Tag Archives: 4-stars

Review: Ann Walmsley – The Prison Book Club

Posted on by
Reply

The Prison Book Club
Ann Walmsley

This non-fiction grabber reads like a fictional book. Who could imagine going into a prison in order to read literature with inmates convicted of murder, drug dealing and robbery. That’s what Ann did, somehow getting over her fear of tattooed men who might want to hurt her.

24876660I’ve never really thought about prison settings, not since my review of Peacock Blue, and of course that isn’t a Western prison. This prison is harsh, and grimy, and that’s what makes the transformation of the men within the book club surrounds more profound. They have high, intelligent thinking, despite what they might have done on the outside.

I wished I knew more, or perhaps less, about the affluent book club that Ann is part of in the outside world. I couldn’t imagine the fancy cheeses or anything else being attractive to me. Ann’s standing in the world wasn’t clear to me at all – did she have a day job? Does that actually matter?

I’ve sort of wanted to join a book club, but I think in general I read the wrong genres of novels. I’m not really a high literature or even mostly adult fiction reader. This didn’t go to prove me wrong, but maybe since I am reading more adult fantasy at the moment (Brandon Sanderson, drool), I could get into that. But then again, I have so many other good novels to read…

More could have been made of the benefits of the book club. There were some places for statistics that wouldn’t have gone astray for me. I did like how Ann followed the men outside prison after their release, and how it made her feel more comfortable in her own skin. Insights into her own life were welcome too.

I requested this novel. I was looking for something a bit more ‘meaty’ to read, and this was it. Non-fiction is not usually my thing, but this novel was really great. I’d put it on a book club reading list any day!

Review: Alyssa Palombo – The Violinist of Venice

Posted on by
1

The Violinist of Venice
Alyssa Palombo

Adriana has been tortured away from music by her bitter father after her opera mother’s death. Still the longing to make music holds strong in her, and she decides to make her way to Vivaldi’s home in order to nurture her talent as a violinist. What happens next is a romance that is both tender and heartbreaking.

23848300This novel opens with a storm, and only gets better from there. I was convinced I was in the same time as the characters, roaming the streets of Venice. There were vivid pictures painted for me of the characters’ costumes and the places where they interacted the most. The pathways between places were a bit hazy for me, but at those points I was too engrossed in the characters to notice.

The little intricacies underlying the main plot line (Adriana and Toni’s affair) are fascinating. You can’t really think about how the different points will happen or twine together, but they do. What I liked about this was that a ‘happy ending’ wasn’t necessarily assured. There are so many things at stake, not just Adriana’s life.

You don’t need to know anything about music to enjoy this novel. If you’re more of a classic romance person, this is going to suit you as well. And you might even be engaged enough to go and youtube the music so that you can hear it in concert (haha) with reading the novel.

This is also available as an ebook, and I’d certainly suggest borrowing from your library if it is available ( I can only imagine how nice Adriana’s voice should sound). I’m not sure on the rereadability of this one. I’ve got a reader in mind for it right now, and I’m certain that she will also like it (being a musical person herself).

4star

Thanks to Pan Macmillan for my free review copy.

Review: Jenny Downham – Unbecoming

Posted on by
Reply

unbecoming
Jenny Downham

Katie’s grandmother has unexpectedly come to stay. Katie’s life has been fragmenting since her parents split up, and this new addition to an already dysfunctional family could be the end of it. In coming to care for her eccentric grandmother, Katie comes to realise that family is complicated – but that doesn’t mean it is inherently bad.

9780545907170_xlgThis novel touches on a number of important topics – sexuality, family history and degenerating health conditions. The family history here is convoluted and lovely, and exposed sneakily by Katie’s perspective, and also from Mary’s memory. Mary’s memory loss is extreme, and is getting worse, but she is still trying to work out what has gotten lost, and why it is important.

Dementia can be a tricky subject to portray in a manner that is convincing, but it is done so brilliantly here. The mentions of Jack being present for Mary could have been jarring, but instead they were comfortingly woven into the text, where they could be either past memories or imaginings from Mary.

What I liked about Katie and Jamie/Simona’s relationship was that it was less ‘typical’ or predictable than relationships in other novels, where being in love doesn’t solve all problems. Something I always struggle with, both in novels and in real life, is that any gay characters are automatically expected to like each other! I mean, the saying is that ‘there are plenty more fish in the ocean’ for straight people, and I think that needs to be different for gay or alternative relationships – it’s more like an overcrowded pond with plenty of random fish that are forced to be friendly because they share the same space. Is that too much of an analogy?

The ending was a little neat for my now-refined taste, but there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with that. This is the second novel I have read recently that doesn’t offer easy answers, or a linear, unimaginative plot. Not being able to predict characters based on past novels you have read (and I have read a lot) is beginning to be a sign of brilliance of authors I read.

This is a valuable contribution to YA literature. Highly recommended reading.

4star

Thanks to Scholastic for providing me with a complimentary copy.

 

Review: Anthony Horowitz – Crocodile Tears

Posted on by
Reply

Crocodile Tears
Anthony Horowitz

Genetically changed crops are the next stage in feeding the world. But of course, they can also be the source of a plague. Alex Rider is pitted against someone that isn’t even the obvious threat. It’ll take his wits (as usual) to get out of it…

6566616This novel gets off to a roaring start with a party and a road accident. Things seem to go back to normal then, but of course, Alex is in the middle of something before he even notices. Alex never learns. He just can’t help himself, and so he gets into trouble, and he doesn’t know if he’ll survive. But he just has to do it! MI6 chose the right person for the job.

I find myself frustrated by the usual formula of needing to use every gadget you are given! It means that I knew how things would work out. But then again, I love gadgets, and I would have been happy to see a bunch more of them! Gadgets are way more exciting than guns.

The blurb says that this is ‘his most dangerous adversary yet’, but I don’t think it is. All of the villains get a bit same-y eventually. Their motives are usually power, or money. And they all feel the need to brag about their plans! And pretend that it’s cool that it’s a 14 year old in front of them, a bright one, but still too young to make any sort of sense of most of the stuff.

It had been a while since I read the other novels in this series, but it honestly didn’t matter. This book is a stand-alone, any extra information you might need is briefed by one of the other characters. 3-4 stars from me, simply because it wasn’t that absorbing. I got it as a talking book to listen to while I worked, and it made a lovely distraction.

3star

Review: Brandon Sanderson – Warbreaker

Posted on by
1

Warbreaker
Brandon Sanderson

Two princesses with hair that changes colour with their moods are let loose into the colourful capital of Hallandren – where one thrives and the other suffers. Naturally enough, the one that is suffering thinks that the one that is ‘thriving’ must be faking it! But as it is revealed, they aren’t the same people at all. With a war threatening, one is completely unaware of the war, and the other is unaware what she is doing. The God King could make a difference, but he is silent…

1268479Sometimes it feels like someone who didn’t read the novel wrote the blurb. Breath isn’t focussed by colour! It lets you see all the beautiful colours that are present. And with that note, and other great thing about Sanderson novels is that at the back, there is usually an explanation of the unique magic system he has come up with.

So this magic system is where every person in the world has ‘Breath’. Just one. Unless they sell it (becoming dull), or gain more than one. People with more Breath are more powerful, and it’s obvious to others because the colours brighten around them. The Breath can be used for protection, or for offence. And for the pantheon, it is what keeps them alive.

The characters. Well, it’s told from different perspectives, which actually worked quite well for me, but then I can forgive Sanderson almost anything. I’m not sure I was given enough information to really work out the plot for myself, an insight into the opposing ‘team’ with another perspective might have been good, but there was plenty packed in.

While browsing my bookshelf and lamenting that I didn’t have any of the other books I was currently reading at home, this one jumped out at me. I was pretty much immobile at that point (motorbike accident) and so I wanted something that was going to absorb me. Imagine me leaning on the furniture getting around the house, but with this book in one hand as well!

4 stars from me. This book actually sat on my shelf for at least a year before I read it. It’s an ex-library copy, and I’m pretty sure it cost me a grand total of 50c. That makes it an absolute bargain for the hours of interest I got out of it.

4star

Review: Eric Bishop-Potter – Jimmy, Mrs Fisher and Me

Posted on by
Reply

Jimmy, Mrs Fisher and Me
Eric Bishop-Potter

Simon is a young man on the crux of adulthood, faced with the fact that his half-brother is going blind. Simon loves Jimmy in a unique way, and he shows that love in a unique manner. Simon wants to take Jimmy to see the Grand Canyon (a big step for someone living in London) and there are few ways he can make enough money to do that. This novel asks what you would be willing to do for someone you love – can you expose yourself and turn tricks?

12476474I don’t always identify with a gay male main character, but in this case I did. I couldn’t see anything wrong with his obsession with his penis, and it came across as a natural part of his character. I even tolerated quite well his rather strange way of thinking.

This book struck me as amazing, and I wasn’t even in a chapter before I emailed the author to tell him it was fantastic. But the problem was eventually that the end of the novel was already given away by reading the blurb! I hardly felt a moment of suspense when I should have been anxious.

The author said that there weren’t any gratuitous sex scenes, which almost seemed impossible. but it was just as he said! The sex scenes really fit in with the character, and I wasn’t disgusted reading them. And true to his word, they had plenty of humour and Simon’s narration was just perfect.

Finally, I could literally see the characters coming out of the pages. The scenery was the least important thing, the characters were what made it work. I could see Jimmy in his dancing gear, and Simon in his YaYa shirt. Not to mention the old lady in the kitchen! All of them got some back story, but I could have happily read more.

I wouldn’t call this a reread, but I’m going to give it 4 stars, and strongly suggest to the author that he change the blurb!

4star

Review: Eliot Treichel – A Series of Small Manoeuvres

Posted on by
Reply

A Series of Small Manoeuvres
Eliot Treichel

Out on a camping trip, 15 year old Emma inadvertently causes her father’s death. Swapping between the days preceding and then following the accident, this novel depicts how life can change rapidly around death and how one girl survives the rapids to the other side.

25408142This novel doesn’t have an ending. Sure, the novel ends, but you are left not knowing all the answers. But that’s ok! I didn’t mind that I didn’t have all the answers, because it allowed me to really delve into the text, and come to my own conclusions. Enough had been said that I was satisfied.

What was refreshing about this novel was that Emma didn’t need a love interest or a best friend to get out of her trauma. It’s a more relatable picture of grief, and so so realistic. Not everyone has a soul mate waiting to pick them up! Emma has to deal with things by herself, and through that come to realisations about life.

The swapping between the time periods could have been confusing, but Treichel made the time periods so obvious, even a serial chapter heading ignorer like me could manage. It was obvious that she survived anyway, so it’s not like that was a giveaway. The hints at the future from the authorial voice worked for me.

So what about the world-building? Well, I think the camping scenario got plenty of air-time, but the outside world was dim in comparison. Again, that seemed to reflect the way Emma and her dad thought about the world – everything is deeper and more colourful in the bush. The other characters? I would have loved to hear more about Peg, and really very few other characters got a full space of description. They weren’t the point of the novel though, so I wasn’t worried.

The more I think about this novel, the more stars I want to give it. Unfortunately, for me, it’s no longer a reread (a bit outside my age group perhaps?). But I do think it has a lot to offer. 4 very strong stars from me, and a wish I could give it 4.5 stars.

4star

Thanks to the lovely people at Ooligan Press for sending me a review copy of this novel. They publish great things!

Review: Richelle Mead – Soundless

Posted on by
Reply

Soundless
Richelle Mead

Fei and her village are deaf, and now are becoming blind. With the levels of food dropping, all the artists are allowed only to continue to paint the scenes of life. Fei longs to draw other things, but with her own work and her sister’s to do, she must

24751478What I liked about this novel was that magic didn’t seem to be a big part of the world, until it suddenly was. It was more about what real people could do when faced with difficult conditions, and what would cause a tipping point between fear and retaliation.

I loved that the storyline required me to pay attention. Not only were the world details beautifully realised, I could see each of the characters in their worn clothing. And around that, I still had to concentrate on the storyline – which kept me reaching for the novel after lights-out. Despite there being a beinga ‘love story’ running through this, it isn’t annoying or cloying and it doesn’t get in the way of the storyline.

Although Fei is always professing love for her sister, I’m not sure that I got a real sense of that. Yes, her sister gave her reasons to change things, but I think that inside Fei felt like she had to do something too. I’m not complaining exactly, but I just wanted more ‘feelings’ and to empathise with Fei more.

This novel reflects on modern society if you look for it. Although we might think of mining as ‘only’ being a dirty job now, the reality is that in poorer developing countries, people are still being treated like Fei’s village.

 

Considering that the author wrote two vampire series that I’m not interested in, I was a little afraid about the quality of this work. Not only was I pleasantly surprised, I might even consider reading other things – just anything but vampires!

4star

Thanks to Penguin Random House for my free review copy!

Review: Catherine Jinks – Theophilus Grey and the Demon Thief

Posted on by
Reply

Theophilus Grey and the Demon Thief
Catherine Jinks

Philo runs a tight-nit team of link-boys whose role is to guide Londoners home in the dark. Their secondary goal is to collect information about all of the people of importance – and carry it home to their master for rewards. When thieves start dropping senseless to the ground, Philo can’t seem to get any information about it. What appears to be a simple argument between rival groups gets more complicated the more Philo thinks about it.

Philo and the boy26700148s are unique. Philo seems a very alert kid, yet unworldly in his own way. He’s far to used to taking orders! But you do see his character develop in the novel, and that’s a big thing for me. I can see the other link-boys getting more time in the sequel. They’re easy to remember the differences between them, which is important for someone like me who forgets names.

This novel twists and turns just like the streets of London. Just as you think you’ve worked out who the culprit is, the amount of information you have changes, and you are forced to reevaluate the whole situation. You feel with Philo when things go wrong, and you match his confusion with your own. I got right inside the character.

I’ve never been to London, but I have read a series of novels about being in London. Olden London somehow seems more interesting than current London to me! This noel effortlessly puts you into Philo’s shoes, and opens your eyes to the everyday life of Georgian Londoners.

There is plenty of room left open for a sequel, but at that same time I was entirely satisfied with the story. I finished it in a brief gasp, and hated that I had gulped it so quickly! The story was just so compelling towards the end that I had to keep reading.

I’ve given this a very generous 5 stars. I realise that I’m heading out of the target age zone for this novel, and so its entertainment value for me is potentially less than it was before. But it was a brilliant novel that I would suggest reading again.

5star

Thanks to Allen & Unwin for providing me with a complimentary review copy of this novel.

Review: Josef – Fifty Shades of Truth

Posted on by
Reply

Fifty Shades of Truth
Josef

Josef is drawn to the more unusual sides of sex work. He likes to be dominated and dominating, he experiments with all things. This novel is 18+. Continue reading →