The Book on the Hill: September 2009

Wednesday, 30 September 2009

Lost For Words (by Lorelei Mathias)

LOST FOR WORDS
by Lorelei Mathias
Release date : July 2007

Sweet-natured Daisy, assistant at a large publishing house, has two wishes in life. One, to discover the 'next big thing' in books and two, for her gorgeous, philandering boyfriend Miles to finally commit. But soon work starts looking up. When the thoughtful and witty Elliot Thornton comes in for a temporary placement, Daisy quickly forms a close friendship with him. But she'd never want to leave Miles for him, would she? Then, one day, while glancing through her rejection pile, she comes across the intriguing first pages of a novel. With spine-tingling excitement she emails the mysterious author straightaway, and as chapter by chapter slowly filter through to her, she becomes completely spellbound. (summary taken from Lorelei Mathias' website)

MY THOUGHTS : Here is another "unputdownable" chick lit, so classic but so romantic! It made me smile more than once. Although the story is quite predictable and cliche, I stayed glued to the pages and couldn't wait for the happy ending to arrive. I loved the British humor, and I saw myself in the heroin quite often (not to mention I do kind of the same job as she does!). That's the kind of book you have to read on a comfy couch (or beach), with a big piece of cake or/and glass of wine. How chick-litty, but how entertaining!

The Roar (by Emma Clayton)

THE ROAR
by Emma Clayton
Release date : First published in 2008, then April 2009 at The Chicken House

Twelve-year-old twins, Mika and Ellie, live in a future behind a wall – safe from the plague animals beyond. Or so they’ve been told. But when one of them disappears, and the other takes part in a sinister virtual reality game, they begin to discover their concrete world is built on lies. Determined to find each other again, they go in search of the truth. And as a strange sound in their heads grows to a roar, they find out that children and the planet have never mattered more. (summary taken from The Chicken House)

MY THOUGHTS : I dived into this action and suspense-packed story right from the first lines. I sympathised with the characters rather quickly : Mika, his sister and his friends, mutants like him, really know how to use their difference as a strength. The general atmosphere is very well described and we are completely plunged into this dark universe.

Although I was completely into it, at one point I started to grow frustrated. The history is so fascinating that we expect the end to be huge, but the last part of the book is bungled, everything happens too fast and without explanations. The end thus left me perplexed. The descriptions, whether of the characters or the objects, are not conclusive : it is a futuristic and unknown world, and it's a pity that the originality of these elements isn't really developped. Humor is present in tiny touches, and this heavy atmosphere would indeed need a little more lightness from time to time. The somehow simplistic moral "Rich men are nasty and poor men are kind " is a bit cliche and easy.

I found this book intriguing but ended up disappointed. Too many questions and not enough answers... But again, I'm not 10 years old, and I'm sure this book can be appreciated by children the age of the heroes.

Runaway (by Wendelin Van Draanen)

RUNAWAY
By Wendelin Van Draanen
Release Date : September 2006

Holly is in her fifth foster home in two years and she's had enough. She's run away before and always been caught quickly. But she's older and wiser now--she's twelve--and this time she gets away clean. Through tough and tender and angry and funny journal entries, Holly spills out her story. We travel with her across the country--hopping trains, scamming food, sleeping in parks or homeless encampments. And we also travel with her across the gaping holes in her heart--as she finally comes to terms with her mother's addiction and death. (summary taken from Wendelin Van Draanen's website)

MY THOUGHTS : Fascinating and very well written (maybe too well for a 12-year-old character ?). Holly is a very charming character, brave and vulnerable at the same time, very intelligent and strangely cunning. We witness her survival, and we feel the urge to help her as if she really existed.

The end could have been a happy one, but instead it remains realistic, both joyful and nostalgic. The book never falls into pathos, but my problem remained in the fact that the writing doesn't help making the story realistic. Indeed, Holly writes in an innocent way, which does not coincide with the image we would have of a 12 year-old teenager who's spent 6 months on the street. There are some tough moments, so I told myself that maybe Holly occults the most horrible moments she had to go through and therefore doesn't talk about it in her journal. Her writing is also rather mature for her age, but it doen't make the journal less lovable.

All in all, here is an unusual adventure, a very human book, a story both difficult and hopeful.

Tuesday, 29 September 2009

Circle of Blood - A Forensic Mystery Book 3 (by Alane Ferguson)

CIRCLE OF BLOOD (A Forensic Mystery : Book 3)
by Alane Ferguson
Release Date : February 2008

As the assistant to her father, the county coroner of Silverton, Colorado, Cameryn Mahoney gets to witness all aspects of death, including the autopsy room. Yet somehow that feels easy, compared to her personal life.Now that her long-lost mother has made a surprise return, Cameryn's more confused than ever. Things only get worse when she picks up a mysterious young hitch-hiker.
Cameryn senses that the girl is running away from something, but before she can find out more, the girl is found dead--a gun in her hand. Is it suicide? Or something even more sinister ?
(Summary taken from Fantastic Fiction)

MY THOUGHTS : I read this book without having read the previous ones, and it didn't trouble me at all : I was completely hooked to that book! I almost read it in one go.
This is a story full of mysteries, cleverly built and turning the whole book into a thriller full of action. The main theme is a reflexion on life and death, the atmosphere is gloomy and sometimes bloody, but never too much and not in a disturbing way.
I sympathised with the heroin right from the beginning and was intrigued until the end. CSI fans, you'll love this book !

Swimming Upstream, Slowly (by Melissa Clark)

SWIMMING UPSTREAM, SLOWLY
by Melissa Clark
Release Date : September 2006

Sasha Salter is pregnant, only she hasn't had sex in over two years. To her unbelieving ears comes the doctor's diagnosis : Sasha's body has unwittingly hosted a cellular hitchhiker, a medical anomaly known as "lazy sperm". Sasha must now open up the Pandora box of her past loves to figure out which of her exes is the father - and what the future holds in store.

MY THOUGHTS : Witty and juggling between sarcasm and dark humour, this book is a real page-turner. Although the facts were hard to believe (Lazicum Spermatozoa? What?!), I was totally hooked to the story and I stuck to the main character's personal investigation through the whole book.

It's fun, the main plot is cleverly mixed with flashbacks that always pop up at the right moment. A great entertaining read!

Prey by Douglas Hill (Demon Stalkers - Book 1)

PREY (Demon Stalkers : Book 1)
By Douglas Hill
Release Date : July 2008

Nick Walker can pass for eighteen, which comes in useful while living on the streets. But Nick isn't eighteen. He's fourteen. He's been fourteen for years...A chance encounter with Manta, an exceedingly powerful witch, sees Nick cursed with changelessness. Not only will he never age, but, more usefully to Manta, broken bones and sliced flesh, while excruciatingly painful, will mend themselves in a short space of time making Nick the perfect weapon against the demonic assassins sent by the evil Cartel.
Constantly hunted, Nick is forced to run evading his enemy when he can and facing gruesome and bloody battles when he can't. But, help comes from a surprising source April, a young girl Nick rescues from some occult enthusiasts intent on sacrificing her, has powers beyond her control or understanding. Together, might they be a match for the sinister forces that stalk them ?(summary taken from MacMillan Children's Books website)

MY THOUGHTS : Although I liked the main character and found the atmosphere interesting, I didn't get into the book until the middle of it. I found the first part a bit too long and all over the place, with lots of explicative flashbacks that slowed the main plot. The situation of course needed to be installed, but it was a bit too long for my taste.

The second part is more thrilling and dynamic, full of action, but for some reason I wasn't hooked. I felt like I was reading a long prologue actually. But fans of urban monsters stories may enjoy Nick's adventures. It just didn't catch my personal eye.

Monday, 28 September 2009

A is for Angst (by Barbara Haworth-Attard)

A iS FOR ANGST
by Barbara Haworth-Attard
Release date : August 21, 2007
Released in America as : My Life from Air Bras to Zits

14 year old Teresa is about to enter the 10th grade. She loves making lists and talking to her Barbie and Ken (although she'll never admit it). But right now, she mostly spends her time stressing about dropping down the social rankings and becoming a Sub-Normal (SN). If she does, she will never attract the attention of Achingly Adorable Adam (AAA), an Above-Normal (AA). At home, she has to deal with her soon-to-be-married sister, her grandfather's weird behaviour, and the unexpected pregnancy of an important family member. Her self-confidence isn't at its highest peak, and even though the brand-new bra her sister gave her boosts up her ego (and her feminine profile), it won't miraculously help her to get through the many problems that she has to face. Or will it ?

MY THOUGHTS : A very fun read ! Teresa's lists, personal notes and encyclopedic definitions really made me laugh (sometimes out loud). The story doesn't stop at her love and school life, and that's a big plus, especially since the family's events and characters are so comical and well-written.

Although most of the plot can be predictable, the originality and excentricity the writing brings about make the book entertaining and never boring.

Witty, touching, cruelly realistic, A IS FOR ANGST will be highly appreciated by teenage girls but also by young adults and adults.

Diary of a Working Girl (by Daniella Brodsky)

DIARY OF A WORKING GIRL
by Daniella Brodsky
Release Date : April 2004

Lane Silverman is a freelance writer, but most of her work is published in magazines no one's heard of. Determined to make it to the big magazines, she brainstorms for the perfect article to pitch. It's not easy. Lane has difficulty concentrating as her thoughts run where they always run: to meeting her Prince Charming and what she'll be wearing when she does. Her flighty romantic, nature is what kept her single. Then Lane comes up with the perfect idea: she'll get a real job with the express purpose of finding a man to live happily ever after with and then chronicle her findings. She's ecstatic when Cosmopolitan likes her idea, and when she lands a job as an assistant for a financial company, she's dumfounded by the sheer number of men surrounding her. Again, things aren't as simple as she thinks they'll be, especially when she's sidetracked by the perfect man, one who doesn't work at her company ! (Summary taken from Daniella Brodsky’s website)

MY THOUGHTS : You know how we tend to overuse the expression “I couldn’t put it down”? Well, in this case, I struggled NOT to put it down. I found the story unrealistic and sadly predictable. The book had trouble keeping my attention, and at one point I was skipping paragraphs. The main character is a self-absorbed and superficial woman and I didn’t manage to sympathize with her. She does try to change and to look at her mistakes, but it didn’t work for me. Sometimes the book takes us so far from the main plot and some sentences drag so much that some chapters that looked promising were spoiled. I didn’t find the story interesting (although it started well) and not much happens. The moral was clear but way too explicative and long, which was unnecessary. The story is full of cliches, and although many (if not all) chick lits are, I found it really boring in this one. Oh, and the repetition of the word “pregnant” really annoyed me (I was glad to see I was not the only one noticing this, a reviewer on Amazon did too!).

Worm in the Blood/Beast Beneath the Skin/Heart of the Serpent (by Thomas Bloor)

WORM IN THE BLOOD
by Thomas Bloor
Release date : July 2005

Sam Lim-Evans is a 14-year old boy living in London.
He is preoccupied with ordinary teenage problems until he discovers a major family secret.
Not only is his life transformed, but also his own body, his DNA bearing his family inheritance.
Sam needs to understand more about his dead mother’s past and has to cope with a physical
transformation that is hard to bear, and even more hard to hide...

----- SPOILERS ahead -----
Do Not Read Unless You Want To Know More Than You Should !

BEAST BENEATH THE SKIN
by Thomas Bloor
Release date : July 2006

Sam is hiding in rural Ireland, where he learns how to control his new powers as a half-boy, half-dragon.
It is getting harder for him to cling on to his human life and form, and he is willing to fight the beast inside him.
But he cannot escape the attentions of a powerful enemy, and when people close to him start to disappear,
he has no choice but to save them. Flashbacks explain the legend behind Sam’s condition, and the action
swings from Ireland to Bosnia, and from North Wales to East London.

HEART OF THE SERPENT
by Thomas Bloor
Release date : July 2007

Sam has to protect his friends and family from his powerful ennemies, and fight for his life and to protect the whole world from destruction in this third and last book of the series.

MY THOUGHT ON THE SERIES : A thrilling read, full of suspense and action! In the first book, the plot would’ve been a bit flat if it hadn’t been for the two parallel stories. But that’s the only thing that I could think of “negatively” speaking.

The series is mysterious and dynamic. Descriptions are good (Sam’s transformations for example are incredibly realistic). There are some unexpected developments all the time, and the more you read, the more the characters grow and the story unfolds. The writing is lively, swinging from action scenes to emotional moments with ease.

It is a really entertaining read, full of passion, legends, love, fight and more...!