Tag Archives: young adult novel

Aug17

Live Again by Brittney Mulliner

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liveagainebookLive Again by Brittney Mulliner, e-book, 184 pages, published in 2015.

Live Again picks up Aubrey Tate’s story shortly after Begin Again ends. After the terrible fright she had on the night of the winter formal, Aubrey’s life has continued on with increased protection and supervision from her friends and family. Mike is spending a good deal of time worrying about her, as is Carter, while Luke has run a million miles. Aubrey is hurt by Luke’s withdrawal, confused by Carter’s behaviour and overwhelmed with Mike’s constant presence and assertion that she is now his. She is still spending time with Gage, and she even has an evening or two with Tucker, who’s mostly a jerk. Aubrey must deal with her boy issues, and face that she now has a new stalker that wants to hurt her. She is also coping with increased frequency and intensity of dance practices as she will be representing the Dance Academy in competition soon.

Just like the first book in the series, Live Again is well written, detailed and engaging. There is plenty of drama, especially of the boy kind, and some mystery too. It was tantalising wondering who the stalker was, but I was kept guessing right to the end. The ending was much more satisfying than in the first book, this one wrapped up nicely, resolving everything. I thought it was unnecessary to have this story across two books, when it could have easily been one longer book. I was glad that I had Live Again to start reading straight away, otherwise I would have been frustrated at the end of Begin Again, waiting to find out what happens.

I liked the majority of the characters, and thought they were easy to relate to. Through the story the reader gets to know Aubrey quite well, as she is the antagonist of the story, but we learn a little about many of the other characters as well. I liked Aubrey and McKayla, they were pretty decent kids despite their privileged upbringing. I also liked Brandon and Carter, trying to act like responsible adults to protect Aubrey, yet not long out of their teens themselves, and prone to silliness, such as eating competitions. Talia and Alexis sort of blurred together for me, as they were so similar. So did their boyfriends. That didn’t detract from the story, I just had a much better sense of McKayla and Mike. I had mixed feelings about Mike, since he seemed a bit controlling to me, but he played an important role in Aubrey’s life and in the story. One character that I really did want to know more about was Gage, he was rather enigmatic!

As in Begin Again, a few things seemed odd to me, though I have put that down to never having been a rich, beautiful teenager in California! Money, cars, shopping… And a group of teenagers travelling to an island by themselves for the weekend, and all the parents being okay with this? Not to mention Brandon agreeing for Aubrey to go while her stalker is still out there. Yeah, that seems like more freedom than the average teenager might have, but still, it was a nice way to give Aubrey time to get to know some of the other students.

I enjoyed reading this teen drama. Live Again is suitable for middle to upper high school students, and should be read directly after the first book in the series, Begin Again. A third book in this series is due out later this year. I will be looking forward to seeing what trouble Aubrey find herself in next.

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Aug15

Begin Again by Brittney Mulliner

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2-1Begin Again by Brittney Mulliner, e-book, 192 pages, published in 2014.

Aubrey Tate is the new girl in school. She has moved in with her brother on the Californian coast after a traumatic incident in her Chicago home. Her mother packs her off quickly, hoping that starting over will allow her to move on from the past. Aubrey falls on her feet, finding a safe haven with her brother, easy transition to school with her cousin, McKayla, and a new dance studio to attend. Though she is trying to leave some boy troubles behind, she quickly finds herself the object of attention for numerous boys at school.

Begin Again is a teen drama. The story follows Aubrey’s new start living with her brother, Brandon, and how she adjusts to her new school, making friends, meeting boys. The plot is simple, but well written. The setting and characters are described in detail allowing the reader to get to know them. The Page’s house sounds divine, and the view from Brandon’s condo is very refreshing (wish I had a view like that!) And, wow, there are a lot of good looking kids at Aubrey’s school! Everyone is so hot, beautiful, gorgeous, tanned…. do people like this really exist in such numbers? And money, money, everywhere. These kids have way too much money for their ages, especially considering not many of them seem to have a job. There are swanky cars and endless wardrobes, huge parties and intimate dates. I was amused by the complex plans the girls put into action to ask the boys to the winter formal, so much effort, but sweet too. Maybe we do things differently in country Australia, but I don’t remember high school quite like that!

Despite being rich and beautiful, both Aubrey and Mckayla seem somewhat oblivious to their assets, and they don’t use what they have to better themselves. They have insecurities and doubts, and spend too much time at the mall, like many teenagers. Aubrey and McKayla are fairly average teenagers, just with plenty of dough to splash about. I liked them both. Their best friends, Alexis and Talia, were also likable, though I felt like I didn’t get to know them as well. For the most popular girls in school they are far nicer and down to earth than expected. On the other hand, Sydney is pretty mean and catty, mostly out of jealousy and spite. She isn’t a nice person, she is just kind of pathetic. So is Aubrey’s mum. She really lacks parenting skills, and is far more concerned about her own image than she is about her daughter. She only wants reflected glory from Aubrey, no hassles or hiccups. This isn’t fair to Aubrey.

As for the boys in Aubrey’s life, there are enough to make life interesting and complicated. Mike is the protector, always defending Aubrey, Luke is the hottest guy in school, but he’s also obsessed by his surfing, and Gage is the mysterious bad boy that everyone warns Aubrey away from. And then there’s Brandon’s best friend, Carter, the older and off-limits man, who may think of Aubrey as just a little sister. They are very diverse, apart from their attractiveness. I’m intrigued by their histories, especially Gage’s. I would have liked a little more background, though their histories may yet be revealed in the next book. I liked them all in different ways, and there were things about all of them that I disliked too, such as Mike’s control issues, or Luke’s instability.

Cliffhanger, anyone? The book ended rather abruptly in the middle of the story! Nothing was resolved, or completed, it just ended. What??? Okay, so there is a sequel, and I started reading the sequel immediately upon completion of Begin Again, but still, I felt a little cheated at the end. There was a nice dramatic twist, but I wanted more, no, I needed more. I now have to find out what happens in Aubrey’s life, what happens with all the boys, her friends, her brother, and her past. The story really drew me in.

This engaging book is best for middle to upper high school students, especially those keen on realistic teen drama. When you get Begin Again, make sure you have the sequel, Live Again, waiting in the wings, you’ll want it straight away!

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Aug11

Power’s Out by Rachel Meehan

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Water's EdgePower’s Out by Rachel Meehan, e-book, 223 pages, published by Cherry House Publishing in 2013.

Two years on from when Paul and Nairne leave the Grear farm behind in Water’s Edge, sees them traveling the countryside with Dog, staying away from the towns and trying to survive. Civilisation is crumbling, bandits control the roadways and the city streets, and there is a dwindling number of people to trust. When they stumble across a self-sufficient community residing in an abandoned convent, they are taken in and given shelter in exchange for Nairne’s assistance with their wind turbines. The community consists of about thirty people working together to survive, including some young people similar in age to Paul and Nairne. This could become home for the pair, ending their wanderings. Nothing is that simple though. Danger is present as they set out to help the community acquire much needed parts and supplies, which means venturing far beyond the safety of the convent’s walls. Their past is also creeping closer, but will it catch them at last?

The second book of the Troubled Times series, Power’s Out, was fast-paced and exciting. With lots of action, it is an exhilarating ride of survival. There was much more explicit violence in this story than its predecessor, which helps to illustrate how civilisation has fallen back to more instinctual behaviours as the world around it falls apart. When the constraints of society fall away and there are no longer any policing bodies to enforce laws, there is violence for gain, and violence for enjoyment. This is a terrifying insight into base human nature, but one which I think is rather accurate. There are plenty of unscrupulous people taking advantage of others in stable communities, but when there is no one to enforce the law, or those enforcers are corrupt, there arises the opportunity for these behaviours to increase. And that’s what we see in Power’s Out. The scenes of violence are vivid and scary, but the people behind the violence are even scarier!

It is easy to step into the Scottish landscape portrayed in this book, and follow along with Nairne and Paul, experiencing what they experience. All of the characters are richly described and developed, allowing the reader to get to know them. With the introduction of more characters from the community, different aspects of Nairne’s and Paul’s characters become evident. Paul and Nairne have become extremely close during their traveling and it is hard to let others in, though they are each tempted by a young member of the community. There are a lot more characters to get to know too. Suddenly Nairne and Paul don’t just have each other to rely on and interact with, they have to cope with others, most of whom do not realise how dire their situation really is. I liked Ronnie a lot. He’s a bit of a clown, but he is also loyal and caring. Iain, I didn’t like as much, he was a prig, but I think most of that came from being jealous of Paul and Isobel. She seemed a bit oblivious to how Iain felt about her, but perhaps she just didn’t want to acknowledge his feelings. She certainly took to Paul, and was likable as a character. I particularly liked Isobel’s father, Jack. He was sensible, kind, intelligent, and fair. He was also very accepting of Paul and Nairne, and was ready to learn from them and to be assisted by them, an attitude that not everyone in the community shared. The older members of the community, including their leader, Arthur, for the most part, were a bit naive, believing that things could continue as they were indefinitely, that they would be left untouched by the outside world.

The end of Power’s Out was very intense. I felt quite anxious as I read the last few chapters, wondering if Nairne and Paul would make it through, if the community would survive, and how things would play out. It left me feeling rather desperate to read the final installment of this wonderful trilogy!

Power’s Out is suitable for high school students through to adults. It contains violence and some bad language. The themes of societal breakdown and environmental disaster could be frightening for less mature readers.

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Aug10

Author Interview: Kandi J. Wyatt

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dragonsfuturecoverRecently I was very lucky to read an advance copy of Dragon’s Future by Kandi J. Wyatt, and then I had the privilege to interview her via email. I loved her book and I am very pleased that it is only the first in an exciting new series called Dragon’s Courage. Dragon’s Future is due for release on the 10th August 2015; read my review here.

 

First, a bit about yourself, your family and home?
I am a wife, mom of five, teacher, artist, author, and photographer’s assistant. I have been married to my knight in shining armor for twenty-three years and without his love, encouragement and support, I wouldn’t be all the things that I am. I have five children, ranging in age from 13 to 26, two are girls. Yes, I had three teenagers in the house at once, yes, food was scarce. I received my elementary teaching degree from a private college in Iowa. I taught 1st through 3rd grade and 3rd through 7th grade in one room in small private schools. I now teach junior high and high school students Spanish in a small town on the Southern Oregon Coast. I live in in an even smaller town that is on the northern border of the school district. I can hear the Pacific Ocean at night.

What is the first book you remember falling in love with? What made you love it?
It would have been either Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden mysteries. I loved the interaction of the characters and the mysteries that they got into. I also enjoyed the fact that they were both part of families and went to someone older when they needed help.

What was the last book you recommended to someone?
That would have been Disenchanted by Janet Ursel. It released on July 14 and I was able to do a pre-read for her. At first I was very confused as to what was going on, but then as the end drew nearer, I started to see the puzzle pieces. It was wonderful!

Did you always want to be an author or did your first book surprise you?
As a teenager, my sister and I were best friends. We would spend hours either creating our dream home, drawing, or writing stories. I never dreamed I would be an author though, I just loved to write. Most of what I wrote was short stories, nothing elaborate. Then in 2002 or 2003 I read one of Timothy Zahn’s Dragonback novels. In the back was a study guide for teachers to use with their students. One of the questions was to create a story from a place you already knew. I began writing and a novel came. Still, I didn’t think to publish it; I wrote for my kids. In 2009 Dragon’s Future was born. I let it sit on my computer until this past February when two of my children and I went to a writer’s conference where we met Tess Thompson of Booktrope who said her publishing company was accepting manuscripts. I debated and without telling any of my family, I clicked send. It was later I realized I had submitted a rough edit and not my refined edit! Booktrope liked it and put it into their new imprint, Updrift–books for parents that they want their kids to read and that kids love to read. It was a perfect fit! Since then, I’ve submitted the four other books in the Dragon Courage series and a historical fiction that will be released in October under the Vox Dei imprint with Booktrope.

Is there a special place you prefer to write from?
Not really. I usually write in the mornings when there is no one else up or around yet. However, most of my best ideas come while I am driving. I play the scene over in my mind. Later, when I sit down to write it I often can’t get it exactly like it was while I was driving.

I’ve read that you are also an artist, could you describe your art?
My sister taught me the basics of charcoal and pencils when I was in high school. Since then it just pretty much sat dormant for twenty years or so until I wrote the Dragon Courage series. As I wrote, I began to want to illustrate scenes. So, I picked up the pencils and started again. Eventually, my critic (my husband) said I was good enough to put work up on DeviantArt to get feedback. That was probably the best move I did. I learned so much from several of the artists on there.
I mainly draw using pencils and colored pencils. I am learning to use my watercolor pencils as a supplement to my normal work. My newest media is soft pastels. They are basically chalk but they spread and blend and are something you can work really quickly with. Most of my pictures take twenty hours or so to complete; therefore, having a medium that I can finish a drawing in an hour to an hour and a half is wonderful!

What is the most unusual person or animal that you have drawn a portrait of?

Drawing by Kandi J. Wyatt.

Drawing by Kandi J. Wyatt.

The photo that the drawing was created from.

The photo that the drawing was created from.

There isn’t really an unusual person or animal that I have drawn, but I do have a favorite. My nineteen-year-old daughter spent what would have been her senior year on Rotary Youth Exchange in Finland. Right around her eighteenth birthday when she had been there for six months, she posted this photo of her at the school ball. I loved it so much that I decided to draw it. As I was working on it, it was as if she was in the room with me. It is my best drawing to date.

There is much in Dragon’s Future about twins. Do you have twins in your family?
My mom has a set of twin cousins and miscarried twins when I was six. My dad has two sets of identical twin brothers. He was the first born and only single birth for his mom. The doctors told her if she had any more kids they would be multiple births. Grandma believed the doctors and didn’t have any more. (Five boys was more than enough for her!) We jokingly say that our eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds are our twins. They are sixteen months apart. So, twins have been a big part of my growing up. My sister and I always wondered which of us would get the twin gene.

Why do most of the names in Dragon’s Future contain the letter ‘y’?
When I was designing the story, I wanted something that would define the people from that area. So, all the people had a ‘y’. The dragon names all begin with ‘Wy’ or ‘Wry’ because I was using the old English version of wrym for dragon. Once we move away from Three Spans Canyon the names will be different. I designed each section of the world after places I knew or knew of.

Have dragons always been a passion for you?
If you would have looked in my sticker album that I collected as a teenager you would have found unicorns, pegasus, and horses. However, as I grew older I met my husband. He loved the medieval time frame and I was drawn to the dragons that went with the theme.

When can we expect your next book?
My next book will be an historical fiction, The One Who Sees Me. It will be released on October 3.
The next in the Dragon Courage series, Dragon’s Heir will be released on December 8.

 

If you would like to find out more about Kandi J Wyatt and her books, visit her blog, facebook page, Google+, her art site or follow her on twitter and instagram (@kandijwyatt). You can also find out more about Booktrope Publishing by visiting their website.

Jul27

After Falling Apart by James Hanson

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AfterFallingApartAfter Falling Apart by James Hanson, e-book, published in 2015.

Harrison is seventeen when his life falls apart. He walks away from his future as a soccer star, away from his father, away from his friends. He starts over, building himself a life far different to his previous one. He takes a photography course and moves out on his own. When he hires Chloe Smith as his gardener and house help his life takes another unexpected turn.

Told from the point of view of seventeen year old Harrison, After Falling Apart is written plainly. This may be a writing technique, placing the reader into Harrison’s narrative, but overall I found the language to be rather too simplistic for the intended audience.

This story felt a bit flat to me. It seemed to jump through time too quickly, and I wanted more explanations, details and background. Harrison’s ascent to a photography career whipped by and his relationship with Dave seemed fleeting, then they’re going into business together. It did become more interesting when Chloe and Dana entered Harrison’s life though. That all happened a bit quickly as well; he hires her one day, next day she’s bringing her daughter and he’s offering her his spare room? I suppose this could just reflect Harrison’s navieté, but I suspect that it has more to do with speeding the plot along.

I disliked Harrison as a protagonist. I did feel sorry for him growing up with an overbearing father and a semi-absent mother, but he’s a bit of a jerk. He is boring, lazy, arrogant and selfish. He walks away from his life when he’s hurting, fine, but he goes straight to his aunt’s house, and freeloads there for a bit. He doesn’t attempt to help about the house, do anything with his cousins, he doesn’t even show up for the meals his aunt makes him. Such a lack of gratitude and respect. His aunt is hurting too. He also disrespects Chloe’s wishes in regards to Dana. Life is really all about Harrison, and what he wants. I also didn’t like that Harrison begins referring to Dana as his daughter after knowing her for such a short period of time, especially without being in a relationship with her mother. I didn’t much like Claire either. She only wanted Harrison on her terms, when things were good. When things were hard she didn’t bother going after him, and nor did his friends. The soccer match was more important to them than Harrison. Most of the characters needed further development (and perhaps some interpersonal skills!). Chloe and Dana were more complex, but I still didn’t feel like I got to know them very well. Chloe was secretive and self-righteous, not to mention overly controlling of Harrison right from the start. I guess that she was doing what she though she thought was best for Dana. Dana’s condition made her a difficult character and a difficult character to write, I’m sure, but she was the only character that felt real to me.

The descriptions of the soccer matches were much like a running commentary. Using all of the player’s full names made it a bit confusing to follow, as I didn’t know where the players were, or often who was on each team. These interludes were just over-the-top detailed, which made them tedious to read. A couple of the dialogues sequences also had me a bit lost, and I had to go back and re-read them to work out who said what. I found the sections of poetry difficult to read too. I would have preferred to see these sections inset and spaced away from the main narrative, with one line of poetry per line.

I was a bit surprised when some of the characters were described simply by their skin colour. When Harrison visits the library for the first time, he encounters a “black library worker” and a “white library worker”. I don’t think that their skin colour is important to the story at all, and besides, there are certainly better ways of conveying colour than baldly stating it like this. The quality of details and descriptions are somewhat lacking throughout the story, and this let the book down.

After Falling Apart is an easy read for high school students.

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Jul9

Author Interview: Rachel Meehan

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Water's edge cover VFWater's EdgeIMG_4626 (1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I recently had the pleasure of conducting an email interview with Rachel Meehan, author of the fast-paced eco-fiction Troubled Times series. She has also authored a stand-alone novel, Eternal Inheritance. These young adult novels are wonderfully told with strong and complex characters. Read on to learn a bit more about Rachel, and then head over to my reviews of her books, Water’s Edge, Power’s Out and Eternal Inheritance.

 

First, a bit about yourself, your family and home?

I live in the south of Scotland – you can see the English Border from my house! It is a rural area, very green and quite sparsely populated. I come from a large family and we are all keen readers. I can remember my father taking all of us to the library at the weekends and we would take out a pile of books each.

I live with my husband and my main passion after writing is the garden.

 

What is the first book you remember falling in love with? What made you love it?

The Silver Crown by Robert C O’Brien. People may be familiar with him as the author of Mrs Frisby & the Rats of NIMH (which is also pretty good) but The Silver Crown is my favourite from early childhood. It’s fast, thrilling, full of danger and it has (like all good books) a strong female lead! His teenage novel Z for Zachariah is also a favourite along with anything at all by John Wyndham……. Basically I love end of the world stories.

 

What was the last book you read?

Just finished The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.. I really enjoyed it, strange and dark and complex.

 

Did you always want to be an author? If not, what did you want to be and why didn’t you follow that path?

I always wanted to do something creative and I trained as a fine artist, specialising in printmaking. I still draw and make things and do my own book covers. There is always a project on the go. When I look back I guess my art work was always full of stories so writing just seemed like the next step……… in between times I have worked for many years in a much more mundane job to pay the bills but I try to dedicate time to writing whenever I can.

 

Is there a special place you prefer to write from?

We have a tiny office space in our house, known as the cupboard! Much of my writing, including this, is done in there. I used to imagine sitting in the summer house looking over the thriving garden and penning the next bestseller but the truth is I would be out gardening within a few minutes…..

 

If you were a character from one of your books, which one would you be, and why?

This is a hard one, I guess Nairne from Water’s Edge (Troubled Times #1), as she is my creation I have put in character traits that I admire. Having said that she can be impatient and a bit too direct sometimes (both things I know I suffer from as well!) I like her self-confidence, which I think is a trait that many female characters lack and I like the fact that she does not rely on her looks at all but on her intellect. Plus by book two, Power’s Out, she has a gun!

 

Are you an eco-warrior at home? What do you do to be kind to the environment?

Yes, I guess I am. We generate some of our own power (when the sun shines… which in Scotland can seem like a special event) and we try to grow our own food. I think about the actions I take in relation to the environment and I get really annoyed by the concept that technology will solve all the environmental issues we face.

 

Do you think that climate change can be slowed or even reversed?

I think it can be slowed if drastic action is taken but I think we are already seeing the effects of it (much like the plot of Water’s Edge). The difference is those effects are being felt in poor countries so the world is prepared to look the other way. I recently saw a comment on social media blaming the Chinese for using too many resources because there are so many of them…. A pretty remarkable opinion when the consumption of raw materials in developed countries per head of population is so much greater. I think it will only be solved if we all make a decision not to need so much stuff…….

 

Have you ever found any signs of Triffids in your garden?

Not yet ….. but I live in hope and at this time of the year they could be lurking in the denser parts of the garden……

 

When can we expect your next book?

The final book in the Troubled Times series, Earth’s Descent, will be out in October, if I get my head down. The whole book is written, now I just need to do the rewrites and rewrites and rewrites….. but then today I had this really good idea for another book!

 

For more information and updates, please have a look at the Cherry House Publishing site or their Facebook page.

 

Jul8

Water’s Edge by Rachel Meehan

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Water's edge cover VFWater’s Edge by Rachel Meehan, e-book, 227 pages, published by Cherry House Publishing in 2013.

Daniel Grear is a firm believer in climate change, and the detrimental effects that it is having on the earth, especially the weather. To make their lives better, he moves his small family into the Scottish countryside onto acreage, where they can try to become mostly self-sufficient. They raise animals, grow food and produce their own electricity, and collect rain-water in tanks. Nairne and her older brother Zane both help out with chores about the farm after school, and Nairne is showing an aptitude for machines and caring for the animals. Coping with wild weather, including storms, excessive rain and heavy snow falls makes life on the farm harder, but they are much better off than many. As things worsen, and sea levels rise dramatically, parts of the UK and Europe flood, displacing hundreds of thousands of people. With a massive influx of people from further south, Nairne convinces Daniel to take in a family of boarders, a city couple, Garrick and Pam, with their teenage son, Paul. They seem alright on the surface, but Nairne quickly becomes uneasy and distrustful, with her feelings exacerbated when a couple of Garrick’s colleague’s move in next door. As food and fuel sources dry up, and even basic supplies become unaffordable, the Grear’s farm with all of its resources becomes a very desirable location. Nairne soon learns that some people will go to extraordinary lengths to get what they want, and beware anyone that might get in their way.

This is the first book in the Troubled Times series by Rachel Meehan. It deals with the issues of climate change and global warming and themes of human nature, including survival and desperation. The effects of climate change that we have seen so far have drastically accelerated, the polar caps are melting at an alarming rate, raising sea levels and causing storms. There is drought, fires, floods and storms that are devastating vast sections of Earth. These events could really happen to our world if we, as a human race, continue to trash the environment and use reckless amounts of fossil fuels. The author has obviously put a great deal of effort into researching climate change science, and this comes through in the details of this story. She has also put a lot of thought into how people would react if such a widespread catastrophe were to occur. The desperation to survive at any cost is evident in the town, with arguments, looting, fights and thievery, and that’s just the average law abiding citizens! They just want to have enough food, shelter and water to survive. The ones that want to take advantage of the situation, like Garrick and his mates, are ruthless, and concerned with profit and power far more than with getting enough to make their own survival possible. I concur with how this scenario plays, survival, even at the cost of others is basic animal nature, and I think that is how most people would react if they became desperate. That there will be some prepared to take things further is almost inevitable, we hear everyday on the news about people that have done something abhorrent even in the best of times, without remorse or guilt. This could only be amplified in the disarray of a global catastrophe.

All of the characters in Water’s Edge were deeply developed and realistic. Through the story I felt like I really got to know Nairne. She is tough, headstrong and practical, a great female lead character. I admired her abilities about the farm, and her disregard for what others might think of her. At fourteen, she has much more weighing on her shoulders than most, yet she slogs forth with tenacity, honesty and integrity. She’s got a sharp tongue, a temper, and she can come across as a bit abrasive, but I really liked her. I liked Zane and Daniel too, though not as much as Nairne. Zane was a shy follower, who befriends Paul readily. Daniel was a lot like Nairne, though with more years under his belt to learn to control his emotions. In contrast, their new boarders, Garrick and Pam, were extremely different. It was evident from the start that Garrick was a bit off, and Pam seemed to be rather vacuous and incapable of independence. They were well written city characters trying to adjust, and take advantage of, country living. Their friend and colleague, Stevie, and his gang were horrible men, and I can still see Stevie’s evil grin as he hurts someone. The character that changed the most was Garrick’s son Paul. Initially I disliked him, but as the story progressed, he grew on me. He really started trying to make a new life on the farm, helping out, and befriending both Zane and Nairne.

Water’s Edge was interesting,  logical, with well-formed themes and characters, and a little mystery. I enjoyed it, and have already moved onto the second book in the series, Power’s Out. I think it would be best suited to upper primary school and high school students. However, it may not suit less mature children, as the overall theme of disaster and dystopia might be too frightening, and there is some violence and death.

This book really makes me want to live off the grid in a secluded area being self-sufficient, in a well-secured and camouflaged compound with all my family by my side!

 

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

Jun16

Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

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The Twilight Saga is composed of four sequential books exploring the interaction of vampires, werewolves and humans through the eyes of a clumsy, stubborn and rather naive teenage girl. I think this series would appeal to teenagers and adults interested in vampires and the supernatural, or those just looking for something a bit different in the romance line. It follows a fairly predictable course of girl meets boy, they fall in love, they aim to live happily ever after, but I enjoyed the supernatural complications of this story.

 

IMG_4633Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, young adult paperback, 434 pages, published by Atom in 2006, this edition published by Atom in 2007.

In the first book of the Twilight Saga, we are introduced to Bella, an ordinary, though somewhat clumsy teenager. She has moved from the warmth of Phoenix to the constantly overcast and drizzly town of Forks, where her father is Police Chief Swan. During her first day at her new school her eyes are drawn to five of the most beautiful teenagers she has ever seen, one of which is her biology lab partner, Edward Cullen. He seems to take an instant dislike to Bella, but she is intrigued, and soon becomes obsessed with him. Discovering that he and his family are vampires doesn’t deter Bella from dating Edward. However, she soon finds that not all vampires are as nice as the Cullens, as she is chased from Forks by a vampire that would like to eat her for dinner.

 

IMG_4641New Moon by Stephenie Meyer, young adult paperback, 497 pages, published by Little, Brown and Company in 2006, this edition published by Atom in 2007.

In the second installment of the Twilight Saga, Bella attends a birthday party at the Cullen’s house that goes dreadfully wrong, resulting in Bella being injured and almost attacked by Edward’s brother, Jasper. When Edward fails to convince Bella of the risks of dating a vampire, he leaves her instead. Bella is destroyed, and spends several months surviving, but forgetting to live, totally consumed by the hole in her chest that Edward’s departure has left her. In an attempt to help her overcome her depression, her father encourages her to spend time with her friends, especially an old family friend, Jacob Black. Bella finds it easy to be with Jacob, and soon they are spending large quantities of time together. Bella is again devastated when Jacob stops talking to her and stays away. Jacob is keeping a secret from her, but why, and what could be so shameful he can’t share it with her?

 

IMG_4637Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer, young adult paperback, 559 pages, published by Little, Brown and Company in 2007, this edition published by Atom in 2008.

This third book in the Twilight Saga, sees Bella wondering how to have both Edward and Jacob in her life without antagonising the ancient tensions between the vampires and the werewolves. This is complicated by a string of disappearances and deaths in nearby Seattle that might spill over to hurt the Cullens. It appears to be the work of a gang of violent and uncontrollable newborn vampires, but who is creating them and why? Meanwhile Bella is preparing for her high school graduation, and the issue of whether to stay human or allow Carlisle to change her, as Edward refuses to do so until Bella marries him.

 

 

IMG_4636Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer, young adult paperback, 702 pages, published by Atom in 2008.

In the final chapter of the Twilight Saga, Bella is still human, and preparing for her life with Edward. They decide to consummate their marriage on their honeymoon, even though Edward thinks he may hurt Bella in the process. The product of such a liaison is a surprise to them both, and may kill Bella or lead to her transformation into a vampire. To Bella it is her baby, but is it really a monster, an abomination that she carries? The child will change all their lives, including Jacob’s, and will bring conflict and danger close to home. The vampires and wolves need an alliance to survive, but still they may not be able to better their enemy, and Alice and Jasper have abandoned them to their fate. Is this the end of the Cullen family?

 

This series reminded me a lot of the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris, though Twilight is definitely the junior version, much more suitable for high school students. Twilight contains some violence and sex, but essentially it is a love story. Love between a vampire and a human was bound to be fraught with issues, but Bella and Edward are so devoted to each other, that they will fight hard to stay together. Jacob’s love for Bella complicates matters, and I actually hoped for a lot of the story that Jacob would triumph and win Bella over, as she obviously loves him too. Perhaps I just prefer the idea of spending a mortal life with a warm and loving werewolf, than an eternity with the constant thirst for blood as a vampire, even if it is for love!

I found Edward to be somewhat dislikable, with his controlling ways, and his tendency to keep secrets from Bella in the guise of protecting her. This makes their relationship uneven, and I think truth is always better, so that decisions can be made together. Edward is rather resistant to this idea, and even goes to the lengths of having his sister kidnap Bella and keep her hostage while is is off on a hunting trip. Protection is one thing, but such overt control dismayed me, along with her inability to be angry with him when he returned. I also found him to be arrogant and smug. His attitude improved through the story, but I had already formed a dislike for him, while championing Jacob. Though Jacob has his own problems, with his adjustment to discovering his werewolf side, and the whole ‘mortal enemies’ thing with the vampires, he really just wants Bella to be happy. He loves and respects her, and will be there for her, even when it’s not in his best interests. I liked his fierce devotion and his honesty with Bella. I felt like he deserved to have Bella’s whole love in return. This story made me think of that saying ‘nice guys finish last’.

Bella is a complicated character. In some ways she is strong, when accepting that she has fallen for a vampire, and that her best friend is a werewolf. Yet, then she shows a weakness by being unable to live when Edward leaves her, and just forgives him easily despite how his actions have hurt her. I know we should all forgive, especially those that we love, but I wanted her to be a bit stronger in making him understand how his actions were inappropriate, and how they made her feel. Then I remember that she is only eighteen for most of the story, and she has little in the way of experience in relationships. I also found her intense desire to become a vampire baffling, when it would mean leaving her parents behind, whom she loves and is close to. I was pleased that by the end of the story she had become more than just Edward’s girl, as she discovers her own identity and her own strengths.

This series is not high brow literature, but they are entertaining and I found them to be an engaging read. The plot was somewhat predictable, though fairly well developed. My biggest complaint was that I got a bit tired of hearing about how beautiful and perfect Edward is! I was also a bit disappointed that there wasn’t more action of the vampire fighting kind, especially in Breaking Dawn. There was a lot about sexual desire and allusions to sex, but no actual sex scenes, which surprised me. The whole series was actually pretty clean with no foul language and no explicit scenes, just innuendo and plenty of kissing. Along with the dearth of vivid vampire killing, this does make it better for younger readers. Overall the Twilight Saga is a likable series of books to relax with.

 

 

May16

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

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IMG_4458We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, paperback novel, 225 pages, published by Allen & Unwin in 2014.

Harris and Tipper Sinclair have three daughters, and their daughters produce a number of grandchildren. Cadence Sinclair Eastman is the eldest, but only by a few weeks. Next are her cousins Johnny and Mirren, one child for each Sinclair daughter, more grandchildren come, but these three are the first. The family is from old money, they are beautiful, they are strong, they seem to have it all. They even own a private island off the coast of Massachusetts, where the whole family spends their summers together. When Johnny’s mum finds a new partner, she brings along his nephew to spend summer on the island. Gat is the same age as Johnny, Cady and Mirren, and together they are the four liars, best friends growing up together, making mischief, having fun. In the summer before they turn sixteen something terrible happens, an accident, Cady can’t remember, and the family won’t tell her. What are they hiding, and why?

As I read the first page of We Were Liars, I prepared myself for a pretentious, overindulgent and vain story of frivolity and inconsequence. By the second chapter I was intrigued, and by the fourth, I was starting to race through the pages. I had to know what Cady had forgotten, and what was happening to the family.

The story is told from Cady’s perspective, and jumps between the summer of the accident, which her amnesia is blocking, and the summer two years on, when she has returned to the island and her memories are beginning to re-appear. The style of writing employed may not appeal to everyone, though I felt it fit the story quite well. There are elements of romance and family conflict, there are secrets and lies, all revolving around an intriguing mystery leading towards the truth. This book provided me with something that has become increasingly rare for me, an ending that I never saw coming, it slammed me, it made me cry, but it was so very very perfect.

I found all of the characters in We Were Liars to be well written with plenty of depth, surprisingly, I liked the four liars. These teenage characters of Cady, Johnny, Mirren and Gat had some aspects of spoilt rich kid, but they were still likeable. They were stifled and embarrassed by the behaviour of the adults, with ideals which were refreshing, but they still took it for granted that they would always have whatever they wanted. The way that Cady changes after the accident is interesting, she is a complicated girl, suffering debilitating migraines, and hovered over by her mother. Part of me wanted to dislike her for her assumption of continuous wealth and security, but I couldn’t, she was doing it tough in a lot of ways, and I felt for her.

The adults, though less central to the plot, were as expected of adults in a privileged family. During the summer of the accident, the aunties are arguing over money and property and the love of their father. Harris Sinclair is manipulative and uses his immense fortune to play his daughters off one another. Rich people are often portrayed in literature and film using their money as power and needing more and more no matter who they trample on to get it. Not knowing anyone with this sort of money at their disposable, I must assume that this is only a slight exaggeration of reality, and the behaviour of the Sinclairs is consistent with this image. I thought that the way the three women wheedled, connived and ingratiated themselves in order to gain favour with Harris was pitiful, yet completely plausible. I find this behaviour bewildering, but then I’ve never had lots of money to fight over before!

One of the best young adult novels that I have read in some time, We Were Liars, is a stunning read for high school students and up. Give it a go, it’ll surprise you, and it will stay with you for a very long time.

 

 

Mar12

The Rain by Virginia Bergin

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IMG_4096The Rain by Virginia Bergin, paperback novel, 386 pages, published by Macmillan Chidlren’s Books.

Ruby Morris is just a teenager living in a small town in rural England when the end of the world as she knows it arrives in the form of killer rain. One minute she’s passionately kissing the boy of her dreams, the next, people are dying. The merest touch of the poisonous water is enough to kill, wiping out millions within a few days. Ruby sets out across the country to find her Dad, putting her survival skills to the test.

The basis of The Rain is an apocalyptic event, causing a devastating loss of human life. The cause behind the development of killer rain is established clearly and early on in the story, which seems to be rare among books of this genre that I have read. A contaminated water source is a great start for an apocalypse, though I was surprised by the violent and bloody way in which people affected by the water died. Complete loss of a safe water supply is truly a terrifying thought. The story dealt with the short-term requirements of finding safe water to drink and ahelter, but didn’t explore the complications that would arise due to such finite resources. Perhaps the sequel, The Storm, will delve deeper into the more long-term consequences of contaminated rain.

The Rain is written in the first person as Ruby. I tried hard to like Ruby, she’s just lost her family and her friends, and she’s trying to survive in this new and dangerous world, and I could feel sorry for her, but I couldn’t really like her. Before the rain came, she was obviously one of the popular kids, stuck-up, selfish, shallow and egotistical. Not exactly the perfect picture of someone who will rebuild the world post-apocalyspe, but I thought she would start learning to be someone of more consequence on her journey. I didn’t like the way that she treated Darius, as if he was completely beneath her. She refers to him as a nerd, but he is smart and practical, exactly the sort of person you should want on your side if the world ever comes to an end. I was disappointed that Ruby still considered Darius to be socially inferior despite the whole of humanity crumbling about them. And instead of collecting practical supplies, she loots make-up and clothes her mum and stepdad would never have let her wear. Hey, I’ve never been part of an apocalypse, so who knows what crazy things I would do, but I just can’t imagine mascara and sequins will be high on my list of things to do.

I generally quite like apocalyptic and dystopian novels, and this novel was okay, but I didn’t like it as much as I expected. My difficulty in liking Ruby really clouded my enjoyment of the story. The abrupt ending of the story surprised me too, until I realised that there was to be a sequel. The Rain left me with lots of questions. I’m wondering how society will develop without a clean source of water, not only to drink, but to produce food as well. Will the rain become safe again, will there be tests developed to identify safe water? And what happens to Ruby, Darius and Princess? I’m interested enough to read the second book, and it leaves me with hope that Ruby will develop into a more likeable heroine.

Due to the complicated themes contained within this novel, The Rain is most suitable for high school students and up.