quicksand

Muse: Rebecca Lim

2012-01-23T12:23:00.001+11:00

There’s something very wrong with me,

When I wake up I could be anyone...

An Angel in exile

Caught between lives

…and loves

Series: Mercy, Exile, Muse, Fury(coming May 2012)

Mercy has awoken again this time in Milan and in the body of spoilt Irina; international supermodel / train wreck and Mercy herself is not doing much better. Still searching for her love, her identity and answers; things this time around are much more different for Mercy remembers. Torn between her love for the mortal boy Ryan and the love she has always craved from Luc, Mercy will seek and find the answers to the questions she’s held for centuries. But the more Mercy learns the more she questions who she is and what Luc’s true intentions are. Ultimately it will all come down to a celestial battle where Mercy must choose a side and a love. Sacrifices will be made but for whom will Mercy make the greatest sacrifice of all and just who will survive…

Muse, much like predecessors Mercy and Exile, will far from disappoint. Instead it will claw into the reader and captivate you till the very last page (cliff-hanger alert). Lim has introduced a new kind of Angel that is both familiar as the tales we’ve heard yet enthralling and original. Mercy as a character is vulnerable yet strong and independent; rare for a female protagonists. Secondary characters such as Luc and Ryan are too more that just your typical love interests; each is defined and unique. The characters, setting and plotlines will enamour the reader and create an edge of your seat, enticing read. I don’t think I can praise this brilliant series enough and what makes it even better is it is by an Aussie author. I read this book in one day (just how addictive it was) and now eagerly anticipate the final novel in the series Fury which comes out early next year. Lim creates a wonderfully magical and sinister world that one cannot help but enjoy. With a concoction of romance, betrayal, mystery and drama Muse is a standout novel for the YA genre and one you’d be crazy to bypass.

Courtney :)

The Fault in Our Stars

2012-01-18T12:01:00.002+11:00

Wow! It's not often that you finish a book and have a feeling that you just had an amazing experience. I felt it when I read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and last night I felt it again as I read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Green's previous books An Abundance of Katherines, Looking for Alaska, Paper Towns and Will Grayson Will Grayson have always made me think that he has an amazing ability to live in the body's of teenagers, understanding their fears, their fun, their humour, their sadness, their adventure, and all their complexities. In The Fault in Our Stars (TFIOS) his main character 16 year old Hazel is living with terminal cancer and meets Augustus at the kids with cancer support group. Having experienced life and death with a terminal cancer sufferer I found the characters to be so realistic - when facing death there is no right or wrong way to behave - and in this book the characters tackle life, death and love in differing ways.

The title taken from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings." leads to the lifelong questions of How will I be remembered? Does my life, and will my death, have meaning? These questions are all tackled by the characters in how they live and love, how they live in the shadow of death and how that shadow effects their relationships with their families and each other.

To say I was moved by The Fault in Our Stars is an understatement. To say that I am so proud of John Green and his characters is an understatment. I recommend this book not only to teens, but to your parents as well.

I can understand why Green has such a loyal following of Nerdfighters with catchcry's like DFTBA (Don't Forget to be Awesome) , and followers on his website http://johngreenbooks.com/, twitter http://twitter.com/realjohngreen, facebook http://www.facebook.com/realjohngreen and youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers. I can now understand why my daughter preordered a copy of TFIOS as Green had signed 150,000 books with a variety of Sharpie colors. I can understand how TFIOS rose to number 1 on the Amazon and Barnes and Noble bestseller lists prior to the books release.

In an interview about Looking for Alaska, Green said

" The truth is that in our lives we are all going to encounter questions that should be answered, that deserve to be answered, and yet prove unanswerable. Can we find meaning to life without those answers? Can we find a way to acknowledge the reality (and injustice) of suffering without giving in to hopelessness?".

No spoilers here - just read The Fault in Our Stars and tell me what YOU think!
Cen

YELLOWCAKE

2012-01-16T10:39:00.000+11:00

YELLOWCAKE by Margo Lanagon

Think you are too old for fairy tales? Then you haven’t read Margo Lanagon’s dark take on the traditional.

She offers up stories that make you cringe, make you think, make you know that something… somewhere… is terribly wrong.

Her book ,‘Yellowcake’ is another great collection of short stories. Once you have read ‘The Golden Shroud’ you will reconsider the tale of Rapunzel. Read ‘Night of the Firstlings’ and you will rethink the stories told in the Bible.

Lanagon has a masterful way with words. She weaves them into fabrics we have never seen, creates worlds we have never stepped upon; yet her stories have an element of truth in them. They are sad and weighted, dark and heartbreaking.

Totally recommended if you like your short stories with a touch of darkness.

Vicki @ Pak.

Sektion 20

2012-01-12T15:16:00.002+11:00

'Sektion 20' by Paul Dowswell is one of the first (and finest) teenage novels I have read that is set in East Berlin in the Cold War era.

Dowswell expertly describes the authoritarian regime of East Germany and the desperate measures citizens take in order to flee to the west.

The story centres around teenage Alex. Alex is rebellious and he questions the world around him. He plays in a rock band, wears his hair too long, and before long he comes to the attention of the Stasi - East Berlin's secret police. He is not safe and neither are his family.

'Sektion 20' is the name given to a department within the Stasi.

There are many twists and turns in this action packed novel.
Recommended reading.

-Ann

Meet Frankie: our new teen mag

2012-01-10T14:22:00.003+11:00

Forget Dolly and Girlfriend, the androgynous Frankie brings art, design, culture and life back into the spotlight.

With its deceptively simple and plain front cover (normally accompanied by an image of a young girl dressed in vintage), inside is a plethora of wonderful bite-size information and interviews accompanied by beautiful matte drawings and images.

The main topics covered in Frankie include design, art, photography, fashion, travel, craft, home and life as stated on its cover but there’s the additional element of randomness in this magazine, evident in articles such as a review on op-shop cookbooks (Issue 43), the scary origins of nursery rhymes (Issue 44) and a diary entry following a young woman who attempts to not buy anything (except food) for 30 days (issue 44).

It’s hard not to fall in love with this magazine, which also strangely reminds you of your grandmother’s wardrobe and that vintage stationery store in Fitzroy with its soothing beige and salmon colours. I'm no fashion or design student but this magazine has easily become a favourite.

Rafah

The Power of Six

2012-01-03T17:55:00.005+11:00

They caught number One in Malaysia
Number Two in England,
And number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch number Four in Ohio
…and failed.
I am number Seven,
And I am ready to fight!

Series: I am Number Four, The Power of Six

Life hasn’t gotten any easier for the Lorien 9; three are dead, six are left scattered around the world developing legacies and battling for their lives. The power of six is the next in the series which started off with a bang in I am number Four. This time we meet number Seven, Marina of the sea who is trapped in an orphanage in Spain with her Cepan who has turned away from their mission to dedicate her life to god. As Mariana’s legacies begin to develop she finds herself looking for the answers to her identity.
On the other side of the globe, John, Six and Sam have escaped paradise injured and lost. They too are looking for answers and the other four but the journey is not easy with the Modogorians very close they must fight at every turn just to stay alive.

As with its predecessor I loved The power of six for its characters and relationships that mingle and grow with the story. New characters are introduced in this one and more background is explored about the secondary characters such as Six and Sam’s dad. Some questions are answered and new ones are asked. The novel switches between Mariana’s and John’s point of view which at points had me flipping back to remember where I left that character off but nevertheless the power of six is an excellent follow up to the first book, I am number four. The story is slow to start but Lore has created enough mysteries and questions to keep the reader moving pass all back stories to find the treasure of action and adventure that goes off with a bang halfway through. Some totted this novel as the next Harry Potter, I don’t think it will reach those heights but still a great read. This series is something different from all the vampires and werewolves out there and the characters are three dimensional and relatable. A good read that will keep you enchanted.

Courtney :)