The Bell Between Worlds by Ian Johnstone

Sylas Tate lives in a rickety flat with his uncle on Gabblety Row, for whom he runs errands and lives a slightly cheerless existence. He enjoys his own company and often makes beautiful bird kites with a set of paints left to him by his mother who died a few years ago after she started to go crazy. One day a new shop appears and Sylas finds himself drawn inside. He discovers three mysterious and magical objects, one of which (the Samarok) is given to him to keep by the mysterious Mr Zhi. Not long after, Silas discovers his mum may not be dead after all. He then gets woken up by the overwhelmingly loud ringing of a giant bell and finds himself being chased by a nightmarish hound with the result that he runs into the path of the bell and finds that it has summoned him into another world. Whilst there he must try to find out the purpose for which he has been summoned as well as trying to complete his personal quest to discover the truth about his mother.

This book promised big things. On the back cover the advanced reading copy says "C.S. Lewis. Philip Pullman. and now... Ian Johnstone. From the publishers who brought you Middle Earth, Narnia and the Old Kingdom comes a stunning new fantasy trilogy... The Bell Between Worlds will summon you to another place in June 2013. A place you won't want to return from..." Could I possibly be lucky enough to be holding the next big fantasy novel in my hands? I had to give it a chance. Sadly, I'm not as convinced as the publishers. It was a good fantasy novel. It had weird magic related things going on. No swords though. Or epic battle scenes. But the thing that ruined this book for me was in fact the blurb. This book is 511 pages long but some of what is described in the official blurb (and in fact the main plot point that made me want to read this book) didn't happen until after 400 pages, with part of the blurb never really coming to pass in this book,  and so I spent most of the novel waiting for the story to actually begin. If you're curious about this blurb all you have to do is search for the book online and there it is but I don't want to ruin it for you on here and so haven't included it (admittedly the official blurb sounds more exciting than mine).

The pacing was also a little weird. A lot of the book is fairly slow paced but action scenes, and especially the ending, are over very quickly even though I felt that more could have been included in these scenes to make them stronger and more vivid. Johnstone spends a lot of time in setting the scene in other parts of the book and so is clearly able to do so. The action scenes also kind of lack action. The characters are faced with a dangerous situation but thanks to magic the danger seems to be overcome far too easily, making the scene feel anti-climatic. The other issue I have with the pacing is that in places it becomes very juddery. Johnstone will go to the trouble of describing how the others have walked on but Simia has stayed behind to talk to Sylas but she says one small sentence and then walks off. It wasn't anything majorly profound and so wastes a moment of semi-tension. Or he makes a big deal of Sylas holding hands with Naeo but never mentions that they let go. Moments like this just leave you feeling slightly disorientated. 

Overall I feel like this book is very much the beginning and so it might have more potential when reunited with the other two parts of this tale so that it can be viewed as a whole. However, it does look like this could be a very long tale. which I suppose is a usual fantasy feature. I would love to see more detailed action and a sword or two. On the plus side there is no romance and there is appeal for both boys and girls. The characters are created well, even if Simia did irritate me a little. The plot is easy to follow and the world building is very detailed. For me this book was good but lacked the magic of Tolkien, Lewis and Pullman and so instead left me craving to read some proper fantasy.

I give it 6/10.

Title: The Bell Between Worlds
Author: Ian Johnstone
Publisher: Harper Collins
10+ Fiction

The Hit by Melvin Burgess

There is a drug that will help give you the best week of your life. You'll feel healthy and more alive than ever before. Others who have taken it have filled their week with as many extreme life experiences as possible including climbing Everest, consuming huge amounts of alcohol and of course having lots of sex. But as with all things that sound so wonderful there is a catch. At the end of seven days, almost to the second, you will die. There is no antidote, no way of surviving this drug once you've taken it. You get your week and that is it. The name of this drug? Death. Adam has managed to score a date with a gorgeous girl to a concert that will go down in history. The lead singer, Jimmy Earle, is rumoured to have taken Death, but has had to deny the rumours as those in charge fear the consequences if he has. The UK is 20 years into a recession that doesn't seem to be getting any easier. There is a group called The Zealots who seek revolution and who won't hesitate to take advantage of the chaos that ensues after the concert. In the events that follow Adam becomes tempted to take Death himself, risking everything including his family, girlfriend and a future in football. Will he take the ultimate high? Would you?

If you could take a drug that would help you to live the best week of your life before you die, would you? This question was what first caught my eye and got me interested in this book. Most of my friends concluded that they would only take it if they were already dying, the purpose for which this fictional drug was invented. It did spark some fascinating conversations though.

The Hit promised so much and in some ways it delivered. There was lots of action and suspense but things never quite reached a satisfying climax. Adam and Lizzie were reasonably realistic but for a main character I found Adam a bit difficult to like. Lizzie gained a lot more of my sympathy early on and I found it much easier to connect with her. Their emotions are incredibly well written though, making their experiences feel more realistic. Christian was brilliantly written as I genuinely found him an intimidating character and was scared of what he might do next. There wasn't much world building but as the UK riots in 2011 are still reasonably fresh in my memory I didn't have too much trouble picturing the scene. The whole thing felt a bit rushed but on the whole it was a good book. It has that raw and real feel that a lot of books are missing and that will successfully draw in the teenage audience. I am a bit disappointed with the ending (spoiler alert!). I think The Hit would be stronger if it delivered the doom it promised instead of wimping out with a happily ever after ending that also provides a bit of a pro-drug message. This would make the book linger with you that little bit longer but instead by the end I found I wasn't too bothered.

Perhaps I'm being a bit harsh as I've read quite a few brilliant books recently and so this one was up against some tough standards. I do think this book will do well though as it has all the things that will appeal to the target audience. There's danger, a romantic interest, a mix of realism with hints of fantasy (every guy dreams of being the hero and saving the gorgeous girl) but most of all there is the question that will draw you in and make you want to read it: would you take a drug that could give you the best week of your life even if it would kill you?

I give it 7/10.

Title: The Hit
Author: Melvin Burgess
Publisher: Chicken House
Teenage Fiction

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Taken from the back of the book:
"Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten."

So there's been a lot of fuss about this book. A LOT. I've picked it up on several occasions, read the blurb (above) and thought "Meh, doesn't sound that special" and put it down again. I'm not someone who reads something just because everyone else is. The last book I read because it was selling out and a complete must-read turned out to be a massive disappointment. So what changed my mind? In all honesty it was a quiet moment at work that coincided with yet another bit of fuss (the book's been published in the UK since May 2012 and yet it is still creating a bit of noise in the media in February 2013!) and so led me to pick it up and start reading. Page 1 starts half way down the page. By page 2 I was hooked. Literally. There was something about Hazel, about the way she was written, that just drew me in and made me want to keep going and see her story through to the end. She is serious, funny, intelligent, depressed (possibly) and completely real (in a fictional sense). She is a brilliant character to follow through this story. She goes from a point of being the weakest to the strongest without changing. She faces up to her reality without fear but without being sickeningly positive like she's swallowed a self-help library. She is completely compelling. And then you meet the "gorgeous plot twist" and you can't help but like him too. You know quite early on that this book is going to make you cry. It's about cancer, which usually equals doom on the crying front, and then there's young love between two fantastic characters and when you put the two together it's like it's written in the stars so complete is the inevitability of the need for tissues. Yet this book will also make you laugh. It will charm you, make you fall in love with it, break your heart and begin to comfort you all in one.

Green's style of writing is fantastic. He strikes a brilliant balance between humour, love and tragedy. The focus is all on Hazel's point of view but that isn't a negative. It allows you to see the world through her eyes but he doesn't suffocate you or leave you longing for another perspective. He also throws in lots of literary links (a few that I would have missed had I read this a few months ago and probably more that I have missed) such as Beckett's waiting for Godot and Shakespeare calling time a slut (which cues the brilliant line "What a slut time is. She screws everybody.") Overall, The Fault in Our Stars is very well-written, uncomplicated, heart-warming, emotional and devastating. It is a must-read and for good reason. Yes, you will cry but you will also laugh and love Hazel. My only regret is that I put it off for so long and I cannot wait to read more of his books (I sincerely hope they are just as good as this one!). Yes, I have become a John Green convert.

I give it 10/10!

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Publisher: Penguin
Teenage Fiction

The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks

Linus is the runaway son of a famous and wealthy man. The streets haven't yet stolen his kind heart and so when a blind man needs some help Linus is happy to lend a hand. This is a big mistake! He wakes up to find himself alone in a lift that has opened out into what appears to be some kind of underground bunker with room for six people. There are no windows and no food. The lights and heating are out of his control. There is no way out. At first Linus thinks he's been kidnapped in the hope that his father will pay a ransom for him but one day the lift opens to reveal a nine-year old girl and Linus begins to suspect something more sinister and hopeless is going on. As more people begin to appear, he holds onto the hope that he can find a way out until just staying alive becomes his biggest challenge.

Warning: potential spoiler alert!

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. It's dark, haunting and traumatic yet addictive. I started reading it on my lunch break as I hadn't brought a book with me and then found myself desperate to carry on when I got home that evening. Like Linus you hold onto hope that surely things will work out in the end - they always do in teen books, right? I'm not sure if this was done deliberately or is just in the advanced reading copy but when I got to the end I found myself desperately flicking through the blank pages at the end for just one more sign of life from Linus. All of the next day all I could think about was his dad never finding out the truth or Jenny's family forever experiencing the hole she's left in their world or what would happen if someone stumbled across the bunker one day and discovered what had gone on there. It felt quite upsetting even though I knew this is a work of fiction and so ultimately there is nothing to worry about. Brooks creates the feeling of hopelessness and lack of control well and you become very involved in this novel and the kidnapper's mind games as if you really are reading Linus' notebook. I have to say though that I didn't like the use of swearing. It seems to fall too easily into teenage fiction these days but doesn't necessarily add anything to the book and in fact often becomes ineffective.

Would I recommend this book? I'm not sure. If you were looking for something similar to Room by Emma Donoghue, Lord of the Flies by William Golding or Nothing by Janne Teller then yes. If you're looking for something potentially powerful and dark then yes. If you're looking for something to enjoy, pass a few hours or for a younger teenager then no. It's kind of wrong to like this book in the same way that it's wrong to enjoy The Hunger Games because it's about children killing each other (or in this case kidnap, murder and starvation).

I give it 7/10 because as much as it's wrong to say I enjoyed it, it has definitely stuck with me even though it's now two days since I finished it.

Title: The Bunker Diary
Author: Kevin Brooks
Publisher: Penguin
Teenage Fiction

The One Dollar Horse by Lauren St John

Casey Blue lives in a tower block in East London with her father who's a convicted thief but dreams of winning one of the greatest horse riding competitions: the Badminton Horse Trials. She already volunteers at a local riding school but can't afford any lessons, let alone her own horse. That is until she rescues a horse that's not far from death for a dollar and she starts to dream the impossible. Can she overcome her father's criminal record, become the youngest ever winner against the odds and can love find a place in her life?

Okay so I'm not a woman who's crazy about horses or a girly girl or anything like that and so this is not normally my sort of book but I thought I'd give it a chance on the recommendation of a friend. I never expected it to be anything special and so I was caught completely by surprise when I couldn't put it down! It is absolutely brilliant! It's been a while since a book has taken me on such an emotional roller coaster. I fell in love with Casey. She is strong, honest and fantastic and you can't help but stand in her corner, experiencing her elation and frustrations with her. As things start going well I became fearful that hurt was around the corner. When betrayal comes it is truly heartbreaking and I found that I was desperate for Mrs Smith to save the day. For once the dreamy love interest isn't the main focus of the story and is actually handled very realistically as boys definitely come second to horses in a lot of horse-crazy girls' lives! The story is well-structured and well-written. This book is beautifully finished, with the paperback edition coming with beautiful pink edged pages that match the back cover and a front cover that reflects the stormy colour of Casey's horse.  It's also free from any fantasy elements and has the feel of a classic. It is slightly predictable but that doesn't take anything away from this book's brilliance, and in some ways it even enhances it as you know something bad will happen no matter how desperately you don't want it to. The One Dollar Horse is the kind of book that can be enjoyed across the age range, from teen to adult and is one that I thoroughly recommend!

I give it 10/10!

Title: The One Dollar Horse
Author: Lauren St John
Publisher: Orion
Teenage Fiction

Dance of Shadows by Yelana Black

Vanessa Adler decides to attend the New York Ballet Academy to try to find out what happened to her sister who went to the same school but mysteriously disappeared. She's also a very talented dancer and soon attracts the attention of the best male dancer (and gorgeous) Zep, the odd and annoying Justin and the strange choreographer Josef. When one of her new friends Elly suddenly quits it takes Vanessa and her friends completely by surprise. After Vanessa is cast as the lead role in the school's production things start to get even weirder and so Vanessa must figure out who she can trust before it gets too late and her talent attracts the wrong kind of attention.

So the first thing I noticed about this book was the very striking cover. I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but this one would totally make me want to buy it and that's without the augmented cover that will be available on the finished book. With such a beautiful and eye-catching cover I really wanted to love it but it ended up becoming a bit odd.

Ignoring the typos (mine was an advanced reading copy) it was reasonably well written although the passage of time was a little odd. Black spends lots of time going into great detail about one event or day but then suddenly leaps ahead but not necessarily as far as you would think, leaving you feeling a little disoriented. She does describe the feeling of what it is like to dance very well though and begins to cover the crazy stress and pressure that can be found in some dance schools. I think there is possibly some room for more world building as you don't really get a proper feel for what the school is truly like due to Vanessa being so absorbed in The Firebird or having discussions in her room and the situation regarding her sister might have worked better if they weren't related as you can anticipate the ending.

As a character Vanessa started out very likeable and you really wanted her to be strong and succeed. However, I found that I became frustrated that she was so stubborn and refused to give Justin a chance even though he hadn't really done anything to her. I also found her absolute trust in Zep infuriating too as again he hadn't really earned it and they got together far too easily to be even vaguely realistic. This in turn made me very suspicious of Zep and trusting of Justin, making things a little bit predictable.

The twist with the occult theme is one aspect that I feel could have been built in better, possibly through the world building. When it finally came up it was a bit like "where did that come from?" and didn't sit so well with the rest of the story. That said, this is the first novel in a series and so perhaps it will sit more naturally as part of the bigger picture.

I think this is a book that will sell as it is perfect for a lot of the female teenage audience. There's romance, suspense and danger, three very good ingredients. It could have been done better but is still a good book with an original idea and I would read the sequel.

I give it 6.5/10.

Title: Dance of Shadows
Author: Yelana Black
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Teenage Fiction

The Secret Hen House Theatre by Helen Peters

Since Hannah's mum died, things have been a bit chaotic for her family as her dad struggles to look after four children and a farm on his own. Money is tight but Hannah loves her life on the farm and wouldn't trade it for anything. She dreams of a future in the world of drama and so when the opportunity arrives to take part in a local drama competition Hannah and her best friend Lottie jump at the chance. They decide to perform a play that Hannah has written herself but as they're not part of a drama company they need to find a cast and a venue. Hannah and Lottie decide to create The Secret Hen House Theatre when they stumble across her mother's old hen house. They embark on the challenge of putting together the performance whilst keeping it completely secret from Hannah's father, a challenge that becomes even more important as the future of Hannah's life on the farm comes under threat.

This book is well written, engaging and fun. It's the sort of story I would have loved when I was younger. It bridges the gap between being a young child but not yet a teen nicely. Hannah is charming, fun and well-meaning, with that childlike belief that anything is possible balanced by the reality of life. The world and supporting characters are completely believable and fill their roles well. It was a joy to read and is a brilliant and moving book that is perfect for any girl who has an interest in animals, farms, drama or who just loves a really good story.

I give it 7/10 :)

Title: The Secret Hen House Theatre
Author: Helen Peters
Publisher: Nosy Crow
9-12 Fiction