Review: The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: The Demon's Lexicon

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Awards: British Fantasy Award for Top Ten (2010), Cybils Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2009), TAYSHAS High School Reading List (2010), ALA's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults (2010)
Adult Content: mild
Keywords: demons, adventure, magic, brothers
Series: The Demon's Lexicon #1
Goodreads Synopsis: 

Nick and his brother, Alan, have spent their lives on the run from magic. Their father was murdered, and their mother was driven mad by magicians and the demons who give them power. The magicians are hunting the Ryves family for a charm that Nick's mother stole -- a charm that keeps her alive -- and they want it badly enough to kill again. 


Danger draws even closer when a brother and sister come to the Ryves family for help. The boy wears a demon's mark, a sign of death that almost nothing can erase...and when Alan also gets marked by a demon, Nick is desperate to save him. The only way to do that is to kill one of the magicians they have been hiding from for so long.

Ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Nick starts to suspect that his brother is telling him lie after lie about their past. As the magicians' Circle closes in on their family, Nick uncovers the secret that could destroy them all.

This is the Demon's Lexicon. Turn the page.

My Thoughts:

Subject/Originality: This book immediately brings you into a world of dark, evil magic, demons, really very nasty magicians, and, at the heart of it all, a mystery and adventure that brings it all together. The Demon's Lexicon is extremely refreshing. The evil is real, people. Proper evil. And Sarah Rees Brennan's well thought-out and wonderfully detailed magical world makes this book a great and original read.

Subject/Originality: * * * *

Storyline: Not only is this a great world, but the story is well structured and full of twists and turns to keep you interested. It's not Sherlock Holmes, but it's complex and exciting and just generally good. I suppose that's the best way to describe this book: good.

Storyline: * * * *


Characters: I love all the characters in this book, especially Nick. They're all interesting and clever (as in their characteristics, not that they're all Einsteins!) and well rounded. And I love Nick. He's perfect and strange and probably one of the best characters I've ever had the fortune to find in a book. I love him to pieces. He's dark, violent and uncaring, and when he's trying to be nice, it never quite goes right. He's really very sweet and endearing, despite his love of violence. A triumph of characterisation!

Characters: * * * * *


Writing Style: I love Sarah Rees Brennan's mixture of quirky sarcasm ('They thougth I was a baby bat' 'Oh yes, of course - most people think I'm a blueberry scone' !!), dark humour, chilling descriptions, and emotional realism. Seriously, this book is hilarious, but it's got a depth to it that a lot of funny books don't. Sarah Rees Brennan is a hit with me. Absolutely.

Writing Style: * * * * *


Enjoyability: This was one of my favourite books from the moment I read it. The copy I have now is stained, with dog-eared pages, pages that were soaked by my leaking boiler and dried out weirdly, a broken spine -  and just generally loved. A lot. I've probably re-read this book more than any other on my shelves, and I'm going to keep re-reading it till the cows come home. Does that say something for its enjoyability levels?!

Enjoyability: * * * * *


Overall: A fantastic read, on all counts. If you haven't got a copy already, get one. And then read it! And then tell me what you think =]

Word Rating: a good-good book

Star Rating:

Don't forget... !

Review: Junk/Smack by Melvin Burgess (AC)

Title: Junk (also published as Smack)
Author: Melvin Burgess
Publisher: Harper Teen
Awards: Guardian Fiction Award, Carnegie Medal (1996)

Adult Content: heavy and explicit drug use, sex, discussion of prostitution
Keywords: teenagers, life, drugs, responsibility
Series: n/a
Amazon Synopsis:

Tar and Gemma are in love. Tar has reasons for running away from home that run deep and sour, whereas Gemma, with her middle-class roots firmly on show, has a deep-rooted lust for adventure. Together they explore the dark world of the streets, moving quickly on from the first hit of heroin that takes them towards bliss, to the next hit that ultimately leads to despair.

My Thoughts:

Subject/Originality:  Nowadays, books about the real-life problems facing teenagers aren't uncommon. But you have to take this book in its context - when it was published, it was the first of its kind, innovative and daring and controversial. It's hard-hitting, doesn't shy away from telling things like they are. And I think it's a very good book from that angle.

Subject/Originality: *****

 
Storyline: This got really tedious. But, having said that, it was making a point. Gemma and Tar got on drugs, got off them, on, off, on, off. That's basically the whole storyline right there for you. But Burgess shows us through that repetition of drug use how difficult it is to not only get off drugs, but to stay off them. And so I think that, although it's not a fantastic storyline, there's a reason for it being so, and as a technique, it works.

Storyline: ***


Characters: This book is very interesting from a characters angle, as well. I didn't like any of them. But I don't think I was meant to, so again it's a technique. Gemma starts off selfish, while Tar is nice and kind and sweet - and vulnerable. And then they swap over about halfway through the book. Again, Burgess uses the characters to his advantage and manipulates the reader into liking or not liking them, but it makes heavy reading if you actually don't like any of the characters!

Characters: ***


Writing Style: Most of the characters in Junk/Smack chip in with a bit of narration, although it's mainly Gemma and Tar who share it. I liked the way you get lots of different viewpoints from this, but it also stopped me from really getting into any one character's story. Also, I felt all the narrating voices' styles were quite similar. I always think, from a writer's point of view, that a multi-viewpoint story gives you a great chance to explore different writing styles for each character, but Burgess hasn't done this here, which, I think, is a wasted opportunity.

Writing Style: ***
 

Enjoyability: I enjoyed Junk/Smack, despite what I've said about it not being great from all the other angles. I read it very quickly - in about a day and a half - and I enjoyed every page. Some bits of it were more heavy-going than others - because of the content and the things they were discussing - but I really did enjoy it. It engaged me.

Enjoyability: ****


Summary: This is an okay book, from most angles. Characters, meh; writing style, okay; storyline, not much - but I enjoyed it. It's not an easy read, because it deals with difficult content and situations, but it is both an enjoyable one and an important one. I definitely think that all teenagers, young adults and even older adults should read Junk/Smack, because of the content it deals with. Kids, if you want to go on drugs, this book'll put you right off. So yes, it's important, for understanding the druggie underworld of our lives, and to know to steer well away from it.

Word Rating: a good-good book


                                                            Star Rating:

Review: Plague Child by Peter Ransley (AC)

Title: Plague Child
Author: Peter Ransley
Publisher: Harper Collins
Adult Content: swearing, crude jokes, innuendos, sexual insults
Keywords: English civil war, plague, adventure, honour, family
Series: first in the Tom Neave trilogy
Author's Synopsis: 

On a cloudy September evening in 1625, plague cart driver, Matthew Neave, is sent to pick up the corpse of a baby. As he journeys to the plague pit, he hears a cry and realises that the baby is still alive.

From award-winning screenwriter Peter Ransley comes Plague Child, the first in a captivating trilogy set against the backdrop of the English civil war. Spanning three decades in the life of his young fictional hero, Tom Neave, the story weaves mystery and adventure into a rich tapestry of real historical events and people.

This dramatic and involving novel is above all, the coming of age story of Tom Neave, and the sowing of the first seeds of a democratic government for Great Britain.

My Thoughts:

Subject: I don't know much about the plague or the English civil war, so it was nice to find out a little through this novel. However, it only really touched in these subjects, preferring to follow the adventure of Tom Neave, which was a little disappointing. I think the title is a little misleading, as it certainly made me think that the novel would be all about the plague. So it's a little misleading and disappointing on the subject front, but it didn't particularly bother me.

Subject: ***


Storyline: This book didn't really have a storyline, so I'm not sure if there's really very much I can say about it. It took for ever to begin, and when it finally did, it was mainly just Tom running around the country trying to find out the secret of his heritage. Enjoyable. Adventurous. But not particularly great as a storyline. That said, it certainly kept up the suspense for a long time, and I really wanted to know what had actually happened and who Tom's father was. So, like the subject, it's kind of okay.

Storyline: **


Characters: I'm starting to sound like a stuck record now. Because I'm about to say 'nothing special'. Again. That kind of epitomises the whole book. Sure, the characters were okay. But I didn't really care about them. Tom irritated me. He's the typical historical novel hero who's highly chivalrous and honourable amongst a world of cut-throat rogues. Hm. Not particularly original, I feel. Another shame.

Characters: **


Writing Style: I'm feeling very un-original now. Another 'nothing special'. It wasn't written badly. But it wasn't written in a way that's particularly memorable or anything. I think that Ransley (who is in fact mainly a screenwriter) sometimes forgot that he was writing a novel, and wrote it more like a film. So, what I mean is, he forgot to stick in little unimportant things like what his character is actually feeling. Can you hear the sarcasm in that last sentence? I thought so.

Writing Style: **


Enjoyability: Now, this is where it picks up. It wasn't a particularly good novel, but I enjoyed it. It was very slow to begin with, but once it sorted itself out, I liked it. Nothing great, maybe, but an enjoyable read.

Enjoyability: ***


Summary: An okay book. Pretty forgettable. Nothing really special, but a fun read.

Word Rating: a good-bad book

                                                            Star Rating:

Review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Title: Revolution

Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Publisher: Delacorte Books
Adult Content: the subject of death, grief, drugs and suicide are large features
Keywords: French Revolution, grief, adventure, music
Series: n/a
Goodreads Synopsis:

BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.

PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.

Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Jennifer Donnelly, author of the award-winning novel A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart.

My Thoughts:

Subject: I love the French Revolution. Everything about it. And I've attempted at several times to write my own story set around these events. So when I found Revolution, I was delighted. There's also a lot about music and how it evolves in this book, which I absolutely loved, because music is third in my heart - my first and second loves being writing/reading and acting, in that order. So this was a great book for me!

However,  it also bangs you over the head with the whole grief/death/guilt/suicide bit - Andi's getting over the death of her younger brother - and although I've got nothing against that kind of thing, it was a bit... Uh... Well, it felt a little exaggerated. It seemed like every five minutes Andi was contemplating which was the highest and therefore best building to chuck herself off. Which , while making its point, doesn't make very comfortable reading. Sure, be grief-ridden. But you don't have to take a baseball bat to our heads and crack it down every five minutes just to get your point through.


Subject: ****


Storyline: It started off well, lost steam in the middle and then completely ruined everything with a cheap and gimmicky 'twist'. You'll know when you get there. It was completely unnecessary, and if you ask me, Andi should have been able to sort her life out without a clichéd magicy whatever. It's like saying - oh yeah, people suffer from depression, but you can't sort it out yourself, you have to go all hocus pocus with the help from a 1794 diary. Great. That makes me feel good. So instead of being a human story about human worries, it ended up being more like a fairytale. Lovely. And totally not what I wanted.

Storyline: *


Characters: Nothing particularly special here. They weren't bad, and they certainly weren't good. Andi was a nice narrator when she wasn't trying to commit suicide. And there is also a convenient and very handsome guy about halfway through that I wanted to throttle. Real-life relationships are not based on 'hey, you're handsome, let's go out'. And I'm fed up of people pretending they are. It's a little pet hate of mine =]

Characters: ***


Writing Style: Now, Jennifer Donnelly won about a million and one awards for her debut novel A Northern Light (also published as A Gathering Light), which I haven't read but everyone says I ought to. General opinion is that it's an amazing, heartfelt book that deserves every prize it's got. So why isn't Revolution that good? The writing style is okay, but nothing to write home about. (Unintentional pun, I assure you. But now I look at it, it's kinda neat, wouldn't you say?) So in that respect (as in most others, actually, looking back up this post), this book was a disappointment. The nice message (whatever it is - although people on Goodreads assure me that there is one) has got completely lost in fairytale gimmicky mushiness. Which is a big shame. And a big disappointment. And all round not good.

Writing Style: **


Enjoyability: Well, despite what I've already said, I enjoyed this book. It wasn't amazing, but it wasn't a bad read particularly, either. The only thing that really bugged me while I was reading was that I wasn't remotely interested in the Alexandrine sections. Partly because her character wasn't much of a character, but mainly because they weren't punctuated properly. There were no speech marks! And, okay, maybe this was done for effect, but the only effect it created on me was that I found it very difficult to read. I also don't really like the gimmicky 'two girls, separated by time, but united in whatever'. It didn't irritate me so much in this book, but... Well, it was an enjoyable book despite its faults, so:

Enjoyability: ****


Summary: A good book from a good author. But a disappointing read as its faults far outnumber its assets. Which is a shame. But there you go.

Word Rating: a bad-good book (although this is probably being kind)

                                                            Star Rating:

New Reviewing System!

Okay, yep, so I've only been around for about five minutes. But I like a change! And this seems like a good way to do things. So here's how things will work:

Instead of giving just one overall rating, I'll break down my thoughts and ratings into these categories:
Subject
Storyline
Characters
Writing Style
Enjoyability

I'll rate each of these different categories out of five stars. At the end, I'll also give an overall rating (in both stars and words) as usual. Comprendez?

Think it a good plan? I do! (Otherwise I wouldn't be changing it. Obviously.) So anyway, stick around a little longer and I might actually review something! That'd be good, eh?

Oh, and feel free to yell if you absolutely hate this idea with a passion. I don't want to ruin your life completely and utterly... !

Review: Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Title: Sweetly
Author: Jackson Pearce
Publisher: Little, Brown
Adult Content: a little gore
Keywords: witch, werewolves, disappearance, fairytale
Star Rating: *
Word Rating: a bad-bad book

Twelve years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother went looking for a witch in the forest. They found something. Maybe it was a witch, maybe a monster, they aren’t sure—they were running too fast to tell. Either way, Gretchen’s twin sister was never seen again.

Years later, after being thrown out of their house, Gretchen and Ansel find themselves in Live Oak, South Carolina, a place on the verge of becoming a ghost town. They move in with Sophia Kelly, a young and beautiful chocolatier owner who opens not only her home, but her heart to Gretchen and Ansel.

Yet the witch isn’t gone—it’s here, lurking in the forests of Live Oak, preying on Live Oak girls every year after Sophia Kelly’s infamous chocolate festival. But Gretchen is determined to stop running from witches in the forest, and start fighting back. Alongside Samuel Reynolds, a boy as quick with a gun as he is a sarcastic remark, Gretchen digs deeper into the mystery of not only what the witch is, but how it chooses its victims. Yet the further she investigates, the more she finds herself wondering who the real monster is, and if love can be as deadly as it is beautiful.

(courtesy of Goodreads)

This book was a disappointment. On the face of it, Sweeetly seems to be an intriguing tale of a young girl getting over the disappearance of her sister, and her determination to stop it from happening again. Okay, fine. Great. But what really ruined it for me was Pearce's decision to turn a perfectly good fairytale (Handsel and Gretel - notice the cheesy similarity in names?) into - wait for it - another paranormal romance. Don't get me wrong, I like a bit of vampires and werewolves and goodness knows what, but you'd think that the world had enough of them already, without everyone writing more.

See what I mean? Or maybe you don't, and I've just lost your good opinion for ever. Well, sorry. But the world's obsession with Edward and Jacob lookalikes and Twilight spin-offs is starting to irritate me. And the thing is: Sweetly could've been pretty good if it hadn't gone off on the 'oh, let's do paranormal romance' thing. It's more than a little disappointing.

Having said that, I'm sure this book is going to be very popular, because I know there are lots of you out there who can't get enough paranormal romances. And that's fine - we all get into reading-moods where all we want to read is a certain type of book. And this is a nice, interesting one, if you're looking for that kind of thing.

So if you want a paranormal romance, read this. If not, there are plenty of other, much better books out there waiting to be read!

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (AC)

His eyes were like a lit fuse, scorching the air between them. He was the most beautiful thing Karou had ever seen.

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Star Rating: **
Word Rating: a bad-good book
Keywords: supernatural, magic, love, angel
Adult Content: brief but explicit mention of sex

Karou is an art student, known for her mysterious drawings telling of monsters and demons. Little do those around her know that these stories are real. For she is not only an art student but a messenger - a messenger for the chimera Brimstone who collects teeth in exchange for wishes. Karou has never had to choose a life, living with one foot in each world, but as the doors to the world of the chimera close, she must make a dangerous decision. And so it is that she sets out on a desperate quest to rescue those she loves... and discover the truth about who she is.

I really enjoyed this book. It rips along at a great pace, and the world it portrays of angels and demons and chimera and artists, all in the setting of Prague, is wonderful and unique. And I completely didn't see the twist at the end! In this respect, it is very different to the paranormal romances that are going around at the moment. However, I feel it is also very similar to them in many ways, which irritated me. I've had enough of girls finding perfect (supernatural) boyfriends who are both incredibly handsome and incredibly virtuous. So, for me, although this book has the potential to be a breath of fresh air, a full five-star read, it is brought down by the fashion of the moment. Which is a real shame, because it started off being so unique and interesting.

Nevertheless, I know that a lot of girls my age can't get enough of paranormal romances, and I would therefore recommend it to girls between 14 and 16.

Review: The Opposite of Amber (AC) by Gillian Philip

They found the fifth girl right after the snow melted...

Title: The Opposite of Amber
Author: Gillian Philip
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Star Rating: ****
Word Rating: a good-good book
Keywords: sisters, murder, love, mystery, life
Adult Content: adult subject and sex scenes

Ruby has always been with Jinn, as sisters and best friends. Jinn is bright and beautiful, and doing everything she can to care for Ruby. Ruby is quiet and pensive, her sister an essential part of her life. But then Nathan Baird turns up, Nathan who disappeared mysteriously, Nathan who was in prison, Nathan who charms and loves Jinn. Jinn changes. She has someone else now. Ruby must find a new life. And in the midst of it all, someone is prowling the streets, watching them...

I really loved this book. It was laugh-out-loud funny and sob-out-loud sad, and had everything in between. Ruby, the narrator, is endearing and funny and easy to relate to - I honestly felt like she was my best friend and I'd known her for years. I read 'The Opposite of Amber' in one day flat because I was so involved in what Ruby was showing me. This is a true story of growing up and finding one's place in the world, and it deals with today's issues in a deft and confident way, often finding humour in the most unlikely places. Unlike what the title may suggest, I think that 'The Opposite of Amber' is a real gem, and a must-read for everyone.

Review: The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

When Death tells a story, you really have to listen...

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Publisher: Knopf Books
Adult Content: harrowing subject
Series: n/a
Keywords: WWII, Germany, Death, love, childhood
Goodreads Synopsis:

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Narrated by Death, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a young foster girl living outside of Munich in Nazi Germany. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she discovers something she can't resist- books. Soon she is stealing books from Nazi book-burnings, the mayor's wife's library, wherever they are to be found. 

With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, Liesel learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids, as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. 

My Thoughts:

Subject: I didn't read this book for the subject, but it's one of the reasons I love it so much. There's a lot about words and their power in The Book Thief, which is always something I love. And, of course, it's Second World War Germany - which was something I hadn't read about before. You don't hear about the story of civilian German life so much as you do about the Nazis or the Jews. So this was a bit of an eye-opener for me.

Subject: ****


Storyline: The story isn't clever like some books. In fact, like the whole of the novel, it's rather understated. It's a bildungsroman - it follows Liesel from her childhood to adulthood, depicting everything about her life. It's very powerful and moving. It doesn't need an amazing storyline to be this good.

Storyline: ***


Characters: Like everything else in this book, I love the characters. They're unique and wonderful. I don't think I've ever found a character that surpassed Rosa or Hans Hubermann! I also especially like the character of Death, who narrates the novel - and is a surprisingly human character. But be warned - this book requires a large stack of hankies! I think I cried for about 20 pages straight...

Characters: *****



Writing Style: This book is so beautifully written it's almost a poem. Zusak uses words and descriptions in new and unexpected ways: 'the sky began to charcoal towards light', describing one character as a wardrobe, and another as an accordion. It is truly a work of art. Some people find it contrived it's so well-written, but in my opinion, it's just perfect. (Of course, this does have a downside - whenever I read this book, I always find my own writing very drab and boring!!) But seriously - Zusak has got to be a genius.

Writing Style: *****


Summary: This book is beautiful and wonderful and tragic, all at once. It lingers in the mind of the reader far beyond the last page. Almost everything about this book is perfect. I doubt I will ever read a better written book. I think everyone should read it at least once in their life. At least.

Word Rating: a good-good book

                                                            Star Rating: