Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts

Friday, 2 December 2016

Little Christmas Tree by Jessica Courtney-Tickle


Snow has fallen everywhere
and turned the green woods white.
A little Christmas tree wakes up
and sparkles in the light.

Summary From Big Picture Press
Watch a colourful day unfurl around a little Christmas tree…
****
Review by Liss Norton
Little Christmas Tree is a very sturdy board book with lots of flaps to lift. It's all about nature and shows the countryside surrounding a fir tree in winter and the animals, birds and insects that live there. It's not really a story but the rhyming text describes what happens near the Christmas tree from the start to the end of Christmas day. The lovely illustrations have silver foil details and provide plenty to talk about, and there are several flaps to lift on every spread. Some of them are so well matched to the pictures that I only found them by touch, rather than by sight.
The book is well made, the pictures are charming and there are flaps to lift. What's not to like?!

Wednesday, 13 January 2016

A Fragment Of Moonswood (Assalay Trilogy I) by Tracey Mathias

A fateful birthday gift… 
It was a piece of soft white stone. Veins glittered through it like caught moonlight. One face was as smooth as new fallen snow; the other was engraved with a pattern of flowing lines. Gaia traced her fingers along the carvings. After a long time, she looked up at Mai. 
‘What is it?’ 


Published by Canfield Dragon Press 2015 
254 pages in softback - available for Kindle too 
Cover Art by Tim Mathias 

Summary from author’s own website 
All anyone knows about the old amulet is that it’s a good luck charm that hasn’t worked. And luck is about to turn worse, plunging Gaia and her brother Tal into undreamed-of dangers and strange discoveries that might change their world for ever… 
***


I have to be honest - I had my doubts about doing this review. It’s hard to report on a friend’s work - and Serendipity Reviews doesn’t usually handle self-published work. You can imagine why on both accounts. 
BUT I’d said I’d give it a go. After all, the whole trilogy was translated and traditionally published in Germany. 
Quite rightly too. 
This a richly imagined fantasy with layers of meaning. It is ideal for experienced readers from around 11 upwards - family is at the heart of the book but the story inhabits a world touched by Gormenghast-like complexity and threat. The central brother-sister relationship is handled with great heart and a good deal of humour. 
There’s plenty of peril and action to keep you going through the intriguing landscapes - and the city of Freehaven is a marvellous stage set for all sorts of scrapes and near-misses. There’s some lovely lyrical writing at points - but nothing to slow the pace too much. Just moments to savour - and to catch your breath before there’s yet more jeopardy for Gaia & Tal.
Did I mention dragons? And trials and Prohibited Objects? All sorts of mysteries and secrets emerge about The Fellowship who run the country - and some hard choices have to be made by the children. The reader who has stuck with Gaia and Tal through their dramatic adventures will be itching to know how these decisions work out in the sequel: The Singing War. 
Recommended for those who like their fantasy to be both thoughtful and warm-hearted, enjoy a deep sense of history in their fictional worlds and are unafraid of the occasional polysyllabic word!

Wednesday, 25 February 2015

The Dreamsnatcher by Abi Elphinstone

Skull’s voice came, slithering and cold, seeking them out like a chill.
‘Come beast, come child. Come beast, come child’
Moll felt it, as if they’d called them by their names.
The chant was for her and Gryff... She was sure of it. But stranger than all of that was the feeling growing inside Moll.
She almost wanted to step forward, into the clearing towards Skull...
Published by Simon & Schuster UK in February 2015
288 pages
Summary from Publishers
Twelve-year-old Molly Pecksniff wakes one night in the middle of the forest, lured there by a recurring nightmare - the one with the drums and the rattles and the masks. The Dreamsnatcher is waiting. He has already taken her dreams and now he wants her life.
Because Moll is more important than she knows… The Oracle Bones foretold that she and Gryff, a wildcat that has always been by her side, are the only ones who can fight back against the Dreamsnatcher's dark magic. Suddenly everything is at stake, and Moll is drawn into a world full of secrets, magic and adventure.
Perfect for fans of J.K. Rowling, Michelle Harrison and Eva Ibbotson.
This is a great story for children who like outdoor adventure, scary magic and resourceful heroines. You can’t help liking the exuberant yet believable Moll - and who wouldn’t want a wildcat as a companion? There’s lots of action and threat, right from the menacing prologue and it rarely lets up until the end - of this first adventure.
The natural world that Moll and the Elders inhabit is very much a part of the story. I rather hope it will encourage more children to enjoy woodlands because of the love shown in the writing. Likewise, the respect with which Abi Elphinstone portrays aspects of Romany culture gives extra depth to the story. You can find out more on her website.
There’s a strong sense of community as well as the courage of the main character. This helps the more sensitive reader cope with the more terrifying episodes - Skull is a truly ghastly character and it’s good to know Moll is not on her own.
I’d recommend watching the trailer to get a feel of the book - I think the cover looks a little young for some aspects of the story.
Those who love following Moll and Gryff’s escapades will be delighted to know there will be more in time.

Wednesday, 8 October 2014

The Year of the Rat by Claire Furniss

The Year of the Rat
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.

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge

The first things to shift were the doll's eyes, the beautiful grey-green glass eyes. Slowly they swivelled, until their gaze was resting on Triss's face. Then the tiny mouth moved, opened to speak. 'What are you doing here?' It was uttered in tones of outrage and surprise, and in a voice as cold and musical as the clinking of cups. 'Who do you think you are? This is my family.'
Macmillan 2014
409 pages in paperback.
Summary from Frances Hardinge’s website
When Triss wakes up after an accident, she knows that something is very wrong. She is insatiably hungry; her sister seems scared of her and her parents whisper behind closed doors. She looks through her diary to try to remember, but the pages have been ripped out. Soon Triss discovers that what happened to her is more strange and terrible than she could ever have imagined, and that she is quite literally not herself. In a quest find the truth she must travel into the terrifying Underbelly of the city to meet a twisted architect who has dark designs on her family - before it's too late…
*******
I could merely write ‘extraordinary’ and leave it at that. 
‘Cuckoo Song’ is not just exquisite writing but better still a fabulous story - in both senses of the word. All the lovely phrasing and imagery in the world will not correct a poor tale - but this shadowy fairy story is built upon a strong blackthorn skeleton.
Frances Hardinge tells her strange story with all the many-layered depth of a folktale retold. It is rooted in the period just after The Great War. It reflects the changes in society we know
from history as well as the unsettling wonders and inventions readers of her work have come to expect. There’s family conflict deep in the heartwood of this powerful drama - lies, self-deception and sibling rivalry. But the leaves and branches are hung about with galls and cobwebs and the remains of small dead things.
It is not for the faint-hearted or those in search of a quick, easy read. It will delight confident readers willing to immerse themselves in a parallel historical world full of disquieting beings. They also need to be able to keep track of a moderately complex though fully resolved plot - and a quirky sense of humour would help.
I have only one reservation - which has nothing to do with the writing: the cover. The crackle glaze effect is good- and the haunted look of the girl matches the subject. But I deeply dislike photographs of the key character’s face. It limits what that person can look like in the reader’s imagination. It is not inclusive - publishers take note. Give me art work any time. Something like this would reflect my perception better...
Detail from album cover of Never Forever Kate Bush - by Nick Price
Back to the book. It is her most moving work so far - simpler and stronger than earlier stories. It is one of those tormenting books where on one hand I was desperate to find out what happened next to Triss, but on the other I didn’t want it to end. I shall be reading it again.
If you love Neil Gaiman’s’ Coraline’ or any of Catherynne Valente’s ‘The Girl Who...’ series, do give this a go.

Monday, 15 September 2014

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

21263150
The rusted Chevy pickup truck clanked to a stop, and when Lauren Huntsman’s head thumped the passenger window, it jolted her awake.
Published by Simon and Schuster in October 2014
Pages - 392
Summary
Britt Pfeiffer has never been that adventurous, but that's about to change. Wanting to impress her ex-boyfriend, Britt convinces best friend, Korbie, to take a trekking trip with her. But when a freak storm leaves the girls stranded they seek shelter in a cabin, where they find two knights in shining armour. Or so they think.
Britt quickly realises that the girls need to get off the mountain, fast. In exchange for her life, she is forced to guide the boys down, and as they set out on a harrowing journey through the cold and snow, Britt realises the only way to escape with her life is to pretend she is on their side. But is gorgeous, sexy Mason an enemy or an ally? Tension mounts, and it's only a matter of time before things turn deadly . . .
*****
I honestly feel like I have to defend this book, as after reading it and rating it a five, I realised there wasn’t a lot of love for the story. I was surprised by the amount of people who really disliked it and how many couldn’t finish it.
I have read the other reviews and I could see why people didn’t necessarily gel with the main character, Britt. They believed she was a spoilt brat, but I didn’t see this. Yes, her friend, Korbie, had the spoilt brat image down to a fine art, but Britt, didn’t come across like that. If anything, she was rolling along on Korbie’s money rollercoaster. She was also struggling with her emotional attachment to Calvin and her feelings were continually swaying in different directions.
When considering the theme of the book, I kept thinking it was about being self reliant. Britt starts off by relying on everyone around her to help her. She acts the innocent, highly dependent character perfectly, but as the book progresses you witness the real Britt shining through. No one is about to hold her back, least of all Calvin, Korbie or Jude.
I also felt the book explored friendship quite deeply. This book shows that if you are in competition with the people closest to you, then you are cohabiting in a fake friendship. Friends don’t keep scores on everything you do.
I can’t tell you anything about the plot without giving the story away. All I can say is watch out for Jude, because he is one hell of a character.
This is completely different from Becca Fitzpatrick’s best selling paranormal series, Hush, Hush. It must be difficult for an author to embrace something new, but I think she has done exceptionally well in writing such an intense, romantic thriller.
If I had to have any quibbles about it, I would only have one. It might’ve been nice to have a dual perspective within the story, as sometimes it was difficult being just in Britt’s head when so much was going on around her.
However, I can put my hand on my heart and say I really loved this book. I was glued to the pages from the very beginning. If I had to sum it up in one sentence it would be - Expect the Unexpected!