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2. Babylon Steel by Gaie Sebold.
3. The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith.
4. Muncle Trogg And The Flying Donkey by Janet Foxley.
5. Dark Parties by Sara Grant.
6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.
7. The Book Of Wonders by Jasmine Richards.
8. Deadline by Chris Crutcher.
9. Someone Else’s Life by Katie Dale.
10. This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel.
11. The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa.
12. The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa.
13. The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa.
14. Stuck On Me by Hilary Freeman.
15. Secrets Of The Henna Girl by Sufiya Ahmed.
16. I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga.
17. After The Snow by S. D. Crockett.
18. Oliver Twisted by J. D. Sharpe.
19. Runelight by Joanne Harris.
20. Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber.
21. The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.
22. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion.
23. The Killables by Gemma Malley.
24. The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff.
25. The Age Of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker.
26. Timeless by Gail Carriger.
27. Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick.
28. The Shadow Of The Soul by Sarah Pinborough.
29. Eve by Anna Carey.
30. Wonder by R. J. Palacio.
31. Zoo City by Lauren Beukes.
32. Deadweather And Sunrise by Geoff Rodkey.
33. The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer.
34. A Waste of Good Paper by Sean Taylor.
35. Skulduggery Pleasant: The End Of The World by Derek Landy.
36. Red Glove by Holly Black.
37. Black Heart by Holly Black.
38. Earth Girl by Janet Edwards.
It’s the year 2788, and the universe is divided into two different kinds of people: the Norms, who can portal between other planets, and people like me, the one in a thousand who are born with an immune system which doesn’t allow us to leave planet Earth.
Norms come back to Earth for one reason: to study human history. But only if they don’t have to interact with us ‘Neanderthals’ along the way. Well, I’ve got a plan to change all that.
Call me whatever you like, I’m every bit as good as they are.
And I’m going to prove it to them.
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The Verdict:
Janet Edwards’ debut YA novel mixes solid science fiction with a love of history to an interesting if not wholly convincing effect. Although I loved Jarra’s first person voice and the way Edwards introduces the technological elements of her world building, the social elements (particularly the colonists and their homogenous characteristics) were less convincing. I was also completely unconvinced by a plot development in the final quarter, which did rather spoil my ultimate enjoyment although there was a lot here that was great and would ensure that I definitely read Janet Edwards’s next book.
EARTH GIRL will be released in the UK on 16th August 2012. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the ARC of this book.
Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.
But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s the truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet – this time on love.
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The Verdict:
Holly Black’s bestselling Curse Worker Trilogy concludes with a peculiar mix of con tricks and obsessive love but despite some great world building it didn’t quite gel together for me. Ultimately my problems with the book boil down to the fact that it simply isn’t long enough to satisfactorily deal with all of the fabulous ideas and plot points that it contains. As a result too many plot lines are underdeveloped and I was disappointed that what seemed to be the main story arc relating to civil rights for Workers is shunted aside by the romance between Lila and Cass (although if you’re a romance fan then you will probably enjoy it). I do enjoy Black’s way with words and the way she turns a phrase, but despite an excellent beginning in WHITE CAT, this trilogy didn’t live up to my hopes.
Magic and the mob.
In Cassel Sharpe’s world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realised his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth – he’s the most powerful curse worker around. He can transform anything – or anyone – into something else.
That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Now she’s back, but she’s been cursed to love him. If Lila’s love is as false as Cassel’s made-up memories, then he can’t believe anything she says or does.
When Cassel’s oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help find his brother’s killer. But the mob wants Cassel too – they know how valuable he could be to them. He will have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. Where can he turn when he can’t trust anyone – least of all, himself?
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The Verdict:
Holly Black’s sequel to the hugely enjoyable WHITE CAT is a well constructed but ultimately less satisfying YA fantasy read, mainly because of the way in which Black repeats an unreliable narrator device used in the first novel but also because I’m not a romance fan but Black seems to be moving this trilogy firmly into paranormal romance territory. Saying that, I do enjoy the world building and the civil rights plot line has a strong contemporary feel. For this reason I will be reading the final book in the trilogy, BLACK HEART.
Oh yes, and dead.
Ryan is an ordinary boy living in an ordinary world.
Or so he thought.
Pursued by a gang of insane sorcerers who want to destroy the planet, Ryan’s only chance for survival rests with skeleton-detective Skulduggery Pleasant and his teenage partner Valkyrie Cain. They have one day to save Ryan. One day to save the world. The clock is ticking …
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The Verdict:
SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT – THE END OF THE WORLD is a one-off short story written by Derek Landy for World Book Day in 2012. There’s a fascinating look at some of the early drafts of the first SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT novel, which should keep fans hooked, but the story itself works as a good taster for those completely new to his world.
Peter’s an ALL RIGHT teacher. But even so it’s a DUMB IDEA he’s got about this book. Because the problem last year was to do with WHAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING ABOUT MY MUM. And what happens if they start dissing her again like that this year? Writing anything in this frigging journal book isn’t going to stop them doing that.
And it isn’t going to stop Jason’s mum’s ex-boyfriend turning up with two broken arms and getting Jason to deliver mysterious packages for him, either. Or the mayhem that surrounds him at school, or the fear of going back into care, or the memories of all the other bad things that happened last year. And it isn’t going to stop Jason LOSING IT.
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The Verdict:
Sean Taylor’s YA novel is an emotionally powerful story about a kid who’s never had a break and who struggles to express the rage and the loneliness that he feels inside. Although I would have liked the language used to have been grittier, the narrative voice is otherwise pitch perfect and I fully believed in Jason, his emotions and his situation. This book is well worth a look.
A WASTE OF GOOD PAPER was released in the UK on 3rd May 2012. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the ARC of this book.
Stepping into the wrong carriage at a Sussex village, Elinor Rochdale is swept up in a thrilling and dangerous adventure. Overnight the would-be governess becomes mistress of a ruined estate and partner in a secret conspiracy to save a family’s name. By midnight she is a bride, by dawn a widow.
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The Verdict:
Georgette Heyer’s Regency romance is a light, frothy read that’s perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon. It’s not a deep book, the romance seemed a little perfunctory and neither of the main characters really worked for me, but the minor characters are a lot of fun and I did love the Francis Cheviot, a sinister dandy. I’d definitely read more of Heyer’s books.
It’s tough to be thirteen, especially when somebody’s trying to kill you.
Not that Egg’s life was ever easy, growing up on sweaty, pirate-infested Deadweather Island with no company except an incompetent tutor and a pair of unusually violent siblings who hate his guts.
But when Egg’s father hustles their family off on a mysterious errand to fabulously wealthy Sunrise Island, then disappears with the siblings in a freak accident, Egg finds himself a long-term guest at the mansion of the glamorous Pembroke family and their beautiful, sharp-tongued daughter Millicent. Finally, life seems perfect.
Until someone tries to throw him off a cliff.
Suddenly, Egg’s running for his life in a bewildering world of cutthroat pirates, villainous businessmen, and strange Native legends. The only people who can help him sort out the mystery of why he’s been marked for death are Millicent and a one-handed, possibly deranged cabin boy.
Come along for the ride. You’ll be glad you did.
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The Verdict:
Geoff Rodkey’s middle grade novel (the first in a trilogy) is filled with enough pirates and bloodthirsty adventure to keep both boy and girl readers happy. Although I was a little perturbed by the portrayal of the physical abuse that Egg suffers and the romance between him and Millicent was a little icky given that they’re both 13. That said, it’s fast-paced and has plenty of adventure in it and pirate fans will really enjoy it.
DEADWEATHER AND SUNRISE will be released in the US on 29th May 2012. Thanks to Penguin for the ARC of this book.
Zinzi has a Sloth on her back, a dirty 419 scam habit, and a talent for finding lost things. But when a little old lady turns up dead and the cops confiscate her last paycheck, she’s forced to take on her least favourite kind of job – missing persons.
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The Verdict:
Lauren Beukes’s second novel is a whip-smart, original urban fantasy that mashes the darkest elements of Africa’s supernatural culture with the worst excesses of western avarice. The mystery element frays too much in the final quarter and the way a supernatural sub-plot gets closed out made little sense, but the strong world-building and stronger first person voice of Zinzi. The fact that stories from African countries are so under-represented in genre fiction is a good enough reason on its own to check this novel out.
Wonder is the funny, sweet and incredibly moving story of Auggie Pullman. Born with a terrible facial abnormality, this shy, bright ten-year-old has been home-schooled by his parents for his whole life, in an attempt to protect him from the stares and cruelty of the outside world. Now, for the first time, Auggie is being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. The thing is, Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all? Through the voices of Auggie, his big sister Via, and his new friends Jack and Summer, Wonder follows Auggie's journey through his first year at Beecher Prep.
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The Verdict:
R. J. Palacio’s middle grade novel is a funny, touching but at times schmaltzy look at what it means to live with a serious facial disfigurement. For a book that revolves around the theme of how people with disfigurements are still normal underneath it all gets lost in a Hollywoodised ending straight out of Cornsville and I did feel that she missed a trick by not getting giving a voice to the kid who bullies Auggie, choosing instead to show him and his parents as isolated and ridiculous characters. That said, this book has some powerful, moving and very funny moments and I would recommend it to children and adults as something they should read.
WONDER was released in the UK on 1st March 2012. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the ARC of this book.
