Twilight

by Stephenie Meyer

My Book Review Rating: 5 out of 6 stars

About the author

When Stephenie Meyer woke up in July 2, 2003 she had no idea that her life was about to change forever. This stay at home mom of three boys had a dream that featured such realistic characters that she couldn’t get them out of her head.
Find out more about Stephenie Meyer…

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Stephenie Meyer – Teen fiction author

When Stephenie Meyer woke up in July 2, 2003 she had no idea that her life was about to change forever. This stay at home mom of three boys had a dream that featured such realistic characters that she couldn’t get them out of her head:

“Though I had a million things to do (ie making breakfast for hungry children, dressing and changing the diapers of said children, finding the swimsuits that no one ever puts away in the right place), I stayed in bed, thinking about the dream. Unwillingly, I eventually got up and did the immediate necessities, and then put everything that I possibly could on the back burner and sat down at the computer to write – something I hadn’t done in so long that I wondered why I was bothering.”

During the day Meyer was dreaming up her plot while taking her kids to swimming lessons and doing other motherly duties like potty training, in the dead of night when everyone else was asleep she’d write out her thoughts of the day. It took three months to write her first novel, Twilight, which following a cinema adaptation is now not only one of the most well-known books but also well-known movies of the noughties.

Unable to stop with the first novel Meyer went onto write another three books in the Twilight Saga, all of which have now amassed millions of sales across the globe. New Moon and Eclipse have both made it to the big screen and fans are eagerly awaiting the movie-adaptation of Breaking Dawn which started filming in Spring 2010.

Fact file

• Name: Stephenie Meyer
• Education: Brigham Young University
• Date of birth: December 24, 1973
• Place of birth: Connecticut
• Current home: Arizona
• Awards: “Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year”, “Top Ten Best Book for Young Adults” and “Top Ten Books for Reluctant Readers”
• Similar authors: Rachel Caine, Cassandra Clare, Daniel Waters, Melissa Marr

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Red Flag Warning

by Kurt Kamm

My Book Review Rating: 5 out of 6 stars

Synopsis

Red Flag Warning is a mystery novel with a difference, it’s based around the world of arsonists. The story is told from the viewpoint of various characters: from NiteHeat who developed a love of fire at a very early age, and Fire Captain Jim Kendall who lives and breaths his investigations to Ruffy, the Command and Control supervisor who dreams of joining the fire crew rather than directing them.

Based in California, the arsonist takes advantage of the Santa Ana winds to start devastating fires that destroy countless family homes while the firefighters battle to put a stop to the travelling flames. As NightHeat prowls the darkness looking for the perfect incendiary that will leave its mark, Kendall and his team do all they can to catch the arsonist and put an end to the devastation.

Fiction or non-fiction? What’s the genre?

This firefighter novel is fictional. The realism within the story comes from Kamm’s extensive research of the topic. After he was driven from his home by a wildfire Kamm became the local wildland fire expert. In the two years he spent writing this novel he attended the CalFire Wildland Arson Investigation Academy and spent time with both arson investigators and an arson profiler.

Why did you decide to read this book?

Back in November 2008 I read and reviewed Kamm’s first novel: One Foot in the Black which I thoroughly enjoyed. After I reviewed the book Kamm kindly agreed to an interview (which you can read here) but also promised to send me a copy of his next book when it was published. True to his word Red Flag Warning appeared in my mailbox – and didn’t disappoint.

What did you like about this book?

As with Kamm’s previous novel I enjoyed this book not only because it was well written with believable characters and a great story line, but also because it is unlike anything I’d ever read before.

Kamm develops the story from the viewpoint of the different characters and includes enough twists and turns that I was left guessing the identity of the arsonist until the very end of the book.

What didn’t you like?

I can’t think of anything I didn’t like about this book – it’s that good lol

Share a quote from the book

“Outside, NiteHeat dug into the scorched sand surrounding the ants’ nest with a stick. A few angry ants erupted into the sunlight. They ran in tight circles and then spread out over the sand. NiteHeat misted them with a spray of pain thinner. Holding the match carefully, scraping it across the side of the box, the tip spluttered and gave off smoke. The flame struggled and became a beautiful orange triangle.

NiteHeat threw the match into the center of the moist sand and fire leapt up, smothering the ants. They looked like frantic little people, trying to escape the heat. One by one, they were overcome. Each ant curled up, burst into a tiny puff of flame, and turned into ash.”

What did you think about the ending?

The ending was perfect. Kamm builds the pace and energy towards the end of the book to an explosive climax where the identity of the arsonist is finally revealed.

About the author

Malibu resident Kurt Kamm has used his experience in several devastating local wildfires and access to Los Angeles County firefighters to write compelling novels about the lives of wildland firefighters. Kamm spent two years in the wildland firefighter camps and female inmate fire camps of Los Angeles County Fire Department,and interviewed firefighters, helicopter pilots, paramedics and traumatic stress counselors while writing his novels.
Read more about author Kurt Kamm…

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Out of the Dark

by Linda Caine and Robin Royston

My Book Review Rating: 5 out of 6 stars

Synopsis

Linda Caine is a contented wife and mother who should have nothing to feel depressed about. But a darkness begins to cloud her thoughts and she starts to have strange flashbacks. She calls suicide her friend and decides that if it all gets to much she will simply drive her car off the side of a cliff so her family thinks her death was accidental. When it all gets too much Linda drives off in her car, but her concerns for her family’s welfare stop her from following through with her plan.

Admitting that she has a problem Linda is introduced to Robin Royston, a psychiatrist who will become her friend and guide on a journey that spans nearly four years. Linda’s recollections of her childhood and adolescence uncover glimpses of horrific events that her mind has chosen to bury. Robin is torn between helping Linda to recall these memories in the hope that the cathartic effect will release her from her depression and suicidal thoughts, while knowing that unleashing the events that scarred her childhood could have an even more devastating effect on his patient.

Fiction or non-fiction?

Out of the Dark is the true story of Linda’s battle with depression

Why did you decide to read this book?

It’s been on the bookshelf for a few years now so I decided to dust it off and read it as part of the Memorable Memoir challenge.

What did you like about this book?

I’m not sure it is possible to actually ‘like’ this book; the subject matter is all to horrific. That said it is very well written, with both Linda and Robin acting as storytellers as they recall the journey from their own perspectives. It actually reads like a psychological detective story and at times you can forget that these awful events really happened.

If you have a friend or loved one who suffers with depression and you want an insight into the thoughts they could be experiencing then you could benefit from reading this book.

About the author

Linda Caine was born in Zimbabwe, Africa, and was raised in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Apart from a fifteen month period during which she and her father opened an African Art Gallery in Los Angeles, she lived in Africa until 1976, at which time she and her family immigrated to England. Linda, her husband, and two teenage children then immigrated to the United States in June 1992. The fact that her grandfather (who joined his pioneer brother in Zimbabwe – which was, at that time, Southern Rhodesia – in 1889) was American has made ‘returning’ to America to live very special to her, and she and her family are now happily settled in California.

Read more about Linda Caine here…

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The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain – Review

The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain is an insight into the effect that lies can have on the lives of people who love each other.

My Book Review Rating: 5 out of 6 stars

Fiction or non-fiction? What’s the genre?

This one is a wonderful work of fiction.

Why did you decide to read this book?

I became a fan of Chamberlain last year after reading The Lost Daughter (The secret life of CeeCee Wilkes) so when I was offered an advanced review copy of her latest novel I couldn’t say yes fast enough!

Summarise the plot – without revealing the ending!

The novel revolves around two sisters; Maya and Rebecca Ward, and the chapters alternate between the sisters to tell the story from their point of view.

Both sisters are physicians, but that’s about as far as the similarities go. Maya is cautious and timid and treats children from the safety of her office, while Rebecca is the risk taker who travels the world offering medical services in disaster zones.

When a hurricane hits the coast of North Carolina Rebecca heads out to join the rescue operation along with Maya’s husband Adam. When he sees the sheer devastation and the number of injured children Adam urges Maya to join them.

In a twist of fate Maya’s helicopter crashes in the forest and she finds herself stranded on a small island, cut off from civilisation and caught in the lives of the strangers who rescued her. As Maya tries desperately to let her loved ones know she is alive the search party gives up hope of ever finding a survivor and Rebecca and Adam find themselves drawn to each other.

What did you like about this book?

I enjoyed hearing the story being told from two sides. Chamberlain focuses on the lies that people tell to their loved ones to protect them. And how these lives can grow and take on a life of themselves which can actually have a much more devastating effect.

What did you think of the main character?

Although the story is told from the perspective of both Maya and Rebecca I feel that Maya is the main character here. She is the cautious one and both Rebecca and Adam wrap her in cotton wool. But actually Maya demonstrates that she has more courage and fight in her than either her sister or her husband.

Are there any other interesting characters in the book?

Simmee is the girl who nurses Maya back to health, she lives on a small island with her husband and an old lady who was the midwife at Simmee’s birth. She is a wonderful character who has her own secrets and tells her own lies to protect both herself and the life of her unborn baby.

What did you think about the ending?

I was really surprised by the way the story ended and it took me a while to decide whether I appreciated it or not. I think I can understand why Chamberlain chose to close the tale in that way though.

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of them?

Yes, The Lost Daughter (The secret life of CeeCee Wilkes) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly- Review

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly is an inspiring coming-of-age novel about a girl who makes a wish to her dying mother and finds herself torn between looking after her family or moving to New York City to pursue her dreams of being a writer.

My Book Review Rating: 4 out of 6 stars

Fiction or non-fiction?

Jennifer Donnelly has taken the true events of a murder that rocked turn-of-the-century America and added her own voice to the story to turn this into an inspiring work of fiction.

Why did you decide to read this book?

This one was on the list for the New Author Challenge 2010. I’m pretty sure that I got the book via one of the book swap websites, and it was sitting on the ‘to be read’ shelf alongside A Gathering Light by the same author which I assumed was a sequel.

When I started to read the book it felt really familiar to me, I checked the archives here at Blue Archipelago in case I’d read it and forgotten to move it to the ‘read’ shelf. But no, I haven’t reviewed it. So I kept on reading and I knew that I’d read the story before. So I checked out the ‘read’ shelf and found a copy of A Gathering Light… which it turns out is the same book but it was just given a different name for the UK release. Thanks to a faded bus ticket tucked inside I saw that I first read this one back in December 2003!

I figured if it was good enough to stay on the ‘for keeps; book case I might as well read it again

Summarise the plot – without revealing the ending!

The novel is set in the early 1900s and the main character is a young girl by the name of Mattie Gokey. She lives on a farm with her father and her younger sisters and dreams of being an author. She goes to school with her friend Weaver who is a black boy determined to be treated as an equal and together they plan to pass their entrance exams and move to New York City to go to college.

Plans are changed when they both find themselves working at a local hotel for the summer and Mattie speaks to a young woman named Grace who begs her to burn a stack of letters written to her beau. Later that same night Grace is dragged from the river in what looks like a boating accident gone horribly wrong.

Mattie reads the letters and uncovers a truth that changes the way she looks at her own life.

What did you like about this book?

Donnelly does an excellent job of creating believable and endearing characters. I really liked the way she took Grace’s letters and wove a whole story around them.

What did you think of the main character?

Mattie is quite inspiring, at a young age she is forced to become the mother figure to her younger siblings and help her father to run the farm when her elder brother runs away. She has an inner strength and beauty that many people can only wish for.

Are there any other interesting characters in the book?

Weaver deserves a mention. He gets himself in many a scrape during the novel, but he has a strong heart and a passion for changing the world

Share a favourite scene from the book:

There’s a great scene in the book where the girls that Mattie works with at the hotel get their own back on ‘Table Six’ who has a habit of sharing parts of himself with the girls that he shouldn’t.

What did you think about the ending?

I thought the ending was apt and closed the story off nicely.

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