Zom-B Review

Book no. 3

Title: Zom-B

Author: Darren Shan

Release Date: 27^th September 2012

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

CAN YOU LOVE A BULLYING, RACIST THUG IF HE’S YOUR FATHER?

HOW DO YOU REACT WHEN CONFRONTED WITH YOUR DARKEST INNER DEMONS?

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN ZOMBIES ATTACK?

B SMITH IS ABOUT TO FIND OUT!

Well I’ve been waiting for long enough to read Darren Shan’s latest epic instalment and I was not disappointed. While many of his novels contain this amount of gore, I haven’t come across one this gritty before, dealing with racism and abuse and it is definitely a teenage and not a children’s book. Not only did the characters address modern and relevant themes, they were surprisingly handled and it was often the main character, B Smith, that is in the wrong which creates a mix of emotions for the reader.

The first chapter introduces the novel in a Shan-like way, with the death of a young boy. What offers a surprise is the description of day to day occurrences  which follow, allowing snippets of zombie invasion to weave their way throughout the story. I really enjoyed this, as often Shan’s skilful writing can be obscured by his gore and bloody thirsty imagery so this gave me the opportunity to see a different side to his writing, especially dealing with such serious hard-hitting themes.

I can’t write a review about this novel without mentioning the illustrations. I am a big fan of illustrations within young adult novels (the awesome Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell contain some fabulously detailed ones) and these ones really added to the story as well as setting up the big twist towards the end of the book.

How to write a review without revealing what has to be the best twist I’ve read in a while? My intentions have always been to make readers want to read the novels for themselves and with this one I would urge just that. Wonderfully planned and executed, there is a shocker to come towards the end of the novel which will literally make you want to reread the tale to hunt down clues. A brilliant twist that changes your perceptions of the entire book and some of the characters within it. Shan also delivers a fast paced and interesting ending that made me more than ready to read the next book.

Overall, another brilliant Shan instalment! I can’t wait for what I’m sure will be another epic series and I’m only sorry that it took me so long to read this book. Definitely another gory story but also one with gritty themes (as well as crude and bad language) which make it not for the faint hearted or younger readers.

5/5 A must read for lovers of Shan and the horror genre.

**** The next book in this series is already published, ‘Zom-B Underground’, and the third book in the series ‘Zom-B City’ is out in March... watch this space for the next review****

Secrets and Shadows Review

Book no.2

Taken from the side of my bed...

Title: Secrets and Shadows:
           Two friends in a
            world at war

Author: Brian Gallagher

Release date: 1^st September
                            2012

Publisher: O'Brien Press

CAN YOU TRUST ANYONE IN A TIME OF WAR?

When her home is destroyed in the Luftwaffe bombing of the North Strand, Dublin in 1941, Grace Ryan is forced to move in with relatives in a different part of the city. There she meets Barry Malone, an English boy sent to neutral Ireland to escape the terrible air raids on his native city of Liverpool. A friendship develops and a summer of fun stretches before them in the sports club run by his teacher, Mr Pawlek. However, Barry begins to suspect Mr Pawlek of spying for the Nazis, and he and Grace attempt to find proof, but what starts as an exciting challenge becomes increasingly risky, and their friendship is put to the test when their very lives hang in the balance.

Barry and Grace become friends during the Second World War when their homes are targets of Nazi air raids. Despite finding some comfort in their friendship and the fun of the summer sports club, the pair feel displaced without their familiar surroundings, family and friends. Barry misses his Mum and has to adjust to a new school and Grace finds life difficult living with her annoying Uncle Freddie. However, just as they seem to be settling in to their new lives, adventure seeks them out as they have to prove the guilt of a suspected Nazi spy. Will Barry and Grace manage to find the evidence they need before Mr Pawlek gains anymore intelligence?

It took me a long time to read this book (just because I haven't had much reading time lately) and I felt that left me at a disadvantage. The story is really engaging but I feel that the pace of the novel lends itself to the story being read all in one go (if you have the time). The chapters start off short and then get longer as the novel progresses and this definitely adds to the excitement of the story and also heightens the tension.

The second half of the book had a much faster pace than the first half and was very adventurous and exciting. The characters are in real danger and the plot could take any direction, I didn’t find it predictable at all. The first half of the novel deals more with Barry and Grace's day to day lives across a period of a few weeks and the action all comes to a head in one day.

That isn’t to suggest that the first bit of the novel is boring, quite the opposite. The first half of the novel allows Barry and Grace’s characters to develop and explores their relationships with family, friends and teachers. The war is dealt with in a realistic way, showing how families still had to carry on, despite the trauma of losing their homes and being separated. It was really interesting how the start of the story focuses more on friendship than war and the two themes are brought together in a climactic finale. Grace and Barry don’t hit it off at first, they are just expected to like one another and I think this is what makes their friendship so interesting. Grace is definitely my favourite character because she is so determined to help Barry despite her nervousness about getting into trouble and she proves herself to be a really good friend.

For me, the Epilogue and the Historical Note at the end of the book were really interesting and completed the story. The Epilogue is written in a non-fiction style and this made me engage more with the story I had just read and also understand more about what had happened, showing how individual stories fit into the wider picture of the consequences of the war.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure stories or historical ones, however, I would suggest that it is also suitable for anyone who likes stories about friendship. This is a brilliant tale about friendship set in the context of the Second World War and is a really engaging read.

4.5/5 For an adventurous tale about two best friends.

With special thanks to O’Brien Press for sending me a copy of the book.