3+: Cinderella's Bum and Other Bottoms - Nicolas Allan

Release Date: 30/08/12 BOOK BLURB: A big sister is horrified when she can't fit into her swimming costume. Her BOTTOM IS SOO BIG! But her little sister has some good advice.There follows a wonderful romp through history and fairyland, as the little sister explains exactly why a big bottom can be useful. Father Christmas needs one for crash landings and, if you are a queen, a big bum is vital to keep you comfy while sitting on your throne ...Once again Nicholas Allan combines laugh-out-loud humour with real insight that cannot fail to raise a smile.

REVIEW: This title is different to the other books by Nicolas Allan and whilst its still reasonable I didn’t enjoy it as much as two of his others “Father Christmas needs a Wee” and my personal favourite “The Giant’s Loo Roll.” Don’t get me wrong the story is fun, the pictures bright but for me it lacks the fun that the other two books had in spades. All in it is an OK book and will give you some amusement but personally I’d suggest the other two titles first.

10+: The Paladin Prophecy - Mark Frost

Release Date: 27/09/12 BOOK BLURB: Will West is careful to live life under the radar. At his parents' insistence, he's made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-country team. Then Will slips up, accidentally scoring off the charts on a nationwide exam, and he is recruited by an exclusive and mysterious prep school - the best school no one's ever heard of, with technology the likes of which no one's ever seen. At the same time, coincidentally - or not so - Will realizes he's being followed by men in dark hats, driving black sedans who pose a terrifying threat to his family. What follows is a series of events and revelations that places Will smack in the middle of a millennia old struggle between titanic forces... REVIEW: To be honest with you I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this novel, but knowing how much fun I’ve had with Pittacus Lore I was hoping for something to fill the gap whilst I waited for the next in the series. What I got was a book that whilst the story was interesting failed to grip me due to the characters. They felt a little flat for me, not rounded and whilst individually they each have their own abilities, as a group I’m not sure how well they’re going to gel in the overall quest.

That aside, the pace is reasonable, the prose solid and all round its readable but for me, if I don’t get on with the characters its always a struggle to carry on. A great shame but here’s hoping that it improves with the next outing.

8+: Monster High: Ghoulfriends Forever - Gitty Daneshavari

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.



   

TEEN: Between the Lines - Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

Release Date: 05/07/12  
BOOK BLURB:  
Delilah knows it's weird, but she can't stop reading her favourite fairy tale. Other girls her age are dating and cheerleading. But then, other girls are popular. She loves the comfort of the happy ending, and knowing there will be no surprises. Until she gets the biggest surprise of all, when Prince Oliver looks out from the page and speaks to her. Now Delilah must decide: will she do as Oliver asks, and help him to break out of the book? Or is this her chance to escape into happily ever after? Read between the lines for total enchantment ...  

REVIEW:  
Whilst I know the name of Jodi Picoult very well, I’m always a little dubious when an author takes a stab at another genre. Don’t get me wrong, there are common traits between quite a few of them but when you’re writing for a YA audience after having written for adults, theres a lot of differences that need to be addressed and whilst some make the transition very well the majority sadly don’t. Such was the case with Philippa Gregory and for me, it’s the same case with Jodi. The book really didn’t work well for me as a reader, it felt more like forcing the elements together to make it work rather than allowing a certain amount of organic work to take the burden for the writers. Its convoluted, it doesn’t work characters wise and sad to say, I suspect it wouldn’t have made it to print had Jodi not been associated with it. Add to this a confused set of quandaries, lacking emotional context to allow the characters to grow and all in, this is not a book that I’ll be recommending to others. 

 

TEEN: The Unofficial Hunger Games Companion - Lois H Gresh

Release Date: 21/10/11

BOOK BLURB:

THE HUNGER GAMES is a global publishing phenomenon and is soon to be a high-octane, big-budget Hollywood box-office hit. With a full author profile and interesting insights into the three-book series and its main themes - from the nature of evil, weaponry, rebellions and surviving the end of the world - this companion guide will give millions of readers the insider information that they've been waiting for since book one! The New York Times bestselling author of THE TWILIGHT COMPANION, Lois Gresh, once again gives fans the fascinating facts behind the fiction.


REVIEW:

Whilst I’ve not had the pleasure of this series, friends of mine who have read them have let me know that I’ve been missing a treat. In addition to this, with the film coming to a cinema near you I felt that in order to get the full impact from the experience that I ought to read this companion, so settling down yesterday, I picked up this book and began reading.

What I read however soon had me wishing that I hadn’t bothered as rather than a companion this felt more like a book that was there to debate not only the philosophy of the authors world but also who was really in the wrong backing up the relevant points with essays. I didn’t want that in a book that is supposed to be a companion and I suspect that it will more than catch a few others out.

All in, I’d advise you to avoid purchasing this title as it won’t add anything to the series let alone encourage your young reader to enjoy the world of books. A great shame to be honest.

TEEN: After the Snow - SD Crockett

Release Date: 02/02/12

BOOK BLURB:

Set in the haunting and barren landscape of a new ice age, After The Snow is the story of fifteen-year-old Willo, a "straggler" kid who loses his family in the opening pages. Completely alone, he is immediately flung into an icy journey of survival, adventure, friendship and self-discovery - with only the dog spirit inside his head to guide him. Meanwhile, across Britain, outlawed followers of survivalist John Blovyn are planning an escape to the fabled Islands talked of in a revolutionary book...


REVIEW:

Stories have to sell themselves with the book jacket to the reader, whether it’s the pretty cover or the cleverly worded jacket text that makes the reader hunger for more it has to deliver on the promise of the premise without leaving the reader feeling cheated.

Sadly this title by SD Crocket is like the old Video’s that talks a good game but has difficulty delivering. The prose didn’t feel apt for the age, the authors use of pace was sadly lacking and whilst the concept was good, it felt that a lot of the content could have been edited to help pick up the arc to keep not only the reader interested but to forego a lot of the unnecessary detail within.

Finally add to this a character that doesn’t stand on their own two feet and unfortunately I felt that this was a tale that fell far short of what it could have been.

8+: Plague, Pox and Pestilence - John Kelly and Richard Platt

Release Date: 17/10/11

BOOK BLURB:

*A comprehensive history of disease and pestilence, told from the point of view of the bugs and pests that cause them. The book features case histories of specific epidemics, eyewitness' accounts from the rats, flies, ticks and creepy-crawlies who spread diseases, plus plenty of fascinating facts and figures on the biggest and worst afflictions. Illustrated throughout with brilliantly entertaining artworks and endearing characters, you'll be entertained by a cabinet war room showing the war on germs, a rogues' gallery highlighting the worst offenders, the very deadliest diseases examined under the microscope and much more.


REVIEW:

I love a book that is vibrant, has great colours and looks, on first glance that it’s going to get the information over to the reader in a simple, easy to comprehend manner that will entertain as well as educate. Sadly this title from Kingfisher fails as on a closer examination there are a great many problems.

My first major gripe is that the images take over and detract from the text boxes (that had they been highlighted in a separate colour would have helped them to stand out) which in the long run will take the reader a great many views to make their way through and can end up with them becoming lost amongst the towers of data quite easily.

Add to this the text feels too adult orientated (almost as if it was written for the Discovery Channel) which when added to the language felt that it was aimed at an older audience than the 8 year old market which whilst interesting for me, felt that it would end up relegated to the back of a shelf by any child who received it as they will quickly lose interest.

All, this book sadly falls flat on so many levels and I suspect that had I put it together I’d have taken the approach, of looking at a great many successful books like Horrible Histories (written by Terry Deary) or the entertaining writing of Mitchell Symons which keeps the interest as well as passing the information in a fun as well as educative way without coming across as condescending. Finally add to that some diseases mentioned within could give nightmares and it’s a title that really should have been better planned.

TEEN: Hartslove - KM Grant

Release Date: 01/09/11

BOOK BLURB:

Young Daisy and her six brothers and sisters love Hartslove, the crumbling castle that has been in their family for hundreds of years. But their kind but feckless father, scarred by his experiences in the Crimean War, and by his wife's desertion, is drinking the family money away. Then he puts Hartslove up for sale: he has spent his remaining money on a young, wild, horse. Daisy, passionate about her home and her family, is determined that the horse is the One; that he will win the Derby and save them all.

But not everyone at Hartslove is on Daisy's side, and rich people are descending on the castle every day with an eye on snapping it up for themselves. With only months to go before the Derby, can Daisy and her wild brother Garth overcome the odds and lead The One to glory?


REVIEW:

To be honest with you, this book didn’t attract me with the jacket text as such has made this a title that I was reluctant to start. So when I finally did, I didn’t exactly hold out high hopes for it. Sadly I wasn’t proven wrong.

For me the characters were flat, had very little to endear them to the reader and when you look at the situation in which they were placed the modern young reader will have a lot of problems associating as it’s one that doesn’t occur these days.

Add to this quite a slow pace, lacklustre prose and it was a title that I really wished that I’d missed.

3+: Never Shake a Rattlesnake - Michaela Morgan

Release Date: 06/05/11

BOOK BLURB:

Don't teach the bunny rabbits your own disgusting habits. Don't picnic with a python in the park. Everyone knows about saying please and thank you, and not talking with your mouth full. But when it comes to dealing with grumpy grizzly bears and hairy chimpanzees, things get a lot more complicated ...Rollicking rhymes combine perfectly with Nick Sharratt's trademark witty illustrations in this thoroughly modern look at good behaviour!


REVIEW:

This title is a bit of a weird one for me as I was confused by the authors writing style. Why? Well there didn’t seem to be a lot of cohesion between the rhyme or any reason with the rhythm that should have permeated this title which left me wondering where exactly the authors attention was being diverted to.

That said, the pictures are bright and will attract the young reader’s attention and when you add the movement angle to them, make them a fun combination.

All in, it’s OK, but when you’re creating for the 3+ market, you need to stick to some steady rhythm as well as patterns that they can learn to recognise and in future join in with; otherwise you may as well not try to create something for them.

TEEN: Birthmarked - Caragh O'Brien

Release Date: 28/04/11

BOOK BLURB:

IN THE ENCLAVE, YOUR SCARS SET YOU APART, and the newly born will change the future. In the future, in a world baked dry by the harsh sun, there are those who live inside the walled Enclave and those, like sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone, who live outside. Following in her mother's footsteps Gaia has become a midwife, delivering babies in the world outside the wall and handing a quota over to be "advanced" into the privileged society of the Enclave. Gaia has always believed this is her duty, until the night her mother and father are arrested by the very people they so loyally serve. Now Gaia is forced to question everything she has been taught, but her choice is simple: enter the world of the Enclave to rescue her parents, or die trying. A stunning adventure brought to life by a memorable heroine, this dystopian debut will have readers racing all the way to the dramatic finish.


REVIEW:

To be honest with you I wasn’t quite sure on this title and whilst I love a bleak future title as much as the next person, I had trouble getting to grips with the lead character, first of all she didn’t trust anyone and whilst this is due to a childhood injury it does leave the reader wondering why we should trust “her” as our heroine especially when there aren’t any real hooks to get into her so that the reader can associate. Second of all the title was all about the usual type of futuristic society where the poor are downtrodden and manipulated to allow the rich to get more powerful.

Finally add to this a love interest that if you followed the rest of society wouldn’t have been within a mile of this downtrodden minion of the future and you can see how far-fetched this title is becoming. Whilst I didn’t really enjoy this book there was a lot of potential and I did like the authors writing style so that I will keep an eye out for future titles by her, alas if the outline doesn’t make more sense next time then I think I might bypass her titles in favour of another author.

TEEN: 4. 3. 2. 1. - Noel Clarke

BOOK BLURB:

When four girls meet to discuss their weekend plans, little do they know quite what excitements lie before them. Soon they are embroiled in a brilliant diamond heist, trans-Atlantic flights, various romances and a lot of high-octane adventure in London and New York. Based on Noel Clarke's new film of the same name with countrywide summer 2010 release, this novelisation keeps the reader on the edge of their seat as the girls embark on a weekend they will never forget.


REVIEW:

To be honest, not a title that I was looking forward to reading, and whilst it does follow the film script it was pretty much as dire as that offering. It’s self indulgent, it’s pretty slow and to be honest the characters seem so contradictory you just wish that someone would hurry up and kill them. All in, it’s a title that I’d advise that you don’t bother with as you’ll be fairly upset at wasting your money as well as your time. A real shame that the publisher even looked at this title.

TEEN: Girl, 16: Five-Star Fiasco- Sue Limb

BOOK BLURB:

The teenage world of Jess Jordon is looking characteristically chaotic: Mum has joined an online dating programme and has recruited Jess as advisor, while Jess' best friend Flora has a rich new boyfriend who Jess can't possibly keep up with. Then Jess' own boyfriend, Fred, does something unbelievably treacherous and spineless. Jess is becoming completely fed up with the male sex, and is beginning to think that the only reliable form of male is e-mail ...Never mind, there's Valentine's Day to look forward to. Fred is sure to make amends then. Isn't he? Full of Sue Limb's very funny take on teenage life and problems, fans of Girl, 15 will be thrilled to have available a new Fred and Jess story. It's only when you've stopped laughing that you realise that, in addition to writing with wit and warmth, Sue Limb has also dealt effortlessly with bigger and important themes of friendship and loyalty.


REVIEW:

To be honest this is a tale in an already established series and one that unfortunately I didn’t really get into. The characters were clunky (although this could be due to their multiple appearances) there was no real character growth and above all else it seemed a little bit too far fetched to be set in the real world. It’s a great shame as I really hoped that this would have done more as well as endearing and aiding the younger reader of this offering with the ways to help deal with life’s little struggles. A great shame in all.

TEEN: Fallen - Lauren Kate

BOOK BLURB:

What if the person you were meant to be with could never be yours? 17-year-old Lucinda falls in love with a gorgeous, intelligent boy, Daniel, at her new school, the grim, foreboding Sword & Cross ...only to find out that Daniel is a fallen angel, and that they have spent lifetimes finding and losing one another as good & evil forces plot to keep them apart. Some angels are destined to fall...


REVIEW:

Whilst this theme seems to be replacing Vampires in young adult fiction, the author really has to do something special to keep the audience glued. That said this offering is one that has had a lot of press, a lot of hype and a fair few reasonable reviews from people that I tend to trust. So feeling a tad more confident about this title I finally bit the bullet and decided to give it a go

What unfurled however was sadly disappointing, the plot was slow, the “sexy” aspect pretty tame and it really didn’t put any fear into me as it wound its way to its conclusion. It did have potential, it did have some interesting characters however the ones that spoke to me had fleeting parts to play and the author really let themselves down with substandard two dimensional principle protagonists. A sad shame in my opinion but at the end of the day these things sometimes happen.

8+: Shadow Spell - Caro King

BOOK BLURB:

Simeon Dark is the most powerful sorcerer in the land of the Drift. Mysterious, cunning, a shape-shifter, only he can stop the evil Strood and save the Drift from dying. But where is he? Nin finds her way to Dark's mansion - a strange castle with a garden and lake spilling into the sky. There she finds a ribbon of shadowy light: could this be the unsaid spell and the clue to unlocking the mystery of Simeon Dark? Meanwhile, Strood is preparing his distillation machine, his pet tigers and some barrels of blood and is coming after her...Caro King has created a funny, rich, thrilling adventure, interwoven with fantastical creatures, myth and magic.


REVIEW:

To be totally honest I really wasn’t that enamoured by this title. I found the writing a bit clunky, the characters two dimensional and an overall plot that was pretty predictable from start to finish. That said this is the second title in the series and having missed out on the original I may be a overally critical of this offering as most of the growth work was probably accomplished on the original. If you enjoyed the first you may enjoy the second but for new readers I’d really advise either giving this one a miss or ordering it from your local library is you have to read it.

12+: Forest Born - Shannon Hale

BOOK BLURB:

Rin, Razo's little sister, is haunted by the forest she has always loved. When Razo invites her back to the city to be one of Queen Ani's waiting women, she happily accepts...only to end up on the adventure of her lifetime, following the queen, Enna, and Dasha into the countryside in search of a fire-starting enemy that no one can see. As she learns more about the three women's magical talents, she finds her own strength comes from places both expected the forest and unexpected the sound of her own voice. A brilliant addition to the Books of Bayern', this book is a treat for fans of this series, and stands alone for readers who might be discovering the joys of Shannon Hale's writing for the first time.


REVIEW:

A title that I had great hope for and was sadly disappointed. It is well written but the way in which its set itself up I really couldn’t get into. The characters were clunky and I felt that the audience to which it was aimed was a bit younger than the actual readership, but the key part to this is that the reader has to well and truly love the whole fairy tale style which is the pretext of this offering. It may have been better had it been written more as a graphic novel in a similar way to the authors Jack book and it could well have grown had the author simplified some of the aspects for a younger audience but overall it’s a title that is just confusing. A real shame as I know this author has some real talent.

12+: Scandal (Private 11) - Kate Brian

BOOK BLURB:

In the 11th Private Reed has arrived back to Easton after her harrowing kidnapping to the worst thing she can think of - Billings has been torn down. Finally, after years of controversy from the administration, the school's wealthiest female alumni have been overruled and the historical dorm is gone from Easton Academy. How will Reed and the rest of the Billings Girls handle this? Will they still be as powerful, as popular and as mean with literally no ground to stand on?


REVIEW:

To be honest a series that was reasonable but one that I really is loosing its polish fast. The characters are getting ridiculous, the plot outlines pretty repetitive and to be honest was a book that felt that it was taking too long to do anything when a lot of the points could have been reached quite quickly.

A great shame as the author had done so much to kick the series off originally but alas, I feel that she needs a new project rather than relying upon her name to sell inferior material where there are so many other up and coming authors producing superior writing.

12+: Wicked: Resurrection - Nancy Holder, Debbie Vigue

BOOK BLURB:

What the Cahors witches thought was the end of their troubles turns out to be only the beginning. A threat more powerful and more frightening than anything they have faced before has been watching and waiting. Holly and the Cahors witches must come together and find Jer and Eli as both the Deveraux and the Cahors family lines face eradication. All the secrets of the Cahors will be revealed, forcing them to overcome their greatest weaknesses in order to achieve their most powerful strengths. Only united do they have any chance at victory, but before the end, sacrifices will be made, alliances forged, and old friends lost forever.


REVIEW:

OK, having loved the original two titles in the series (recently released as omnibi) I was really looking forward to something special to help conclude the wonderful experience I’d had within their hallowed pages.

What unfurled however was not only a let down to the readers but something that I’m surprised actually made it to print as the title was not only slow in pace but almost tortoise like in its exploration as well as enthusiasm. Add to the mix no fizz or bang and an almost secondary consideration to characterisation and it’s a great shame as well as annoying after what readers had come to expect.

9+: Triskellion 3 - Will Peterson

BOOK BLURB:

This is the third and final instalment in the paranormal adventure trilogy. Having narrowly escaped the clutches of the Hope Project, Rachel and Adam begin a new life in Australia. Their tranquillity is shattered, however, by the reappearance of Gabriel - and the terrifying adventure that they had hoped was over begins again. Hunted by enemies, old and new, their journey to discover the third, and final, Triskellion takes them home to New York, where they finally learn the chilling truth about their ancestry...


REVIEW:

Readers these days have certain expectations when it comes to storytelling however I felt that I really couldn’t get behind the novel as the characters were pretty damn flat. That could be perhaps because I haven’t read the original two in the series but the principle protagonist really did seem as dull as dishwater from the off in this offering. Add to the mix some pretty standard twists and nothing new which really did make this tale a struggle to not only finish but a real let down to the writers. A great shame as I know some of the fans of the other two were expecting something really special with this tale.

TEEN: Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy 3) - Richelle Mead

BOOK BLURB:

It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy and Rose is close to graduation, but since making her first Strigoi kills, things haven't felt quite right. She's having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all ...might be seeing ghosts. Consumed by her forbidden love with her tutor Dimitri and protecting her best friend, the Moroi princess Lissa, Rose is in no state to see the deadly threat that will change her entire world - and make her choose between the two people she loves most.


REVIEW:

As a fan of Richelle’s Succubus series I quite enjoyed the first offering in her Vampire Academy series however I did feel that the emotional context and way in which the protagonista is acting in her relationships is inappropriate for her age group. Whilst a number of her fans may feel that the relationship is fine I wasn’t happy and as such felt that it ruined the title for me as the character felt more like a person acting on the spoilt brat emotional level and really didn’t allow myself as a reader to fully engage or like her.

The series has its merits, for example its well planned, it has great dialogue but with emotional immaturity alongside a character I really couldn’t get a fix upon, I really felt that it’s a title best missed.