My Favourite Books

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

2012-01-27T07:30:00.000Z

Synopsis

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. They had been best friends since they were six, spending hot Minneapolis summers and cold Minneapolis winters together, dreaming of Hogwarts and Oz, superheroes and baseball. Now that they were eleven, it was weird for a boy and a girl to be best friends. But they couldn't help it - Hazel and Jack fit, in that way you only read about in books. And they didn't fit anywhere else.

And then, one day, it was over. Jack just stopped talking to Hazel. And while her mom tried to tell her that this sometimes happens to boys and girls at this age, Hazel had read enough stories to know that it's never that simple. And it turns out, she was right. Jack's heart had been frozen, and he was taken into the woods by a woman dressed in white to live in a palace made of ice. Now, it's up to Hazel to venture into the woods after him. Hazel finds, however, that these woods are nothing like what she's read about, and the Jack that Hazel went in to save isn't the same Jack that will emerge. Or even the same Hazel.

Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbs is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

From the synopsis this looks like a simple retelling of The Snow Queen in a modern setting and it is that but - oh, it's so much more. Hazel feels that she just doesn't fit in. Her adopted parents have broken up and she has to go from a private school where there are no formal desks and teachers use their first names to a classroom where every desk is organised in perfect alignment to the one next to it. Hazel's bored and can't concentrate which makes her stand out even more. The only bright part of her day is Jack, her neighbour and friend for what seems like forever but now they're eleven things are changing. Classmates ask if they're going out and sometimes Jack likes to spend time with the same boys who call her Crazy Hazy.

Then Jack gets something in his eye and the next day he disappears. There are rational explanations but Hazel just knows that something else has happened to him. The book is divided into two parts - before Jack's accident and afterwards. The before is filled with Hazel's existence. How she feels now, how she's adapting to life without her dad and her new school. To say that some of this is heartbreaking would be an understatement and the author uses such perfect language that it takes you back to that confusing time; when life was filled with the problems of fitting in and best friends, the pain of the inevitability of change. It's not all bleak - there are wonderful moments between Jack and Hazel. The text is littered with references to Gaiman and J.K. Rowing, comic book heroes and favourite foods. It was both familiar but like any good fairy story - scary and not at all reassuring.

Part two takes place in the forest and follows Hazel as she searches for Jack and the Snow Queen. Again, there are many recognisable references but more fairy story related. Hazel may have only entered a local forest but she's transported to a world of magic. There's nothing comforting in her journey but as she searches she discovers more about herself, about self-acceptance and about dealing with change. Anne Ursu is such a wonderful writer and I was terrified for Hazel frequently as she travelled along. Breadcrumbs is a middle grade book but I think it can be enjoyed by teens and adults too. It's the kind of book I wished I'd read when I was eleven. Beautifully done and timeless.

The Gildar Rift by Sarah Cawkwell

2012-01-25T08:00:00.002Z

When the ancient warship Wolf of Fenris emerges from the warp, Imperial forces find that it has been overrun by the dreaded Red Corsairs. However, this is no mere raiding party – Huron Blackheart and his entire renegade fleet soon follow, intent on conquering the Gildar Rift and tightening their grip on the sector. Lance batteries and torpedo salvos burn fiery contrails through the void, and only Captain Arrun of the Silver Skulls Space Marine Chapter can halt the renegades’ advance. The fate of the Rift will not be decided in the heavens but on the surface of Gildar Secundus below.

Space Marines are cool. So are pirates.

So imagine the possibilities offered by the idea of Space Marine Pirates, particularly when they're a band of chaos worshipping superhumans led by an even larger, wholly psychopathic specimen who's crazier than a bag of possessed possums. And these are exactly what young Ms Cawkwell gets to play with in this, her debut novel.

TGR opens with the calm before the storm, introducing us to the 'Rift, which is a treacherous stretch of space surrounding a planetary system rather than a valley. It's a system thriving (as much as anything in that bleak future thrives) under the protection of the Silver Skulls chapter of the Space Marines. Their fleet is at the forefront of that defence, a fleet led by Captain Daerys Arrun, a veteran who already has enough on his plate without the puzzle posed by the arrival of the battle- damaged ship The Wolf of Fenris. Impossible to ignore, the Silver Skulls mount an expedition into its cold and apparently lifeless interior, but it's soon revealed as the opening gambit for an invasion by Huron Blackheart and his Red Corsairs. Battle is joined, and the cold vacuum of space is lit by lasers, torpedoes and exploding ships in a very nicely described bit of deadly stellar ballet. Blackheart might be batshit crazy, but that hasn't yet suffocated his strategic genius, and Captain Arrun and the 4th company are soon reminded that it's not over until the fat Marine sings.

Space Marines aren't that easy to write. I've tried it. They don't have days off. They don't do emotions all that well, unless it's rage. If they're not at war, they're training for war. Making them accessible and interesting while staying true to what they are is no mean feat, so it was a relief to find that Sarah has managed to do just that, while also managing to bring the little known Silver Skulls to life and make them her own. Captain Arrun and his supporting cast are each given their chance to shine, and the sub-plot with the tragic heroism of Volker was unexpected twist and a very cool concept. Blackheart and his ghoulish apothecary come across equally convincingly, and the interaction between them sparks nicely and I welcomed the fact that they're there for a reason other than generic carnage.

The action's pretty good throughout, although a minor whinge is that I would have liked a bit more Marine vs Marine action in the ground battles- this is a Battles novel and while exploding cultists are always welcome, it would have been nice to have some squad on squad tactical action to get stuck into. Still, there's a cool bike scene, and these are Corsairs- they're not there for a drag out fight. Not yet. There's enough left unanswered to act as a hook for a follow on, but not so much that you're left scratching your head as to what just happened.

The fact that it was a debut novel never crossed my mind when I was reading TGR. It's a good, solid addition to the 40K shelves, suitably grim and dark without being depressing, and I for one am looking forward to seeing what crawls out of Sarah's head next.

You can visit Sarah's blog here, and read an extract from The Gildar Rift here.

Random Bits #2 - 2012

2012-01-24T17:42:00.003Z

So today has been a crazy day with news in the publishing world. But this one especially has made me grin like a mad person.

International best-selling author Audrey Niffenegger is to pen her first ever story for a commercial trade anthology, after signing to Solaris’ forthcoming short story collection, Magic.

Solaris are proud to announce that Niffenegger, whose novel The Time Traveller's Wife has sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide, is to produce a story for the themed anthology of the occult and arcane, due for release in November 2012 in North America and the UK, in both paperback and ebook.

The story marks Audrey’s first ever appearance in any commercial trade anthology and is the third themed collection from Solaris editor-in-chief Jonathan Oliver. The previous critically-acclaimed anthologies include The End of the Line, which featured stories set on the Underground, and House of Fear, which rebooted the haunted house for the 21st Century. The titles garnered ecstatic reviews, with The Times describing End of the Line’s stories as “exceptionally good”.

“I'm delighted to be involved in this project,” said Audrey Niffenegger. “My story is called The Wrong Fairie and is about Charles Altamont Doyle. He was a Victorian artist who was institutionalized for alcoholism. He was also the father of Arthur Conan Doyle, and he believed in fairies.”

Niffenegger became a publishing sensation thanks to The Time Traveller’s Wife, published in 2003 and made into a Hollywood movie in 2009, and her subsequent novel was the subject of intense bidding by publishing houses.

“It's really very exciting to be working with Audrey, whose novels The Time Traveller's Wife and Her Fearful Symmetry show an author with a great talent for subverting genre norms and delivering the unexpected,” said Jonathan Oliver. “Audrey's story is sure to make a great addition to Magic.”

The line-up for Magic: An Anthology of the Esoteric and Arcane is set to include other high profile authors, including Richard and Judy Book Club-choice Alison Littlewood, NYT Bestseller Dan Abnett, and celebrated authors such as Christopher Fowler, Storm Constantine, Robert Shearman, Paul Meloy, Sophia McDougall, Will Hill, Gemma Files, along with new writers such as Sarah Lotz, Lou Morgan and Thana Niveau and more.

Random Bits #1 - 2012

2012-01-24T10:17:00.002Z

We've had some bits and pieces come in from various publishers over the past few days so I'm starting a new Random Bits series for 2012 where we'll showcase videos and press releases.

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First up, from Egmont we have a video for one of their new book releases this year "Codename Verity" and it looks very interesting indeed!

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From Orbit: An Ian M Banks title is on the list for World Book Night books to hand out and request if you are a giver or registering as a giver.

Last year there was a big bruhaha about so few genre (none) books on the list, that this year the organisors have listened and we are proud that they have chosen Ian M Banks / Tolkien / Neil Gaiman / Terry Pratchett and a handful of others, but also, more importantly from my point of view, some ace kids' titles!

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Some exciting news from Faber and Faber about a new project they are setting up:

FABER AND FABER LAUNCHES THE SPARK - A PLACE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO SHOWCASE THEIR CREATIVE SKILLS

Faber and Faber has launched THE SPARK www.facebook.com/thesparkpage, a place for 13 - 16 year olds who have an interest in creativity and reading.

During 2012 THE SPARK, hosted on Facebook, will invite young people to take part in some exciting projects around acting, film-making, writing and music, each linked to and inspired by a Faber Young Adult title. Whilst students aren’t obliged to read the books to take part, we hope that they will not only be inspired to produce some creative work, but will also be encouraged to engage with the related books, and develop a greater interest in reading generally. Our aim is that THE SPARK will become a vibrant community where young people who love reading and creating can meet, talk and share. We have been extremely impressed by the entries for our recent project, run in association with the GUARDIAN, to find a talented young artist to create a new, iconic cover image for William Golding’s LORD OF THE FLIES and we hope that we can discover a similar level of creativity in each of the new projects to be launched this year.

Launch Project

ACTING – THE GLIMPSE by Claire Merle publishing June 2012

Launching in January 2012, we’re looking to find a young actor to play one of the characters in Claire Merle’s debut YA novel, THE GLIMPSE, in a series of web films. Entrants are invited to film themselves performing one of two audition scripts available at www.facebook.com/theglimpse and all entries will be showcased on THE GLIMPSE You Tube Channel.

The competition is open to anyone aged 13-18 years old (see terms and conditions) and the winner will be announced in March 2012

Coming soon…

Over the next few months we’ll be launching further projects for musicians/composers, film-makers and writers.

Music – THE CREWEL by Gennifer Albin publishing October 2012

We’re calling on musicans, band-members and singer-songwriters to produce an original music track inspired by Gennifer Albin’s novel CREWEL, to feature in the official book trailer. Launches February 2012.

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From Hodder & Stoughton a batch of titles to indulge in for some fun Valentines reading in Feb!

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Pan Macmillan launches first phase of new website

Pan Macmillan has launched today its new website – www.panmacmillan.com – designed for consumers, trade and the media.

The new site at www.panmacmillan.com delivers a web infrastructure on which to build and develop a growing range of direct-to-consumer platforms to support Pan Macmillan’s established and evolving brands, including picador.com and mykindabook.com.

The website was designed by design agency Root, selected after a four-way pitch for their original and striking design. MMT Digital was selected after a five-way pitch for the technical build.

A content-rich Home Page enables visitors to find out about new titles, featured authors and books, with carousel Showcase, Brand New and Featured bars which spin and highlight particular themes and subjects guiding readers to relevant books and authors.

A stand-alone Children's Home Page takes visitors directly on a journey through Macmillan’s wide range of bestselling children’s titles.

News and Events pages with regular updates about author readings and events, and a host of other Pan Macmillan-related activity, take visitors straight through to comment and trailers.

A range of subject pages such as 'Crime & Thrillers', ‘Women's Fiction’ and ‘Science Fiction’, drive visitors to other content and titles around the site. A new “Books You Might Like” feature encourages readers to explore new authors.

The site is e-commerce enabled but also features links to a range of retailers.

Sara Lloyd, Digital Director, Pan Macmillan said today:

‘We’re delighted to launch this important first phase of the new panmacmillan.com. We’ve created a hub for our authors, readers and trade customers. We wanted to demonstrate our passion for our authors and titles, and create an environment where readers can find the best information and conversation about our books and authors. The site will act as a place for readers and writers to come together to talk about books when we introduce additional social features into the next phase, and it also delivers us a modular toolkit for quickly developing a dedicated web presence for any campaign or author.’

For trade and media, there is a comprehensive “one stop shop” section, offering sophisticated online resources for sales customers, media and rights’ buyers.

In this section customers and media can view book pages for forthcoming titles and high resolution book jackets, download book catalogues, order forms, translation and rights’ guides, check rights’ availability for specific titles and, if registered for a bookseller account, access advance information sheets.

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That's all for now! I'm not sure if this is a feature that appeals to everyone, but it's something for us to showcase some of the PR we receive through from various publishers.

Heart of Stone by M.L. Welsh

2012-01-23T07:30:00.001Z

Synopsis

After a wonderful summer sailing, Verity Gallant just wants life to stay the same for ever. But as she should know by now, not everything in life turns out as we would like. The land is shifting beneath the ancient harbour town of Wellow, causing mysterious caves to appear in cliff faces, terrifying rock falls and dangerous landslides. And the earth isn't the only thing crumbling...Verity is thrilled that Jeb has returned, but their feelings for each other threaten her friendship with Henry and Martha. Once again Verity and her friends are embroiled in a tale of evil, intrigue and lost love, as a powerful force works its way towards Wellow, hell-bent on putting an end to all happiness. "The Heart of Stone" is the key, and the race is on to find it..

I love Wellow - in fact M.L. Welsh's books about Verity and her friends make me wish I was a different person - the sort that lives by the coast and has their own boat, who's confident in the water and knows Things About The Sea. I adored Mistress of the Storm and did worry if I would enjoy Heart of Stone quite as much. Well, so much for that fear - book two is even more awesome than the first. Verity is that little bit older and her confidence has grown so that she's happy to stand up for herself and the school bullies don't upset her anymore. A cliff fall and some minor accidents make it clear that Verity's peaceful summer is definitely over. Once back at school she, Henry and Martha find that there's a new science teacher - the rather pathetic figure of Brother Povl who is obsessed with the Gallant family and takes a rather creepy interest in Verity and her grandfather. It becomes obvious that the land abnormalities are more than just the result of a hot summer and everyone's future happiness is at stake.

The Mistress of the Storm wasn't the only powerful being who had an interest in Wellow. What I found fascinating about this book is that that the presence isn't a physical being in the same sense as the first book but I found it even more scary. Just because Verity and her friends can't see what is causing the disruption and unhappiness doesn't mean that there is a lack of menace - far from it. At one point I really wasn't sure who I could trust, and like Verity I wasn't sure where help would come from. The ending was breathtaking - again, I was flipping through the pages desperate to see what would happen at the end. I enjoyed hearing more about the Original Stories and these add a real lyrical edge to the book.

Apart from the main story the subplots were really engrossing. Verity and Jeb obviously have a connection but where does that leave Henry? Watching the three of them was heartbreaking and I honestly couldn't decide which one would be right for Verity - I despair at how this can ever be worked out. Although I understand that everyone is under great stress through the story I found myself getting really worked up over a comment that Martha almost made to Henry. I don't know if the question that was raised in my mind is going to be answered in the next book but I hope so! Because the three main characters are all growing up then there's going to be conflict and I found it engrossing and very bittersweet. The author has really caught that awkward time of uncertainty and first romances.

M.L. Welsh has a really wonderful website too which I spent some time looking at and getting interesting information on the influences behind the books. I'm obviously hoping for another one soon. I was lucky enough to have a proof but will be buying a finished copy at this is another book for my keeper shelf.

Strange Chemistry - First Two Titles

2012-01-20T15:30:00.000Z

Earlier this year we had a good old freak out about (now ex) blogger and wild numbers woman Amanda Rutter picking up the rei(g)ns over at Angry Robot to run it's hotly anticipated YA imprint: Strange Chemistry.

Amanda and I chat on twitter often and I know how hard she's been working on finding the titles to launch the list with, so when she announced the titles this morning via an official email to the industry, needless to say (even though I was at another publisher event) I squealed and ran around showing it to everyone who would look.

But now, here I am, at home, ready to share it with you. Also, there is a rumour about an open submission window coming up for Strange Chemistry and if you are a SCBW BI member, be sure to keep an eye on the upcoming Slush Pile Challenge I'm announcing at the end of Jan.

Angry Robot Announces Strange Chemistry Launch Titles

Strange Chemistry - the YA imprint of award-winning indie genre fiction publisher Angry Robot - has announced two deals that will help launch the list into publishing super-stardom.

In a post on Strange Chemistry’s website – http://strangechemistrybooks.com – imprint editor Amanda Rutter has revealed that Strange Chemistry’s first two titles will be…   

Shift by Kim Curran

About The Book: When your average, 16-year old loser, Scott Tyler, meets the beautiful and mysterious Aubrey Jones, e learns he’s not quite so average after all. He’s a ‘Shifter’. And that means he has the power to undo any decision he’s ever made. At first, he thinks the power to shift is pretty cool. But as his world quickly starts to unravel around him he realises that each time he uses his power, it has consequences; terrible unforeseen consequences. Shifting is going to get him killed. In a world where everything can change with a thought, Scott has to decide where he stands.

About the Author: Kim Curran was born in Dublin and moved to London when she was seven. After studying Philosophy and Literature at Sussex University her plan of being paid big bucks to think deep thoughts never quite paid off. She became an advertising copywriter instead, specialising in writing for video games. She lives in SW London with her husband, if they’re not both off travelling. When she’s not writing she fences and plays guitar, both very badly.

Visit Kim online at http://www.kimcurran.co.uk/ 

Kim Curran says: “When I saw Angry Robot was launching a YA imprint I literally said I would kill to be published by those guys. So to have signed with Strange Chemistry is everything I could have wished for and then some. To say I’m excited is a massive understatement. I just hope I won’t be expected to actually kill anyone!”    

Amanda Rutter says: “We’ve signed debut novelist Kim Curran for two books in a new YA SF thriller series. The first title – Shift – will be published in September of this year, with the second to follow in 2013. The deal, concluded with Sam Copeland, of Rogers, Coleridge and White Ltd, includes world English rights in physical and electronic formats.

“As soon as I read the first page of Shift, I absolutely knew I wanted Kim on board. The novel is fast-paced, exciting and a real page turner. I simply cannot wait to introduce the world of Scott and Aubrey to YA readers!”

Poltergeeks by Sean Cummings

About the Book: Julie is an apprentice witch – or so she believes. When a dark power comes stalking out of the past to haunt her and her mother, Julie learns that she is far more than just a witch. With the help of her best friend Marcus and a rather unusual Great Dane, Julie has to race against time to ensure she can defeat the bad guy, save her mother and avoid being grounded – again!

About the Author: Sean Cummings lives in Saskatoon, Canada. He’s a comic book geek, superhero junkie, zombie fan and a total nerd. His interests include science fiction, the borg, cats with extra toes, east Indian cuisine and quality sci-fi movies/television. Sean has been writing since 1978 (as a means of liberating his “inner nerd”) and his published works for adults include Shade Fright, Funeral Pallor and Unseen World, all published by Snowbooks. Poltergeeks is his first book for Young Adults.

Visit Sean online at www.sean-cummings.ca and www.darkcentralstation.com.

Amanda Rutter says: “We have signed Sean for two novels in the Poltergeeks universe, the first to be published in October of this year with the second to follow in the summer of 2013. The deal, concluded with Jenny Savill and Ella Kahn of Andrew Nurnberg Associates International Ltd, includes world English rights in physical and electronic formats.

“Sean has written a wonderful book with a title that made the whole AR office sit up and take notice – who wouldn’t want to read a novel called Poltergeeks?! As you read further, you just become gripped by this sassy and sarcastic apprentice witch who has to face down the darkest of powers. It’s just a tremendous story, and I’m thrilled that Strange Chemistry is bringing it to you.” 

Sean Cummings says: "I'm a huge fan of Angry Robot Books and when I heard they were starting a Young Adult imprint I just knew they'd be publishing some of the best in YA fiction. I'm thrilled that Poltergeeks has found a home with Strange Chemistry and I look forward to working with Amanda. (Did I mention that Angry Robot has fantastic cover art, too?)"  

:::

More information can be found at strangechemistrybooks.com and angryrobotbooks.com.

Angry Robot is a genre publisher that brings readers the best in new SF, F and WTF?! Strange Chemistry is Angry Robot’s YA imprint. All titles are released as paperbacks and in all major eBook formats. Distribution is through Random House (North America) and GBS (UK). Angry Robot is part of the Osprey Group.

For more information, review copies, interview and feature requests contact our Marketing Manager, Darren Turpin at darren.turpin@angryrobotbooks.com or by phone on +44 (0) 7584 355911 [UK Office Hours]

The Ice Princess - Camilla Lackberg

2012-01-20T09:30:00.000Z

The writer Erica Falck has returned to her home town on the death of her parents, but discovers the community in turmoil. A close childhood friend, Alex, has been found dead. Her wrists have been slashed, and her body is frozen solid in a bath that has turned to ice. Erica decides to write a memoir about the charismatic but withdrawn Alex, more as a means of overcoming her own writer’s block than solving the mystery of Alex's death. But Erica finds that her interest in Alex is becoming almost obsessive. She begins to work with local detective Patrik Hedstrom, and the duo soon find that some unpleasant secrets are buried beneath the comfortable surface of the town.

I've heard some great things on Twitter and the blogosphere of Camilla Lackberg and thought I'd give The Ice Princess a try, buying myself a copy during my annual December book blowouts.

The story starts with an elderly man finding the frozen body of a young woman in her parents' home and unfurls slowly from there, with the main character Erica, reluctantly taking the an interest in it, as she knew Alex growing up and remembers what a vital and interesting and fun girl her friend had been in the past.

As Erica investigates the story it meanders along here and there which really wasn't what bothered me as I am pretty good with meandering books and liked the characterisation. As we slowly but surely learn more about who Alex was, a complex character, to the different people in her life, you start feeling a bit uncomfortable at some of the revelations. Nothing, we soon learn, is what it appears to be and for a community as small as the town they grew up to keep secrets for this long is quite unpleasant.

Characterisation is good and the settings are well described, along with the cold climate. I think it also helped reading it whilst the weather was turning colder. But sadly I didn't enjoy The Ice Princess all that much. Mostly because the writing felt stilted and jagged. I also had issues with the overly formal dialogue which I can appreciate as part of the scene setting, but it just didn't ring true. And for the life of me, I can't tell if the jagged writing had to do with actual writing (originally in Scandinavian)| or the translation into English. I put the book down several times thinking I need fresh eyes, came back to it and then in the end finished it out of a feeling of duty rather than enjoyment.

Do look around at other reviews though - I enjoyed Karen's review over at Eurocrime - and make up your mind about buying this in. Sadly, it didn't work for me, but it won't stop me from reading more Scandi Crime or more of Camilla Lackberg's books, because that would be silly. The Ice Princess is published by Harper Collins here in the UK and here's a link to the other books Ms. Lackberg has written that's currently available.

Switched by Amanda Hocking

2012-01-19T07:25:00.002Z

Synopsis

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth.

With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.

I would have liked to have brought this review to you sooner but my copy disappeared over Christmas only to appear in the exact place I'd left it - weird! As Liz has said, Amanda is in the UK now and signing at Forbidden Planet in London on Saturday so I was keen, once found, to get Switched read in time. The Wendy we meet is a survivor - her mum attacked her with a knife when Wendy was only six, convinced that she wasn't her child. Since then Wendy has bounced from school to school and endured constant new starts in different towns in an attempt to finish. Now living with her aunt and brother she rarely connects with anyone until she meets Finn. He gives her some devastating news that she at first resists but then has to accept. From this point onwards Wendy's life as she knows it dissolves and she's forced to face up to a new reality.

I admired Wendy from the off - she's plucky, stubborn and passionate. Although she's been deeply hurt by her past she still strives for happiness. She's also selfish but as the book progresses she starts to act more and more like a leader and I enjoyed watching her progression. Wendy's journey from everyday America to her new life is very fairytale (in the Grimm sense) and full of horror. At the start of the story I kept thinking of Tithe but as Switched progressed it was clear that Wendy's story was very different.

I particularly loved some of the people she met in her new life. The outright star of the book for me was Tove - the troubled son of the second most important family in Forening. He has insane powers, almost one of the most talented of his community but he also very troubled and alone. Much as I loved Finn I kept hoping that Wendy would see Tove differently - I was willing them together. There were moments when I could see the plot twists ahead of time which had me screaming at Wendy but despite this there's much to enjoy in Switched. Elora is wonderfully regal and distant as are many of the society that Amanda has created. I'm sure that future books will allow us to see more of the kick-ass enemies (the Vittra) and Tove (yes please).

Just as an aside - Amanda Hocking is a fellow self-confessed John Hughes mourner and when Wendy took to the dance floor with Finn to the tune of "If You Leave," by OMD I was punching the sky. Perfect.

The Buried Pyramid by Jane Lindskold

2012-01-18T07:41:00.004Z

Plucky young Jenny Benet, a recently orphaned American girl who was raised on the Wild West frontier and educated at a Boston finishing school, has come to Egypt in company with her uncle Neville Hawthorne, a prominent British archaeologist. They're part of a team investigating the legendary Buried Pyramid, the tomb of the pharaoh Neferankhotep -- who may also have been Moses the Lawgiver.

But they're not the only ones interested in the site. Another party, led by the opulent and treacherous Lady Audrey Cheshire, is shadowing theirs. Someone who signs himself "The Sphinx" has been sending threatening letters -- written entirely in hieroglyphics. In Egypt, an ancient and shadowy organization seems determined to keep the tomb from being discovered.

But mortals may not be all that stands in their way.

If you are a fan of The Mummy, it's sequels or Indiana Jones in all his incarnations, then The Buried Pyramid is for you. Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Young Jenny Benet doesn't turn up into the book for some time. The initial story is of a younger Neville Hawthorne accompanying an archaeologist into the desert, on the trail of this mythical locale he thinks he's got the map to. Very much, like the opening of The Mummy, things go badly wrong for them, and Neville and his small group have to flee the site they have found.

We then meet with Neville again he's living in England, having been retired from his life in the army due to illness. And this is where Jenny comes in, as the niece arriving fresh off the ship from America.

I was wholly prepared for a shrinking violet but instead Jenny has her own bit of history and is, admittedly, quite plucky, although I hate the word. She's a thoroughly modern miss, has an insatiable curiosity about Egypt and the world and when Neville reveals he is travelling back to Egypt on business, Jenny gets herself invited along.

The novel isn't particularly fast paced, but the writing is delicious and meaty, filled with great local details and life, and when he action does happen, it's gratifyingly brutal and quick, leaving us time to relish the aftermath. There is plenty of exposition but it's necessary. A really decent background is given for the various characters and I like that both Jenny and Neville are progressive in their thinking and how they treat locals and each other. I know it's a silly thing to mention, but I like that they are champions of the underdogs.

The mystery about the notes being sent to them is handled well - we are with them every step of the way as each one is deciphered and we get a pretty firm grounding in hieroglyphs ourselves, without realising it. And history and mythology.

Obviously not all of it is 100% true, but a lot of it is and if you have the slightest bit of interest in Egypt and the pharaohs you will enjoy The Buried Pyramid. What I also love is the fact that the book is chunky in size and standalone. One whole adventure contained in one great looking edition, which I wholeheartedly approve of.

Jane Lindskold is a new to me author and I have to say I'm really happy to have picked up her books at Forbidden Planet. I have two others by her read and I'm so looking forward to it!

Find her blog here and her website here.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2012-01-16T08:00:00.003Z

Synopsis

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

I've been waiting to read this book since I heard about it last summer. Cyborg Cinder? What's not to love? Apart from the whole cyborg bit I loved the sound of New Beijing - it seemed all Blade Runner-ish and wonderful. I wasn't disappointed, what an amazing retelling of a classic story. I fell in love with Cinder immediately as she waited for her droid Iko to bring her a new foot while disconnecting her old and tiny one. So when Prince Kai turns up at her booth wanting her to mend a droid of his she's got her small foot on the counter and my heart broke for her. Kai can't tell she's a cyborg as she has her work gloves on and her legs are hidden. Cinder doesn't volunteer the information either. There's a spark between them, she treats him like a person and he's charming, funny and polite to her which makes a change for Cinder.

A plague is battering earth and once a person contracts it they're normally dead within a week. People who contract it are instantly swept away by robots and taken to awful hangars where they die. Someone close to Cinder is affected and so her troubles worsen. Her home life is awful, although one sister is lovely. But her step-mother is suitably hateful and is disgusted by Cinder's cyborg identity. Although she's the only one who works Cinder is her step-mother's property so has no money of her own. There's more bad news and Cinder is whisked away from her awful life to one much worse - or is it?

I won't say more about the plot otherwise I'll spoil it but I can say that what I expected to happen didn't which both surprised me and made the story a far more dangerous one than I expected. Like a proper fairy tale Cinder is full of horror and the worst of human behaviour but there's also love too and wonderful people. Apart from Cinder I really felt for Kai who was struggling to do the best for his people but confused as to which path to take. The mythology was intriguing too and I'm massively looking forward to book two - Scarlet. I was happy with the ending but there's still loads I want to know - have to know! However, I was checking out Marissa's blog and saw a wordle she'd done for Scarlet and I was stoked to see Cinder's name figured fairly highly. This book goes on my keeper shelf.

Amanda Hocking visits the UK 2012

2012-01-13T09:59:00.000Z

‘In managing to reach people via the internet first, and then breaking into the traditional book industry that way, she has become her generation’s first literary phenomenon… Her character-driven books have generated an excitement not felt in the industry since Stephenie Meyer or perhaps even J. K. Rowling’ New York Times

‘The most spectacular example of an author striking gold through ebooks’ Observer

‘A Tolkien for our times’ Wall Street Journal

Named as one of the Guardian’s Book Power 100 2011

Amanda Hocking is 26 years old, lives in Minnesota and had not sold a single book before 15th April 2010. She has now sold over one million ebooks. She is a self-publishing phenomenon.

Her bestselling Trylle Trilogy is now to be available in paperback and ebook formats with additional, unseen and exclusive content. Acquired through a fierce international auction, Pan Macmillan will publish Switched, the first in the trilogy in January 2012. Followed by Torn in March and Ascend in April. Amanda Hocking’s previously unpublished and highly anticipated new Watersong series, will also be published by Pan Macmillan from September 2012.

Amanda explained her decision to sign with Macmillan globally to her many fans on her blog, ‘I want to be a writer. I do not want to spend 40 hours a week handling e-mails, formatting covers, finding editors, etc. Right now, being me is a full-time corporation.’

Switched introduces the reader to Wendy Everly. She first knew she was different the day her mother tried to kill her, accusing her of having been switched at birth. Although she’s certain she’s not the monster her mother claims she is, there is a secret she keeps from everyone. Her mysterious ability to influence people’s decisions, without knowing how, or why.

When handsome newcomer Finn turns up at her window, her world is turned upside down. He holds the key to her past and is the doorway to a place she never imagined could exist…

www.amandahocking.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/amandahockingfans
@amanda_hocking
www.youtube.com/user/aehocking

***

On Saturday, 21st January, Amanda Hocking is doing a signing at Forbidden Planet at 1-2pm. This is her first trip to the UK and I know the FP folks will treat her well. Tor UK have bought Switched, and copies will be able to buy to get them signed.

***

I read this morning's article in The Guardian and I liked Amanda's gutsy attitude. Yes, she had done the self-publishing and e-book thing, but I like that she wants to be known for her writing and her storytelling, rather than her breakthrough success and subsequent publishing deal that had everyone talking. I approve of this mad bad attitude of hers and wish her the best of luck. We're reviewing Switched soon and look forward to bringing you the review!

Hell & Gone by Duane Swierczynski

2012-01-11T08:53:00.001Z

The second of three high-energy thrillers arriving back-to-back from cult crime fiction sensation Duane Swierczynski.

Left for dead after an epic shootout that blew the lid off a billion-dollar conspiracy, ex-cop Charlie Hardie quickly realizes that when you're dealing with The Accident People, things can get worse. Drugged, bound and transported by strange operatives of unknown origin, Hardie awakens to find himself captive in a secret prison that houses the most dangerous criminals on earth.

And then things get really bad. Because this isn't just any prison. It's a Kafkaesque nightmare that comes springloaded with a brutal catch-22: Hardie's the warden. And any attempt to escape triggers a "death mechanism" that will kill everyone down here--including a group of innocent guards. Faced with an unworkable paradox, and knowing that his wife and son could be next on the Accident People's hit list, Hardie has only one choice: fight his way to the heart of this hell hole and make a deal with the Devil himself.

Buy this book. No, buy this one first, then buy this one.

Charlie Hardie is such a badass, he just refuses to lie down and die. In Fun and Games he ran afoul of the Accident People and is left for dead. But, because of the Accident People being who they are, not all is as it seems. Charlie is spirited away and literally disappears off the face of the earth, completely. No one can find him. Not his FBI buddy, not the private investigator his FBI buddy hires, no one can figure out what's happened to him. It's like the earth swallowed him up.

Charlie eventually wakes up in a place he has no recollection of ever entering. The rules are made clear. He is the new warden of this prison in the middle of nowhere. Escape is not an option. If he does try to escape everyone in the prison dies, including the guards, the prisoners, and probably Charlie's family too.

It is a big concept, huge and frightening and it obviously preys on the minds of Charlie and his prison guards, because of course there is something weird going on.

If Fun & Games entertained me with its audacity and the author's no holds barred action sequences. Hell & Gone scared the living daylights out of me by sheer force of psychological warfare. You don't know who to believe - everything is smoke and mirrors and halfway through the book you just want to lie down and cry because you can't see a way out, for anyone, without everyone dying in an horrific way.

But, of course, I am not Charlie Hardie.

There are so many twisty turns, so many conceits, that I am convinced that Duane Swierczynski is an evil genius. And if he's not one, he should be given that honorary title. As the plot strands come together and you go through several "Bloody Hell" and "ah ha!" moments, and realise how intricately layered the whole concept is, you once again want to lie down and cry because Charlie Hardie is so epically messed over, you can't see how he's going to get himself free.

But then, well, then you read on and you can only shake your head because of course there is a way out, a way free, and it's the most off the wall, insane thing you can imagine. Or rather, can't imagine.

I am a big fan of Duane Swierczynski and cannot wait for the third Charlie Hardie novel. Because I want to know what happens next. If you're looking for a random gift for a dad, or a boyfriend or the girl in your life who loves good thrillers and crimey novels, you can't go wrong buying these two novels. I promise. They are well written, pacey, so well plotted and dripping with action and sweat and blood and zinging with bullets and chase scenes, you will be exhausted by the time you're finished reading them.

Find Duane Swierczynski's website here. Both titles were out in 2011 so you should be able to find them in all good bookshops. They were published by Mulholland Books here in the UK.

Also, I've just found this quote on Mulholland Books' website from none other than Simon Le Bon who runs his own crime novel blog and I love it so much, I had to share it:

US pulpy cover which I love!

“Could not be more perfect . . . the writing is bare and taut; there’s nothing spare in Swierczynski’s prose and it’s got the pounding rhythm of a West coast punk band on crystal meth.”–Simon Le Bon (DuranDuran)

Night School by C. J. Daugherty

2012-01-09T07:30:00.002Z

Synopsis

Allie Sheridan's world is falling apart. She hates her school. Her brother has run away from home. And she's just been arrested.

Again.

This time her parents have finally had enough. They cut her off from her friends and send her away to a boarding school for problem teenagers.

But Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. Its rules are strangely archaic. It allows no computers or phones. Its students are an odd mixture of the gifted, the tough and the privileged. And then there's the secretive Night School, whose activities other students are forbidden even to watch.

When Allie is attacked one night the incident sets off a chain of events leading to the violent death of a girl at the summer ball. As the school begins to seem like a very dangerous place, Allie must learn who she can trust. And what's really going on at Cimmeria Academy.

It wasn't until I'd finished this book and read another blogger's review (sorry, I can't remember who it was!) that I realised that I'm also a bit obsessed by boarding school books. I mean, obviously there's my love for Harry Potter but if I look at my shelves and the other books I've enjoyed (like the Hex Hall books, The Dark Elite ones or even Anna and the French Kiss) it appears that it's become a bit of a passion of mine. I just went to a regular day school and also love my home and space so it wouldn't have been something I'd have wanted to experience. So Night School fed my vicarious enjoyment of these mysterious places where I imagine everyone to have heaps of lovely food and able to sneak around at night.

Allie is damaged. Her brother has run away under mysterious circumstances and she has begun lashing out - getting herself into trouble just so she can feel something again. But she's shipped off to Cimmeria Academy as a last resort by her exhausted parents and removed from all her old friends. Once there she discovers that modern life hasn't touched the school; no t.v, phone or Internet is allowed and I loved this about Night School. By demolishing everything we take for granted I was suddenly transported to another world. No one whips out their phone to see if they can email for help or researches on their laptop. The feelings, language and problems that the students face are all very modern however so Night School still reads like a fresh take on the genre.

Allie is brilliant. Obviously there are all sorts of shenanigans afoot and mysteries to be solved that made me flip the pages non-stop. However, for me the attraction was watching Allie grow and change. She's angry when she arrives, using her clothes, hair and makeup to disguise and protect herself. She's constantly on the offensive, suffers panic attacks and obsessively counts her breath or steps. Gradually though she starts to question what she's been doing to get herself to Cimmeria. Trust is another overriding theme of the book and I enjoyed trying to second guess who was on the level and who was responsible for the ever more dangerous attacks at the school. Allie is constantly having to ask herself if she should trust Jo, Rachel, Carter or Sylvian. I lost count of the times I questioned those characters myself!

I really haven't said a great deal about the plot but I found it absorbing. There are plenty of questions left for the sequel but not enough that I didn't find the ending satisfying. I may have to have a new shelf for boarding school books I love too but that's a whole other blog post.

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

2012-01-05T07:57:00.000Z

For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won’t comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds. The only one who can break his power is Eloise’s aunt Antonia-and Eloise has become his bargaining chip.

Eloise will need the help of her best friends Jo and Devin, along with the other Fae captives of Strahan’s hall. With a whole world of Faeries out to get her, Eloise, her Fae protector Lucas and the mysterious Eldric, must stop Strahan both worlds are thrust into complete chaos…

I completely forget how much fun it is reading an Alyxandra Harvey title. Stolen Away is no exception. She writes so easily and within seconds you know the set-up, who the main characters are and you just love them to bits.

Stolen Away is told from both Eloise and Jo's point of view in alternating chapters - something I did not expect but which I loved. Both girls have strong individual personalities and they are girls you want to be mates with. But they are also both flawed characters and it is a testimony to Ms. Harvey's writing that she so easily and so quickly gets you INTO their lives without much hassle. Some readers may think that things move too fast, that we only scratch the surface before things go pear shaped, but that is part of the appeal because we get to know the girls really well as they go through their travails.

Sadly, we do not get to know Devin very well and I had a tiny crush on him as he is my kinda guy. The story, as I mentioned before, moves really fast and yet we spend enough time to develop crushes on both Lucas and Eldric, the two (separate) love interests. Because not only does Eloise have her own knight in shining armour in the shape of Lucas, but Jo finds Eldric, the "enemy" a very tasty young morsel. I loved that there was no love triangle. I loved that Eloise doubted Jo's taste in boys, as Eldric was suitably dark, mysterious and a bit of an ass. But with a reason of his own and a destiny of his own.

Okay, I admit, this is a rubbish review as it is gushy but I just plain loved Stolen Away. I loved the plot, the characters and the writing. Voice is queen here and I genuinely admire Ms. Harvey for stealing me away from the mundane last few days of 2011 to let me play in Faerie, even if it is a bit dark and dangerous.

It reminded me strongly of Holly Black's Tithe but is far less gritty. But all the traits that made Tithe such a good read is in Stolen Away - great characters, strong world building and a plot that rockets ahead. Highly recommended!

Find Alyxandra Harvey's website here. Stolen Away is published on 5th Jan here in the UK by Bloomsbury Kids.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

2012-01-04T08:00:00.002Z

Synopsis

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive 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, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- 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.

I loved Anna and the French Kiss and I was excited to get stuck into the next book which was a present from Liz for Christmas (thank you Liz!). I was also a little scared though. Would I love it as much as Anna? Would I bond with the main characters? Lola is no clean cut little girl. She has a twenty two year old boyfriend who plays in a band to whom she lied about her age. Now she has to endure Sunday brunches with said boyfriend and her two dads which she finds excruciating but are a necessity so that they can keep tabs on Max. Despite all of this they seem rock solid at the start of the book and I wasn't sure how anything could come between them (apart from the fact that boyfriend Max continued seeing Lola when he discovered her age and on occasions calls her Lolita - ewwww!).

Lola is a flamboyant character who dresses as though she's going on stage and doesn't let the snide girls at school deter her. But when the neighbours return she's forced to revisit her feelings about them. Calliope is a figure skater who's aiming for the Olympics and Cricket is her twin brother. Bit by bit the story behind Lola's dread of their return comes out and I found my feelings towards all the characters in the book flip-flopping as I read on. At one point I'm behind Max for his determination to make Lola's dads happy but then little by little I start feeling for Cricket and become curious about his past.

Alongside this little triangle is the story of Lola's mum who got pregnant at sixteen and ran away from home. She then had problems with alcohol and drugs and was homeless for a while. She's still unable to handle her life and moves in with Lola (her brother is one of Lola's dads). This makes Lola understandably furious but this subject is treated well; there's no attempt to make her a fairy tale ending but I loved watching this character develop. I was also intrigued by the way that Lola changes too. At first she considers herself as a good daughter as she keeps her grades up and phones home when she's expected too but she's constantly sneaking around behind her dads' backs and easily lies to Max too rather than have an uncomfortable confrontation. By the end of the book I think she's a pretty wonderful girl with a loving extended family.

Anna and Etienne make an appearance and it was great to catch up with them and to see their relationship from another viewpoint. I'm so looking to forward to Isla and the Happily Ever After which will be released in the autumn which is described as the final companion novel to Anna and Lola.

ETA: Stephanie has just announced on her blog that Isla will now be released in 2013. I really felt for her when I read this and I wish her all the best.

The Unnaturalist by Tiffany Trent

2012-01-03T08:33:00.001Z

I am so excited about this steampunky alternate history novel coming from my friend and author Tiffany Trent later this year. Amazon tells me August and I've had a look on Simon & Schuster's website and it's not even listed yet as it is too far away, but I'm bouncing already.

Look at this incredible cover:

Isn't it just utterly gorgeous?

And here is the bit of blurb about it:

In an alternate London where magical creatures are preserved in a museum, two teens find themselves caught in a web of intrigue, deception, and danger.Vespa Nyx wants nothing more than to spend the rest of her life cataloging Unnatural creatures in her father’s museum, but as she gets older, the requirement to become a lady and find a husband is looming large. Syrus Reed’s Tinker family has always served and revered the Unnaturals from afar, but when his family is captured to be refinery slaves, he finds that his fate may be bound up with Vespa’s—and with the Unnaturals.

As the danger grows, Vespa and Syrus find themselves in a tightening web of deception and intrigue. At stake may be the fate of New London—and the world.

Doesn't it just make you want to rush out and pre-order it? I know, I have - fortunately for me I had a sneak peak of one of Tiffany's very very early drafts some time ago and let me just say, she may be a friend and all....but she can bloody write good words!

Check out this blog post of hers in which she is giving away copies of stuff to celebrate the announcement of The Unnaturalists. I'd like to point out that the competition is international. Isn't that grand?

Double Dead by Chuck Wendig

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000Z

Coburn’s been dead now for close to a century, but seeing as how he’s a vampire and all, it doesn’t much bother him. Or at least it didn’t, not until he awoke from a forced five year slumber to discover that most of human civilisation was now dead - but not dead like, oh no..

I wanted to read DD as soon as I got wind of the concept: a vampire in waking up during the zombie apocalypse and discovering that his food is now an endangered species. Coburn is the vampire in question, and it’s immediately clear that he’s not someone used to being denied.

DD opens with Coburn’s awakening, an unexpected trickle of blood reaching his withered, blood-starved body. It’s a peach of an opening chapter and does a fine job of hooking you and setting the tone for what’s to come.

It’s a fair assumption that most people will be familiar with the parameters of a post zompocalyptic world, particularly in the wake of The Walking Dead, and Wendig doesn’t waste any words setting up the basics, letting him get on with fleshing out Coburn. By turns violent, arrogant and sarcastic, Coburn is nonetheless a witty and likeable character, which is quite an accomplishment. Later on, when pieces of the story of his life before his enforced slumber start to emerge, it rounds off his character quite neatly.

It’s not an easy transition for Coburn, going from a supremely confident and borderline smug predator to having to shepherd his food to somewhere safe and secure, while being inexorably dragged into the messy personal histories and interactions of the living.. and the unpleasant realisation that in order to survive he’s going to have to think about more than his appetite. Particularly when the zombies who’ve mutated after coming into contact with his blood finally close in. It's handled very well, and while Coburn is changed by what's he's experiencing, it's a gradual and believably messy process in keeping with the rest of the story, rather than any kind of sudden, fairy godmother like epiphany.

Fast and bloody good fun, Double Dead delivers everything you’re expecting it to and then some. I finished it in a day, and enjoyed it thoroughly (particularly the cannibal barbecue- brilliant!). It’s a fresh perspective on a favourite theme with lashings of dark humour and a charismatic main character I’d really like to see more of.

You can visit Chuck's website here.

The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones

2011-12-23T09:27:00.000Z

Who is the uninvited? This new page-turner from a master of suspense plumbs the unsettling goings-on at a picture-perfect cottage in a Canadian backwater.

Mimi Shapiro had a disturbing freshman year at NYU, thanks to a foolish affair with a professor who still haunts her caller ID. So when her artist father Marc offers the use of his remote Canadian cottage, she's glad to hop in her Mini Cooper and drive up north. The little house on the snye is fairy-tale quaint, and the key is hidden right where her dad said it would be, so imagine her surprise when she finds someone living there - Jay, a young musician who doesn't even know Marc Shapiro. Jay is equally startled to meet Mimi, and immediately accuses her of leaving strange and threatening tokens inside: a dead bird, a snakeskin, a cricket soundtrack in his latest composition. But Mimi has just arrived, so who is responsible? And more alarmingly, what does the intruder want?

It was after the recent Walker blogger brunch that I hit Foyles with Darren from Bookzone and decided to pick up a copy of The Uninvited. It's been on my radar for some time now but after receiving a copy of Tim's newest novel - Blink & Caution - I wanted to see what he had been up to in the past.

We meet Mimi as she's zooming along in her little Mini Cooper, away from New York into Canada's wilds, to the house her father has there. She's a little bit over the top, a little bit selfish, a little bit manic pixie girl, but once she gets to the house and discovers someone else, Jackson, already living in the house her attitude changes perceptibly. Gone is the frivolity and we meet a more mature interesting girl who likes an ordered world, even if she doesn't really think she does.

In Jay we have a great male character. I genuinely liked him and thought that the author took great care to establish him as co-main character. He has depths and is as layered and lovely as Mimi.

Their first encounter of each other in the house is superbly written, with a lot of subtext and undercurrents and it is as their meeting continues and they put two and two together and get six, that I fell for Tim Wynne Jones' writing in a big way.

Before I go any further, I'd like to point out that this is not a contemporary romance, although it is very much about relationships and the shifting tides of relationships, family and friendship.

Jay shows Mimi his computers and set-up in the loft of the little house on the snye and has her listen to some of the music he's been recording. He explains to her how he thinks someone has been tinkering with the music, laying down tracks over it - crickets chirping and loud breathing. Not just that, but there have been weird "gifts" left for him too. They try and puzzle it out, blissfully unaware of the fact that they are being watched by the person who has been sneaking into the house.

Things worsen when they look at Mimi's video recorder and notice that someone had tampered with it, filming them as they were talking by the window of the house. The realisation that they were being watched so closely freaks them both out and they set about securing the house against intruders.

Mimi and Jay's relationship is so complex, within minutes of meeting and talking, that it forms the steady foundation of the novel. Mimi is invited to meet Jay's two mums and she gets along with them famously. They welcome her with open arms, accepting her into their small family. This too, I liked. The mums were equally well-written and the story of how they fit in with Jay and Mimi is done so well - just perfect. I did however think that I would have liked to spend more time with them as they formed such a dynamic couple.

I am obviously being very sketchy about the storyline because really, you want to read it and discover it for yourself. It does, with one of the last reveals, stretch the boundaries of belief quite a bit but in the end, because of the author being so good at what he does, you completely fall for it.

There are several elements of odd and creepy and there is a sense of the supernatural in several instances, but it is wholly a very contemporary story set within the here and now. There is enough shivery happenings though to keep thriller readers entertained.

There are so many components to this story and it so well plotted with rich storytelling and scene setting that The Uninvited has immediately become one of my favourite books of 2011 even though it's been published back in 2010.

I'd like to add that The Uninvited is aimed at the upper YA range. Both Mimi and Jay are out of high school and in university. Their story has a more mature tilt to the standard YA contemporary novels I've read but I hasten to add that it would be completely suitable for readers who are comfortable with bigger themes and concepts.

The Uninvited is out now and Blink & Caution by Tim Wynne Jones is out January 2012. Look out for online buzz about it and be sure to check out Tim's website here.

2012 - A Personal Reading Challenge

2011-12-22T07:59:00.000Z

I've always been an avid reader. Or so I thought of myself, at least. It was after a discussion with Sarah and Caro (@portraitofawoman) that I've come to realise that I have huge gaps in my reading, especially "foundation" books most people have read growing up.

After careful consideration, and fooling myself into a grandiose idea of doing this as research I've gone and bought myself a batch of these books to read and no doubt, enjoy.

Here they are, in no particular order (mostly as they came out of their Amazon box / Waterstones bag)

I have had The Weirdstone of Brisingamen on my shelf for a long time. An embarrassingly long time. I'm really looking forward to meeting Alan Garner via his writing. I have a copy of his gorgeous Collected Folktales too, which I am keen to read.

The Secret Garden I nabbed from W'stones Oxford Street. You will note that it says "Penguin Threads" on the spine. That is because the cover is embroidered. For real. By this incredible lady. How can books this beautiful not want to make you read them??

Sarah bought me a copy of The Dark is Rising some time ago - I read part of it and then got distracted by the movie which was awful. And I'm a sucker for good vs evil and I know this is a seasonal read, so I'm tucking into this over the Christmas holidays.

The Giver is something I remember the girls at The Booksmugglers mentioned so that naturally went onto my list of classics to buy.

The Sword in the Stone by TH White - I know, I know - as someone who loves mythology and legends and fairy tales, how I've bypassed this classic is beyond me.

The Little White Horse - My friend Sue sang its praises and of course, I am an easy sell, so there it is, on my pile.

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase - again Sarah being the enabler recommending it to me, along with half the people I speak with on twitter.

Tuck Everlasting looks like a snack-sized book but one that I suspect I'll fall in love with.

The Indian in the Cupboard - it's sort of always been on my radar, but I've never read it. Now's my chance.

Storm Catchers - I can't remember why I bought this one, I think I just liked the sound of it...

The Phantom Tollbooth...mysterious packages in the post? A strange land...? Count me in on this ride!

The Children of Green Knowe appealed to me because I am fickle and I had to own it because of the cover. It is so pretty. But the story sounds good too.

And there we have it - these are my personal challenge for 2012. I suspect I should be able to get to them all within a couple of months and I will no doubt bore you to tears by telling you how fabulous they all are. Because most of you have probably read them all growing up and know this already.

I am keen to continue reading more books of similar ilk so please do leave comments here to recommend more books for me to look at. I will honestly say that books you may think I've read, I probably have not read. When I say I grew up reading cowboy books / Westerns, I'm not joking. Books of the classic bent for kids that I have read are:

King Solomon's Mines

Prisoner of Zenda

She

Journey to the Centre of the Eath

Black Beauty

Peter Pan

Uhm. I think that's it. See how much I'm lacking? Hit me with those recommends. I've given myself a gift card for Crimbo so will be using that during the year to purchase more titles.

Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst

2011-12-21T07:30:00.000Z

Synopsis

Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire... fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil... until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops.

Her family thinks she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don't exist), and they're shocked she survived. They're even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl's family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the King's feast -- as the entrees.

The only problem? Pearl's starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends—especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache—to be slaughtered? Then again, she's definitely dead if she lets down her family. What's a sunlight-loving vamp to do?

Firstly, I just need to say that this is the best cover ever and I did guffaw slightly over the title. Shallow stuff aside I've got some serious love for this book. I expected a humorous take on the vampire genre and yes, there's plenty of that but I was surprised by how taken I was by Pearl. She starts the book as a cold killing machine but while feasting on the kid who works at the Dairy Hut she's stabbed by a unicorn. When she wakes up at home with her huge family we start to get an idea of how horrendous Pearl's life really is. Always on guard, weakness is quickly punished by her mother whom the whole family is scared of. Even Pearl's boyfriend Jadrien is a waste of good (stolen) blood. Always goading Pearl by trying to make her jealous Pearl is forced into situations where she has to use violence to prove a point. Talking things through is not an option with her family.

However, a miracle has occurred and Pearl can suddenly withstand the sun. This gift opens up a new world to her and she finds herself at high school on the orders of her mother. The vampire king of New England is paying a visit and it's up to Pearl to find the feast - her new friends are just the things to feed visiting royalty. Gradually though, like her appearing reflection, Pearl starts to feel for her human companions and isn't as keen as she should be to feed them to the king. I admired Pearl and her ability to withstand the pressure from her family to deliver. She also fits straight into high school and cuts a swathe through the cliques with her own brand of humour and idea of justice.

She gets to know the chivalrous Evan who certainly shows Jadrien a thing or two about how to treat women. She starts to feel for him despite her determination not to. In fact, this book has just about everything I enjoy with snappy dialogue, romance, humour but with an underlying finger on the pulse of high school and what it takes to fit it - plus what to do if you don't. I was pleased to be surprised by Drink, Slay, Love. Pearls journey from smooth killer to vampire who just doesn't fit in was a wonderful read.

The Hidden Kingdom by Ian Beck

2011-12-19T09:19:00.001Z

The young prince Osamu is dragged from his palace bed in the dead of night and told to flee for his life. With only his nurse's daughter, Lissa, to help him survive, he is thrust from his pampered existence into a hostile, snowy world - where the secret armies of the hidden kingdom are waiting for him to lead them . . .

I've said it before, I'm a seasonal reader, so The Hidden Kingdom set during a tough winter really let me curl my toes and luxuriate in the heating on the train and at home in the lounge as I read it.

The scene is set very quickly. We meet the spoilt, stubborn, slightly clueless young prince Osamu as he's tumbled out of bed by his servant, dressed hurriedly and ushered out of the palace at top speed in the company of Lissa, a young woman only a bit older than himself, who had been trained for one thing only: to keep him safe.

As they flee he realises that the palace is coming under attack but he has no idea who it is that's attacking or what's going on. Mostly he's grumpy as he's being treated roughly by an inferior person and resents that tremendously. Lissa is unable to tell him more about the attacks. He should have an inkling as to what's going on and she's to keep him safe, but more than that, she's not prepared to do.

Simultaneously we meet a young apprentice potter, Baku, who is travelling with the master potter Master Masumi, who is en route to meet the young prince Osamu who admires Masumi's delicate workmanship. But things go very wrong. As they travel, winter closes in and the master potter reveals to Baku that there are bad things afoot when they come across stories of the palace being attacked. When his master dies in his sleep, it is up to Baku to make sense of the world and follow the mysterious snow maiden that came to him, urging him to be strong and follow her guidance. Baku is the everyman in this story, through him we see the developments but we also realise that even though he is the everyman, he has courage and honour. He is not high born, and it is abundantly clear that his destiny and task is more than what it seems.

As Lissa and Osamu struggle onwards through the snow and cold, Osamu keeps rejecting the legends of the demons that his tutors and ministers pressed on him as he grew up. He thinks that is all they are: legends and stories to tell small children to keep them quiet and scared. He refuses to believe that it can be real, refuses too to believe that they are responsible for the attack on his palace, for the reason he's on the run for his life.

Slowly, ever so slowly, it dawns on the spoilt awful princeling that the legends are no mere legends. That he is the one to face up against the Emissary, to fight the battle to decide the fate of the world. That it is his destiny, his fate, to do this.

Ian Beck uses very strong imagery throughout the novel - both visual and sensory, which I found very pleasing. I apologise if that sounds pedantic and a bit toff-like, but when you can sit under a blanket reading about snow and ice storms and lift your head and almost smell the scent of the army's meal they are cooking before their final confrontation with the forces of darkness, you know you are on to some good writing.

The author uses a pared down language that is still quite descriptive and lyrical, bringing to mind Across The Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearne. The world The Hidden Kingdom is set in is not our world, but it could easily be our world. It has hints of Japan and China about it but it is wholly it's own thing and I liked it - it was strange enough to lift it out of the mundane and yet comforting enough for me to not feel that I've been cast adrift across the world I know nothing of, have no point of reference.

I would highly recommend The Hidden Kingdom to read now, in winter. It's going to be one of those books I want to re-read often because of setting and story.

This is the superb video they created for The Hidden Kingdom and I do think they've managed to find the most gorgeous girl to play Lissa. Just perfect.

The Hidden Kingdom has been out since October, and although it is quite slender (my only sadness as I wanted it to last longer) it goes to prove that epic writing does not have to be seven hundred pages long.

Lost Christmas by David Logan

2011-12-16T08:00:00.019Z

Eleven year old Goose is lost. It's Christmas, his parents are dead and now his dog Mutt has gone missing. Those around him aren't doing much better: his Uncle Frank's wife has walked out on him and his nan is losing her mind.

But then Anthony appears - a man who seems to know everyone's secrets but nothing at all about himself...

I'd been keeping Lost Christmas aside until mid- December as a pre-Christmas thing. Maybe it was a subconscious premonition that work was going to leech any kind of Christmassy spirit out of me as the usual Christmas deadlines loomed. Even just looking at that gorgeous, glittery cover is enough of a Yuletide palliative.

But what's it like? Is it fun? Is it Christmassy on a scale that Buddy would approve of? These were all important questions that needed to be answered

LC opens with Goose waking up on a crisp Christmas morning in Manchester to discover that his parents have bought him a puppy for Christmas; for a bitterly short time it's a perfect morning. Then his dad gets called in, and one cruel twist of fate later both he and Goose's mother are killed in a car accident as she's driving him to work.

The story skips a year ahead, and we meet a very drunk Frank as he staggers home from the pub that's become his home away from home. As he weaves his way down the street even he can't miss how the lights around him are acting strangely, and as they clear he sees an oddly dressed man in the street. A man he would've sworn wasn't there a moment ago, and who seems as perplexed as he is about this. After a brief meeting, they part ways.

While Frank is stumbling through his first meeting with the mysterious Anthony, a very different Goose is breaking into a house, from which he steals a gold bangle, adding it to the stash that he's going to show his fence- Frank. It's the first link in a chain of events that will bring the three of them together and in the process reveal how one person's actions can impact on the lives of those around them.

David Logan is a screenwriter, something which is apparent in the how lean the writing is and how quickly the characters are established (and happily they remain distinctive throughout). Take Goose's nan as an example- she doesn't play a particularly large role, but even so she's such a sweet and lovely character that you can't help but feel sorry for her and cheer when she helps Goose out of a bind with the local cops. Goose and Anthony are the stars of the show though. Goose with the tough, uncaring wall he's built around himself, through which we're allowed glimpses of the wounded boy beneath, none more so than when his beloved Mutt vanishes- his pain and the whirlwind of emotions that it drags to the surface are very real. And then there's the enigmatic Anthony, a man with no recollection of who he is or how he came to be in a snowy Manchester on Christmas eve, but who discovers a gift for seeing into the lives of anyone he touches, but at a terrible cost.

The story's set in Manchester, but it's a fairly neutral flavour of urban landscape that comes through. But I think that's actually a good thing, as it means most of us will be able to identify with what is described, most of which have become standard features of contemporary British cityscapes.

The story gallops along at a fair pace (it all takes place on Christmas eve- huzzah!) once Goose and Frank have a glimpse of Anthony's strange talent, which also raises the question of who, or what, is he? I had my theories (none of which were on the money, as it happens) and as things started coming together and building to the finale I wished I was reading this at home rather than on my commute as I suspected I'd be missing my stop.

I had been scratching my head at how David was going to wrap this all up, although I'll happily admit I was having too much fun reading it to worry too much. That's the thing about Christmassy themes- you know it's going to end well, and you're happy to buy into it, to suspend the cynical disbelief that you've armoured yourself with throughout the year, and enjoy the gentle torture of seeing things seemingly getting worse until it's time for the Hell Yeah. It's part of the tradition and the magic- it's a time when you're allowed to watch a movie you might have seen half a dozen times already, or re-read a dog eared old favourite just to get a fix of guilt free feel-good.

That's what Lost Christmas delivers- a warm and touching message of hope and salvation without being schmaltzy. It forced me to swallow a rather embarrassing lump in the throat to stop myself from panicking fellow commuters by blubbing like a lost child. I walked home from the station buoyed by an unexpected sense of bonhomie and then proceeded to drape fairy lights across the lounge and dining room. 'Nuff said, really.

It is logical? Nope. Are the why's and how's answered? Not really. Did I care, and should you? Hell no. Would Buddy approve? Hell yes. Go pick something off one of those interminable literary prize lists if you want deep and meaningful.

This is Christmas, and I like it just the way it is.

Lost Christmas is the novelisation of the movie (starring the marvellously talented Eddie Izzard) which will be airing for the first time on Sunday 18th December on BBC 1 at 17h30.

You can follow David Logan on Twitter and visit his website here.

Every Dead Thing by John Connolly

2011-12-14T08:11:00.002Z

Homicide cop Charlie "Bird" Parker was drunk when the killer known as the Travelling Man dissected his wife and his daughter. Parker's guilt and obsession with revenge have taken him well beyond the law, causing him to beat a pimp to death and accept the friendship of a notable hitman. Yet his old colleagues know that any one of them might have gone down the same path, in the same circumstances, and they and FBI man Woolrich still find him and his obsessions useful. Leaving mayhem and destruction in his wake, Parker finds every private investigation he takes leading him back to his family's killer--is this an obsession, or is he treading a maze of murder built just for him? And can the obsessed Parker accept the love of a bright woman pathologist without wrecking her life as well? Small Virginia towns with guilty secrets, the drugs deals that unite smart New York society with the madness of a decadent Mafia dynasty, the very different gang wars of New Orleans and the mysteries of the Louisiana swampland--this is an intelligent book packed with puzzles, characters and brilliantly visualised locations that most thriller-writers would have spun out for a series.

The above write-up is straight from Amazon by Roz Kaveney and you know, I couldn't have summed this book up any better.

What I am however going to say is that this is my first ever John Connolly novel and I was blown away by the writing, and the intricately layered plot, bearing in mind this was his debut novel back in 1999.

I genuinely came to like Charlie Parker as a character. He is messed up, a bit mouthy, yet honest enough with himself when he's in crappy situations, knowing that invariably he's put himself in those situations through his direct actions. His motivation for doing anything is transparent and although he is a bit terrier-like when it comes to focussing on a goal, he's clever enough to see the wider picture...and then still going ahead and doing what he feels is the right thing. I like that he thinks outside the box and is a bit of a loose canon and that through all of this, he is still such a solid dependable presence.

What I also thoroughly enjoyed is Connolly's writing style. He writes, for the lack of a better description, deeply. When Charlie and his FBI mate Woolrich head for New Orleans, I had no doubt in my mind that there is where we were. We live and breathe Orleans and the swamp and the meetings with the various locals. It gets under your skin, you can feel the oppressive heat and you can see the magic of the place just under the skin. What I also liked about the writing is that Connolly gives Charlie this something extra, almost a sixth sense, a deeper understanding of what's going on. I know, it sounds odd, but there are moments that I read Every Dead Thing and it gave me chills, for instance: Charlie is travelling back to New Orleans to meet with a witch, a soothsayer, as she's asked to see him urgently.

Then, just as it seemed my head was going to explode from the pain and the pressure, I heard a voice, the voice of an old, black woman in the Louisana swamps.

"Chile," said the voice. "Chile, he's here."

And then my world turned black.

It is so well balanced, these slight almost supernatural links, throughout the story, along with the growing legend of this human killer The Travelling Man, that I utterly fell, hook, line and sinker, for Charlie's story and Mr. Connolly's writing. Reading this there is definitely a sense of "more".

Charlie isn't the only character. He has a supporting cast and they are very much all worth a mention. Favourites are Louis and Angel who stole stole my heart - these guys may not be on the right side of the law, but you know you want them on your side when bad things go down. And through loyalty and friendship and honour, they are by Charlie's side when he asks them for help. They step up to the plate, do what's been asked of them, then quietly disappear. Genuinely, my reading experience was made richer for these two characters' appearance. Also, they are so bloody cool!

I have no idea what happens in the other Charlie Parker books and I am content not to, because I will be savouring each one in the next few months as I've come to realise that I can't not read them. I mentioned that I was reading John Connolly on twitter and how much I was enjoying the writing, the action, the characters, just all of it, and had a tranche of friends and strangers talk to me about John Connolly and Charlie and how great his books are. As if I needed more convincing!

I hate doing the "if you like x you will like y" but in this instance I think I can confidently say that if you like Lee Childs and Jack Reacher, you will love John Connolly and Charlie Parker. And similarly, if you like John Connolly and you've not read SJ Bolton, you should. Both very complex writers with a good eye for detail. Also, no one does creepy the way SJ Bolton does creepy, although Mr. Connolly comes pretty damn close.

In other words, cutting to the bone of the matter: John Connolly's Every Dead Thing is definitely worth the ££. Satisfying and clever writing. I'm putting the rest of the books on my goodreads and Amazon wishlist.

There is an excellent Q&A on John Connolly's site about Every Dead Thing. It's a bit spoilery but I had to go and read it to find out what made him write the book and what went in to creating Charlie Parker.

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

2011-12-13T07:30:00.001Z

Synopsis

Alona Dare–Senior in high school, co-captain of the cheerleading squad, Homecoming Queen three years in a row, voted most likely to marry a movie star… and newly dead.

I’m the girl you hated in high school. Is it my fault I was born with it all-good looks, silky blond hair, a hot bod, and a keen sense of what everyone else should not be wearing? But my life isn’t perfect, especially since I died. Run over by a bus of band geeks—is there anything more humiliating? As it turns out, yes—watching your boyfriend and friends move on with life, only days after your funeral. And you wouldn’t believe what they’re saying about me now that they think I can’t hear them. To top it off, I’m starting to disappear, flickering in and out of existence. I don’t know where I go when I’m gone, but it’s not good. Where is that freaking white light already?

Will Killian–Senior in high school, outcast, dubbed “Will Kill” by the popular crowd for the unearthly aura around him, voted most likely to rob a bank…and a ghost-talker.

I can see, hear, and touch the dead. Unfortunately, they can also see, hear and touch me. Yeah, because surviving high school isn’t hard enough already. I’ve done my best to hide my “gift.” After all, my dad, who shared my ability, killed himself because of it when I was fifteen. But lately, pretending to be normal has gotten a lot harder. A new ghost—an anonymous, seething cloud of negative energy with the capacity to throw me around—is pursuing me with a vengeance. My mom, who knows nothing about what I can do, is worrying about the increase in odd incidents, my shrink is tossing around terms like “temporary confinement for psychiatric evaluation,” and my principal, who thinks I’m a disruption and a faker, is searching for every way possible to get rid of me. How many weeks until graduation?

Wow, huge synopsis for this one. I was going to cut it down but it emphasises a point I want to discuss later so please forgive me. This, like Anna and the French Kiss is another book that I seemed to see everywhere. It was looming at me from the shelf at Foyles, constantly on my recommended list on Amazon and I saw some great reviews too. I finally picked up a copy and it wasn't long before I was kicking myself for leaving it so long. In fact, this is going to be a resolution for next year - to stop ignoring books that are obviously written for me!

Alona is a cheerleader and pretty much the top of the pack when she gets run over by a bus. Will is the school freak, he can speak with the dead but obviously it's a skill that doesn't really help his social standing at school. It doesn't take long for Alona to realise that Will can see her however neither Will or Alona are fans of each other. Both of them have their own set of prejudices about the other and I enjoyed watching them get gradually broken down. Will is sure that Alona is an airhead, a bitch and pretty pointless - both alive and dead. Alona is fairly confident that Will is deliberately socially inept, crazy and determined not to fit in. Once she discovers his odd talent she has a new found respect for him and also organises for the crowd of school ghosts to leave him alone for a while. Will has to grudgingly admit that Alona is more than just popular and pretty.

In return Alona needs Will to explain how to be dead and help her stop disappearing. As time progresses it becomes obvious that they should work together. In fact, they both need to start getting on rather than merely tolerating each other. I loved the strength of Alona and Will's voices - they were both so distinct and I could have told them apart even without the chapter headings as you can see from the synopsis. The book fairly zips with humour too from both main characters - really, it was a joy to read. Principal Brewster is so completely odious that I defy anyone not to be immediately rooting for Will to overcome his problems. Alona could have come across as a little cold and brittle but as she watches her best friend get together with her boyfriend and spends her nights curled up on her dad's sofa I felt an urge to protect her. Her levels of concentration and organisation that has kept her covering up a family secret are impressive and I knew that once she had decided to help Will she'd be unstoppable.

I loved this book - the school politics, elements of romance and mystery meant that I whipped through it and can't wait to read the next two.

What is YA?

2011-12-10T08:28:00.017Z

There have been a lot of questions about YA on twitter these last few weeks. A lot of people in my twitter stream are talking about it, wondering what it is. Sniffing about it and arguing about it. Some people think it's a gimmick, a way to re-label books that have gone before and calling it YA. Or creating a niche market where there isn't really one. That YA is a genre. A new thing. YA is not a genre. It is also not a new thing. It has been around for some time. But it's always been categorised in bookshops as part of children's books.

Until recently, YA books weren't shelved separately. It was only when more and more of these teen centric books started coming over from the States and publishers and booksellers realised that there is a distinct new category being created here, that they opted for the Young Adult name, or YA as it's been shortened to.

Young Adult books have risen to prominence on the back of people like Stephanie Meyer, Judy Blume, and Suzanne Collins, to name but a few. Growing up (I'm 38) there was no "YA", but there were a lot of children's books that were deemed not age appropriate for me to read as say a ten year old. These were teen books, or books for older, more confident readers. Books that were more complex and dealt with growing up, stuff I had no clue about as a ten year old.

Young Adult readership can be anywhere from 11 to 12 years upwards to 60+. Kids always read UP. But adults read up, down, sideways. YA novels are rarely over 80,000 words and then it's usual for the bigger novels to have a fantasy / paranormal element. Contemporary novels in the YA category are sometimes far shorter. these are the "general" rules of size, but it always depends on story. Story and characters are key, as is voice.

Books for kids and teens were a revelation to me when we first came to the UK and a friend of mine introduced me to Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. Then I started haunting the shelves in Waterstones Piccadilly and I'll never forget the day I picked up a copy of Tithe by Holly Black. I read it. And re-read it. I could not believe my eyes. Gone were the overly sweet adventures of the stories I grew up with. Here was a spiky main character, who swears, smokes and hung out with her mum's crappy band. She wore combats and she turned out to be a bloody fairy! Her new friends were rough kids, and the one boy was...GAY! I could not believe my eyes. Here was a story written for ME for when I was a teenager. These were the stories I craved. Gritty urban fantasy where molestation, issues, drinking, smoking were a thing but not the ONLY thing. Because there was the danger of the unknown.

I fell for Holly Black, harder than I care to admit. But through her I discovered a raft of other writers, both young adult, middle grade and adult, and on the back of them I started reading wider and wider, casting my net of reading to include practically everything that even slightly piqued my interest.

The thing about YA books is that it speaks to its readers on a deeply emotional level. It connects with teens and their journey, about changes, about being a freak, or a perceived freak, or the IT girl who would love to be anonymous or the sports star who really has issues with is dad pushing him to fulfil his dad's dream. The thing about YA and reading kids books: the journeys you go on are limitless, the possibilities are endless and the only thing stopping you is your imagination.

The really great writers can take the girl you hated most in school and spin her story and make you fall for her and believe in her and identify in her. It makes you question, it makes you think. All good fiction should make you think, no matter what age-group you fall in to. A lot of YA writers say they write YA because they so deeply remember what it felt like being a teen, of being in flux and set at odds with the world around them.

Teen protagonists in YA books often ask the questions of - who am I? And tied in with that question is: who am I going to be? Another nightmare question: how am I going to get to where I want to be? I know adults who don't even know the answer to any of these questions at age 30. Or older. It's YA that allows teens a glimpse into the world of others to show them that everyone has these questions plus a hundred thousand more. YA deals with intense emotions, nothing is ever half-hearted. Man, I remember throwing a strop and swearing never ever to do xyz. And then, two days later, there I am doing xyz. It's a tough time and YA helps, it answers, it guides, it asks more questions.

Taken from Lake City Public Library

And then of course, people think that adult novels that have young protagonists should also be called YA? Well, the thing is, like in The Lovely Bones, the protagonist is a teen, she is horrifically murdered by a neighbour, and the story is about her afterlife and how her murder affects her family. The characters knows stuff, she's aware of everything and is on her path to learn more. Unlike in YA where teens often feel they aren't playing with a full set of cards, that the world knows more than they do. It's a struggle. Young characters in adult books are wise beyond their years and they realise the impact of the story they are telling on their reader and on other characters in the story. This is very rarely the case in YA. Another book I've reviewed in the past, where the main character is a teen, but the book is definitely adult, is Mice by Gordon Reece. Mice has to be one of the scariest books I've read from a psychological point of view. It builds slowly with an ending that is dark and awful and inevitable and completely right for the story. A book I loved, who has a protagonist in her early twenties, which I felt YA readers would connect with is Hailey's War by Jodi Compton, yet it was only marketed to adults. The main reasoning was that it dealt with some very mature themes and they felt that the main character was maybe a bit too old to appeal to younger readers. That is probably the truth, but Hailey's struggle, her quest to make sense of her life, is perfect reading for confident teens who aren't too worried about strong violence and a bit of swearing.

YA also deals with first love, first kiss, heartbreak. All of that. But it also deals with quests and journeys and fights and hatred and bullying and murder, crime and death. Ultimately, YA is about hope. Hope to survive, to make sense of it all, to be a better person, to get the guy or girl.

People ask: if a book has no sex in it, why isn't it marketed as YA? No sex. Well. Shockingly, sex isn't the beginning and end all of a teen's life. A book where sex is handled superbly is Into the Wild Nerd Yonder. It's brought into the open that the main character's friend gave her "almost" boy friend oral sex. The main character is shocked, not because of the oral sex, but because her friend would do something like that with a boy she doesn't really know, clearly thinking that the oral sex will make him like her more. When the main character tells her brother's girlfriend this, the girlfriend hits the roof, for the same reason, but also saying why should the boys always be the ones gratified, what about the girls? So, you know, sex does happen in YA and there are consequences, as shown in Malorie Blackman's astonishing YA is a no holds barred novel about responsibility and life-changing choices:

What if YOU were left holding the baby?

You’re waiting for the postman – he’s bringing your A level results. University, a career as a journalist – a glittering future lies ahead. But when the doorbell rings it’s your old girlfriend; and she’s carrying a baby... Suddenly, your future starts to look very different.

YA is, not just one thing. And it is far more than the sum of its parts. And I genuinely find it strange that people questioning the integrity of YA and the motives of those who write YA are the ones who have never read it. They see what they want to see. Within YA, the scope to find something that suits you as a reader, is so vast. All you need to do is talk to someone who knows the category to advise you. That's why we blog. That's why booksellers sell and why publishers publish these books and why more and more superb books are being published by writers. It's not just another market for a mid-list author to try and break into as this C4 segment implies (yeah, it took me a while to get riled up). Writing for kids is hard. I know, I'm trying to do it. Everything has to be spot-on. And it is hard work and it doesn't get easier. I'm not the only one saying that. Every author I've ever spoken to who writes for kids say it is hard - voice has to be spot on, and messages have to be clear and never preachy because teens and kids are savvy. Man, they should sit on the truth commission as the chaff will soon be divided from the wheat because they know when something has been "dumbed" down for them to read or when something starts getting preachy. And they won't stand for it. They know what they like and they aren't scared to go after it.

Don't dismiss YA as a marketing ploy. It is far more than that. It's believing in magic, in yourself, your friends, finding yourself, losing yourself. It's about hope and love and hatred and looking beyond the tiny world you find yourself in. It's about questioning and getting answers and facing up to reality and making sense of life. Don't write off YA as just "Twilight" or "Hunger Games" or "whatever book you think is the flavour of the month" because you're showing your ignorance. And really, how can you be ignorant if you're a reader? Is fantasy just Tolkien? Is horror just Stephen King? Is crime ONLY Jo Nesbo? Think again.

Give YA a chance. Figure it out. Read widely. You may be pleasantly surprised.