Month: August 2021

‘At the End of Everything’ – Marieke Nijkamp

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this prior to its January 2022 publication. Finding yourself caught up in an event of such magnitude is not something you could, generally, prepare for…but the events of recent years have, I think understandably, made people reflect on what they might do in such a situation and what is important to them.

Our story is set principally in the Hope Juvenile Treatment Centre, a place where those teens people don’t know what to do with are dumped. Nobody really notices them, nobody cares about them…and they are abandoned when the guards receive notice of an infectious disease spreading outside.

The book opens with establishing the hierarchy within the Centre, and introducing us to some of the key characters. Once the teens discover they have been left alone, the book focuses on their immediate reaction, the challenge to establish some sense of normalcy within the group and their ongoing attempts to survive in the face of something they have no idea how to beat.

After an attempted break-out results in the death of one of their party, and the realisation that they have been abandoned, those that remain in Hope are shown working out how to survive. There is the very real fear of catching the disease, there’s the reality of coping with an unknown situation and there’s the ongoing issues that come with having to trust people you don’t necessarily feel able to trust.

The book shows teens coping in adverse circumstances – and doing a much better job of it than many adults. We also get to see some of our core group learning about themselves and how to cope with some of their own issues that may impact on their lives outside. Not everything ends well, but there is a sense of resolve and optimism that remains throughout.

‘Chasing the Boogeyman’ – Richard Chizmar

 

Chasing the Boogeyman is, essentially, a work of fiction but it is presented to us in such a way as to plausibly seem like a horrific true story. As a story it is cleverly constructed, and as a concept it was fascinating.

The book is set in the small Maryland town of Edgewood, and is told from the viewpoint of our narrator, the author. He is in his early twenties, about to get married and has returned to his childhood home to save money as he attempts to start his career as a writer. When the body of one of his neighbours, Natasha Gallagher, is found in woodland behind her home people are shocked. However, when further bodies turn up it seems that the town has a serial killer.

People are jumpy. Curfews are brought in, neighbourhood watch groups are set up – sometimes with unexpected results – and the FBI are also on hand.

In such a small town the creeping sense of unease is easy to imagine. Chizmar captures the tension well, showing through the eyes of his somewhat naive self the mechanics (such as he could witness them) of the investigation and the effects of such brutality on a small community. His fascination with the crimes is, perhaps, understandable and I found myself completely absorbed in the way he reports these. The photos were a nice touch to lend authenticity, and it was definitely a plus that Chizmar was aided in his somewhat interfering sleuthing by his friend, aspiring journalist Carly Albright.

From start to finish this was a story that I found hard to put down. I wouldn’t say it was terrifying, but a bit like Bradbury (who is referenced) Chizmar is skilled at creating a mood.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for granting me access to this before publication in exchange for my honest thoughts.

‘I Am Still Alive’ – Kate Alice Marshall

Jess Cooper is, depending on which if the final stories you listen to, a footnote in a much bigger story or a plucky heroine. Whichever version you plump for, you can’t ignore the fact she’s resourceful, determined and – dare I say it – a little bit lucky.

The book begins in a suitably dramatic fashion. Jess is alone, watching the remains of a cabin smouldering. She reveals her father is dead, she’s alone in the Alaskan wilderness and that there are men involved who could hurt her. Of course we have questions, but Jess controls her narrative and tells us there are two beginnings to her story – before her father died and after. With a start like that, how could you not want to know more?

When we first meet Jess in her ‘before’ narrative she’s struggling after surviving the car crash that killed her mother. She is being sent to live with the father she hasn’t seen for years, and her injuries make even walking hard. Given where she’s at, it wasn’t difficult to understand her upset at being taken to her father…in a remote cabin somewhere in the Alaskan wilderness. He’s a survivalist, and she is stuck with him.

Reading about her at this point was frustrating. She was hurting, uprooted from everything she knew and definitely a reluctant participant in this drama. The only thing she seemed to like was Bo, her father’s dog. It was interesting to see how she adapted to this situation – and it was clear she wasn’t as ill-equipped for it as many sixteen year olds might have been – but we weren’t being given any details of what happened.

Eventually, it couldn’t be put off longer and we were given the story of how Jess came to be alone. This was shocking, made me see her in quite a different light…and I think encourages you to hope she’ll take what she’s learned in the short time she had with her father to get through this.

This story won’t be to everyone’s tastes. I’m not wholly convinced she would have come out of the initial experience alive, but she did and that meant I was invested in seeing her remain alive. Some stomach churning moments but definitely a dramatic bit of escapism.

‘The Hawthorne Legacy’ – Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I was so excited about this, desperate to see where things would head after book one, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for allowing me to read it before publication but it didn’t feel as satisfying as I’d have liked.

The book picks up with Avery trying to come to terms with her new wealth, and dealing with the problems posed by the will. She is starting to feel part of the Hawthorne family but she remains at risk.

There are new dilemmas to solve here, and Avery has to contend with the realisation that certain people remain desperate to remove her from the equation. During the course of her investigations we learn that things have been covered up, the family are no strangers to doing whatever is necessary to preserve their choices and Avery remains somewhat on the periphery.

Part of the issue for me with this was that I had such high expectations, and nothing quite seemed to gel as I was reading. Not much really happened to begin with, and there were a lot of rather conveniently revealed details to allow another phase to play out. The big secret around Avery didn’t really come to anything, and the ending felt just a little too vague to make sense. I can only guess that this was done deliberately to get readers clamouring for book three…but I’m not sure it’s done that for me.

 

‘Can’t Take That Away’ – Steven Salvatore

This was a book that I picked up out of curiosity and feeling the need to raise my own awareness. As a teacher I am, more than anything, struck by the difference this shows educators can make to the experience of those in their care and am horrified that such bigoted views as those expressed by Mr Jackson and Max could be tolerated and supported. It certainly made me think about how each of us can play our part in creating a community where everyone within it feels safe enough to be themselves.

The main character of Carey Parker is one that engaged and infuriated me in equal measure. I felt so angry on their behalf that they would have to endure some of the things they experienced, pride that they found the strength to be themselves and allow others to support them and utterly exasperated by their inability to be honest at times with those who meant so much to them.

The story is quite straightforward. Carey is genderqueer, and in a bid to regain some of the power they feel they have surrendered they audition for a part in their school musical. This sets up a quite remarkable chain of events culminating in a nationally-noticed protest about the discrimination evident in their school and a ‘treat’ of meeting their heroine Mariah Carey. Along the way we focus on their shifting friendships and some major life events involving their grandmother.

I’d love to say this book isn’t necessary, but that isn’t the case. It was informative, engaging in showing a young person coming of age and developing in confidence and certainly one to get people talking.

 

‘Operation Hurricane’ – Benjamin Shaw

Move over Bond and Alex Rider, Evan Boyd is here.
Before I post my thoughts on this, I have to thank the author, Benjamin Shaw, for reaching out to me on Goodreads and sending me a copy of this first in the series. I’m sorry it took me a while to get round to reading it…and, having just finished it, I’m keen to read more.
It would be easy to dismiss Operation Hurricane as a book that’s been done before. Teen hero, spies, gadgets and the like all feature so it does feel as if we’re in familiar territory. However, at no point reading this did I feel I was reading the same old story.
The last thing I want to do is give details away – this definitely works better not knowing much about what’s coming. Our story begins explosively, and the pacing of the chapters rarely lets up. I loved the sci-fi element of this, and the way the various strands were combined certainly sets up intrigue for later books in the series.
Inevitably, perhaps, Boyd will be compared to that other well-known teen spy. They certainly both show courage in the face of danger and are put in unenviable positions. However, Boyd is a snarky teen who often makes really silly decisions. He has not been trained from birth for this role…and just because he’s important doesn’t let him off his friends telling him when he’s out of order. Aside from the use of Facebook to communicate (don’t know many 15 year olds using it), I really liked the friendship between Boyd and his rather unwilling partner.
During the time I was reading there was rarely time to pause for breath. Everything happens fast…but there was still time to slot in details about certain characters that didn’t make complete sense at the time but was actually crucial to explaining the concept that seems to be driving the book. The villains are dangerous, and not too prone to gloating before being shown up, but it seems that sometimes those most dangerous are those closest to us.

 

‘All of Us Villains’ – Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman

It’s thirteen years since The Hunger Games published, and I think there may be a new contender for the dystopian YA crown coming in November 2021.

All of Us Villains is set in the fictional world of Ilvernath, a place ruled by high magick and dark ambition. Every generation one of the seven families has to name a champion…someone who will step into The Blood Veil and fight to the death. The eventual winner will be awarded control of the supply of high magick and this is a powerful resource. To be a winner, you have to be prepared to be a villain.

The book began quite slowly, introducing us to each of the seven contenders and their families. We were given time to see the furore in Ilvernath after the publication of the salacious book – purportedly written by one of the families – telling all about the Blood Veil and the secrets of the contest. This book has caused an unprecedented interest in the competition, but nobody is willing to try and stop what has always happened.

It was, initially, a little confusing to keep track of who was who, but seeing events from each character’s viewpoint actually lent a depth to the book that was welcome. It felt as if we as readers were being given little clues as to the bigger picture throughout (even if we couldn’t always work out the relevance of what we were being told).

Once the tournament is about to start things picked up quite quickly. We had double-crosses, curses, alliances tested and a desperate attempt from each contestant to find a way to make themselves victorious. The increase in magic and the focus on the history of the Veil/contest stopped this from getting dull because not much happens for the first week of the trial.

People die, and there’s some scenes that may well have you taking a moment to recover from reading about them. As soon as it looks as if things are going well in terms of the competition we get something of a spanner in the works. The only way to win this is to be a villain. But what if you don’t want to be a villain?

Each of the characters is given time to reflect on the individual demands of this trial for them. Naturally, some characters are given more time than others. Our core cast of Briony, Isobel, Gavin and Alistair were very interesting. Each of them had their strengths, and I certainly felt like they were put through some tough situations in order to help us see the wider benefits of their choices.

We see there’s potential for upset here. Nothing ends in a way that makes it easy to call for the next book. Someone within the pages is shown to be more invested in the outcome than we might have believed, and I am excited to see exactly where this goes next.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this before publication. It was a joy!

 

‘Dream Girl’ – Laura Lippmann

Dream Girl had me reeling by the time I got to the end, as nothing was quite what it purported to be.

Our main character, Gerry Andersen, is an author of some repute. He is injured in an accident, confined to his bed and starts to doubt his recall when he believes he is being contacted by a woman of the name Aubrey – the same person who is the main character in his most popular novel.

When the story begins it’s hard to work out quite where things are headed. I was getting definite Misery-style vibes and wondered quite what we would uncover.
Without giving anything away, we eventually uncover some rather disturbing events.

Through the course of the novel we learn more about Gerry’s past. There are certainly some details that paint him in a less appealing light, but we can also see that he is (eventually) as much a victim as those we initially place in that role.

I enjoyed the focus on the literary process. My thoughts about Gerry fluctuated, though I did retain some sympathy for him by the end. Audacious in the way Gerry’s story was resolved, and I found the whole experience darkly enjoyable.

 

‘The Turnout’ – Megan Abbott

The Turnout is a story that explores the darkness under the surface of what looks beautiful. I am still uncertain to what extent we are meant to see this as symbolic of the relationship between our three main characters, but it certainly offered pause for thought.

The main focus of the story is sisters Dara and Marie, brought up in the ballet world and surrounded by traditions. They now run the same ballet school their mother ran, and each year they perform The Nutcracker. Our story takes place over a short period of time building up to the annual performance, but it focuses on so much more.

Dara is married to Charlie, their childhood friend. As the story progresses we learn more of their past and some of the circumstances surrounding them. I was struck by the darkness of their home environment, and how this had impacted on them.

Ballet will not be everyone’s thing, but the story surrounding Derek and the fragmenting of the relationship between the characters was intriguing. I found myself more interested in the stories alluded to on occasion, and was rather surprised at the turns taken in some situations.

Thanks to NetGalley for granting me access to this before publication in exchange for my thoughts.

 

‘How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House’ – Cherie Jones

In this debut we learn that life in a tropical paradise is definitely not quite the picture-perfect idyll tourists might imagine.

The story focuses on a selection of characters living in a tourist resort in Barbados. Each character is very different, but is united in some way. Some of the stories are brutal, most are deeply upsetting but I loved the determination of each character to make the most of what life was giving them.

I found it a little disorientating initially, switching from character to character. But as we learned of their backstories and saw how they were interwoven over time it was an absorbing read.

The conflict between tourist and local, their interdependency and the bonds established over time were presented honestly. While the separate strands of the stories were bleak, there was a sense of optimism in some aspects that I found offset the potential negativity.