Wondrous Reads

Review: Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales

2012-05-24T11:30:00.000+01:00

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: Hardcover
Released: October 5th, 2010
Rating: 5/10

Amazon summary:

It’s Violet’s junior year at the Westfield School. She thought she’d be focusing on getting straight As, editing the lit mag, and figuring out how to talk to boys without choking on her own saliva. Instead, she’s just trying to hold it together in the face of cutthroat academics, her crush’s new girlfriend, and the sense that things are going irreversibly wrong with her best friend, Katie. When Katie starts making choices that Violet can’t even begin to fathom, Violet has no idea how to set things right between them. Westfield girls are trained for success—but how can Violet keep her junior year from being one huge, epic failure?

Review:

I wanted to love this book and, while I liked it, I didn't think it lived up to all the online hype I'd heard. I think this was a case of my high expectations getting the better of me, as I was fully prepared for a laugh-a-minute book like Sloppy Firsts but at a posh girl's school. Maybe my sense of humour was out of sync, because I didn't find it all that hilarious. Certain snippets of dialogue made me laugh, but that was about the extent of it for me.

I liked both Violet and Katie and their different personalities. Their friendship was one of those that lasts forever, even though it may hit a barrier or two along the way. Acceptance and diversity were also things I took away from Mostly Good Girls, in the sense that it's okay to stand out from a crowd of seemingly identical girls. What's right for one person won't be right for someone else, and Leila Sales did a great job of highlighting just that.

The private school setting was awesome, and it reminded me of Constance Billard from Gossip Girl. That is exactly what I imagine all private girl's schools to be like, complete with uniforms and a distinct lack of boys. Basically my worst nightmare! I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. She's definitely a talented writer, but this book unfortunately didn't do much for me. I hope I'll like Leila's next book, Past Perfect, more than I did this one. Fingers crossed.

Waiting On Wednesday: Such a Rush

2012-05-23T11:00:00.000+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday idea from Jill at Breaking the Spine.

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Such a Rush

by Jennifer Echols

* Published by: Gallery Books (US)

* Format: Hardcover (US)

* Release Date: July 10th, 2012 (US)

* On Amazon: here

Summary from Amazon.com:

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business—until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers—and the consequences could be deadly.

I *love* Jennifer Echols. Ever since I read The Boys Next Door. She's really good at writing hot, contemporary teen romance, and her characters are always people you either wish you knew or wish you were. Such a Rush is her first hardcover release, and I hope it does well enough to warrant more. If you've never read one of her books, check her out immediately!

The Night Circus Blog Tour: Exclusive Extract and Giveaway!

2012-05-22T11:00:00.000+01:00

The Night Circus is published in the UK in paperback this week, and to celebrate Vintage have organised a pretty cool blog tour featuring extracts and other fun things. If you're nor too familiar with the book, here's what it's all about:

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. The black sign, painted in white letters that hangs upon the gates, reads: Opens at Nightfalll Closes at Dawn As the sun disappears beyond the horizon, all over the tents small lights begin to flicker, as though the entirety of the circus is covered in particularly bright fireflies. When the tents are all aglow, sparkling against the night sky, the sign appears. Le Cirque des Rêves The Circus of Dreams. Now the circus is open. Now you may enter.

You can also find out more at the Vintage site here.

Exclusive Extract!

As part of the blog tour I have an exclusive extract for you guys to read as well as a giveaway that you will find at the bottom of this page. Hope you enjoy this little taste of The Night Circus!

Excerpt from Nights at the Circus: The Collected Writings of Friedrick S. Thiessen (1905) Original article first published March 21st, 1895.

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of attending the Chicago Columbian Exposition with my friend Mr. Ethan Barris. We both remarked on multiple occasions that it was reminiscent of Le Cirque des Rêves, only on a grander scale.

Mr. Barris was particularly taken with the remarkable observation wheel of Mr. Ferris, and said that he might like to create something similar for the circus. I imagined a wheel towering over the striped tents and thought it would be fitting.

What Mr. Barris devised is something rather different. Truly, I doubt anyone who rides The Stargazer would guess that the work of Mr. Ferris provided the inspiration for it. I would never fathom as much had I not been privy to its development.

The Stargazer is only open to the public when the night is clear. On cloudy, overcast nights it is closed. It is, as far as I know, the only attraction in the circus with such stipulations.

When one enters the tent, they are met with a long, winding staircase that is often occupied by the waiting line. On the walls there are diagrams, framed maps of constellations. At the top of the stair there is a small platform. From the platform there is nothing to be seen but blackness and a white-costumed circus worker who guides riders to their seats.

The seats, which are something like a sleigh or carriage, move slowly along the edge of the platform. They do not stop completely, but they move gently enough to enter or exit carefully. Inside they are quite comfortable, cushioned seats with high backs and walls, all in deepest black. They might sit three or four people across, though most ride solo or in pairs.

When the slowly-moving cart reaches the end of the platform, some hinge or other clever mechanism releases and the cart falls just a bit and sways as if it is only suspended from above, though it is too dark to discern how. At the same time it tilts backwards. And once in a reclining position, one can understand how The Stargazer was so named.

The tent has no top. The upper portion of it is open, uncovered. The night sky is fully visible above. The elevated height removes any horizon or tree line, the high walls of the cart disrupt all peripheral vision. One is left with nothing but an expanse of stars and darkness.

It is different from watching the stars on one’s back in a field, both because of the altered perspective and because the gentle swaying of the cart adds a sensation of weightlessness.

There is no sound in the Stargazer. It is preternaturally quiet. Though there are other riders traveling in a slow circle, they can be neither seen nor heard. It is a wondrous experience, peaceful and lulling. Sometimes I feel it seems too soon when I reach the platform again, guided by another circus worker to another stair, this one descending back from the heavens to the ground. It is an amazing feat of engineering, the great wheel turned on its side. Though I think perhaps part of the charm is that the work of the engineer remains invisible.

Of course, the experiences at Le Cirque des Rêves range from such remarkable feats of engineering and architecture to tents that are simple and straightforward in their construction, though no less wondrous. There is one such tent that I am rather fond of, myself.

It is called The Drawing Room. The interior of the tent is something like a gallery, with walls along the sides and partitions spread throughout the space. Not a large room, it is low-ceilinged and almost cozy. The walls alternate from solid black in some sections to solid white in others, and there are bowls and bowls of chalk. The bowls, which are black or white depending on which color chalk they contain, are suspended in the air with cords or sunken into the ground. The chalk itself comes in different sizes, thin and thick to produce different lines. It creates remarkably little dust. You may draw whatever you wish, wherever you wish. I find I spend more time looking at the images and words left by others than I do making my own, though I never leave the tent without leaving something behind. A bird or quotation or, if I am feeling particularly artistic, a rendition of a clock. It is freeing to design a clock without worrying oneself about the mechanics of it. It lives on the wall, frozen at a specific time and not ticking. Though perhaps then it is not really a clock at all, and simply the idea of a clock. I suppose it does not matter. I find it enjoyable.

I cannot resist entering The Drawing Room whenever I happen upon it, for it is always unique. Because it is an interactive experience, it is different every night. There are always new images to see. The drawings will range from the haphazard scrawls of children to beautiful renditions drawn by clearly gifted hands. Often there are images culled from the rest of the circus: cats or acrobats or mythological creatures from the Carousel. And every night it is different. I imagine at the end of each night the walls are cleaned of chalk and left as blank canvas for the next evening. Though even when I have visited The Drawing Room at an early hour, there is much to be seen upon its walls. Perhaps some circus members add their own drawings before opening time so there is something for those early visitors to see. Or perhaps it is just one of the many little mysteries of the circus.

Giveaway!

I have two (2) shiny new paperback copies of The Night Circus to give away, courtesy of Vintage. All you have to do is fill in the form below. Good luck!

Rules & info:

Open to UK only.
End date: June 2nd, 2012.
One entry per person.
You do NOT have to follow my blog to enter.
Books will be sent out by the publisher.

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Review: Spaceheadz by Jon Scieszka

2012-05-21T12:30:00.000+01:00

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's
Format: Paperback
Released: August 4th, 2011
Rating: 7/10

Amazon summary:

Michael K has just started at his new school, but as if his very first day wasn't going to be hard enough, he's been forced to make friends with the two other new kids who are really weird. But, as Michael K soon finds out, Bob and Jennifer are not actually weird kids, they're aliens! Real aliens who have invaded our planet with one very important mission to complete: to convince 3,400,001 kids to BE SPHDZ too, or the Earth gets turned off! But with a hamster as their leader, "kids" who talk like walking advertisements and Michael K as their first convert, will the SPHDZ be able to keep their cover and complete their mission?

Review:

Spaceheadz is a mad little book, and just happens to be the first in a new series from the talented team that is Jon Scieszka and Francesco Sedita. It's funny and zany, has fantastic illustrations and includes a character called Major Fluffy. He's the leader of the aliens, and is a teeny tiny talking hamster. I want him and I want him NOW!

Spaceheadz chronicles Michael K's first day at his new school, and his chance meeting with aliens Bob and Jennifer. Their mission is to turn over 3 million kids into Spaceheadz and save the world from being turned off. It's a bit job to take on, which is why they need Michael K's help. He knows what all the world's odd groceries are, and he can explain the human way of life to the aliens. He's quite handy to have around really, and is also Bob and Jennifer's first successful Spaceheadz!

As well as hamster fun and alien invasions, Spaceheadz is also full of scientific facts, ranging from gravity and physics to single root systems. I'm 25 and even I learnt some new things, then I went straight online and registered on the interactive website mentioned inside. I'm now a Spaceheadz, and I have to say I'm rather proud of that. I wonder what my first mission will be?

Review: Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide by Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi

2012-05-18T11:00:00.000+01:00

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's
Format: Hardcover
Released: October 25th, 2005
Rating: 9/10

Amazon summary:

In addition to the fifteen creatures featured in the first five Spiderwick adventures, this extensive volume features an additional fifteen creatures to delight and astonish, such as mermaids, gargoyles and leprechauns. It also features snippets from Arthur Spiderwick's journal...information that specifically links the Guide to the Spiderwick Chronicles. There are even cameos from all the favourites in the series. From clever and informative introductory sections on essential materials and faerie world basics, through sections featuring fabulous faerie species, to an addendum created by Jared Grace, correcting Arthur Spiderwick and cross-referencing with the story books, this is the field guide to end all field guides!

Review:

If you're a fan of the Spiderwick Chronicles, you *need* to get this book if you haven't done already! It's a beautiful large format hardback that really does look like an authentic magical field guide, and it's also fully illustrated. Amazing!

I like the Spiderwick Chronicles because of the mystical creatures that crop up. I always want to know more about species like this, and this book has told me all I need to know and more. It's written as if this really is Arthur Spiderwick's journal, which is so much fun. I mean, who are we to say that faeries and boggarts aren't real?!

The Field Guide starts with pages about The Invisible World and The Sight, then goes on to equipment and protection. You'll learn why a satchel is useful (it carries everything) and why a magnifying glass is essential (it's useful for seeing smaller creatures). From then on, this book is basically incredible, and it's a must read for anyone interested in faeries and other creatures.

Each section explores a different part of the world. It goes from Arthur Spiderwicks's house and yard to what lives in lakes, streams and seas. It also covers night creatures, hills, mountains and lots more. Everything you want is in this book, and each creature is accompanied by lengthy descriptions and amazing illustrations. Honestly, I can't describe just how beautiful this book is!

Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide is essential for anyone interested in creatures like this. Even if you've never read the Spiderwick Chronicles, this book will prove to be an invaluable resource for the next time you need to identify a sprite or goblin - you have to know what you're dealing with!

Waiting On Wednesday: A Long Way from You

2012-05-16T13:00:00.000+01:00

Waiting on Wednesday idea from Jill at Breaking the Spine.

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A Long Way from You

by Gwendolyn Heasley

* Published by: HarperTeen (US)

* Format: Paperback (US)

* Release Date: June 5th, 2012 (US)

* On Amazon: here

Summary from Amazon.com:

For too long, Kitsy has had to satisfy her dreams of becoming a real artist by giving her friends makeovers before prom. So when her best friend Corrinne's family offers to sponsor her for a summer art course in New York City, Kitsy bids a temporary good-bye to Texas to say hello to the West Village.

Between navigating the subway and the New Yorkers—namely, the Art Boy who has a nice trick of getting under her skin—Kitsy knows that this summer is going to be about a lot more than figure drawing.

I really enjoyed Gwendolyn's first book, Where I Belong, and this one sounds like it will in the same lighthearted vein. Even though A Long Way from You is set in NYC, I'm sure it will still have plenty of southern charm and Texas accents. I'm hoping there'll be a cowboy again too... you can never have too many of those!

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

2012-05-15T11:00:00.001+01:00

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Format: Hardcover
Released: September 29th, 2011
Rating: 8/10

Amazon summary:

For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous, the outfit - more sparkly, more fun, more wild - the better. But even though Lola's style is outrageous, she's a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.

When the family returns and Cricket - a gifted inventor and engineer - steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Review:

Stephanie Perkins is, without a doubt, one of my favourite contemporary YA writers. She's up there with the likes of Jenny Han and Elizabeth Scott, who are also both brilliant. Perkins' novels are really easy to read and get lost in, and Lola and the Boy Next Door is a fantastic, romantic addition to her growing library of novels. I was hooked within the first couple of chapters and didn't put it down until I'd finished it!

As was the case with Perkins' first novel, Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door features characters so layered and complex that they actually seem real. So much time and effort seems to have gone into making them this way, and every little detail is presented and explained on the page. I come away from these books feeling like I really know these people and understand what they're going through, and that to me is great storytelling.

Lola and the Boy Next Door is about exactly what the title suggests: Lola Nolan and Cricket Bell, the boy who moves back to the house next door after two years away. Even though Lola already has a boyfriend, the sexy bad boy Max, there's something about Cricket that leads her to reevaluate her life and her choices. It's typical of teen drama, there's nothing new in terms of plot, but the way Perkins writes her characters is what makes all the difference. It seems almost effortless, although I'm sure it actually isn't!

I liked every character in Lola and the Boy Next Door, especially lovely Cricket and Lola's parents Andy and Nathan. They're the coolest gay parents I've read about, and props to Perkins for rightfully including them in her story. She rocks! I also liked Lola, but not as much as Anna, which brings me to one of the most exciting parts of the book: cameos by Anna (*fangirl*) and Etienne (*swoon*)! I couldn't have asked for more, really.

Although I really did enjoy Lola and the Boy Next Door, parts of it seemed a little unrealistic, like how Lola could make an item of clothing perfectly in just one night. I also didn't like it quite as much as Anna and the French Kiss, though it wasn't far off. I can't wait to read Perkins' next book, even though it's not being published until 2013. I'm sure it will be well worth the wait!

GIVEAWAY: Win Jenna Burtenshaw's Wintercraft Trilogy! (UK only)

2012-05-13T11:00:00.000+01:00

Thanks to the nice folk at Headline publishers, I have one set of the Wintercraft trilogy by Jenna Burtenshaw to give away. Here's more about the series from Amazon UK:

Ten years ago Kate Winters’ parents were taken by the High Council’s wardens to help with the country’s war effort.
Now the wardens are back...and prisoners, including Kate's uncle Artemis, are taken south on the terrifying Night Train. Kate and her friend Edgar are hunted by a far more dangerous enemy. Silas Dane – the High Council’s most feared man – recognises Kate as one of the Skilled; a rare group of people able to see through the veil between the living and the dead. His spirit was damaged by the High Council’s experiments into the veil, and he’s convinced that Kate can undo the damage and allow him to find peace.
The knowledge Kate needs lies within Wintercraft – a book thought to be hidden deep beneath the graveyard city of Fume. But the Night of Souls, when the veil between life and death is at its thinnest, is just days away and the High Council have their own sinister plans for Kate and Wintercraft.

One lucky winner will get copies of Wintercraft, Wintercraft: Blackwatch and Wintercraft: Legacy, complete with lovely UK covers! All you have to do to enter is read the rules below and fill in the form. Good luck!

Rules & info:

Open to UK only.
End date: May 20th, 2012.
One entry per person.
You do NOT have to follow my blog to enter.
Books will be sent out by the publisher.

The Hunt Blog Tour: Andrew Fukuda's Movie Cast!

2012-05-12T13:45:00.000+01:00

Movie Casting for The Hunt

by Andrew Fukuda

When I wrote The Hunt, I didn’t have any actors or actresses in mind so my picks below are somewhat inexact fits to how I picture the characters in my head. Still, the actors I’ve chosen have a certain essence that closely matches their respective characters. So here are my picks: what do you think?

Gene – He’s enigmatic, a loner, intelligent. He’s also got a vulnerability which he keeps carefully hidden. Anyone playing him on the big screen would have to exude depth and emotion through a bland expression. Not easy. But I think both Penn Badgley and Ian Somerhalder have the chops to do it, and I can’t decide between them.

Ashley June – Vivacious and direct, she’s popular, in demand, and with a facial structure that screams extrovert – even when expressionless. I could go with either Emma Stone or Amanda Seyfried (she’d have to dye her hair, though).

Sissy – She’s tough, athletic, and striking in appearance. Anyone who’s watched Ana Ivanovic in action on a tennis court knows she fits the bill. As does Phoebe Tonkin. Maybe you’ve never heard of her, but watch this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOP_x9gnDUs) and tell me she isn’t the very personification of Sissy.

Epap – Tall and gangly but with a heart that, given the chance, could move mountains. Andrew Garfield has always struck me as an actor capable of playing characters on the cusp of such growth and self-discovery.

Gene’s Father – A man enshrouded in mystery and with extreme gravitas. Daniel Craig has that gravitas.

The Director – A smarmy character with the kind of punctilious demeanor that makes you want to punch him, even if it is through a movie screen. Anyone who watched Christoph Waltz chew the scenery in Inglorious Bastards knows he’d be perfect as The Director.

So what do you think? Those of you who’ve read The Hunt, who would you cast?

Review: I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

2012-05-11T13:00:00.000+01:00

Publisher: Bantam Press
Format: Hardcover
Released: February 16th, 2012
Rating: 8/10

Amazon summary:

A couple of glasses of bubbly with the girls at a charity do and Poppy's life has gone into meltdown. Not only has she lost her engagement ring, but in the panic that followed, she's lost her phone too. As she paces shakily round the hotel foyer she spots an abandoned phone in a bin. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number with the hotel staff. It was meant to be! Except the phone's owner, businessman Sam Roxton, doesn't agree. He wants his phone back, and doesn't appreciate Poppy reading all his messages and wading into his personal life. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, phone messages and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents, can things get any more tangled?

Review:

I don't read many adult novels at all - I pick and choose the odd ones that I fancy - but I will always read anything Sophie Kinsella writes. I think she's absolutely hilarious and very easy to read, and I've Got Your Number is no exception. I laughed, I gasped, I urged the characters to do things they so obviously needed to. You could say I was a little bit invested in their fictional lives!

Of all Kinsella's standalone novels, I've only read The Undomestic Goddess (I do have the others waiting, though). I've read all the Shopaholic series and love those, and am really glad that I've Got Your Number was worth the wait. Once again there are embarrassing moments you can't even imagine happening to you, realistic characters and quite an unusual premise. Kinsella does tend to think outside the box when it comes to her standalone novels and I really like that.

I've Got Your Number starts when Poppy Wyatt loses her engagement ring and then her beloved mobile phone. She finds a discarded one in a bin, and soon realises that it's connected to businessman Sam Roxton [insert swoon here]. There's plenty of texts and emails sent back and forth and each person helps the other in some way. It's a fast-moving story that incorporates Poppy's girly world with Sam's strictly business one, and it works.

I enjoy Sophie Kinsella's books because of her down to earth characters, realism and humour. Although certain events probably wouldn't happen to any of us, they *could*, and that's what I relate to. Kinsella also always fleshes out every single character in her books, even people who don't make many appearances. Wanda (Poppy's fiancee's mother) was one of my favourites from I've Got Your Number, and I would have liked to have seen more of her. She made me laugh!

I would highly recommend I've Got Your Number, and all of Sophie Kinsella's other books, to anyone who enjoys titles by Carole Matthews or Sarra Manning. I'm no expert when it comes to adult chick-lit fiction, but those are similar authors I've enjoyed and read as much as possible. Sometimes a good, funny book is all you need in life, and Sophie Kinsella can provide just that. I already can't wait for her next book!

Guest Post: Rebecca Serle Talks When You Were Mine!

2012-05-10T19:46:00.000+01:00

When You Were Mine is published by Simon & Schuster in the UK and is in all good bookshops now. Thanks to Rebecca for writing this fun post for me!

Rebecca Serle

Hey There, It’s me here, Rebecca Serle. The author of When You Were Mine—a modern re-telling of Romeo and Juliet from the perspective of Rosaline, the girl Romeo was supposed to love. Maybe you’ve seen my tagline: “What if the greatest love story ever told was the wrong one?” Challenging Romeo and Juliet? What was I thinking?

Great question.

A lot of people have been asking me how I came up with the idea for When You Were Mine, and the truth is the book was born out of my own heartbreak—sappy, I know, but we all start somewhere, right? I was completely and totally devastated over a boy. One who had recently, just, forgotten about me for someone else. I was over at my best friend’s apartment and we were talking about love stories. We were watching Bridget Jones’s Diary, too. Do I sound like a cliché? I sure felt like one.

In the midst of my sobbing, Romeo and Juliet came up and with it this question: “Whatever happened to Rosaline?”

I felt like I had stumbled on a buried treasure chest. I started writing the next day.

Rosaline is so much of me. We journeyed together, she and I. Everything she learns in When You Were Mine were lessons I, myself, was learning. I taught her and she taught me. That may sound silly, but if it wasn’t for this book I’d never be here—far on the other side with (hopefully) some perspective to offer.

My one hope for When You Were Mine is that it touches you. I’d like Rosaline to be your friend, if you’ll let her. I know heartbreak is a universal experience—I also know how lonely it can feel. Has anyone ever been in this much pain? I’m here to tell you that yes, they have. I’m also here to tell you that there is life after--- life as a published author, as it turns out. In other words, it gets better. And pretty soon you wake up to find yourself wiser, older, more sure of yourself and your place in this world. And that boy? You can’t remember why you ever cried over him to begin with.

I hope you enjoy the book! And I hope that you’ll stop by and visit me at www.rebeccaserle.com or chat with me on twitter: @RebeccaASerle

With love,

Rebecca

Author Interview: Michelle Harrison (Unrest)

2012-04-24T20:46:00.002+01:00

Today is a good day because I have another interview with the lovely Michelle Harrison! In case you don't know, Michelle is, in my opinion, one of the UK's best authors, and her new book and first for teenagers, Unrest, is published this week. Her previous series for slightly younger readers, The 13 series, is one of my all-time favourites and is a brilliant mix of fairies and fantasy. Give them a read if you haven't already!

Anyway, on with the interview, which I believe is the third Michelle has done for me over the years. Thank you!

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What was your writing process like for Unrest? Were there lots of drafts and re-writes?

Looking back over all of my books, it almost seems that Unrest was the most straightforward to write. While there were three drafts, the rewriting was minimal. The main problem was the length, and from the first draft to the last I cut twenty thousand words. I deleted ten before it went to my editor, and with her help cut another ten and made things much tighter, omitting superfluous scenes and even a character. Unrest wasn’t straightforward, though. Some things about writing get easier with experience, but I struggled with it just as much as my earlier books. Maybe more, because with each book I set new standards and try to learn from past mistakes. I had days when I couldn’t write a thing because I felt overwhelmed by the story and didn’t know how to move it on, and not being able to do that when you have a deadline is incredibly frustrating. Getting stuck has its benefits, though. I spent more time researching and came across things that became really important to the storyline – things I would have otherwise missed.

What kind of research did you do into ghosts and hauntings?

I feel as if I’ve been researching ghosts and hauntings my whole life. Anyone who knew me as a kid could tell you that I was fascinated by the idea of an afterlife even then. If there’s a film about ghosts, I’ll watch it. If there’s a book or a news story I’ll read it, even if it scares me – and I admit that the thought of ghosts terrifies me. By the time I started Unrest I considered myself prepared on the supernatural angle, so most of my research was geared towards sleep paralysis and out-of-body experiences. However, a couple of years ago, just after 13 Treasures was published, I visited Chambercombe Manor in Devon and took a guided tour. In addition to the general history of the house, there were several ghost stories. One of them, the tale of a hanged servant, really disturbed me and was one of the first things I thought about when I got the initial idea for Unrest. I’ve since been on a ghost walk in Bath and visited other historical places but none of them affected me in the same way.

I know you're a big fan of horror stories, whether it be in books or films. Did you find that your interest in the genre made a big difference to how you approached Unrest?

I think it must have. I suppose it’s like any kind of story; as a reader you know what works for you and what doesn’t, and likewise, what scares you and what doesn’t. As with every genre there are so many tired old clichés – my biggest eye rolls usually go to the false scare: character closes bathroom cabinet to a jab of eerie music and a face in the mirror behind them, only to realise it’s their dad/boyfriend etc. I find those things a bit cheap and try to avoid doing it. That said, I can’t stand relentless scares from the start, either. Getting tension and suspense right can be tough. Films such as The Sixth Sense and The Gift handle this perfectly – good plots, lots of creepy, uneasy parts plus a handful of terrifying, gruesome scenes designed to shock and resonate. And most importantly, you care about the characters. This is what I’ve aimed to create in Unrest.

Unrest is your first novel for teenagers, after the 13 Treasures series which was aimed at slightly younger readers. How has your style changed for this book?

Well firstly, I gave my characters permission to swear! While this is nothing new in the YA market, and is neither excessive nor at the higher end of the bleep-o-meter (my one use of the f-bomb never even made it to my editor) it was new for me and I felt a certain liberation in that. I guess it really ties in with my next point about style: the voice being that of a contemporary seventeen-year-old boy. My previous series was written from a third person, female perspective in a classic fantasy setting, so to complete the differentiation I knew from the start that I’d write Unrest in first person. My biggest challenge was to nail Elliott’s voice and make it authentic and believable. I don’t know any seventeen year-old boys, but I remember sneakily listening to them when I was at college and I don’t think the basics have changed much. I tried to see through Elliott’s eyes and to view and react to situations more practically, and less emotionally. This isn’t to say I think women lack practicality, or that men aren’t in touch with their emotions – just that men and boys are generally more guarded, in my experience. As a result Elliott’s language, and therefore the tone of the book, is sparser and more direct than anything I’ve written previously.

I always have to ask about covers, and this one is lovely. What are your thoughts?

It’s everything I wanted. Classic, eerie, and iconic - a simple idea brilliantly executed. In my opinion it doesn’t conform to any of the YA cover trends and I think it stands out because of that. I also think it has equal boy/girl appeal, and extending my readership to include more boys is something I hope for.

Going from fairies to ghosts means you're still very much in the supernatural realm. Which creature or phenomenon do you plan to tackle next?

The next book is being negotiated right now and it’s about my other favourite supernatural subject: witchcraft. There will be elements of spirits and entities being invoked, so I think it’ll follow on nicely from Unrest.

Lastly, if you had to choose three songs that remind you of Unrest, which would you choose and why?

Unrest is the first book I created a play list for, although actually it’s more soundtrack than play list (I’m rubbish at listening to music while writing). The full list will be featured later this week on So Many Books, So Little Time, but my three favourites are: Sex on Fire by Kings of Leon – Elliott’s older brother, Adam, is in a band and there’s a scene where Elliott and Ophelia watch them play. Elliott describes Adam singing well-chosen lines to pretty girls in the audience, despite his girlfriend being present. I know that if I was one of those girls, this is the song that would make my knees buckle – which is essentially Adam’s speciality! Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush – I played this a lot while I wrote Unrest. The more I listened to it, the more I felt that Ophelia would be a Kate Bush fan. That’s not typical of most seventeen-year-olds, but neither is Ophelia. The song is referenced in the book in the same scene as above, and although it’s not exactly current I felt it could work as Adam would be familiar with the newer Placebo version. A Historic Love by Trevor Morris – this is an instrumental piece, and history fans may recognise it from a somewhat raunchy scene in The Tudors. When I hear this I think of Elliott and Ophelia in the orchard at Past Lives. The title says it all.

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Related links:

Michelle's site / Twitter: Michelle Harrison Books.com / @MHarrison13

UK publisher's site: Simon & Schuster Children's

My reviews: The 13 Treasures / The 13 Curses / The 13 Secrets

Review: A Midsummer Tights Dream by Louise Rennison

2012-04-21T09:47:00.001+01:00

Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: Hardcover
Released: February 2nd, 2012
Rating: 6/10

Amazon summary:

Yaroooo! Tallulah’s triumphant Heathcliff in ‘Wuthering Heights’ the comedy musical was enough to secure her place at Dother Hall performing arts college for another term. She can’t wait to see her pals again, Charlie and the boys from Woolfe Academy and maybe even bad boy Cain… Could the bright lights of Broadway be calling? And for who?

Review:

This is the second book in the Tallulah Casey series, which is Louise Rennison's first post-Georgia Nicolson outing. It's written in a very similar style to the Georgia books, though it doesn't have as many diary entries. It's not quite as funny but I do find myself chuckling quite a bit - Tallulah gets up to some hilarious things!

Now don't get me wrong, I do like this series, but I think that a lot of the jokes and humour have been seen before, and sometimes I almost feel like I'm reading a Georgia book. I would have liked this series to be written in a separate style to differentiate between the two, although a lot of Rennison's humour does lie in diary-style entries.

Despite all that, I did still enjoy this book. Tallulah is still on a mission to showcase her drama abilities at Dother Hall, she's surrounded by many boys, some of which are just plain mental and reminiscent of Mark Big Gob, and her friends are just as mad as she is. I also love all the parallels to Wuthering Heights - vast Yorkshire moors and all that. Rennison takes the mickey in a nice way!

I'll definitely be reading the next Tallulah book when it's published in 2013, and I hope it will be a bit stronger than this one. It must be very difficult for authors to compete with their own previous series, but Rennison is giving it a good go. Still, no-one comes close to Georgia!

Review: My Scorching Summer Diary by Liz Rettig

2012-04-05T15:06:00.001+01:00

Publisher: Corgi Children's
Format: Paperback
Released: March 29th, 2012
Rating: 8/10

Amazon summary:

Seventeen-year-old Kelly Ann leaves behind her boyfriend, family and friends in Glasgow to live and work in a London hotel for the summer. But losing her luggage and fending off tube gropers on her first day isn't a good start. Almost being arrested for stealing men's underwear on her second isn't any better. However she does manages to make friends, even though, to impress her new pals, she pretends to be older and more sophisticated than she is, with a doctor boyfriend. London life is fun, even though she has to work in a steaming hot kitchen all day. But her made-up life starts to get very complicated, and she has rely on old friends to save the day.

Review:

My Scorching Summer Diary is Liz Rettig's fifth book about mad Scot girl Kelly Ann, and I'm very happy to say it's as funny as ever. This series really does fill the void that Louise Rennison left when her Georgia series ended, and in some instances the Kelly Ann series is even funnier. There are so many unbelievable embarrassing moments and I often found myself sighing with relief because they weren't happening to me! Especially where Kelly Ann's new off-white bikini is concerned... *shudder*

In My Scorching Summer Diary, Kelly Ann heads down to London to work in a (very low paid) hotel for the summer. It's the first time she's properly been away from home on her own and I thought Liz Rettig did a great job describing how daunting London can be. I remember the first few times I went there by myself - I was quite terrified. It's busy and always on the move and, like Kelly Ann, I'm used to the quiet life. In this chapter of her life she ends up meeting new friends, earning a living and seriously thinking about her future. She also has yet more boyfriend drama with the lovely, slightly too sensitive Chris, along with several cringeworthy moments that I sincerely hope never ever happen to me!

One reason I love this series is Liz Rettig's writing. It flows so easily and is full of Scottish wit and wisdom. I laugh all the way through her books, whether they're about Kelly Ann or not, and I always look forward to a new one being published. Teenage girls should have no problem relating to Kelly Ann's madcap antics and friendship/boyfriend troubles, and might even pick up some tips from her.

My Scorching Summer Diary is a brilliant addition to the Kelly Ann series and, as always, I hope there will be more. Definitely read this series if you're a fan of Louise Rennison, Carmen Reid or Luisa Plaja. You'll laugh, you'll cringe, and you'll remember to always keep your eye on your luggage if you're travelling on the tube. It's the only sure way to avert disaster!

In My Mailbox #153: New Books in February & March!

2012-04-01T10:03:00.002+01:00

In My Mailbox idea from Kristi @ The Story Siren, and all links would usually take you to Amazon. Click images for a bigger picture!

Hey guys! I haven't done an IMM post since early February, so this is a bit of a bumper one. My mum has been very very ill but is doing really well and finishes treatment in about a month. That's why I haven't been online much, obviously, and my blog has taken a back seat. I've just started reading again and have read two books this week, so hopefully I can get back into it properly and catch up with some of my TBR pile. Thanks, as always, to all the lovely publishers and friends who have sent me books and other goodies. It made me happy during a time that has been anything but!

Anyway, here are all the books that were new to my mailbox:

For review:

Bought:

Review: Dead to You by Lisa McMann

2012-03-31T13:30:00.002+01:00

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: Hardcover
Released: February 7th, 2012
Rating: 7.5/10

Amazon summary:

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It’s a miracle…at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn’t going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he’d be able to put the pieces back together. But there’s something that’s keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...

Review:

Dead to You is a bit of a departure for Lisa McMann in terms of both plot and writing style. It's not paranormal, instead it's realistic fiction, and realistic fiction at its best. The plot is fairly simple: abducted boy finds his way home nine years later, causes many problems for seemingly-together family and tries to piece together his life. Although there's nothing new there, McMann's strengths lie in the deep character layers that are slowly peeled back as the novel progresses.

I've loved every YA book Lisa McMann has published (apart from Gone, but that's another story), and I continue to be surprised and in awe of what she can do with words and themes. Dead to You made me feel uncomfortable in parts, especially when main protagonist Ethan has regular meltdowns that just can't be helped. Watching his family slowly unravel was both interesting and heartbreaking, though I completely understood their motivations for everything they did. McMann devotes equal time to each member of the De Wilde family, thus ensuring that they're all as real as can be.

Although Dead to You is a very strong novel, it does have its faults. A few things didn't quite add up for me, like why Ethan's parents didn't insist on a DNA test. In their relieved state it may not have made much difference to them either way, but I still think that after nine years it would have been the first thing on the minds of the police. Also, Ethan's relationship with Cami happens pretty fast, and while I can overlook that, I think a longer process would have suited the story better.

Overall, Dead to You is another brilliant novel from Lisa McMann. Not only can she write kick-ass creepy paranormal books like the Wake series and Cryer's Cross, she can also write genuinely realistic contemporary fiction that surely must have started out as an idea far out of her comfort zone. I can't wait to see what she writes next - she's on a roll!

Review: Wonder by R.J. Palacio

2012-03-21T17:17:00.001Z

Publisher: Bodley Head
Format: Hardcover
Released: March 1st, 2012
Rating: 9/10

Amazon summary:

WONDER is the funny, sweet and incredibly moving story of Auggie Pullman. Born with a terrible facial abnormality, this shy, bright ten-year-old has been home-schooled by his parents for his whole life, in an attempt to protect him from the stares and cruelty of the outside world. Now, for the first time, Auggie is being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. The thing is, Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?

Review:

Wonder is a book that immediately lived up to its hype, and is one that I just couldn't put down. I'd been having a break from reading when I picked this one up; I was after something short but good that would get me back into things. Wonder was exactly the right choice: it's a brilliant read that left me feeling excited about books again. Needless to say I will be passing it on to everyone I know!

August Pullman, or Auggie to his friends and family, was born with a rare facial abnormality I can neither say nor spell. It required him to have numerous surgeries and reconstructions, and he had never been to school. Now he's ten years old and starting Beecher Prep middle school where he'll make friends, excel at his studies and come to the realisation that people are worth getting to know. His whole journey is one of bravery and courage, and the outcome is utterly heartwarming. I challenge you to read this book and not shed a tear... I don't think it can be done!

Wonder is told from several different points of view but mostly focuses on Auggie. In addition to his narration we also hear from his sister Via and her new friend Justin, as well as Auggie's new Beecher friends Summer and Jack Will. Palacio really gets into their heads and allows them to explain more about Auggie and his condition, and how it affects and changes them. This story would have been heartbreaking if Auggie along had told it, but by including others close to him it shows just how much his life has changed theirs, whether it be for good or bad.

Auggie is an extraordinary boy thrown into an ordinary situation: school. Everyone has problems when they're a teenager, but school is rarely as much of a struggle as it is for Auggie. Everything he goes through defines him and makes him stronger, and he is truly inspirational. So are his family, especially his parents, and his friends. I love them all for different reasons, whether it be their strength, compassion or unwavering love for this small boy with an unusual face.

Wonder really did surprise me. It was as good as its pre-publication hype and then some, and it introduced me to a medical condition I've rarely thought or known anything about until now. I hope this one is a huge hit in 2012 - it deserves to be. It's life-affirming stuff.

Arcadia Awakens Blog Tour: Kai Meyer Guest Post!

2012-03-19T20:50:00.001Z

Arcadia Awakens was released in the UK on March 1st and features a pretty cool cover. Here's a summary from Amazon to tell you more about the book, published by Templar:

When troubled teenager Rosa escapes her life in New York to stay with family in Sicily, she stumbles into a sinister Mafia underworld of murder, corruption and bitter, generations-old rivalries. How is handsome, mysterious stranger Alessandro involved? And why is Rosa so powerfully drawn to him, even though she knows he spells danger for her and her family? Simmering at the heart of the conflict is an ancient myth surrounding the vanished empire of Arcadia and its people, who - in the tales of legend - could shapeshift into animal form. Can Rosa unravel the dark secrets of the past before untamed savagery is unleashed on the present?

Here's a guest post from Kai to celebrate the publication!

There are three important Mafia organisations in Italy: the Cosa Nostra in Sicily, the Camorra around Naples and the `Ndrangheta in Calabria. For the background of ARCADIA AWAKENS I choose Sicily and the Cosa Nostra for several reasons. One was the ability to use a lot of very different landscapes and cities – there is everything there, from desolate hillsides with deserted villages to urban sprawls like Palermo and Catania. But the main reason was the island´s historical connection to Ancient Greece. A few thousand years ago Sicily was the biggest Greek colony in the Mediterranean region, there are hundreds of ancient ruins between Trapani in the west and Catania in the east. And because I wanted my clans of shapeshifters, the Arcadian Dynasties, to be of Greek heritage, it became quite obvious that Sicily was the ideal setting for the three ARCADIA novels.

I went over there for a week and drove all over the island. What impressed me most – apart from the great food, probably the best in all of Italy – was the geographical diversity. There are huge mountain ranges, large woods, but also those yellow-brownish hills where nobody had lived for many years.

As a foreigner you think you are discovering mafia business all the time, but of course that´s nonsense. Obviously not every Italian in a dark suit is a mafioso and there are no bodies disposed of under every unfinished concrete structure! But I had read so many books during my research about the Cosa Nostra, that I became very sensible to the smallest hint of mafia activity. And, true or not, it made research on location quite exciting.

The Things We Did for Love Blog Tour: Extract + UK Giveaway!

2012-03-16T19:53:00.002Z

The Things We Did for Love was published in the UK on March 1st, and I have an extract to share with you as part of Natasha's blog tour. Here's what it's all about:

France: February, 1944. Arianne knew Luc as a child, of course she did. Everyone in Samaroux knows each other. But he's been away, and five years really makes a difference to a boy. A young man. As they fall headily into love - first love - their world starts to crumble around them. German forces are closing in, and the village is torn between cooperating to save themselves or putting up resistance and entering unknown danger. Arianne will do anything to make Luc stay. Luc wants to prove he is a man. And Romy, who has loved Arianne all the time that Luc has been away, can see a way of removing his rival, at any cost. How far will they go to protect what they believe in? And what will they do for love?

Here's an extract, courtesy of the nice people at Faber & Faber.

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If the embedded file takes a while to load, you can also click HERE to read it.

Giveaway!

Thanks again to Faber & Faber, I have five (5) copies to give away to UK readers. Just fill in the form below!

Rules & info:

Open to UK only.
End date: 26th March, 2012.
One entry per person.
You do NOT have to follow my blog to enter.
Books will be sent out by the publisher.

Falling Fast by Sophie McKenzie Blog Tour: International Giveaway!

2012-03-07T20:38:00.001Z

Falling Fast by Sophie McKenzie was officially published in the UK on March 1st, and thanks to my ace friends at Simon & Schuster UK I have six (6) copies to give away as part of the blog tour! Sophie's books are always brilliant, and even though I haven't managed to read Falling Fast yet, I'm sure it's a great addition to her ever-growing library.

Here's a summary from Amazon:

This is life, not a rehearsal...When River auditions for a part in an inter-school performance of Romeo and Juliet, she finds herself smitten by Flynn, the boy playing Romeo. River believes in romantic love, and she can't wait to experience it. But Flynn comes from a damaged family - is he even capable of giving River what she wants? The path of true love never did run smooth...

Rules & info:

Open internationally - everyone can enter this one!
End date: March 20th, 2012.
One entry per person.
You do NOT have to follow my blog to enter.
Books will be sent out by the publisher.

Fill in the form below to enter, and good luck!

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The Look Blog Tour: Sophia Bennett's Cover Story!

2012-03-06T19:27:00.001Z

Sophie Bennett is the lovely author of the Threads series and her new book The Look, which was published on March 1st in the UK. Here's what it's all about:

When Ted is spotted by a model agency, she can't believe it. At the same time her gorgeous sister, Ava, is diagnosed with cancer. With her world turned upside down, Ted has a lot of growing up to do, some of it in five-inch platforms. Can she be a supermodel and a super sister? Or will she have to choose between fame and family?

Sophia has written a really brilliant piece about The Look cover for me, as we all know I love book covers and their conception stories/US and UK differences. Thanks to Sophia for such a fantastic post, and don't forget to see the end of this page for details of the other blog tour stops!

Sophia Bennett's Cover Story

I'm thrilled to be writing this post on the evolution of the cover for The Look for Wondrous Reads. It was on this blog that I first really noticed how important covers are, as Jenny made one of her famous comparisons between UK and US versions of the same book. In fact, I often end up preferring the US version. I'll be fascinated to see what they do with the cover of this one. I love the UK version, but they say the US one next year will be edgier. Watch this space ...

When it came to marketing The Look it was clear early on that the cover was going to be as much part of the package as the story. I handed the first draft in in February of last year, and already Chicken House were starting to think about how it would look. The fact is, people do judge a book by its cover - very much, all the time. And people in the book trade do it more than anyone. An author friend of mine once had her book completely rejacketed because bookbuyers didn't like the original version (I loved it!). It matters.

Normally, I have a very minor say in the cover. For foreign editions, I usually only see it once the book is published. For Threads, I was allowed to suggest minor tweaks about which dresses were used, but that's about it. When I tell you I originally wanted a tailor's dummy, a spotlight, a laptop and a machine gun for that book ...

Anyway, this time Chicken House very kindly asked for my thoughts at the beginning, and I told them I had this vision of it looking like the cover of a magazine, with a close-up of a girl's face, staring strongly into the camera, and text that looked reminiscent of Elle or Vogue, maybe. Based on experience, I didn't expect my suggestions to go very far. I don't know whether it was luck, or coincidence, or whether my cover illustrator, Steve Wells (who also did the last of the Threads books and rejacketed the series for me), actually liked my idea, but to my surprise, while I was still in the early rewrites of the second draft, he came up with this:

Result! Note the book already had its fabulous pink page edges. I love those edges. They're quite expensive to produce, apparently, so I felt very honoured to have them. I still get a bit of a thrill every time I turn them. Anyway - back to the cover. There it was: the closeup on the face of a girl. She was staring directly into the camera. It was a strong image ...

I liked it. But.

To me, it looked like a great cover for a paranormal romance. There was something a bit creepy about the girl's eye-makeup, and the black and white photo looked dark and sinister. The person picking up this book would not, I thought, expect the opening scene to be about two crazy sisters busking for sweet wrappers in Carnaby Street.

I wanted a bit more colour - not too much. A bit of a lighter tone - but nothing too smiley, because Ted and Ava, my main characters, go through a lot of stress and heartache. I suggested all of this to Steve - again not expecting him to take any notice of me, because he is a design professional and I last drew a decent picture in about 1974. However, to illustrate my point I sent him two Vogue covers, just to show him what I meant. (Also, to be honest, researching Vogue covers online is occasionally more fun than doing rewrites.)

Straight away, Steve hunted around a bit and suggested using this picture:

Instantly, we all loved it. The girl was pretty, but still strong. A bit mysterious but not positively paranormal. Steve mocked up a cover that looked like this:

It was great! Really close to what I'd imagined. More cropped than I'd pictured, but that was a minor detail. I didn't really get the font, but apparently it's supposed to look a bit like the Louis Vuitton graffiti print, which I guess it does. Also, some people think it looks like it's handwritten in lipstick, which is good too.

Note the strapline/blurb thing on the cover has disappeared. We never could find one we were really happy with, and in the end we all agreed it looked stronger without one at all. I'll be interested to know if you agree.

Again assuming that Steve wouldn't be interested in my further opinion - what do I know? - I nevertheless mentioned that I particularly loved the Aggy Deyn Vogue cover, (second one above,) because of the way they'd washed out the skin and brought out the blue of her eyes. And the way they'd matched the text with her lipstick. Steve, bless him, very quickly produced an image with bluer eyes, paler skin, matching text/lipstick and basically everything I'd suggested. Again, it could have been coincidence but whatever it was, I was very happy.

This time, the cover was a quick and remarkably painless process. It was ready before the final draft. The result looks a bit chick-lity, but I'm happy with that. I try and write accessible fiction for girls that highlights deeper issues in an enjoyable way, and that pretty much defines good chick-lit for me.

So this is my main character. Or the girl she could have been, if she hadn't ... But now you'll have to read the book to find out.

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

2012-03-04T16:15:00.002Z

Publisher: Atom
Format: Paperback
Released: February 7th, 2012
Rating: 3/10

Amazon summary:

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its protected space, she's never thought to dream of what lay beyond its doors. Perry and his tribe have always struggled to survive on the outside. Though their lives are simple they are increasingly under threat from an unknown - and unhuman - enemy. But when Perry saves Aria after one of these attacks she realizes that she might just be able to survive in the outside after all. And that this one sheltered girl might be the only one that can save - or destroy - his people.

Review:

I wanted to like Under the Never Sky. I really, really did. That's why I read it as soon as it arrived - also because I'd heard lots of good things about it from other bloggers and was fairly intrigued by the cover. I knew by about sixty pages in that this book wasn't one for me, but I carried on anyway as I rarely leave books unfinished. Unfortunately I just never got into this one, and there are a myriad of reasons why. But firstly I will talk about the positive aspects, as I firmly believe that every book has something good about it.

The dual narrative. Under the Never Sky is told from the alternating POVs of Aria and Peregrine (Perry). I like this in a book. It enables the reader to see from multiple angles and, when written in first person (which Under the Never Sky is not) it allows us to really get to know the characters. I think the tense of this book hindered my liking of it, but still I appreciated the alternating chapters and intention to draw the reader into both Aria and Perry's lives. I also liked the overall idea of the dystopian future, it was new and something different. Kudos to Veronica Rossi for thinking outside what has become a very large YA dystopian box.

While I liked the overall idea, I don't feel it was executed as well as it could have been. I was left with a lot of questions, about the aether and dweller/outsider divide especially, and after finishing the novel I still don't really feel like I know enough. What exactly is the aether and how/why was it created? How did there end up being two factions? Why do some outsiders have special abilities? How did dwellers come to be genetically created and enhanced? These are but a few of the questions I was left with, and I don't tend to like having so many unanswered threads at the end of a book. It seems to be the norm in some YA at the moment and, while I'm all for cliffhangers, I do like a bit I resolution.

Under the Never Sky read very much like a first novel for me. There were the loose ends, endless information and far too many characters for me to keep up with. In fact, there was so much information thrown at me in the first forty pages that I honestly had no idea what was going on. It wasn't until a lot later in the book that everything finally slotted into place and I didn't have to keep flicking back to try and make sense of it. The smarteye - the device Aria and the other dwellers use to access other realms - was just there, and was never explained enough for me. I wanted more background on its, and the realms' creation, which I'm sure will be touched upon in future books. I just don't think I'll be reading them to find out.

I haven't talked about the characters yet, and I've been kind of avoiding the subject for fear of sounding too negative. But, truthfully, the characters did nothing for me. I didn't care about them one way or the other and, as a reader, that is never a good sign. Also, several of their names didn't sit well with me, especially Roar and Talon. I get that the outsiders needed edgy names, but they didn't work in this instance.

I know this is a negative review, and I don't like writing these, but I hope my personal opinion won't put anyone off reading Under the Never Sky and giving it a chance. It's a shame that I can't like every book I read, and I really did give this one a good shot. I finished it, but sadly it just wasn't for me. Plenty of other bloggers have enjoyed this one, though, so hopefully you will too.

The Storyteller Blog Tour: Trailer!

2012-02-28T20:02:00.001Z

I was supposed to post this over 2 weeks ago, but I've had a lot of personal stuff going on and haven't been able to until now. Apologies for the lateness, but I can finally show you guys the trailer for The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis. There were many other posts on this blog tour, which has now finished, and you can find details of those on the banner at the bottom of this page.

Here's a summary of The Storyteller from Amazon:

Anna and Abel couldn't be more different. They are both seventeen and in their last year of school, but while Anna lives in a nice old town house and comes from a well-to-do family, Abel, the school drug dealer, lives in a big, prisonlike tower block at the edge of town. Anna is afraid of him until she realizes that he is caring for his six-year-old sister on his own. Fascinated, Anna follows the two and listens as Abel tells little Micha the story of a tiny queen assailed by dark forces. It's a beautiful fairy tale that Anna comes to see has a basis in reality. Abel is in real danger of losing Micha to their abusive father and to his own inability to make ends meet. Anna gradually falls in love with Abel, but when his "enemies" begin to turn up dead, she fears she has fallen for a murderer. Has she?

So, without further ado, here is the rather excellent trailer!

For more info, check out the Abrams Twitter and Facebook accounts:

@ACKidsUK

http://www.facebook.com/ACKidsUK

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Review: Space Lizards Stole My Brain! by Mark Griffiths

2012-02-23T16:53:00.000Z

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's
Format: Paperback
Released: January 5th, 2012
Rating: 7/10

Amazon summary:

When Admiral Skink, an alien-lizard warlord from the planet Swerdlix, is attacked by The Hideous and Unimaginably Vast Comet Creature of Poppledock he faces a certain death...but luckily his underlings have installed the BrainTwizzler 360 Mind Migration SystemTM. This nifty invention safely transfers Skink's mind on to a memory wafer and jettisons it through space to find a suitable temporary "home" until he can be rescued by his fellow Swerdlixians. Unluckily for eleven-year-old Lance Spratley it just so happens that the temporary home for Admiral Skink's mind is his body! And while Skink deals with being trapped in Lance's useless body - it can't even breathe fire! -- Lance is transferred to a virtual waiting room surrounded by the lizard race who seem intent on destroying Earth when they have successfully retrieved Skink. Will Lance ever get his body back? And even if he does will he be able to thwart Admiral Skink and the Swerdlixians plans to invade Earth...

Review:

Space Lizards Stole My Brain! is a great addition to younger children's fiction - it's bonkers! It's a book that would make a brilliant children's TV show (animated, of course) chronicling the adventures of human Lance Spratley and Swerdlixian lizard ruler Admiral Skink.

This book is all about brain swapping, though it happens through less than usual means. Admiral Skink's starship is destroyed, the Braintwizzler 360 system is fired up and voila, Admiral Skink swaps minds with Lance! Hilarity ensues, of course - Skink doesn't understand the human world and all it's many customs, and Lance just hasn't got a clue what's happened to him and why he's in a strange place surrounded by weird giant lizards. It must all be very traumatising for the poor boy, though preferable to his rather slave-like home life!

There's a lovely clever little pet iguana called Pickles who makes an appearance, as well as a real live Triceratops (eek!), numerous mankind-hating Swerdlixians, an addiction to auction sites and something called an ARGH. Just your run-of-the-mill alien story really... minus the dinosaur, of course!

I think children aged 7+ will really enjoy this, both boys and girls thanks to the two main characters Lance and Tori. And, as if that wasn't enough, Space Lizards Stole My Brain! is also fully illustrated by Pete Williamson! He's my favourite children's illustrator and successfully works his magic on this book. Honestly, I've never seen lizards looking like this. Yikes! Look out for the sequel later in the year, which I believe is called Space Lizards Ate My Sister! Uh-oh!

Talina in the Tower Blog Tour: Michelle Lovric Guest Post!

2012-02-08T19:30:00.002Z

Talina in the Tower was published in the UK by Orion Children's Books last week, and I have a great gust post from author Michelle Lovric as part of her blog tour.Hope you enjoy it, and here's a summary of the book in case you don't know what it's all about:

Savage hyena-like creatures threaten Venice - the Ravageurs are on the prowl and seizing men, women and children. On the night of 30 June 1846 Talina's parents disappear and she and her cat, Drusilla, are forced to go and live with her Guardian and his three savage dogs in his lonely tower in the northernmost edge of the city. Here she discovers that she has the ability to change herself into a cat, but changing herself back into a girl isn't quite so easy. As a cat she learns about the Ravageurs and how over the centuries they have become semi magical creatures, visible only to children in the human world, and that they are intent on destroying Venice. She is determined to save the city - it's time for desperate measures - and her adventures are about to begin.

Cross-species Trust
By Michelle Lovric

This is what Joan Brossa, the Spanish poet and artist, might call an ‘object poem’. Two things, each with very different but potent associations, are physically juxtaposed to set off an intellectual chain interaction. Here we see human hands, which can kill or protect, closed around a universal symbol of vulnerability: not just a fawn but a baby fawn. The shock of the picture is that this is not Disney’s Bambi, but a real creature. One hopes the little one is asleep – but it could also be dead.

As writers, we very often create ‘object poems’ by juxtaposing animals and humans. When I created the beasts I named Ravageurs for Talina in the Tower, I was thinking about the famous Edith Evans quote, ‘When a woman behaves like a man, why can’t she behave like a nice man?’

And I followed that train of thought into animals. When animals behave like humans – when we writers anthropomorphize them – it seems to me that they tend not to behave like nice humans. My Ravageurs certainly don’t. Here’s a detail from the back cover that gives an indication of just how badly they comport themselves: they are greedy, bullying, lying monsters who enslave every creature who falls into their clutches.

But what are we writers truly about when we write an evil anthropomorphized animal? I think that we may be engaged in an automatic activity that requires a little more examination.

I suspect the baby deer picture provokes a disturbing sensation partly because it forces us to confront the fact that we hunting, fishing, venison-eating humans are in fact the worst thing the little creature will have to fear.

Do we humans wish to be in this position? Are ferocious anthropomorphized animals in novels a way for us to shuck off the responsibility of our role as the dominant species on earth? (Or the feckless way in which we carry that responsibility?) Why do we love to write of murderous, jewel-hungry dragons? Of wicked wolves? Of ravening bears? Fables have allowed us to project our own – exclusively human – duplicitous cunning onto foxes, our infidelity onto rats, our greed onto pigs, and dishonesty onto snakes. Convenient, yes. Righteous reasoning – I think not.

Now, let us consider the predominance of animals in very young children’s literature. It appears to have had an interesting effect on the infant subconscious – apparently little children dream mainly about animals.

Our earliest response is to think that animals are like us, just operating inside a different body. But when our child readers start to comprehend consciousness, they also start to acknowledge the existence of different consciousnesses from their own. They still love animals, however. And it is at this point that we writers perhaps owe them a more synthetic approach to animals.

We have deconstructed a lot of human villains, created the concept of an antihero, even found ways to liberate our historical girls from the shackles and corsets of their time – but we still have work to do on animals, I believe. And myself more than anyone, judging by my Ravageurs. Yet I tried …

Not all my animals are bad in Talina in the Tower. Yes, I have fun with bully-boy cats and aggressive rats, but I also have some sensible and sensitive animals sit in judgement on their peers. There is a confrontation in court at the end of the book. Grignan, Lord of the Ravageurs, has been brought to account, not just for his crimes against Venice but also for his acts of cruelty against other animals, including his own species, on whom he deliberately inflicts rabies, to make them more ferocious and thus more likely to follow his murderous bidding.

In the Chamber of Conversation, presided over by animals, witches, Righteous Wraiths and a small Doge, a dignified zebra tells Grignan, ‘You are not even animals any more, you Ravageurs. Proper animals don’t carry on as you do. They do not have Lords. Or slaves. They do not make plots.’ In other words, Grignan has abandoned the commendable straightforwardness of animals and taken on the worst characteristics of mankind.

Grignan’s punishment is exile but also something worse … demotion:
The Doge continued sternly, ‘the Ravageurs will cease to be magical creatures. Your magic shall be confiscated and distributed to good causes. You will become visible to adult humans.’
‘Humans with shotguns and hunting dogs!’ mouthed a rabbit on the wall, with an air of someone who knew something about such a tricky situation.

So, the mighty Ravageurs shall become as vulnerable as the baby deer pictured at the top of this post. And so we humans should rise to a little humility, and not depict ourselves as inevitably omniscient and omnipotent.

Michelle Lovric’s website: Michelle Lovric.com

The image of the deer comes from the Critteristic website
(warning: unbearably sweet cat images there too).

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