Category Archives: Fiction

Review: Anthony Horowitz – Skeleton Key

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Skeleton Key
Anthony Horowitz
‘Skeleton Key’ is the third book in this series about Alex Rider, a teenage spy. Alex is sent on an expensive holiday to Skeleton Key in Cuba. Well, it’s supposed to be a holiday, but really he’s there to do his job – nuclear war is coming. Hit the jump for more…
103983Alex is given the opportunity to see tennis live at Wimbledon. However, instead of the interesting time he expected to have, he uncovers a sinister plot by the Triad. He heads off on a surfing holiday with his budding girlfriend Serena, but is followed there by the Triad. MI6 says that they will put him out of harm’s way by sending him on a tropical vacation. What could go wrong? Everything in fact.
I think the most enjoyable thing of this novel was the ending, seeing Alex push through the terrors he had been through to become a better person on the other side. In this novel you can really see him grow up, and start taking an interest in girls. Horowitz has managed to take a series that could become quite stale with the same character and same spy elements and make it continue to develop.
This novel is more bloody than the first two novels (in the same way that the Harry Potter series became more adult as it progressed). I’d still say that children could read it, but not those with impressionable minds or those who were likely to be scared. If they enjoyed the first two novels, this is certainly not too much of a step forward.

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Review: Thomas Mann – Death in Venice and Other Stories

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Death in Venice and Other Stories
Thomas Mann
‘Death in Venice’ is an assigned text for one of my literature classes. It is a collection of short stories by Thomas Mann, including his possibly most famous – the same titled Death in Venice. Mann is the perfect example of a Modernist writer, and by no means are his works comfortable to read.
323328The title story, Death in Venice, is about Aschenbach, an aging writer who falls in lust with a younger boy when taking a holiday. The work is resplendent with images and symbols, and to be fair, it is a very good text to analyse. I didn’t particularly enjoy it, but it wasn’t bad either.

I couldn’t tell you whether it is a great example of Modernism – but it is according to my tutor. The story lacks a concrete feeling to the ending, which is something I personally hate. I’m also not very fond of short stories, as I feel like I never get to know the characters well before they are killed off. This story is more like a short novella though, and there is room for some ‘plot’ development.

Although not required for my class, I read a number of the other short stories in the book. I found them all to expand on the same themes of death and wanton destruction, and felt like once you had read one, you would expect the ending of the next to be the same (and indeed it is, with some subtle twists).
This book of short stories is certainly not suitable for younger readers. Adults may struggle with the uncomfortable, and often graphic, contents of the novel. This is not something I would normally read, and I probably wouldn’t seek out any of his other works.

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Review: Anthony Horowitz – Point Blanc

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Point Blanc
Anthony Horowitz
‘Point Blanc’ follows Alex Rider, the teenage spy. This time he is sent to a prestigious boarding school for the troubled teens of rich men around the world. The action is fast paced, the hero realistic and the scenery really quite breathtaking.
224500Alex Rider, introduced first in ‘Stormbreaker’, is a reluctant spy, forced into action by MI6 (Englands’s Secret Service). Again he is up against a psychopath who wants to destroy England and all her countries. Armed with only a couple of special gadgets (not even a gun, to his great dismay) he is sent into the icy wilderness of Point Blanc.
Alex is a believable hero, not too heroic, but always on the side of good. It is hard to believe that MI6 wouldn’t care about bringing him home safe. But then again, the government never seems to have the individual’s (or even the majority’s) best interests at heart. Horowitz includes some nice scenery details – but not too much, just enough to set the scene. The narrative is again told in third person, which allows for including some extra details about the bad guys that aren’t immediately obvious to Alex.
I knocked this book over in maybe 2 hours, but it would take younger readers longer no doubt. It feels like cheating to review it, but my goal is to review ALL of the books on my shelf, not just the ones that suit me best!
The ending of the novel is quite unsettling – if you didn’t know there were more books in the series you could be seriously worried. All in all, it is an enjoyable book, and although not worth a reread by an adult perhaps, younger readers will enjoy rereading to catch each of the important turning points in the novel.
This is a great novel for the reluctant reader. Although it is probably best to read it after the first book in the series, you could probably get away with reading it first (although some of the suspense when you got around to reading the first book would be lost).

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Review: Anthony Horowitz – Stormbreaker

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Stormbreaker
Anthony Horowitz
Horowitz is a prolific writer, and has produced a number of series and stand alone books for younger teens and children. ‘Stormbreaker’ is the first in a long line of Alex Rider spy stories. As a young teen’s book, it’s a very easy read for me, and also very predictable. I think it would be great for kids who are too young for James Bond (particularly boys) just to get them into reading. Hit the jump for more…
826379Alex Rider’s uncle has just been killed in a suspicious car accident. His parents have died years before, and now the only person looking out for him is Jack, an American immigrant to London whose visa is about to expire. Alex wouldn’t be worried – except for the bank that his uncle worked for is hunting him…
Alex is a somewhat sketchy character, but certainly enough to satisfy younger readers. The entire focus is on Alex, despite the book being written in 3rd person perspective. The main driver of the book is the plot, which leaps ahead very quickly – that is the element that would make this book attractive to younger readers with a short attention span. The language is quite simple as well.
This novel was shortlisted for the 2001 Children’s Book Awards, and I can understand why. Yes, there is violence and death in it, but only of the bad guys! Alex himself isn’t allowed a gun, which I think was a wise move by Horowitz, given the current climate. This book is a number of years old (obviously), but it’s certainly still relevant and enjoyable today.
This book, and the others in the series (which I will probably get around to reading and reviewing soon), are good books for children and reluctant readers.

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Review: Peter Carey – Collected Stories

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Collected Stories
Peter Carey
‘Collected Stories’ by Peter Carey is a set text for one of my literature classes, as it is a good example of Post-Modernism. As such, I was not very interested in reading it, but my other alternatives were Feminism and Constructions of Gender! The short stories are clearly critiquing society, and so are not particularly comfortable to read.
177473These collected stories are numerous in both theme and setting. Some, such as ‘Exotic Pleasures’ are set in our world, but in a future time. Others are in a complete fantasy world, such as ‘Do You Love Me?’. Possibly the most famous two short stories are ‘War Crimes’ and ‘The Fat Man in History’, so if you don’t read any other stories from this collection, read those.
Carey aims to shock and appall at all times. Why else would he have someone eat a dog turd, or consume the flesh of a fellow human? Other elements include vivid imagery, such as the snakes of ‘The Uses of Williamson Wood’, and interesting characterization ‘Life and Death in the South Side Pavillion’. He makes his reader think, and doesn’t encourage compassion for his characters.
Because I had to analyse these stories, and I’m not that fond of short stories to begin with, I could almost say I hated this book! Sure, the stories were interesting in an abstract way, but it certainly required a lot of thought. I like to have cohesion between short stories, some central theme, but there wasn’t anything. People who enjoy post-modernism and metafiction (exposing the constructs of fiction) will probably like this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

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Review: Juliet Marillier – Child of the Prophecy

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Child of the Prophecy
Juliet Marillier
‘Child of the Prophecy’ follows Fainne, which is interesting to the reader as the title of the book purports that this novel is about the Child of the Prophecy, thought to be a male. Nevertheless, Fainne is likable, if rather misguided. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and was sad when I had finished it.

13925Fainne is the granddaughter of Sorsha and Lady Oonagh and the forbidden child of Niamh and Ciaran. Fainne has had a sheltered childhood, but  she must leave her cosy home in Kerry to go out to perform her grandmother’s wishes. Travelling with her old childhood friend Darragh is difficult for Fainne, knowing the impossible task her grandmother has set her.

Similarly to the other two books in the trilogy, at the beginning I felt myself wanting to rush with my reading to get to some action faster. Mid-way through the books, things were finally happening, but I was torn as to what the conclusion of the book would be.
The ending is somewhat unexpected, but satisfying, and nail biting right to the end! Often in this novel the reader will notice something before the protagonist does, which makes it more exciting. Fainne is thrown this way and that by others’ wills, but it is up to her to make or break things – and not even the reader can tell what she will be able to do.
Marillier has crafted a beautiful narrative – the characters are engaging, the scenery convincing and the plot riveting. The only part I was unsatisfied with was that the book ended too soon! As a concluding novel for a trilogy, ‘Child of the Prophecy’ tied up the loose ends of the narrative nicely.
I’m hankering after the next two books set in the same world ‘Seer of Sevenwaters’ and ‘Heir to Sevenwaters’. One of these will be my reward for having read and reviewed 10 books from my shelf! I probably won’t read it until after review 20 though, as I will want to read the two books together.

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Review: Juliet Marillier – Son of the Shadows

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Son of the Shadows
Juliet Marillier
‘Son of the Shadows’ by Juliet Marillier is a gripping sequel to ‘Daughter of the Forest’. The plot is fast paced, the story completely enthralling and Liadan is a strong heroine. I cannot give higher praise to this author – I can’t wait to get onto the last book of the trilogy.

13927Liadan is the daughter of the beautiful Sorsha who saved her six brothers through her own strength. Liadan is a twin, and born outside of the pattern of Sevenwaters. Thus she has the capacity to choose her own path – and it is the rockiest path she could have chosen! Abducted early in the novel, she battles her own demons and those of others.

This is the first adult fantasy novel that has gripped me in quite a while. I’m very glad to have picked up this author on a whim. There are enough twists and turns in the plot that I think I will definitely reread this series later.
As said before, Liadan is a satisfyingly strong female protagonist. I was again utterly able to step into her shoes, but also had insights into the other characters. Marillier is able to make a good case using a first person narrator, and I feel like any other narration would have interferred with the tale telling.
The narrative is speckled with Irish myths and folk law similarly to the first novel in the series. Marillier has done her research well – it ties in with my independent reading of Irish literature. The inclusion of this makes the narrative richer, and is probably part of the reason I got so involved in this novel.
I’d recommend this book for adults, although older teens may also enjoy it. It is possible to read this novel without having read ‘Daughter of the Forest’, as the main points of that are subtly recapped in ‘Son of the Shadows’.

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Review: Juliet Marillier – Daughter of the Forest

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Daughter of the Forest
Juliet Marillier
Juliet Marillier is completely new to me, so I was feeling a little apprehensive about reading ‘Daughter of the Forest’. The first 100 pages or so were a struggle, and then I really got into the narrative and couldn’t put it down. I stayed up past my bedtime reading to find out whether the story ended as I expected it to.

13928‘Daughter of the Forest’ is the first book in the Sevenwaters Trilogy. It follows the growth and trials of Sorsha, a seventh child who should have been a seventh son of a seventh son. After he father remarries, Sorsha and her six brothers are destroyed one by one, until the final transformation. Then follows the most difficult period of Sorsha/Jenny’s life, where she may die for her love for her brothers.

I initially thought this was a completely new novel, but soon realized that it was based on a fairy tale or myth I had read a long time ago. Nevertheless, the first person narrative is brought to life beautifully after the first couple of chapters. It seems like Marillier was unsure of her technique, but then warmed up to her protagonist. Sorsha is lovable, and a strong, convincing heroine. The opposing ‘bad man’, who isn’t obvious from the beginning was evil, but not necessarily surprising.
I would recommend this novel for older teens and adults only – there are some disturbing parts (rape, vicious murder) that are not suitable for younger readers in my opinion. The ending is a comparatively happy one, but there are sections where it seems like all hope is lost.

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Review: Diana Wynne Jones – House of Many Ways

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House of Many Ways
Diana Wynne Jones
‘House of Many Ways; is another sequel to ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’. Similarly to ‘Castle in the Air’, Howl and Sophie feature less prominently and the novel is about a new character – Charmain ‘Charming’ Barker. More after the jump…

3267466Charmain has so far lead a sheltered life, going to the most respectable school, keeping her hands clean and reading many books. So when she finds herself ordered to look after her sick Great Uncle William’s house, she finds herself a bit lost – even with his unearthly directions. Charmain finds herself going in every dimension, but then things are complicated further by the arrival of Peter and a Lubbock.

While elements of this novel are funny, I wouldn’t have said it was up to the standards of Jones’ usual masterpieces. Charmain is engaging, but you feel like she’s too much of a lazy idiot (despite her interjections to the contrary) to be too likeable. This isn’t a fault with Jones’ characterisation – indeed Jones has said that the characters often write themselves, so she has done the best she could with what she had. The narrative builds similarly to the other two books in this series, but it is certainly not formulaic in any kind.

I’d recommend this novel again for teenagers, and older children. At times it can be quite scary for a young child, so I would advise supervised reading.

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Review: Diana Wynne Jones – Castle in the Air

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Castle in the Air
Diana Wynne Jones

‘Castle in the Air’ is officially a sequel to ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’, however to me it is more like a loosely connected novel in the same world. Sophie and Howl play minor parts as themselves, although they do feature in the text playing interesting roles.

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The novel concerns Abdullah, a young carpet dealer who spends his time daydreaming about a princess. Much to his surprise, he finds himself one night floating on a magic carpet to the castle (and princess) of his dreams. Some laughter occurs, as the princess accuses him of being a female. However they both sort out their differences, and things are going along smoothly until Flower-in-the-Night is snatched away.

The narrative builds quickly, and the reader finds themselves enjoying Abdullah’s relationships and personality more as the plot progresses. This is a fast paced narrative that crescendos to a satisfying finish with many unexpected twists.

This novel is likely to suit younger readers for being read aloud to, and for teenagers. I’m not so sure of its appeal to adults, but if you enjoyed ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ it’s probably worth reading.

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