#ReviewMonday with @lockwoodwriter - The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin

During the first three weeks of seventh grade, I’d learned one thing above all else: A person can become invisible simply by staying quiet.

I’d always thought that being seen was about what people perceived with their eyes. But by the time the Eugene Field Memorial Middle School made the fall trip to the aquarium, I, Suzy Swanson, had disappeared entirely. Being seen is more about the ears than the eyes, it turns out.

Published by Macmillan Children's Books 2015

352 pages in paperback including illustrations by Terry Fan & Eric Fan

Summary from author’s own website*

Suzy Swanson is pretty sure she knows the real reason Franny Jackson died. Everyone says that there’s no way to be certain…that sometimes things just happen. But Suzy knows there must be a better explanation—a scientific one. Haunted by the loss of her former best friend — and by a final, terrible moment that passed between them — she retreats into a silent world of her own imagination. Convinced that Franny’s death was the result of a freak jellyfish sting, she crafts a plan to prove the truth, even if it means traveling around the globe… alone. As she prepares, she learns astonishing things about the universe around her… and discovers the potential for love and hope in her own backyard.

*Please note she is an American author so the spelling is a little different.

***

The strange creatures of the ocean are fascinating - and few are more weird and wonderful than jellyfish. I’ve been a scuba diver and I still love rock-pooling and snorkelling, so it’s not surprising this quirky title caught my eye. Such an attractive cover by Terry and Eric Fan - which cleverly gets across the mix of sorrow and lightness in this moving book.

Some of the best parts of Ali Benjamin’s novel are the facts - they’re fascinating and they do help the story along. You so get to know Suzy’s character and empathise with her way of coping with her loss. You don’t just feel pity, but grow in understanding.

As an aside, the inclusion of biology through Suzy’s investigations and the 7th Grade Life Science teacher, Mrs Turton, is a great feature. Young readers know the difference between fact and fiction - but their minds are open enough to run them alongside each other. More of this, please publishers.

I was actually surprised to learn it’s 352 pages in paperback. I raced through it on my Kindle - it certainly didn’t feel long. Perhaps the unusual structure (with the extracts from Mrs Turton’s advice) and illustrations take up the space. At any rate, it’s suitable for any reasonably competent reader from ten or so onwards. Elective mutism and a drowned friend might not sound like a bundle of laughs, but there’s quite a bit of humour and a good deal of heart and hope in this book.

Highly recommended for any family dealing with grief, regardless of their beliefs - and good read for anyone, unless you truly hate jellyfish.

---

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.

The Road to Ever After by Moira Young

Davy emptied the brooms from his bag. He laid them on the ground according to size. Made of twigs, grass and feathers, there were twelve in all. He used the largest for smoothing the earth in preparation and broadly sketching the outlines. The smaller grass and feather ones were for finer detail.

Published by Macmillan in October 2016

Pages - 240

Summary

Davy David, an orphan, lives by his wits in the dead-end town of Brownvale. When a stray dog called George turns Davy's life upside down just days before Christmas, he sets in motion a chain of events which forces them to flee. A mischievous wind blows the two of them to a boarded-up museum on the outskirts of town where they meet the elderly recluse, Miss Flint. She has planned one last adventure before her time is up and hires the reluctant Davy and George to escort her.

*****

Oh this wondrous book! It gently reaches inside and grabs your soul, holding it up to the sky. It is the most spiritually uplifting book I've read in a long time. You come away from  it, desperate to be a better person. You start to believe in magic. 

Davy  appears like an angel in disguise. I'm not sure if that is how he's supposed to be viewed, but that's how I see him. He has goodness bursting out of him. He is so sensible and wise for such a young boy. When his world collides with Miss Flint's, you struggle to see how they will ever get along. Miss Flint isn't the most friendliest of people. She is extremely crabby, but Davy really can't refuse her offer as he needs to get out of town quickly. As the story progresses you warm to Miss Flint and the relationship she has with Davy softens. You start to wonder who is really saving who.  I loved that this book revolves around the relationship between a child and an elderly adult, because this type of relationship is often so important to a child, especially if they are close to their grandparents.  It reminded me of Goodnight Mr Tom. 

The ending took my breath away. I had to read it twice because it was such beautiful writing and it filled me with hope. If this is heaven, then I want in! 

I can totally see why this book is described as It's A Wonderful Life meets The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, because I couldn't describe it better if I tried. It also reminded me of A Christmas Carol and The Christmas Box. 

 The following quote filled me with promise. 

"And to die is different from what any one supposed."

It portrays death as just another journey we have to go on, but with such a beautiful destination.

This book is like a warm hug during dangerous times. An ideal book to put in a stocking for Christmas Day.

Instructions For A Second-Hand Heart by Tamsyn Murray

My name is Jonny Webb and I am a robot.

Last summer, my heart stopped for three and a half minutes. 

Published by Usborne in November 2016

Pages - 323

Summary

Jonny isn't like "normal" teenagers. Every day he wakes up in hospital, kept alive by a machine. Every day he wonders if this is the day they'll find a donor match for his heart. Every day he wonders if this is the day he'll die.

Every day, Niamh fights with her "perfect" brother Leo. Every single day, Leo wins. Every day, Niamh dreams of a life without Leo. But all that changes on the day of the accident: the day EVERYTHING falls apart.

This is a story about facing the future no matter how frightening. This is a story about healing your heart, no matter how much it hurts.

****

This book makes you cry within the first couple of chapters! Seriously, it should come with a warning...and tissues. I was prepared for an emotional journey but I didn't expect to have my heart ripped out and pummelled through out. Talk about making your characters suffer!

This is the first book I've read by Tamsyn Murray and it definitely won't be the last. Her writing style is so beautiful and absorbing. She has a knack of entwining you into the lives of the characters, so that you are completely vested in their future and willing everything to turn out right. 

The story is told from two view points. Firstly we have Jonny who is barely surviving in hospital while he waits for a heart transplant. He has nearly given up hope of it ever happening, until the hospital gets a call. 

Then we have Niamh, who hates her twin brother with a passion, until she realises what life without him is like. I will let you work out the Maths out on this one.

I adored Niamh and Jonny, even though they wore their flaws like badges of honour. Niamh isn't the easiest person to get along with, now with added overwhelming grief, she is more prickly than usual, but you can't help but love her. And Jonny, well let's just say, he gets a little too cocky with his new heart. But this is a time when they both have to grow up very quickly. They are pushed into life changing situations that neither of them are quite ready for. It's like someone clicks their fingers and instantly two teenagers have to deal with adult situations. So you are rooting for them. You are waving your flag as high and as fast as you can, to show your support. 

Em literally broke my heart. What an amazing character, who might only be a small part of the story but she shines brightly through out the book. 

It quite obvious without reading the added information at the back  of the book,  that Tamsyn Murray did a lot of research on heart surgery because she talks about it in great detail. 

  This book is unputdownable. It's so gripping and realistic. I wouldn't be surprised if this book gets optioned for a film. It's that good! And definitely an award winning future. If you're a John Green and/or Jandy Nelson fan, you will love this.  

Haunt Me by Liz Kessler

"What the hell-" 

A sound like gunshot pierces my dream and I'm bolt upright, shaking, wide awake. 

I look down my body. I seem to be intact. No blood. 

Published by Orion Children's Books in October 2016

Pages - 400

Summary

Joe wakes up from a deep sleep to see his family leave in a removals van. Where they've gone, he has no idea. Erin moves house and instantly feels at home in her new room. Even if it appears she isn't the only one living in it. Bit by bit, Erin and Joe discover that they have somehow found a way across the ultimate divide - life and death. Bound by their backgrounds, a love of poetry and their growing feelings for each other, they are determined to find a way to be together.

Joe's brother, Olly, never cared much for poetry. He was always too busy being king of the school - but that all changed when Joe died. And when an encounter in the school corridor brings him face to face with Erin, he realises how different things really are - including the kind of girl he falls for.

Two brothers. Two choices. Will Erin's decision destroy her completely, or can she save herself before she is lost forever?

*****
Firstly I have to say Liz is a friend of mine. However I try really hard not to let that affect my reviews of her books and she always requests that I'm honest. So here goes. 
My honest opinion is that that is the best book she has ever written. I don't know how she can top this one. I'm not sure if it's because I love ghost stories, in fact I love anything involving ghosts and I'm convinced there is more to the spiritual world than we truly see, but this book really grabbed me. 

It's like a revival of the early YA books, such as Evermore, Unearthly, I Heart You, You Haunt Me and A Certain Slant of Light, which were the books that made me want to read YA in the first place. In fact it made me realise  that I've lost my direction with YA, as I've moved into reading so many more contemporary when really fantasy and paranormal are my first genre loves. 

The book is told from three points of view. Erin, a troubled teen hoping for a new start. Jo, who doesn't realise he is dead to begin with and hides a dark secret and Olly, his brother who still struggles with Jo's death. I love how the plot unfolds and brings these characters together. 
At the plot moved forward, I was convinced that someone would end up with a broken heart. Once the relationship between Jo and Erin is established and Olly turns up, the story really picks up in pace and I found myself whizzing through the pages. 
If you think this book is just a paranormal love story, then you would be wrong. It deals with some very gritty and realistic subjects that affect many teenagers of today. From bullying to self harming and drug taking to bereavement, the book really takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. 
If you loved Ghost or Truly, Madly, Deeply, you will fall in love with this book too. I'm really hoping that with the release of this book, it means that paranormal YA is making a comeback. 

Unboxed by Non Pratt

It seems worse to break a promise to the dead than it does to break one made to the living. Why else would I be standing by the gates of my old school waiting for a bunch of strangers I used to call friends.

Published by Barrington Stoke in August 2015

140 pages 

Cover Artwork by Kate Alizadeh

Summary

Unboxed is about four teenagers who come together after several months apart. In previous years, they had put together a time capsule about their best summer with a friend who was dying. Now that their friend has passed, they reunite to open the box.

*****

This book turned me into an emotional wreck! It sent out feelers into my heart from page one and I couldn't put it down. 

Non encapsulates the fear and worry connected with revealing something personal to the people in your life perfectly. There is always the possibility that you will be rejected when you reveal a secret, which often leads to us keeping our secrets to ourselves. Non shows that it's OK to be honest and true to ourselves.

 This book also deals with a time in teenager's life where everything is about to change. They are on the verge of adulthood and sometimes you have to look backwards in order to move forwards. Unboxed really felt like an emotional coming of age book. 

The characters are quickly brought to life, making you invest all your feelings into them. I loved Alix! She is such a beautiful soul. And  I hope we get to meet her again someday.

 This may be a short book, but it is jam packed with emotional highs and lows. It's like The Breakfast Club but with way more feels! When I finished it, I wanted to read it all over again and then break into song, singing Don't You Forget About Me by Simple Minds and fist pump the air!!! 

The more books I read published by Barrington Stoke, the more delighted I become. So much  thought goes into producing them to make them dyslexic friendly and the ideal book for a reluctant reader.  

  

If you know a teen who isn't keen on reading, buy this book. If you love good stories which tap into every emotion you have, then buy this book too!

The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood

My underwear is in the apple tree. 

I'm lying in the grass, staring up through the branches. It's late afternoon and the rest of the garden is lemonade sunshine, but under here it's cool and dark and insecty. When I tilt my head back, the whole garden is upside-down - and my laundry with it, festooned like the world's saddest bunting. 

Published by Macmillan Children's Books in May 2016

Pages - 322

Summary

Last summer, Gottie's life fell apart. Her beloved grandfather Grey died and Jason, the boy to whom she lost her heart wouldn't even hold her hand at the funeral. This summer, still reeling from twin heartbreaks, Gottie is lost and alone and burying herself in equations. Until, after five years absence, Thomas comes home: former boy next door. Former best friend. Former everything. And as life turns upside down again she starts to experience strange blips in time - back to last summer, back to what she should have seen then . . . 

During one long, hazy summer, Gottie navigates grief, world-stopping kisses and rips in the space-time continuum, as she tries to reconcile her first heartbreak with her last.

******

I had no idea before reading this book that it was about time travel. I'd convinced myself during the first few chapters, that Gottie was seriously ill or mentally unstable, but thankfully neither were the case. So in case you didn't know -

THIS BOOK IS ABOUT TIME TRAVEL.

I love time travel novels. The Time Traveller's Wife has got to be one of my all time favourites. So I was pleasantly surprised to find Gottie travelling back into the previous summer when everything had seemed beautiful, warm and romantic. It was her coming of age summer. Such a contrast to the summer she is now experiencing. Gottie is grief stricken over the loss of her grandfather and the break down of her secret relationship. But with the reappearance of Thomas, her childhood friend, Gottie works through the issues that are holding her back from basically being human. 

I have to be honest, the physics elements totally lost me and they did slow down my reading a little as I tried to get my head round them. I'm still not sure I understand the wormholes, though I am wholeheartedly for them to exist in reality! Science isn't my thing, I just about scraped through my Biology GCSE, but I persevered, because I could see what a beautiful story this was blossoming into.  

At times you are unsure what's going on, but I felt that related a lot to the way Gottie's emotions were. Her grief was giving her bi-polar tendencies and you never knew how long you would be on an up with her, before she spoiled everything by crashing back down. 

I loved Grey. Even though he isn't alive in the book, his presence was strongly felt and as a reader, you missed him just as much as Gottie did. If this is ever made into a film, Billy Connolly has to take the part; it's like it was written for him. 

The growth in the friendship between Gottie and Thomas is utterly beautiful. Thomas was the medicine, Gottie desperately needed to help her heal.  

The ending is beautiful, full of summers long gone and playing outside till dusk and eating ice-cream till your stomach bursts. Alongside a cast of quirky, yet heartfelt characters, this book will definitely receive a lot of reader's love.

A truly stunning mix of physics and physical chemistry!

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. 

Car Wash Wish by Sita Brahmachari

If I was a letter, I would be a Z, even though my name starts with a H. H for Hudson. If we're going to be talking, then you need to know my name. 

Published in January 2016 by Barrington Stoke

80 pages

Summary

Hudson is a skilled reader of books, but not so much with people. Mum's new bloke Louis is keen to help, and in turn Hudson passes on what he learns to future sibling Zed (for zygote). This all comes in useful at granddad's funeral as Hudson deals with grief, his dad's feelings of guilt and his own sadness about his parents' separation. Hudson's self-awareness about his Asperger's and how it affects him (and others) gives him a distinctive and insightful voice that offers an astute and ultimately uplifting take on the world.

*****

I've always been intrigued by the Barrington Stoke books and I'm so glad I finally got the opportunity to read one. Sita writes so beautifully and completely captures the characters within this story. Told in first person by Hudson, you realise immediately that he is on the Autistic Spectrum by his need to count things and his difficulty in understanding all the signals used in social interactions. He needs help in reading people and as you  witness throughout the story, he doesn't always say the right things at the right time. There is a lot going on in Hudson's life right now and he is having trouble dealing with it all. He is such a sweet and loveable character. 

I loved the car wash scenes. Without realising, Hudson helps his dad deal with his grief and enlightens him on how he can move forward. His dad has struggled to cope for so long and seems to have carried a lot of guilt over his father's condition. I got the impression his dad felt like he had done enough for his own dad, even though he gave up his family to look after him. The ending to the book is just perfect.

Sita captures a poignant moment in a teenager's life and shows how important family life really is. You can't give up hope that life won't get better. An ideal book for any teenager dealing with bereavement. Also an excellent example of how people with Aspergers view the world differently. 

If you don't know about them, the Barrington Stoke books are super readable. The books are written by some of the UK's finest authors, also involved are a selection of highly rated illustrators. Together, they have produced these compact, yet perfectly formed books that not only make reading more accessible to reluctant and dyslexic readers, but they will appeal to the wider audience as well. I love the idea of shorter reads like this and I really wish they had been available when I was at school. This book has made  a Barrington Stoke fan out of me. I'm happy to shout my mouth off about Barrington Stoke at every opportunity and look forward to reading more.

Swan Boy by Nikki Sheehan

Liam Clark started it. In Regent's Park, with the sandwich. 

There were four of them, all Populars, with the confidence and the trainers to match, laughing as they smeared mushed swan droppings on the the slice of bread.

Published in May 2016 by Rock The Boat, an imprint of One World Publications. 

Pages - 228

Cover design - Nathan Burton

Summary

When Johnny moves house and starts a new school he has to deal with a bully who can't leave him alone. But help comes from an unexpected and surprising source and Johnny's growing power soon puts him in a very special place.

A chance encounter with a swan sparks a series of events that result in Johnny playing the lead in a school ballet. His teacher wants him to live the role, and when feathers start sprouting on his chest, Johnny begins to understand his true potential. But will he be strong or brave enough to beat his bullies, take care of his brother, support his mother and find a place for himself among all the chaos that is prevailing in his life.

****

Recently I read that magical realism was coming back into fashion. Well, Nikki Sheehan is most definitely waving the flag for the new phase, with Swan Boy. The magical realism in the story is so subtle and realistic that you question whether it is truly there. It reminded me of The Girl With Glass Feet by Ali Shaw. Nikki Sheehan makes magic seem like it is a natural part of every day life. 

This book has a Billy Elliot feel to it. As Johnny finds himself dancing in a modern version of Swan Lake, you watch him go from disbelief in himself to completely believing in his abilities. I could easily imagine Johnny soaring through the sky as he leapt. 

There are elements of this story that will stay with me forever. Purely because they are so unusual. I won't give anything away because I don't want to spoil it for you, but you will know when you reach these elements.

The main characters are soulfully written, each burrowing into your heart. Johnny showed such inner strength as he dealt with all the bullying that occurred. Mojo completely stole my heart. His drawings and how they meant so much to him - it was like he was completely opening up his insecurities and worries and laying them out for everyone to see, they just had to open their eyes and look closely to really see. We can only stand as spectators as the family work their way through the five stages of grieving as they deal with the sudden loss of their father. 

I loved the inclusion of the swans, real and metaphorically throughout the book. Such a majestic and mystical bird that added strength and determination to Jonny's character. 

By the end of the book we see a transformation within Johnny. I honestly believe he becomes the person he is supposed to come. This is a true coming of age tale as Johnny transforms from the boy he once was to the man he will become. Through his decisions and actions he faces the consequences of his choices to really be who he is supposed to be. 

This book is beautifully written with a surprising element of quirkiness and smatterings of humour. Truly an original. 

The Boy Who Sailed The Ocean In An Armchair by Lara Williamson

My name is Becket Rumsey and there are lots of important people in my life who I talk to every day. For starters: my seven-year-old bug-collecting brother, Billy, is one of them (although he talks nonsense ninety-nine percent of the time - and the other one percent? Utter nonsense). Dad, who delivers fish from The Godfather van, is another.

Published by Usborne in October 2015

Pages - 322

Book Cover by Katherine Millichope

Summary

Becket has no idea why his dad takes him and his brother Billy to a new home in the middle of the night. But he's determined to find out.

So Becket sets out on a journey of discovery with Billy, a snail called Brian and a Jedi Knight. It's not plain sailing but then what journeys ever are?

*****

Reviewed by Vivienne Dacosta

Lara Williamson writes quiet stories with a BIG VOICE! Her main characters are so unique they practically explode out of the book. In this book we meet Becket Rumsey, whose voice is heartwarming, poignant at times, yet also extremely funny. His brother, Billy and his pet snail, are brilliantly written characters too. You find yourself wanting to hug them all. 

 I absolutely adore the way that Lara writes. In fact, her comical voice is so unique, from now on I shall refer to her turns of phrase as Laraisms! 'Sweet Baby Cheeses' has already become an addition to my conversations. And let's not forget Williamson's hilarious choice of  business names - Crops and Bobbers, the hairdressers, Burger She Wrote, the burger bar and  The Codfather, Dad's fish delivery service. Where does she get her ideas from?

Lara excels at writing stories that walk a fine line between humour and sadness. One minute, you are wiping a sad tear away, the next you're crying with laughter.

This story has a surprising twist, which I didn't see coming. You'll discover the story doesn't go the way you think it will.

Being a big fan of magical realism, it was fantastic to find it within this story. I loved the story about the origami cranes and how it was weaved into the main story. I also love the idea of butterflies being loved ones who come back to us. 

I really think Lara Williamson has outdone herself with her second novel and I can't wait for more from her in the future. This will be a firm favourite within the Middle Grade market and an ideal book for children who are grieving for a loved one. Don't be surprised if this book wins awards over the next year. 

Vendetta by Catherine Doyle

I didn’t see it at first, sitting between the cash registers and a stack of order pads. It might have been there for hours - or longer- just waiting, while I spent another day of my summer dying of boredom inside Gracewell’s Diner.

Published in January 2015 by Chicken House

Pages - 333

When five brothers move into the abandoned mansion next door, Sophie Gracewell's life changes forever. Irresistibly drawn to bad boy Nic Falcone, Sophie finds herself falling into an underworld governed by powerful families. When Sophie's own family skeletons come to life, she must choose between two warring dynasties - the one she was born into, and the one she is falling in love with. When she does, blood will spill and hearts will break ...

*****

I’ve been waiting for a book like this for a long time. And I am extremely excited by the fact that it is the first part of  a trilogy. I just hope we don’t have to wait too long for the second instalment.

Sophie, the main character, is a feisty young girl, living in the shadow of her father’s crimes and working every hour she can in her father’s diner. I loved her from the moment she drummed her nails on the countertop in the first scene. The reason I loved her so much, is that she reminded me of a younger version of me. I grew up working in restaurants and doing the whole waitressing routine, so it felt like home to  wander around the diner with Sophie.  Then we have her rather English friend, Millie, who is just plain adorable and typically English.

And we can’t forget the rather gorgeous Falcone boys!!! Who are dripping in gorgeousness and wafting out this bad boy aroma. This book is worth reading, just to get to know them. Now they aren’t your normal boys - oh no, we are talking about boys from the Mafia. So when I say they are bad, they are really really bad.  There are a lot of similarities between this book and Romeo and Juliet - you have the star-crossed lovers in Nic and Sophie, both from rival families and a gloomy premonition bounces around the book as you soon realise their love might be doomed. I have an inkling that Sophie isn’t just interested in one Falcone brother. In fact, I would also put money on one of the other brothers being rather interested in Sophie too.

This book has a lot packed into and you easily get sucked into the story and find yourself speeding along with the plot. One of the topics it deals with is date rape, which I felt was an extremely topical subject to be included.

If you haven’t worked it out yet, I loved this book! I loved the characters, the storyline, the pace and just about everything else in between.  I may take to author stalking, just so that I can get my hands a copy of the second book!

Vendetta by Catherine Doyle out now in paperback (£7.99, Chicken House). Find out more about the author at http://catherine-doyle.tumblr.com and http://www.catherinedoylebooks.com.

Circus Unseen by Joanne Owen

Long ago, when the world was young and people still thought of the marsh and the mists and the witch in the woods, there lived a girl called Vasilisa, whose mother fell gravely ill. On her deathbed, Vasilisa’s mother called for her daughter. She took a little wooden doll from beneath her pillow, saying, ‘When I am gone, I shall leave you this doll with my blessing. Promise me you’ll always keep her with you, and promise me you’ll never show her to another soul.’

Published by Hot Key Books in November 2014

Pages 304

After an accident at her grandmother's house, Rosie is transported to a strange and sinister world populated by a cast of carnivalesque characters who reside in the Circus of the Unseen. They are reigned over by an old woman called Madam Matushka, who guards the threshold between life and death and has extraordinary powers over all around her.
This is an in-between world, a bizarre and trapped existence, but Rosie is not like the others here. She seems to be hovering between the worlds of the living and the dead, and she is a challenge to Madam Matushka. Can Rosie escape Madame Matushka's malevolent rule and a world in limbo? And can she help resolve another mystery - one at the heart of her grandmother's life?

*****

Firstly I love the cover of this book! It has The Night Circus written all over it. I definitely think gothic circus now when I see black, white and red together, so I don’t think Hot Key Books could have picked a better cover.

As for the story itself  I have mixed emotions about it.

Firstly I enjoyed the Russian feel to it. That is something I haven’t come across before in children’s fiction before. I found the beginning part of the book a little slow to start and my enjoyment of it grew when Rosie stepped into the between world ruled by Mother Matushka. I was morbidly fascinated by the bizarre descriptions of Coco and Lola. Although I definitely wouldn’t want to come face to face with them in the middle of the night.

I loved the setting. It sounded exotic and frightening all at the same time. There is definitely a real gothic feel to the in between world, which was full of what seemed like the half dead.

I struggled to work out which age group this book was actually for. At first I thought it was Middle Grade, but on reading it, it felt quite dark for that age range, so I wondered if it was bordering on YA, or perhaps should be represented as older Middle Grade.

The writing requires concentration. This isn’t a book you can whip through quickly. With a lot of Russian folklore  hidden within it,  at times you find yourself confused about what is really going on.

I wasn’t completely convinced by the ending. I had to reread it to make sure that I was reading it correctly. Knowing how much Rosie loved her family, it didn’t feel right to end it the way it did. If I’ve got it wrong, then please shout at me, but I couldn’t seem to read it any other way.

I am hoping to read this book again; mainly because there was a lot of it that I just didn’t get. I think if you read at a slower rate than I do, you are more likely to enjoy this book and understand it better. So not one of my favourite books, but definitely worth a read, if you are looking for something different.

Belzhar Blog Tour - The Role of the Journal in the Novel

As part of the Belzhar Blog Tour, I have a wonderful guest post from the author Meg Wolitzer, about the role of the journal in the novel.

A writer friend once said that he loves books in which other books, or letters, or at any rate the written word in some other context, appear.  The words “pop,” he explained, and I think he’s right.  You pay extra attention when you read a letter in a novel, or have a chance to read someone’s diary or the pages of a book-within-a-book.  When I came up with the idea of a journal that you could write in and be reunited with what you’ve lost, I liked that the journal entries had the chance to “pop,” and be given special significance, just as my friend described. 

In writing in her journal, my character Jam gets to be with her lost boyfriend Reeve all over again, even though he is gone forever.  I literally pictured the red leather journal, and what a personal, private, intense experience it would be for her to write in it.  What’s a little ironic is the fact that I myself have barely kept a journal or diary in my life.  I tried to write in one when I was young, but I got bored after a while and started leaving pages blank.  Then I felt guilty, and I went back and on all the blank pages I wrote, “NOTHING HAPPENED.”

I think that, for me, writing novels has taken the place of writing in a journal.  When I write, even though I am probably not writing about my own experience, I try to be as true to “life” (even just an imagining of someone else's life) as possible.  And I fill the pages with writing that feels as intimate and real as I possibly can. 

Belzhar is published by Simon and Schuster in October 2014

Summary

If life were fair, Jam Gallahue would still be at home in New Jersey with her sweet British boyfriend, Reeve Maxfield. She’d be watching old comedy sketches with him. She’d be kissing him in the library stacks.
She certainly wouldn’t be at The Wooden Barn, a therapeutic boarding school in rural Vermont, living with a weird roommate, and signed up for an exclusive, mysterious class called Special Topics in English.
But life isn’t fair, and Reeve Maxfield is dead.
Until a journal-writing assignment leads Jam to Belzhar, where the untainted past is restored, and Jam can feel Reeve’s arms around her once again. But there are hidden truths on Jam’s path to reclaim her loss.

To find out more about Meg Wolitzer:

Website / Facebook/ Goodreads 

Check out the previous posts on the blog tour.

The Year of the Rat by Claire Furniss

The traffic light glows read through the rainy windscreen, blurred, clear, blurred again, as the wipers swish to and for. Below it, in front of us, is the hearse. I try not to look at it.

Published by Simon and Schuster in  April 2014

Summary

Grappling with grief is hard enough without repeat visits from the deceased. Pearl deals with death, life, and family in this haunting, humorous, and poignant debut.
The world can tip at any moment…a fact that fifteen-year-old Pearl is all too aware of when her mom dies after giving birth to her baby sister, Rose.
Rose, who looks exactly like a baby rat, all pink, wrinkled, and writhing. This little Rat has destroyed everything, even ruined the wonderful relationship that Pearl had with her stepfather, the Rat’s biological father.
Mom, though…Mom’s dead but she can’t seem to leave. She keeps visiting Pearl. Smoking, cursing, guiding.
Told across the year following her mother’s death, Pearl’s story is full of bittersweet humour and heart-breaking honesty about how you deal with grief that cuts you to the bone, as she tries not only to come to terms with losing her mother, but also the fact that her sister—The Rat—is a constant reminder of why her mom is no longer around.

*******

This was one of the those books I was a little reluctant to read. There was huge hype surrounding it, and I’d found recently, that where there is hype, there is usually a book that can’t live up to it. However, this book surprisingly proved me wrong, as it is as good as everyone says it is.

From the very first sentence, you are caught up in the emotional runaway way train that is Pearl. She really isn’t coping well with the sudden death of her mother. Her death only cuts Pearl deeper, with the growing bond occurring between her step father and his first child, who Pearl blames completely for the death of her mother. She can’t even call Rose by her name - she can only refer to the baby as the rat. Pearl doesn’t want anything to do with Rose, and when she is left to look after it, it is quite traumatic, as a mother, to read. Yet, you are fully aware, that Pearl is suffering inside.

As the story progresses, and Pearl’s grandmother arrives, the story begins to lift a little. Pearl realises that her mother didn’t always tell her the truth; that perhaps she wasn’t as perfect as she made out. It is hard for Pearl to hear this, but it makes her stronger and able to deal with life without her mother. Although, always at the back of her mind, is the fact, that Dad, really isn’t her father and she must find the real one to make her life whole again.I loved the Britishness of the Year of the Rat; the way the grandmother arrived and quickly got on with things to make life easier. There wasn’t time for wallowing in pity anymore for Pearl.

At times this book was emotionally heart wrenching to read. The scene in the church after the funeral practically ripped my heart out. It was hard to read, as Pearl soldiered through the seven stages of grief  in order to accept her new sister and restart her life.

This book reminded me a lot of Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott, where the main character is waiting for the birth of her step sister, while her mother is kept alive by machines. So it was hard not to compare them, as it wasn’t so long ago that I read it. On reflection, I do think the The Year of the Rat, crossed the winning line first.

Definitely a poignant debut, that makes you realise how short life can be and how we should all make the most of every day we have, because each one is a gift.

A Tiger Tale by Holly Webb

‘I just keep thinking about him,’ Kate’s mum smiled. ‘The stupidest things. Like him always complaining that the tea wasn’t strong enough.’

Published by Scholastic in September 2014

Pages - 109

Summary

Kate loves her toy tiger, Amos. He was a present from Granddad, and holding him close makes Granddad seem less far away.

But she doesn’t expect Amos to turn into a real tiger! A big, comforting, friendly tiger who looks a bit like Granddad, and sounds like him too.

*******

I feel like I’ve been spoilt, as this is one of two reviews this week, for  books written by Holly Webb. If anyone can set me adrift on a sail boat to my childhood, it is most definitely Holly Webb. Her writing has a natural classical feel to it, with aromas of Enid Blyton escaping from each paragraph.

I adored this book, even though it did make me cry. In this beautifully, poignant tale, Kate is struggling to cope with the death of her beloved, Grandfather. She misses him so much and worries that her Mum will wipe out all traces of him from her life. Luckily she still has Amos to remember him by,  the toy tiger he once gave her. However, Kate’s grief filled mind is playing tricks on her and she is convinced that her Grandfather has sent a real life tiger to help her through her grieving process.

This book brought a lot of strong memories back for me. I can remember losing my great grandmother, who lived across the road from me when I was young. It reminded me how I kept all my grief to myself as I didn’t want to upset my parents or my grandmother by talking about it. In this book, we witness Kate doing the same. She doesn’t feel she has anyone to share her grief with. So she keeps it all bottled up, until eventually it all explodes out of her. She also struggles to see how she can ever be happy again, when she has lost someone so central to her life. It made me realise how important it is, for children to be able to talk about their loved ones that have passed. Even if a parent finds it hard to discuss with their child, they should always make sure there is someone there who could help the child learn how to grieve.

I think the author, has dealt with the difficult subject of death and bereavement extremely well. Although their were parts that made me feel sad, I don’t think this book came across as morbid or depressing. If anything, it felt enlightening to see a child learn how to cope and move on.

This book would be an ideal gift for a child who has recently lost someone they love deeply, as it gives the child  a starting point on being able to talk about it, open up and learn to carry on in life without them, but not having to forget about them.

The Write Way with Holly Webb

I am a huge fan of Holly Webb, so I was absolutely delighted to be asked to take part in the blog tour for A Tiger Tale. Thankfully, the lovely ladies at Scholastic, let me interview Holly, to find out all her writing secrets.

1) A Tiger’s Tale is about to be published, can you tell us a little bit about it to whet our appetites?

Kate’s grandfather has died, and she is missing him terribly. He took her to school, chatted to her, cooked her cheese on toast. And he loved tigers just like she does. He gave her Amos, her toy tiger, and Kate is almost sure that Amos is more than just a toy.

2) Where did the idea for the book come from?

I’d noticed how many children at my sons’ school were being taken home by grandparents, and I wanted to write about the grandparent and grandchild bond. I also had much-loved toys in my head as a theme. Then one of my lovely readers sent me a photo of her handsome tigerish cat…

3) Being an experienced writer, do you find the process gets easier with each book you write?

Sometimes, but not usually. This book was very difficult to write, as it was so sad. I didn’t want it to be a miserable book, but at the same time, Kate is devastated. It was hard to balance that.

4) Do you try and aim for a daily word target when writing?

Yeeees. Somewhere between 1500 to 3000 words. But I often don’t get there! And I do a lot of reading which counts as work as well. So I tell myself.

5) Do you edit as you go along or do you wait until the first draft is finished?

A bit of both. I usually start off by reading what I wrote the day before.

6) When is your ideal time to write? Morning, afternoon or evening?

I don’t have an ideal time. I don’t think I’m a lark or an owl, more a sort of sloth. I still write well in the evenings, though, as when I worked full-time as an editor, evenings were my writing time.

7) Which authors inspired you whilst growing up?

CS Lewis, I loved the Narnia books. Also Betsy Byars, Michelle Magorian, and I adored A Little Princess and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

8) What are you working on right now?

Lots of things! A book about a mouse that looks like a chocolate truffle. A series with some very greedy guinea pigs, and a book set during the Second World War that’s a sort of sequel to The Secret Garden.

9) What advice would you give unpublished authors?

Don’t stop writing, read and read, and never throw away any ideas.

Summary

Kate loves her toy tiger, Amos.

He was  a present from Granddad, and holding him close makes Granddad seem less far away.

But she doesn’t expect Amos to turn into a real tiger! A big, comforting, friendly tiger who looks a bit like Granddad, and sounds like him too.

Author Biography

Holly was born and grew up in south-east London, but spent a lot of time on the Suffolk coast. As a child, she had two dogs, a cat, and at one point, nine gerbils (an accident). At about ten, Holly fell in love with stories from Ancient Greek myths, which led to studying Latin and Greek, and eventually to reading Classics at university. She worked for five years as a children's fiction editor, before deciding that writing was more fun, and easier to do from a sofa. Now living in Reading with her husband, three sons and one cat, Holly runs a Girl Guide group.

If you want to follow the blog tour for Holly Webb, then check out the dates and blogs below.

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

I sit down with my mother. My smile is shaky as I tell her about my day.

‘I think I did okay on my history test,’ I say. ‘Oh, and Olivia wore her new pair of false eyelashes, the ones I told you about. She was batting them around so much that a teacher stopped and asked if she had something caught in her eyes.’

Published by Mira Ink in April 2014

Pages - 368

Summary

Does life go on when your heart is broken?
Since her mother’s sudden death, Emma has existed in a fog of grief, unable to let go, unable to move forward--because her mother is, in a way, still there. She’s being kept alive on machines for the sake of the baby growing inside her.
Estranged from her stepfather and letting go of things that no longer seem important--grades, crushes, college plans--Emma has only her best friend to remind her to breathe. Until she meets a boy with a bad reputation who sparks something in her--Caleb Harrison, whose anger and loss might just match Emma’s own. Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has greyed her existence. Is there hope for life after death—and maybe, for love?

*******

This book is the type to play with your emotions and definitely one that will leave you questioning what is right and wrong. Emma has a lot of anger inside her, and for the majority of the book, you can only see the situation from her side. You can’t help but feel her step father is being selfish, even though he comes across as so caring and kind. You are just so wrapped up with what Emma sees and feels to even consider his point of view.  For Emma,  to sit and talk to her dead mother every day, who is only being kept alive as an incubator for her brother, must be unbearable to live with, and the author captures Emma’s thoughts and feelings really well. Emma transforms from a studious child, into one that no longer cares. Even though she is dropping out on life and school, it doesn’t necessarily feel that way - her viewpoint has changed and she can see the bigger picture of life surrounding it.

As the book progresses, you watch Emma learn to cope with the situation better, as she comes to terms with the situation. She realises that she didn’t know her mother as well as she thought she did.

Emma has a strong friendship with Olivia, which stays strong throughout the book, even though situations develop to change the foundations they have set their friendship on. When Caleb enters Emma’s life, Emma begins to open up more. I’m not sure whether their relationship would have stood the test of time, had they not been brought together by the grief of the death of a loved one.

The book  follows Emma through the seven stages of grief and you watch as she deals with each stage before learning to accept the situation and moving on.

This is a powerful story which would be an ideal read for any teenager struggling to deal with personal grief. I really enjoyed the book, even though it did upset me at times. A heart wrenching page turner. I definitely want to read more books by Elizabeth Scott.

Naming Monsters by Hannah Eaton

I assure you I am not showing off when I say I am probably the country’s pre-eminent teenage cryptozoologist. Actually, that isn’t the right word. I think a cryptozoologist might be one of those people who stand around in khaki waistcoats getting aroused about yetis.

I must be a monsterologist, then. That’s no less embarrassing, but it can’t be helped. I have known now for a year or so - a year last April, to be exact: monsters are all around us.

Published in Junes 2013 by Myriad Editions

Pages - 170 . Graphic Novel.

Goodreads Summary

The year is 1993, as we join Fran on a wild ride around London while she navigates the grief of losing her mother. Tales of strange creatures that might have been introduced at each stage of her journey. Her adventure, often with best friend Alex in tow, is a psychogeography of the city and its suburbs, punctuated by encounters with Fran's semi-estranged dad, her out-of-touch East End nana, a selfish boyfriend, and the odd black dog or two.
As Fran says herself: monsters are all around us.

********

This is a rather sad tale drawn upon from the author’s own experience of losing her mother during her teenage years. Fran, the main protagonist, is seventeen years old and struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother. The death has propelled her journey into adulthood faster than she would’ve liked. The people that surround her either don’t know how to help her through her grief or selfishly can’t be bothered. As she works through each stage of her grief, you feel strong compassion for her and pity that no one was there for her.

As she takes her lonely journey from girl to woman, you watch as she learns to separate childish fantasies from the grim reality. Each section of the book begins with a description of a certain type of monster, that you find instantly replicated within the people she meets in that section, showing the hidden evils that lurk within us all.  You also watch helplessly as Fran travels through each stage of grief to work out how she can live without her mother.

The pictures are beautifully drawn and very detailed. The book is completely in black and white, which I felt added to the dark tone of the book. The content is quite sexually graphic at times, giving the book a harsh look at love, life and sex.

This is the first graphic novel I’ve read in years and it reminded me how much I enjoy them. A stunning and yet poignant look at life after the death of a loved one through the eyes of the young at heart.

Paper Aeroplanes by Dawn O’Porter

I take my place at the front bench of the science lab. A few weeks ago we had been dissecting pigs’ trotters and all the vegetarians were huddled in a corner trying not to look. I thought it would be funny to flick a bit of trotter at them from the end of my ruler. As it turned out, it wasn’t very funny. I only meant it as a joke but it landed inside Kerry Bowden’s pencil case  and she screamed like someone had run over her foot.

Published by Hot Key Books in May.

Pages - 272

Goodreads Summary

It's the mid-1990s, and fifteen year-old Guernsey schoolgirls, Renée and Flo, are not really meant to be friends. Thoughtful, introspective and studious Flo couldn't be more different to ambitious, extroverted and sexually curious Renée. But Renée and Flo are united by loneliness and their dysfunctional families, and an intense bond is formed. Although there are obstacles to their friendship (namely Flo's jealous ex-best friend and Renée's growing infatuation with Flo's brother), fifteen is an age where anything can happen, where life stretches out before you, and when every betrayal feels like the end of the world. For Renée and Flo it is the time of their lives.
With graphic content and some scenes of a sexual nature, PAPER AEROPLANES is a gritty, poignant, often laugh-out-loud funny and powerful novel. It is an unforgettable snapshot of small-town adolescence and the heart-stopping power of female friendship.

******

I really enjoyed reading this book, even if I did cringe at quite a few scenes. And I honestly only cringed because it opened a locked door in my mind that had kept hidden my teenage years which were a lot harsher than I remembered.

The style and setting of this book is the closest I have ever come to my own teenage years. I’m not saying personally that I was the type of girl who was desperate to lose my virginity, because I was quite the opposite. However, the way Renee and Flo approach relationships is the way I remember my friends reacting to boys. I grew up fast at secondary school and learnt so much that it was surprising I ever ventured into a real relationship at all.

For YA, this book is much more realistic to the life of teenagers of today.  You can’t read it without comparing it a little with the American YA we read, which is much more romanticised. American YA makes you swoon - UKYA often hits you with the reality stick.

The story is told from alternating view points between Renee and Flo, who don’t start off as best friends, but follow that pathway as the book unfolds. The book concentrates on the growth and development of their friendship, alongside family relationships and sexual awareness. Both girls come from dysfunctional families brought to their knees by bereavement and unemployment, showing how easily  a normal, healthy family life can quickly unravel.

I know the author kept diaries throughout her teens and this book really shows the evidence of that . You almost feel like you are living and breathing in the 90’s again as you get lost in the story.. When she mentioned Chicken in White Wine sauce in a tin, I instantly travelled back in time and found myself waiting for mine in front of the microwave in my parent’s house.

This book will appeal to fans of Melvin Burgess. The author has captured the essence of teenage life in the UK and laid it bare. No glamour or sugar coating, just real life with real teenagers.