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serendipity_viv's reviews
762 reviews
Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn
5.0
Ella Minnow Pea has the most original use of the English language in a book I have ever seen. This is an epistolary novel with a difference (and you know how much I love epistolary novels). Ella Minnow Pea exchanges letters with family, friends and neighbours on the little quiet island of Nollop. The dystopian island is named after Nevin Nollop,the revered author of the sentence 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog' and has a statue commemorated to his memory with the sentence placed above with each letter seperately tiled. When the letters begin to fall from the statue, the rulers of the island take that as a sign that that Nollop no longer wants these letters to be used and they become banned in any form of use. That is not too much of a loss for the islanders to begin with, however things deteriorate quickly when they are left with only a couple of letters from the alphabet.
This book is amazing and is so well written , I wanted to kick myself that I hadn't come up with the idea first. Not that my literary offerings would ever come close to Mark Dunn's exceptional skills. The way Dunn uses the English language to spell words differently is unique. As the letters slowly disappear through the book, you watch as the islanders struggle to cope with the increasing demands made on them to try and communicate without certain letters in the alphabet. As the book progresses, you have to work really hard as a reader, to work out what the letters say. You feel their desperation as they struggle to be understood.
By writing the book in letter format, you get to see how the islanders actually cope under the restraint of the disappearing alphabet. I don't think this book would have worked as well if it had been written any other way.
Nymeth at Things Mean Alot mentioned that it reminded her of 1984 and I could immediately see what she meant. The villager's lives are totally controlled by the rulers of the island and they are harsh leaders to the extreme. The islanders were treated abominably when they chose to disobey the rules or unwittingly forgot that a letter had been banned. Everyone is spying on everyone else, leading to an increased lack of trust amongst a small previously close knit community. As the islanders realise what they are doing to each other, they begin to see that their only way to freedom is to work together to come up with a solution.
This books shows how one minor issue can escalate and escalate until it causes the downfall of all. A very entertaining read, that appears light hearted and funny on the outside, but covers layers of darker topics such as totalitarianism and censorship underneath. If you love to see the English language stretched by the imagination, then this is the book for you.
This book is amazing and is so well written , I wanted to kick myself that I hadn't come up with the idea first. Not that my literary offerings would ever come close to Mark Dunn's exceptional skills. The way Dunn uses the English language to spell words differently is unique. As the letters slowly disappear through the book, you watch as the islanders struggle to cope with the increasing demands made on them to try and communicate without certain letters in the alphabet. As the book progresses, you have to work really hard as a reader, to work out what the letters say. You feel their desperation as they struggle to be understood.
By writing the book in letter format, you get to see how the islanders actually cope under the restraint of the disappearing alphabet. I don't think this book would have worked as well if it had been written any other way.
Nymeth at Things Mean Alot mentioned that it reminded her of 1984 and I could immediately see what she meant. The villager's lives are totally controlled by the rulers of the island and they are harsh leaders to the extreme. The islanders were treated abominably when they chose to disobey the rules or unwittingly forgot that a letter had been banned. Everyone is spying on everyone else, leading to an increased lack of trust amongst a small previously close knit community. As the islanders realise what they are doing to each other, they begin to see that their only way to freedom is to work together to come up with a solution.
This books shows how one minor issue can escalate and escalate until it causes the downfall of all. A very entertaining read, that appears light hearted and funny on the outside, but covers layers of darker topics such as totalitarianism and censorship underneath. If you love to see the English language stretched by the imagination, then this is the book for you.
The Drowning by Valerie Mendes
4.0
Set in a beautifully described seaside village in Cornwall, this book follows the life of Jenna who has a bright future ahead of her. She is a talented dancer and has just been accepted for a placement at one of London's top dance schools. The summer has arrived and she can't wait to enjoy it, as she has worked so hard on her exams and her dance audition. On her first real day of freedom, she decides she wants to go to the beach with her friends. Her mother insists that she takes her brother with her.That is where Jenna's life and dazzling future begins to crumble. What happens on the beach that day changes the rest of her life.
I had never heard of Valerie Mendes before picking up this book, but after reading it in two sittings, I will definitely be exploring her other young adult books. This book is gritty and real. It deals with loss, grieving followed by renewal of spirit. Jenna really suffers in this book. When she got her dance placement, her mother was dead set against her going. So when everything goes wrong for the family, her mother is insistent that she gives up her dreams to help her father run the family business. It is so sad to watch such a promising star give up her dream and you cannot help but feel sorry for her. Although Jenna isn't the type of character who would want your pity. She becomes a strong female lead in the book and eventually gets back on the right path.
My only niggle with this book is that I felt there were a couple of important scenes within the book that were glazed over a bit. I can't tell you what ones they were as that will spoil it for you, should you decide to read it. It just felt that these things were skimmed over rather than showing the true emotions of the family. It may have been because the book was written for a YA audience and it was felt that too much grief would not suit the teenage market. If that is the case, then I do think that they have underestimated the teenage audience.
On the whole, I really did enjoy this book, which is a rather slim book that won't take you long to devour. This book deals with real life issues that keep you seated for a resolve in the situation. It deals with coming to terms with difficult situations and learning to move on with your life. A great evening's read.
I had never heard of Valerie Mendes before picking up this book, but after reading it in two sittings, I will definitely be exploring her other young adult books. This book is gritty and real. It deals with loss, grieving followed by renewal of spirit. Jenna really suffers in this book. When she got her dance placement, her mother was dead set against her going. So when everything goes wrong for the family, her mother is insistent that she gives up her dreams to help her father run the family business. It is so sad to watch such a promising star give up her dream and you cannot help but feel sorry for her. Although Jenna isn't the type of character who would want your pity. She becomes a strong female lead in the book and eventually gets back on the right path.
My only niggle with this book is that I felt there were a couple of important scenes within the book that were glazed over a bit. I can't tell you what ones they were as that will spoil it for you, should you decide to read it. It just felt that these things were skimmed over rather than showing the true emotions of the family. It may have been because the book was written for a YA audience and it was felt that too much grief would not suit the teenage market. If that is the case, then I do think that they have underestimated the teenage audience.
On the whole, I really did enjoy this book, which is a rather slim book that won't take you long to devour. This book deals with real life issues that keep you seated for a resolve in the situation. It deals with coming to terms with difficult situations and learning to move on with your life. A great evening's read.
Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson
4.0
Claire Benoit is about to get the biggest birthday surprise ever. All she wants to do is get to know the gorgeous Matthew Engle at her party, but with everyone talking about the gruesome murders and mass hysteria rippling through the town, it doesn't look like that is going to happen. She tries to enjoy her sixteenth birthday party, but that is brought to an abrupt end by a werewolf sighting in the woods surrounding her house. You would think that that would be enough for one evening, but then her mother tells her she is a wolf.
Before I start, I have to mention the cover of this book. It is just gorgeous, don't you think, I can almost imagine the cover pumping like a real heart.
To begin with I did have issues with the storyline. I struggled with it mainly because of my dislike of Claire's mother. However, I found this book improved for me the further I read on. To begin with I couldn't understand how anyone could just drop a life changing secret on a hormonal girl's shoulders and just expect her to get on with it. On reflection now, I can see that she struggled with her relationship with her daughter and needed to work on it as part of the plot development. I couldn't see how Christine Johnson could have written the character any other way. In other words, I got over my personal issues.
I found the book quite fast paced, where other reviewers didn't. The identity of the killer wolf was not obvious to me at all, until she was revealed at the end and what an ending it was.Well done to Christine Johnson for hiding the killer's identity within the plot until the last minute.
I loved the fact that the wolf role was in reversal in this book. All the other books dealing with wolves that I have read have dealt with the wolves being male, where as in this book they are all female. They are shown to exhibit their strength of character as well as their vulnerability.
I loved the way Claire developed through the book. She became really gutsy by the end and was willing to risk what her elders wouldn't. She showed real strength of character.
I loved the relationship between Matthew and Claire. Matthew's reaction was spot one when he discovered Claire's real identity. He had been brought up to hate wolves by his father, yet he had seen the captured wolf's vulnerability. I would say that this book gives us a more in depth look at the lifestyle of a wolf, than we haven't seen previously and I found that interesting too.
On the whole, an enjoyable read giving this genre a fresh outlook with the female wolves.
Before I start, I have to mention the cover of this book. It is just gorgeous, don't you think, I can almost imagine the cover pumping like a real heart.
To begin with I did have issues with the storyline. I struggled with it mainly because of my dislike of Claire's mother. However, I found this book improved for me the further I read on. To begin with I couldn't understand how anyone could just drop a life changing secret on a hormonal girl's shoulders and just expect her to get on with it. On reflection now, I can see that she struggled with her relationship with her daughter and needed to work on it as part of the plot development. I couldn't see how Christine Johnson could have written the character any other way. In other words, I got over my personal issues.
I found the book quite fast paced, where other reviewers didn't. The identity of the killer wolf was not obvious to me at all, until she was revealed at the end and what an ending it was.Well done to Christine Johnson for hiding the killer's identity within the plot until the last minute.
I loved the fact that the wolf role was in reversal in this book. All the other books dealing with wolves that I have read have dealt with the wolves being male, where as in this book they are all female. They are shown to exhibit their strength of character as well as their vulnerability.
I loved the way Claire developed through the book. She became really gutsy by the end and was willing to risk what her elders wouldn't. She showed real strength of character.
I loved the relationship between Matthew and Claire. Matthew's reaction was spot one when he discovered Claire's real identity. He had been brought up to hate wolves by his father, yet he had seen the captured wolf's vulnerability. I would say that this book gives us a more in depth look at the lifestyle of a wolf, than we haven't seen previously and I found that interesting too.
On the whole, an enjoyable read giving this genre a fresh outlook with the female wolves.
Entangled by Cat Clarke
5.0
It has been a long time since a book has gripped me so intently that I have had to put my life completely on hold to read it. But this one did. It consumed my whole existence until I finished the last page and then I found myself miserable, because I had finished it and despondent as I would never be able to read it again without knowing the ending.
From the first page, I was left in a state of impatientness due to so many unanswered questions. It was extremely difficult not to turn to the last page to find out what happened. This book should come with a lock and key for the last chapter.
I am not going to give away too much detail about this book because I don't want to spoil it for you. I want you all to read this book with as little information about it as possible.
I will tell you that the book begins with Grace, a seventeen year old girl waking up in a white room that only has a table and some pens and paper in it. Her story begins with contemplation of how she got there and where she came from. Everything is a blur to her.
This book made me laugh and cry. The laughter occurred from Cat Clarke's dry sense of humour that appeals to me completely. Most of you are aware of my sense of humour through my 'Life As We Know It' posts, so you can gage from those whether this would appeal to you. Cat Clarke's humour lightened a dark tale. The crying came from the end of the book and I cannot say anymore than that. You just have to read it.
I loved Grace from the first page. I know a lot of book bloggers didn't, but I did. I grew up with girls like Grace. I could see a small part of myself mirrored in her character and I do believe that in many ways she epitomizes a percentage of the teenagers of today. Grace lives a wild child existence and may delve in things that you might find a little hard to read, but she had her reasons. If you struggle to read about teenagers having sex, getting drunk and self harming then this might not be the book for you. However, I do suggest you think back to your own teenage years, remember the teenagers you came in contact with and recall your chosen choice of reading material at that age. I was a Jackie Collins convert by the age of sixteen so this is tame in comparison.
I loved how English this book was. In fact I would put this book next to David Almond's for true British fiction for the Young Adult genre.
This book is a standalone book, so once you reach the end you won't be left hanging on until next year for the answers.
Now you know I only insist on instant purchase on books that I loved to pieces, well this is one of them, so what are you waiting for?
From the first page, I was left in a state of impatientness due to so many unanswered questions. It was extremely difficult not to turn to the last page to find out what happened. This book should come with a lock and key for the last chapter.
I am not going to give away too much detail about this book because I don't want to spoil it for you. I want you all to read this book with as little information about it as possible.
I will tell you that the book begins with Grace, a seventeen year old girl waking up in a white room that only has a table and some pens and paper in it. Her story begins with contemplation of how she got there and where she came from. Everything is a blur to her.
This book made me laugh and cry. The laughter occurred from Cat Clarke's dry sense of humour that appeals to me completely. Most of you are aware of my sense of humour through my 'Life As We Know It' posts, so you can gage from those whether this would appeal to you. Cat Clarke's humour lightened a dark tale. The crying came from the end of the book and I cannot say anymore than that. You just have to read it.
I loved Grace from the first page. I know a lot of book bloggers didn't, but I did. I grew up with girls like Grace. I could see a small part of myself mirrored in her character and I do believe that in many ways she epitomizes a percentage of the teenagers of today. Grace lives a wild child existence and may delve in things that you might find a little hard to read, but she had her reasons. If you struggle to read about teenagers having sex, getting drunk and self harming then this might not be the book for you. However, I do suggest you think back to your own teenage years, remember the teenagers you came in contact with and recall your chosen choice of reading material at that age. I was a Jackie Collins convert by the age of sixteen so this is tame in comparison.
I loved how English this book was. In fact I would put this book next to David Almond's for true British fiction for the Young Adult genre.
This book is a standalone book, so once you reach the end you won't be left hanging on until next year for the answers.
Now you know I only insist on instant purchase on books that I loved to pieces, well this is one of them, so what are you waiting for?
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
3.0
We Have Always Lived In The Castle is one of those books I have been meaning to read since I started blogging and I eventually got around to it at the end of last year. I had completely forgotten to review it as it was on my husband's iPad and unless a book is left in front of me to trip over, I will completely forget it.
The novel is told in first person by Katherine, an unusual young girl who lives alone with her sister and her uncle. The rest of the family died of poisoning six years ago. Katherine's sister, Constance was found not guilty of killing them, but others still believed that she was responsible. The family are spurned by the rest of the town and Katherine is often taunted by the male villagers when she visits the town in order to shop for food.
You feel such empathy for the small household, each still suffering in their own way for the events of the past.
Katherine (fondly known as Merrycat by her sister) is a rather strange young girl. She treads a very thin line between fantasy and reality. She clearly has a leaning towards OCD, as she believes that she must carry out different rituals constantly to keep her little world safe. She is very protective over her sister and despises any interference from well wishers.
Uncle Julian is still disturbed by the deaths of the rest of the family. He is unable to move on from what happened six years before. He dwells hourly on the events of the day preceding their deaths and the finite details of their last meal together. It is almost a macabre obsession.
Constance suffers with agoraphobia. Feeling shunned by the world and treated like a criminal, she hides away from the world, relying on her younger sister to be her eyes and ears to the world.
I found this book to be unusual yet fascinating. I was expecting to read a scary book, but I found it to be rather bizarre, but bizarre in a good way, as I really did enjoy it. I suppose the story could be considered scary in one sense if you consider how nasty and evil the villagers become and what lengths they will go to destroy other lives to ease their own minds.
The language was very descriptive, allowing you to easily transplant yourself in their world. The plot was unusual and kept me wanting more.
On the whole a brilliantly bizarre look at the darker side of human nature.
The novel is told in first person by Katherine, an unusual young girl who lives alone with her sister and her uncle. The rest of the family died of poisoning six years ago. Katherine's sister, Constance was found not guilty of killing them, but others still believed that she was responsible. The family are spurned by the rest of the town and Katherine is often taunted by the male villagers when she visits the town in order to shop for food.
You feel such empathy for the small household, each still suffering in their own way for the events of the past.
Katherine (fondly known as Merrycat by her sister) is a rather strange young girl. She treads a very thin line between fantasy and reality. She clearly has a leaning towards OCD, as she believes that she must carry out different rituals constantly to keep her little world safe. She is very protective over her sister and despises any interference from well wishers.
Uncle Julian is still disturbed by the deaths of the rest of the family. He is unable to move on from what happened six years before. He dwells hourly on the events of the day preceding their deaths and the finite details of their last meal together. It is almost a macabre obsession.
Constance suffers with agoraphobia. Feeling shunned by the world and treated like a criminal, she hides away from the world, relying on her younger sister to be her eyes and ears to the world.
I found this book to be unusual yet fascinating. I was expecting to read a scary book, but I found it to be rather bizarre, but bizarre in a good way, as I really did enjoy it. I suppose the story could be considered scary in one sense if you consider how nasty and evil the villagers become and what lengths they will go to destroy other lives to ease their own minds.
The language was very descriptive, allowing you to easily transplant yourself in their world. The plot was unusual and kept me wanting more.
On the whole a brilliantly bizarre look at the darker side of human nature.
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
5.0
Oh, how I loved this book. This was a completely different type of genre for me, I am not normally interested in sci fi or alien orientated books but this one had me gripped from page one. It was like being on a space ship hurtling to the Earth and having no time to catch your breath. I could not put it down and I am sad to part with it.
I think the best way to describe the book is to reprint the blurb from the back of the book, as I couldn't possibly write it any better.
In the beginning we were nine.
We left when we were very young, almost too young to remember. Almost. And now...
Three are gone.
We are here to keep our race alive, which was almost entirely obliterated. We're just trying to survive.
Six are left.
Bur we are hunted, and the hunters won't stop until they've killed us all.
They caught Number One in Malaysia
Number Two In England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
I am Number Four.
I know that I am next.
The aliens within the book look and act just like us, but they all have some extra abilities which would be lovely to have. Number Four is known as John for now, but he changes his name with every town he moves too. He has to move a lot, because he never knows when he might be attacked. He has grown up as a normal boy and all he wants to be is a normal teenager with friends and a girlfriend. You cannot help but love him and feel sorry for him at the same time. He has never seen the aliens chasing him, so he has no idea what to expect.
The book is very descriptive and action packed and I can understand why it is being made into a movie. It reads like an action packed Arnold Schwarzenegger film. You are on edge from the first page. Hoping that John will survive the unknown.
I think one of the main reasons that I loved this book, was because I used to be a huge fan of the alien series Roswell, with the three aliens living in Roswell who were not sure where they had come from and were trying to be normal teenagers. If you loved this series too, then this book is definitely one for you. It was lovely to see the alien races stepping forward to take on the vampire/fairy/angel books that have flooded our book shelves recently.
The author of the book, Pittacus Lore is fictional. Supposedly an alien seeking to warn us about the danger that lies ahead for the world. It adds to the suspense of the books.
I can highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read the next in the series. As I understand it there are to be six books and the next one will be out in Spring 2011.
I think the best way to describe the book is to reprint the blurb from the back of the book, as I couldn't possibly write it any better.
In the beginning we were nine.
We left when we were very young, almost too young to remember. Almost. And now...
Three are gone.
We are here to keep our race alive, which was almost entirely obliterated. We're just trying to survive.
Six are left.
Bur we are hunted, and the hunters won't stop until they've killed us all.
They caught Number One in Malaysia
Number Two In England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
I am Number Four.
I know that I am next.
The aliens within the book look and act just like us, but they all have some extra abilities which would be lovely to have. Number Four is known as John for now, but he changes his name with every town he moves too. He has to move a lot, because he never knows when he might be attacked. He has grown up as a normal boy and all he wants to be is a normal teenager with friends and a girlfriend. You cannot help but love him and feel sorry for him at the same time. He has never seen the aliens chasing him, so he has no idea what to expect.
The book is very descriptive and action packed and I can understand why it is being made into a movie. It reads like an action packed Arnold Schwarzenegger film. You are on edge from the first page. Hoping that John will survive the unknown.
I think one of the main reasons that I loved this book, was because I used to be a huge fan of the alien series Roswell, with the three aliens living in Roswell who were not sure where they had come from and were trying to be normal teenagers. If you loved this series too, then this book is definitely one for you. It was lovely to see the alien races stepping forward to take on the vampire/fairy/angel books that have flooded our book shelves recently.
The author of the book, Pittacus Lore is fictional. Supposedly an alien seeking to warn us about the danger that lies ahead for the world. It adds to the suspense of the books.
I can highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read the next in the series. As I understand it there are to be six books and the next one will be out in Spring 2011.
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
5.0
Clara Gardner has recently found out that she is part angel and that her life has a purpose she must fulfill. She knows her purpose will happen soon, she is just not sure how it will happen. All she knows is that she must save a boy named Christian from a fire. Clara and her family move to where they believe her purpose will occur and Clara struggles to come to terms with the changes that are occurring in her life.
Cast aside Hush, Hush and Fallen, this is an angel book that grips from page one and has you glued to the book until the end. Finally I have found an angel book that I can recommend. This really is the kind of book I have been looking for since embarking on the paranormal YA route, where even though it is part of a series, it reads like a roller coaster, twists and turns and shocks you as you fly through the pages and ends leaving you satisfied that everything has been taken care of but you are left wanting more.
The characters are well rounded, if not a little annoying at times. My favourite had to be Tucker. He is adorable and rugged at the same time. I found Clara's mother rather strange as she seemed to keep her daughter in the dark too much about what she was capable of and I found that to be a little unrealistic, as most mother's would not leave their daughter's unprotected and unaware of what could happen to them. Clara was OK as a lead, if not a little flat. She was the perfect girl, who moves to a new area and has to start all over again, so you understand her insecurities about being the new person.
This book carries a lot of unexpected events, that made me sit and gasp. I would definitely say that parts of the plot were unexpected and threw me a little bit. It really is worth a read.
Cast aside Hush, Hush and Fallen, this is an angel book that grips from page one and has you glued to the book until the end. Finally I have found an angel book that I can recommend. This really is the kind of book I have been looking for since embarking on the paranormal YA route, where even though it is part of a series, it reads like a roller coaster, twists and turns and shocks you as you fly through the pages and ends leaving you satisfied that everything has been taken care of but you are left wanting more.
The characters are well rounded, if not a little annoying at times. My favourite had to be Tucker. He is adorable and rugged at the same time. I found Clara's mother rather strange as she seemed to keep her daughter in the dark too much about what she was capable of and I found that to be a little unrealistic, as most mother's would not leave their daughter's unprotected and unaware of what could happen to them. Clara was OK as a lead, if not a little flat. She was the perfect girl, who moves to a new area and has to start all over again, so you understand her insecurities about being the new person.
This book carries a lot of unexpected events, that made me sit and gasp. I would definitely say that parts of the plot were unexpected and threw me a little bit. It really is worth a read.
Wintercraft by Jenna Burtenshaw
5.0
From the first paragraph, you are aware that you are about to embark on a dark and dangerous journey into a Gothic world where the dead and the living are only separated by a thin 'veil'. Kate Winters has the ability to bring life and death together and everyone wants to use her ability, stopping at nothing to get to her. Kate is thrust into a terrifying ordeal from the first few pages of the book and there is no time for her to catch a breath as she sets out to save her uncle Artemis, who has been kidnapped. She plays a constant cat and mouse game with her evil pursuers.
Jenna Burtenshaw has beautifully crafted her characters to make them not only believable but very real. Kate is a feisty lead character, who takes on her newly acquired powers with ease, as though she had unknowingly been waiting all her life to take that role. She is caring and thoughtful, yet brave and forthright. I absolutely loved Kate for her braveness, she stood up to some rather frightening characters that would have found me trembling with fear.
Daru is one of those frightening characters. Imagine a cross between Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmations and Mrs Marisa Coulter from Northern Lights,only scarier and you would have a perfect description of Daru. She will stop at nothing to get what she wants. She has the aroma of pure evil.
Silas is a fascinating character, who I loathed on page one and loved by the last page. He is dark, brooding and dangerous and I look forward to making his acquaintance again in future books within the trilogy. He is neither alive nor dead and fulfills such a complicated role beautifully.
The world created for this book is original in style. Even though it is a dark fantasy there are none of the usual characters found in that genre. You won't find a fairy or a vampire lurking amongst the scenes.
Jenna Burtenshaw has created a dark and creepy setting which is brought to life by her excellent use of imagery. In the following scene, I actually felt like I could see everything that Kate viewed before her. She attacked my senses with gusto. I could feel the pain and the fear seeping off the pages.
The Night Train stretched back endlessly down the track, no longer the grand funerary train of Albion's last age, created to carry the dead to their place of rest, but a twisted ruin of what it had once been: a symbol of terror instead of hope. Its carriage doors opened one by one, filling the air with the shriek of sliding metal, then the first cages were rolled forward and the throbbing sound of machinery echoed inside, sending many of the prisoners into a panic.
The station was in uproar. No one wanted to be put on that train and their shouts were deafening. People fought at their locks, tried to squeeze through the bars, and two cages crashed on to their sides as their occupants tried desperately to escape. The wardens ignored them and stood in silence along the platform, their daggers glinting in the lantern light . They did not care if people shouted or fought or begged or screamed. To them, Morvane was just another town and they had already won.
Jenna Burtenshaw has made a promising start to what I believe will be a wonderful trilogy. I can't wait until April 14th, when the second book is published.
Jenna Burtenshaw has beautifully crafted her characters to make them not only believable but very real. Kate is a feisty lead character, who takes on her newly acquired powers with ease, as though she had unknowingly been waiting all her life to take that role. She is caring and thoughtful, yet brave and forthright. I absolutely loved Kate for her braveness, she stood up to some rather frightening characters that would have found me trembling with fear.
Daru is one of those frightening characters. Imagine a cross between Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmations and Mrs Marisa Coulter from Northern Lights,only scarier and you would have a perfect description of Daru. She will stop at nothing to get what she wants. She has the aroma of pure evil.
Silas is a fascinating character, who I loathed on page one and loved by the last page. He is dark, brooding and dangerous and I look forward to making his acquaintance again in future books within the trilogy. He is neither alive nor dead and fulfills such a complicated role beautifully.
The world created for this book is original in style. Even though it is a dark fantasy there are none of the usual characters found in that genre. You won't find a fairy or a vampire lurking amongst the scenes.
Jenna Burtenshaw has created a dark and creepy setting which is brought to life by her excellent use of imagery. In the following scene, I actually felt like I could see everything that Kate viewed before her. She attacked my senses with gusto. I could feel the pain and the fear seeping off the pages.
The Night Train stretched back endlessly down the track, no longer the grand funerary train of Albion's last age, created to carry the dead to their place of rest, but a twisted ruin of what it had once been: a symbol of terror instead of hope. Its carriage doors opened one by one, filling the air with the shriek of sliding metal, then the first cages were rolled forward and the throbbing sound of machinery echoed inside, sending many of the prisoners into a panic.
The station was in uproar. No one wanted to be put on that train and their shouts were deafening. People fought at their locks, tried to squeeze through the bars, and two cages crashed on to their sides as their occupants tried desperately to escape. The wardens ignored them and stood in silence along the platform, their daggers glinting in the lantern light . They did not care if people shouted or fought or begged or screamed. To them, Morvane was just another town and they had already won.
Jenna Burtenshaw has made a promising start to what I believe will be a wonderful trilogy. I can't wait until April 14th, when the second book is published.
A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg
4.0
I am so glad that I managed to find this gorgeous little book by Fannie Flagg, it really did give me a glow in my heart. Fannie Flagg is one of those authors who makes you believe that miracles really do happen. Her books are just so heartwarming to read and full of surprises and wonder.
This is a rather short book but packed full to the brim of interesting and heartwarming characters. The book begins with Oswald, a depressed former alcoholic who has been given months to live. After reading a brochure given to him by his doctor, he decides to move from the bitter cold of Chicago to the warmer climate of Lost River, Alabama. Oswald is a pitiful character, who cannot see a future to get excited about and it is lovely to see how his whole persona is transformed during his time at Lost River. He changes from someone who cannot see any further than his death to a self made man with a rosy future and an instant family.
Lost River is a town full of Golden Girls and Steel Magnolias. These women are very strong characters and reminded me a lot of the female characters in Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistlestop Cafe. They are self sufficient and help to create a warm welcome to all the lost souls that wander into Lost River.
Two of the main characters within the book are rather unusual leads. Firstly, there is Jack the rare Red Cardinal, which was saved from death by the local shop owner Pat. You cannot help but love Jack as he mixes with the characters in the book. He is loved by all, as he creates havoc. He is especially loved by the second unusual lead character, Patsy, the trailer park child with a crippled leg. Both of these characters will grab hold of your emotions from their first appearance and tie your heartstrings into knots. You cannot help but laugh and cry at their adventures.
This is a truly wonderful heartwarming book. I would love to say I had nothing bad to comment on it, but I do have two minor irritations.
Firstly the copy of the book that I now own had loads of spelling mistakes. Well I think they were spelling mistakes unless drug stores are now known as drag stores. Or maybe the little girl liked to also be known as Pasty!
Now I know I am not always on the ball with my spellings and my grammar, but you can't buy my blog from a book store! I just wish the editors had been a little more meticulous when proofreading the final copy.
Secondly, the ending slightly bothered me. Everything was wrapped up a little too quickly and a little too neatly for my liking. It would have been more enjoyable if the ending had been longer, giving the character's wrap up more of a natural development.
I definitely want to read more by Fannie Flagg and hope to get hold of her other books soon. Perhaps I will have a Fannie Flagg month next year too.
This is a rather short book but packed full to the brim of interesting and heartwarming characters. The book begins with Oswald, a depressed former alcoholic who has been given months to live. After reading a brochure given to him by his doctor, he decides to move from the bitter cold of Chicago to the warmer climate of Lost River, Alabama. Oswald is a pitiful character, who cannot see a future to get excited about and it is lovely to see how his whole persona is transformed during his time at Lost River. He changes from someone who cannot see any further than his death to a self made man with a rosy future and an instant family.
Lost River is a town full of Golden Girls and Steel Magnolias. These women are very strong characters and reminded me a lot of the female characters in Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistlestop Cafe. They are self sufficient and help to create a warm welcome to all the lost souls that wander into Lost River.
Two of the main characters within the book are rather unusual leads. Firstly, there is Jack the rare Red Cardinal, which was saved from death by the local shop owner Pat. You cannot help but love Jack as he mixes with the characters in the book. He is loved by all, as he creates havoc. He is especially loved by the second unusual lead character, Patsy, the trailer park child with a crippled leg. Both of these characters will grab hold of your emotions from their first appearance and tie your heartstrings into knots. You cannot help but laugh and cry at their adventures.
This is a truly wonderful heartwarming book. I would love to say I had nothing bad to comment on it, but I do have two minor irritations.
Firstly the copy of the book that I now own had loads of spelling mistakes. Well I think they were spelling mistakes unless drug stores are now known as drag stores. Or maybe the little girl liked to also be known as Pasty!
Now I know I am not always on the ball with my spellings and my grammar, but you can't buy my blog from a book store! I just wish the editors had been a little more meticulous when proofreading the final copy.
Secondly, the ending slightly bothered me. Everything was wrapped up a little too quickly and a little too neatly for my liking. It would have been more enjoyable if the ending had been longer, giving the character's wrap up more of a natural development.
I definitely want to read more by Fannie Flagg and hope to get hold of her other books soon. Perhaps I will have a Fannie Flagg month next year too.
Angel Time: The Songs of the Seraphim 1 by Anne Rice
3.0
I am known for having a fondness for angel books and that had a lot to do with my decision to buy this book. I have never read any other Anne Rice books, so I don't have anything to compare this book with. All I can say is, that this book didn't impress me at all and I had hoped for so much more from it.
The book is centred around a character called Lucky the Fox, who is a contract killer, but one with a conscience. The first two chapters are there to basically to show you this character's soul exists. Personally, I had worked that out in the first couple of pages and didn't need the in depth religious chapters to repeat it to me over and over again.
As Lucky carries out his final contract killing, his guardian angel Malchiah reveals himself. Malchiah wants Lucky to work for him now and help him solve situations rather than killing people. Lucky agrees and then suddenly the book veers off into the 13th Century and Lucky becomes a monk on a mission! I bet you didn't see that one coming. Mmm, neither did I!
This book felt like it was two different books sewn together in the middle. It was like watching an episode of Quantam Leap, where the lead character jumps into different time periods. I had to keep turning back to make sure I had not been sold a dud book that had been rebuilt from spare parts.
To be honest, I actually enjoyed the part of the book set in the 13th century more than I did the modern day part, which worries me a little, as the 13th Century has never appealed to me before. However the story seemed to flow so much better and appeared to be more believable than the first part of the book. In the second half of the book I began to relate to the characters and feel their pain and almost got lost in the story.
This book is full to the brim with religion, which I found quite hard to digest. If you have a thorough knowledge of religious studies, then this book will suit you. Personally, it all went a little over my head. I can understand that Anne Rice is thorough in her research, yet it felt a bit like she had tried to absorb every bit of information she had discovered into this book.
I couldn't conjure up any feelings towards the main character in the book, which made it even more difficult to enjoy it. The main character had committed so many gruesome acts, I struggled to feel the sorrow he felt over the crimes he had committed.
I have always wanted to read an Anne Rice book, but I think I will listen to other book bloggers recommendations in future, as I obviously don't know which ones are the best to read. I really do want to love her books!
I am led to believe that this is the first book in a series, unfortunately, it won't be a series that I will continue with.
The book is centred around a character called Lucky the Fox, who is a contract killer, but one with a conscience. The first two chapters are there to basically to show you this character's soul exists. Personally, I had worked that out in the first couple of pages and didn't need the in depth religious chapters to repeat it to me over and over again.
As Lucky carries out his final contract killing, his guardian angel Malchiah reveals himself. Malchiah wants Lucky to work for him now and help him solve situations rather than killing people. Lucky agrees and then suddenly the book veers off into the 13th Century and Lucky becomes a monk on a mission! I bet you didn't see that one coming. Mmm, neither did I!
This book felt like it was two different books sewn together in the middle. It was like watching an episode of Quantam Leap, where the lead character jumps into different time periods. I had to keep turning back to make sure I had not been sold a dud book that had been rebuilt from spare parts.
To be honest, I actually enjoyed the part of the book set in the 13th century more than I did the modern day part, which worries me a little, as the 13th Century has never appealed to me before. However the story seemed to flow so much better and appeared to be more believable than the first part of the book. In the second half of the book I began to relate to the characters and feel their pain and almost got lost in the story.
This book is full to the brim with religion, which I found quite hard to digest. If you have a thorough knowledge of religious studies, then this book will suit you. Personally, it all went a little over my head. I can understand that Anne Rice is thorough in her research, yet it felt a bit like she had tried to absorb every bit of information she had discovered into this book.
I couldn't conjure up any feelings towards the main character in the book, which made it even more difficult to enjoy it. The main character had committed so many gruesome acts, I struggled to feel the sorrow he felt over the crimes he had committed.
I have always wanted to read an Anne Rice book, but I think I will listen to other book bloggers recommendations in future, as I obviously don't know which ones are the best to read. I really do want to love her books!
I am led to believe that this is the first book in a series, unfortunately, it won't be a series that I will continue with.