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Metawars series – Jeff Norton

I first stumbled across this series in October 2015 and was immediately gripped by the concept.

Book 1.0 – Fight for the Future

Jonah Delacroix has always thought he knew right from wrong. He always believed in the Milennials and their fight to control the Metasphere and save it from the Guardians. Then he assumes his dead father’s avatar and becomes caught up in a deadly battle. He also comes to see that things are not always black and white. Sci-fi that also combines gaming/technology so it’s easy to see the appeal for boys, but this was so well-written and Sam is such great character that I can see it being of interest to girls too.

Book 2.0 – The Dead are Rising

Jonah has succeeded in setting up the Changsphere, a world to rival the Metasphere.The avatars of the Uploaded (those who committed suicide) have been transferred but they are gaining in strength, and are hungry for life. No-one is safe.

Book 3.0 – Battle of the Immortal

Where to start! So many characters introduced, but it all hangs together well. Yes, it’s more of the same but that is not a criticism. When it’s this well-written, it’s exactly what’s needed.

Book 4.0 – The Freedom Frontier

As is always the case with a series that you’ve enjoyed, approaching the end is an odd experience. Desperate to find out how things resolve, yet not wanting it all to finally finish, I was almost reluctant to start this one.

However, after a slow start to summarise the key points of the action – which makes sense if you’ve waited a while since the previous one – we were dropped straight into what I can only describe as a white-knuckle ride. Tense throughout, and certainly not shying away from placing the characters in difficult situations, this was a fitting end to the series.

Now I just have to wait for my son to catch up so we can discuss the final moments!

Dark Room – Tom Becker

This series is touted as a must for horror fans. I’m not really part of the target market, but I am always looking for good examples of specific genres to recommend to my pupils so I was curious when I found this in the local library.

The cover grabbed my attention, and I thought the blurb promised a lot – teen girl at odds with her environment, strange supernatural visions, a creepy setting and a killer on the loose. I think if you like this kind of story you will race through Dark Room and love it.

The story begins with a macabre scene that explains – a little – the story of Saffron Hills and its terrible obsession with keeping up appearances. Ever since the brutal murder of its teen beauty queen, the townspeople have focused on looking to do the right thing and appearing perfect.

Fast forward to the present, and we meet Darla. She has always regarded herself as plain and something of a misfit. When she and her father end up in Saffron Hills she is immediately at odds with the selfie-obsessed beautiful teenagers of this environment. She finds some ‘outsider’ friends ( which did all feel a little ‘Mean Girls’) and things seem to muddle along tolerably. Then we are told Darla is having visions that give her an insight into the mind of the killer on the loose, slowly picking off the beautiful people in grotesque ways.

While this slasher style graphic violence isn’t the kind of thing I enjoy reading, I can see that this has all the elements you’d want if it is. My main gripe is that the big twist was rather obviously foreshadowed and I’d guessed the killer before we were told who it was. What I hadn’t managed to piece together was some of the finer details and these were all resolved by the end of the novel.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend – Katarina Bivald

Sara is 28 and has never been outside Sweden – except in the (many) books she reads. When her elderly penfriend Amy invites her to come and visit her in Broken Wheel, Iowa, Sara decides it’s time. But when she arrives, there’s a twist waiting for her – Amy has died. Finding herself utterly alone in a dead woman’s house in the middle of nowhere was not the holiday Sara had in mind.

But Sara discovers she is not exactly alone. For here in this town so broken it’s almost beyond repair are all the people she’s come to know through Amy’s letters: poor George, fierce Grace, buttoned-up Caroline and Amy’s guarded nephew Tom.

Sara quickly realises that Broken Wheel is in desperate need of some adventure, a dose of self-help and perhaps a little romance, too. In short, this is a town in need of a bookshop.

When I read this description on NetGalley I was thinking this would be a quirky romance, and I couldn’t help but ask for a digital copy to review before the novel is released in January. I’m grateful for the advance copy, but it really wasn’t what I expected.

Perhaps there was something lost in translation but this felt like a love story that was desperate to call itself anything but. This was perfect for curling up in front of the fire with, but not one I’d return to or will probably really remember later in the year.

Front Lines – Michael Grant

Due for publication January 28th 2016, this is the first in a new series by Michael Grant and it imagines an alternative past, where women were allowed to fight in the war.

I received a digital copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for review.

While I’d enjoyed the other Michael Grant books I’d read, I was uncertain how this would work. The first thing I have to say is that I felt this brought together a great cast of characters – Rainy, Rio and Frangie – who all have their strengths, but are shaped by their experiences preparing for war. The idea that women could fight allowed Grant to also explore key themes/ideas about war and gender.

The initial part of the book that deals with the girls’ backgrounds and reasons for enlisting was necessary, but it really comes into its own when the new recruits are sent to fight. The account of the experience is unflinching, yet never gratuitous.

Captivating.

Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century – Sarah Miller

Not knowing anything about this case, I was curious when I received a digital copy of this novel – due for publication on January 12th 2016 – from NetGalley.

I’m giving nothing away when I tell you that this novel tells us the story – gleaned from news reports and other contemporary sources – of the trial of Lizzie Borden, accused of the brutal killings of her father and step-mother. We are taken through the details of the case as it is known, and we are left to make up our own minds about the outcome.

Non-fiction is not something I tend to read out of choice, but this read enough like a novel to keep me interested. What I found fascinating was the way in which the trial itself was conducted and what was revealed about the society of the time.

This is certainly a book that will gain readers’ interest, and it has piqued my curiosity enough to be on the lookout for more information about the case.

‘The Haunted Hotel’ – Wilkie Collins

A contemporary of Dickens, Collins is not the kind of writer you tend to stumble across. I first came across his works when I had to read ‘The Woman in White’ as part of my studies, and I was intrigued by the idea of ‘The Moonstone’ being the first detective novel. I had never read this, and decided it was about time to try something a little different.

The first thing that I have to say about this novel is that it focuses on a rather straightforward mystery, but is made that little more special due to the fascination with the supernatural.

Lord Montbarry breaks off his engagement to Agnes Lockwood, he marries the mysterious Countess Narona (about which there are more than one or two rumours) and then travels to a run-down palace in Venice. We learn of Montbarry’s death, and the mysterious circumstances surrounding it. Suspicious, Montbarry’s brother travels to Venice to try and determine exactly what happened. The palace in Venice where Montbarry was staying has been turned into a fashionable hotel, but mysterious things are seen there.

I shan’t give away the specific details of what transpired, but it was a well-plotted and interesting story. What really stuck out to me was the deep interest in the supernatural that Collins shows. Some of the descriptions were quite horrific, but I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

‘Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda’ – Becky Albertalli

When we meet Simon Spier he’s enthralled by the mysterious Blue, the only person in school that knows Simon is gay. Through their email exchanges we see how Simon is coming to terms with who he is. Then one of Simon’s emails is seen by the wrong person and things become more than a little complicated.

While this is a story about coming out and issues surrounding being homosexual, it was also a story about friendships and learning to accept who you are/how you engage with those around you.

At times I did feel the whole experience was a little saccharine – I’m not sure how positive an experience this would be in reality. That aside, this was a witty and enjoyable read.

I spent most of the book, like Simon, second-guessing the identity of Blue. By the time we’re told who Blue is I was hoping for the feel good ending. I wasn’t disappointed.

‘Land’ – Alex Campbell

‘Land’ is a title that I might well not have picked up had it not been on the list of nominations for Carnegie 2016. The cover gives little away, but the blurb hints at a rich and enthralling story that will hook the reader if they get close.

The boxes for YA dystopian novel are ticked, but there is something different about this that gets under your skin from the moment you start reading.

Christy is a heroine that could, quite easily, be disliked, but I found her engaging. While she is, in some respects, a puppet for others’ ideas I felt she truly came into her own at the points in the novel where she forgets what she has been told to do, and acts on her own beliefs.

There are numerous strands to this novel, and I was continually second-guessing what would happen. Watching the gradual disintegration of Land did not affect me unduly, perhaps because you are told from early on what Christy’s role is to be. However, the end of the novel left me somewhat open-mouthed. I loved it!

‘The Lie Tree’ – Francis Hardinge

I picked this up because it was on the Carnegie 2016 Short-list, and I was not surprised when it won the Costa Award.

Though it owes much to fantasy, this is a meticulously researched novel that offers a fascinating insight into the historical setting of the novel.

Faith wants to support her father in his research as a natural historian, but being female she is regarded as less than those around her. Her frustrations with the expectations of those around her made me so angry, but I felt the novel raised so many important questions.

Her father is forced to leave his home, accused of lying, and Faith is determined to prove his doubters wrong. Sadly, Faith comes to learn that things are not as simple as they seem. A dark yet delicious novel, that I think will appeal to many female readers with an interest in the world around them.

‘The Lost and the Found’ – Cat Clarke

Laurel was kidnapped at the age of 6. Her sister, Faith, and family never lost hope that she would be found but we see their lives are deeply affected by this event.

Thirteen years later, Laurel appears.

Things are not quite what they seem, and this was an interesting exploration of the impact of such an event on the family. I had my suspicions, but nothing prepared me for the sucker-punch of the ending.

I’d not read anything by Cat Clarke prior to this, but I am keen to try more by her. Though I didn’t particularly like the subject matter, I felt this was well-handled and the characters were sensitively portrayed.