Another Life Review

Title : Another Life

Author: Keren David

Release Date: 6th September 2012

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Kicked out of yet another boarding school, Archie couldn’t be happier to find himself back in London with old friends and an exciting social life. But he’s worried about his cousin Ty, who is facing a sentence in a Young Offender Institution and doesn’t seem to be coping. When he begins to learn surprising things about Ty, Archie goes on a mission to discover the truth about his cousin’s part. But who is the real Ty?

Ty is still struggling to fit in anywhere and after being charged with carrying a knife and being sent to a young offender's institute, things seem to go from bad to worse. Can Ty’s cousin Archie help or will he make things worse? What will Archie find out about Ty? Can Ty and his family ever escape from those trying to hurt him?

I was really looking forward to reading ‘Another Life’ as the other two novels in Keren David’s trilogy were brilliant and this one didn't disappoint. With much of the story allowing us to follow Archie, Ty's cousin, the book offers a lot more humour and light heartedness than the previous books. However, it also delves deeper into the dangers of gang culture and all in all the book covers a range of emotions and genres which is what makes it so beautifully constructed.  

All the way through, I sympathised with Ty and Archie which could be down to the first person narratives from their point of views. However, that doesn't mean they don't have character flaws (sometimes their thoughtlessness can put their families in danger). This is another aspect of Keren David's writing that makes her a fantastic author, her characters are believable, they have a varied mixture of emotions and her characterisation is outstanding.

I'm a bit sad that the series has ended and I wondered if Keren David might consider an Archie spin off (hint hint!) as his character was hilarious, so full of life and typically teenage! His attitude is really believable and his friends give the reader a better insight into Archie’s life, both before and after Ty (just as Archie visiting Ty’s home town gives us a deeper insight into Ty’s life before the crime). The way the novel is written definitely ties up a few loose ends from the characters' backgrounds. I think that this is possibly the best book in the series as it offers so much variety and displays Keren David’s talent brilliantly. I would recommend this series to readers who like an adventure and can appreciate good storytelling!

5/5 Absolutely brilliant! A must read trilogy.

Never Have I Ever Review

Title: Never Have I Ever

Author: Sara Shepard

Release Date: 29^th Sept 2011

Publisher: Harper

Not long ago I had everything a girl could wish for: amazing friends, an adorable boyfriend, a loving family. But none of them know that I’m gone – that I’m dead. To solve my murder, my long-lost twin sister, Emma, has taken my place. And now my killer is watching her every move.

I remember little from my life, so all I can do is follow along as Emma tries to solve the mystery of my disappearance. But the deeper she digs, the more suspects she uncovers. It turns out my friends and I played a lot of games – games that ruined people’s lives.

Anyone could want revenge... anyone could want me –and now Emma – dead.

As Emma takes on her dead twin sister’s life to try and find out who killed her, she struggles to keep her lives separate. Falling for Ethan only makes her life more difficult as she tries to maintain Sutton’s status as Queen Bee. Can Emma eliminate all the suspects before she herself becomes a victim?

I really enjoyed this book and although it took me a while to read it, it was definitely worth it. Emma is still struggling to find her sister’s killer but by the end of the book there are more suspects than ever! An unexpected character appears at the end and definitely adds more excitement and anticipation to the next book (which I have already ordered from the library and can’t wait to read!)

The comments made by Sutton throughout the book remind us of the girl’s unusual relationship and allow us a slight insight into her personal life which isn’t tinged by others jealousy or admiration.

As Emma begins to get closer to Sutton’s dad and Sutton’s sister, both twins realise how good Sutton’s life was before she died and just how much she has lost. However, as Emma delves deeper into Sutton’s life, it is clear that she had many enemies, but Sara Shepard keeps the reader on edge, not revealing which of these characters are capable of murder and blackmail and who Emma can actually trust.

Once again, Sara Shepard’s writing style still reminded me of the book ‘The Time of the Ghost’ by Diana Wynne Jones (as mentioned in my review for book one in this series ‘The Lying Game’) as she captures the mystery surrounding each character and how they relate to the girls’ lives wonderfully. It can take a while for the characters to form themselves as individuals as Emma knows very little about them and so the reader is placed in the same situation as Emma, getting to know the characters gradually, at face value. Sutton struggles just as much as Emma to work out the circumstances of her death. It is frustrating that Sutton can’t communicate with her twin, not to help her unravel the mystery but to offer her support. Although Emma has the love of many characters who think she is Sutton, there is only Ethan who truly understands her situation. However, even their relationship suffers when Emma is concerned that things may become too complicated if they get too close. Everyone thinks that Emma is Sutton and Sutton would never have dated someone like Ethan!

I would recommend this book and I just hope that the plot doesn’t become too complicated within the next book, ‘Two Truths and a Lie’.  While I still feel like Emma isn’t much closer to finding Sutton’s killer, I don’t feel like Sara Shepard is dragging out the story, in fact, the tale just becomes more intriguing. I haven’t read any of Sara Shepard’s other series but I have heard that they are really brilliant and I look forward to giving them a go after this series!

4.5/5 The story just gets more interesting!

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!