Author Archives: Rose Herbert

Review: Richard Roxburgh – Artie and the Grime Wave

Posted on by
4

Artie and the Grime Wave
Richard Roxburgh

Artie is always being bullied, along with his rather unfortunately-named pal, Bumshoe. While a shout of ‘Rabbits’ often distracts his dumb tormentors, this time it seems like Artie has gotten into more trouble than he can cope with. With Mary, Funnel-Web and Budgie on his tail, he needs to make things happen… fast.

31927285In the tradition of ‘The Day My Bum Went Psycho’ and ‘The Adventures of Captain Underpants’, this novel contains bums, snot and disgusting boys! If you have a reader that is into that kind of thing, they are going to love this novel.

The action is fast-paced, and the characters such strong caricatures that they will leave some sort of impression in your mind. If you have a weak stomach, and aren’t fond of snot or poop, this probably won’t be for you. There’s bodily fluids flying everywhere!

Honestly, it’s not my kind of novel at all, I didn’t request it to my knowledge. I wouldn’t have read this when I was younger, and the only reason I read this was because I knew my brain would be dead and incapable of digesting good literature after a hard day at work.

Let’s give it 3 stars, and know that there is a deserving audience out there that will enjoy this novel.

3star

Allen & Unwin | 12th September 2016| AU $16.99 | Paperback

Review: Matthew J. Kirby – Assassin’s Creed Last Descendants

Posted on by
2

Assassin’s Creed Last Descendants
Matthew J. Kirby

Cole wants to exonerate his dad of a crime, and he thinks the answer might be in his DNA. The Animus offered to him by the IT guy at school might give him access to his dad’s memory of the day. Unfortunately, instead Cole gets caught up with finding the Trident of Eden – and being hunted down by both Assassins and the Templars.

28691917The novel’s characters didn’t fill out for me. I remember Sean’s name. That’s it. I had to recheck the blurb to remember the other characters, even the ‘main’ character, Cole.

This read really oddly to me. The story felt empty, with a plot that played out very simply. I can’t explain my feelings exactly, but for me, I think this novel was too opaque to work. As far as I can see, it is written for the very specific audience of people who have played the video game of this.

I don’t know how this fits into the Assassin’s Creed universe, but other reviewers have talked passionately enough about how epic the video games are, and how epically well this novel fits into the universe. I’d strongly advise checking out some other reviews on this one.

This is aimed at YA readers officially, but to me it was more of a teenage fiction novel. There just wasn’t enough depth in any of the characters, and the hints of romance and violence that would make it necessary to classify this as a YA novel were not big enough.

I’m certain this novel has a place somewhere, it’s just not with me. Maybe for fans of the game that don’t recognise reading as a valid past-time? I wouldn’t recommend it for a strong reader, it doesn’t have enough sustenance for them. I”m giving it 3 stars – well written, but just not compelling.

3star

Scholastic | 1st September 2016 | AU $19.99 | Paperback

Review: Garth Nix – Goldenhand

Posted on by
5

Goldenhand
Garth Nix

Another Dead threat is coming. Despite the reestablishment of order in the Old Kingdom, the Dead still threaten. As a Northern clanswoman travels urgently to warn the Abhorson of the Witch With No Face, the Dead do anything to prevent her reaching it.

30327443Sabriel has always been an established Abhorson in my eyes, but here we see Lirael grow into what she should be. When she returns to the Glacier where she grew up, it is obvious that there has been some serious character growth coming on. We get to see more of that in this novel too, as well as Sameth (who I hold a personal soft spot for) and Nick.

The ending came very suddenly. I didn’t expect them to survive! Or that it would be such a close thing. The rest of the novel isn’t quite as nail-biting, but you will still not want to put it down.

What I never understood at the end of Abhorson was why Lirael didn’t just remake the charter sending of The Disreputable Dog? She still has the figurine, and I’m certain she still knows how to create things with Charter Magic (in fact, she makes use of Charter Skins). Just bringing it up, since in the ending chapters of this novel some interesting things take place 😉

What I was not ok with was the cover of this novel. Instead of Lirael looking the way I imagined, she instead had a meaty face and a dorky cloak (although I recognise the emblem, obviously). From what I spotted on GoodReads, there are other more beautiful covers that perhaps I would have preferred. Anyway, this one was a complimentary copy, so I shouldn’t be complaining too loudly. It is the story that matters inside of course.

5 stars from me. It prompted me to reread a section of Lirael, which can only ever be a good thing. Garth Nix, please keep writing.

5star

 

Allen & Unwin | 28 September 2016 | AU $24.99 | Paperback

Review: Garth Nix – Clariel

Posted on by
Reply

Clariel
Garth Nix

Clariel is miserable in her new city life. She doesn’t understand why she should have to go to finishing school – really she just wants to run away to the forests somewhere. When she isn’t being used to reach the King by her ambitious GoldSmith mother, she is identifying Free Magic. Little does she know that the magic might take hold of her instead.

20662728This novel lets its main character develop the way I would want, but could have left a bit more time for other characters to put their own 2 cents in. I would have liked to have more of everything, the world as it was many years before the rest of the series, and the state of society.

Isn’t it the story of life that if people just spoke to each other and stopped trying to keep secrets, everything would work out far better? I could see so many spots that if people had just stopped, not touched and then talked some deaths could have been averted!

Am I too old for this novel? Never! Certainly, the themes here seem quite trivial in comparison to those in Sabriel for example. Gracious! I just tried to link to my review, and it turns out I have never written one! Take my word for it, you need to own these. I think Clariel offers a good entry point into the series, but take it with a grain of salt as only so much can happen in such a comparatively short novel.

I received this for my birthday this year. I had, in fact, requested it from Alland & Unwin a long, long time ago when I first started reaching out for review copies from publishers. Since then, it had sort of sat at the back of my mind with wanting! I received Nix’s newest Abhorson novel, Goldenhand, and knew I had to read Clariel first.

I love the Abhorson series, of which Lirael is my favourite. It’s easy to tell why when she’s a librarian with spunk! In fact, I’ve got a baby name based on their names. Needless to say, I’ll be giving this 5 stars. Why are you still here reading my review? Go and buy it already!

5star

Review: Robert Cole – The Ego Cluster

Posted on by
2

The Ego Cluster
Robert Cole

Ethan has discovered genes that seem to create the basis of the human Ego, and so could help change the world for the better. Unfortunately, being able to edit the Ego isn’t likely to make the company he works for money, so the project is abandoned. Ethan is determined that his research is worth something more, and he is willing to give up everything to do it.

31389312Bad guys never give up do they? This novel offers a satisfying plot with twists that I certainly didn’t see coming. Bam! Nothing like having sociopaths on the loose. Even if some successful scientists are likely also sociopaths. The ultimate question is whether removing those genes will be sustainable and what might happen next.

Some people have tagged this as science fiction, but it’s really not the case. It’s more future fiction or an apocalyptical future. The things that are happening in this novel? It’s happening now, albeit not in such a structured or successful way. But gene editing will get there, and it’s not unlikely that we will discover genes that are responsible for how humans interact with each other (although it will probably be more than 6).

I had a definite advantage having a science background. There’s a lot of jargon here for you to absorb, but it is absolutely worthwhile. If you enjoyed Sapient for the science, you will love this novel. If you enjoyed Ken Kroes novels for their environmental awareness, this novel is going to be for you as well.

Let me say that I was divided between giving this novel 4 or 5 stars. Some of the text didn’t flow smoothly for me in the beginning, and some of the interactions were messy. This problem was probably heightened for me by the fact that I was reading an ebook, never my first choice. Let me say now that I would buy a paperback version of this novel, so I’m thinking I’d better go with 5 stars.

5star

Review: James Dashner – The Fever Code

Posted on by
2

The Fever Code
James Dashner

The world has ended – a fever that turns people into Cranks that tear out their own hair and try to claw out other people’s eyes, and flares that have killed most of the greenery of the planet. WICKED wants to cure the disease, but to do so, they need to map the brains of those children who are naturally immune.

32408467It was a bit convenient how there just happened to be 4 brilliant ‘munies that could be used to help design the maze. Then again, the whole thing was amazingly orchestrated by WICKED. Not having read The Scorch Trials, I didn’t know that there had been two communities in the mazes (male-only and female-only).

I loved Thomas more than I had ever before. I could have eaten more up about the psychological trials going on, but that’s just me. Things started out badly, and then poor Thomas got more confused than ever!

When I first started reading this novel, I thought that it would be ok to read this before reading the rest in the trilogy (you know, since it’s the prequel and I like to read things in chronological order). Then I got to the end of the novel, and sort of went ‘Uh oh, maybe this gives too much away’. Since this has come out after the other novels, I think most people will have read the original trilogy anyway. It’s up to you.

The movie of The Maze Runner actually got a massive thumbs up from my partner, and also from me! It had been a while since I had read the novel, so I was ok with the various changes they had made to it. Anyway, that’s off-topic. I’m not sure this novel would make such a good movie, as so much of the action is literally inside Thomas’ mind.

I’m giving it 4 stars for the nail-biting action, and the surprising (at least for me) ending. Go and get your reluctant reader a copy. Or your absorbed reader. You won’t regret it.

4star

Scholastic | 27 September 2016 | AU $12.99 | Paperback

Review: Laure Eve – The Graces

Posted on by
Reply

The Graces
Laure Eve

River is obsessed with the Graces. The Graces are supposed to be witches, mainly because they are rich and exclusive. After someone was injured at an earlier birthday party of theirs, no one in the township is allowed to even glimpse their house. River might be the first – if she plays her cards right.

25365584This book had me hooked, right up until the last three chapters. I couldn’t fathom what might happen next, but it wasn’t what eventually came out as the truth! For me, the truth didn’t hold through what had happened in the rest of the book, despite the hints that would have supported this outcome.

This was a decidedly well thought out novel that could have easily descended into a typical modern witch-hunt novel, but instead created compelling characters that I enjoyed reading about, even just from River’s perspective. The Graces were quite predictable, but the supporting characters wanted me to hate them anyway.

The most noticeable 2-dimensional character you spot here is River’s mother. Very little is known about her, apart from the fact that she drinks and gambles and appears to have no control over River at all. She’s most notable in her absence. I know that this has to have been a deliberate move by the author, but I wonder what else could have been on offer if I had known more about her. This probably would have helped out with the obscure hints to how River’s dad left as well.

Hmm, interesting. GoodReads tells me that this is a duology. Maybe that would help me sort out the problems I had with the ending. Because this novel was deserving of 4 stars from me, right up until that ending, I’d be willing to give the sequel a try. In fact, I think I’d really like to get my hands on a copy!

3star Allen & Unwin | 26th October 2016 | AU $19.99 | Paperback

Spotlight: Q&A with Robert Wideman

Posted on by
Reply

VIETNAM VETERAN SHARES FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE OF SIX YEARS AS PRISONER OF WAR

unexpected-prisonerFormer Lieutenant Robert Wideman praised by veterans for his memoir Unexpected Prisoner; a unique glimpse into the courage and endurance of POWs.

Fort Collins, CO — When Lieutenant Robert Wideman’s plane crashed on a bombing run in the Vietnam War, his worst fears became reality when he was captured in North Vietnam and held captive as a Prisoner of War for six long years. Unexpected Prisoner: Memoir of a Vietnam POW tells his harrowing story and explores Wideman’s struggle with enemies and comrades, Vietnamese interrogators and American commanders, his lost dreams and ultimately — himself.

“His story of captivity is the most accurate version of the events that occurred in the North I have ever heard,”  says Captain William Roberts, a retired U.S. Marine. “It’s truly refreshing.”

A sentiment many veterans have shared upon completing Wideman’s memoir. “Especially those who were in the infantry,”  says Wideman.  “I think it supports what they went through and what they feel.”

Born in Montreal, Canada, Wideman grew up in East Aurora, New York.  His father flew over the Himalayan Mountains in Burma during World War II. One uncle served as a pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force and flew for  Britain during WWII.  Another uncle was captured at the battle of Dieppe at the beginning of WWII and was held as a German prisoner until the end of the war.

It seemed natural that after attending the University of Toledo, Wideman joined the navy as a naval aviation cadet in 1963. Upon receiving his wings and commission in 1965, Wideman served on the USS Enterprise in 1966 and on the USS Hancock in 1967.  In 1967, Wideman’s plane went down over North Vietnam where the story of Unexpected Prisoner begins.

For more news, events and to explore Robert Wideman’s story further, please visit RobertWideman.com

Q&A with Robert Wideman

robert-wideman-1

You have a very unique story – and one someone couldn’t really tell unless they experienced it first-hand. What inspired you to tell this story?

My two sons and six grandchildren – they’re the most important thing to me. I wanted to leave them something that had meaning. After four years of writing, I had my story down on paper about my time in a North Vietnamese prison camp, but nothing else. One of my daughters-in-law said I needed to put some of my life before and after prison into the book. A Colorado Publisher connected me  with author and editor Cara Lopez Lee in 2014, and she helped me piece things together. We published Unexpected Prisoner  two years later.

What do you think will surprise readers most about Unexpected Prisoner?

Even given my experience, I  think readers will be surprised at my attitude toward the North Vietnamese. I don’t really have bad feelings toward them, because the treatment could have been so much worse.  

How so?

When I came home from the war,  I read everything I could on POWs and the Vietnam War. I learned that since the beginning of time, POWs have been treated very, very badly.

For example – In World War II, the Japanese chopped off two American heads for every mile of the Bataan death march. Twenty-seven to forty percent of American prisoners held by the Japanese died in captivity. In our revolutionary war, 20,000 colonial prisoners died in the holds of British ships in Brooklyn and Boston harbors.  Five times as many colonists died on those ships as died on the battlefield. Of the 5 million Russian prisoners held by the Germans in World War II, 3 million died in captivity. The Russians captured 95,000 German troops at the battle of Stalingrad, and only 5,000 of those prisoners ever came home. Thirteen thousand union soldiers died at Andersonville within 14 months during our own civil war – that’s one soldier every 45 minutes!  Our tour guide at Andersonville took 45 minutes to do the tour.

Only 7 American prisoners died in Hanoi the whole time I was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. Only 28 prisoners died in North Vietnam. If you compare the treatment we received from the North Vietnamese with the treatment POWs received from their captors in other wars, ours  looks pretty good.

You enjoy sharing your experience with audiences through speaker presentations. What is your favorite part of that process?

I get a rush from telling my story – it can be addictive. The audiences are always good, and I enjoy the connection with them.

How has sharing your story benefited others (and have there been any unique stories prompted by audience members)?

Many veterans – especially those who were in the infantry – seem to relate to my story. I think my story supports what many veterans went through and what they feel.

It surprised me – but I’ve also seen that teenagers have benefited from my story, as they have their own challenges and can relate to the adversity in my memoir. So really – it can appeal to anyone going through a difficult time in their life.

Review: James Islington – The Shadow of What was Lost

Posted on by
Reply

The Shadow of What Was Lost
James Islington

As a Gifted, Davian should be able to alter and defend with magic. Unfortunately, not only does he suffer the consequences of a war fought before he was born that means he is shunned, but he can’t even use the powers. Sent off on a journey to the North to protect a boundary he doesn’t know how to solve, his only clue is a vessel to lead the way.

22878967I spent a lot of the novel being confused by who was who and which sides people were on. I seriously needed a character list to keep things straight, and I kept flicking back to the Prologue in the hopes I would be able to work out who the ‘bad guys’ were.

I’m not sure how I felt about the characters. Of course, I liked Davian and Wirr and Ash. But I felt like I never really got to know them apart from knowing that they all seemed to be completely trustworthy and pure of intentions. Even when they accidentally kill someone. I could have had more of the raggedy old battle-scarred men, and more history.

I can see how this author was inspired by Brandon Sanderson. This novel, for me at least, was a poorer copy of Sanderson’s Way of Kings. The grasp of the whole continent and forces working beyond any control, and the way the different characters somehow seemed to come together to fight things, that all worked. But when it came to the end, everything could have been solved a lot more simply – and too much was left unsaid.

I struggled to finish this novel. As my partner said, if I had stopped reading it in the middle and read something else, I never would have gone back. I did persevere to the end, but I’m only giving it 3 stars.

3star

Hachette Australia | 1st November 2016| AU $32.99 | Paperback

Review: Michael Rubens – The Bad Decisions Playlist

Posted on by
Reply

The Bad Decisions Playlist
Michael Rubens

Austin’s got a dream of being a musical rockstar in New York. His only problems are half-written songs and a case of failures to front up to performances. When his father unexpectedly walks back into his life.

9780143573876Austin thinks that smoking weed is a good idea. He smokes cigarettes, which basically makes him drop out as any sort of good character for a teenager to read. And he never turns up to things on time. And he is making out with every girl he can get his hands on. And yet, he’s not the cool kid or the jock. He’s just an idiot that I was irritated by the whole novel. Even his ‘true-ness’ to Josey is a fake.

Oh yes! That twist! Bam! Suffer! Just what I wanted for a character I didn’t even like very much. I in fact, didn’t like any of the characters. You, sir, are an idiot. And so are you. And you. And I can’t believe you fell for that.

Honestly, this novel didn’t do it for me. I wasn’t convinced by the song lyrics, I wasn’t convinced by the character interactions (particularly Austin and his mother) and I predicted the plot line. If you are looking for something with teenagers and music, you should go for The Haters. If you’re done with The Haters and can put up with some unrealistic teenage angst, I guess you could try this novel. 3 stars from me.

3star Penguin Random House | 1st July 2016 | AU $19.99 | Paperback