Africa: Eye to Eye with the Unknown by Michael Bright

Taken from the back cover:
'Think you know Africa? Think again. Nowhere is more savage, more dangerous, yet more beautiful and astonishing than this mysterious continent. Witness new animals, new behaviour, and an Africa at its most unexpected in this companion to the landmark new BBC One series.'

Africa is an attempt to present the natural wildlife that live in this beautiful continent in a new way. It definitely succeeded in opening my eyes to the rich diversity of life that exists in Africa. It shifts the focus from the usual lions and hippos to more obscure creatures such as the upside-down catfish and Bryde's whale. You still get glimpses of the more popular inhabitants but their role in the wider community is highlighted. The style of writing is easy to read and feels like you're actually there witnessing these animals for yourself. I found I didn't want to put the book down. The descriptions are vivid, an effect that is enhanced by the stunning photographs. Some of the images really took me by surprise as they're so incredible. Others fascinated me. It'll be interesting to see the videos that link to them once they are live. One of the only criticisms I have is that there were some animals mentioned that weren't included in the photos and so if like me you're not too knowledgeable about more obscure African wildlife you will be left wondering what some of them are. The only other one I have is that there are a couple of pictures that aren't captioned and they happened to be the ones I wanted to know a little more about. However, there is plenty to discover in this book and it's one that I've found myself sharing with others, whether it's to point out the awesome picture of a meercat on a guy's hat or the Namaqualand Desert in bloom, share a fact such as elephants are scared of bees or publish a Facebook status along the lines of "All fear the honey badger!" It's also a book that manages to get across the tragic situations that face some of these animals, particularly how the drought of 2009 affected the elephants and how many young fail to survive the first few months as they become dinner or are simply overwhelmed by the harsh conditions. It's a great journey of discovery that will interest both those who have never read a book on Africa before and those who have been to visit.

On the whole, this is a brilliant book that drew me in and kept me interested a lot more successfully than I anticipated. It's also made me want to go to Africa and experience some of the wildlife for myself. I'm gutted that I won't be able to watch the show as it seems really promising based on the book. It's definitely one I'll be recommending.

I give it 9/10 :)

Title: Africa: Eye to Eye with the Unknown
Author: Michael Bright
Publisher: Quercus
Natural History

Night School by C. J. Daugherty

Allie Sheridan has just been arrested for the third time in a year. She hates her school and her parents don't know what to do with her. No-one can fill the hole left when her brother ran away. As a last resort, her parents make the decision to send her away to Cimmeria Academy, a boarding school Allie has never heard of and who's location is a mystery. Instead of hating it, Allie starts to make friends, improve her grades and really starts to feel at home. That is until someone gets murdered. Then Allie starts to realise that there is a huge secret at Cimmeria, a secret that is shared by the teachers and even some of the pupils. A secret that Allie somehow gets caught up in...

So the first thing I thought when I looked at the cover and saw the title was "Oh not another vampire novel!" Thankfully I was completely wrong. There is not a single vampire in this book. Or a werewolf. Or an angel. Or anything else that would tie it to the dark/paranormal romance genre (even though that is what this cover strongly suggests). Hurray!

This is a novel filled with suspense and suspicion and will keep you guessing until the end (and into the next one!). And yes, Daugherty manages this without a single supernatural creature. She uses secrets, mystery and danger to reel the reader in and keep them hooked. Her writing style flows well and the pacing is good. She creates a convincing world and her characters are completely believable. I love Allie! She is complex, with her troubled past, but also genuine. She suffers from the same doubts as most girls, falls into the same traps and is completely likeable. Even though there is some romance involved, it doesn't overwhelm the book or become the focus of the plot, even if it does have the inevitable triangular element. The whole novel is well written and I struggled to put it down. I honestly cannot wait to read the next one (currently due for release in January 2013! Yay!) and I really hope that it will deliver all that it promises.

If you like Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon, you'll love Night School!

I give it 8/10!

Title: Night School
Author: C. J. Daugherty
Publisher: Atom
Teenage Fiction

The Worst Princess by Anna Kemp & Sarah Ogilvie

Princess Sue knows how to be a good princess, having read all of the books and grown her hair to the floor, but she longs for adventure and life outside of her castle. At long last her prince arrives and she can see her freedom, right up until he shows her to her new tower. Fed up with this, she enlists the help of a big scary dragon over a cup of tea and finally gets the happily ever after that she desires.

This is a picture book that adults will find fun too. It's a fun twist on the traditional happily ever after princess story. The plot is amusing and entertaining. The illustrations are colourful with care taken to include bits of detail in addition to the plot (such as an unhappy looking fish about to land in a smiling crocodile's mouth) and so will keep children entertained that little bit longer. The Converse style shoes that Sue wears are a nice touch that instantly jumps out letting you know that Sue is not your typical damsel in distress. Together, the writing and illustrations create brilliant characterisation as well as a really engaging book. Brilliant for your not-so-girly princesses!

I give it 8/10 :)

Title: The Worst Princess
Author: Anna Kemp & Sarah Ogilvie
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Picture Book

Where is Fred? by Edward Hardy & illustrated by Ali Pye

Fred the caterpillar loves to play hide and seek. This is especially important as Gerald the crow would love to eat Fred for his lunch. Join Gerald as he hunts high and low for his meal, becoming ever more suspicious at the familiar-looking white fluffy objects on various people...

I really enjoyed this picture book! It's lots of fun with colourful and brilliant illustrations. It's well written and the use of different font styles is fantastic as it really adds that extra bit of character to the book. Gerald is the sort of silly character that children will love. It's a great book to read aloud with a child (or group of children) as you have the interactive element of finding Fred as well as the humour provided by Gerald, the fun illustrations and Fred's surprise at the end (with the potential for a nice science tie-in).

I give it 10/10!

Title: Where Is Fred?
Author: Edward Hardy
Illustrator: Ali Pye
Publisher: Egmont
Picture Book

Itch by Simon Mayo

Itch is fourteen and has a slightly dangerous hobby. Like a lot of fourteen year olds he likes to collect things. Unusually though, Itch is an element hunter and so likes to collect the elements, with the ultimate aim of having all 118 elements from the periodic table in his collection. Being something of a science fan, he also likes to experiment a little with them - hence the dangerous part. Recently, his hobby has gotten him in a little bit of trouble, especially when an experiment with phosphorous lost him his eyebrows and the arsenic in his bag may have made his entire biology class ill. When his aquaintence (called Cake) gives Itch an unusual rock, things are about to get a lot more dangerous with potentially disastrous consequences, not just for Itch but for the whole world! He and his cousin Jack must stop the rock from falling into the wrong hands whilst putting both of their lives at risk.

I quite liked this one. This might be because I'm a little bit of a science geek and so think it's fantastic to have a children's book with a bit more scientific (rather than romantic) chemistry in it. In fact there is absolutely no romance at all (hurray!). It was also difficult to predict what might happen next which makes a nice change. It can be a little slow in places and I was a little disappointed that nothing extraordinary happened involving the mine, although I will concede that this perhaps makes the story slightly more realistic and less predictable as it did throw me off of the scent a little. Mayo does include modern day products which could potentially remove the timeless quality but does help the book to connect a bit more with today's readers (my friend has also informed me that the Lexus RX 450h would not be an easy car to break into and so might not be such a good example for car theft!). Mayo also knows the right amount of detail to withold from the reader to keep them intrigued and want to read more, especially at the end! I am a little confused as to what age this book is supposed to be for. The back says that it is for children aged 10+, it's classified as 9-12 in our store and yet the main character is 14 and the story potentially has slightly more appeal for older children who have a bit more of an understanding of some of the science. There is also a death from radiation sickness and lots of vomiting (but aside from that nothing too grown up).

Itch was an enjoyable read and it should appeal to both boys and less girly girls. It's fantastic if you want a book with absolutely no romance which can be a struggle when you're buying for older children. I do think there's also some future potential for this series (especially as I would love to know the answer to my questions!).

I give it 7/10 :)

Title: Itch
Author: Simon Mayo
Publisher: Corgi Childrens
9-12 Fiction

A Boy and a Bear in a Boat by Dave Shelton

Quite simply, this book is about a boy and a bear in a boat.

Not enough detail? The book begins when a boy gets into a boat (called Harriet) that is rowed by a bear. The boy doesn't expect the journey to take very long and has a nap. Unfortunately, some unexpected anomalies occur. The bear insists that all is fine and that they will get there in the end. The boy begins to be concerned that they are lost no matter how much the bear insists they're not. They encounter the dangerous Very Last Sandwich, a sea creature, an abandoned ship, a curious rock, some inclement weather, a bird that says "Kark!" and a storm (in no particular order). As I said, this is a book about a boy and a bear in a boat. There has never been a book with such a perfect title!

This book is fantastic! It had me laughing out loud in the staff room at work and getting overexcited as I shared various bits with my colleagues. And it took me completely by surprise! I think the reason for this was the cover. My first thoughts were that this book has a very dull cover and looks like a maths book and even though you should never judge a book by its cover I found that I had. In reality the cover is actually very clever as it is something from the story (I don't want to spoil it for you, not that it's a major spoiler but I had a big "oh I see!" moment when I got to that part and you should be able to have that too). Plus on at least three occasions during one lunch break I had left the book face  down on the table with the dust jacket off and found that I had attempted to brush the crumbs off the back. It is very convincing. I am a bit concerned that the first impression given by this cover will put readers off and that this will not be easily overcome even though this is a book that should be read but I also don't want it to change because it is so brilliant. Also, you should believe every word of the blurb on the back because it is completely true!

The book is very easy to read and the story is well paced. Shelton uses a good variety of language and even includes the phrase "tickety boo!" Neither the boy nor the bear are ever called by a name and are just referred to as the boy or the bear throughout the book which works brilliantly. They don't need a name to be good characters and being called the boy or the bear sums them up perfectly. The author captures each one very well through his descriptions, illustrations and the characters' speech and makes them utterly believable. The illustrations are fun and the colour ones are simply stunning. The colours used reflect those of the sea and really help to add to the whole feel of the book. It's a great adventure tale that the reader gets sucked into and I found that by the end I was actually a little sad that the pages had stopped and so I couldn't continue with them.

I could easily imagine being given this as a present when I was younger and finally deciding to read it on a rainy day after several choruses of "I'm bored" have driven my parents mad and then having them looking for me an hour or so later concerned that I haven't pestered them since I picked it up. This book would certainly have sucked me in and even now I would have read it to the end in one sitting if I wasn't a grown up with work to do.

I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. Buy it, read it, laugh and be sad when you reach the end! It's fantastic!

I give it 10/10! :)

Title: A Boy and a Bear in a Boat
Author: Dave Shelton
Publisher: David Fickling Books
9-12 Fiction

Fizzlebert Stump: The Boy Who Ran Away From The Circus (and joined the Library) by A.F. Harold

Fizzlebert Stump lives in a circus that travels around the country. His mother is a clown and his father is a strong man. He gets taught his lessons by a variety of circus performers and has even put his head in a lion's mouth! However, life in the circus is very lonely when you're the only child and also when you're a book lover without many books. One day he meets some children and hopes they might become his friends, until they learn his name and find it hilarious. One of them happens to leave a library book behind and so one of Fizz's "teachers" recommends he returns it. So begins Fizz's adventure...

This book was lots of fun. Fizzlebert is a very likeable character who is perhaps a little naive having had his sheltered life in the circus. This is partially how he ends up on his adventure but you can't blame him for it. The author tries to engage with the reader through the use of the narrator and whilst this can be slightly irritating if you're a grown up trying to read the book all at once, it is great if you're younger or reading the book aloud. The tone of voice allows you to use great expression when reading aloud too. The illustrations (along with the story) remind me a little of Roald Dahl and it should appeal to his fans.

However, there was one thing that irritated me a bit about this book. Harrold uses far too many brackets! In fact, on page 128 you can find this: "awfully.)))" The author loves to go off on a slight tangent and whilst this can get irritating if you're trying to read the whole book in one go, it does give the book a bit of character and is quite fun in small doses.

Overall I give this book 6/10 :)

Title: Fizzlebert Stump: The Boy Who Ran Away From The Circus (and joined the Library)
Author: A.F. Harrold
Publisher: Bloomsbury
9-12 Fiction

Barry Loser: I am Not a Loser by Jim Smith

The best thing about this book is that if you're a grown up and a confident reader it will be over quickly.

Barry Loser is a child with a bad attitude and an unfortunate name which is a magnet for name calling. He loves Future Ratboy and hopes to win the talent show as the prize is a Future Ratboy costume. His main 'enemy' is Darren Darrenofski. Darren has an addiction to a fizzy drink called Fronkle and so his breath usually smells of it. He likes to make fun of Barry (Barry is usually quite mean back).

This book is trying very hard to be another Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It has the cartoon drawings and handwriting style font. The illustrations are fun and basic. It attempts to be funny. Young boys who like Wimpy Kid will probably enjoy it but I would never recommend it. It's incredibly insulting, irritating and terribly written. I can't imagine a parent being happy with me if I did (unless this also appeals to their sense of humour). One of Barry's teachers has cross eyes and a bent finger and so Barry constantly makes fun of the fact that you can never be sure who he is looking at. Barry is at least as rude to Darren as Darren is to him. Barry also thinks it's hilarious to harass a single mother by calling her up and asking for poopoo (very mature humour!). He also says "keel" instead of "cool" which was just irritating. The author could potentially pull this off if there was a bit of character redemption at the end or if there was a character like Perfect Peter in Horrid Henry but there isn't. The closest it comes is that Barry has to write an apology to the single mother but you can tell he's not really sorry. The characters all have really irritating names too (Mrs Trumpet Face or Darren Darrenofski for example). He also uses the phrase "history of the universe amen" (or something similar) more than once - I'm not really sure why the "amen" was necessary and it just bugged me.

The final thing that bothered me about this book is the bit about the spellchecker (author) in the back as it states that he graduated with first class honours from art school. If that is the case then I would expect him to produce something of a much better quality than this.

As I said, I think young boys who enjoy books such as Tom Gates and Diary of a Wimpy Kid will enjoy this book but I would much rather recommend the other better books from this genre instead of this one.

I give it 1/10.

Title: Barry Loser: I am Not a Loser
Author: Jim Smith
Publisher: Jelly Pie
5-12 Fiction

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

Delilah McPhee is a normal American teenager, doomed to never be popular (especially having broken the head cheerleader's knee) but things begin to change when she borrows a fairytale from the school library. She knows it's not normal for someone her age to be obsessed with a story written for children but she can't stop reading it until eventually she knows the book by heart. Or at least she did until one day the unthinkable happens - it changes! She soon discovers that the characters in the book don't cease to exist once the story has ended but resume their normal lives until the next time someone opens the book and they are forced to re-enact it once again. Prince Oliver is tired of this life and longs to escape. He soon discovers that Delilah may be his one hope as she is the only person he has ever managed to communicate with outside of the book. Will she help him to escape and will they both find the happily ever after they both desire?

I've read quite a few of Jodi Picoult's books, having started with My Sister's Keeper and worked my way through several more until they all got a bit predictable. Recently I decided to read a couple more as they were on offer and found myself pleasantly surprised as they didn't follow her usual pattern (Picture Perfect and Harvesting the Heart in case you were wondering - the latter affecting me as much as My Sister's Keeper). This meant I wasn't quite sure what to expect when it came to Between the Lines, her first teenage novel and co-written with her daughter. Having spoken to a few of my colleagues it seems that quite a few people are confused as to whether this is teen or adult fiction and what it is exactly that this book is about. I'd already bought it as an impulse purchase because this book is so nice and unusual and so thought I'd bump it up my reading list to see if I can have an answer.

My answer is this: Between the Lines is written for a young teenage audience and is a bit of a light-hearted and fun modern fairytale. It's definitely more for those who already have a love for books as those who aren't so keen on books will be put off by the length (and weight) of this book. It's also completely different from Picoult's other books - there's no darkness aside from the mention of divorce and being unpopular but these aren't the focus at all and the whole book has a very happy and fairytale feel.

The quality of the actual book is stunning (hence the impulse purchase). If you pick it up one of the first things you'll notice is that it's a lot heavier than you'd expect. This is due to the fact that it's printed using high-quality paper to enable the use of colour (or so I presume). There are three narrative voices used in Between the Lines: the original fairytale that Delilah fell in love with, Prince Oliver and Delilah. Each has their own colour and then Delilah and Oliver's worlds have their own font style. There are also colour illustrations to go with the original fairytale and black and white silhouette-style ones dotted throughout the text which both help to add to this book's charm. The cover lets it down slightly as it would have been nice to have one that was in the style of those you usually find on fairytales to truly complete the feel. It is instantly identifiable as a Jodi Picoult novel, although as the story is so different I don't think this adds anything to the book and may be part of the reason why some are getting a bit confused about it. It's as if they're hoping people will buy the book because it's her writing it instead of on the strength of the book itself. I can see the marketing logic but would definitely love to see it with a more stunning cover as it does just let the book down slightly.

The story itself was charming and fun. You won't end up in tears or traumatised (thinking of you C!) but will feel slightly warm and fuzzy (although not as much as you will if you watch Tangled - love that film!). It doesn't take itself too seriously and is a pleasant read with an ending that comes about in a way that I didn't predict. I think if I was a young teenager I could quite easily fall in love with this book but as an adult it doesn't quite have the depth that I'm used to and this is absolutely fine because that's the age group it's intended for. The writing style is easy to read, the characters are suitably soppy for each other and the products mentioned are perfect at speaking to that age group. However, the products do prevent it from having that timeless quality that some books have. The two inconsistencies also bugged me a little. On page 28 Delilah explains that she broke the head cheerleaders knee after swinging the bat whilst playing softball in the gym and then on page 155 Jules (Delilah's best friend who moved to the school a week after Delilah broke the cheerleader's knee according to page 28) says that she was the first one to know when a hysterical Delilah called her after breaking the head cheerleader's knee by tripping her during the Field Day hundred-meter dash. I suppose Delilah might have broken the head cheerleader's knee twice... The other inconsistency is with the famous page 43 (in the fairytale book, not the actual one in my hands) where Delilah has all of her private conversations with Oliver. The illustration that matches the description of that page is next to the title page for Between the Lines but the one next to fairytale book page 44 is completely different. Having read the book, my first reaction was a little bit of disappointment that it ended where it did without you finding out how the author or anyone else react or how they make it work in the days to come but having thought about it, the point where it ends works perfectly because it's the end of the altered story in the fairytale book which is of course supposed to be the story that you're reading and so what happens after that story ends would not be in it.

One thing I would question is the inclusion of descriptions of Picoult's other books at the end of Between the Lines. Picoult herself says at the end of Between the Lines that it "is a great fit for preteens and younger teens who may not be quite ready to tackle moral and ethical dilemmas in fiction." Moral and ethical dilemmas are usually the focus for Picoult's books (which are nothing like Between the Lines) and so do not fit with this book and it's potential preteen readers, creating a slightly confusing message. I would probably have left it with just listing her other titles in the front.

Overall this book was pleasant to read and a bit of light-hearted fun that I would recommend to young teenage girls who are confident readers and who like a good fairytale.

I give it 7/10 :)

Title: Between the Lines
Author: Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Teenage Fiction

Life Eternal by Yvonne Woon

Life Eternal is the sequel to the brilliant Dead Beautiful. Renee Winters has changed after the events of last year. She seems older, sadder and her senses have dulled except when she's with Dante Berlin, her soul mate and one of the Undead. No-one can know what happened as Dante's existence will be in danger but this leads to the rumour that she's immortal. Not a good rumour when events mean that you have to transfer to a new school, one that's only for Monitors (those whose task is to keep the Undead in check). Dante's also running out of time as the Undead can only escape the final clutches of death for 21 years and he only has a few years left. This leads Renee on a quest to solve the puzzle of the Nine Sisters to help save him after she starts to receive terrifying visions. But she's not alone in trying to find the answer to immortality and the others won't hesitate to destroy anyone who is in their way.

I really enjoyed Dead Beautiful and one of the things I liked most was that I wasn't desperate for the story to continue as it seemed to wrap up well. Looking back I'm not quite sure why as there were certain plot points that were unresolved and so perhaps I was just desperate for there to be a teen book without a sequel. It actually took me a few weeks to realise that Life Eternal and Dead Beautiful were related when Life Eternal appeared in our kids section and it's taken me a few more to finally get around to reading it because of the lack of urgency I felt. However, having just devoured it in two sittings I'm not quite sure what has taken me so long! If you loved Dead Beautiful it will not let you down.

Woon's writing style is so easy to read that I found I just kept going from one chapter to the next without really realising (occasionally I would notice the butterflies on the page and so spot that I had strayed into a new one - they're a nice touch). I really love Renee too. She's not one of the popular crowd but will stand up to them when necessary. She doesn't go falling madly in love with multiple guys and she's pretty down to earth. Dante has that nice mysterious quality about him. Plus I love their names! I also really love the whole idea of this series. Philosophical Latin-speaking zombies without the gross factor and there's the rules of their existence that make things a little more interesting. I've never read anything quite like it and it's a weird one to classify as it doesn't feel like a dark romance normally does but it's definitely out there in the fantasy world. It's brilliant!

Life Eternal does have a lot of unanswered questions and so I'm assuming there will be a third (and I'll definitely be anticipating it more this time!) and this kind of leaves it with that middle book filler feel (think Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince which is setting the scene for the big finale) except that I'm unable to predict quite what form the next one will take aside from having something to do with the Nine Sisters secret. It's well written and enjoyable and there are so many things I would love to see happen (finding out what happens to Elenor, if Clementine and Renee have a big coming together and what will be the consequences of the Nine Sisters secret, etc). It is seriously promising an excellent third installment and so I really hope Woon won't let us down. Okay, now I really can't wait for the next one!

I give Life Eternal 7/10 :)

Title: Life Eternal

Author: Yvonne Woon

Publisher: Usborne

Teenage Fiction

The Forsaken by Lisa Stasse

Alenna Shawcross is a 16 year-old orphan growing up in a strictly controlled world which was once Canada, United States and Mexico but is now the United Northern Alliance (UNA). All teenagers sit the Government Personality Profile Test (GPPT) which is used to remove the Unanchored Souls from society and send them to Island Alpha - a place filled with depravity and a short life expectancy. When it's Alenna's turn she fully expects to pass but the government has already made up it's mind about her and so she soon finds herself stranded on a tropical island where she has to fight to survive the war between tribes as well as the highs and lows of friendship and love whilst embarking on a quest to find out the truth of her parents fate.

Ok so first I need to get The Hunger Games comparison out of my system. The Forsaken is so shameless in trying to get you to make this comparison that I just had to give it a go and see how it would fare. Here's the cover of my copy of The Hunger Games:

There's the black and red theme with blood splatters and the white text. There's the brunette on The Forsaken who has Katniss' weapon of choice. There's the the tagline to entice you. The Forsaken even declares "If you love Hunger Games read this!" Once inside the comparisons continue. A controlling government, teenagers plucked out of society and left in a contained area where they have to fight to survive, an island divided into sectors, machines that pluck people out of the environment, a mysterious barrier to keep them in the right place. So how does this book compare? I'd choose The Hunger Games 100% of the time. Alenna doesn't have Katniss' strength. The UNA government isn't as intimidating. The Island isn't as terrifying as the arena. And I found that by the end I just didn't care as it all just felt too weak. You know Alenna and Liam are most likely going to help overthrow the government and most likely David will probably play a part as a second love interest (oh how I hope not!).

So on its own how does The Forsaken do? As I've already mentioned it all feels weak. One of the great things about those books that make up the pinnacle of the dystopian genre is that you really experience the fear and danger of being part of that society and even the intensity of the romance. Alenna and Liam are in love after what appears to be a week or two at most and only a couple of kisses and conversations. The sort of love where you're willing to die for the other person. How did this happen? It lacks any sense of reality. Alenna is a weak leading lady too. She never really does anything. David saves her life in the opening chapters and whilst she vows to return the favour she never does even though the opportunity presents itself. Many others around her step up and act the hero while she watches or follows their ideas. The only plot point that I didn't find myself anticipating was the identity of the Monk. The story promises a lot but just left me feeling disappointed.

Stasse's writing style is slightly peculiar too. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is but it just feels slightly dreamy and not very engaging with the reader, almost as if Alenna isn't really that interested. She also uses italics for emphasis but for weird sentences where I can't really see a reason for it. The only effect it really achieved was irritating me. She also reveals that Alenna never sat the GPPT as the government knocked her out before it begun but Alenna keeps making references to never having expected to fail the test when she didn't because she didn't sit it. It's a minor thing but for some reason it just really bugged me. Stasse doesn't really spend much time building the world either which is why I think it lacks the intensity and realistic feel to the situations and relationships. For example, one second Gadya hates Alenna and then the next she has miraculously gotten over it and all is forgiven but there's no detail of the journey to that point or any left over resentment. Gadya is a much better main character and I kind of wish Stasse had made this her story but at least there is the room for Alenna to grow as a character. There's also the resources that the island's inhabitants have at their disposal: weapons, fireworks, clothing, truth serum, needles, cooking pots, etc. They're just too convenient and easy. The Forsaken just feels a little half-hearted.

I'm probably being unnecessarily harsh. If I'd read this book 2 years ago I'd probably appreciate it more than I do now because 2 years ago I hadn't read a single dystopian novel (that I was aware of, having never heard of the word until my bookselling career began) and so I would have nothing to compare it to. But reading it now is like having eaten Lindt or Cadbury's or Galaxy chocolate and then trying to eat a large bar of cheap Easter egg chocolate. It just doesn't satisfy you as much.

I give this book 5/10. It'll occupy your time and you'll find some enjoyment out of it but it isn't one of the greats (mind you, with the shameless attempt at a Hunger Games comparison it was unlikely to be). Will I read the sequel? Possibly, depending on what it promises and how intrigued I find myself over time. Will I be desperate for it? No, not really. If I never read it then I'm okay with that.

Title: The Forsaken
Author: Lisa Stasse
Publisher: Orchard Books
Teenage Fiction

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

For once I'm not going to summarise the book myself as the thing that made me really want to read this book (aside from the awesome author) was the blurb itself and I don't think I can top it.

"This is the box, Ed. 


Inside is everything. 


Two bottle caps,
a movie ticket from Greta in the Wild,
a note from you,
a box of matches, 
your protractor, 
Joan's book,
the stolen sugar, 
a toy truck, 
those ugly earrings,
a comb from the motel, 
and the rest of it.


This is it, Ed.


The whole story of why we broke up."
(Taken from the back cover of Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler)

I've already mentioned that Daniel Handler is an awesome author. If I'm to be honest, I had never heard of the name Daniel Handler before this book was brought to my attention. That's because his other books that I've read are written under the name Lemony Snicket (who I'm excited to announce is releasing the first of his new series in October!). I really enjoyed A Series of Unfortunate Events but as they were written for a younger audience I wasn't really sure what to expect when it came to Why We Broke Up, especially as it's clear from the use of a different name that this was to be something separate.

The first thing that struck me when my copy arrived was the brilliant artwork. Maira Kalman has done a fantastic job and it really adds a striking and superb finishing touch to the book. Each item that Min (who is writing this letter) is returning to Ed is accompanied by a gorgeous illustration that really brings it to life for the reader as well as helping in the story-telling process. It almost makes it like a picture book for teens but this book is so much better than that phrase makes it sound and so don't let it put you off.

The idea of using the items to tell the story of Ed and Min's relationship is brilliant and effective. When I've come across items left over from a relationship it's always amazing how the memories come flooding back and how much something so simple can mean so much. Their use helps to bring a sense of reality to the story and makes it easy to relate to Min as well as helping to make this book something different. Handler's writing style also works brilliantly as it's exactly the sort of way a real person thinks instead of the grammatically correct text you would normally find in a novel and this intensifies the experience. At first this did take a little bit of getting used to but once I got into the flow of the text it wasn't an issue. The plot unfolds one item at a time like putting together the pieces of a puzzle with each illustration acting as a clue before it's place in this tale is fully revealed. Handler is such a creative individual who weaves his fictional details together so thoroughly and completely that his created worlds contain a depth which makes it very easy for the reader to become immersed in them. Min is also a character who is easy to identify with. She's not cool (in a mainstream sense) or perfect or damaged or suffering from major self-esteem issues or anything like that. She's a normal teenager who has her group of friends and her own defining thing that all teenagers have to some degree (in her case it's a film obsession). This makes her very likeable and easy to picture.

Overall I loved this book! It really resounds with anyone who has experienced any level of heartbreak as well as being a fantastic book that is incredibly well thought out with a story that is wonderfully told.

I give it 9/10! :D

Title: Why We Broke Up
Author: Daniel Handler
Publisher: Electric Monkey
Teenage Fiction

Street Duty: Knock Down by Chris Ould

A 14 year-old female is left unconscious after she gets run over, leaving several unanswered questions: Why didn't she see the lorry? Why was she running? Why was she barefoot? At the hospital the staff start to suspect that she may have been sexually assaulted. Trainee Police Officer Holly Blades is determined to find out the truth and bring someone to justice. The Trainee Police Officer programme aims to help the police engage with younger members of the community by enabling those who are 16 years-old and who show a certain level of aptitude to enrol as officers on a fast track route to joining the service. Not everyone is  convinced by the scheme and so for Holly to succeed in her quest she must put together the pieces of the case whilst overcoming the negativity and scepticism of those above her. 


The way this novel is put together works really well. I found that I thought I'd figured out how this novel would fit together and then was pleasantly surprised to see that I wasn't quite right. The extra plot threads that aren't tied up work well as they help to give the novel a more realistic feel instead of that happily ever after feel that novels often have when everything is tied up neatly or when they're not written for adults. The details Ould provides about the police, such as the phrases used during radio contact, also help to create a feel of realism. It's clear that he's done his research and has a real feel for what he is writing about. The novel is very easy to read and  the chapters are a comfortable length. The explicit language is only used when it helps to create the characters using it and not just for the sake of it like some other novels I have read. The characters are realistic and for a teen novel this book is a breath of fresh air as there is no love interest involving the main character. My only criticism with the characters is that there isn't much depth to the main ones as you only find out surface details, but perhaps this is something that will be built on in future novels. The content is more suitable for older readers but again this is used well and attempts to bring some of the realities of youth crime into teenage writing without being sensationalist but without attempting to mollycoddle the reader either. 


Overall I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading future instalments in the series. It's great to have a crime novel that is written specifically for teenagers especially as the closest novel I can think of is The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson but that still contains a fantasy element and so isn't really a crime novel.


I give it 7/10 :)


Title: Street Duty: Knock Down
Author: Chris Ould
Publisher: Usborne
Teenage Fiction (15+ as recommended by Usborne due to explicit language and content)

Witch Crag by Kate Cann

Kita has grown up in a tribe of sheepmen whose only priority is to survive, sacrificing pleasure and having very traditional roles for both men and women that no-one disobeys. Kita desires freedom, to be able to see the outside world and not be penned in a cage looking after the little ones. Together with Quainy and Rath, she plans her escape which will take her through lands filled with terrifying creatures and dangerous people as they seek the uncertain safety of the nightmarish Witch Crag. But even if they make it into the tribe of the witches, will they be safe from their past and the war that threatens to destroy all that the various tribes have worked for?

The setting of a society with such traditional roles for men and women set in a future after a terrible event (called the Great Havoc) caught my attention as the other dystopian novels don't usually come across as being so strong in these roles and so I was curious to see how it would be done. It also promised the usual enemy becoming the true love which can sometimes add a good bit of drama. However, I found that Witch Crag didn't really deliver all that it promised. You never find out what the Great Havoc was and the whole plot felt very rushed which prevented either of the main plot promises from truly being developed. You never really got a feel for the world as the characters would be dropped into one event and then suddenly be experiencing another. Even the journey through the forest which started out so well, being nicely descriptive, soon gave way to the need to speed onto the next crisis. The relationships aren't very realistic either because of the pace - the characters trust and fall in love too easily, as well as lacking depth. The "enemy" isn't really ever a true enemy of Kita's and her romance isn't very detailed or long and occurs very suddenly.When a crisis occurs it happens very quickly and then the characters are extracted very conveniently and speedily, which just felt very unsatisfying and unrealistic. I also expected the book to end slightly further on from where it did and it almost felt like Cann just ran out of time and quickly brought things to a close. I think the idea for this book had great potential but might have been better served by being split into two books to allow for a good quantity of world building or sticking to one theme instead of trying to cover dystopia, adventure and the supernatural/fantasy as it all feels a bit forced and none are fully developed to a satisfying degree. On the plus side, it is nice to read a book that appears to be a standalone for a change as the teen market is saturated with so many series that I find it difficult to remember which ones I'm reading and what has happened in each one. 


Overall, if you're looking for a novel that will stand on its own with a dystopian flavour then this one will do just that. But if you're looking for something to fill the Hunger Games void in your life then you might want to try some of the other brilliant novels out there, such as Pure by Julianna Baggott, Divergent by Veronica Roth or Gone by Michael Grant.


I give it 6/10.


Title: Witch Crag
Author: Kate Cann
Publisher: Scholastic
Teenage Fiction


(Due to be published October 2012)

Pure by Julianna Baggott

Pressia Belze has been fighting for survival in a nightmare world wrecked by detonations for several years, along with others who have become fused to that which was closest to them when the white light came (known as the Wretches). She dreams about life from Before, a life that lies within the safety of the Dome. Partridge is a Pure, an undamaged and whole human, who has been inside the Dome ever since the detonations. But life inside the Dome isn't like the world that Pressia dreams of. It is strictly controlled by the leaders, and even history has become blurred and forgotten. When Partridge starts to suspect that he has been lied to for all these years he decides to go on a journey to find the truth, a journey that will take him into the strange and dangerous world outside of the precious safety of the Dome. Inevitably his path crosses with Pressia's, a meeting which will make both of their lives unrecognisable.

If you've read any other dystopian young adult fiction, then you'll have a good idea of the style and quality of writing that dominates this genre (most of the ones I've come across have all been equally good, this one included). What sets this one apart is that it doesn't just give you events from one or two of the characters, it gives you narration from at least four. Instead of the typical one girl falling for two guys you get a group of characters, all finding one another, joining together to survive and hold on to that which they hold most dear, each playing their own vital role. This gives Pure a unique feel as you get a real sense of this community spirit that is beginning form. It has the standard ruling class suppressing the lower ones, with a hidden rebellion forming underneath the surface, but in Pure you get a real taste for the web of control the leaders have and a feel for the fear that exists in this world. The story is compelling and exciting. The characters and the world are vivid and convincing. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel and hope that Baggott continues to use these unique elements of her plot to great effect.

I also love the paperback cover! It's incredibly eye-catching and striking. The flame effect works superbly on the black (although I think Pure could stand alone without the reference to The Hunger Games, particularly as every other dystopian novel seems to be trying to make this claim).

I give it 8/10 :)

Title: Pure
Author: Julianna Baggott
Publisher: Headline
Teenage Fiction

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

September is a twelve year-old girl who would love to go on an adventure. Luckily, she gets the chance when the Green Wind appears along with the Leopard of Little Breezes and shows her the way into Fairyland. She soon discovers that all is not well as the much-disliked Marquess (a brilliantly unlikeable character) has taken charge and attempted to bend Fairyland and all who live there to her will. After stumbling across some witches, September embarks on a quest to retrieve a stolen spoon, but soon finds herself caught up in an even greater adventure than she dared to hope. 

I decided to read this book after several of my fellow booksellers were excitedly proclaiming how much they had fallen in love with it and so I ordered a copy based solely on their enthusiasm. When it arrived and I saw the cover I knew that it was the sort of book that I used to long for when I was younger: one that would let me escape and take me away into another world. The title could have simply been "September" as this is exactly who it is about, but "The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making" suits the story so much better (as well as being the best title for a book that I have ever come across). The illustrations provide a brilliant glimpse of certain parts of this tale (although they are a little creepy at times). There are even little summaries at the beginning of each chapter to give you a teasing taste of what is to come. It certainly set itself up to be a unique adventure,

Now, I am one of those people who can quite happily sit for hours devouring a book, and in fact love it when this happens as I get to feel like I have truly escaped reality just for a short while and gone on an exciting adventure. When I started to read this book, I really thought it would be another one I couldn't put down as it definitely appeared to have all of the right ingredients. However, I'd start reading and then suddenly realise that I was checking Facebook on my phone or doing some chore that had suddenly popped into my head. This wasn't because I wasn't enjoying the book and so this left me feeling slightly confused. I think that possibly the ease in which you can enter Fairyland through September, along with the nice complete chapters (one's that don't end in a way that makes you desperate to read on thanks to cliffhanger style endings) and the lack of identifying with September personally, all made it very easy to put the book down. This meant that I had to make a little bit more of an effort to complete the book, but this effort was worth it. I did still get to feel like I had escaped to Fairyland as Valente's world is nicely described and easy to picture. The characters were also very real feeling (or perhaps I have a vivid imagination!) and so were very effective in their roles of being warm and loving or bitter and intimidating. The writing style is different to most young adult writing that I've come across and this instantly gives the books Narnian feel (in fact, I frequently thought of Narnia whilst reading it and even Valente herself makes a reference to Narnia through Not/Nor who tells September that there's more than one way between her world and Fairyland, including "those that stumble through... a wardrobe full of winter coats"). However, it's definitely a tale for those who are slightly older as Valente successfully makes my favourite season seem sinister and doesn't shy away from the gruesome detail of gutting your first fish without proper instruction or the real consequences of being pushed down a deep, mostly-dry well (in other tales September might have had her fall cushioned by leaves so as not to come to harm).

If I were to make a criticism it would be some of the choices of words as there were frequently ones that I had no idea what the meaning was, even though I'm grown up and supposed to know such things, but this is really the only criticism I can make. Even with my initial difficulties with staying focused on this book I still found myself being carried away on the adventure and fell in love with the story and characters by the end (just as those before me have done). I cannot wait to read the sequel as Valente manages to give you another tantalising taste of what is to come without giving too much away. I definitely recommend this to anyone who has ever looked for Narnia in the back of their wardrobe, even if you're supposed to be a grown-up.

I give it 8/10 :)

P.S. I absolutely love the Wyverary! Such a brilliant idea for a character!

Title: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
Author: Catherynne M. Valente
Publisher: Corsair
Teenage Fiction

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Celaena Sardothien is an 18 year old assassin, possibly the best her world has ever seen. Yet she made one mistake and got caught which led to her being imprisoned in a death camp. Half-starved and beaten, she has an unexpected visitor. The king has chosen to hold a contest to find someone mighty enough to be his champion, and so all of the leading nobles must choose a person to compete. Celaena is the choice of the crown prince, despite the reservations of those around him. Given a chance to earn her freedom, something she longs for more than anything else, Celaena agrees to go with the prince and live in the castle to train and hopefully make it through to the final round. Whilst there, she discovers a hidden darkness along with a taste of romance, a hint of the past and a terrifying power.

One of the first things that struck me about this book was the fantasy feel. It's in the style of writing as well as some of the strange names. The names themselves took a bit of getting used to as it's not necessarily clear how to pronounce them. It's also a little weird that Celaena is often referred to as "the assassin" quite a bit, even after she's been properly introduced. As this seems to decrease the further you get into the book, it has the effect of helping you feel like you're becoming more and more familiar with Celaena, which I'm guessing may have been the author's intention. A little bit further in, I experienced a sense of deja vu as I felt the beginning of a predictable plot and romance. Thankfully this turned out not to be the case. There are some elements of the plot that come as no surprise but the journey makes them fit well, plus it's not quite as predictable as it first seems. The world is believable and it was easy to picture the surroundings from Celaena's experiences. The romance element is nicely balanced with the rest of the story and, unusually, doesn't come mainly from our female lead. It also keeps you guessing and by the end you're still not sure which path it's going to take. The contest itself doesn't receive as much coverage as I would have expected and it might have been nice to have had a bit more detail. This is something I also felt about our brilliant assassin as she doesn't really do many assassin-like things and spends a lot of time being a girly girl with some angry thoughts. However, there is excellent potential for this character as she's definitely deadly and will have some tough choices to make in the future. The bad guys are also nicely dark and scheming and so I am looking forward to finding out what happens next. It also had that slightly addictive quality that meant I struggled to put it down and looked forward to the moments when I could pick it up again. It was an enjoyable read and is great for those who love a bit of fantasy with a strong female lead.

Overall, the best thing about this book is that it contains all the good ingredients of a brilliant fantasy but with an excellent twist in the assassin that just gives it that hint of something a little bit different.

I give it 8/10 :)

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Teenage Fiction

Nothing by Janne Teller

This book is not for those who are sensitive or younger readers. 

Pierre Anthon decides life is meaningless and proceeds to make sure that everyone knows this by sitting in a tree and telling them so, refusing to come down. To prove him wrong, his classmates decide to pile up their prized possessions to show him the meaning. As the heap grows, the sacrifices each must make become more and more extreme until some very dark events take place. 

This book was incredibly well written. To say I enjoyed it would be wrong as this isn't the sort of book you should enjoy, in the same way that The Hunger Games isn't really something you should enjoy as it features the killing of children. But it doesn't stop these books from being brilliant and gripping. I don't want to give too much away but it starts off being reasonably innocent and then takes darker and darker turns as the sacrifice the next person has to make becomes more and more demanding. You end up fearing what the next person will have to give up. It was haunting and has stuck with me even though it's been a few months since I read it. It reminds me of Lord of the Flies and should be a modern classic, especially as it really makes you think.

I give it 10/10!

Title: Nothing

Author: Janne Teller

Publisher: Strident Publlishing

Teenage Fiction

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Warning – only start this book if you have several hours to spare as it’s addictive and I just couldn’t put it down, no matter how much I tried telling myself I had to go to bed.

America Singer has grown up in a world where you’re born into a caste (class) in society and this determines your job, wealth and even your marriage opportunities. The man she loves is of a lower caste than hers which means he is poorer and less able to provide for her, making him feel ashamed and so he persuades her to put herself forward for the Selection. Despite the odds she is chosen to compete against 34 other girls for the ultimate place by the prince’s side as his wife. She should be thrilled about this opportunity but it’s not something she desires. Her life will be changed forever as she’s thrown into a world full of glittering ball gowns, extravagant food and fiercely competitive girliness as each one hopes to be the one to win Prince Maxon’s heart (or his crown). To make things worse, she’s caught the prince’s attention which of course brings the whispers and glares of the other girls. There’s danger too as the rebels are making frequent attacks against the palace.

I’m not usually a fan of girly books and the cover for this one would usually have put me off but there was a bit of a buzz about it and so I thought I’d give it a go. It was brilliant! America is a normal girl and not at all the air-headed girl you might expect which makes her easy to relate to. She’s also not so good at following the rules and I found myself becoming so attached to her that I was fearful that she’d get caught. It does have a dystopia type theme as it has the alternative reality scene where it’s set after the fourth world war in a world where society controls many more aspects of everyday life, including a curfew and jail-time for what we’d see today as more minor offences. But Cass has managed to strike a balance where this doesn’t make the book overwhelmingly depressing and the romance doesn’t make it overwhelmingly soppy and sickening. I can’t wait to read the next one having devoured this one in a single sitting! If you loved Wither by Lauren DeStefano or Matched by Ally Condie then you’ll love this one too.

I give it 9/10!

Title: The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: Harper Collins

Teen Ficiton

Monstrous Maud: Big Fright by A.B. Saddlewick

This book is so much fun!

When Maud's rat escapes in the middle of the class it's the last straw and she get's transferred from Primrose Towers to Rotwood Middle School. Everyone at Primrose (including Maud's sister) is lovely and girly and not into anything gross like bugs or rats, but Maud loves them and doesn't fit in at all. In contrast, Everyone at Rotwood seems to have a thing for dressing up as if it's Halloween and the school is all creepy and dark. Maud starts to suspect that there's something weird going on at Rotwood and soon learns that she has to prove herself to her teacher if she is to stay. To do this she has to successfully scare him but he isn't the easiest to scare and the traditional things such as vampires and ghosts won't work here (but perhaps a pink tutu might come in handy...).

This book is brilliant. I never expected to enjoy this as much as I did. It's like Horrid Henry for girls but personally I think it's better. It's great for younger children and is set to be a series which I'm sure will prove to be popular.

I give it 9/10

Title: Monstrous Maud: Big Fright
Author: A.B. Saddlewick
Publisher: Buster Books
5-8 Children's Fiction

Changeling by Philippa Gregory

This book is set in the 1400's and features two main characters: Isolde and Luca. Isolde is set to inherit the estate when her father dies but on his death bed he apparently decides to give her the choice of marriage or becoming the Lady Abbess at the local nunnery instead. Confused and hurt, she chooses the abbey. Not long after her arrival strange happenings begin, stigmata and visions, signs of witchcraft. Luca is fascinated with learning and investigating and ends up being accused of heresy. He is recruited by a mysterious man to record the end-times across the lands. His first orders take him to Isolde's nunnery to investigate the strange happenings. Here their paths meet and lays the foundation for Gregory's first teen series.

I'm not sure what to make of this book. It was predictable in places and came to a natural end half way through, but then continued and managed to regain my interest by the end. The chapters are strange and irregular (which I found weird as I don't like putting a book down part way through a chapter where possible). The thing I really loved about this book is that the romance is minimal. It's like those first feelings and whispers you get in real life when you meet someone you're attracted to in the beginning. I also liked the historical element (I love Kate Mosse's Labyrinth and Sepulchre). However, the mix of history and fantasy isn't quite natural as it isn't developed thoroughly. The concept of the changeling feels thrown in at this point in the series as it's mentioned and then not really taken any further. I think there's some potential for this series and hopefully it'll become more exciting as it continues. It's bound to be a hit with those looking for a gift for the teenage girl in their life due to Gregory's popularity in the adult genre and I'd say it's a reasonably safe choice as there's something to appeal to a lot of girls. 


I kind of want to reserve judgement until the next instalment but for now...

I give it 7/10

Title: Changeling
Author: Philippa Gregory
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Teen Fiction

The Baby-Sitter by R.L. Stine

So the other weekend I thought I'd read one of my favourite books from when I was a teenager: The Babysitter. I remember that my friends and I loved this book and its two sequels. 


Jenny takes a job as a babysitter after a random encounter with a cute boy at the mall to earn a bit of extra money. Around this time some attacks on babysitters started to occur. Jenny's overactive imagination begins to work against her when she starts getting creepy phone calls and she starts to suspect the love interest. There's also the creepy neighbour who raises her suspicions. But is Jenny really the mysterious attacker's next intended victim and why would she be when she's harmed no-one?


I have to confess that it wasn't as good as I remembered. The quality of the writing wasn't the best and parts were repetitive. However, it did still manage to give me that creepy feeling even though I knew how it would end. It's definitely going to keep a place in my heart. 

I give it 6/10


Title: The Baby-Sitter
Author: R.L. Stine
Publisher: Scholastic
Teen Fiction

How To Teach Relativity To Your Dog by Chad Orzel

As I work in the non-fiction section of a bookshop, I thought it would be a really good idea to read some non-fiction books so when the opportunity came to read How to Teach Relativity to Your Dog by Chad Orzel I decided to take it. And I have to say that I'm glad I did! 


Having not studied physics past GCSE level, I wondered if I'd be able to follow the ideas in this book as I know many have found it confusing in the past but not only does Orzel make relativity easy to understand, he makes it fun! His use of Emmy the dog is fantastic as she raises all of the points and questions you might be thinking of, although I did find the concept of teaching physics to a dog weird at first as I've never owned a pet myself. I also found that at times I couldn't put the book down as I wanted to know more thanks to it fuelling my interest in this fascinating subject. My only criticism would be that sometimes I found it difficult to understand the illustrations but that could be more due to my brain than a lack of clarity. Overall I have to say that this is a great introduction to relativity and is a really great read as well :)

I give it 9/10


Title: How To Teach Relativity To Your Dog
Author: Chad Orzel
Publisher: Basic Books
Popular Science

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

I first got excited about this book after seeing a sampler in Waterstones and it was one of the best I read last year. Sadly the film didn't do it justice but here's a few of my thoughts :)

Number Four is a member of the Garde from the planet Lorien who looks like us. The last nine members of the Garde were sent to Earth after their planet was attacked by the Mogadorians. Only a charm protects the nine from being killed on Earth as the Mogadorians are hunting them down to complete the destruction of their race. The charm means that the nine have to be killed in order. The book picks up the story with the death of number three and follows number four in hiding, with the knowledge that he is next in line to be hunted down and killed. 


It's easy to see how this could be turned into a film. There is plenty of danger and suspense with a hint of romance as well as themes of trust and standing up to your enemies as number four experiences the normal (and abnormal) trials of adolescence. It's an excellent page turner and is easy to read. It was another book I couldn't put down. Great for those who enjoy a bit of action and adventure. It left me eager for the sequel.

I give it 8/10 :)


Title: I am Number Four
Author: Pittacus Lore
Publisher: Puffin Books
Teen Fiction

The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott

I was so excited when I spotted The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott on the shelf. I read Shadows on the Moon ages ago and loved it and so was hopeful that this one would be just as good. I was not disappointed! In fact, I devoured it all in one morning!

Alexandra is the daughter of the ruler of the land, loved dearly by her mother and brothers but not so much by her father. Her mother is schooled in the old ways and passes this gift onto her daughter The old ways are a form of magic that are bound in nature. Alexandra's mother is a much-loved cunning woman who dies after a horrific attack. Her father is lost in grief, wasting his days hunting the beast that killed her, until one day he finds a woman who will change Alexandra's life completely. This paves the way for Alexandra to begin a journey of self-discovery and leads to the salvation of the kingdom she loves.

Zoe has this magical ability to create a fairy tale world that feels completely believable and real as well as a place that the reader can escape to. And I mean truly escape to. I found myself keeping the vow of silence along with Alexandra and it took me a while to realise that I was allowed to use my voice. Her characters are completely believable and the love aspect isn't too soppy or all-consuming as in a lot of teen fiction these days. This book was so easy and a pleasure to read and I cannot recommend it enough.

I give it 9/10!

Title: The Swan Kingdom
Author: Zoe Marriott
Publisher: Walker Books
Teen Fiction