Review blog

Click here for the ReadPlus Review Blog RSS feed. Copy the link location into your feed reader.

Feb 03 2012

Me and you by Niccolo Ammaniti

Trans. by Kylee Doust. Text, 2012. ISBN 9781921758775.
(Ages: 14+) Recommended. The Italian author Niccolo Ammaniti is able to present both the innocence and egotism of children and the dark, threatening worlds they may inhabit in a convincing and gripping way. In this novel Me and you, the voice of fourteen-year-old Lorenzo is believable and persuasive. He describes himself as uninterested in, at best, and as frightened by, at worst, the world of his peers, and he gives way to rages. His psychiatrist describes him as someone who cannot empathise with others, except his parents. Lorenzo learns to survive by using Batesian mimicry, pretending to be as his classmates are, boorish, loud and disruptive. However, Lorenzo creates trouble for himself when he overhears a group of friends planning a skiing trip. Lorenzo is a good skier and imagines being part of the group. He tells his mother that he has been invited along. Trapped in his lie by his mother's happiness Lorenzo consequently plans to spend the week hiding in a cellar, in the dark with his computer, cans of drink and food. All seems to be proceeding well until his sojourn is interrupted by his half-sister Olivia who Lorenzo is forced to realize is an addict suffering frighteningly painful withdrawal symptoms. Her desperate need and his ability to help her bring about a change in Lorenzo, symbolized by a story he invents about a robot, created to unfeelingly destroy, that learns to live and breed like sea turtles. Lorenzo realizes that he can change his behaviour and learn to become a friend to others. The outcome for Olivia is not so positive. As in Ammaniti's earlier work I'm not scared the resolution is shocking. The novel is simply written but thematically rich. The world of Lorenzo is created with acute observations and details. Me and you compares well with other novels written from the point-of-view of main characters with a difficulty in relating to others. This is recommended for secondary readers.
Jenny Hamilton

Feb 02 2012

In Darkness by Nick Lake

Bloomsbury, 2012. ISBN 13579108642.
(Age: 15+) Recommended. Shorty is a teenage gangster from the violent slums of Site Soley where survival is a daily challenge. Now he lies trapped beneath the rubble of a hospital following the Haitian earthquake, afraid that he will be entombed forever. Alone in the darkness Shorty reflects upon the events in his life that have shaped his destiny.  His wandering mind becomes possessed by the thoughts of Toussaint L'Ouverture, the Haitian rebel who forced the French out of Haiti two hundred years ago. Both of them seek freedom but it will take strength and the courage of self belief to achieve it.
This is a story of two Haitis, the past and the present, compellingly intertwined. The political history of Haiti and its battle to be free from colonial power runs parallel to the story of modern Haiti. The slums, gang warfare and violence are a reality of day to day existence and evoke the passion to be free from oppression. L'Oeuverture channels this passion through Shorty.
This is an excellent book for the sophisticated reader. The author is able to tell the story of Haiti's history in an exciting and innovative way. It is a very satisfying page turner and the two stories of past and present are equally gripping and informative.
Tina Cain

Feb 02 2012

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

The Inheritance Cycle: Book Four. Doubleday, 2011. ISBN 9780385616492.
(Suited for: 16+) Recommended. Not long ago, Eragon was just a poor farm boy, unaware of the importance that his future held. Now with the help of the elves, dwarves and his dragon, Saphira, Eragon is preparing for the war against Galbatorix. The resistance against the cruel Galbatorix is building with the Varden's army growing in size and strength every day. As the war approaches it seems that the deciding factor will not be won by the armies on the battlefield but in the fight against his half-brother Murtagh, and his dragon Thor. And if he is unable to conquer Murtagh, what hope do he and the people of Alagaesia hope of winning the fight for justice against Galbatorix.
The book opens with Paolini giving a brief overview of the previous books in the series. It is used to broaden the audience for the book to not just those who have read the series but to newcomers. It does little to achieve this goal and first-timers to the series will find themselves somewhat bored by the opening. The opening chapters encompass Paolini's style of writing as the fast-paced story telling that brought him so much praise for the Inheritance Cycle.
While newcomers to the series will struggle to find themselves engaged by the story and style of writing, fans of the series will find it to be a fitting end to the saga. With this as the final book of the Inheritance Cycle, Paolini will continue to win praise for the series.
I recommend this book.
Michael Adams

Feb 02 2012

Keeper of the realms: Crow's Revenge by Marcus Alexander

Penguin, 2011. ISBN 9780141339771.
(Ages 13+) Charlie Keeper is a 13 year old girl, living with her senile grandmother in her strange family home in London. Her parents have been missing for nearly 7 years, and her guardian, the cruel lawyer Mr Crow, takes advantage of her grandmothers confused state and Charlie's own lack of power to mistreat her and embezzle the family funds. One day while exploring her odd house (it appears larger on the inside), she comes across Jensen who is a Treman from Bellania, a world that exists on an alternate plane to the earth, but is accessible via a portal in her house. He disappears through a door, but Charlie is unable to follow him.
When the mysterious and evil Bane enters the house and threatens Crow with terrible consequences if he does not help him acquire the pendant that Charlie wears, a mad chase through the house ensues, which sees Charlie transported through the portal into Bellania. There the real adventure begins as she races against time to save her parents, free Bellania from Bane's malevolent grip, and awaken her Keeper powers.
When the blurb on the back of a book compares it to The Wizard of Oz, The Narnia Chronicles, Lemony Snickett and JK Rowling, it has a lot to live up to. Whilst the premise is appealing, and I really wanted to like this book, to me it doesn't deliver on its potential. It has none of the real freshness or sparkle of these books, but is rather derivative, clumsy and laboured. In its favour, it is good to have a young female protagonist as the hero in this genre, there are some interesting characters and narrow escapes, and I'm sure that most younger readers will enjoy Charlie's antics and adventures. Whilst I found Charlies temper tantrums and foot stamping aggravating, to be fair she is confronted with many dreadful situations and is increasingly worried about the fate of her Gran back in London as well her missing parents.
It is not giving away anything to say that this book ends with a cliff hanger - it is the first of a projected three book series - however, it failed to capture my imagination or leave me wanting more.
Alicia Papp

Feb 01 2012

Life : an exploded diagram by Mal Peet

Walker Books, 2011. ISBN 978 1 8442 8100 8.
Recommended for senior secondary students and adults. This book begins and ends with a bang.  A Spitfire shooting a chimney pot to pieces in 1945 and the World Trade Centre exploding in 2001.
In between is a thoroughly enjoyable story, largely about Clem, a working class boy and Frankie, daughter of a wealthy local landowner.  Interspersed with this are the evolving stories of their families especially Clem's. As well there is as a background the developing missile crisis in Cuba in 1962.
The relationship that develops between Clem and Frankie is both touching and hilarious at least to the reader. The author handles the various components of the book with great skill and melds them together into a whole that is entertaining, humorous and affirming all at the same time. The characters are extremely well drawn and the observations of life in Britain in the period acutely well done.
I loved this book; it's beautifully written and the author skillfully weaves everything together to produce an outstanding reading.
David Rayner

Feb 01 2012

The Heir of Night by Helen Lowe

Orbit Books, 2010. ISBN 9780356500089.
(Ages: 14+) Thirteen-year old Malian, the Heir of Night, is launched unexpectedly and suddenly into a world of conflict, magic and divided alliances. While the once powerful fires of the Derai burn low, the glacial chill of realms lived in form and fantasy arise like frosty tendrils from the pages; storms whip the embattlements of the Keep of Winds, and Malian, the young heir apparent, plays among the corridors and stairwells of the forbidden Old Keep. With the Swarm's dark power stirring, Malian begins to understand her own destiny will be lived between dimensions. Kalan, the young novice priest, and Yorindesarinen, the hero of the Derai, appear to Malian in the forbidden section and for now, they resist the Dark Swarm. Ultimately though, the black shadow must be conquered, prompting the young heiress and her noviciate friend to flee the only home Malian has known. Through sighing winds and snow, and with the sinister shadow close upon them, will their combined wit, courage and psychic powers be enough to overcome the enemy?
Helen Lowe, an award winning author and poet, is based in New Zealand. The Heir of Night is the first of her four-book fantasy, chronicling the wars of the Derai and their traditional enemy The Dark Swarm. Young readers especially will identify with its main characters, Malian and Kalan. Written in the third person, it weaves effortlessly between dialogue and imagery, and although the battle scenes are graphic, they are in keeping with other novels of this genre. The complex cast and plot are introduced slowly and carefully. Lowe's effort will be worthwhile as the ensuing books reveal the remainder of the saga.
The Heir of Night will surely leave fans of the genre eager for its sequel. This book would be suitable for high school library bookshelves.
Colleen Tuovinen

Feb 01 2012

Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Wolf Springs Chronicles. Doubleday, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-857-53071-4.
(Age: Mid to older teens) Unleashed is an enchanting novel that holds and captivates your imagination and mind. Katelyn McBride is the new girl, a position hated by most of the population, she moved to Wolf Springs, a small quiet town where everyone knows everyone, because of the tragic death of her mother, Giselle Chevalier, world renowned ballet dancer, who died in an earthquake, leaving Katelyn nowhere to live but her Grandfather's house in southern, isolated Wolf Springs. Katelyn, homesick and depressed, gains friendship with one of the mildly bad boys, Trick, young, handsome and strong, Katelyn finds herself attracted to him before you can say 'Hill-Billy Central'. Fortunately he is her ride to school and back, every day, Yes! Her status as the new girl isn't that bad because everyone treats her like a celebrity because she is from L.A. She then meets gorgeous ex-cheerleader Cordelia Fenner. Horribly unfortunate deaths occur, Haley and Becky both die in the forest, the blame on wild animals, but could it be? Things get suspicious and exciting when they are put together for a history project and Katelyn ticks off a long-lost silver mine with a beast to guard on the possibility list, Cordelia seems to get cold feet and is constantly in two states of mind about the whole project. More complications appear when she visits the Fenner residence one day, Katelyn is assessed by Cordelia's older sisters, Regan and Arial along with her stunningly sexy cousin Justin, who Katelyn has to fight to keep her hands off.
Things start to get really weird when Katelyn gets attacked by a wolf with bright blue eyes and when Cordelia is informed she becomes very secretive and suspicious. With the deep leg wound healing in only days, Katelyn starts to freak and begs Cordelia to tell her everything. This is where things get more interesting and extremely but enjoyably intense.
Unleashed is a brilliant novel to get into and it leaves you craving for more. I think this book will be better suited to mid to older teens who like romance, mystery and thrill. I don't always rate books but if I did this would land a solid 8 out of 10. It was really enjoyable. I hope there is a sequel and I hope it is just as enthralling.
Sarah Filkin, Yr 10

Jan 31 2012

The heir chronicles by Cinda Williams Chima

Indigo, 2012.
The warrior heir. Book 1. ISBN 9781780620473.
The wizard heir. Book 2. ISBN 9781780620503.
The dragon heir. Book 3. ISBN 9781780620534.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. A reprint of Chima's award winning series (2008 Kirkus Best YA Book of the Year, 2009 Voya Best SF and Fantasy Book of the Year) is a treat for fantasy lovers like me. The books would best be read as a series, starting with book 1, The warrior heir, where the reader is introduced to 16 year old Jack, a normal teenager living in a small Ohio town. The only thing that makes him different is the scar above his heart and the medicine he has to take daily. One day when he misses his medicine, he discovers that he is stronger and faster than all his soccer mates and that he is a member of the Weirlind, a group of magical people who are facing war. Book 2, The wizard heir, follows the adventures of Seph, who is an untrained wizard. When sent to a private school in Maine, he uncovers deadly secrets and becomes involved in the war between the Red and White Rose factions. The dragon heir has two main protagonists: Jason, who steals the Dragonheart, a powerful treasure and Madison Moss who is a danger to her boyfriend Seph, as she leaks the toxic magic that she absorbed in the fight against evil.
Chima deserves the accolades she received for these books. After reading The warrior heir I was thrilled knowing that I had the next two stories to read straight away rather than having to wait impatiently for them.  Her main male teen characters, Jack, Seph and Jason are tough, intelligent and courageous. Each must go through terrible trials but all triumph in different ways. The girls in the story are brave and smart, play vital roles in the fight against evil and the romances are very well done.
Her world building is wonderful. The reader is taken off into the politics of a magical place, where those who have the strongest warrior wield power. A single warrior from each of the warring sides is forced to fight to the death in a gladiator style to win the power to rule. The action is inventive and ranges from Ohio to the wind swept moors of Cumbria in the United Kingdom. With swordplay, wizards living hundreds of years and using mind control, intrigue and strange treasure, I was swept along in Chima's fabulous world.
Each book has an emphasis on a different character. This gives added appeal as Chima explores different relationships and abilities, making a much richer series than is often encountered where the same main characters appear. There is a satisfying conclusion to the three books (although a look at Chima's website gives information about two more books to come).
The clever writing,  inventive setting and great characters of this series should appeal to both boys and girls. Fans of these books will want to go out and immediately find her Seven Realms series.
Pat Pledger

Jan 30 2012

The Cat and the Fiddle: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes by Jackie Morris

Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2011. ISBN 978-1845079871.
(Age: 0+) Highly recommended. Jackie Morris has carefully chosen 40 well-known and less well-known nursery rhymes and illustrated them in her outstanding style. Included are family favourites such as Baa black sheep, Ride a cock-horse and Hickory dickory dock and unfamiliar ones like The hart and the hare and Jumping Joan.
Most of the rhymes take up a double page spread of beautiful, eye-catching illustrations done in watercolours. The details are so gorgeous that it becomes a book to pore over and revisit time and again. I especially loved All the pretty little horses where mother and baby are pulled along in a tented coach by six magnificent white horses and escorted by 'pretty little horses. Black and bay and dappled and grey'. Another thing that really caught my attention was the size of the animals in relation to the people. Baa baa black sheep for example, has a sheep as large as a camel, carrying skeins of wool in a pack on its back. A touch of humour is added with the sheep dog carrying a ball of wool for its mistress who is knitting as she strides along. Each illustration will stimulate the imagination and leave the reader to dream about beautiful women with long flowing hair, impish boys, and fabulous animals and flowers.
This is book that I believe is very likely to become a classic and highly collectable like the books of the illustrator, Errol le Cain. Most importantly, though, it is a book that is sure to enchant everyone who chants the rhymes and delights in the glorious illustrations.
Pat Pledger

Jan 30 2012

Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Penguin, 2012. ISBN 9780143566113.
(Ages: 15+) Recommended. In the sequel to Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, Jessica and Lucius are married (read about the wedding here) and living in his castle in Romania. But life is not necessarily 'happily ever after'. Now known as Princess Antanasia, Jessica is bewildered by the language, customs and expectations of her new family and is increasingly worried that she will not be able to fulfil her role as princess and future queen of the vampire clans. After all she is still a teenager, raised by her vegetarian, animal loving adoptive parents in Pennsylvania, that finds herself the co-ruler of a traditional, feudal and very conservative society. When Lucius is arrested and imprisoned for his alleged role in the murder of his uncle, it is up to Jessica to clear his name. Increasingly plagued and debilitated by vivid hallucinations and dreams, and not knowing whom to trust, she enlists the aid of her American best friend Mindy and Lucius's Italian, peace-loving surfie cousin, Raniero, to help find the real culprit.
The story is told in alternating chapters with Jessica, Lucius, Raniero and Mindy sharing the narrative. I particularly enjoyed Lucius and Raniero's droll correspondence, and the intrepid Mindy with her trusty suitcase full of styling products. The atmosphere is supplied by huge castles, secret tunnels, forbidding pine forests, cemeteries at midnight and the warring vampire families strident calls for revenge.
Jessica's Guide to dating on the dark side is a very popular book amongst our students, and I must admit I enjoyed that book very much - a fresh twist on the vampire/romance genre. This new book does not disappoint and is a very satisfying sequel. Whilst there are secrets to expose and a murder mystery to unravel, this is really a story about the importance of love and friendship, believing in yourself and learning to appreciate people for whom they are; all while trying to prevent the fragile peace between two vampire families descending into a literal blood bath!
A very enjoyable read with darkness, danger and a sly sense of humour that also hits all the right romance buttons.
Great fun for teenage girls.
Alicia Papp

Jan 30 2012

Lola and the boy next door by Stephanie Perkins

Penguin, 2011. ISBN 9780143566267.
(Ages 14+) Highly recommended. Lola Nolan is a budding designer. She doesn't believe in fashion, she believes in costumes and the more expressive the better. But beneath her outrageous style she is a devoted friend and daughter who loves her gay parents and wants do the right thing for them but also want them to approve of her boyfriend. She has big plans for her future and everything is perfect in her life until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the house next door. Calliope is a talented figure skater, who has won silver in two world cups and hopes to compete in the Olympics this year, and Cricket is a talented inventor and always has been. When Cricket steps back into Lola's life, she finds herself torn between her boyfriend and the boy she has always loved.
This book is amazing. It felt like the characters were actually real people. I would highly recommend this book especially to people who like to read romances.
Tahlia Kennewell (student)

Editor's note: Selected as one of 2012 Best fiction for young adults by American Library Association

Jan 25 2012

Snuff by Terry Pratchett

Doubleday, 2011. ISBN 9780385619264.
(Ages: 14+) Highly recommended. Sir Samuel Vimes, Commander of the City Watch, Duke of Ankh-Morpork and Blackboard Monitor, is on an enforced holiday, with his adored wife and son, in the peaceful countryside. It is his idea of hell, and he finds trees, livestock and wildlife slightly disturbing, not to mention his young son's obsession with all things 'poo'. However, his supposedly quiet retreat is interrupted by a murder. The fact that it is a goblin that is murdered, and that most people consider them non-sentient beings and no better than animals, doesn't deter Vimes from investigating. He uncovers systematic corruption, vice and slavery and has to deal with the local aristocracy who believe the law doesn't apply to them. These poor fools have no idea what they are in for, and while Vimes is a cynical sceptic, he holds on to the law for dear life. To him, no one is above or beneath the law.
I am a self confessed Terry Pratchett fan, and I am always excited when a new book is released (this is the 39th Discworld book). I especially enjoy the City Watch books and have watched Sam Vimes evolve as a character over the series. It is always amusing and uplifting to see him overcome his prejudices against non-humans (and humans!) ie. vampires, trolls, golems, orcs, zombies, and now goblins. He has learnt to give anyone the benefit of the doubt, and judges them by what they do, not what they are.
Terry Pratchett is a wonderful, witty and wise story-teller. His books are social commentary, interspersed with humour, farce and extremely funny footnotes.  One day he has Sam giving a gentle dressing down to a bunch of fluttering Jane Austenesque young ladies, the next he is chasing a killer on a steamboat on a raging river. He does rollicking adventure and crime mysteries extremely well. His stories are rich and multilayered, with a large cast of characters and locations. Whilst he is never strident, he pokes mild fun at people's frailties and foibles, but is happy to take a bigger stick to hypocrisy, discrimination and cruelty.
Alicia Papp

Jan 25 2012

Book of blood and shadow by Robin Wasserman

Atom, 2012. ISBN 9871907411441.
(Age: 14+) Recommended. With her thriller in the genre of The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, Wasserman takes the reader on a roller coaster ride with Nora after she finds her best friend Chris murdered,  his girlfriend Adriane in a catatonic state and her beloved Max not to be found. Nora believes that Max is innocent of the murder and is determined to find him. Following clues found in ancient letters, she sets out on a trail of blood and adventure with the enigmatic Eli closely following her.
This is a hefty read at 432 pages and is littered with letters and poetry written in Latin, which had to be translated by Nora, allusions to historical figures in the Renaissance like Kepler, a German astronomer, and codes and ciphers that needed to be worked out. It is not a book that I could read in one sitting, rather it is one that I had to ponder about before the mysteries and characters called me back to continue reading the next section.
A complex trail of letters and poetry brings to life Elizabeth Jane Weston and her life in Prague, in a time when astronomers and scientists believed in alchemy and where she laboured to bring to life the Lumen Deii, a strange machine that would connect man with God. As Nora translates her letters, she becomes increasingly entwined in what happened to Elizabeth and it is this connection that keeps the reader involved in the complicated plot.
The relationships in the book are also engrossing. I enjoyed reading about teenagers who are highly intelligent and capable of being research assistants to a History professor. Although Nora is naive about the relationships in her life, she is loyal to her friends even when she is not sure whom she can trust. She is the one who cracks the codes and finds the clues and directs the search for Max. It is a relief to read a book where the love interest is not the most important aspect but rather fits in with the action and needs of the characters.
There is also action galore in this book, as Nora travels to Prague where she and her companions become the target of religious sects who are determined to gain hold of the Lumen Dei.
Wasserman very skilfully weaves the action, relationships and a fabulous setting to make a wonderful thriller.
Pat Pledger

Jan 25 2012

The future of us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Simon and Schuster, 2012. ISBN: 978-0-85707-607-6.
The Future of us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler is a brilliantly put together novel that is set in 1995, with hardly any of the modern technology we have today. The storyline centres on Josh and Emma, the main characters. These two have been friends and neighbours since they were little but their friendship suddenly withered in the teen years when Josh misinterprets Emma's body language; they then find it quite awkward to be close friends and drift apart. One day Josh brings around an AOL CD that he has received in the mail. He decides to give it to Emma because his parents don't agree with the internet. They try out the mysterious disk on Emma's brand new computer when it connects to Facebook, a social networking site, fifteen years in the future! They then discover that what they change in their everyday lives affects them big time in their future. Emma becomes super distressed about her future, recklessly changing things every day, which in doing so changed a countless amount off people's futures too, ending up in a very moral ending for the readers and the characters alike.
This novel is great for teens and almost anyone. The first person chapter switching, differing between the two main characters' personal thoughts and feelings is brilliant, giving both Josh and Emma's view on the pressing matters. It is a fantastic novel with many twists and turns throughout the story, great for light and quick reading or even an English assignment at school, it's just that good.
Sarah Filkin (Student, Yr 10)