Zom-B Underground Review

Title : Zom-B Underground

Author: Darren Shan

Release Date: 20^th June 2013

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children’s Books

CAN YOU HOLD ON TO YOUR HUMANITY IF YOU’RE A MONSTER?

HOW DO YOU FACE THE PRESENT IF YOU’RE HAUNTED BY THE PAST?

WHERE CAN YOU TURN WHEN YOU’RE TRAPPED IN A LIVING NIGHTMARE?

FOR B SMITH, DEATH IS NOT THE END!

B should surely be dead. She is dead... or more precisely undead. Then how can she think, feel or even speak? Being kept in an underground unit and monitored closely by scientists brings B no closer to the truth of what has been going on since her capture. She finds out that there are more like her, more zombies that can walk and speak and think. They call themselves zomheads, although B is not sure how much she has in common with them, despite being dead of course!

Now I know many people were a bit unsure about this series and slated the first book. While I enjoyed Zom-B, I must admit, this book didn’t do it for me (that DOES NOT MEAN that I love Shan any less... this is his first disappointing book in my eyes so he has done well to maintain my interest since I started high school!). Maybe it was the monotony of the days ‘underground’ that didn’t capture my imagination but I just didn’t find the book that interesting. There are some brilliant gory descriptions, as there always is with Shan and I still love the illustrations within this series, which I think has really added another depth to Shan’s writing.

Shan is a master of characterisation and he has developed some brilliant characters in this tale (although sadly most of them are dead by the end!) and the weird clown like figure, Mr Dowling, has of course sparked my interest. Present in the first book, he clearly has something to do with the introduction of zombies and the strange targeting of school children (which seems to be what the zom-heads were hinting at) which reminded me a little of Mr Tiny in the Saga of Darren Shan series – a character who ultimately knows far more than everyone else. There is another twist to this tale like there was in Zom-B and although this one was easier to spot, it was no less fascinating. I am going to have to stop taking things at face value when reading Shan’s books!

I will be reading the next book (I already have it waiting on my shelf after pestering my beloved fiancé to buy it for me) and I just hope that the series redeems itself. It is called Zom-B City so hopefully the story will be brought back to life with the introduction of the real world. I have to read on because the series has captured my imagination but also because Shan is such a brilliant writer and I am looking forward to reading his next offering. I wouldn’t say this book was terrible, the plot was just slightly disappointing and it was only in the last few chapters that things get really exciting. If you have read the first one, I would suggest you give this one a go but I didn’t really feel it was up to Shan-standard.

3.5/5 This one didn’t do it for me but there are some brilliant individual moments within the tale.

The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart Review

Title: The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart

Author: Mathias Malzieu

Release Date: 6^th August 2009

Publisher: Chatto and Windus

Edinburgh, 1874. On the coldest night the world has ever seen, Little Jack is born with a frozen heart and immediately undergoes a life-saving operation. But Dr Madeleine is no conventional medic and surgically implants a cuckoo-clock into his chest.

Little Jack grows up different from other children; every day begins with a daily wind-up. At school he is bullied for his ‘ticking’, but Dr Madeleine reminds him he must resist strong emotion; anger is far too dangerous for his cuckoo-clock heart. So when the beautiful young street-singer, Miss Acacia, appears – pursued by Joe the school bully – Jack is in danger of more than just falling in love... he is putting his life on the line.

At birth, Jack is fitted with a cuckoo-clock heart to save his life. As he grows up under the protective wing of Dr Madeleine and her friends he realises he is different to other children. A chance encounter with a pretty girl, Miss Acacia inspires him to start at school.  However, the tick tocking of his clock-work heart means he struggles to make friends and eventually he is driven out by the school bully.  Setting off on a quest to track down Miss Acacia, Jack meets lots of colourful characters and finds himself on the most exciting adventure ever... falling in love!

I picked up this book because I was attracted to its steam punk style front cover and the contents followed this style. Jack is one of a rabble of characters which have been operated on by Dr Madeleine, who many of the townspeople think of as a witch. Her unusual methods of ‘fixing people’ and assisting young ladies with unwanted pregnancies gets her a bad reputation but she cares for little Jack as if he were her own son. It is this caring relationship that makes the ending really distressing and for me, this ruined the entire book.

I don’t want to reveal the ending to anyone who is going to give this book a go but it is rather sad and involves a huge deception which changes your entire perceptions of all the events in the book. The characters are brilliantly constructed and have wonderfully vibrant personalities . The style of the first person narrative (written from the point of view of Jack) is similar to Lemony Snicket’s Unfortunate Events series. Drifting between a black comedy and a fairy-tale, the narrative is more mature that Snicket’s  but still offers some of the dry humour and witty style that Snicket is so good at. This style is also captured in the wonderful chapter titles.

I did enjoy the story and the relationship between Jack and those he cares for,  Dr Madeleine, his surrogate mother, Georges Melies, his best friend and Miss Acacia, his one true love, are beautiful as well as haunting in the way they develop and end.  Set in 1874, Jack the Ripper makes a brief appearance and the beautifully described Edinburgh, Paris and an Extraordinarium in Andalusia really captured my imagination.

4/5 An absolutely lovely book but with a harrowing and disappointing ending.

My Mad Fat Diary Review

Title: My Mad Fat Diary

Author: Rae Earl

Release Date: 23^rd August 2007

Publisher: Hodder paperbacks
 
It’s 1989, and Rae is a fat, boy-mad 17-year-old girl, living in Stamford, Lincolnshire with her mum and their deaf white cat in a council house with a mint off-green bath suite and a larder Rae can’t keep away from. This is the hilarious and touching real-life diary she kept during that fateful year.

My Mad Fat Diary evokes a vanished time when Charles and Di are still together, the Berlin wall is up, Kylie is expected to disappear from the charts at any moment and it’s £1.30 for a snakebite and black down the Vaults pub. It will speak to anyone who has ever been a confused, lonely teenager who clashes with their mother, takes themselves VERY seriously and has no idea how hilarious they are.

Rae Earl is a teenage girl growing up in the 80s. Just realised from a psychiatric hospital, she is trying to fit in again with society. But between her mum’s new boyfriend, fancying almost every boy she meet, keeping up with a hectic social life down the pub and revising for her exams, Rae is finding life stressful. Luckily she has her diary to confide in!

I was inspired to read this after watching the hilarious tv show on E4 based on the book. I was not disappointed. Rae Earl summarises what it is to be a teenage girl without a boyfriend (when everyone else is in couples) and who feels insecure about her image... believe me, we’ve all been there. What I thought was hilarious was the way she  got very mixed messages about whether guys were ‘into her’ or not ... it was very very true to life! But I don’t want to put anyone off if they think this is just one girl’s rant about how hard her life is... far from it. Rae appears to experience the highs and lows of growing up just like any teenage girl (although she has just come out of a psychiatric ward) and eventually finds friends that she fits in with, not those who cannot accept the way she is.

The TV show was slightly different from the book as some of the things which happen to the characters are slightly different. The TV series definitely has a more definitive ending than the book; I felt the two complemented each other wonderfully. I couldn’t read the book without picturing Sharon Rooney who plays Rae Earl in the series writing down those thoughts (She is a brilliant actress).

Rae refers to a lot of songs/artists within the diary. I wasn’t around in the 80s (being born in 1991) and I thought that (by listening to a lot of the tunes on youtube) I was able to get a feel of the music scene in the 80s and I really enjoyed it!

I would recommend this book to anyone who fancies a laugh. It was really enjoyable and I think boys may even appreciate the humour (and they also get to see inside the mind of a teenage girl!).  This brilliant book offers an insight into life in the 80s, Rae has to use a public phone box because she doesn’t have a home telephone and she records songs of the radio and makes mixed tapes, and I thought many people, whether they were around in the 80s or not, would appreciate this. I think that everyone will get something different from this book as it has so much to offer on many levels, humour, history, culture, relationships and a fascinating teenage life.

5/5 An absolute riot!

For more information on the tv series check out http://www.e4.com/mymadfatdiary/

Series 2 to follow in 2014... I can’t wait!

Barrington Stoke Reviews

So many books that are for people with reading difficulties, ranging from dyslexia or a low reading ability etc, do not have engaging content for young adult readers. Barrington Stoke are brilliant publishers that produce books of a suitable reading level but are also entertaining for YA readers. This is why I thought I would introduce some of their stories to you ... if you don’t know of them already. They are well worth a read, even if you usually go for more complex tales, as they are enjoyable but also quick reads and the good thing is... you can give them a go whatever your reading age or ability! These reviews are literally short and sweet because the stories themselves aren’t too long but I wanted to try and give people a taster of what the stories are like.

Title: The Dying Photo

Author: Alan Gibbons

A strange man takes a photo of Jimmy’s family. As the camera flashes, Jimmy’s parents vanish. The only clue is a picture of his mum and dad screaming.

Jimmy is alone. Nobody believes him. Is he going mad? Or can Jimmy find the man who took his parents from him – and get them back?

The idea for this story was produced for a competition by a young man named James Pybis with Luke Gates producing the cover design. This just proves how Barrington Stoke really care about their readers and what they want to read! I enjoyed this book which follows Jimmy’s story when his parents disappear. The man who takes the photo has a creepy story behind him which was really interesting and added depth to such a short story.

4/5 A short story but with plenty of content

 

Title: Bad Day

Author: Graham Marks

Rob’s going to meet Tessa.

Like, for real.

In person.

For the first time.

Then rob starts to think twice.

And what should have been a great day begins to fall apart, big style...

Rob is going to meet a girl he has met online. But all day long he has doubts, what if she isn’t who she said she was, what if she doesn’t turn up at all? I enjoyed this story as I thought it was quite realistic. Rob’s emotional rollercoaster, doubting who Tess might be but also feeling excited to meet her was really interesting but also created his character. This story is quite funny at the end, although I can’t tell you why without revealing the story! Give it a go, it will surprise you!

5/5 An interesting story with an unexpected ending.

Title: Thing

Author:  Chris Powling

Black button eyes.

Zig-zag moth.

Stiff body.

Thing.

Once it was Robbie’s best friend.

Now it’s become his enemy...

Thing goes everywhere with Robbie... which is fine, until Robbie wants to go somewhere without Thing. Can they ever be parted?

I found this story quite unnerving. I wasn’t terrified but it was a bit scary. It reminded me a little of Coraline by Neil Gaiman, not in terms of plot but because of the button eyes that really freaked me out when I was reading both stories.  The illustrations are brilliant but eerie and the one on the last page is particularly shocking. The story has a really simple plot with a climactic ending that added more horror to the rest of the tale.

4.5/5 Really eerie and well worth a read.

 

Please comment with any views on your favourite Barrington Stoke stories!

If you want to find out more about Barrington Stoke and the work they do, check out:-

http://www.barringtonstoke.co.uk

Ponit Horror Collection 8 Review

Title: Point Horror Collection 8

Release Date: 1996 ( as a collection)

Publisher: Scholastic Children's Books

The Dead Game by A Bates

Find out what happens when an innocent game gets out of control and the players start...dying...

A group of friends decide to plot revenge on those who have wronged them... but things begin to go horribly wrong and the game spirals out of control. Can the friends find out who is behind the game before anyone else gets hurt?

The Dead Game had a mildly scary plot and I really enjoyed it. It was traditionally Point Horror and offered a group of teenagers who attempt to change their lives through humiliating people who they think of as ‘fake’.  However, what starts off as a fun game turns serious when people the friends had targeted begin to get seriously injured.  Who knows about their game and who has decided to take it to the next level?

The end of this novel was a bit of a shocker. Written in third person, following the characters as they partake in the ‘game’, the author leaves out a lot of details that would give the reader a clue to who is behind the threatening behaviour that haunts the ‘fakes’ of the school. With the chapters following different characters, I was never bored and this definitely helped build the climax at the end of the novel.

Overall, a very Point Horror-esque start to the collection.

 

The Stranger by Caroline B Cooney 

Nicoletta’s interest in the sinister newcomer Jethro is becoming an unhealthy obsession – and soon she’s in too deep to save herself...

Nicoletta is all alone, her friends have deserted her in favour of being friends with someone else. So when she meets Jethro, she thinks she might have found a kindred spirit. But Jethro hides a dangerous secret... will Nicoletta uncover it before she falls in love?

This was a really odd one and didn’t have a traditional Point Horror villain. I found it a bit difficult to get through this one as a lot of the chapters seem repetitive with Nicoletta, Jethro and Christo in some weird love triangle.

I enjoyed the beginning of the story as Nicoletta begins to feel withdrawn from her friends as she is cast out of her choir, the Madrigals. Having to go to art appreciation class instead does not make her feel any better, until she meets the mysterious Jethro. This opening follows the Point Horror ‘vulnerable teen’ trope and although I like that Cooney offered us something different with the rest of the novel, I wasn’t overly keen on this story. Maybe I’m not the sort of reader that likes monsters in dark caves but I was slightly disappointed by both the imagination and the style of this tale.

Caroline B Cooney is the author of some of my favourite Point Horror’s, including the Vampire series. She also wrote the Janie Johnson series which are really good. I have Freeze Tag on my ‘to read’ list so I’ll let you know what I think of that but I would definitely say she is a brilliant author, for me, this just wasn’t one of her best.

Not bad, but not fantastic either.

Call Waiting 

At first, the sinister phone calls just seem like a sick joke – but there’s nothing funny about being scared... to death...

Karen is receiving odd phone calls, someone is watching her and that someone wants her dead. Can she find out who is it before things get serious?

As usual, Stine didn't disappoint. His story focuses on unhealthy romantic obsession and at the end, I didn't really find myself liking any of the characters! They all possess odd little (or quite big) flaws that make them unlikeable but I suppose also more like real people.  One thing that made this story stand out from the other two in this collection was Stine’s use of cliffhangers/shocks at the end of every chapter. This kept me engaged for quite a bit but by the end of the book I was a bit bored with this as every shock had a simple explanation, for example, a body in the boot of the car turns out to be a mannequin. The chapters became a little bit predictable, although I still didn’t guess who was behind the calls and I think Stine threw in a few good misdirections to throw readers off the scent so that you find out last, after the protagonist, Karen.  Karen’s behaviour becomes a little bit predictable but the actions of those around her kept me interested.

Not the best Point Horror story (and not Stine’s best story by far) but in keeping with the genre and genuinely enjoyable.

3.5/5 as a collection but I still do enjoy the simplicity of a good Point Horror!

Point horror - What do you think?

I got into quite a long conversation with a gentleman the other day about the Point Horror books.  If you are not familiar with these then they were a series of teenage horror books released mainly in the 1990s by various authors.  According to the article by Will Davis (granted this was in 2008), Point Horror have lost their edge, become cringe-worthy reads. However, I disagree. Having partaken in this lengthy conversation with a man in his 30s about our favourite Point Horror stories (he liked ‘Call Waiting’ by R L Stine whereas I favoured ‘The Snowman’ by R L Stine and ‘The Unseen’ by Richie Tankersley Cusick), I got thinking about why I didn’t read these anymore.

It’s not that I’ve grown out of them, I read young adult and children’s books all the time (I promise a review of the Black Cat Detectives will come soon!). You just don’t really see them around anymore. So I hunted the charity shops and found a well thumbed, truly exhausted copy of Point Horror collection number 8 which includes ‘The Dead Game’ by A Bates, ‘The Stranger’ by Caroline B Cooney and ‘Call Waiting’ by R L Stine. I’m part way through it and reviews will appear soon. But what interested me is how difficult some of these titles are to get hold of from the library. They are obviously popular, as I’ve seen quite a few orders for Point Horror titles recently and yet, because they are so old (some are now available on Kindle- although I am still not a fan of ebooks) not many copies remain. The reason they are still talked about and read is because they were and are readable! I agree with Will Davis that many of them followed a set plot, with an American teenager with issues being stalked or haunted (or both) but it is this familiarity that makes them enjoyable. What many people actually enjoy about a book, whether snuggling in bed with one or reading while sunbathing, is the escapism that books offer. I am by no means suggesting that a book with complex characters or engaging plot is not highly enjoyable, far from it – I enjoy a Dickens as much as the next person, I just don’t think Point Horror should be easily dismissed.

There are a few titles released this year that are advertised as ‘Point Horror’ and I’d love anyone who has read any of these to leave a comment... I’m looking forward to comparing the classics to the new releases. I’m really enjoying re-living my childhood through these books and although I haven’t seen them as a stepping stone to ‘harder’ horror such as Stephen King and Christopher Pike, I like to think that many people saw Point Horror as a starting point to enjoying the horror genre and the great writers it has to offer. Will Davis sums up his argument by suggesting that ‘Perhaps if they'd tackled weightier issues the fear factor would have crumbled, since after all, real life is a lot more terrifying than being threatened by some unhinged cheerleader with a chip on her shoulder’ – it is this lack of the weightier issues that I hope to explore in my re-reading of these titles from my childhood.

Check out Will Davis’ article from the guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2008/may/07/whendidpointhorrorloseits

Full list of Point Horror titles (including the 2013 ones):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Horror

Enjoying Literature

I just wanted to add my opinion to the current debate that has been inspired by Michael Gove’s comments about Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series. Amongst a million others on the net, Malorie Blackman, brilliant author of readable, unpretentious literature and current children’s laureate, has slated Michael Gove and those who don’t understand the importance of enjoying literature.

As mentioned previously, I work with a group of young people in a high school and I also work in a library. What worries me is the number of children who can’t read at all and I would be overjoyed if, at age 17, 100% of children in the country could read something as complex as Twilight. To those of us who read extensively, daily, whether for work or pleasure, Twilight is a novel which would be an easy read, trashy escapism (which I highly approve of actually!) that doesn’t require much thought other than whether the book is as good as the film.

However, to those children who don’t have the opportunity to read literature regularly (I agree with Malorie Blackman about the importance of using our public libraries but many people in the UK still don’t have a library card), Twilight allows them to fall into another world temporarily, experiencing the joy of lexis, syntax and plot lines. Why oh why are we not encouraging reading at whatever level? Leave it to Eva and The Black Cat detective agency (which is up next for review) are both really simple, enjoyable books, yes, they were made from children but I can enjoy them at 21 just as well as I would have done at 12.

Everyone starts their reading somewhere. I know a gentleman who is just learning to read again after developing dementia. He learnt to read later in life and now has no recollection on how to read the books that he once enjoyed. Luckily, through the use of audio books and the physical copy of the book, he is slowly being able to recognise words again. I realise this is an extreme example but what I’m trying to get across is the importance of reading at any and any level. I do agree that children of a certain age can get great pleasure from reading the classics. I read Jekyll and Hyde as part of my degree for the first time and found it fascinating – but I would not have been able to read a novel like that (or probably wanted to) without the love of literature that I developed as a child.

So, for anyone who doesn’t believe in the importance of graphic novels, comics, slushy teenage romance, chick lit, sci-fi or any awesome sub-genre that are actually underrepresented and unappreciated as brilliant works of art (if they are funny, emotive, engaging or imaginative then they stand out as effective literature surely?), look at what you read as a child. Look at how you were inspired to love literature and language and how your ability to read has shaped your life. Only by reading things we enjoy can we place ourselves in the world of literature, develop our reading skills and hone in on the genres we enjoy whether this be classics or comics. Being able to read and enjoying reading are much more important than knowing the ins and outs of the classics... no matter how old you are.

For more information check out:-

This brilliant article by Isabel Hardman:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/secondaryeducation/10049459/If-only-Michael-Gove-wasnt-such-a-know-it-all.html

Or  Malorie Blackman’s views:

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/childrens-laureate-malorie-blackman-takes-a-bite-out-of-snobs-who-dismiss-twilight-novels-8643791.html