to gain popularity and momentum for the series, especially with boys. The daft humour, fast paced plot, the ‘Thunderbug’ skyship and the male lead all having strong appeal. 

For any aspiring writer, too, this book is a must. Saxon being only twenty years old, having found a contract with Bloomsbury at just seventeen, the novel is an imaginative, sophisticated and inspirational accomplishment. 

Flirty Dancing by Jenny McLachlan

A small naked person is licking me. I don't panic - this happens a lot. The naked person starts kissing my face. I smell Marmite and banana and...hang on...the person is not entirely naked. It's wearing wellies. Wellies? This is new. And totally unacceptable.

Published by Bloomsbury in July 2014

Pages - 245

Bea Hogg is shy but fiery inside. When national dance competition Starwars comes to her school looking for talent, she wants to sign up. It's just a shame her best friend agreed to enter with school super-cow Pearl Harris. Bea will fight back! But when school hottie, Ollie Matthews, who also happens to be Pearl’s boyfriend, decides to enter the competition with Bea, she will have more than a fight on her hands.

*****

Reviewed by Vivienne Dacosta

I'm annoyed! Really annoyed! With myself of course and not with this super duper book! I'm annoyed that I didn't listen AGAIN to Emma Bradshaw at Bloomsbury when she told me that I'd love this book! I must listen to Emma at all times! 

*bangs head repeatedly against the wall*

This is the first book in the Ladybird series and a must read for fans of  the Geek Girl series and anything by Holly Smale. Jenny McLachlan is  a seriously funny author. She had me in fits of giggles with this book. The characters really stand out and you find yourself desperate to be part of Bea's family. I'm not sure who I loved more; Bea's little sister or her gran.

Bea is normally quiet and shy, but this book brings out the lion in her as she roars into action, determined to win the competition. 

This book is a cross between Dirty Dancing and Girls Just Want To Have Fun, two of my favourite films from the 80's. Only this book is funnier. And I mean side achingly funny. 

Pearl comes across as a real beast. Think Mean Girls but worse. She is really horrid to Bea and no one really seems to stop her. After reading Sun Kissed, the third book in the series, I couldn't believe I was reading about the same character.

And shall we talk about Ollie? I think he definitely needs a mention as he is a gorgeous, swoon worthy character, who sweeps Bea off her feet. 

One of the things I truly love about this book is Bea's size. She isn't your stick think model type; she is a normal girl with curves in all the right places. And thank God, she embraces those curves rather than attempting a carrot only diet! I want more characters like Bea. 

This book would make a brilliant film. I really think Richard Curtis should be given a copy of the book! I want Flirty Dancing on the big screen!!!

One by Sarah Crossan

Here.

We Are.

And we are living.

Isn't that amazing?

How we manage

to be

at all.

Published by Bloomsbury in August 2015

Pages - 428

Summary 

Grace and Tippi are twins - conjoined twins.

And their lives are about to change.

No longer able to afford homeschooling, they must venture into the world - a world of stares, sneers and cruelty. Will they find more than that at school? Can they find real friends? And what about love?

But what neither Grace or Tippi realises is that a heart-wrenching decision lies ahead. A decision that could tear them apart. One that will change their lives even more than they ever imagined…

****

Reviewed by Vivienne Dacosta

WARNING: This book causes severe heartbreak. Proceed with extreme caution. Do not, under any circumstances, read the last quarter of the book in a public place. The result will be disastrous!

Sorry for being bossy, but I think I needed to get that out there in the public domain, before I gush uncontrollably about the best book I've read this year.

Before I start my review, I want to share a couple of lessons I've learnt while reading this book.

Firstly, that I really love books written in verse.

 Secondly, that Emma Bradshaw speaks the truth, so I need to listen to her next time, when she says I will love a book. 

Moving on!

This book is beautifully written. Every single damn word blends perfectly with the next. Sarah Crossan makes me want to jack in my writing attempts, because I could never produce anything so exquisite as this. There is no need for any extra fluffy words, it all seamlessly flows together, creating a heartbreaking journey.

The story hit me more than I ever expected it to. I felt an instant connection to Tippi and Grace and I think that's because I have twins myself. While reading this book,  I found myself analysing every aspect of the journey the twins took. I discussed conjoined twins constantly with my girls. How would we have coped in the same situation? Would we have opted for surgery? The honest answer is, I don't know. I honestly haven't got a clue how we would have coped. I don't normally react to a story like this, but this is the type of novel that provokes discussion and lots of questions.

I'm not sure I've ever told this story on my blog, but I was originally carrying triplets; three months into my pregnancy, one stopped developing, which was heartbreaking enough. When I asked the doctor what would happen, they told me the foetus would dissolve and blend in with the other two. I had many a nightmare that one of my children would come out with two heads, or an extra arm. I was thankful that my daughters were born individually and without any extra limbs.

I hated the way Grace and Tippi were treated. The looks, the ill thought out comments and  stupid questions. I understand that people are ill informed, but surely they must realise how hurtful their words can be. 

This story sucked me in before ripping my heart out. I cried so much at the end of the book. I wanted to read it again, in case I had missed something. A small, hidden glimmer of hope that things could be different.  It left me wanting more. It left me desperate to read all of the books by this author. 

I'm in awe of Sarah Crossan's gift for writing. I have no doubt that she will win a heap of awards this year. It's like the Wonder of YA! Make sure you read the book everyone will be talking about this year. You really don't want to miss out. 

Anyone but Ivy Pocket written by Caleb Krisp

I found the note upon my lady’s bed.

It read as follows:

Dear Miss Pocket,

As you can see, I have gone. Do not follow me. I repeat, DO NOT follow me!

I am sailing for South America for no other reason than it is far enough away from Paris to ensure that I never see you again. The hotel bill has been paid. As for your wages, after taking into account my pain and suffering, I have left you the sum of one pound. Which is generous, given your conduct. You are now on your own.

Good riddance,

Countess Carbunkle

I was stunned. Shocked. Appalled. Hadn’t I been a loyal and kind maid to the Countess? Hadn’t I? I thought long and hard about my conduct and I could find nothing wanting in it. If I needed further proof that Countess Carbunkle was unhinged, I now had it. The woman was bonkers.

 Illustrated by John Kelly

Published April 2015 by Bloomsbury 

320 pages with 11 illustrations 

Summary from Publisher’s website

Ivy Pocket is a twelve-year-old maid of no importance, with a very lofty opinion of herself. Dumped in Paris by the Countess Carbunkle, who would rather run away to South America than continue in Ivy's companionship, our young heroine (of sorts) finds herself with no money and no home to go to ... until she is summoned to the bedside of the dying Duchess of Trinity.

For the princely sum of £500 (enough to buy a carriage, and possibly a monkey), Ivy agrees to courier the Duchess's most precious possession - the Clock Diamond - to England, and to put it around the neck of the revolting Matilda Butterfield on her twelfth birthday. It's not long before Ivy finds herself at the heart of a conspiracy involving mischief, mayhem and murder.

Illustrated in humorous gothic detail by John Kelly, Anyone But Ivy Pocket is just the beginning of one girl's deadly comic journey to discover who she really is …

Reviewed by K. M. Lockwood

The whole story is told from the point of view of the ridiculous, indefatigable and frankly rather cheeky maid Ivy Pocket. It has a distinctive tone which readers will either find irritating or absolutely love. 

As can be seen from John Kelly’s jolly artwork, it has plenty of slapstick humour - and many readers will thoroughly enjoy Ivy’s well-meaning but daft antics. But there’s more than just vaguely Victorian silliness - there’s a mystery and murder too. However, any violence is cartoon-like and would only upset the most sensitive. The inexperienced wouldn’t get the central joke of Ivy as narrator of her own folly, so it’s more suitable for competent readers. It would be great fun to read aloud.

There’s an unexpected layer to the story I won’t spoil - but having grown to rather like the brave and warm-hearted orphan Ivy, I found her search for her true origins both intriguing and surprisingly moving. 

In short, great fun if you like Ivy’s tone of voice and have that sense of humour - and want a mystery alongside your comedy.

Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan

I don’t know if what I remember is what happened or just how I imagine it happened now I’m old enough to tell stories. I’ve read about this thing called childhood amnesia.

It means we can’t remember anything from when we were really small because before three years old we haven’t practised the skill of remembering enough to be able to do it very well. That’s the theory, but I’m not convinced. I have one memory from that time. It never changes, and if I wanted to make up memories, wouldn’t they be good ones?

Wouldn’t all my childhood stories have happy endings?

A story about sad endings.

A story about happy beginnings.

A story to make you realise who is special.

240 pages

Hardback Published by Bloomsbury 2014

Paperback due February 2015

Summary from Publishers’ website

When Apple's mother returns after eleven years of absence, Apple feels whole again. She will have an answer to her burning question - why did you go? And she will have someone who understands what it means to be a teenager - unlike Nana. But just like the stormy Christmas Eve when she left, her mother's homecoming is bittersweet, and Apple wonders who is really looking after whom. It's only when Apple meets someone more lost than she is, that she begins to see things as they really are.

Reviewed by K. M. Lockwood

This is was an unexpected treat. I am more of a fantasy/magic realism reader for the most part - but it’s a good idea to read outside of your usual genres from time to time. So I downloaded this from Net Galley - and loved it.

Such believable characters - and a 3D sense of family. This reader’s sympathy and understanding changed throughout the story in a satisfying and convincing way. Not surprising for a former English teacher, I loved the role that poetry took in the story. It’s a persuasive example of what creative writing is actually for, what it can do for people.

‘Apple and Rain’ is easy to read in the way that comes from a great deal of effort by the writer. Although it is set in the present, it is unlikely to date very quickly and would make a great book for teachers to use with adolescents. [There are reading notes free to download from the publishers’ site too.]

There are moments of warm humour and some scenes which may bring the odd tear with them. I would definitely recommend it for any reasonably confident reader interested in modern family life. Well worth a try even if contemporary realism isn’t your thing.

The Last of the Spirits by Chris Priestley

The boy had never spoken to the old man before, nor scarcely noticed him. The old man, had he been asked, would have sworn under oath, hand on the Bible, that he had likewise never seen the boy.

But the truth was, over the last few years, they had passed within inches of each other a hundred times. The old man had even brushed the boy aside more than once as he beetled his way to his office. To the old man, the boy was just another tiresome obstacle to be avoided. To the boy, the old man, along with all the other hard-faced strangers like him, was yet another reason to hate the world.

Published by Bloomsbury in November 2014

180 pages in hardback

Summary adapted from Chris Priestley’s own site

“The Last of the Spirits is the last in my trilogy of metafictions - books that have been inspired by, and run parallel to, stories that had a big impact on me when I first encountered them.

It began with Mister Creecher, linked to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, then The Dead Men Stood Together, inspired by Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and now there is this book - a story that takes a sideways step out of the world and characters of Dickens 'A Christmas Carol.”

******

Reviewed by K. M. Lockwood

This is the best retelling of ‘A Christmas Carol’ I have encountered - and I am a great fan of the story in its many forms.

This version reads if Chris Priestley were present at the same time - but filming from a different angle. He’s taken away the worst of the Victorian clutter, and given us a sparer, stronger tale. There’s all of Dickens’ anger and compassion shown through a modern lens -on two unexpected characters.

You know the basic story too well for there to be spoilers - but this does have an alternative take. It is not a contemporary re-imagining, it is firmly set in the19th Century - but it does still resonate with today’s world. It’s rather easier to read than the original - but there still is that recognisable Dickensian ‘look’.

A pleasing and rather humble extra to this relatively short book are two ‘bonus features’ about Dickens and other versions of the story. The production values throughout are also high quality. The only thing that could improve it for me would be more illustrations inside, whether by Zdenko Basic who did the eerily attractive cover art, or Chris Priestley himself.

Highly recommended for any confident reader wanting a ghostly Christmas story with humanity at it heart.

The Royal Babysitters - Written by Clementine Beauvais and Illustrated by Becka Moor.

One sunny morning, King Alaspooryorick of Daneland, after a breakfast of coffee, orange juice and roast kitten, picked up his phone and called the Queen and King of Britland.

Published by Bloomsbury in September 2014

Pages - 186

Summary

Anna and Holly have spotted an advert in the paper for a Holy Moly Holiday - the intergalactic vacation of a lifetime. They simply CAN'T not go. But how will they get enough money? Simple: they'll become royal babysitters for a day. Unfortunately, the girls are in for a shock. Once King Steve and Queen Sheila have left, they discover there isn't just one prince to look after. There are six. And worse, the country's arch enemy, King Alaspooryorick of Daneland, has decided to stage an invasion. Will the girls be able to keep their royal charges safe and still go on their dream holiday?

******

If you think the cover is funny, just wait until you start reading the book! It’s hilarious from start to finish. I smiled and giggled all the way through it.

I loved the extreme characterisation of the King and Queen of Britland, not to mention, King Alaspooryorick. They couldn’t be less Royal if they tried! They came across quite childish, which I know kids will love. To be honest, the most grownup people in the book were Anna and Holly, which I thought was brilliant. Every kids wants to see the kids fixing all the problems, while the adults cry like babies.

I loved the new titles of the heads of each country: Empress of Americanada, the King and Queen of Britland and my personal favourite, King Alaspooryorick of Daneland!

I can’t review this book without mentioning the entertaining illustrations drawn by Becka Moore, which only heightened the hilarious antics of the  characters.

This is a side splitting, laugh a minute tale that will leave you desperate for the next instalment.  The moral of this story - leave it to the kids to sort out any major political problems! Who needs adults?

Fortunately The Milk by Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by Chris Riddell

There was only orange juice in the fridge. Nothing else that you could put on your cereal, unless you think that ketchup or mayonnaise or pickle juice would be nice on your Toastios, which I did not. and neither does my little sister, although, she has eaten some pretty weird things in her day, like mushrooms in chocolate.

Pages - 160

To be published by Bloomsbury on 17th September 2013

You know what it’s like when your mum goes away on a business trip and Dad’s in charge. She leaves a really, really long list of what he’s got to do. And the most important thing is DON’T FORGET TO GET THE MILK. Unfortunately, Dad forgets. So the next morning, before breakfast, he has to go to the corner shop, and this is the story of why it takes him a very, very long time to get back.
Featuring: Professor Steg (a time-travelling dinosaur), some green globby things, the Queen of the Pirates, the famed jewel that is the Eye of Splod, some wumpires, and a perfectly normal but very important carton of milk.

*****

What a delightful nutty book! Yet again, Neil Gaiman makes it look easy as he switches from writing for adults to children with a flick of his pen.

The tale is one of those tall stories you would expect to hear from someone deliberately trying to cover their tracks when they’ve got a bit way laid. However in this book, the children are just a tad sceptical of their father’s tale, which unfortunately is the way modern children are. When I was a child, I would have stared wide eyed at my father in complete belief of his story, where as kids today see through it straight away. The story reminded me of a scene in Miracle On 34th Street, right at the end, where you are all desperate to believe in Santa Claus - well Neil Gaiman had me wanting to believe this story was totally real!

This book is quite quick to read - I finished it within the hour and found myself going back to read it all over again as I enjoyed it so much.

I loved the wumpires! The world NEEDS MORE WUMPIRES! They had me sniggering with delight.

You can’t review this book without mentioning the awesome illustrations by Chris Riddell, who has created an uncanny likeness in his character to Neil Gaiman…

This book is wacky, wild, weird and delightful Dahlesque!

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

The shutters swinging in the storm winds were the only sign of her entry. No one had noticed her scaling the garden wall of the darkened manor house, and with the thunder and the gusting wind off the nearby sea, no one heard her as she shimmied up the drainpipe, swung onto the windowsill, and slithered into the second-floor hallway.

Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books in August 15th 2013

Goodreads Summary

Eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien is bold, daring and beautiful - the perfect seductress and the greatest assassin her world has ever known. But though she won the King’s contest and became his champion, Celaena has been granted neither her liberty nor the freedom to follow her heart. The slavery of the suffocating salt mines of Endovier that scarred her past is nothing compared to a life bound to her darkest enemy, a king whose rule is so dark and evil it is near impossible to defy. Celaena faces a choice that is tearing her heart to pieces: kill in cold blood for a man she hates, or risk sentencing those she loves to death. Celaena must decide what she will fight for: survival, love or the future of a kingdom. Because an assassin cannot have it all . . . And trying to may just destroy her.

******

When the book started off a little slow and seemed to spend ages developing the romance between Celaena and Chaol, I was worried. I kept thinking that the book would sink like all the other second books in  a series, after catching the highly contagious ‘Second Book Syndrome.’ However out of nowhere, the author completely smashed it and I came away loving this book even more than the first! This is now officially the best second book in a series EVER!

I love Celaena dearly. She is one of the strongest female characters I have ever come across and in this book we actually discover why she is so tough. The book fits neatly into two halves with each showing a contrasting side of Celaena’s personality.  In the first half  we get to see a lot more of her softer side as her romantic feelings develop. Her relationship with Chaol, the Captain of the Guard, really surprised me. He had always appeared so cold and tough with Celaena, during the first book, that it was really rather refreshing to see a softer side of him appear. In the second half of the book, the nastier, ice cold side of Celaena comes back with a vengeance as she emotionally explodes after some very dramatic events.

What I really love about this author’s book is that she isn’t afraid to completely transform the character’s life. Right from the first novella, we have been through some quite traumatic life changes with Celaena, and with each one you see how it makes her even stronger. At the end of this book, you come away thinking Celaena is about to embark on a whole new situation.

The ending was outstanding. The second half of the book was just so fast and furious, I barely had time to breathe.  The information that was revealed in the last chapter took the book to a whole new level! I was so shocked by what we learn at the end. An almighty ending to pull the rug from beneath you.

This is a truly outstanding second novel where we get a better insight into the reasons motivating our favourite heroine. I honestly can’t wait for the next book to find out what happens next.