March 2016 – Page 3 – My Good Reads

‘There Will Be Lies’ – Nick Lake

The cover for this novel, which I picked up because it’s on the CILIP Carnegie 2016 Long-list, gives little away. It suggests the importance of truth to the story, and the images used are somewhat confusing. My response to the cover pretty much sums up my response to this novel.

Shelby is nearly eighteen, but is treated in many ways like a much smaller child by her mother. The reasons for this become clear later.

As I progressed through the story, I found myself wanting to know more about the predicament Shelby finds herself in. The main thread of the story is intertwined with unusual elements that draw on Native American stories/ideas. These were interesting, though I found it disconcerting initially as it tended to distract from the developments within the key story.

For me the main theme of the novel was about the lies people tell, and how we reconcile ourselves to their consequences. An unusual coming-of-age story.

‘Knightley and Son’ – Rohan Gavin

Trying to find books to engage some of our more able readers – without them suddenly having to jump into ‘The Classics’ – is an ongoing issue for me as a teacher. Giving some of our younger students YA titles that deal with more mature themes can be a little off-putting for them. I’m not saying we have to start policing students’ reading material in the way that some condone, but I do feel there is something of a missing market so it is always exciting when someone recommends a new author/series.

Described as a Young Holmes for our times, this series by Rohan Gavin looks like it could form an ideal bridge between two quite distinctive groups of readers.

In this novel we are immediately introduced to the mystery surrounding best-selling book The Code perfectly. It is just macabre enough to pique your interest, without straying too far into gruesome description and putting people off.

When we first meet Knightley he is waking from a coma. We are told he is London’s top private detective so it is understandable that one of the first things he does is get back into trying to solve crimes; only this time he has the help of his thirteen year-old son, Darkus. A curious combination, but it works. Well.

For me this was a cracking read that keeps the reader interested and provides plenty of action. Of course, there are some wildly over-the-top moments and some of the villains could be regarded as pantomime but this is all part of the charm. Great fun.

‘My Name’s Not Friday’ – Jon Walter

This reminded me quite a lot of ‘Buffalo Soldier’ by Tanya Landman (the 2015 CILIP Carnegie winner) as it focuses on a child gaining freedom in Southern America, but it has a more warm-hearted feel in many ways.
When Samuel is sold as a slave he isn’t sure why. He knows he trusts in God, but can’t work out where he is or what is happening to him. We follow him on his journey to his new home, where we gain some insight into the lives of slaves. I felt this was, to a degree, quite sanitised – Samuel is lucky enough to end up bought at auction by a fairly progressive plantation owner. The experience of Samuel was probably not common to many of the time, though there are some graphic descriptions that might be off-putting for younger readers.

Over time Samuel teaches the slaves of the house to read. There is talk of freedom, but things don’t quite turn out as they expect. Eventually Samuel finds his way back to his brother, and there is a wonderful closing scene where he is reunited with some characters from earlier in the novel and we gain a small sense of the hope, optimism and fear that these newly-emancipated people would have experienced.

With such subject matter it seems odd to describe this as an enjoyable read, but it drew me in and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

‘Try Not to Breathe’ – Holly Seddon

A barely-functioning alcoholic journalist stumbles across one of the country’s biggest news stories of fifteen years ago in a vegetative state. Alex Dale is determined to find out exactly what happened to Amy Stevenson, and this book takes us through her experience.

I was gripped from the start, and the opening chapter immediately sets up an intriguing idea. We have so many questions, which we are made to wait a while for…

Alex was a character that I could imagine to be unbearable in life, yet her frailty and vulnerability was laid bare as we progressed through the novel.
The thriller element of this did have me a little wrong-footed. I did not guess who it was, but I was bothered by the fact that the guilty party seemed to be so mysterious throughout.

On occasion, I had to reread sections just to be completely clear whose viewpoint we were getting.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy

‘Sophie’ – Jennie Sargam

When I saw this on NetGalley I was intrigued by the cover. The information given about this makes it seem like a very different story to what you actually get.

I was curious to read the story of Sophie and look at how she dealt with her situation. Unfortunately, I felt that the whole premise of her life was so far-fetched and unrealistic that I couldn’t shake that, even as I got to find out more about her.

There was no doubt that the relationship between Sophie and Eric was meant to be important, but it was the relationship between Sophie and her teacher that became of more interest. I got caught up in seeing how these two rather prickly characters learned about themselves as the story progressed.

This novel seems to be trying to cover a lot of issues, but I didn’t feel that we were prepared for them. For me, there were just too many unlikely elements for me to every fully relax with this one.

‘The Loneliness of Distant Beings’ – Kate Ling

Due for publication in May 2016, this novel explores what it means to love and just how it can impact on your life.

This has a beautiful cover, and I was intrigued by the idea of a group of people living completely alienated from anything we have experience of. For reasons I’m not totally clear about, this ship has left Earth trying to find somewhere to settle. The mission is due to take several hundred years, so it is clear that many of the people we meet have never experienced anything other than the routine of the ship, and may die before they have the opportunity to experience anything other than this sterile environment.

Seren, the 16 year old main character, is a little different to many of those on board the ship. She questions things, and doesn’t seem completely satisfied with the life mapped out for her. In many ways, this is a fairly typical YA story of someone coming to terms with who they are and what they want from life, while dealing with the fact that their wishes don’t necessarily fit with those of the people around them.

The first part of the book is about setting up the environment for us. I feel I never really got this fully, and I got so frustrated by how quickly she fell in love with Dom. Not being totally accepting of this meant that I found a lot of the book hard to accept. The drama of the final section however sneaked up on me. This was confidently handled, and I got more of a sense of what could have been. While it ended well in some ways, I felt I just had too many unresolved questions to be really satisfied with this novel.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance read.

‘The Dead House’ – Dawn Kurtagich

For starters, this is one of the most intriguing covers I’ve seen for a while. Before reading the book, it got me intrigued; after reading, it captures perfectly the ideas within. If you want a flavour of what’s inside…

Three students: dead.
Carly Johnson: vanished without a trace.

Two decades have passed since an inferno swept through Elmbridge High, claiming the lives of three teenagers and causing one student, Carly Johnson, to disappear. The main suspect: Kaitlyn, “the girl of nowhere.”

Kaitlyn’s diary, discovered in the ruins of Elmbridge High, reveals the thoughts of a disturbed mind. Its charred pages tell a sinister version of events that took place that tragic night, and the girl of nowhere is caught in the center of it all. But many claim Kaitlyn doesn’t exist, and in a way, she doesn’t – because she is the alter ego of Carly Johnson.

Carly gets the day. Kaitlyn has the night. It’s during the night that a mystery surrounding the Dead House unravels and a dark, twisted magic ruins the lives of each student that dares touch it.

From the outset it is clear that this is an unusual book. I initially found the fragmented style of retelling the story quite disconcerting, and I had to concentrate hard to try and keep track of what was known for certain and how the events seemed to fit together.

Deliciously creepy, this book does get a little odd at times. It’s completely down to personal taste, but I found the supernatural references less interesting than the psychological aspect of the story. I felt that, on balance, they combined well to create a very different story.

Big thank-you to NetGalley for the digital copy.

‘The Queen of the Tearling’ – Erika Johansen

This book has been on my to-read pile for a while, but there never seemed to be a good time to get started on something that I thought might take a while to get through.

Initially, I found the book confusing. Everything about the novel suggests a Medieval setting, but it actually seems to be set in some post-apocalyptic setting in the future. Once I got past this confusion, I found myself intrigued by the world described.

We are told that nineteen year-old Kelsea Glynn is the rightful heir to the throne of the Tearling. She has spent years in hiding, and her guardians were trusted to prepare her for her future role. When soldiers come to escort her to the Keep, it is clear that Kelsea has a lot to learn.

I found it annoying that so much of the initial part of the book focuses on Kelsea feeling frustrated by her plainness, and her obsession with the appearance of those around her. Why did this have to be important? As I kept reading, though, it was clear that appearance was important in this world, and Kelsea’s learning to accept who she is plays a major role in her coming to accept her new position in society.

There were some interesting characters in the novel – and some that were downright unpleasant. I have so many questions: namely about the Fetch; who Kelsea’s father is; exactly what has got Mace so annoyed; the background to the Mort Queen; what role the jewels worn by Kelsea will play and when the odious Thorne is going to get his come-uppance.

I’ve heard this talked about as Game of Thrones for teenagers, but there’s some rather nasty details that might put off younger readers. However, this will probably get its fair share of fans once the movie comes out – though it’s doubtful that Emma Watson is quite what I’d picture Kelsea to look like.

‘The Earth is Singing’ – Vanessa Curtis

As you would expect with any novel that is set at this time in history, the subject matter is not remotely pleasant but it is a book that I feel makes compelling reading.

Hanna is 15 years old. She is Latvian, and also Jewish. Her dream is to be a dancer. Unfortunately, the Nazis arrive in her hometown and everything changes.

For anyone who doesn’t know much about what happened to the Jews during this period in time, this novel makes a fascinating starting point. Seeing events through the eyes of a slightly older teenager means we are given some awareness of the wider issues, while those around her still try to protect her from the true horrors of what is taking place. For those readers who do have some knowledge of this period in time, you read with grim determination. You know this is going to make for unsettling reading but you feel bound to continue.

With this novel I felt that the character of Hanna was so well-portrayed that you want to see out her story. For me, the most powerful scenes in the novel are when Hanna and those around her are at their most desperate. We witness people at their lowest, and the factual way Hanna observes these events made them – for me – more meaningful.

I would certainly recommend this to people to read, though I didn’t personally like the ending. It makes sense in terms of the story, but I don’t think it fits with what we were shown of the character of Uldis earlier in the novel.

I read this because it is on the 2016 CILIP Carnegie Long-list, and I would not be surprised to see this make it to the next stage.

‘Treats’ – Lara Williams

Due for publication in March 2016 this collection of literary short stories, published by Manchester-based writer Williams, really is something of a treat.

The stories share common themes of loss and acceptance, and show people trying to find their way in life. ‘Both Boys’ made me laugh out loud, but many of the stories were unsettling and touched a nerve.

This is not the kind of thing I’d normally go for, so thanks NetGalley for broadening my reading horizons. Definitely a collection to recommend.