Book Review: The Ocean At The End Of The Lane; Neil Gaiman.

I always find myself getting a little bit excited when I start a book by Neil Gaiman. His worlds are always built so well and I find myself really enjoying them! I thought this time, having read a couple of children's books, I'd go for something a bit different. I bought it a couple of months ago and it fit perfectly into the Key Word Challenge for this month. Also, being under 300 pages, it definitely fits into the Quick Fix Challenge too!

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: The Ocean At The End Of The Lane
AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Headline Publishing Group
PAGES: 255
GENRE: Fantasy, Magical Realism, Horror, Adult

RATING: 3.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.


Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

What I Liked:

• Neil Gaiman's imagination seriously never ceases to amaze me. Some of the crazy things this man comes up with are so bizarre, and yet I love it all! This book was no different. He created a world that seemed like nothing more than a man's distant memory of a somewhat magical childhood. And yet, there was an underlying sinister tone that something was not quite right. Did it all happen or was it in his head? I was gripped from start to finish, and there were some pretty horrifying events that kept my eyes glued to the page.
• The characters were pretty cool in this one. The Nameless Boy was a likeable hero, despite the fact that nameless main characters usually irritate me. The Hempstocks were a curious, fun family and they reminded me a lot of one of my friends, her Mother and Grandmother. Seriously, the likeness is uncanny. I also really liked Ursula Monkton as a villain.

What I Disliked:

• The fact that the story was short meant that it was a bit of a whirlwind and I couldn't help but feel disappointed that the story wasn't longer and more fully explored. Ursula Monkton for example could definitely have stuck around a bit longer to cause more havoc than she did! She had so much potential!

Overall Conclusion:

I have enjoyed a few Gaiman books recently, but this is definitely my favourite so far. It had a really cool concept, good characters, and a fantastically creative world in which it was set. I will forever worship the imagination of Neil Gaiman, it amazes and horrifies at the same time. I just wish the book had been longer!

Book Review: Coraline; Neil Gaiman.

Well everybody before I begin this review, I just have to let you all know that I have moved into the new flat. What that means is I have no wifi until Friday 12th and that's going to hinder my post writing abilities a little. I'm writing this using my phone's 3G so no pictures and I'll have to re-edit after I get proper Internet. Now: this book. I really enjoyed this read and I'm entering it as a Monthly Motif entry, as well as a Quick Fix.

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Coraline
AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: William Morrow
PAGES: 186
GENRE: Middle Grade, Horror, Adventure

RATING: 4/5 Stars

Blurb:
Coraline's often wondered what's behind the locked door in the drawing room. It reveals only a brick wall when she finally opens it, but when she tries again later, a passageway mysteriously appears. Coraline is surprised to find a flat decorated exactly like her own, but strangely different. And when she finds her "other" parents in this alternate world, they are much more interesting despite their creepy black button eyes. When they make it clear, however, that they want to make her theirs forever, Coraline begins a nightmarish game to rescue her real parents and three children imprisoned in a mirror. With only a bored-through stone and an aloof cat to help, Coraline confronts this harrowing task of escaping these monstrous creatures.

What I Liked:

• The world building was rather effective in this one and gave the whole book a very creepy atmosphere. I love creepy! Now I have watched the movie so knew partly what to expect but for anyone coming into this fresh, prepare yourself. There are some pretty terrifying ideas here! 
• Coraline was a great heroine! She felt, thought and acted like a child and yet was both brave and level-headed. I loved her to bits! The side characters were interesting too, I grew rather fond of the cat. He was hilarious! 

What I Disliked:

• I really do wish this book had been a lot longer. I felt like it got to the point a little too quickly meaning I didn't have time to be completely freaked out or feel like Coraline was in any true danger. Maybe a couple of trips to see the Other Mother, to build up the tension? I just felt it was over with a bit too quickly.

Overall Conclusion:

I really did enjoy reading this, especially after loving the film so much!  It was funny and quirky, yet gave me the chills too. The characters were really well written, and I adored the world building. I really wanted to read much more though,  I was disappointed that it finished so quickly!

 

Book Review: If You Find Me; Emily Murdoch.

So the amount of time it took me to read this was significantly shorter than my last read! Thank goodness too, I thought I would fail one of my challenges! It was a much shorter read so I'll be entering it as a 'Quick Fix', as well as into the 'Key Words' challenge.

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: If You Find Me
AUTHOR: Emily Murdoch
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Orion
PAGES: 257
GENRE: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery

RATING: 4.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen-year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey's younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and the girls are found by their father, a stranger, and taken to re-enter the "normal" life of school, clothes and boys. 


Now, Carey must come to terms with the truth of why their mother spirited them away ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won't let her go ... a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn't spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

What I Liked:

• I'll begin with Murdoch's writing style, which was absolutely stunning. There are some gorgeous and inspiring quotes in this book, and Murdoch really does a great job with a very emotional tale. There are many sensitive subjects found in this book and she handles them with care, yet isn't afraid to shy away from them. This results in a beautiful tale that really wrenches the heart, and I was hooked from page one.
• The characters in this book are great! They are very complex and likeable, and it is easy to see what motivates each and every one of them. I liked the sisters, they had a lovely bond that read very well. I liked that there was more to Delaney than a sulky, spoilt teenager. Murdoch really got inside the heads of her characters, and for that I commend her. Complex characters are the best kind!

What I Disliked:

• I really think this book would have made five stars, if it weren't for the fact that I wanted to see a bit more in some areas. I felt like Carey adapted to school quite quickly for example, and would have loved to have seen her meet more characters, as well as read a bit more interaction with some of the people she meets. Pixie and Ryan were great characters, and really likeable, but I didn't see nearly enough of them.

Overall Conclusion:

This book was simply gorgeous. The writing was undeniably beautiful, quotable and at times very poetic. I would love to read more of Murdoch's work! The issues of abuse, mental health and drugs were handled very well and with great care on Murdoch's part. The characters were fantastic as well! I wish that the book had been longer so I could have read more from some of them, as there wasn't enough padding in some areas. A beautiful read though, and just what I needed!

Book Review: Doll Bones; Holly Black.

My apologies for a fairly late reviewing of this book, I'm currently very ill and it's completely knocked the energy and enthusiasm to do anything out of me. I'm feeling slightly perkier right now so am making the most of this short reprieve and reviewing my latest read, 'Doll Bones' by Holly Black. It was short, less than 300 pages, so it's going in the Quick Fix Challenge entries. I am also going to enter it as a Paranormal book for the Jumble Your Genres challenge.

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Doll Bones
AUTHOR: Holly Black
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Random House Children's Publishers
PAGES: 256
GENRE: Paranormal, Adventure, Middle Grade

RATING: 4/5 Stars

Blurb:
Twelve-year-old Zach is too old to play with toys. Or at least, that's what his father thinks.

But even though he stops hanging out with Poppy and Alice, stops playing with his action figures, it's no good. There's one toy that still wants to play with him. A doll that's made from the bones of a dead girl.


The only way to end the game is to lay the doll to rest forever. It's time for a journey to Spring Grove cemetery. It's time to grow up.

What I Liked:

• I got more than I bargained for in terms of character development with this one. Before reading, I honestly thought the main focus here would be the Doll itself, and the adventure/mystery surrounding it. Instead I gained a huge insight into the lives of the three children this book centres on (particularly Zach) and this book served more as a coming-of-age tale. I really liked how much it surprised me on that level. I loved the large focus on friendship and family, it made it surprisingly deep.
• The quest they go on felt realistic, and I loved it's simplicity. It made for an enjoyable plot-line that I could follow easily and read smiling the whole way through. Black wrote really well too, it was easy to understand what was going on and the plot flowed nicely.

What I Disliked:

• The fact that there wasn't much of a ghost story (which I was expecting) did have it's downfalls. I never really found myself scared, or even a little creeped out. We do get some back-story, but we don't ever get a large amount of spooky moments, nor did I ever feel like the ghost was very dangerous. It was hinted at throughout the book that the doll was supposed to be evil in some way, but she came off as nothing more than an impatient nuisance to me. 

Overall Conclusion:

There is a lot more to this book than you would expect. Or rather, I found it was a different kind of story to what I thought I would read. Instead of a chilling ghost story involving evil dolls performing terrible deeds and frightening children, I found a slightly haunted doll being pretty bothersome and rather ungrateful at times in my opinion. Nonetheless, the story of the children themselves took it to a whole new level and I really enjoyed this read!

Book Review: Dragon's Curse; H.L. Burke.

So this is one book that definitely took me by surprise. In a good way! It only took me a day to read, it was quite short so it's going to be a 'Quick Fix' entry. Honestly though, I can't wait to share my thoughts!

SOURCE: Author Sent Copy
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Dragon's Curse
AUTHOR: H.L. Burke
SERIES: The Dragon And The Scholar (#1)
PUBLISHER: CreateSpace
PAGES: 165
GENRE: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance

RATING: 3.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
On her first assignment out of the Academy, young healer and scholar, Shannon Macaulay is summoned to the struggling kingdom of Regone to see to the wounds of a young but crippled king. When the unwanted attentions of an aggressive knight and the sudden appearance of a hated dragon turn her world upside down, she decides to take matters into her own hands even if doing so proves dangerous. 


Finding herself strangely drawn to the company of the dragon, Gnaw, Shannon must force herself out of her safe world of books and botany to come to the aid of her unexpected ally in a strange kingdom, cursed by a fateful encounter with a dragon and the loss of a beloved prince. Can she learn to put aside her fears, and perhaps sacrifice her deepest desires, to help a friend and restore a family?

What I Liked:

• Let's start with the plot, which completely blew me away. The blurb sounded intriguing to me from the beginning, but I don't think I ever expected to get so hooked on this book! I honestly cannot believe how much I enjoyed it, and how desperate I am to read the next one! I was completely engrossed from beginning to end. There were a fair few twists and turns that kept me on my toes too.
• The characters were really well-written and there were some wonderful relationships in there. The obvious being Shannon and Gnaw, the Dragon that she befriends. I really rooted for those two as a duo, and I think their interactions were my favourite. They had some pretty funny conversations as well! I liked the side characters too, they were very likeable.

What I Disliked:

• I guess my main issue with this book was that it was so short. Burke did a wonderful job at writing a really good story in this short page-count, but I would have liked to seen more. I liked Shannon as a heroine but I wanted to get to know her a bit better. Similarly, the romance in the book could have done with developing a little more slowly I suppose.

Overall Conclusion:

They say you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, and the cover for this book didn't blow me away. The story inside however absolutely did, proving that phrase to be totally true. The characters and plot were just fantastic, Burke wrote really well and I found the story both easy to follow and gripping to read. I would have liked to have seen a teeny bit more detail! If this book had been just a little more padded out, I would liked it more. I really want to read the next one though!

Book Review (Blog Tour - Interview and Giveaway!): Moonfall; Vanessa Morton.

Goodness me! Is it July already? So do you remember months ago me talking in a post about how excited I was to be invited to take part in my first ever Blog Tour? Well here it is! Vanessa Morton's 'Moonfall', the first in the 'Tales From The Levant' series is a book that instantly caught my eye on Netgalley and I couldn't wait to get stuck in. This post won't just include a review though, I have a Q&A with the wonderful author herself, and an International Giveaway for an E-Copy of the book for you lovely lot. I will also be using this book as a 'Quick Fix' entry! Before I start, I'd like to thank Vanessa for writing such a great book and taking the time to answer my questions, and Sami for getting me involved in the tour in the first place! If you want to keep following the Blog Tour and read some of the posts that have been up for it so far, then follow this link. There's a timetable at the bottom!

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Moonfall
AUTHOR: Vanessa Morton
SERIES: Tales From The Levant (#1)
PUBLISHER: WEbook Publishing
PAGES: 245
GENRE: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy

RATING: 3.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
When sixteen-year-old Rachav drinks the Moon Temple’s forbidden wine, she hardly expects it to result in the death of a priestess. But when King Nur orders Rachav to serve the Queen of the Night - the kingdom’s powerful goddess - as restitution, Rachav’s identical twin, Zaron, has her own reasons for joining the priesthood and offers to take her twin’s place. But choices have consequences. Now Rachav’s family is in danger. As she uncovers the shocking reason why, she finds an ally in Salma, a brooding nomad who wields an ancient force powerful enough to destroy the entire kingdom. While the epic showdown rages above the city, Rachav plays a dangerous game of her own. Can she rescue her sister and right the wrongs of that fateful choice? Or will the king succeed and trap her in the doomed city?

What I Liked:

• The world-building was just ridiculously good in this book! Anyone who has read my reviews before knows I love stories that are well-grounded in context and this one certainly was. I was transported to a really different and interesting world and I really felt like Morton knew what she was writing about. It was so refreshing! I was impressed as well because there was a huge level of detail, and yet it never became overwhelming or boring to read. 
• The character relationships in this book were really interesting and I loved their interactions. For example, the relationship between Rachav and Zaron was so well-written and really reflected a true interpretation of twins who look identical but think differently. Also, despite it not being the main focus of the book, I loved the hints of romance I got between Rachav and Salma. In fact, the chapters that focused on Rachav's time in Salma's camp were among my favourites. I really wanted to read more of them and got extremely excited when I found out that this is the first book in a planned series!
• The plot was very memorable and I really liked the way it took a recognisable Biblical story of old, and mixed in elements of Fantasy. I thought that it was paced very well and I was hooked from start to finish! Vanessa Morton writes really well too, her style has a really nice flow to it that kept me wanting more.

What I Disliked:

• This is a pretty small issue but having read the book, I actually felt Rachav's initial decision to sneak into the temple to drink the forbidden wine was a little out of keeping with her character from that point onward. I would have maybe liked an explanation as to why she actually chose to do it. I felt a little thrown into the beginning but this feeling soon disappeared, it wasn't a huge issue.

Overall Conclusion:

This book was an good read and one I really enjoyed. I am a big fan of well-written Historical Fiction and this definitely checks that box. I also love the inclusion of Fantasy in any book, it's my favourite genre. Guess what, this one has that too! Another aspect I really enjoyed was an obvious connection between Rachav and Salma but it was built slowly. And I love slow-building romances, it just feels so much more natural and right. I had a slightly rocky start with this book admittedly, but I enjoyed it far too much not to give it an awesome rating. I can't wait to read Book two!

Author Interview:

1) So this is your debut novel! What inspired you to pick up the pen and write it? 

In the beginning, I wanted to write entertaining stories for my daughters because they were studying ancient history and most of the historical fiction we found was either authentic and dull, or it was interesting, but not very accurate. My goal was to write authentic yet entertaining stories.

2) What challenges, if any, did you face in bringing your idea to life? Is there anything you would do differently? 

At first, I researched much more than I wrote. I ended up with tons of details and a story that read more like a research paper than a novel. The year before I signed my publishing contract, I had cut over 25% of the story to restore the original vision of entertainment! Now I'm more selective when choosing authentic details, and I don't let it get in the way of the story!

3) I really like the cover design! Who actually came up with it? 

I'm glad you like it! My publisher, WEbook, has a creative team that designs their authors' covers. I asked them to feature a moon and this is what they came up with… it's awesome!

4) 'Moonfall' has, in my opinion, a really interesting plot concept which I’ve not really seen before! Where did the idea come from? 

My daughters were studying the ancient Levant, and we'd been talking about the legend of Jericho, did it really happen and what would it be like for a teen to live inside the walls? I discovered that supernatural events were normal—even expected—in that era, which added a fascinating yet authentic layer to the story.

5) How easy was the process of getting your book published? 

My publication story is not typical. I've been a member of WEbook for several years. It's a social network where writers submit their work through successive rounds of peer judging. The process can lead to an opportunity for publication, as it did for me.

6) Do you consider writing as your career? 

Writing is my passion, but it doesn't support me … yet! I still have a career by day, and I squeeze writing into my evenings and weekends.

7) Out of interest, name the last few books that you read which you really enjoyed! 

My tastes are eclectic. During the last few months, my favorites were Doctor Sleep (Stephen King), Iscariot: a Novel of Judas (Tosca Lee), and I always keep a book of poetry going—right now it's English Romantic Verse.

Wow so many exciting things on this post, and I really enjoyed reading this book, and conducting the Q&A! Now for something even more exciting for you guys, a chance to win a free copy of the book itself! It is an E-Copy and so the Giveaway is open internationally. Enjoy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Lord Of The Flies; William Golding.

I'm pretty pleased that I managed to get through this book before Bev had to return it, it was well worth a read. I had some fairly mixed thoughts on this book and I look forward to getting into them! As it was a short book below 300 pages, it will count as a Quick Fix! Also the word 'Of' appears in the title, so I may as well enter it into the Key Word Challenge too!

SOURCE: Borrowed
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Lord Of The Flies
AUTHOR: William Golding
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Faber & Faber
PAGES: 264
GENRE: Classics, Dystopian, Horror, Young Adult

RATING: 3.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
William Golding's compelling story about a group of very ordinary small boys marooned on a coral island has become a modern classic. At first, it seems as though it's all going to be great fun; but the fun before long becomes furious & life on the island turns into a nightmare of panic & death. As ordinary standards of behavior collapse, the whole world the boys know collapses with them—the world of cricket & homework & adventure stories—& another world is revealed beneath, primitive & terrible.



What I Liked:

• William Golding is a really compelling writer. There were some really cool quotes in this book and I found the novel to be very clever, mostly easy to follow and very engaging. I can absolutely see why this is a classic, I could see that there was a real focus to his words and I came out of reading it feeling like I'd learnt something. With this book, reading between the lines is rewarding, yet taking it at face value generates a good book too.
• I thought that the plot concept was fantastic! Watching the subtle changes to the boys both physically and mentally was fascinating, particularly as while reading, I had to continually remind myself that they were only children. There were some real moments of horror (which I loved) and I found myself gripped by what would happen next!
• The abrupt ending! 'What?' I hear you cry. 'Who likes abrupt endings?'. I have complained about abrupt endings in the past but in this case it was necessary. It was just the fact that the situation had degenerated into such a horrific and brutal mess, only to be interrupted and stopped as quickly as that really bought home to me what it was I had just read. I loved it!

What I Disliked:

• I felt that for me personally, I could not get used to the lack of back-story. I like a bit of detail when it comes to building up characters and situations, but Golding was very much writing in the book's present and paid little attention to the past. It left me feeling a bit confused at times and I did have to reread certain areas to check that I was following the book okay. I wasn't sure when the book was set, why there were no girls and only boys, what exactly had happened to the plane and why the children had survived, but the grownups hadn't. I think that the lack of attention to these details were purposeful, but I didn't really like it.
• Despite enjoying the book, I left it still feeling a little unattached. The previously mentioned back-story meant I didn't really care about the characters in the way I have with other books. I was horrified by some of the going-ons, but I wasn't upset or really angered by them. I felt like a pretty neutral and uncaring reader as the events unfolded before my eyes and I don't think I enjoyed that aspect of it.

Overall Conclusion:

This book works beautifully as commentary on society, the human condition and the effects that war and politics can have. It raises some pretty deep questions and the plot is actually pretty scary when you realise what you are reading. But I wasn't as emotionally invested as I would have liked, and normally stories read better to me if I understand fully what is happening. The ending was a stroke of genius though, definitely worth a read.

Book Review: The Graveyard Book; Neil Gaiman.

I did it! I finally read a Neil Gaiman book! It has taken me so long to finally get round to reading one and it was beginning to get really annoying as I kept having to put it off. However, it was worth the wait. I'll be entering this book into a couple of challenges. Firstly, it's less than 300 pages so counts as a 'Quick Fix'. Secondly, I'm using it as my entry for the 2014 'Key Word Challenge'!

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: The Graveyard Book
AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Harper Collins
PAGES: 236
GENRE: Fantasy, Children's Literature, Horror

RATING: 3.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.


Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family...

What I Liked:

• I really liked the plot-line. It was a pretty simple story idea (based on 'The Jungle Book' in fact), which worked on so many levels! I was hooked from the first page, really buying into the danger of the situation and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised about just how invested I was considering that the book is aimed at children. The structuring of it styled each chapter as a mini-adventure that Bod gets into, but contributed to the overriding sense of danger which I really liked.
• The characters were well-written and interesting. I loved watching Bod develop and grow over the course of the story. It gave a real sense of him maturing as the years went by, and he became cleverer and braver as time went on. Silas was probably my favourite character, Bod's powerful but purposefully detached Guardian who also develops along with the story.

What I Disliked:

• I would probably have to say the ending here. I liked the emotional value of it and I did shed a tear. But my reason for not being too happy with it was because the story-arc for one character took a completely unexpected turn which I didn't really like. I don't want to give too much away but early on, a character is introduced, leaves and then is reintroduced again. What happens to that character left me wondering the point of re-introducing her in the first place.

Overall Conclusion:

I was so pleasantly surprised by this children's book! When people recommended it to me (and a lot did) as a fantastic Gaiman book I was a little taken aback to see it was aimed towards an audience much younger than myself. However it had just the right amount of macabre, emotion and imagination put into it that made it very much a worthwhile read for all sorts of ages!

Book Review: A Red Tale; Nicola Mar.

So it didn't take me a hugely long time to get through this book, it was pretty short. I'm also pretty aware that tomorrow is the last day of May so that is why I'm posting this review now rather than tomorrow. As it was only a little book, I'll be entering it into the Quick Fix Challenge, and you'll find the button for that below this review!

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: A Red Tale
AUTHOR: Nicola Mar
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Smith Publicity
PAGES: 218
GENRE: Mystery, Fantasy, Middle Grade

RATING: 1/5 Stars

Blurb:
Snow has been falling on the Caribbean island of St. Michael for years, diminishing plant and animal life and leading to extinction. But underneath the island's ocean lies Surritz--a tropical, magical realm where water dragons known as Wayters have discovered their power of reason. 

After being hypnotized, fifteen-year-old Stasia Forrester meets Billy, a Wayter that makes her realize she has the ability to reverse global cooling. But Stasia has something that Billy wants, and to get it, Stasia must travel back in time. She soon discovers that her connection to Surritz is more complicated than she could have ever imagined. When love starts to guide her conscience, she faces tough choices. 


How will her decisions affect global cooling if her needs are more important to her than saving humanity? Does she trust that Billy is telling her the truth? If so, she may lose the only true love she has ever known.

What I Liked:

• The beginning instantly sparked my curiosity and caught my attention. I liked how the Wayters were introduced, it was a nice introduction and the subsequent first few chapters flowed well and seemed really promising. It's not too often that a book instantly grabs me like this one managed to and I was really excited about what it might have in store. Also, I've never read a book set on a Caribbean Island before and that made a nice change of scenery.
• The concept itself was pretty original. I loved the idea of Global Cooling, the Wayters were pretty intriguing creatures and the strange dreams of an even stranger land were intriguing to read. I didn't feel like I'd read anything similar before and I have to say, that was a pretty big plus point for me. I wanted to hear more about Surritz, the magic land included.

What I Disliked:

• I'll start with the really major problem for me first. After the pretty interesting introductory chapters, I really felt that the whole plot began to unravel a bit. Things happened without any real explanation, I felt like there was far too much going on at once and it began to get confusing. I felt like, at times, I was reading a stream of consciousness from the author. At other times, I would just sit with a befuddled expression on my face wondering what on earth was happening. It frustrated me to see a book lose it more and more as it progressed. There was a lack of explanation for how and why certain parts of the journey happened, I was just meant to accept it.
• This isn't such a major concern but I didn't really find myself attached to any of the characters. Stasia as a main character was a tad boring and some of the characters surrounding her were pretty irritating. Amelie was a perfect example of this, every time she came up with a crazy theory I just found myself groaning in annoyance. I felt generally the characters were not very consistent in their personalities or their opinions. I also had a hard time keeping track because one character might be related to others through past lives and in the end it all got a bit confusing and strangely creepy.
• I was left with quite a number of unanswered questions. What happened to Abe? Who on earth was Maisie really? Where did Maisie and Flynn disappear to? Were the Wayters actually bad or not? And how on earth did this entire book result in the end of Global Cooling because I see absolutely no reference to this end result whatsoever?! It was disappointing, given the amount of confusion I got while reading, that the ending was so abrupt and my burning questions were brushed aside.

Overall Conclusion:

All in all, this was not a great read for me. Yes there were some nice bits in there, especially at the beginning but I felt that during most of the book there was just too much going on and very little made sense. I didn't know who I was meant to like or trust, why most of the characters were even there, and why parts of the story even needed to exist. It felt quite messy and jumbled at times and I feel like there should have been a lot more focus in this one. Still, it wasn't totally terrible! I just wished that the very loose ends had been thoroughly explained at the end.

Book Review: The Poison Eaters And Other Stories; Holly Black

It didn't take me long to get through this collection of short stories, which I'm glad about because I've been really keen to share my thoughts on these as I've read more and more. I decided I needed to read them after hearing that one would be set in the same book universe as 'Tithe' which I was eager to hear more from. Thank goodness I did! I am using this book for a couple of challenges too so that fits in with this month's plans quite nicely. This month's 'Monthly Motif' is Short & Sweet, and so a collection of Short Stories is the ideal entry! Also, the number of pages in this collection falls below 300 so that's one more entry for the 'Quick Fix challenge'.

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: The Poison Eaters And Other Stories
AUTHOR: Holly Black
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Small Beer Press
PAGES: 212
GENRE: Young Adult, Short Stories, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

RATING: 4/5 Stars

Blurb
Poisonous girls whose kisses will kill. A fateful eating contest with the devil. Faeries who return to Ironside, searching for love. A junior prom turned Bacchanalia. In twelve short stories, eerie and brimming with suspense and unexpected humour, Holly Black twists the fantastical creatures you thought you knew in ways you'll never expect.





What I Liked:

• So before I go into specific stories, I'll look at the book as a whole. Black has included some really creative and original ideas for a variety of different Supernatural creatures. You'll find Faeries, Vampires, Werewolves, Elves, Unicorns, the Devil and even some well known book characters brought to life! I found Black's take on these creatures to be really interesting too, very different and original from other, more traditional interpretations of the very same creatures. This was something that I really enjoyed, that Black could create such original and vivid ideas based on myths and legends that already exist surrounding what she writes about. I also found really admirable the inclusion of other issues within the stories, sexuality being a big one. Some authors shy away from such subjects but Black fully embraced them and I really liked their inclusion, it gave another focus to the stories and made them more interesting to read than just Fantasy stories.
• The characters that Black wrote, as to be expected of her, were complex and fun to read. Firstly, the story 'The Land Of Heart's Desire' based in the Universe of 'Tithe' reminded me just how much I loved that world and the characters found within it. It also did some major exploring of relationships that I would have loved to have seen in the novel itself, mostly between Corny and Roiben. I had expected another Kaye and Roiben story so I was very pleased to see Black take the story in a different direction (though of course the romance would have been great too). As for some of the new characters that I hadn't met before, I would love to see some of these short stories turned into full-length novels! I particularly enjoyed 'Virgin' for this reason, Jen and Zachary were a great pair and I wanted to read more of them! I also found a similar feeling with 'The Night Market' the characterisation and vivid descriptions of the setting made it a particularly good read.
• My favourite story of the lot has to be 'The Coat Of Stars'. It follows a much more traditional Fairy-tale format in some areas, but gives it an entirely new twist in others! Rafe and Lyle were so interesting as a pairing and I was so glad to see that they actually got a good, solid ending to their story. The descriptions were wonderful, particularly of Rafe's costumes, the idea behind it (despite being so obviously based on a Fairy-Tale format) felt wholly original and I was totally hooked. If I had to recommend reading only one of these twelve well-written stories, it would be this one. It strikes a feeling of both familiarity and newness into the heart.

What I Disliked:

• I think this can be expected in most Short Story collections, but some of the stories didn't impress me as much as others. I didn't find them boring, I just felt they weren't as strong as others I had read in the collection. 'In Vodka Veritas' and 'The Dog King' had some really nice moments and interesting ideas behind them, but overall I came away not overly impressed. I also wanted to see a bit more from 'Going Ironside', which felt cut a little too short as it was such an intriguing idea! My least favourite story was probably the titular one, 'The Poison Eaters'. I didn't really like the characters involved, felt a little confused about the plot-line and found it to be the most disappointing read of them all.
• Looking at all the stories as a whole, I think I felt a little of how I felt when I read 'Tithe'. Holly Black's writing style is very fast-paced and there are a lot of moments easily missed if not read carefully. I think this probably is the reason why I didn't enjoy a couple of the stories, they felt rushed from time to time. As well as this, the endings to a few felt abrupt and gave those stories an unfinished feel. It worked well for some as it left me wanting more. For others, it just irritated me.

Overall Conclusion:

A really nice collection and certainly on the more enjoyable end of Short Story collections I have read. Yes, there were some stories that I didn't enjoy so much, but the ones that I did more than made up for this. Black has a really unique spin on the Supernatural world (something I discovered when reading 'Tithe') and it was nice to see her cover a wide range of creatures and topics. The characters were very strong and a good number of these stories, if expanded upon, would make really nice stand-alone novels. I think that in itself is impressive and Holly Black did a really nice job here! 

Book Review: A Certain Slant Of Light; Laura Whitcomb

So as well as finally getting my review for 'The Fault In Our Stars' up, I finished 'A Certain Slant Of Light' within a few hours of doing that! This is good because I feel like I've been a bit quiet on the book front, so here I am bouncing back! I'll be entering this book into a couple of challenges. Firstly, 'Light' is one of the 2014 'Key Words' so that's another entry for that challenge! Also, the book had 282 pages so counts as a 'Quick Fix' entry. Buttons for those can be found at the bottom of the page!

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: A Certain Slant Of Light
AUTHOR: Laura Whitcomb
SERIES: Light (#1)
PUBLISHER: HMH Books For Young Readers
PAGES: 282
GENRE: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Ghost Story

RATING: 4.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
In the class of the high school English teacher she has been haunting, Helen feels them: For the first time in 130 years, human eyes are looking at her. They belong to a boy, a boy who has not seemed remarkable until now. And Helen - terrified, but intrigued, is drawn to him. The fact that he is in a body and she is not presents this unlikely couple with their first challenge. But as the lovers struggle to find a way to be together, they begin to discover the secrets of their former lives and of the young people they come to possess.



What I Liked:

• This was a really original concept! I have read a fair few Paranormal Romance books in my time and first off, barely any of them include ghosts. This one had two! I liked the rules that Whitcomb came up with that ghosts had to stick to, I liked the methods of bending those rules that Whitcomb came up with too. While reading, I was hit by the feeling that I have never read anything like this before, and it was very refreshing to realise that.
• James and Helen. Such a good couple, I was rooting for them the whole way through! I have seen complaints that they fell in love too quickly from other reviewers, and this worried me because I'm normally very fussy about the pace of a romance. I thought Whitcomb did a good job though! What needs to be taken into consideration here is that Helen is lonely. Up until this point she's had 130 years of being around, but invisible to all humans. Whitcomb really sold that loneliness to me, and on James' part too, because despite having found a vacated body to live in and the fact that he can interact with humans, he is still the only one in his situation. He is still an outsider. Would they have fallen so head over heels so quickly in normal circumstances? Probably not. But these were not normal circumstances.
• There are some great quotes and lovely writing in this book! Whitcomb is extraordinarily gifted and has a talent in making a reader understand exactly how a character is feeling about a situation. I loved the language and writing style, and found myself hooked on every word. It felt like a modern-day story written by a historical character, which was precisely what it was! 

What I Disliked:

• The reason I think that I ended up knocking off half a star was because although I enjoyed it, it did feel a little predictable a times. This ultimately meant that I never truly felt like the book had many twists and turns that threatened the characters I cared about, because I had already guessed it would happen and figured out to an extent how they might overcome the problem. It didn't hugely infringe on my enjoyment of the story, it all just felt a little too safe.
• This isn't really dislike, more confusion. There is a sequel to this book, and while I look forward to getting my hands on it because I really enjoyed this one, I'm not sure it's entirely necessary. This book just ended too well! Loose ends were tied, I felt like character's stories were finished. Is there really any need to continue the story at all? I've had a little look into the vague plot-line for the second book, and it is told more from the POV of the two bodies, Billy and Jenny, that were left behind. Okay, I suppose I can understand that but is there any need to bring back Helen and potentially James too? Perhaps Whitcomb did not originally plan a sequel and so that's why the perfect (almost ridiculously happy) ending but I am still a bit mixed on this one. I guess I should reserve judgement for when I've read it!

Overall Conclusion:

I really did enjoy this book rather a lot! Full marks for originality and writing skill, Whitcomb's prose was lovely to read! Also she really writes romance very well, this couple is one of my favourites that I've read in a while and I rooted for them from the moment they met! There was a certain inevitability about the book in terms of plot-line. Perhaps I just made a few lucky guesses, but I wish that there had been a few unexpected twists thrown in there. I would really recommend this one though, it's very different from a lot of Paranormal Romances I have read previously and if that's something you enjoy, you'll want to give this one a try.

Book Review: The Hotel Fakir; Adam Smolka

My second full-length Goodreads 'First-Reads' Giveaway review. I didn't think it would take me long to finish this one (I was right), it was less than a hundred pages long! In all honesty, it wasn't really my cup of tea and there are a lot of instances here where I may come across as a bit critical. I'm entering into the 'Quick Fix Challenge' as I think it more than qualifies! As per usual, look out for the Button at the bottom of this post!

SOURCE: Goodreads Giveaway
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: The Hotel Fakir
AUTHOR: Adam Smolka
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: CreateSpace Independent Publishers
PAGES: 72
GENRE: Thriller, Suspense

RATING: 1/5 Stars

Blurb:
NOTE: There was no actual Blurb on this book, so I've used the Goodreads description instead.

The Hotel Fakir is a novella in four parts. The image of a Cunard Ocean Liner unites the parts, offering a metaphor of escape and adventure that epitomizes our search for meaning and romance. Centre stage is the Hotel Fakir, an ante-bellum Charleston mansion, now a tango salon that attracts those seeking connection through tango. Among them is Dolores, a tango instructor at the Hotel Fakir; Amancio, a White House aide; Ignatio Quiroga, an exiled Argentine General; and Max, a blocked writer who is seduced by the hypnotic cadences of tango. Their interactions and obsessions colour the story as remote history and sea island culture impinge on life in the Hotel Fakir; events in Argentina have tragic repercussions in Charleston, and we come to understand that life is ever subservient to our embrace of love.

What I Liked:

• The writing style is good. His use of language displays great talent on his part and there are a number of lovely quotes and phrases found in this book. I had no problem with the way Smolka wrote.
• Smolka really knew his stuff when it came to the subject of Tango. Seriously, I was increasingly impressed about the author's level of knowledge and written detail on the famous dance. Having read about Adam Smolka, it seems he is a great lover of the dance himself and this doesn't surprise me at all. His passion for it really comes out in his writing, and that's something I really admire.

What I Disliked:

• I don't know much about tango. As I said before, there was a tremendous amount of detail on the ins and outs of tango as a dance. The problem is, my own knowledge is very limited and I felt a bit out of my depth. This book as it stands is aimed at people with as much passion for it as the author has.
• I didn't connect with the characters at all. There were far too many of them, just constantly being introduced. I often forgot who people were, and the ones that I recognised/were mentioned often I just didn't feel anything for. I suppose I didn't dislike them, but I knew it was a problem when a tragedy that occurs about halfway through went practically unnoticed it seemed by both me and the other characters. No one seemed upset enough, and in turn, neither was I.
• Everyone loves Tango! Seriously, every character that we meet in this book (there are a lot) is obsessed with tango. Be it writer, librarian, woman's right campaigner, hired thug, they all just seem to have this unswayable passion for it. Even the President loves it! Every conversation would go something like:"Hi, I don't know you let's chat." "Okay, I love tango!" "Are you kidding? Me too!" This would inevitably be followed by the two aforementioned characters dancing the tango with each other. The word 'tango' is in literally every other line and after a while I just felt it interfered rather than enhanced the story. To the point that this quote made me laugh out loud in disbelief: '...tango's pretty much a niche thing around here...' Yeah, right.
• The plot-line felt a bit unbelievable at times. Between dances, there is actually a ghost of a story in this book. Military conspiracies, a kidnapping, arson, a gang with a vendetta. By itself, a great story-line. But when mixed with the core subject matter of the book I just couldn't quite organise it in my head. For example, during the aforementioned kidnapping, how does our hapless damsel escape her dire situation? She dances the tango with her kidnapper. I really wanted a bit more focus on either the lives and feelings of each person that attends the Hotel Fakir, or more focus on the overriding plot. There was too much of a mix and it wasn't done very well. In the end, I didn't get into either aspect as a result.
• This last point is me nitpicking really, but it did bug me all the way through the book. The very first and last chapters are in First Person, and the rest of the story is in Third Person. I didn't really understand why this was. It's never revealed whose perspective we are reading from in the Prologue and the Coda, my belief is that it is Smolka's. However, it didn't seem entirely necessary to me. 

Overall Thoughts:
Honestly, I only thought this book was so-so. It's characters didn't grab me, the plot bordered on ridiculous at times and it felt aimed at a completely different, and very specific audience. However, I did see some potential in the way that Smolka wrote. I honestly felt that I wanted to know more about Max, Dolores, Ignatio and really like them. A set of short stories in a Tango-themed anthology would have suited this much better. Alternatively the concept of the overriding, action packed plot-line was pretty good and I would love to read a thriller involving it in some way, minus the constant bursting into dance. They really needed to be separate in order to work, in my opinion.

Book Review: Wolves; Simon Ings

I said I wanted to have this finished by the end of today and I've managed it. This was my first Goodreads 'First Reads' Giveaway win and I have to say I can't wait to share my rather mixed thoughts on this book. I'm using it as an entry for the 'Quick Fix' challenge, as it's less than 300 pages. Button for that can be found at the bottom of this review!

SOURCE: Goodreads Giveaway
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Wolves
AUTHOR: Simon Ings
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Gollancz
PAGES: 272
GENRE: Science Fiction, Dystopian, Mystery

RATING: 2.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Imagining the end...

At school, Connie and Micky cooked up all the ways the world could end. Years later, Michel imagines apocalypses for a living, and lives inside fantasies of the Fall. Conrad works in advertising, spinning aspirational dreams out of imaginary light.

Will their reunion reveal who killed Conrad's mother?

Will it make them a lot of money?

Or, just maybe, bring about the collapse of Western civilization?

Wolves is a surreal whodunnit about what happens when unhappy men get their hands on powerful media. Part crime novel, part coming-of-age story, this is an informed, atmospheric, cutting-edge tale of the near future.

What I Liked:

• The beginning, for me, was actually pretty gripping. I had read a few other reviews for this book that said it was slow-paced and difficult to get through, so I went into this story feeling a bit apprehensive. I found though that I was pleasantly surprised. I was gripped from the start, it drew me into the story beautifully.
• Simon Ings has a lovely turn-of-phrase. There are some really wonderful quotes in this one, and I really enjoyed finding them. His writing style is pretty consistent throughout too and that made me happy. The story jumps around a lot but I found myself able to follow it for the most part and liked reading Conrad's memories of his childhood particularly. 
• The characters were both memorable and likeable. I really liked Conrad as a central character, and Michel and Hanna too were very well-written and likeable in their own way. Despite Ings leaping around in time, I remembered who everyone was and found that Ings succeeded in giving each character unique and engaging personalities.

What I Disliked:

• I found descriptions of the book as focused on a Dystopian future with heavy Sci-Fi wholly inaccurate (as described on Goodreads). The 'Augmented Reality' (AR) concept is weirdly wonderful, and not too hard to imagine as something that could really take off should it be created. I found that it was rarely mentioned though, serving more as an aid to the story rather than something that was entirely necessary. The Dystopian element doesn't really come into play until right at the very end either (and it's written more like a minor irritation, not an apocalyptic catastrophe) so I felt all the way through that there was going to be some 'Matrix' style reveal and it never really happened.
• I had an ongoing sense of confusion as I read. Despite enjoying Ings' writing style, I did feel that he lacked the ability to explain things very well. I didn't understand the AR element for quite a while, and he brushed over some significant events so that when they were brought up later I didn't remember them and had to go back. Conrad's feelings towards people and situations often changed too and so I never really knew where he stood on some quite important plot points.
• The ending was very rushed, for me. Literally, the last chapter or two just completely threw me off and I didn't understand what was happening at all. This kind of ruined the book a little for me, as it started off pretty well right up until that moment. Perhaps a couple of chapters fully explaining the fate of some characters. Some sort of Apocalypse that had been beautifully foreshadowed throughout the book is what I assume happened, though to be honest it didn't really feel like anything changed. The nature of some key relationships within the story were left hanging a little and never explained or resolved to my satisfaction.

Overall Conclusion:

I did like a lot about this book. The continuous flashbacks to the past and the tragedy of Conrad's childhood were poignantly written and very gripping. The way Ings tied events together and built the story up to an inevitable climax was just great. The problem was, that climax was confusing, rushed, and disappointing. I felt like a lot of loose ends weren't tied and I was left with more questions than answers after reading the book. Despite a lot of initial promise, I had to drop my rating of it because of that. A real shame!