Review: Sarah Mlynowski – Think Twice

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Think Twice
Sarah Mlynowski

After a homeroom goes for flu shots, they develop a group mind, capable of reading people’s minds in just a glance at their unprotected eyes. When the first one of them loses their talent, there is a panic to maintain those that are left. Some people are happy to be free, while others dread it.

28241823This novel’s perspective can be a little off-putting before you get used to it. It’s written as ‘we’, which progressively gets to be a smaller ‘we’ as the book goes on and more of them lose their powers.

I didn’t read the first book in the series, but I think I would have really enjoyed it. ESP? Yes please! This one is as humorous as I would expect the first one to be. Basically they start trying to keep their abilities, and in doing so develop a whole range of side effects!

This is light teenage fiction, and I’d probably recommend it for girls, simply because to me the male characters’ voices seemed to be drowned out by others, particularly Tess and Polly/Pi.

This is another novel I left for too long without reviewing. Luckily I put how many stars I thought it was worth when I originally made this draft, so I must have thought it had some really good points then to give it 4 stars!

4star

 

Review: Wendy Orr – Dragonfly Song

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Dragonfly Song
Wendy Orr

A little girl is left under a bush with no voice after raiders take her adoptive family. She is the only one to survive – and so she is relegated to the bottom of society and bullied mercilessly. Her one chance at escape is to take part in the Bull Dancing – but it is a perilous task that no one seems to know how to prepare for.

29866071Nooo! Past me, why did you not write notes on what you enjoyed about this novel? I could have sworn I had some notes sitting in my draft folder. Ah well. I can tell you that this was an excellent example of teenage fiction, and I really enjoyed it.

I snatched this novel from the top of a new pile of bookies that came in, and devoured it. I wanted something light and easy to read and this fit the bill. I curled up on a warm couch and read it in one breathless sitting. I didn’t know what would happen next, and what horrific things would be justified in speaking to a ‘cursed one’.

Something I didn’t enjoy about this novel were the poetry sections. I’m never a fan of poetry anyway, and here, the poetry tried to be good (in fact, it might have been good poetry, I’m not a connoisseur) but for me it distracted from the otherwise beautiful prose of the story.

I’ll be keeping this novel for future generations. I felt that it had real potential as both a teaching tool (bullying is bad), but also a great storyline that didn’t turn out how I expected it to. I’ll be giving this 4 stars, not 5, only because I probably won’t reread it.

4star

Allen & Unwin | 22nd June 2016 | AU$16.99 | Paperback

Review: Sarah Armstrong – Promise

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Promise
Sarah Armstrong

Anna hears screaming coming from her new next door neighbours, and recognises the sound as a child in danger. Calling protective services seems to do nothing, and when it seems as if the child is likely to be murdered, Anna takes matters into her own hands.

9781743535844How accurate are the court scenes in this? I think that this author will have done due diligence in her research. But please! Don’t take the law into your own hands! I know that child protective services will often err on the side of caution to not take a child away. As I learnt in How (not) to Start an Orphanage, the best place for children to grow up is in a caring (usually biological) family environment. This book takes that to extremes.

There are a number of interesting interlocking situations that have led Anna to feel this way about a child. I sometimes felt that these overshadowed the main point of Charlie’s welfare, but I also understood that the author included them in order to add depth to her character. It’s interesting to see how the past influences the future.

My goodness gracious me. It took a lot for me to pick up this novel. Then I happily read until I was about a third of the way through. Then the pace stopped. I kept reading until halfway, and then stopped reading for a bit. It was just so slow from there on! By the time I got to the end of the novel, I was barely invested in the outcome.

For this reason, I’ll only be giving it 3 stars. If it had been able to maintain the momentum from the first third of the novel (including perhaps a more exciting ‘chase scene’), that would have pushed it over the line to 4 stars just for the concept. If you enjoy Jodi Picoult’s thought provoking works (I’ve read and reviewed four of them, as linked), this is going to be for you.

3star

Pan Macmillan | 28th July 2016 | AU $32.99 | Paperback

Review: Valerie Davisson – Forest Park

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Forest Park
Valerie Davisson

Logan loves her new job, and can’t wait to learn more from pioneers in the area. Little does she know that a Vietnamese family will take her heart, and that she will be lost in a mystery while losing her faith in men once again.

28230074What sold the first novel to me was missing in this novel. While there were interlocking storylines, it didn’t ‘have the mystery of the first novel. It also lapsed back into too descriptive prose – the one line that has stuck with me is that Logan wears Burt’s Bees Cranberry flavour.

It had potential with everything, yet failed to deliver. Logan, where is your head? Why can’t you just talk to people? The passive-aggressive ignoring is not doing you any favours. What kind of woman are you anyway? And honestly, you didn’t do any mystery solving this time.

As for the last novel (sorry to keep comparing them), the title of this novel means very little. Much of the action appears to take place in Logan’s head and bedroom, rather than in the park the novel is named for. In fact, the park doesn’t seem to play a big role until somewhere near the end, and it seems like an afterthought.

I was really excited for this novel, and then turned out very disappointed. I’m tempted to give only 2 stars, but it wasn’t that badly written compared to some stuff I have read recently. Perhaps if you REALLY think you might like it, or have already been invested in Logan by Shattered, give it a read.

3star

Review: Andrew Daddo – One Step

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One Step
Andrew Daddo

Dylan’s life so far has been pretty uninteresting. He likes girls, he does swim diving and he has a sort of best friend. When his writing is read out in class, and the bully takes it out on him, Dylan’s life could take a turn for the better or the worse.

27803943This novel was particularly pertinent to me when I read it, as I had just shown a group of year 9 students around my university. It’s so easy to be mean to other people without even thinking about it.

There’s so much I want to say about this novel, yet at the same time I don’t want the reader to go into this with any expectations for what the novel ‘should’ explore. Just let me say it should be considered as essential on high school reading lists.

The ending! The ending killed me. It happened so suddenly without warning. Looking back over the storyline, I don’t think I saw it coming – and I think that is what Daddo is trying to convey. HIgh school is hard, and bullying is bad, and sometimes things just don’t turn out how you expect.

4 stars from me. Students should be reading this in early high school and start thinking about how their actions offend others.

4star

Penguin Random House Australia | June 2016 | AU$19.99 | Paperback

Review: Randa Abdel-Fattah – When Michael met Mina

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When Michael met Mina
Randa Abdel-Fattah

The first time Michael sees Mina, they’re on opposing sides of a march against refugees coming into Australia. The second time, they’re in class together, and Mina is using her strong wit in defence of herself and her people.

29753111Considering that there are some situations that could potentially be huge, the writing is sensitive, nuanced, and realistic. It’s just as good as, and perhaps better than, this author’s other novels (I have reviewed 10 Things I Hate About Me).

I love the depiction of Michael and his parents. Things that would have blown up out of proportion in some other fictional families were simply dealt with here. It’s a novel of middle-ground, and realising what it is you stand for.

This is where what people look like doesn’t even enter into the readers head. I couldn’t have cared less what the two protagonists looked like, I wanted to know about everything that was going on inside their head.

Early into reading this novel, I took note of the cute little way that the headings within the book telling you which character was speaking matched the ones on the front cover. So cute! So teenage appropriate! Something to get those reluctant teenage readers in and caring about good things.

The more I think about this novel, the more convinced I am of its awesomeness. I’m not going to reread it, but I think it’s fantastic enough to deserve 5 stars anyway.

5star

Review: Iris Johansen & Roy Johansen – Sight Unseen

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Sight Unseen
Iris Johansen & Roy Johansen

Kendra is a successful FBI crime solver, despite her best efforts to stay out of it and focus on her music therapy students. When old crimes she has solved begin to be bloodily reenacted, she has to return to dealing with murder that is too close for comfort.

Screen Shot 2016-07-13 at 1.40.49 PMKendra deals with crimes that would make  a squeamish person nervous in a way that makes you think she has no feelings. In this novel though, you start to see her coming apart at the seams, and what her family and friends need to do to let her recover. I want Kendra to be happy, but I also want her to do more awesome things!

This is a thriller that you will feel comfortable reading by yourself. There aren’t too many cases where Kendra is on her own and the reader would be scared to read it at night! That’s not to say there is an tension or drama – there’s lots of it.

I feel certain that most crimes aren’t dealt with in this way, and that serial killers don’t go in for a particular detective quite so badly, but I loved reading about it anyway. We don’t have the death sentence in Australia – and it seems like it isn’t that effective anyway! There are always people who think that they won’t be caught (and some never are).

Oh Kendra. You can’t protect everyone, no matter how hard you try. You seriously should check to make sure your students are ok though – this is the second time they have come into danger because of you. I don’t know how to feel about that. Maybe you should work anonymously? You know enough about disguises to make it work.

This was an ebook I accepted because I had loved the first in the series so much (Close Your Eyes). There’s going to be two more books with Kendra in them, and I’m hoping that I will see copies of those too. It is a real shame that these are only ebooks, but they are worth picking up anyway.

 

4star

Macmillan Australia | August 2016 | $9.99 AU | ebook

Interview with Oliver Eggert

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An interview with Oliver Eggertwebsitebiopic

I both love and hate novels that don’t leave a discrete ending for the reader. Have you ever felt the need to write sequels?

This is an interesting question since I do have sequels already planned for Vincent, Survivor. However, I’m a firm believer that every good story has an ending. I already have a very solid idea of how I want Vincent’s story arc to finish, and once it’s over–that’s it. I suppose I could technically write a sequel, but if I’ve done my job right I’ll be leaving the story off on a strong note. Dragging things out is never good.

There’s always another novel in the pipeline to write… Tell me about it! Does it have even a working title?

I do have a working title (in fact, I got working titles for the next three books). My next book is tentatively being called Vincent, Protector. It’s a continuation of the first book and takes place several years after the dust settles from the events of the first book. It will continue following Vincent and his adventures in the new world.

Some advice other writers have given is that your first novel is best sitting in a drawer for a while, because then you feel stronger about chopping up ‘your baby’. Do you still have a copy of your first novel? Whether this was published or unpublished, I need to know!Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000446_00066]

Unfortunately I don’t even have a copy of my very first novel, which is fine since it was pretty much crap. I think writing an amazing book in your first attempt is akin to winning the lottery.

Do you have a dedicated writing space? How does it meet your writing needs?

The coffee shop down the street has a quiet room with insulated walls to mute outside sounds. It’s perfect since I’m usually working among students studying for exams. Peace and quiet is all I need. Unfortunately, I’ve got two dogs and a soon-to-be wife at home, and while I love them to death, they are always breaking my concentration.

What is your writing process? Have you ever thought about changing it? Other authors I have interviewed talk about having an outline – post-it notes in an office, or writing in paper journals. Is there something like that in your writing technique? Or is it all digital for you?

I outline in a notebook. It’s something I’ve always done, and it’s pretty much guaranteed to be banged up since I’m usually jotting down notes in it as inspiration hits (wherever that may be). I don’t like writing without having a clear idea of where the story is heading. I’ve tried doing it multiple times, and every time I end up writing myself into a dead end.

How do you know when a novel or short story is finished? How do you know to step away and let the story speak for itself?

This is a tough question, and I don’t have a real answer. I just go with my gut feeling.

Do you have a preference for ebook or paperback format? This is for both your own reading and your novels.

I used to be a snob about paperbacks, but I got a Kindle for Christmas several years back and the darned thing has grown on me. Nowadays I do either without any real preference.

Social media is becoming a big thing. How does managing media outlets come into marketing your brand and your books?

I know I have to manage my social media and brand, but honestly I’d rather just be writing. I think I’m just doing the bare minimum at this point since, to be honest, it’s not like I have any fans to interact with anyway. Once that starts changing, though, I could easily see myself engaging with them–not even as a brand thing, but just to get that connection with my readers would be cool.

You have answered other sets of interview questions, is there something you wish someone would have asked you? Or conversely, something you wish they hadn’t asked?

Nobody’s ever asked me about what I like to do outside of writing. I think it keeps things fresh to have little tangents like, “What’re your favorite foods?” Easy. That’d be steak and chili.

Review: AJ Conway – Skyquakers

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Skyquakers
AJ Conway

Saved by hiding in the fridge, Ned treks across the Australian desert to find other survivors. Beset by rage against the Skyquakers, he can only continue on in the hope he can make a difference.

29451283What might be a fruitless task is explored sensitively and in a reckless pace that makes you want to keep reading. It’s like the aftermath of a train wreck where you think the worst has happened, but then more things keep popping up.

This is set in Australia in a highly realised world that resonates with the reader. If you haven’t been to Australia, this novel is going to make you think that there is nothing here! Which is sort of true. It’s what was missing from In the Eyes of a Monster.

AJ Conway is a science PhD student like myself, and that shows through. The science in this is really well thought out, which I appreciated. Real science that gets the regular reader to think. Remember, humans are animals too (something I laugh about every time I see makeup that is ‘Not Tested on Animals’).

Oh yes, that’s the sort of ending I desire from this author. Unfinished questions? Surprise ending that the reader probably hasn’t thought of? Yes! You’ll remember that I was really keen on her first novel My Nova, and I had my comment on the dust jacket of The Treaty.

5 stars from me. It took me far too long to pick up this novel, but I certainly didn’t regret reading it in one sitting once I had started.

5star

Review: Kathleen Jowitt – Speak Its Name

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Speak Its Name
Kathleen Jowitt

Lydia is part of the Christian Fellowship, the strictest and least forgiving of the Christian societies on her college campus. While she enjoys leading others into the words of God, Lydia is often left feeling like she has missed something from her own readings of the scripture – how can she be feeling these things towards other people if the Bible says it is wrong? This is a novel of how Lydia finds herself, and in doing so, can help others too.

29850310I’m having a problem with some of these honeymoon romance periods novels at the moment. The sad truth is that many relationships won’t survive past the 2 year biological imperative. This novel is more important than that though, it’s about coming out in a place where you think everyone will be hostile.

For me, the ending didn’t entirely ring true. I’m not sure how dependant she was on her parents and other people, but noone seemed to have job. Oh wait, I’ve just realised this is set in the UK, so that means that the college rules are different. Anyway, aren’t jobs essential to university students?

I appreciated the reference to bisexuals not being really recognised in the queer community. Jowitt puts it nicely when she says that Colette could have fallen off one side of the fence or the other!

Surprisingly I’m going to be releasing this 4 star novel into the wild. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because I think it offers a unique entry into being queer in a Christian community, and I think it can help many people in their journey towards being comfortable with themselves.

4star