PICADOR NOTEBOOK: A CREATIVE WRITING SESSION TO INSPIRE ALL

A little while ago I had the great fortune of winning a competition to go on a creative writing workshop with Picador, which I attended last week.

The Notebook session was led by Suzi Feay, literary editor, journalist and teacher of Feature Writing at Brunel University. And it certainly got the creative juices flowing. After sharing with the group what stopped us from writing, we took part in a series of different writing exercises to encourage imagination and pull out our own experiences, skills, fears and likes. We then put these together to create the starting blocks of a story. This was my favourite activity, and is based on an activity developed by Scarlett Thomas, a writer and teacher at University of Kent, Cantebury. I loved how you can use your own knowledge and past to create something new and interesting.

Some key tips Suzi reminded the group of was to keep your writing fun (if it's not fun, why write?), have self belief, and use your own experiences to enrich your writing. I particularly liked the idea discussed of sending away your inner critic whilst you write your first draft, but bringing them back when you edit your writing.

When the Picador team were asked what they look for when reading a manuscript, the key element that all of the staff mentioned was the energy created in, and the reaction to, the story. A book should engage the reader, get them excited, and start them talking with others about the story. A distinctive voice, an exciting plot, and the ability to invoke some sort of feeling or emotion in the reader were also highlighted as important when reading a new manuscript.

For me the session has re-inspired me to write. At the moment, it is just to write and start getting back into the feel of it. Soon I will start putting the little hints and tips I've gained into practice and hopefully I'll have a finished draft of my already-started dystopian short story in the near future!

Notebook sessions will be creative workshops run by Pan Macmillan authors, editors, illustrators and literary experts, and give both new and experienced writers the chance to take part in motivating exercises and ask questions of authors, editors and writing/publishing experts. Keep your eye 

You can find more information on Picador and Suzi here:

Suzi Feay Twitter

Picador Twitter

Picador Facebook

Scarlett Thomas

MYKINDABOOK'S LIVE CHAT WITH ALYSON NOEL

Earlier this week I was very lucky to be invited to the Pan MacMillan Children's Book offices in London, for a live google chat with Alyson Noël, to celebrate her latest book Echo. It was published in the UK earlier this week by Pan Macmillan.

Echo is the second book in Alyson's Soul Seekers series, which is about a young girl named Daire finding.

She inherited a magical destiny—and a mission to stop a powerful family of dark sorcerers. She never expected to fall in love with one of them.
There’s still so much Daire Santos has to learn about being the last Soul Seeker….and about herself. As her magical training becomes more intense, so does her relationship with Dace. But when she learns that his connection to the evil Richter family goes far deeper than she ever imagined, she begins to question if love really can conquer all.
Dace is painfully aware that he wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the Richters’ dark magic—and now his brother Cade is determined to use his love for Daire against him. Dace is willing to sacrifice anything to protect the girl he loves —including his own life. But will Daire allow it? And what if defeating Cade costs not only his life, but his soul too?

I found the live chat amazing fun (you can watch it below), and found Alyson to be such a lovely lovely person! in case you don't want to watch the full video, I thought I would share a few interesting facts about the Soul Seekers series and Alyson:

• Alyson took a 3 day course in shamanism, venturing into the lower world and finding her spirit animal, as part of her research for the series.
• Alyson is extremely dedicated, and writes seven days a week.
• Based on her fascination with twins, Alyson included twin brothers Dace and Cade in her latest series. They are polar opposites of each other; one being good, the other evil. Alyson picked these names because the letters of both their names can be re-arranged to create the other. 
• Alyson uses the 'Blake Synder' method when writing, using a beat sheet to structure the key plot points of her story.

REVIEW: FATED

Author: Alyson Nöel
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher:
UK Release date:
Genre: YA
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

Until now, he's existed only in her dreams - but fate is about to bring them together.
I shove through the crowd, knocking into girls and bouncing off boys, until one in particular catches me, steadies me.
I feel so secure, so at home in his arms.
I melt against his chest-lift my gaze to meet his. Gasping when I stare into a pair of icy blue eyes banded by brilliant flecks of gold that shine like kaleidoscopes, reflecting my image thousands of times.
The boy from my dream. The one who died in my arms. (Goodreads)

Having read and really enjoyed Evermore, I've had a bit of an up and down journey with Fated. The writing style, which was in the present tense, was sometimes surprisingly jarring and off putting due to sentences that could go on for lines and lines, and the overuse of ‘–ing’ words. It just felt like a few sections of the book were written at different time periods or in different moods, because the style wasn’t fully consistent. But I know this isn’t representative of Alyson Noel's usual brilliant writing, and I’m willing to trust that these kinks will get worked out in the next books. Plus, I loved the Native American aspects to the story.

The setting really suited the magical themes of the book, drawing on animal guides, healing and the Day of the Dead to add magical context and depth to the story. The wild lands that Daire explores on horseback and visits for her quest sound so beautiful, despite being very remote and harsh. For me, these elements made up the best parts of the book and helped to keep me engaged with the story.

I have to admit I also had a love/hate affair with Daire. She could be extremely whiny and selfish, and a bit of a brat at times. When she acted like this I wanted to throw the book in frustration, and hopefully hit Daire with it and knock some sense into her. However in the second part of the book her character definitely changed and she became much more grown up and responsible and I started to like her a lot more.

Paloma is Daire's grandmother - and amazing. She's sympathetic, wise, and understands the balance of freedom and discipline. Her ancestral roots means she is into dreamcatchers, healthy diet, growing your own food, herbal potions, communing with dead relatives and so on. She was very cool, and it was Paloma that encouraged and guided Daire as she learnt to control her magical powers and venture into the spirit world.

Dace and his twin brother Cade were like polar opposites. Whilst Dace radiated kindness, his brother oozed false charm. Although with such a pleasant front and charming manner, it would have been hard to have imagined Cade as anything other than nice, if it wasn't for Daire's mysterious dream about the twins. Although her dreams included some steamy romance with Cade, she took time to get to know and trust him in real life, and I look forward to seeing where their relationship goes in the next book.

Fated journeys into the spiritual realms for a magical story.

Rating: 3.5*

REVIEW: FORSAKEN

Author: Jana Oliver
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
UK Release date: 2011
Genre: YA Paranormal
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

Seventeen-year-old Riley, the only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper, Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father's footsteps. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing crush on fellow apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving distressed citizens from foul-mouthed little devils – Grade One Hellspawn only, of course, per the strict rules of the Guild. Life’s about as normal as can be for the average demon-trapping teen.
But then a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, sudden tragedy strikes the Trappers’ Guild, spinning Riley down a more dangerous path than she ever could have imagined. As her whole world crashes down around her, who can Riley trust with her heart—and her life? (Goodreads)

The main protagonist Riley is a very independent and feisty young girl. Despite the fact that so many people don't think she can or should be a Demon Trapper, Riley is determined to prove them all wrong. She's had a hard life but she still keeps picking herself up and carrying on. It was also good to see a kick ass heroine cry and show her vulnerable side. I have to admit though, she might have meant well but her insistence of doing things her way and fend for herself (often to spite Beck) didn't always work out best.

I was impressed and surprised by the world building which was added in throughout the story. Riley lives in Atlanta, where poverty is rife, unemployment is the norm and people will steal anything and everything including odd bits of metal. Schools are run from old coffee shops because there is so little government funding. Oliver has taken the current economic climate and recession and pushed it into something dangerous, gritty and almost depressing. And in Riley's Atlanta, demons run riot. Usually they are on their own, but things have started to change. Most of these demons were pretty scary, able to whip up tornadoes and such. But I found myself liking the little magpie in Riley's apartments, because he didn't seem intentionally mean or horrible. In fact he seemed sweet and endearing, and I would have loved to seen him a bit more. I'm excited to see what happens with the demons in the next books - can the perceptions of them change, and can the demon vs demon hunter relationship change?

When it came to Beck, Riley was a bit of an idiot quite frankly. She couldn't get past the fact that he had 'rejected' her years ago and that he had a strong relationship with her father. She was mean to him, grumpy, and often judged his actions without thinking. With some parts of the story told by Beck, I could see that he was in fact a decent guy that had overcome some pretty horrible stuff. He was tough, rugged but protective of Riley. I may even go so far to say I liked him a lot.

The three main men in Riley's life were the aforementioned Beck, Simon her new boyfriend, and the mysterious Ori. Each was very different. Whilst Beck swigged down beers, Simon was thinking about the religious implications of things. Whilst I didn't begrudge him being religious in the slightest, his tendency to think that all demons were automatically evil rubbed me up the wrong way. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens between Riley, Beck, Ori and Simon, in their big love...square...?

Forsaken is a dark, kick ass urban fantasy and a great start to the Demon Trappers series.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: DEBUTANTES

Author: Cora Harrison
Series: No, standalone
UK Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
UK Release date: August 2012
Genre: Historical YA
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

It’s 1923 and London is a whirl of jazz, dancing and parties. Violet, Daisy, Poppy and Rose Derrington are desperate to be part of it, but stuck in an enormous crumbling house in the country, with no money and no fashionable dresses, the excitement seems a lifetime away.

Luckily the girls each have a plan for escaping their humdrum country life: Rose wants to be a novelist, Poppy a jazz musician and Daisy a famous film director. Violet, however, has only one ambition: to become the perfect Debutante, so that she can go to London and catch the eye of Prince George, the most eligible bachelor in the country.

But a house as big and old as Beech Grove Manor hides many secrets, and Daisy is about to uncover one so huge it could ruin all their plans—ruin everything—forever.

Although Debutantes is a historical fiction, I felt it a little hard to categorise as part of the swinging jazz era. Yes, it's the 1920s, jazz is up and coming, and fashion is changing to short skirts and bobbed hair. But there was still a feel of the Victorian tradition to it: family standing and inheritance by the eldest son is still common, and debutantes have coming out parties and are presented to the Queen. There was quite a lot of cross over between the two periods, particularly for the Derrington family. The four sisters redesigned old fashioned gowns to short dresses and skirts and they have to fight their old fashioned aunt and father who can often be stuck in their ways.

I found this mix of eras a little surprising and disconcerting at first, but the story also an exciting edge to it, as women were becoming more independent and could go out to work and earn their own living. Daisy's dream of becoming a film director and Rose's dream of becoming a journalist were real future options to them, but would not have been an option for women in a time not long before that.

Each of the four sisters had a very distinct personality. I liked Poppy, Daisy and Rose who each had their own ideas for making their way in the world and wanted to do things because they enjoy it. Poppy was passionate about jazz and her music, Rose constantly created and worked with words, making amusing little taglines to what was happening at any given moment, and Daisy filmed on her movie camera. Out of the sisters, I would say Violet was my least favourite, because she was moody, intent on marrying for money and wanted all the best material things. I think she became a better person as the story went on, but at the start of the book I was slightly bothered about the constant concern of being poor and desire to marry into a wealthy family.

The story was written from Daisy's perspective, who was very astute at understanding other people and their individual habits, and as the reader you get to an insight into each of the sister's lives. The plot was interesting, with twists and turns, romance and parties. The ending was slightly predictable, but overall I found it to be an enjoyable read. There were different mysteries and clues that had to be pieced together, which gave the story different elements beyond Violet's debutante season. If you like fashion, then you will love reading about the sister's redesign of old clothes, the parties they went to and their trips to London.

Debutantes is a lighthearted, fun read set in a time where everything is changing and there is plenty of fashion, romance, fun and frolicking.

Rating: 3.5*

REVIEW: TEMPEST

Author: Julie Cross
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
UK Release date: January 2012
Genre: Science fiction
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

The year is 2009.  Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.
That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future. (Goodreads)

Tempest has a very complex and interweaving plot, which jumps all over the place – literally from one time period in Jackson’s life to another. It could be a little hard to keep up with, but this wasn’t a bad thing. I loved the fact that there were so many things for Jackson to figure out and learn about his father, as well as himself. Cross must have had one hull of planner to keep track of the characters when she was writing this!

At first I was a little dubious about the time travelling concept, but the way it’s done makes it so interesting. A few chapters in and I was hooked. The sci-fi feel mixed with the CIA elements, made the plot dangerous and exciting. Jackson was constantly being chased, but no matter where or when he went he couldn’t seem to escape. It was like a complex, thrilling game of cat and mouse, packed full of action and adventure.

You could attempt to read Tempest as a standalone, but there are a lot of hints and questions unanswered, and I want to know what the future will actually turn out to be and whether Jackson can save Holly. The idea that the future can change like a ripple effect from one single event, means that the follow-on from this book could be anything, and personally I find that really exciting!

Although Jackson often had to lie and cover his tracks, I still liked him. He was funny, spontaneous, and clever, and I enjoyed his honest and real internal thoughts and reactions. Because of all the deception and uncertainty around so many characters, I liked the real moments and memories that showed us the true Jackson, like the heartbreaking card he wrote for his sister. And the fact that he was so protective over Holly made him even better in my eyes.

I kind of felt sorry for Holly, because she doesn’t know what is going on but is still involved in the conflict between the CIA and the time travellers. I liked the fact that the Holly in 2009 and 2007 are different character wise – she’s more serious and reserved when she’s older, but she still keeps Jackson on his toes. For me it shows how her character has changed, even if we haven’t necessarily seen how or why.

Tempest is a sci-fi time travelling thriller, with action, adventure and romance around every corner.

Rating: 5*

LETTERBOX LOVE

Letterbox Love is a new meme hosted by Lynsey @ Narratively Speaking for UK based book bloggers to showcase the books that they’ve received each week.

This week my mailbox has seen more books I've kindly received from publishers. I have to admit, I spent ages in the bookshop looking for some books to buy, but I was so befuddled and overwhelmed by the great choices, I didn't end up getting any. :( Recommendations more than welcome to help me make up my mind!

 

Breathe by Sarah Crossan (kindly given by Bloomsbury).

The world is dead. The survivors live under the protection of Breathe, the corporation that found a way to manufacture oxygen-rich air. And as they walk into the Outlands with two days’ worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?

Debutantes by Cora Harrison (kindly given by Macmillan Children's Books).

It’s 1923 and London is a whirl of jazz, dancing and parties. Violet, Daisy, Poppy and Rose Derrington are desperate to be part of it, but stuck in an enormous crumbling house in the country, with no money and no fashionable dresses, the excitement seems a lifetime away. But a house as big and old as Beech Grove Manor hides many secrets, and Daisy is about to uncover one so huge it could ruin all their plans—ruin everything—forever.

Tempest by Julie Cross (kindly given by Macmillan Children's Books).

The year is 2009.  Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.
That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Fated by Alyson Noel (kindly given by Macmillan Children's Books).

Strange things are happening to Daire Santos. Crows mock her, glowing people stalk her, time stops without warning, and a beautiful boy with unearthly blue eyes haunts all her dreams. Fearing for her daughter’s sanity, Daire’s mother sends her to live with the grandmother she’s never met. A woman who recognizes the visions for what they truly are—the call to her destiny as a Soul Seeker—one who can navigate the worlds between the living and dead.

REVIEW: EVERMORE

Author: Alyson Noel
Series: Yes, #1
UK Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
UK Release date: 2009
Genre: YA, paranormal

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste . . .
Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies. (Goodreads)

I found Evermore to be a very pleasant read, and the pages just skipped through my fingers with ease and enjoyment. The concepts and ideas weren’t unique - good looking, rich boy with mysterious talents and a young girl with new psychic abilities - however I really enjoyed reading this book. The plot was filled with mystery, especially around Damen, and there was lots of action and intrigue.

Since the accident, Ever has developed psychic gifts which allow her to read people's minds. She's really struggling to cope with these gifts as well as her grief and guilt, and her best solution is to pull up her hood and drown out the world with her music. I did like seeing her change and develop throughout the story, even if a lot of this was prompted by Damen. Her denial and attempts to block her gifts lead her down a few wrong paths, but essentially she is a good person and I couldn't help but root for her.

Damen is the new kid at school, and completely surrounded in mystery. There was plenty of build up to find out who or what Damen really is, and I liked guessing and trying to put together the little clues. Whilst I liked him, I was a little perturbed and dubious of the way he would give a flower to Ever one day and then a flower to popular Stacie the next day. It felt a little like he was playing with both their affections regardless of the reason. Having said this, the eerie mystery shrouding Damen made him intriguing and interesting.

I loved Riley. I won't say who she is, but her part in the book is a little heartbreaking and sad but also warming. Her character brought an interesting and humorous dynamic to the story, and I loved the different costumes she dressed up in each day.

An enjoyable and easy read, Evermore is the first in a series of six books. Although I can't imagine what will happen for all other five books, I'm looking forward to finding out.

Rating: 4*

DREAMLESS BLOGGER EVENT

When I got an invitation to Macmillan Children's Book's 4th of July celebration for Dreamless, I was so excited. Partly because I'm extremely nosy and I look snooping around publisher's offices. But also because Josephine Angelini was going to do a live web chat from America.

Not only did the lovely staff at Macmillan go all out decorating their office with flags, blue, white and red stars and striped banners, but they made lots of stunning food from rocky road, hot dogs and cupcakes set out like the American flag!

But to top it all off, Josephine was absolutely amazing - so bubbly, chatty and friendly. It was so lovely to hear how characters from Starcrossed are based on members of her family, from Jerry (named after her brother) to the Delos family in general which is based on her own large and loud family life. I'd never really thought about it before, but Josephine explained how thinking about her own family helped her develop the characters, by using traits and situations from real life (not including shooting thunder bolts) to embellish the characters.

Josephine explained how her initial inspiration for Starcrossed came from seeing Romeo & Juliet and the Iliad on the bookshelves next to each other and wondering why no-one had thought to modernise the story of Helen of Troy. I have to admit when Josephine said she would like to have dinner with Hector most out of all her characters, I couldn't help but agree!

We were also lucky enough to hear a snippet from Goddess, #3 in the series, which I can't wait for. Shame we have to wait a year for it. And can I also say, considering it was early morning for Josephine, she somehow managed to look flawlessly beautiful! This woman can do no wrong!

I am rather annoyed at myself for not taking any more pictures, but I was just so overwhelmed my brain kind of stopped functioning properly. But honestly, with cupcakes and Josephine on web chat, who can blame me!!

If you haven't seen the web chat, hop over to My Kinda Book's Google + site to take a look.

REVIEW: DREAMLESS

*Although there won't be spoilers for Dreamless, there will be spoilers about things that happen in Starcrossed. You can read my review of Starcrossed, the first in the series, here.

Author: Josephine Angelini
Series: Yes, #2
UK Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
UK Release date: 5th July 2012
Genre: YA, mythological
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

Can true love be forgotten?
As the only scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.
Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out--a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies' cry for blood is growing louder.
As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen's sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos. (Goodreads)

Although I enjoyed Starcrossed, I didn't fall deeply and madly for it. But I have to say Dreamless totally won me over. I loved Angelini's style of writing, which was easy to read and flowed well. The story had great pace as so much happened action and plot wise, and there are so many twists, turns and revelations that I just couldn't guess what direction the story might take. I was completely drawn in and really wanted to find out if Helen could free scions.

In Starcrossed we find out that Helen and Lucas are first cousins and all hope of them having a relationship is destroyed. It's a bit of a sticky situation, because despite knowing they shouldn't be they are still inevitably drawn to each other and struggle to suppress their feelings; but being cousins makes it wrong and slightly icky. With the addition of hunky, funny and caring Orion, Helen has someone else she likes but is forbidden to be with. This makes for a great love triangle, as they all need each other but their feelings for each other are forbidden. The fact that all of them is well rounded with their own strengths and weaknesses and can standalone as a character makes it all the more real - why wouldn't Helen fall for Orion, as he's down to earth, protective and kind?

Greek mythology is an integral part of Dreamless's plot, and its been worked in really well. Obviously a lot of thought, research and planning has been done, to match the story with myths and effectively create and develop the characters, and it shows in the reading. Helen's nightly visits to the Underworld are hellish (quite literally!) and a really great addition is that we get to see a lot more of the Gods from Hades, Persephone, and Ares. Despite having a huge cast of characters, Angelini has managed to build in relevant backstories for each and create well rounded individuals.

Dreamless is a fast paced action-packed whirlwind of forbidden romance and greek mythology. This series just gets better!

Rating: 5*

REVIEW: GLOW

Glow

Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
Series: Yes, #1 Sky Chasers
UK Publisher: Macmillan
UK Release date: October 2011
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian
Kindly given by the publisher for an honest review

When earth is no longer sustainable to live on spaceships set off for a New Earth. For Waverly and the other children born on the Empyrean, life in space is normal and happy. At least until their twin spaceship, the New Horizon, docks next to them when it should be years ahead of them.

Review: To grow up in space, never seeing a sunset, waves hitting the beach or mountains seems odd and slightly sad to me, but for Empyrean’s children space is their home. I imagined it might be quite cool to travel through space, with normal gravity and views of the cosmos, but the reality seems more sterile. Whilst they are in the nebula they see no stars, and really the view doesn’t change that much (just more black space out the window!) Leaving the confines of the spaceship is virtually impossible, and must drive some people to suffer from ‘cabin-fever’ after so many years, and for the New Horizon it must be even worse, and in some ways explains why some characters acted the way they did. This setting was different and interesting, and I’m really intrigued to find out whether they ever reach their new planet!

Glow touches on what it takes to be a good person and a leader. It doesn’t matter if you are female, male, religious or secular, you can still fail your people. Anne Mather’s use of religion uplifted the crew and made them believe they were working towards a higher power and bigger goal, however her deception and willingness to commit crimes to ensure the survival of their crew was deceitful and heinous. I didn’t like the way she twisted religion, blending lies and truth, to make people follow her. In contrast Seth used fear to lead and control the other boys. Whilst he was a bully, he was upfront about what he was doing. In neither situation was it a black or white answer as to whether they were right or wrong.

As I’m not particularly religious I don’t like being preached to, and at one point I almost thought that’s what Glow was trying to do with its sermons. Thankfully however, Amy Kathleen Ryan doesn’t just present one point of view, but through a third person perspective is able to show a variety of views and opinions, each justified by different characters. I guess this is quite good because depending on your own opinion as a reader you can then relate more to a particular character that shares your outlook. But the problem with this for me is that I sympathised with almost everyone despite their conflicting viewpoints and morally wrong actions, because you could see their justification and reasoning. Although I liked Waverly the most I didn’t have an overwhelming sense of connection with any one character. I’m hoping that in the next book, we get to see even more of Waverly so that I can build on the connection I do have with her.

Glow was intriguing and definitely thought-provoking. I knew what might happen on New Horizon, but I couldn’t help feeling a horrible sense of dread and fearful anticipation all the same. Amy Kathleen Ryan really makes you think how far you would be willing to go to save humanity. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the Sky Chasers series.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: DARK INSIDE

Dark Inside

Author: Jeyn Roberts

Series: No, standalone

UK Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

UK Release date: September 2011

Genre: Dystopian

Kindly sent by the publisher for an honest review

When the world is ripped apart by earthquakes, a terrible evil pours out and infiltrates the minds of the weak. The rest of humanity must fight to survive against these hunters who will stop at nothing to kill everyone left alive. Clementine, Aries, Michael and Mason go on their own journeys across North American finding friendship and love in a world that is filled with violence and darkness.

Review: In post-apocolyptic aftermath four young people face the changing side of humanity, and the resulting destruction and death. I honestly couldn't put this book down despite the fact that I was ridiculously scared when reading it. Each page was filled with violence and pure terror. This is truly a book for the strong of heart, and stomach. As each of the characters is faced with the horrifying baggers (killers), it's like being right there with them feeling the heart-stopping fright and unnerving suspense of whether they will be caught or survive. 

What I found really interesting was how each of the characters dealt with this violence and death - did they run away or stand and fight? Do they put their own life at risk for others or protect themselves at all costs? I liked the fact that each of the characters had their strengths and weaknesses and would react differently depending on the context. None of us knows how we would react in similar situations - I can only hope that I would be brave, but after three weeks surviving I'm not sure I could keep it up! In Dark Inside they can't hide behind normal everyday life, but their inner fears and true characters are bared for all to see.

Each chapter is written from the point of view of the four different characters Clementine, Aries, Michael and Mason, which helps move the story along and keep the fast pace flowing. I did struggle to remember which character was which at the start of each chapter, because so much happens to each of them. This is really just a small niggle though.

The 'disease' that infected the weak turning them into killers was pretty ambiguous. There is the implication that this has happened before to other cultures, but I'm still unsure what it is and why it happened at this precise point in time. I did like the concept of Nothing, able to give us an insight into the 'dark inside', and whilst I liked the ending I still what to know what will happen after. That little extra element of clarity would have really helped me get a better grip on the bigger picture.

Gripping and terrifying, Dark Inside is a compulsive read that will make you afraid of the dark and what lurks within.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: STARCROSSED

Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Series: Yes, Starcrossed #1
UK Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
UK release date: June 2011
Genre: YA

Sixteen year old Helen Hamilton has always felt different from everyone else on the island of Nantucket. Overly shy, she has cramps if anyone pays her too much attention. But when the Delos family moves to the island, Helen instinctively wants to kill the beautiful Lucas Delos, and she attacks him in the school corridor. To top it off, Helen feels like she is going crazy as she has strange nightmares featuring three ghostly women, who continue to haunt her when she is around the Delos family.
After Helen flies away from an attack at her home, she learns that she is descended from Greek Demi-Gods and was born into an opposing House to the Delos family, making her attraction to Lucas an impossibility.

Review: Greek mythology is inextricably tied into Starcrossed, from the history of Demigods, their part in the Trojan War and three wailing women - the Furies. I don’t know my Greek mythology and I’ve never read Iliad, but this didn’t put me at a loss. Angelini did a good job working in enough history and references to the Greek Gods such as Zeus to make the story real and believable, without distracting from the plot or characters.
When shy and awkward Helen sees Lucas and the rest of the Delos family she is filled with feelings of rage and pure hatred, not falling at his feet like the rest of the female population. If you know me well, you’ll know that I hate straight-out ‘girl falls for the most attractive guy ever’ scenarios, so the fact that the relationship between Lucas and Helen is more complex than that pleases me.

I really enjoyed the minor characters from the Delos family, although you can notice some similarities to Twilight – beautiful family with inhuman strength, the sister that can see snippets of the future etc. Don’t let this put you off though, as in Starcrossed the minor characters suffer their ups and downs and aren’t just pretty faces.

Something I’ve read in other reviews, is that the start of the book is a little stilted and slow and some of the dialogue jarring. This is true and it was a little difficult to get into at first. But as you get further into the story, the writing smoothes out and the pace picks up. There are plenty of little breadcrumb trails ready for us to follow into the next book, such as Helen’s nightmares visiting the Furies, her relationship with Lucas and a prophecy foretold about Helen. These are tied in well enough so that I was left curious and wanting to know what will happen next, but not making me feel too let down at the end because I was left without answers.

Slow to start, Starcrossed is worth persevering for: a delight of Greek mythological proportions.


Rating: 3.5*