Release Date: 05/09/12
Book Blurb:
As new students, the trio must navigate the bewildering array of cute monster boys, established cliques, and monster-rific subjects like Mad Science, G-ogre-phy, and Physical Deaducation. As if that weren't hard enough, something strange and sinister seems to be happening at the school. Popular girls like Frankie Stein and Cleo de Nile are acting weird-and all signs point to everyone's new favorite teacher, Miss Sylphia Flapper. Can the new GFFs expose the fave as a fraud, or will they succumb to peer pressure?
Review:
OK, I’m a Monster High fan and whilst I’ve loved the series that’s gone before I’m always a little apprehensive when a new author takes a turn to play in the world of another. What unfurls within is sadly a book that for me didn’t work on a number of levels, it felt like the author was talking down to the reader rather than on the same level, some of the jokes within felt like they were overly repeated and some of the prose was sadly lacking as it felt like the author really hadn’t thought it through relying on the popular franchise to partly sell the story over making sure that the tale stood on its own two legs.
Add to this an overall tale that was not only predictable but didn’t help some of the new “classmates” stand out in same way as their wonderful dolls (Rochelle) and all in I’m not sure I’ll be embarking on Gitty’s next story set in this world. A great shame.
Release Date: 27/09/12
Book Blurb:
My name is Slither, and before my tale is finished, you'll find out why...Slither is not human. Far from the Spook-protected County, he preys upon humans, sneaking into their homes to gorge upon their blood while they sleep. When a local farmer dies, it's only natural that Slither should want to feast on his lovely daughters. But the farmer has offered him a trade: in return for taking the younger girls to safety, Slither can have the eldest daughter, Nessa, to do with as he wishes...Slither's promise takes him and Nessa on a treacherous journey where enemies await at every turn. Enemies that include Grimalkin, the terrifying witch assassin, still searching for a way to destroy the Fiend for good. The latest instalment of the "Wardstone Chronicles", the series that inspired the forthcoming movie "The Seventh Son", starring Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes and Julianne Moore.
Review:
A whole new tale in the world of the Spooks and one that was not only refreshing but one that I had a lot of fun with. Whilst our usual heroes didn’t raise their heads in this title, an old friend does and through her we get to see a world far to the north of the County in a new light as things that go bump and how they’re handled differs.
It’s a very cunning tale, wonderfully written with a whole rich new myth set for the author to play with. Add to this a lead antihero character that seeks to do right by a bargain as well as maintaining his own standard of honour and it’s a tale that really does keep you glued from start to finish. Add to the mix cracking prose, a great understanding of pace and of course enough action to keep you more than happy. Great stuff all in.
Release Date: 06/09/12
Book Blurb:
Sophie and Katy have almost forgotten that they're supposed to be mortal enemies - and now that they've persuaded Sophie's family that witches and witch hunters can be friends, life ought to be nice and straightforward! But it's not long before magic gets in the way again. Katy is still keeping Sophie's identity a secret from her parents; if they knew she was the daughter of a famous witch they'd demagick her for sure! And both girls are keeping their powers hidden from their other friends, a feat which is getting harder all the time. When they head off on a school trip, it seems they might have to finally spill their secrets. Can they make it back to Turlingham with their sorcery still under wraps?
Review:
This series is definitely one of interest and for me the author has done a cracking job of making characters who should be enemies not only believable but also rounded enough to question the beliefs of those who have gone before. It’s wonderfully descriptive and whilst I love the pace alongside the way that the author plots the story, for me its all about the character interaction that really keeps this series buzzing.
Add to this a cracking sense of wonderment along the way as each seek to safeguard not only their own abilities but each others from those looking in from the outside and all in a cracking story. Definitely a next generation story for those who love their young urban fantasy in the modern world.
Release Date: 19/09/12
Book Blurb:
Blue has spent the majority of her sixteen years being told that if she kisses her true love, he will die. When Blue meets Gansey's spirit on the corpse road she knows there is only one reason why - either he is her true love or she has killed him. Determined to find out the truth, Blue becomes involved with the Raven Boys, four boys from the local private school (lead by Gansey) who are on a quest to discover Glendower - a lost ancient Welsh King who is buried somewhere along the Virginia ley line. Whoever finds him will be granted a supernatural favour. Never before has Blue felt such magic around her. But is Gansey her true love? She can't imagine a time she would feel like that, and she is adamant not to be the reason for his death. Where will fate lead them.
Review:
OK, I have to admit to a major crime here, I haven’t read Maggie’s writing before but on a recommendation from friends on a forum, I decided to give her a go and boy was I right to do so. This story had all the elements that I look for in a YA title, it had romance, it had a believable history and when backed with a touch of folklore alongside characters that I wanted to spend time around I really couldn’t put the book down.
Add to this some wonderful turns of phrase, a great sense of pace and when backed with group dynamics that felt straight out of the real world, really presented me with a book that was over before I realised it. I really can’t wait to see what Maggie comes up with next. Great stuff.
Release Date: 02/08/12
Book Blurb:
Madeleine Masterson is deathly afraid of bugs, especially spiders. Theodore Bartholomew is petrified of dying. Lulu Punchalower is scared of confined spaces. Garrison Feldman is terrified of deep water. Which is why this may be the scariest summer of their lives. Worse than detention or summer school. Worse even than the dentist. The foursome must face their phobias head-on at the exclusive and elusive School of Fear. The school is unusual, to say the least. But 'terrifying' would be a more accurate description. The curriculum is simple: Conquer your fears in six weeks or find out just how frightening failing can be.
Review:
To be honest I wasn’t sure what to make of this, I loved the concept, I enjoyed the delightfully deliciousness of helping children get over their fears but it felt to me like something was lacking partway through, almost as if the author had a clear idea of where she wanted the book to go but lost steam part way through but managed to pull it altogether by the final chapter.
Don’t get me wrong, it was an OK read, the characters had their own quirks but overall I felt that the story was lacking especially with the head teacher who felt rather disjointed and disconnected with the tale overall. All in it is OK but personally I feel that there are other authors out there that could have given a real scare backed up with a wonderful sense of achievement by the tales end which I felt was lacking here.
Release Date: 04/10/12
Book Blurb:
Have no fear! The frightened foursome are back in this this wickedly funny and phobia-inducing sequel to School of Fear! Everyone is (still) afraid of something...Madeleine Masterson is deathly afraid of bugs, especially spiders; Theodore Bartholomew is petrified of dying; Lulu Punchalower is terrified of confined spaces; Garrison Feldman is frightened by deep water...After discovering that each of her former students has secretly regressed, headmistress Mrs. Wellington brings Madeleine, Theo, Lulu, and Garrison back for a mandatory summer of retraining. Facing their fears is terrifying enough, but when they are joined by a fifth student things start to get even scarier.
Review:
Whilst I didn’t enjoy Gitty’s Monster High story, I have to admit that her own School of Fear series is something that is not only unique but fun to read if you excuse the flaws as mentioned previously. The characters do feel more fleshed out this time round and whilst there’s a new one thrown into the mix in this outing, its definitely a series that will amuse as well as entertain the reader.
Back that up with some solid one liners, reasonable prose with a steady pace which all in make this a book a decent enough read. Definitely an improvement on the first.
Release Date: 05/07/12
Book Blurb:
Adventure, animals and action in the first authorized Willard Price book by award-winning author Anthony McGowan, for 8+ readers.
Deep in the remote forests of Siberia, a mother Amur leopard, one of the rarest big cats in the world, senses danger. Something faster than any human and deadlier than any tiger.
Meanwhile Amazon Hunt, aged twelve, is recruited from England by Tracks in America, ready to take off at a moment's notice to rescue wild animals under threat - no matter how great the danger.
Now Amazon and her thirteen-year-old cousin Frazer must brave the Russian wilderness to save the Amur leopard, before a blazing forest fire wipes out the race - for good . . .
Review:
I’m always a little apprehensive when a new author takes a crack at not only an established series but one that has a place in the heart of many older readers and whilst the series was old when I originally picked it up over 25 years ago, it was one that had and still does hold a place in my heart. So to be honest I was a little slow in picking this up as I really didn’t want to ruin a number of not only my childhood memories but the pure pleasure that I’ve managed to grab from a recent reread.
What Anthony does is bring the series up to date for the next generation of readers who get a story about conservation, packed with the usual adventure, dangerous situations alongside a couple of characters that the reader will love to be around and rather than it being Hal and Roger, this time it’s their children who take the lead.
Its definitely something different from the originals and yet it maintains not only its fondness for the locations within but also manages to build upon the success as its apparent that the author is a firm fan of the originals, back that up with a cracking lead female character (Amazon) who alongside her cousin (Frazer) really prove that the Hunt luck is still strong and all in I was more than satisfied with this first outing so much so that I’m really looking forward to the next one.
Release Date: 27/09/12
Book Blurb:
The human bait was the boys themselves...Hal and Roger Hunt have been sent on a terrifying mission - they must save the population of Mtito Andei from a man-eating lion. But the 'King of the Beasts' isn't the only thing trying to kill the boys...Have the brothers bitten off more than they can chew this time?
Review:
It Big Cat game time for the Hunts and boy, does this tale deliver in spades as our intrepid heroes carry on with their adventures in Africa. It’s definitely a series I have lots of time for as I have not only fond memories of it but also because the author clearly loves what he’s writing about. The prose are sharp, the action intense but for me, it’s the character releationships that really make the tales work. All in a great read and one that I was more than pleased to enjoy again. Magical.
Release Date: 27/09/12
Book Blurb:
'You stand rooted to the spot or you run like mad.' Hal and Roget Hunt head off for another challenging mission - this time to search for gorillas in the Congo jungle. But when the boys stumble across the evil trade in baby gorillas, someone seems determined to silence them once and for all.
Review:
Oh yes, to be back on the trail with Hal and Roger was a real treat for me as a reader, yes I read the originals a goodly number of years ago but to get them all rereleased so that I can share them with my nephews, that’s sheer heaven. Here in the this title, the Hunt’s are on the trail in Africa, a country that the author had a love affair with for many years. The prose is sharp, the antics amusing and whilst as an older reader I tend to sympathise more with Hal, Roger still keeps me entertained as they seek the objectives of their quests in quite inventive ways.
Add to this a wonderfully warm and inviting writing style that just takes you away and for me as a reader it was sheer bliss to return to fond memories that I hope younger readers will get just as much out of.
Release Date: 11/10/12
Book Blurb:
Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival
families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her
parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the
generations-long political feud - and unite all those living in the
Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished
mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling
in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her
memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to
unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a
gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers
of recollection - and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking
her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city - including
herself.
Review:
This was a bit of a weird book to be honest as it wasn’t really one genre or another but an amalgam that utilised aspects from several to help make a world that was not only believable for the characters but to help prop up the flaws (and there were many) within the logic of the setting which whilst interesting did leave me gasping at the huge problems when the author introduced new elements that simply weren’t feesable or possible given the situation.
That said, if you skip over that you do get a romance story that it not only interesting but one that helps give the world a little sparkle as our lead principle seeks to (oh so slowly) figure out a lot of the mysteries beneath the surface. It is definitely something different and whilst the author has done a reasonable job of pace, the lead characters intelligence is often drawn into question as the reader is going to be way quicker at finding answers than she.
All in it is a reasonable book and one that I’m pleased I took the time to read but I hope that in future outings the author tries to do a bit more sleight of hand as I hate solving things so quickly which ruins the beauty alongside carefully thought out plot for me.
Release Date: 27/09/12
Book Blurb:
Alex has escaped from Rule - but what new horrors face her in the ravaged world outside? Tom is safe - but what will he risk to find Alex? Chris - how much does he really know about the terrible darkness of Rule? And what are his true feelings for Alex? Ellie - where is she? The terrifying follow-up to the hugely popular Ashes.
Review:
Having not been really all that enamoured with the first book in the series, I really wasn’t expecting too much from the second and to be honest I wasn’t disappointed. Whilst the tale does try to keep the pace moving with an over abundance of action the tale did feel more than a little flat as the sheer volume of supporting cast within left me wondering who was who and what they’d done in the first (and no I’m not joking when I say that I did a quick reread and wrote a cheat sheet to refer to.)
All in, not a great book for me and whilst there will be a number of readers who enjoy the descriptions alongside action within, this book for me didn’t hit all my requirements in a title. All in a great shame.
Release Date: 04/10/12
Book Blurb:
Emily Vole makes headline news in the first weeks of her life, when she is found in an abandoned hatbox in Stanstead Airport. Then, only a few years later, her neighbour Mrs String dies leaving Emily a mysterious inheritance: an old shop, a small bunch of golden keys and a cat called Fidget. In the shop Emily discovers drawers full of fairy wings and the beginning of an adventure of a lifetime as the old Fairy Detective Agency comes back to life. It is up to Emily to reopen the shop, and recall the fairies to duty. Together they must embark on their first mystery to find Emily Vole's real parents and do battle with their great fairy-snatching enemy, Harpula. Read by Bertie Carvell.
Review:
Sally Gardner is one of those authors that can apparently turn her hand to any genre with remarkable style. Having read her more adult titles such as The Silver Blade or the Red Necklace, I wasn’t sure how well she’d be able to turn out what was more a young readers story but it appears that she does it with skill to spare.
Within this book is a story that has all the elements to entertain as well as amuse the 8+ reading market with a story that will make you laugh, give you some wonderful twists and when blended with the fantastical takes you into a world of its own. Add to this some wonderful stand out characters like Fidget backed up with our heroine and all in it’s a book that I really can’t recommend enough for the younger market. Great stuff.
