The Traitors Review

Title: The Traitors

Author: Tom Becker

Release Date: 5^th April 2012

Publisher: Scholastic

Dear Adam Wilson,

Agents from the Dial are on their way to collect you. Make your farewells now, as you will not be seeing anyone you care about for a long time. Such are the consequences of treachery.

If you feel you are being unjustly treated, show someone this letter – a family member, perhaps, or a figure of authority. Tell them that you are innocent, and that you deserve their assistance.

But you won’t tell anyone, will you? You’re too guilty and ashamed. We know it and we’re coming for you.

Regards,

Mr Cooper

(CHIEF WARDER, THE DIAL)

Adam hears voices through the radio and receives a strange letter calling him ‘traitor’. But who are they and what exactly are they accusing him of? When they come for him and take him to the mysterious Dial, Adam struggles to believe what is happening. His life on the Dial is challenging and surreal, can he ever escape?

I didn’t know what to expect from this novel as the books in Tom Becker’s Darkside series were brilliant (if you haven’t read them already I definitely suggest giving them a go – they are pure genius!).  While the colourful array of characters with occasional unusual names didn’t disappoint, I felt that the imagination of the Dial was let down by the plot.

The Dial itself is a prison and Becker provides blueprints on the introductory pages which assist in creating the bigger picture of the novel. However, unlike with many novels which offer an illustration of the world which has been created, I found that I didn’t need to keep referring to the map to visualise the Dial, such is the skill of Becker’s description.  

The characters were believable and I really felt for Jessica and Adam, despite the fact that they are traitors. My favourite character had to be the Commandant as I found him really intriguing and he offered something unusual at the end of the tale.  Although I don’t think that this book will ever stop people from betraying one another (I don’t think that Becker intended it to do this either), I did find that it made me think about the consequences of betrayal - not that I’m concerned about being sent to the Dial or anything  :/

Becker’s Dial was an imaginative idea and the characters were multi-dimensional and interesting. I just felt that the narrative didn’t support the world Becker had created for it. Whereas the Darkside series utilised a brilliant world with a fantastic plot and colourful characters, The Traitors didn’t quite bring all the elements together as successfully as I expected from Becker.

3.5/5 Maybe too much imagination for the limits of the novel.

When I was Joe Review

With the release of Another Life on 6^th September I wanted to read When I was Joe which has been on my ‘to read’ list since its release! When I was Joe won the Lancashire Book of the Year award in 2011 and I am pleased to say, it did not disappoint!

Title: When I was Joe

Author: Keren David

Release date: 7^th January 2010

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

It’s one thing watching someone get killed. It’s quite another talking about it.

But Ty does talk about it. He names some ruthless people and a petrol-bomb attack forces him and his mum into hiding under police protection.

Shy loser Ty gets a new name, a new look and a cool new image. Life as Joe is good. But the gangsters will stop at nothing to silence him. And then he meets a girl with a dangerous secret of her own.

Ty has witnessed something awful. When he tells the police, things only becomes more horrific as he and his mum have to go into witness protection after his life is threatened. Becoming Joe is strange and Ty’s mum is struggling to deal with their new life. But Ty finds he quite likes being popular Joe.

However, how long can Ty’s perfect life as Joe last when he can’t control his temper and how long will it be before the gangsters track him down?

I really really enjoyed this book. It offers comedy in the form of Ty’s humour and his mum’s young behaviour (I literally laughed out loud when she texted him with ‘wtf’). However, the book has a very serious back bone and I became emotionally involved with Ty and his ‘friend’ Claire. What Ty and his mum go through is truly awful. Not only are they constantly surrounded by the threat of violence from those Ty has accused but their everyday world is turned upside down too.

 Ty’s mum is studying for a degree with the Open University and doesn’t know if her credits can be transferred now that she has a new name. I know how hard my mum is working for her own Open University degree and something as simple as this revealed a new sense of the day to day difficulties of becoming someone else.  It was these little details that made the story totally believable and immersed me in the narrative.

Ty/Joe is a brilliant character. He attempts to withdraw himself emotionally from what is happening but finds that his emotions vent themselves in other ways. Keren David has created a character with lots of depth and I actually felt like I was delving into the mind of a teenage boy.

The reader is drip fed details of the crime that Ty witnessed and this made me want to continue reading to find out what had happened. Throughout the book I came to different conclusions as to what had happened and all were wrong! David’s withholding of information also offers different dimensions to Ty’s character as it is gradually revealed the extent of Ty’s involvement in the crime.

I’ve ordered a copy of Almost True (the second book in this series) from my local library and the first chapter was included at the back of this book but I didn’t want to get hooked before my copy came! An absolutely fantastic book, suitable for anyone who likes brilliant YA literature.

5/5 Give it a go if you haven’t already!

The Vampire Blog Review

Title: The Vampire Blog

Author: Pete Johnson

Release Date: 27^th May 2012

Publisher: Corgi Yearling (Random House Children’s Books)

So you think you’re just a normal kid? So did I. There was nothing strange or special about me... until the night of my thirteenth birthday.

That’s when the bombshell hits. My parents have been hiding a huge, terrifying, life-changing secret from me my whole life. They’re half vampires - and it turns out I’m about to become one too. What. A. Nightmare.

Suddenly everything’s changing. I’m growing fangs and getting cravings for my best friend’s blood. I even smell weird... life totally sucks! But that’s not all. Vampires exist too – and there’s nothing more delicious to a vampire than half-vampire blood. Things are about to get extremely dangerous... 

Marcus’ parents have just told him he is a half-vampire. Which is if course a joke... isn’t it? Marcus has to deal with his annoying cousin Karl as well as all the new cravings he experiences. His parents have even given him a new half-vampire name! This tale follows Marcus on his journey to become a half-vampire - will he make the change or is he determined to fight his natural instincts and remain a mere mortal?

After reading the blurb I thought this book would be similar to The Radleys by Matt Haig (http://lilypadlibraryuk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/radleys-review.html). However, I would suggest that this book is for younger teens as it was less sophisticated than The Radleys, although it was by no means less hilarious! Unlike The Radleys, which was a black comedy, this book deals with vampirism in a light hearted way with Marcus struggling to accept that he is a half vampire who has suddenly started craving blood.

At the start of the book I struggled to sympathise with Marcus’ character as he is so sarcastic! However, compared to his unsympathetic parents and cousin who don’t seem to understand why he has an issue with becoming a creature of the night, I began to like Marcus. The conclusion of this book is brilliant and it shows a different side to Marcus and his friend Tallulah which allowed me to get excited about the second book in this series.

I’m not sure that the blog format of this book was written successfully. Marcus himself says that no one can ever read it and although it allows the book to be written in first person, from Marcus’ point of view, I felt that this format wasn’t really necessary. However, the blog format did allow Marcus to interrupt his own writing and reflect on things that have happened to him previously which was an interesting approach to Marcus’ emotional development as a character.

I am looking forward to the second book in this series as I want to know more about Pete Johnson’s thoughts on the characteristics of vampires and how Marcus manages to deal with this. Johnson reveals a twist at the end of the story which was really unexpected and means the book is definitely worth reading to the end.  This tale offers humour, sarcasm and a touch of romance as well as an interesting take on what it means to be a vampire!

3.5/5 Deals with the difficulties of being a teenage vampire.

The demon notebook review

Title: The demon notebook

Author: Erika McGann

Release Date:  3^rd September 2012

Publisher: O’Brien Press

Grace and her four best friends, Jenny, Rachel, Adie and Una, are failed witches – and they have a notebook full of useless spells to prove it.

But one night, they stumble upon real magical powers – and their notebook takes on a diabolical life of its own.

The girls watch, helpless, as, one by one, their spells start to work, moving relentlessly towards the worst one of all ...

Can Grace and her friends stem the wave of powerful magic ... before tragedy strikes?

When Grace and her friends decide to perform a Ouija board at school during a full moon, they are convinced that nothing will come of it as all of their previous attempts at casting spells have been a waste of time. However, when the spells the girls have cast begin to work, the friends realise that they may have finally unleashed power... but at what cost? Una is behaving strangely and it is only a matter of time before the spells get out of hand and what started as a joke could be potentially life threatening.

I really enjoyed this book, with its mix of strong characters and pure friendships. The girls cast spells for many silly things and when they begin to work it causes many difficulties for them as well as lots of fun. However, the fear they feel about the last spell working was brilliantly captured in the urgency of the writing (read the book to find out what the spell was for!). The four friends repeatedly attempt to save Una from whatever has possessed her as well as trying to save their fellow class mates from the spells. What made the book so compelling was the girls’ love for one another and their ‘in it together’ attitude. Starting out as a laugh, the girls still manage to stick together through their battle to save the town, with the addition of Mrs Quinlan and Ms Lemon.

My favourite character has to be Mrs Quinlan. With her house full of cats and her no-nonsense attitude towards the girls, I felt she was a really strong character and was introduced in such a way as to make her loveable, despite her aggressive and at times, scary behaviour.  I liked how she was so instrumental in helping the girls and it was interesting to see how her past is revealed.

Overall, this book is a fun read and the characters are easily relatable to. The plot offers plenty of twists and there are many laughs (often at the expense of the characters).  I particularly loved the last chapter as it offered Grace a happy ending and made me smile! The illustrations on the inside of the cover pages were a lovely addition to the book and the chapter titles often made me laugh out loud!

5/5 A feel good supernatural read.

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

Brothers to the Death Review

Title: Brothers to the Death (The Saga
            of Larten Crepsley Book 4)

Author: Darren Shan

Release Date: 26^th April 2012

Publisher: Harper Collins Children’s
                      Books

Just as Larten is finding a new place for himself in vampire society, horrifying tragedy falls on his own family, thanks to the nefarious Vampaneze.

But there are more evil things than just the Vampaneze stirring. And soon, Larten might find himself grieving again – as he faces the worst and final betrayal...

The vampire, Larten Crepsley enjoys life. While he cannot have a full relationship with the human Alicia, this does not stop his affection for her. However, as with much of the vampire’s life, his love for another can only lead to drastic consequences. While the Nazis take hold of Germany, Larten has his own trauma to deal with that will lead him on a crusade against the Vampaneze and reveal a treachery close to home that will shatter everything he believes in.

It took a while for me to really enjoy and appreciate this book. Larten’s long life and the time span of the novel meant that often the narrative jumps several years between chapters.  Unlike the style of the Darren Shan and Demonata series, I occasionally felt too much time had been missed. Although, as the story progresses, the pace captures a sense of how Larten experiences time as a vampire.

Towards the end, the novel introduces some of the cast of Cirque du Freak such as Madam Octa and Truska. It also explores the past of some of the key characters from the Saga of Darren Shan which give added depths to the Saga (which was an AWESOME series).

The treachery Larten faces leaves him devastated and rocks the foundations of the first three books in this series. It is sad and shocking when someone he is so close to betrays him and the consequences for both characters are tragic and irreversible. That’s as much as I’m willing to reveal!

Overall, I felt really disappointed this series has ended, although it wasn’t my favourite Darren Shan series. Written as a prequel leading onto Cirque du Freak it made me want to re-read all of the Saga of Darren Shan. A must read for any Shan-fan who wants to know more about the infamous Larten Crepsley.

4.5/5 Shan strikes again with an epic read.

Can I just take this opportunity to moan about the film, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant and also the new design book covers for the Saga of Darren Shan.  The film tried to collate too many details of the books into one film and also changed too much which I can only hope was also a disappointment to Shan-fans. As for the covers, the original covers were much more dark and sophisticated and made interesting use of colour against a black background.

Old and New Covers for the Saga of Darren Shan (Books 1, 2 and 3)

Darren Shan at the Grand

Darren Shan is doing a book signing at the Grand Theatre, Blackpool. He will also be reading excerpts from his new book Zom-B.

Wednesday 3rd October 2012 at 1pm.


Wish I could be there.


Should be AWESOME!!!

 

 

http://www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk/shows/performance/zom-b

Malkin Child Review

Title: Malkin Child

Author: Livi Michael

Release Date:18^th August 2012

Publisher: Foxtail Publishing

Jennet’s family all believe they are witches. Other folk think they are, too. But 1612 is a dangerous time to be a witch. When her family are imprisoned and put on trial in Lancaster Castle, Jennet’s evidence will help decide their fate.

Commissioned by Lancashire County Council to commemorate the trial of the Pendle Witches’ in 1612, this book captures the innocence of a young child. Jennet Device was a young child when her family were arrested under suspicion of witch craft. Convinced, along with the rest of the townsfolk, that her family are witches, she admitted her beliefs when questioned by Justice of the Peace, Roger Nowell. Jennet’s testimony resulted in the conviction and subsequent death of the ‘Pendle Witches’.

Steeped in the history surrounding my local area, there aren’t many Lancashire folk who don’t know the tale of the Pendle Witches. But this novel allows Jennet’s side of the story to be explored -  Jennet interrupts the narrative within the first chapter of this book to tell her version of events and how she was manipulated into contributing to the guilty sentence that was passed on those who met at Malkin Tower in 1612.

The style of the novel is deliberately simplistic, to reveal the mind of the young girl. Each of Jennet’s little tales are titled and explore her life before the trials as well as immediately afterwards. The chunking of the paragraphs together with the colloquialisms and a young girl’s vocabulary make the book easy to read and persuasively child like. Jennet’s confusion and emotional conflict are portrayed convincingly and to the point, showing her immediate reactions to the arrest of her family and how she felt as an outcast, with no magical powers. Dealing with issues of identity and family, as many teenage novels do, but in a historical setting and addressing a familiar story from a different viewpoint, the narrative is captivating and engaging.

As a crossover (aimed at both children and adults), the novel won’t be everyone’s cup of tea as it could appear unsophisticated. However, I found the style of the book unique, inspired by the real tale of Jennet and her family and utilising Jennet’s innocence to develop the style of the book. I would suggest that you don’t need to know the tale of the Pendle Witches to understand the tale, but it would aid in your interpretation of Jennet’s character and the events of her life. It was interesting for me to read about my local area 400 years ago and anyone with an interest in the Pendle Witches should find this an intriguing read.

4/5 Effectively brings to life a 400 year old character and her tale.