Author Archives: keithbwalters

Belle Époque

By Elizabeth Ross, published by Hot Key Books.

Belle Epoque Goodreads synopsis: When sixteen-year-old Maude runs away to Paris, her romantic dreams vanish as quickly as her savings. Increasingly desperate for money, she answers a mysterious advert: ‘Young Women Wanted for Undemanding Work. Apply In Person To The Durandeau Agency.’ But the work is very strange indeed. Maude discovers she is to be a repoussoir – an ugly young woman hired by Parisian socialites to enhance their beauty.

Maude is humiliated – but faced with destitution, what choice does she have? Quickly (and secretly) selected as the perfect companion for the Countess Dubern’s daughter Isabelle, Maude is thrown into a decadent world full of parties, glamour and astonishing cruelty. Maude finds that academic Isabelle is equally disenchanted with the Parisian social scene, and the girls form a tight bond. But when bohemian artist Paul and the handsome Duke d’Avaray are introduced into the girls’ lives, their friendship will be tested to its limits. The girls are about to discover the true meaning of being beautiful…

My Review: I don’t think I’ve read much set in France before, let alone a historical France, so Belle Epoque was a really interesting read for me! I was really looking forward to starting it as the synopsis sounded very different and also, the cover is just gorgeous (Just look at it! SO PRETTY!). I really grew to love the setting! Paris, France… I was thinking the whole thing would be quite glamorous, but Belle Epoque showed the darker side of historical Paris… which was hugely entertaining to read about. It was quite shocking, really: ‘Ugly’ girls are hired through an agency by rich Debutantes for parties- the rich girl hiring will look even more beautiful next to the ugly hired girl. Just- what? That’s pretty mean. The subject really interested me, though, so I really enjoyed that aspect of the book.

The plot was very well thought out, and very unpredictable. Though I could tell that Maude was most definitely going to be with this rich girl Isabelle throughout the book, there were a lot of shocks in store for me! I had guessed, a little way into the book, that Isabelle was going to be this sour, stuck-up, horrible rich girl who made life awful for Maude, who’d seek revenge somehow. However, I got that entirely wrong! Isabelle had this secret life, revealed to no one, and made her a whole lot nicer, and I grew to like her a lot more after that was revealed. I really loved that twist in the story. I really wasn’t expecting it! There were loads of other great twists throughout the story, keeping me reading. I loved the whole outcome: There were two heroes to the plot, really, and a great ending for both Maude and the employees of the Durandeau agency.

Maude was a character I struggled to like at first, unfortunately. I would have liked to know why, exactly, Maude had decided to leave, penniless, for Paris. She seemed a bit too confident that she was going to build this glamorous life and seemed a bit too shocked when it didn’t turn out her way. Then, I started to warm to her personality, as I got to know more and more about her through her joining the Durandeau Agency. She became a much more loveable character, whom I really wanted everything to turn out great for! I didn’t really understand why she fell in love with one man, but did understand one other, the Pianist. The love triangle created was pretty tense for Maude, and I was ecstatic when everything turned out how I’d hoped!

A character I also grew to love was Isabelle, I mentioned before how she was most definitely not what I had expected. She really wasn’t! I loved the secret side of her: I don’t suppose I can reveal much, or it’ll ruin the surprise, but her rebellious personality I could really relate to. She loved the kinds of things I loved, though she did it behind the back of her strict, marriage-obsessed mother. The rebel-thing going on with her added some tension to the story. I loved that! Isabelle’s unlikely friendship with Maude was just amazing. You’d never expect the two of them to become even slightly friends. However, I could see this bond between them towards the end of the story- the relationship they had was just beautiful, really, and laced the story with themes of unlikely bonds. I really loved it, more, I think, than I enjoyed the love aspects of the book!

Overall, Belle Epoque is a really great read. I enjoyed it a lot! Although I couldn’t really connect with the main character at first, I really got to love her, as well as Isabelle- and of course Paul, one love interest who was just brilliant! The plot was really great- loads of unexpected parts, and the narration (through the eyes of Maude) was really good too. I loved the setting, of historical France, going through a really interesting period of time (The time period was called La Belle Epoque- translating as Beautiful Time, for fellow non-French speakers! Thank the almighty Google Translate for that.), and the job Maude had in this was shocking, but also strangely intriguing. Elizabeth Ross most definitely did her research on this- details were so accurate. Reccomended to Historical fiction fans, or people who love great stories about friendship!

My Rating:

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I received a copy of Belle Epoque from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

ALSO: Hot Key Books have this absolutely beautiful book trailer for Belle Epoque! It’s really stunning. Go take a look at the beautiful trailer, people!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTpIp6XaQsE]

Mini Reviews!

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Over the last couple of months, I’ve forgotten to review a few books I’ve bought, on my blog! As I probably can’t write a whole review on them now, as I haven’t got the details fresh in my head anymore, I’ve decided to do a couple of mini reviews. Summaries on my thoughts, basically. There might be a few more mini reviews coming up soon! 🙂
Here are two horror/sci-fi/dystopia books! They both have the same genres, though they’re remarkably different. Both, however, are utterly terrifying.

172 HOURS ON THE MOON: (Johan Harstad, Tara Chase-translator)
This was a brilliant read. I loved the idea of a lottery run by NASA for three teens to go up to the moon! I borrowed this from a friend. I thought ooh, interesting! This looks very sciencey. He told me DO NOT READ IT IN THE DARK. NEVER. For the first half of the book, I though he was joking. It was good, well paced with great characters. It seemed a bit contemporary, and I was kind of enjoying it. Then they arrive on the moon as spooky things begin to happen. The horror kicks in. Pace quickens… As does pulse. Stupid me, I read this before going to sleep. I should really listen to my friends better.
172 HOURS was truly quite terrifying. The horror concept was random, a bit, but really thrilling. The last quarter of the book was a bit too fast for me (or was I just scared and reading quickly?). The ending? Wow.
If you’re looking for a good fright, and a real shock, this is the book!

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1) ANGELFALL (Susan Ee)
This has been on my to-look-out-for mental list for some time. Spotting it in Sainsbury’s, I grabbed a copy! Honestly, I though it was a paranormal romance thing: apocalypse caused by angels. Wounded angel is tended to by girl looking for answers about her sister. Girl falls in love with angel. Love/action story for rest of book.
While it was a tiny bit like that, I had no idea how much of the horror element was in this book. It started as great as any other dystopia book I’d read… And then it took a dark and sinister turn. The last… Seventy five pages or so were terrifying, and most definitely not what I was expecting! It’s pretty gory and twisted- think Darren Shan’s ZOM B, with elements of sister-love thrown in. Totally gripping, though after such an interesting, dystopia read, I felt the horror oriented ending didn’t quite match up with the rest of the book. Despite that… A brilliant, determined protagonist!

My Ratings: It’s quite hard for me to rate these books… Both were great but there were aspects I didn’t enjoy.

Overall…

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To Angelfall

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To 172 Hours On The Moon

I borrowed a copy of 172 Hours from a friend, and bought a copy of Angelfall in a local store.

An Interview With… Natasha Ngan!

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I was so excited to be able to interview Natasha Ngan, author of The Elites- an epic fantasy tale I read a few weeks ago and absolutely fell in love with! I wasn’t quite sure on what theme to have the questions on at first. However, because I was so interested in the breath-taking, original world that Natasha set her debut novel in, these questions and answers are all about Neo-Babel! Here’s a little bit about Natasha:

download (3) Natasha Ngan was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, and spent her childhood in both the UK and Malaysia, where the Chinese side of her family is from. She also spent it living in two other worlds – reality, and her imagination. As an only child, books were her best friends, and though she now has real, physical, human friends, books are still every bit as important to her.

Natasha has always (only) wanted to be an author. THE ELITES is her first novel. Outside of writing YA fiction, Natasha works as a freelance social media consultant and runs a fashion and photography blog with her boyfriend Callum (www.girlinthelens.com). Follow Natasha at: http://natashangan.com or on Twitter: @girlinthelens

So… onto the interview, complete with some brilliant pictures similar to Neo-Babel!

•Where did the name, Neo Babel, come from? Does it have a deeper meaning?

I’m ashamed to admit this because names are so important to me, and usually I have them all for every setting and character in my before starting writing, but … I didn’t know what the city was called until around the middle of the first draft! I was just writing ‘City’ in place of a proper name. I think the difficulty I had with the city in The Elites is that it was created by a global governing body for a particular purpose. Therefore, it was likely to have been given a name which meant something, and it couldn’t be based on any existing place.

It was actually my dad who gave me the inspiration for the name in the end. One afternoon, we were walking through the woods near where I live, throwing around ideas for the city’s name, and he mentioned the biblical Tower of Babel – a place where a united humanity comprising of multiple ethnicities and cultures went for shelter following the Great Flood. The story of the Tower of Babel just fit so well with the history of the city in The Elites, I had to use the name! Wanting to make it a little more sci-fi (and also because it sounds cool), I then added the Neo, which means new. It seems crazy now that it took so long to find the name as it suits the city perfectly!

•Have you had any other inspirations from fantasy worlds in books, that gave you ideas for Neo Babel?

Most of the ideas for Neo-Babel actually came from my own upbringing and travels rather than any literary influences. I’ve spend a lot of my time in Malaysia, where my mother is originally from, and things like the motorbike sellers, hawker stalls, and the eating areas in the Stacks were based on restaurants or hawker markets I’ve visited out there. I also tried to inject a touch of humour and quirkiness to the city, so things like the Temple of the Fat Wives or the skylungs add a sense of uniqueness (I hope!) to Neo-Babel.

One of the book series that did inspire me though was Philip Reeve’s incredible Mortal Engines series. What I love about the world in this series is that, like Neo-Babel, it’s intensely multicultural, which I think reflects the current social climate of our world more realistically than the westerncentricism of a lot of YA books (I’m sorry to say). The action in the Mortal Engines series spans the whole globe, and it’s a joy to see different cultures and locations used throughout.

•You made the society very multicultural which caused some racial tension in the city. Why did you decide on including that?

I’ve always been interested in cultures and how they interact – it’s one of the reasons I chose to study Geography at university! Plus, living in Britain, a country which is very multicultural (especially in cities like London), has I think made me more attentive to the social and political issues of having such a mix of cultures in a relatively small space. The fact that I’m mixed-race myself and have lived in both Europe and Asia also means that multiculturalism and racial tension are topics close to my own heart.

Furthermore, I do think they are issues which are only going to become more pervasive and pressing as our world becomes increasingly interlinked, so I wanted them to be prominent themes in The Elites. I remember one early reader being shocked at the idea of the Council ‘proving’ the Reds (ethnic Chinese) inferior or superior through DNA. I think she thought I was a bit racist myself for suggesting so! But the sad truth is, it’s something that has happened time and time again in our past – look at how the Nazis used science to ‘prove’ the superiority of the Aryan race. Governments are always manipulating science to support their own policies and ideals. It can be a powerful tool of oppression.

•What sparked the idea for The Elites, the guardians of the city?

The entire story began with a single line – “There is a rumour that the Elites don’t bleed”. As you know, that’s still the first line of the book! But when that line came to me, fully formed in my head, I didn’t really have any idea who these Elites where or why there’d be a rumour about them being superhuman. Then the concept of this futuristic city where people are streamed at birth according to their DNA started forming, and it made sense that these Elites would be those with the ‘best’ DNA. And if the government kept an air of mystery around them, it seemed probable that the citizens of Neo-Babel might think they were superhuman, especially combined with the superstitions and spiritual beliefs of some of the cultures there.

•If you were to be living in Neo Babel, what would you be doing for a living there?

Well I would definitely not be an Elite! I’m an academic at heart – reading, researching, and writing essays (yup, I like writing essays) all make me happy, and are things that I seem to be good at, so I’d probably be working in one of the museums or for the Council writing things. But I’m very much like many of the characters in the books in that I believe in freedom of speech and multiple accounts of history, so I’m not sure how I’d deal with the restrictions. I don’t think I’d be brave enough to escape to the Limpets though. There are so many things I love about Neo-Babel! The riverside promenades, floating arcades, the beautiful gardens in the Council District, all the ethnic hubs, THE FOOD.

•have you got any Top fantasy/future worlds from books and films?

Loads! I absolutely adore The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell, and if I had to choose just one fantasy world to visit it’d be the Edge. I stare at the illustrations and maps and just wish I could dive into them! Another fantasy place I think would be really fun (if a little bonkers) to visit would be the Kingdom of Wisdom in Norton Juster’s utterly brilliant The Phantom Tollbooth. It’s totally surreal but magical. I’d especially love to see the sunrise orchestra – that’s one of my all-time favourite scenes of any book, ever. And of course, J. K. Rowling’s version of our world in Harry Potter is just mesmerising. I’d love to go shopping in Diagon Alley and explore the Ministry of Magic for myself. I’m still waiting for my letter of acceptance from Hogwarts …

•Can I have a pet micro panda please? I spotted one mentioned in your book in a description of the city. AND I WANT ONE SO BAAAD.

Hehe, everyone keeps telling me they want one! They’d just be the cutest, wouldn’t they?

Thanks, Natasha, for answering my interview questions with some brilliant stuff! Be sure to check out The Elites when it’s published- It’s a gripping fantasy that’s just unmissable for teens! click HERE for my review of The Elites!

New books! #19

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I’m really excited about all of the books I got this week! I bought quite a few, and received one brilliant looking one in the post too (Thanks Harriet, from Random House!!! :D).

Bought:

The Iron King (The Iron Fey, #1) The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey, #2) The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey, #3)

The Iron Fey books, #1-3 by Julie Kagawa: These look so good- just look at the pretty covers! I haven’t read fairy themed books lately, but three for five pounds in The Works? Yes please. Also, I’ve read loads of great reviews of these around the blogosphere.

City of Bones: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion

The Mortal Instruments Official Illustrated Movie Companion: I kept seeing this in Waterstones (I’ve been to four different ones this week! :D!) and eventually bought a copy in The Works. I had to. Mortal Instruments movie stills!!

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)

Throne Of Glass by Sarah J Maas: Again, glowing reviews. I’ve also read so many fangirly tweets and brilliant reviews of the sequel, too! I really wanted to buy a copy to see what all of the fangirls out there were fangirling over.

Received In Post:

The Feathered Man by Jeremy De Quidt: Whoa. By the synopsis, this sounded spectacular- just the kind of genres I love! It looks kind of steampunk, and fantasy and a little bit morbid and freaky. I’m really looking forward to this, so a big thanks to Random House for sending me a copy! I’ve also just read Stefan Bachmann (author of The Peculiar) on Goodreads. It is a five star review and basically says that this book is awesome. So now I’m really, really looking forward to it.

What books did you buy or receive this week? I’d love to know! Feel free to leave a comment and happy reading 🙂

Celebrating Difference- Event @ Waterstones Piccadilly

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I couldn’t get a good picture as I was far back and had a bad zoom- but here’s Sally and Laura!

On Wednesday, I went to the Celebrating Difference event at Waterstones Piccadilly! The event was chaired by a lady from Booktrust, and the theme was discussed by three amazing authors, whose books I’ve adored: Sally Gardner (talking about Maggot Moon), Laura Jarratt (talking about Skin Deep) and R. J. Palacio (Talking about Wonder).

All three author’s books had protagonists who were different from the average person; who stood out. Wonder and Skin Deep featured main characters with facial disfigurements, and Maggot Moon was about a misunderstood dyslexic boy. The discussion was all around these characters, and the authors discussed lots of things to do with them.

One of the first questions they were asked was why they decided to write about

characters who were different through facial deformities and dyslexia. Raquel Palacio’s reason stood out, to me! She said that she’d seen a small girl, with a cranial facial deformity, some years ago, and her child had reacted with fear, being scared because he wasn’t used to seeing people who were different in that way. It inspired Palacio to write a novel, featuring Auggie who has the same condition, and her book focuses around how people react to the condition. It was a very thought provoking answer!

The authors also went on to discuss crazes, which got quite funny at parts, with Sally making the audience laugh with her comments about Wizard Hats Not Being In Fashion! (Not a Harry potter hate thing- it was just pointing out that Wizards were being abandoned for vampires!) All three authors, especially Laura, said they’d never really followed crazes, but written books that were different to current trends (like vampires or dystopia, etc.) and that seemed to make them stand out.

Then, there were also the questions that lead to the authors talking about how some subjects inclusive of people who are considered different didn’t seem to sell at first. I think it was Laura Jarratt who said that an earlier novel she’d written featuring gay characters some years ago was given feedback by an editor; saying it wouldn’t sell partly because of the characters. It was actually quite shocking, to hear that some of the author’s books were looked down on because the characters were a little different to some others! R. J. Palacio commented on that, saying LGBT and other types of books along the lines of Celebrating Difference are catching on in the States. Maybe we’ll see more unforgettable books about varied people very soon in the UK, then? I can;t wait for these to hopefully come over to this country!

The discussion, wholly, was so interesting! I really loved the whole event. There was also a book signing afterwards by the three authors. I was lucky enough to get Wonder and Skin Deep (the only one I hadn’t read, but will soon!) signed. I also got my ARC copy of Maggot Moon signed… again! I met Sally last year at a Hot Key bloggers brunch. She let me be greedy and have the next page of the book signed 🙂

Whoop! Signed books! I especially liked the message in Wonder: the author had this awesome sparkly silver pen 😉

As well as meeting the lovely authors briefly, I also met some other people! When I arrived I bumped into Debbie from Snuggling On The Sofa, who I chatted to for quite a while and sat next to for the discussion. Also, I met Daphne from Winged Reviews, who was really lovely, too! After the talk I had a chat with Olivia from Hot Key, in the signing queue- it was great to see her again! I also said a very brief hello to the brilliant Harriet, who has sent me some books before at Random House.

In all, the Celebrating Difference event was really great! I enjoyed the discussion so much. It was funny at points, and also very interesting. I loved meeting the lovely bloggers, publishers, and authors, too- so a big thanks to Waterstones Piccadilly for hosing such a brilliant evening!

All The Truth That’s in Me

The Elites

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By Natasha Ngan, published by Hot Key Books.

Goodreads Synopsis: ‘There is a rumour that the Elites don’t bleed.’

Hundreds of years into the future, wars, riots, resource crises and rising sea-levels have destroyed the old civilisations. Only one city has survived: Neo-Babel, a city full of cultures – and racial tension.
Fifteen-year-old Silver is an Elite, a citizen of Neo-Babel chosen to guard the city due to her superior DNA. She’d never dream of leaving – but then she fails to prevent the assassination of Neo Babel’s president, setting off a chain of events more shocking and devastating than she could ever have imagined. Forced to flee the city with her best friend Butterfly (a boy with genetically-enhanced wings), Silver will have to fight to find her family, uncover the truth about Neo-Babel and come to terms with her complicated feelings for Butterfly.
Packed full of adventure, romance, exoticism and the power of friendship, The Elites is a highly compelling and beautifully written novel from a supremely talented debut author.

My Review: I heard about this book at the beginning of this year, and I’ve been getting so excited for it throughout the past few months. When I received a copy, I was so ecstatic! I delved right into The Elites and found it hard to drag myself back into reality between chapters. It was such a breath taking, beautiful book, that screamed originality. Beware of a long review here, ranting on about the brilliance!

Firstly, the setting! Neo Babel was just so well developed. I actually don’t think that I’ve read about such a well thought out, brilliant world since Harry Potter… And that was *mentally calculates* five years ago! Neo Babel was rich with fantasy, mixed in with an interesting, but tension filled, multicultural society. The blend of imaginative fantasy and realistic society (I think London is a lot like it, in terms of diversity!) made for such a brilliant backdrop. It reminded me a little of The Killables by Gemma Malley, in the fact that the city is enclosed from the outside world… Though there are these small, rebellious groups outside.

The plot? Practically flawless! I was most definitely not expecting the twists and turns that we’re in store for me. The story begins with Silver, who witnesses the assassination of Neo Babel’s leader. This was just in the first few pages! Every event after that was just as riveting. I enjoyed reading about Silver and Butterfly as they set outside Neo Babel, in search of Silver’s parents. If you’re looking for an exciting plot, read The Elites. You will not be disappointed!
I think the only thing that I disliked about the plot was very minor. Silver and Butterfly both discover *SLIGHT SPOILER ALERT!* lost family members. As surprised as this made me feel, I think that I couldn’t emotionally attach to the characters much over this. Maybe, if things about their pasts with family had been revealed before the discoveries, I could have been even more sympathizing with the new characters and the protagonists? The family finding thing was just thrown on me, and I wasn’t too sure what to make of it at first as I didn’t know about them before.

The characters in this book were just… Unforgettable! I loved Silver so much- she was a great, strong protagonist. I was rooting for her throughout the entire novel. I was fascinated (and maybe slightly jealous) of her job, as an Elite! I laughed with her, and felt all of her emotions so well through the author’s writing: Natasha Ngan made me feel genuine love for most characters like Silver and Butterfly, and genuine hatred for others… There were points where I wanted to just throttle Ember! (Ember was like an evil stepsister. And although I felt a teensy bit sorry for her, I disliked her as much as the main antagonists).
Oh, how could I forget?! BUTTERFLY. Butterfly is the male lead character of the book, and I’m competing with a lot of bloggers at the moment to be his hugest fan. Think… Peeta (Hunger Games), but stronger, more sacrificing, with a little bit of Jace’s (Mortal Instruments) charm and awesomeness. Oh, plus wings.
Yep I said wings. How cool is that? The love interest, and heartthrob, and imaginary husband to a bunch of bloggers, (I’m looking at you, Hawwa!), has wings. I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better supporting character.

Overall, The Elites just blew me away. It was such an original read, that I devoured quickly and was left wanting more of… though, it’s a standalone, which I’m also quite happy about. The characters were flawless and the book was laced with their raw emotions, thanks to some immaculate writing. A plot with excellent twists and surprises was set on a backdrop that was described beautifully (Dear Natasha: Can I live there? Pleeaasee?). This has got to be one of the best fantasies I’ve read this year, up with the mortal instruments, and when it’s published, I have no doubt it’s going to be big.

My Rating:

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Also, the publishers have made this amazing interactive cover! Go check it out- full of extracts, links, and a video.

https://www.thinglink.com/scene/421691333351047168#tlsite

I received a copy of The Elites from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

THE RIG

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By Joe Ducie, published by Hot Key Books.

The Rig Goodreads synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Will Drake has made a career of breaking out from high-security prisons. His talents have landed him at The Rig, a specialist juvenile holding facility in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. No one can escape from The Rig. No one except for Drake…

After making some escape plans and meeting the first real friends of his life, Drake quickly realises that all is not as it seems on The Rig. The Warden is obsessed with the mysterious Crystal-X – a blue, glowing substance that appears to give superpowers to the teens exposed to it. Drake, Tristan and Irene are banking on a bid for freedom – but can they survive long enough to make it?

My Review: THE RIG was an absolutely brilliant story from start to finish- and most definitely deserved to win the Guardian/Hot Key young Writers Prize! The whole idea was both chilling and gripping, and I was given an utterly original tale that I don’t think I’ll be forgetting.

The setting was so vivid, and seemed terrifyingly real: an old Oil Rig, secluded from the public eye, that now houses juvenile offenders and is run by the pretty brutal Alliance. Think of the relentless police force that control Britain in ACID by Emma Pass: but their power on a global scale! It made the whole book pretty scary! The remote oil rig was also probably the most genius backdrop for an escape/mystery novel. It made the final escape plan devised by Drake and his new accomplices very unpredictable.

The plot was just, in one word, immaculate. It’s got to be one of the most thrilling that I’ve read this year! It was full of unexpected events and twists, and I honestly couldn’t stop reading. Things were complicated very quickly, thanks to Drake’s cockiness towards the Guards and, most especially, minor antagonist Grey and his thuggish gang; also prisoners of the Rig, and they hold grudges. The story was paced really well as Drake searched for a way out, got into scraps with Grey, and made relationships with characters whose parts in the book shook up the story (especially Irene, and Drakes psychiatrist!).

I really couldn’t ask for a better character to lead this story! Drake was a brilliant protagonist- he was extremely bright, always on an adventure, trying to escape from high security prisons (To Joe Ducie- Was the front door of one REALLY unlocked?) , and was cocky and funny, brightening up an otherwise quite dismal situation. He’s quite a relatable character, as parts of his past (like his family background) were really well explained- though a lot of it was shrouded in a cloud of mystery, which was interesting. I felt really sympathetic for him throughout the book, as he was scared to make friends in case he lost them like previous people in his life. It was really great to see him slowly grow closer to two certain prisoners.

As for the writing? Gripping! It was rich with imagery, and I could imagine the setting and characters so well through Joe Ducie’s writing. I mentioned before that Drake was really relatable- and I’ve only ever found that I’ve been able to connect with characters in first person books. However, this book’s in third person, but I really felt like I was Drake. The author definitely has writing talent, and he left some cliffhangers that made this book unputdownable. And the cliffhanger at the end. *refrains from putting on Caps Lock* I need a sequel, now!!

Overall, The RIG is an unmissable read for Young Teens and up. It’s entirely original, and I’ve never read an action/mystery novel like it before. There’s no wonder it won the Young Writers Prize! The characters were realistic and I either fell in love with their personalities or learned to hate their guts (*cough* Grey *Cough* The whole Alliance *cough*). Also with a brilliant, thrilling setting and well written chapters, what’s not to love?

My Rating:

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I received a copy of THE RIG from the publisher, in exchange for a review. In no way at all did this affect my thoughts.

Say hello to a new review feature!

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While writing down some reviews in a notebook a couple of days ago, I had a little Eureka! moment. I was reviewing THE RIG by Joe Ducie (Review will be up tomorrow, by the way!) and was about to say that it was great for fans of a few other similar-ish books. Then I thought, why don’t I do that in my reviews, as a little feature? Playing around on Picmonkey, I made this:

Voila!! I know, not very fancy. I’m editing it, though!

So, hopefully, I’ll have this from now on in most of my reviews, as a way of recommending particular books to fans of a similar book. Do you like the idea? Feedback would be awesome, if you’d like to drop a comment here! 🙂

New Books! #18

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Hello, blogosphere! I’ve missed you!!! I’m back from holiday now and so there’ll be a lot more reviewing and general active-ness on this blog now. Here’s my book haul of the books that I bought on holiday. Also, a couple of brilliant looking titles that were waiting for me when I got home yesterday!

Bought:

The Hitchhiker Trilogy (Hitchhiker's Guide, #1-5)

The Complete Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (#1-5) Set by Douglas Adams: A HUUUGE fan of the film (And I think I read the first book ages ago!), I just had to pick this box set up! I found this brilliant little store that sold lots of books for really small prices. This was five pounds! Whoa!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks OF Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: I’ve been meaning to buy a copy of this for a while! I’ve read so many great reviews, and although I haven’t seen the film yet either, I’ve seen a lot of hype around that.

Geekhood: Mission Improbable

Geekhood: Mission Improbable by Andy Robb: I bought this because, again, there have been so many great reviews! Though I feel really stupid because I thought I had the first one on my to read shelf… and I don’t. So, I’ll have to look out for the first one now, so that I can read this one!

Skin Deep

Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt: I’m seeing Laura Jarratt at the celebrating difference themed book event at Waterstones Piccadilly on Wednesday! Unfortunately, I haven’t read this yet and it’s the one she’ll be talking about. I spotted it in Waterstones today and I’m going to try to read it before Wednesday!

Received in Post:

Are We There Yet? By David Levithan: Thanks so much, HarperCollins! Aside from Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which is only half-written by Levithan, I’ve never read any of his books before. His titles are being recovered and the amazing Lizz sent me a copy of this new one! Isn’t it pretty?! It’s very interesting so far. Review soon!

Ghost Hawk by Susan Cooper: Thanks, also, to Harriet from Random House, for sending me an ARC of this! This also has such a beautiful cover! The synopsis has made it sound really, really intriguing and I’m planning on reading this next week. I can’t wait to begin it!

Thanks again to the publishers for the copies of these books! Feel free to leave a comment giving/linking back to your own book haul- and happy reading!