Unfed Review

Title: Unfed (Book 2 in the Undead series)

Author: Kirsty McKay

Release date: 6^th September 2012

Publisher: Chicken House

THEY’RE BACK... AND THIS TIME THEY’RE HUNGRY.

THE GOOD NEWS: BOBBY SURVIVED HER UNREAL SCHOOL TRIP. THE BAD NEWS: HER BEST BUDDY SMITTY IS MISSING, THERE ARE UNDEAD EVERYWHERE AND THEY’RE GETTING HUNGRIER ...

IT’S A NO-BRAINER. SOMEHOW SHE MUST FIND SOME LIVING FRIENDS – AND THE ANTIDOTE – BEFORE EVERYONE’S TOAST.

Bobby wakes up and realises that maybe the worst is yet to come. Having survived the coach crash and not (yet) being bitten by the undead, she’s one of the lucky ones. With her mum and Smitty missing, Bobby must carry out a search through zombie –ridden Scotland. But with more than just zombies hot on Bobby’s tail, will she ever escape and find her loved ones?

The novel manages to maintain a fast paced chase momentum throughout detailed locations, taking the reader along for the ride. Unfed offers typical zombie story tropes, Bobby wakes up in a hospital which is also a holding/ testing facility for zombies and she gets chased across Scotland by military style mercenaries that clearly work for some evil pharmaceuticals company... ring any bells?  I’m not suggesting that this story is boring or predictable, just that it offers a comfortable narrative security (at least at the beginning of the novel) and this allowed me, as a reader, to settle into the story before it all really kicks off! As the novel progresses and Bobby searches for her mum and Smitty, clues are revealed as to what has happened with the zombie outbreak, why her mum and Smitty are gone who exactly is chasing her and why. It’s almost a murder mystery but with more intrigue!

I think my favourite part of the book was Bobby’s internal conversations with Smitty. Smitty was Bobby’s love interest in the last novel and in this book, it’s clear that Bobby misses him very much. He is the driving force urging her not to give up her search and at times their conversations are really touching (as well as funny). Without revealing too much, he doesn’t make a physical appearance until towards the end but these little occasional one liners mean that he has become my favourite character. He is the typical teenage bad boy but his clear affection for Bobby (both in her head and when they meet again) create multiple layers to his character and offer some light relief amongst all the mystery and horror that Bobby faces.

Similarly to Undead, the audience are left on a cliff-hanger… much to my annoyance! If you are a fan of apocalyptic zombie novels you’ll definitely enjoy this but I think it would also appeal to mystery lovers. There are codes to crack, clues to unravel and lots of adventure. Those who Bobby is relying on to help her often have ulterior motives, keeping her and the reader on their toes. This book kept me hooked because at each turn the danger increases and despite some mysteries being solved, there are always more in their place!  

4.5/5 Another really good book by Kirsty McKay.

Parasite Positive Review

Title: Parasite Positive

Author: Scott Westerfeld

Release date: 7^th June 2007

Publisher: Atom

One year ago, Cal Thompson was a college freshman more interested in meeting girls and partying in New York City than in attending class. Then he met a girl called Morgan, they had a fun night together and she passed on a parasite that turns people into ravenous vampires. You know how it goes.

Cal himself is only a carrier, but he has infected the girlfriends he has had since Morgan, and it’s now his job to hunt them down before they can create even more of their kind.

Cal is carrying an infectious parasite which has completely ruined his social life! As a carrier, Cal has become part of the Night Watch to track down those who have not been so lucky and have been turned into murderous beasts by the disease. But when the parasite begins to change and adapt, using different hosts, can the Night Watch save New York?

This review is for my brother, Kane, who would love this book! Kane is currently off doing the student thing at Bangor University and I am very proud of him. He is very interested in Science-y stuff (he is studying Zoology with Marine Biology) and this is definitely for anyone who likes an element of non-fiction to their novels.

This book was relocated to my local library recently and it was the unusual title that made me pick it up. I know it is quite a few years old but I am so glad I gave the book a chance! I really enjoyed it because it offered me something different as a reader. In between the chapters there are brief scientific interludes which offer more details about parasites.... which is weird.... and a little disturbing... but also really interesting and (I hate to use this word again but) different! It is almost like a crime novel with the background to the characters being revealed, adding another element to the tale and allowing us to see more than an average bystander would. Well in this novel, the background to parasites is given. Like I said, it is a little disturbing and eeewwww! at times but really useful for the rest of the book, giving it context and also expanding the novel in a way that I have never seen any other vampire novel do. These chapters also allow the reader to understand the situation just as Cal does as a member of the Night Watch so that we can ground the novel in real 21^st century science.

The character of Cal is really easy to engage with because he is so realistic and unapologetic. He is a young man, hungry and horny and frightened and raw and the author really captures his spirit and instils it in his actions and reactions. Written from Cal’s point of view the book is one long flow of emotional energy.

I know I have stressed the science element of the book, and I think that made the story for me, but there are so many effective layers which Scott Westerfeld brings together, his characters are engaging and believable and the story is rooted in fact, this could happen. It is also an unusual look at the vampire, their lore and mythology and links myths with the historical facts, not just the scientific ones.

I want to recommend this book to anyone who likes reading (and that isn’t a flippant remark). What I mean by this is that Parasite Positive offers something unusual in the way that it is written and so even if you aren’t keen on the content, I think that you would enjoy the form. If  you like traditional vampires, you might be taken aback but I am a big fan of the vampire (as much as you can be of a blood sucking maniac!) and I enjoyed it.

5/5 If you are a tiny bit squeamish then avoid this book but otherwise YOU MUST READ IT! I am looking forward to getting the sequel!

It is winter... and the time for snuggling up with a good book!

Hello ladies and gentleman and welcome back to my blog. Apologies for not writing for a while... I have been busy being ill (bad back which meant time off work to read but also lack of ability to sit at a computer and type for any length of time), decorating my home (although we have only got one room actually painted, I have been choosing carpet colours etc which is really exciting and not at all boring!), rehearsing for a pantomime (I am playing villager number 5 and the part of the bear) and just generally snuggling up with a good book/film, attempting to ignore the cold weather and hiding beneath the duvet. This is in fact the first time I have picked up my laptop in a while!

If I am honest, I have missed you, my lovely, committed blog readers. I have read some great books and I look forward to sharing my thoughts on these with you over the next few days amid my hectic schedule of Christmas shopping, panto rehearsals and visiting family and friends (I am lucky enough to be spending the weekend with my lovely Grandma next weekend to shop in Blackpool!).

Much love and happy winter wishes to you all !

Georgia x

The Face on the Milk Carton Review

Title: The Face on the Milk Carton

Author: Caroline B. Cooney

Release Date: 1^st April 1991

Publisher: Laurel Leaf Library

Re-released by Ember on 22^nd May 2012 with a stylish new cover!

The little girl on the milk carton stared back at Janie… an ordinary little girl, three-year-old who had been kidnapped twelve years ago from a shopping mall in New Jersey. ‘It’s me,’ whispered Janie. ‘But I have a mother and father… I have a childhood… I was not kidnapped… kidnapping means bad people…I don’t know any bad people… therefore I am making this up…’

Fifteen-year-old Janie can’t believe that her loving parents had kidnapped her, until she begins to piece together things that don’t make sense. Why are there no pictures of Janie before she was four? Why is the dress in the photo in her house?

Something is terribly wrong and Janie is almost too afraid to find the truth.

This book found itself on the returned today shelf at my library the other day and despite knowing the story, having read the book years before, I was intrigued about what made this book appeal to a new generation of teenager readers. The story is essentially very simple, outlined in the blurb, so no surprises there. But what makes this story great (and made me want to reread) is that you live the story along with Janie, finding out what has happened piece by piece and asking the same questions she does.

Also, Janie is an average girl, she has a family that love her, friends that (sometimes) don’t really ‘get’ her and a relationship with the boy next door that becomes increasingly more racy as the book progresses (in a really nice innocent way, not a seedy way!). Her life is then thrown upside down when she sees her younger self on a milk cartoon missing advert. What grips me as a reader is that this could be me, or my best friend, or anyone (It couldn’t be me though, I’ve checked and there are baby photos of me with my Mum!)… Janie has never doubted her family unit and yet this one thing throws her life into turmoil. From then on in the story, Janie tries to unravel her past, while not being able to believe that her loving parents would kidnap her and questioning her own sanity.

I can identify with Janie as a character and have the same curiosity she does with regards to revealing her past. Her relationship with Reeve (the boy next door), isn’t key to the story but adds meat to the bones, showing their strained relationship as Janie pursues her desire to know what has happened. As young people, they are just beginning an intimate relationship and the book delves into the passion and desire they feel as well as the awkwardness that comes with exploring sexual feelings. This building of Janie and Reece’s characters allows you to take a step back from the intensity of the kidnap story and just enjoy the characters that Caroline B. Cooney has created.

Just a warning, this book does end on a cliff-hanger and you will be desperate to read the next book so make sure that you borrow/buy the series together and not just the first book (a major mistake I made!). Caroline B. Cooney has always been one of my favourite authors for her point horror titles and I remember this was what first drew me towards ‘The Face on the Milk Carton’ all those years ago. If you haven’t read anything by this author before… give it a go. You are missing out otherwise!

9/10 Despite this being an old(er) title, it still resonates with me and grips from the beginning

The Fault in Our Stars Review

Title: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green

Release date: 3^rd January 2013

Publisher: Penguin

Despite the tumour-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be rewritten.

Hazel has cancer and feels that it defines her life. It isn’t until she meets Augustus at a support group that she realises she has so much more to offer to him, her parents, her friends and most importantly herself.

‘The Fault in Our Stars’ has recently been released as a film (if you didn’t know this … where have you been?!?) and that’s what finally tipped me over the edge to read it. I had heard great things about this book prior to the film but just couldn’t bring myself to read it. I don’t do sad books if I can help it. I especially don’t do sad books about people with cancer. 331,487 people in the UK were diagnosed with cancer in 2011 (these are the latest stats published by http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/). Two years ago my grandad was diagnosed with cancer and passed away just a week later and more recently my friend’s mum passed away after a long battle with cancer. I didn’t want to read a book about someone with cancer.

But there are only so many times you can explain the reasons why to people before you realise you just have to read the damn book. So I did. And I didn’t cry. I felt sad for the characters, really really sad. But I didn’t cry. I’m not sure why but having experienced the trauma of losing someone I loved dearly to the trauma that is cancer; I wasn’t shocked by anything I read. The book, as well as offering humour and passion and joy, also looks at the reality of someone suffering from cancer and the brutality of them losing their battle. Wetting the bed and being unable to eat is what actually happens when someone with a terminal illness comes to the end of their life – we were given a leaflet about it in the hospice when my grandad was there. So, although I enjoyed the book for its humour and its beautiful portrayal of young love, I also have to praise it for its honest depiction of someone suffering from cancer.

The book is a love story written from the point of view of Hazel, a long term cancer sufferer. She meets Augustus Waters at a Support Group and the sparks fly from the word go. But of course, their path is destined to be rocky and can’t have a happy ending. There are some hilarious moments along the way and Hazel and Augustus are very intelligent and eloquent, their language beautiful in places. There are also some really magical moments where Augustus surprises Hazel and we see their relationship bloom.

At one particular point, Hazel is talking to Augustus on the phone and she mentions that she can hear his crooked smile. My wonderful husband has a crooked smile and in the early stages of our relationship, I would have said something similar (I don’t call him as much now that we live together!) Those sort of little moments are really romantic and build empathy for the characters aside from the illness element of the tale. They are just two teenagers in love with the added complication that Hazel is terminal and Augustus has one leg.

As I said, I didn’t cry but I know many people who did and who have said the film is just as upsetting (I’m fairly sure I can’t put myself through that as well but who knows?) I’m not going to say, ‘This is awesome, you must read this book!’, not because I didn’t enjoy it nor because I don’t think it’s a good book. Far from it. I just think that this is a hard book to read as it faces the reality of some people’s lives (as sufferers of terminal illnesses and as their loved ones). My thoughts and prayers go out to anyone who lives this story on a daily basis and their loved ones.  

10/10 I did enjoy this as the characters are so realistic, beautifully written and have so much humour to offer, despite their circumstances. But be prepared for a sad ending.

There are a lot of wonderful charitable organisations out there to help people with cancer and their carers. I have just put a few sites together in case you want to have a look but there are loads more:-

Cancer Research UK  http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/

Marie Curie Cancer Care http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/

Macmillan Cancer Supporthttp://www.macmillan.org.uk/Home.aspx

Cruse Bereavement Care http://www.cruse.org.uk/

Cave of Secrets Review

Title: Cave of Secrets

Author: Morgan LLywelyn

Release date: 16^th April 2012

Publisher: O’Brien Press

SMUGGLERS - BOATS

CAVES - TREASURE

When Tom is rejected by his father, he finds a secret second family among the smugglers who trade in and around Roaringwater Bay. Though Tom doesn’t know it, his family in the Big House is under great pressure. His father has had huge losses in business; his mother is always sad and worried, and his sister’s have no hopes for a good marriage. This is seventeenth-century Ireland when land-grabbing is the order of the day. Friend turns into foe, and loyalty counts for nothing.

From his new family, Tom learns all about boats and smuggling – and secret treasure. And then Tom discovers the best-kept secret of all…

Tom’s parents are hiding secrets from their family. His mother is a sad and isolated; his father spends much time away trying to find his place in this new society and when he returns, his attitude towards Tom is always less than favourable. Tom and his sisters find themselves stuck by the constraints of seventeenth century expectations. But Tom finds a way to escape the drudgery of his family life and makes friends with a young boy and his sister, who introduce Tom to a world wholly different from his own. On this adventure Tom proves that he is no longer a boy – can he finally get the respect from his father that he deserves?

This is another novel which I have greatly neglected. It disappeared down the side of my bed at my mum’s house (where I haven’t lived for 18 months!) after being on ‘to read’ pile on the bedside table and was only recently rediscovered. I have to say, despite a ridiculously long wait to be read, the book did not disappoint.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure that this book would be my cup of tea (smuggling isn’t really my thing) but as a reader committed to reviewing a wide range of genres for my beloved blog readers, I thought I would give it a go. IT WAS GREAT! The novel was a bit of a slow starter which gradually increased the drama, slowly reeling me in until I was completely hooked without even realising!

As far as plot lines go, this book has a great one. Tom’s family have several secrets, which for me was the key to keeping me reading. Some of these are revealed to the reader bit by bit whereas others come as shocks at the end. I was also kept engrossed as I got to know Morgan Llwelyn’s brilliant characters. My favourite character has to be Maura, Donal’s younger sister, who becomes Tom’s friend at the beginning of the novel and who is always there to offer a humorous and often intelligent comment to diffuse the most dramatic situation, despite her young age.

Once again, as historical novels from O’Brien usually do, the author offers us some ‘Historical notes’ at the end of the tale to give us a better insight into the context of the story. These notes were really interesting too! The descriptions of Roaringwater House and Donal’s cabin are based on real homes of the period so when reading this book, I advise you to pay particular attention to these as they give a greater depth to the story and really set the scene of how different people lived.

I think there is something in this book for a wide range of audiences, even if you wouldn’t normally go for something like this. There is plenty of tension, family issues, secrets and lies and true friendships, all set in a really colourful period of history. To me, this review seems quite unspecific but I don’t want to give the game away! I would recommend you give this book a go. Ignore the blurb if you think it is something that you wouldn’t like, the novel itself is brilliant in so many ways.

5/5 A surprisingly enjoyable read. Don’t underestimate Morgan Llwelyn’s storytelling skills!

Many thanks to O’Brien Press for sending me a copy of the book (although this was a while ago!)

Two Truths and a Lie Review

Title: Two Truths and a Lie (Book 3 in the Lying Game Series)

Author: Sara Shepard

Release date: 29^th May 2012

Publisher: Harper

MY KILLER IS STILL OUT THERE.

AND MY SISTER MIGHT BE NEXT.

Two months before I died, my best friend’s brother disappeared. I have no idea where Thayer went or why he left, but I know that it is my fault. I did a lot of horrible things while I was alive, things that made people hate me, maybe even enough to kill me.

Desperate to solve my murder, my long-lost twin, Emma, is pretending to be me and unravelling the many mysteries I left behind – my cryptic journal, my tangled love life, the dangerous Lying Game pranks I played. She’s uncovered my friends’ darkest secrets, but she’s never had the chance to dig into Thayer’s past – until now.

Thayer’s back and Emma has to move fast to figure out if he’s after revenge… or if he’s already taken it.

SECRETS, LIES AND KILLER CONSEQUENCES.

Still pretending to be her twin sister after Sutton was mysteriously murdered, Emma is no closer to finding out the truth. Emma has heard the rumours about Sutton and the mysterious Thayer Vega but up until now, Thayer has been missing. When he arrives with no warning in Sutton’s bedroom, Emma becomes convinced that he is Sutton’s killer. Can she discover the truth before she ends up like her twin?

I’ll be honest, I’ve been really neglectful with this book. After writing my review for ‘Never Have I Ever’ (Book 2 in the Lying Game series), I had ‘Two Truths and a Lie’ waiting on my bookshelf, put to the bottom of the ‘to read’ pile… that was in 2013! That is no reflection of the series – just my own disorganisation! So I was a bit apprehensive about jumping straight back into the series without rereading the previous two novels. I didn’t have to worry. Despite a little bit of struggling in the earlier books to get to grips with who the characters are and how they fit in to Sutton’s life (just like Emma has to), I found that I didn’t really have this problem this time round. Emma is becoming more familiar with the characters and so am I as a reader.  Not only this but for the first time in the series, we get to see Emma publically being Emma whilst also pretending to be Sutton. What I mean is that Emma’s kind nature and also love interest, Ethan, play a big part of Sutton’s life whereas in the first two novels, Emma has been scared of merging her personality with Sutton’s character for fear that she would be found out.  

What was also different about this book was the increase in insight from Sutton, who narrates the story from beyond the grave, attached to her sister’s life presumably until the killer is found. Sutton has more flashbacks that actually lead somewhere, meaning the reader has more (quite important) knowledge than Emma about what has happened leading up to Sutton’s death, though this isn’t for long as Emma’s detective skills are becoming more honed.

As always, with Sara Shepard’s novels, the reader is offered romance, family, friends and a huge handful of danger thrown in to engage us and keep us hooked. Once again, we end up asking more questions than we get answers for but this is part of the charm of the series as we are learning about Sutton’s past alongside Emma’s investigating and Sutton’s remembering.

I think this novel could stand on it’s own as Sara Shepard is really good at reminding us what has happened, through a brilliant blurb and killer prologue. However, for me, it has to be read as a series (you definitely couldn’t not read book 4 after this!) and I would have missed out on so much of the mystery if I hadn’t read the previous 2 novels. I enjoyed this book and it is another great addition to the series.

4.5/5 If you haven’t started reading the Lying Game series already then you should!!!!

Ketchup Clouds Review

Title: Ketchup Clouds

Author: Annabel Pitcher

Release date: 1st July 2013

Publisher: Indigo

Zoe begins her confessional letters to Stuart Harris, a prisoner on death row, because she doesn't know who else to confide in. But as time runs out for Stuart, is time running out for Zoe too?

I’ll be honest, the initial reason I picked up this book was because it has little red birds down the edges of the pages! This is an epistolary novel which allows Zoe to flit between what is happening and what has happened. Not only has Annabel Pitcher written Zoe’s past and present stories but she has effectively created Stuart Harris’ tale which is just as distressing as Zoe’s.

The title is a little bit unusual and refers to a term that Zoe’s younger sister comes up with when describing ketchup and mashed potato… creating what looks like ketchup clouds. After reading the book, I think the title seems quite fitting. To me, it describes being young and care free when the clouds turn red just before sunset but it also contains a dangerous element, the calm before the storm, the deep red colour warning us that not everything is as pleasant as it might seem. The fact that Zoe’s very first letter has a splodge of jam in the corner and the birds on the page edges are red carries this colour through as a theme, invoking passion and danger, which this novel has in abundance.

What is intriguing about this novel is the way that, just like Stuart, the reader is given bits of information but not the whole story until the very end of the book. It is obvious that something bad has happened but it is difficult to find out exactly what or to whom, which is something I became desperate to find out! We are also fed titbits about what is happening in Stuart’s life, despite never reading a letter from him.

By the end of the novel, I’m not embarrassed to say, I was a little bit emotional. I don’t want to reveal too much but it was a bit like a ‘Blood Brothers’ style ending (which is an amazing musical if you get chance to see it). Annabel Pitcher creates tension which explodes in a surprising climax at the end. When the full story is revealed, it is easy to sympathise with all the characters involved. The characters are so beautifully crafted and their world is so believable that it is a bitter pill to swallow to see it shattered.

I enjoyed the additional unposted letter and diary entry at the end from other characters (I can’t tell you who) but they gave a little bit of perspective to the story and also added hope to what is really a dark tale but I don’t want prospective readers to think that this novel is all doom and gloom. It is a sad story but there are so many elements of it that are full of hope and the joys of being young and in love.

 

You should definitely read the book for yourself and see what you think!

5/5 Passionate, emotional, engaging and beautifully crafted. 

15 DAYS WITHOUT A HEAD Review

Title: 15 DAYS WITHOUT A HEAD

Author: Dave Cousins

Release date: 5^th January 2012

Publisher: Oxford University Press

How far would you go to keep your family together?

Meet LAURENCE, fifteen years old and seven feet tall. Very soon, he’ll dress up as his mum and impersonate a dead man on the radio.

Meet JAY, his six year old brother. He looks like an angel but thinks he’s a dog. He’ll sink his teeth into anyone who gets in the way.

Today is Tuesday – and the next fifteen days will change the boys’ lives forever…

Not suitable for younger readers because Jay Roach says so (and he bites).

Laurence looks after his little brother Jay… and up until a couple of days ago, also had the responsibility of looking after his mum. Getting her up to get to work on time is just one of his problems and it can be difficult when she is suffering from a hangover. Laurence has a plan to change things… it might involve spending his evenings in a phone box spurting out general knowledge on the radio (sometimes accompanied by a growling Jay) but surely this will bring his family back together and give them a happily ever after? If only Laurence knew where his mum was……

As sad as it is funny, this book (despite only lasting 15 days) offers a rollercoaster ride. The reality of it is, some children live like Laurence and his brother (although probably without pretending to be their mum or lying on the radio) but as well as making me laugh and cry, this book made me think and be so grateful. So many children aren’t as lucky as I was and don’t have family around them to look after them and make them feel safe. Laurence really cares for his brother and for me that was what drove the story forward. Of course Laurence wants his mum back but he also wants Jay to have a proper family and he truly believes that winning a holiday will solve his mum’s problems.

The book wouldn’t be nearly half as effective if the characters weren’t so believable and one of my favourite ones is Nosy Nelly. We all know someone like her, the local gossip who knows everybody’s business and asks those awkward questions when she already knows the answer! But in some parts of this book, you just wish that there was someone who did know what was going on and could come to the boys’ rescue. 

Keith Gray describes the book as ‘A tough and turbulent tale of growing up… There’s heart and soul on every page’ and I have to agree. For anyone who has never experienced this dark world where children are left to fend for themselves, the book will offer an insight into the stark reality that many children have to face on a daily basis.

However, I don’t want this to put you off if you are after a bit of humour. This is not ‘A child called It’ and will disappoint if you are after a childhood abuse memoir. It is full of humour, love and best of all imagination (as well as being fictional!).

I really appreciated the world that this book had to offer and I think many others will too. There is an interview with the author at the end of the tale which grounds the story as fiction as well as contact details for Childline and NSPCC which offers support to readers who face a life like this in reality.

4.5/5 This book offers so much and I don’t feel that this short review has done it justice.

For support relating to some of the issues raised in the book contact:-

Childline 

www.childline.org.uk  

Freephone 0800 1111

NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) 

www.nspcc.org.uk  

0808 800 500

NACOA ( National Association for Children of Alcoholics) 

www.nacoa.org.uk 

Freephone 0800 358 3456

The Who Cares? Trust

 www.thewhocarestrust.org.uk 

0207 251 3117

Undead Review

Title: Undead

 Author: Kirsty McKay

Release date: 1st September 2011

Publisher: Chicken House

SCHOOL TRIPS. PACK A LUNCH.

AND PICK A WEAPON.

When their ski-coach pulls in at a café, everyone gets off except for new girl Bobby and bad boy Smitty.

They’re hardly best buds, but that soon changes when, through the falling snow, they see the others coming back.

Something has happened. Something bad.

TIME TO GET A LIFE….

When Bobby, English/all American girl, goes on the ski-trip from hell with her class mates, little does she know that the trip back will be far worse than the trip itself. Finding that most of the class and all of the teachers have turned into brain munching zombies becomes just one of their concerns as Bobby teams up with fellow survivors, fighting their way out of a very snowy Scotland with no transport, communication and a limited food supply. The group come up with a lot of ideas as to what caused the zombie breakout, Pete suggests that they are part of a scientific experiment, but no one would leave a bunch of school kids out there at the mercy of zombies, would they?

This book was one of the very few novels which manages to combine humour, horror, romance and family successfully. Of course what appealed to me was the title and the promise of zombie fighting fun but I am really pleased to say, I got much more than that. This novel is along the lines of Resident Evil (amongst many, many others) where there is some sort of hidden experimentation going on that goes badly wrong and the inevitable attempted cover-up.

Undead manages to capture the hierarchical nature of high school life while the students battle for their lives and that’s part of what makes this book really funny. Bobby, social outcast from America, Alice, the school b***h, Smitty, the bad boy and Pete the geek have to work together to save their lives and this offers some brilliant humour with a touch of unexpected romance on the cards. Having never even wanted to sit next to each other in class, the students have to trust one another in order to survive but it us hard for them to break the habit of a lifetime and the back biting continues throughout, despite life threatening danger. Kirsty McKay’s characterisation in this sense is great. We all know someone ‘stereotypically’ like these characters and that’s what made the book so fun.

The introduction of Scottish natives with their colloquialisms, as well as vivid descriptions, sets the book well and truly in the UK. For me, this really set the scene and introduced the remoteness and isolation that the characters feel (if you’ve ever been to Scotland, you’ll know what I mean). While Scotland’s highlands and luscious green fields are great during the day (If you haven’t been to Scotland, you should go, it is truly beautiful), the author reminds us that this can be terrifying during a snowstorm in the dark being chased by zombie hordes.

While much of the book has the characters skulking hiding from zombies and Carrot Man (who may or may not have caused all this) usually in the coach or a service station or running for their lives from the zombies… or Carrot Man, the pace of the novel kept me engaged and turning every page. However, the underlying conspiracy theory intrigued me and kept me hooked until the end where (spoiler alert?) I wasn’t disappointed.  

Overall, a really good, edge of the seat read with elements for everybody. I would say that there isn’t enough romance/family/humour to entertain readers who don’t like horror (although these things are an added bonus) and honestly, if you pick up a book called Undead and aren’t pleased by a bit of gore, teenagers wielding weapons, a few infected teachers and awesome action-packed driving (of both coaches and quad bikes) then prepare to be thoroughly disappointed as this book provides these and so much more!

4.5/5 A brilliant addition to YA horror.

Additional note: When reading this book, I didn't realise that it had been published in 2011. A copy of the playaway (an mp3 audiobook)  recently came in at my local library and I was really interested in this title, so I ordered the physical book. When blogging, I realised that the book was published in 2011 and so the sequel will actually already be released which means I can order it now.... right now!

https://capitadiscovery.co.uk/lancashire/items/1423445?query=kirsty+mckay&resultsUri=items%3Fquery%3Dkirsty%2Bmckay

I <3 libraries!!!!!!

Distant Waves Review

Title: Distant Waves

Author: Suzanne Weyn

Release Date: 1^st March 2010

Publisher: Scholastic

When her eldest sister is drawn into the exciting whirlwind of high society, Jane seizes her chance to escape her small town existence – but leaves her three younger sisters behind.

When they are brought back together by the tides of fate, the five girls find themselves on board the most amazing ship of their time. A ship they have been warned about. A ship called Titanic...

Jane’s mum is a spirit medium which is how Jane and her sisters end up living in Spirit Vale. But a chance meeting with Nikola Tesla in her childhood means that Jane craves adventure and, when given the opportunity, she leaves her family behind to interview Tesla in the big city. One thing leads to another and completely by chance, Jane and her sisters find themselves on an adventure that will take them to dock of the most impressive ship the world has ever seen...Titanic.

I felt a bit like this was one of those books where the blurb reveals far too much about the ending of the book and is a bit misleading. The first half of the book (which was very well written and really interesting) doesn't really have anything to do with the Titanic. I understand that the beginning of the book sets up the character relationships for the end of the book ( I have been reading long enough to know that this is how a good book works!) but I just felt like I was waiting for the book to get going with what the blurb had promised. For me, the Titanic element was the ‘hook’ and actually, after reading the book, I feel like that the story has so much more to offer that it didn't need the Titanic to be such a big advertisement.

Having said that, when the Titanic does make an appearance at the end of the book, it was definitely worth waiting for. Suzanne Weyn really captures the despair and panic felt by the passengers and the horror of what happened and be warned, not all the characters make it out safely. It is such a dramatic event in the book and is quite emotional.

The author’s choice to combine real life characters and events with fictional ones is really well done and very interesting. Her Author’s Note, ‘What’s real in Distant Waves?’ provided the much needed distinctions between her story and the real one and, for me, this made the story even more fascinating. The tale is very detailed and in some places I found myself having to re-read passages so that I knew which character was doing what at that time – there is just so much going on!

Overall, if you are interested in history or the supernatural than I would suggest this is a good read for you. The book wasn’t what I expected and this did affect my enjoyment of it but there are elements of the story which are really good, the characters and plot are detailed and the Author’s Note was fantastic.

3.5/5 Don’t read the blurb before you read the book! 

HALF BAD review

Title: Half Bad

Author: Sally Green

Release Date: 3^rd March 2014

Publisher: Penguin

you can’t read, can’t write,

but you heal fast, even

for a witch

you get sick if you stay 

indoors after dark

you hate White Witches

but love Annaliese,

who is one

you’ve been kept in a

cage since you were

fourteen

all you’ve got

to do is escape and

find Mercury, the Black

Witch who eats boys

and do that before your

seventeenth birthday

                                                                      easy

Nathan’s mum was a white witch healer and his dad is the most dangerous living black witch. Despite growing up under the protection of his gran and behaving himself (well... almost), the witch council won't leave him alone, both concerned about his mixed heritage and convinced that Nathan holds the key to his father’s demise.  Defeating the most dangerous black witch is high on the council’s priorities but this comes at the expense of Nathan’s freedom. Will Nathan reach his seventeenth birthday safely and if he does, will he get his three gifts and complete the blood ritual to become a fully fledged witch?

I cannot believe how much I enjoyed this book. It was completely un-put-down-able and had me suffering from severe sleep deprivation in order to finish it (I am very bitter about this!) Nathan’s character is so well constructed and I could empathise with him throughout. The suffering he endures is horrific but I didn't find the novel uncomfortable to read, in fact, it was a really easy read.

Sally Green uses a non linear narrative; the book being split into six parts. This technique is really effective - setting the scene and showing the situation Nathan is in but only revealing what has happened bit by bit. The reader then gets to experience what Nathan did first hand while knowing that there isn’t a happy outcome. While this can seem a bit strange, I was so absorbed in what was going on in the story at that point that I forget that these are events from Nathan’s past. The entire novel (despite the non-linear narrative) is written in present first person which makes it even easier to slip into the drama at that point and empathise with Nathan. There are exceptions to this such as Part three’s ‘The choker’ which is written in second person but this means it is both inclusive (allowing the reader to feel that this is happening to them) but also allows Nathan to distance himself from the humiliation he is enduring at that time.

The chapters are short and are bluntly titled and for me this added to the character of the book and is indicative of Nathan’s literacy skills. The part titles and chapter titles also reveal drips of information to the reader about what is about to happen, just as the non-linear narrative does. Sally Green uses these effectively, revealing just enough for the reader to be hooked (I was throughout) but also ‘catching us out’ by occasionally offering information about Nathan’s story that was unexpected.

I cannot stress how much I enjoyed this novel. The story is engaging and brilliant. Nathan’s character is so interesting and believable and Sally Green really knows how to pull in her reader and keep them! Also, just a brief note to say I loved the cover art which was very clever and sophisticated.

5/5 Counting the days until the release of the sequel, Half Wild!

The BOY who SWAM WITH PIRANHAS review

Title: The Boy who Swam with Piranhas

Author: David Almond

Release Date: 5^th September 2013

Publisher: Walker

‘Fish fish fish fish!

FISH FISH FISH FISH!

Fish in buckets and fish in bins!’

Stan’s Uncle Ernie has developed an extra ordinary fascination with canning fish, and life at 69 Fish Quay Lane has turned barmy!

Then barmy becomes barbaric and Stan runs away with the fair, where he finds himself a new kind of family: Dostoyevsky and Nitasha from the hook-a-duck, the mysterious Gypsy Rose... and the legendary Pancho Pirelli, the man who swims with Piranhas.

Finally, Stan has a chance to shine; to be the person he was meant to be. But does he have the courage to dive into the churning, swirling waters of the piranha tank?

Stan finds his life monotonous working for the family fish business and when his Uncle Ernie does something (almost) unforgiveable, Stan decides to run away with the fair. Fitting into a new kind of family, Stan realises his destiny

The boy who swam with piranhas is a touching book that is both funny and sad at the same time. The speech is written in David Almond's phonetic style for some of the characters and this is really the only thing that linked it to The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean, well, that and the strange larger than life characters which are beautifully constructed. See (http://lilypadlibraryuk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/the-true-tale-of-monster-billy-dean.html) for my review of The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean.

To say that I disliked the abstract style of The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean, I loved the structure of this tale (although that probably says more about me as a reader than David Almond's writing!). For me, the story flowed and it was very clear cut which bits the reader was meant to enjoy, the story wasn't predictable, just nicely comfortable. The settings were detailed and elaborate and added depth to the story as the characters travel cross country to be together again.

The characters of Uncle Ernie and Nitasha were the most complex because they weren't necessarily good or bad characters, they offered something much more complex. All the other characters are very clearly labelled as 'good' or 'bad' and offer security, we are meant to like Annie and Dostoyevsky and dislike Clarence P Clapp and his ‘lads’ whereas Ernie and Nitasha do some bad things but are so well loved by the other characters that they can be forgiven.

There was a little interlude where the storyteller threatens to abandon the track of the current story (following Stan) and drift off to another location where Annie and Ernie are. This almost reminded me of Lemony Snicket who likes to go off on a tangent and creates frustration for the reader who really just wants to know what will happen next!

Overall a nicely enjoyable read. It was really easy to get into and offered lovely creative characters that were lively enough to leap off the page. I would recommend this to someone who wants to read something a little bit quirky (but not as abstract as The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean) and I would be shocked if you didn't find at least 75% of it highly enjoyable. The illustrations are also really well done and add to the character of the novel.

4.5/5 An unusual book with a carnival feel 

Apologies from Mrs Brown

Good morning blog followers!

I wish to offer my sincerest apologies for being such a bad blogger in 2014. However... I would like to think that I have a very good excuse.... I am now a married woman!!!!!!

I have spent quite a while doing wedding-y things and that has meant that the blog has been neglected.

This does not mean that I haven't been reading... quite the opposite. On our honeymoon, my husband (!) and I bought about 50 books (not an exaggeration) and as the weather was a bit miserable, spent a lot of time in the hotels reading!

I have therefore a lot of books to blog about and so you might be bombarded over the next week as I try to catch up with my reviews!

To anyone who might be interested, we had a lovely day and I am now happily married to Mr Brown. The weather stayed lovely while we were at the church and then proceeded to chuck it down when we moved on to Cafe Cargo but it was wonderful and we got some stunning photos!

So watch this space for some epic reviews!

Much love

Georgia Brown