Author Archives: keithbwalters

Imposter

By Jill Hathaway, published by Harper Collins.

Impostor (Slide #2)

Goodreads synopsis: Be afraid of your shadow…Vee Bell has witnessed murder. She nearly died trying to track down the killer, all because of her secret condition. She’d tell her best friend Rollins but lately he seems more interested in his colleague Anna than her. Maybe she should confide in her long-lost aunt who’s turned up out of the blue? All of a sudden life is happening in reverse: Vee is waking up in weird places not knowing what she’s done. The only thing she’s sure of is that someone is messing with her. And when a prank goes horribly wrong, this time the hands with blood on them might be hers.

My review: After really enjoying Slide, (Review HERE!), I couldn’t wait to start this sequel! I had no idea what could happen in this book, as all of the loose ends from the murders in Slide had been wrapped up at its ending. However, Imposter went down an entirely new, unexpected route, and I really loved it. Vee’s never-met-before Aunt, who betrayed Vee’s mum and ran away, not even coming back for her funeral, turns up at her doorstep. Whilst Vee thinks that she is experiencing somebody taking over her body (what she usually does to other people), she begins to suspect her aunt Lydia, as maybe the Sliding is a family thing. I really enjoyed that element of suspicion, because it made me think that the new Slider was Lydia, too, but then all was revealed with a very unexpected plot twist!

I also really enjoyed the growing relationship between Vee and Rollins (her best friend). In the first book, I was practically yelling “YOU TWO ARE PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER!” And I was so happy that they formed a relationship in this book. Rollins is a really great supporting character, but I would have liked him to have some more involvement in Vee’s secret plan with Mattie, Samantha and Regina (not saying what it is, I’ll spoil it :))!

Vee developed a lot more confidence, and investigated under even more pressure than in the previous installment. Through the first person narrative, I got a real understanding of her emotions towards all of the other characters in the story- especially I understood her hatred towards her aunt Lydia. I was rooting for her throughout, even when she was suspected of murder by her friends (I’m not saying whose murder!). As I’ve already mentioned, I loved her growing relationship with Rollins.

Overall, Imposter was a seriously awesome read. It was around the same meagre amount of pages as the previous title, Slide, but I still loved it anyway. It had such a clever plot, which kept me guessing at who-dunnit? the whole way through. I’ve grown to love the main characters even more, and really enjoyed reading their second psychological adventure. I really hope there’s a third book, or something, because I want to read more about Vee Bell’s life!

Drummer Girl

Leave a reply

By Bridget Tyler, published by Templar Books.

Goodreads synopsis: It was supposed to be the summer of her life. Instead, 17-year-old Lucy finds her best friend Harper shot dead in an LA swimming pool. How did it come to this? Lucy Gosling is the drummer in Crush, a rock band formed by five London schoolgirls that has just won the UK semi-final of an international talent contest. But when the band lands in Hollywood for the big final, things are not quite as they seem. The band’s lead singer, Harper, has just one thing on her mind- to win back her bad-news ex-boyfriend. Lucy must decide whether she’s playing to Harper’s tune, or setting the rhythm for the rest of the band…

My review: Since I had found out about this read, at a bloggers lunch, I had been itching to read it. Thanks to the lovely people at Templar, I got the chance to! I already loved it from the synopsis, and was totally sucked into the story from the first page. I really loved how it began with the scene of Harper’s murder, because that added an element of suspense, before the first real chapter had even begun. I think the beginning was a bit too quick for me, though. The five girls formed a band, then about twenty pages later they were already on their way to L.A. I would’ve liked it if the pace could’ve slowed down a little then, because I was pretty interested in the reality show the band Crush were in, and wanted to know more about it. Apart from that, the plot was absolutely brilliant. Many characters were introduced when the girls arrived in L.A., which was a bit overwhelming at first, but then that really made me think. It got me guessing throughout at who the murder could possibly be- most people had reasons to dislike Harper, so the outcome was totally unpredictable!

The plot and story also dealt with some very serious, and common themes in teenage life- such as self-image issues and love. They were dealt with very well in the book, and there was definitely a clear message about one band member’s self-image problems, which was, I think, very important to the story and added some very realistic drama.

I really liked the protagonist, Lucy- the Drummer Girl of the band. You could tell she was trying to keep everything together in the band whose members were growing apart, and I adored her determination and the fact that she never gave up. I also really loved the sudden rebel growing inside her- as she ran off to L.A. without permission from her parents, to try to win Project Next– the band show. It was interesting to see how she developed and grew apart from her parents throughout the novel, and then to join back up with them at the end, after the murder.

Speaking of the murder, HARPER! She was such an intriguing character. I didn’t really like her at all. She had her good things, but the bad points about her covered up those. It really added a conflict between her and Lucy during the story, as certain reasons behind Harper’s sudden interest in going on Project Next came to light. I only really grew to like her a bit more just before her murder, unfortunately! It was very interesting to see her true emotions come through right before her death. It made her tragic death even sadder and much more tear-jerking.

Overall, Drummer Girl was a really thrilling read. It was dramatic, fast paced, and had an constant element of suspicion throughout which kept me guessing at the murderer. Although the murder did not actually take place until very near the end, unlike I had expected, the story was still very action-packed and unpredictable. I loved all of it- what an amazing debut! he author really has a great talent, and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future!

I received Drummer Girl from the publisher, in exchange for a review.

Code Name Verity

2 Replies

By Elizabeth Wein, published by Electric Monkey.

Code Name Verity

“I have told the truth…”

Goodreads synopsis: I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.
That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.
He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.

My review: Wow. Just wow.

I plunged into this story knowing that it was set during World War Two, and was very good, according to many bloggers and authors. I was excited to start it, and found that I just couldn’t put it down. Verity’s (that’s the protagonist’s code name, if you hadn’t already guessed) voice totally captured me right from the beginning, and I loved her narration. The author has developed this three-dimensional, realistic character who I found myself rooting for throughout. She wrote shockingly truthfully, as her writing was actually a confession to give information to an enemy interrogator who was holding her captive. I was so intrigued by her story of adventure and friendship, and loved how Verity would write also about the cruelty of her captivity and the things she was going through currently, as well as the information. I believed her story so much, and was totally shocked to find that some of the most vital things there were false at the ending. What an intelligent girl, lying to the enemy but making it sound so real! It even had me fooled.

I wasn’t actually expecting two narratives, until I read a book review of this before starting. It took me a good few pages to get to grips with a whole different setting and narrative, after reading about 300 pages worth of Verity’s story (her narrative took over half of the book up, then after about two thirds it switched to Code Name Kittyhawk/Maddie). However, I fell in love with Maddie’s story too, and loved how the two girls, who had been dramatically separated by war, discovered each other towards the ending, even though that had such a shocking and heart-breaking outcome.

The plot was absolutely amazing, and blew me away. It was written really well through the diary like entries of the two female protagonists. There was so much drama, and rebellion packed into the pages- I was totally hooked in! I enjoyed the informative side to the story as well, about the airplanes used in the war. That was pretty interesting, and not something I would usually read about. It was so scarily realistic, being set in the World War, and the author definitely captured the grittiness of the war-torn countries really effectively. The torture endured by Verity, and the prison, and everything else shocked me, terrified me- it was just so real- especially the outcome of Maddie and Verity meeting under the most scary of circumstances. Although that was so sad and made my eyes well up, the story still had a really satisfying ending.

Overall, Code Name Verity was an utterly amazing read. The characters were unforgettable, as were the scary backdrops for the book. The thrilling plot sucked me in and I was totally absorbed by the action-packed, emotional thrill-ride and didn’t want to stop reading, even at the last page. I can’t wait to read more from Elizabeth Wein, her writing is unique, refreshing, and brilliant!

I Received Code Name Verity from my school, via our book club, as we are reviewing the whole Carnegie shortlist.

Everything is Fine (and other lies I tell myself)

Leave a reply

By Cathy Brett, published by Headline.

Goodreads Synopsis: Things haven’t been going so well for fifteen-year-old Esther Armstrong. With her brother Max – her closest ally – absent, she’s forced to face everything alone, not least her parents’ heated arguments. As the summer holidays stretch endlessly ahead, she’s desperate for something, anything, to divert her attention.

Then she finds some letters hidden in the walls of her family home, sent by a soldier to his sweetheart from the trenches of WWI. Esther is consumed by the mystery of these lovers – not very much older than herself – and what became of them. Perhaps in piecing together the jigsaw of someone else’s life, Esther can work out how to reassemble her own, and how to make everything fine again…

My review: Having previously enjoyed Cathy Brett’s past books so much, I couldn’t wait to start on this one! I read this in two sittings. It was amazing and seriously unputdownable. The story started off really well, and the pace was great throughout the novel. I really liked the idea of finding love letters from world war one in your bedroom wall, coincidentally as a film crew are shooting a WW1 film in your house. Cathy Brett played out the story really well, and I especially liked that she drew out the suspense a little by revealing the content of the letters every couple of chapters- that really made me want to keep reading on, and also left me wondering what was in the last, unopened, letter at the ending.

as well as the two World War One-based stories in this book, Everything is Fine outlined some thought-provoking issues of grief and loss and how a family can deal with it. Although this read was pretty uplifting, and funny at parts, it maintained some serious notes throughout that really got the whole message of the story across to me.

Esther was a really great protagonist. She was unique and really caring, overall. I fell in love with her personality right away because she was so determined to make sure that both lover’s from the WW1 letters had been okay, and survived the war, even though they had no connection to her and weren’t even in her generation. I could see those caring thoughts again through her emails to her brother Max. I could tell there was a really special bond between them and loved that element of unconditional love. it absolutely broke my heart at the ending, when you find out hat has really happened to Esther’s family. Although there was a lot of great description about Esther’s feelings, I feel that I would’ve gotten closer to the character a bit more is the story was in a first-person narrative.

Overall, Everything is Fine was an absolutely brilliant read, with a strong plot and really special characters. I loved it so much! It was very different to Cathy’s dark-humored previous books, but still so enjoyable. It was really brought to life in a unique way, unlike any other book, with the beautiful watercolor illustrations and the drawings; also by the author. I can’t wait to her more from Cathy in the future!

I received Everything Is Fine from the publisher, for review.

Kite Spirit

Leave a reply

By Sita Brahmachari, published by Macmillan.

Kite Spirit

Kite and Dawn are best friends, and totally inseparable. Kite and Dawn share everything with each other… or so Kite thought. On the eve of their first GCSE exam, Dawn takes her own life, and Kite’s world shatters. Kite’s dad, Seth, takes Kite to the Lake District to give Kite space to grieve and cry for her lost friend, whilst he delves into his family history. Soon, Kite meets a boy, who seems to understand her pain. Can Kite get help from Garth, this understanding, kind boy, and learn how to say goodbye to Dawn?

I absolutely loved Kite Spirit! It was emotional, heartbreaking and truthful and I couldn’t stop reading it. The plot was really great, and beautifully written. I loved the main backdrop for the book, the Lake District- I really enjoyed the authors vivid descriptions. There was a tie-in with the afterlife while Kite was in the Lake District, a little, with the Owls (I won’t explain anymore, because I might drop some spoilers!), and I really liked reading about that and how it drew Kite closer to Garth and his grandmother.

I really loved the character of Kite- Sit Brahmachari has managed to convey so much of her emotions, through a third-person narrative. I really understood Kite, and loved her unique personality so much. She was a really strong protagonist, overall. Her ending to the story was just perfect! It really showed how Kite had changed after the events of the book and that she had said goodbye to Dawn.

I liked how Kite and Dawn’s relationship with each other in the past was clearly illustrated for the reader with frequent flashbacks, and memories. The really showed me what Dawn was like, and gave me clues as to why Dawn might have committed suicide. Dawn’s situation pre-death was very understandable, and the outcome very shocking.

Overall, Kite Spirit was totally amazing, and flawless, in my opinion. It brought tears to my eyes multiple times, but that just shows what an emotional ride this book was. The characters were three-dimensional and realistic, and the setting was really great. I think this book was a great introduction for me to Sita Brahmachari’s award-winning writing- I can’t wait to soon read Artichoke Hearts, Jasmine Skies, and any more from Sita in the future!

New books! #7

2 Replies

Here’s the books I’ve received this week, and the review of them will be up A.S.A.P.!

Kite Spirit

Kite Spirit (By Sita Brahmachari)– Currently reading!

Goodreads synopsis: During the summer of her GCSEs Kite’s world falls apart. Her best friend, Dawn, commits suicide after a long struggle with feeling under pressure to achieve. Kite’s dad takes her to the Lake District, to give her time and space to grieve. In London Kite is a confident girl, at home in the noisy, bustling city, but in the countryside she feels vulnerable and disorientated. Kite senses Dawn’s spirit around her and is consumed by powerful, confusing emotions – anger, guilt, sadness and frustration, all of which are locked inside. It’s not until she meets local boy, Garth, that Kite begins to open up – talking to a stranger is easier somehow. Kite deeply misses her friend and would do anything to speak to Dawn just once more, to understand why . . . Otherwise how can she ever say goodbye? A potent story about grief, friendship, acceptance and making your heart whole again.

Theodore Boone (By John Grisham)

Goodreads synopsis: Though he’s only thirteen, Theodore Boone has spent more time in the courtroom than almost anywhere else, and there’s always a new adventure waiting. After being falsely accused of vandalism and theft, Theo is happy to finally be out of the hot seat, once more dispensing legal advice to friends and community members, when an exciting new case demands his urgent attention.

Everything is fine (and other lies I tell myself) (By Cathy Brett)

Goodreads synopsis: Things haven’t been going so well for fifteen-year-old Esther Armstrong. With her brother Max – her closest ally – absent, she’s forced to face everything alone, not least her parents’ heated arguments. As the summer holidays stretch endlessly ahead, she’s desperate for something, anything, to divert her attention.
Then she finds some letters hidden in the walls of her family home, sent by a soldier to his sweetheart from the trenches of WWI. Esther is consumed by the mystery of these lovers – not very much older than herself – and what became of them. Perhaps in piecing together the jigsaw of someone else’s life, Esther can work out how to reassemble her own, and how to make everything fine again…

Ink (Paper Gods, #1)

Ink (By Amanda Sun)

Goodreads synopsis: On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.
Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they’ll both be targets.
Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive…

All three of these books look absolutely amazing, and so a very big thanks to Mira Ink, Hodder, Headline and Macmillan for copies!

Monument 14

2 Replies

By Emmy Laybourne, published by Hatchette Children’s Books.

Monument 14 (Monument 14 #1)

In the town of Monument, Colorado the day begins as normal- Dean gets on his school-bus and the journey to school begins… Then suddenly, disaster strikes in the form of a freak hailstorm which sends down hail the size of footballs.

Soon, Dean finds himself trapped inside of a superstore with 13 others, including his brother, as the world outside turns to ruin with more hailstorms, giant tsunamis and toxic air that could turn you into a crazy, mindless monster. Dean is with thirteen other children, mostly scared kindergartners. Can he help take care of them as the world around them crumbles?

From the cover, this looked pretty amazing. From the synopsis, this looked pretty amazing. From the first page, it wasn’t that amazing. I didn’t really like the writing at the beginning- it didn’t really pull me in at all- but I kept on reading because I was sure the pace would pick up some more. It did, thankfully. I liked the plot idea so much- fourteen kids trapped inside a store and they can only watch on an old TV the emergency broadcasts of the tsunami’s wrecking the coasts. It was absolutely terrifying, and scarily realistic because all of these problems were natural disasters. I would’ve liked the author to highlight reasons why the air had become toxic, because that wasn’t really explained at all and I think and evil lab’s spill or something would’ve livened the story up more. I really did like the plot overall, as all of it left the outside world to your imagination because it was all set in the Greenway superstore, but it did get a bit frustrating at parts where the boys seemed to be more interested in dating Sahalia than worrying about how they were going to live. Why would anyone do that?

Where the plot was slightly lacking in terms of action, the characters definitely made up for it. All fourteen major characters were three-dimensional and realistic, especially the kindergartners. It just broke my heart as so many little innocent children were thrown into a world full of chaos and a struggle for survival. I really felt a lot of empathy for them- the author has definitely written this so you feel totally heart-broken for them. My only problem with all of the characters was Dean, the protagonist. He kind o annoyed me, because he really just sat on the sidelines and cooked the dinners for the kids. I would have liked him to get in on the action a bit more; maybe turn crazy due outside air and riot or something to add a plot twist.

Overall, Monument 14 was an okay read. I think the plot could have been filled with much more action in the middle- there was definitely some shocking parts towards the ending, though, so I liked that. I also think the main character could have been slightly more exciting and revealing about his past. Apart from those issues, Monument 14 made for a pretty emotional and gritty read, for teenagers. If you like apocalypse books particularly you’ll probably enjoy this, and the sequel Sky on Fire out soon. I will probably read the sequel though, as the snippet of it at the ending of this book made it sound a lot more action packed than Monument 14!

An Abundance of Katherines

Leave a reply

By John Green, published by Penguin.

An Abundance of Katherines

Anagram-loving, child prodigy Colin Singleton has a slightly different taste compared to any other boy when it comes to girls. In fact, he does not judge on looks or personality. He only dates Katherine’s. In fact, he’s dated nineteen of them to date.

After Colin is dumped for the nineteenth time, he grabs his joker of a friend Hussan and sets off on a road-trip. The two boys find themselves in a lesser-known town called Gutshot, where they start whole new lives for the summer. Whilst staying there, Colin begins to work out a theorem to predict his future relationships. Will he ever get the right formula, and save himself from being dumped a twentieth time?

An Abundance of Katherines (Which I will from now on refer to as AAOK, because the title is long) was such a fun read. I absolutely fell in love with Colin’s personality right from the beginning, and loved his story so much. AAOK contained so much, in such a short amount of pages (213)- a rather hilarious teenage love story, and themes of friendship and hope. I didn’t really know where the plot was going to go at first, but it played out really well and I liked the outcome.

Colin was one of the coolest protagonists In have ever read about, because of his nerdiness. He was a child prodigy who was reading at two, what’s not to love? I loved the way he would geek out and correct grammar or state random facts. It just made me smile, and I don’t quite know why. His background was really well explained thanks to the frequent flashbacks to important scenes with certain Katherines. I really liked those, as they provided a real insight into his Katherine-relationships- as he did not actually date a Katherine in the events of AAOK. My favourite supporting character has to be Hassan. He just made me laugh so much, with his joking personality. I also quite liked the character of Lindsey, because she was so kind to Colin and I really enjoyed their developing relationship throughout the book.

Overall, AAOK was really fun and entertaining read. It didn’t have the best beginning ever- I didn’t quite understand why Colin and Hassan had to go on a sudden road-trip out of the blue- but I think the characters were some of the most three-dimensional I have ever seen. John Greens writing was totally amazing: It conveyed emotion and humor really well. I can’t wait to read more from John, starting with Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which I bought a few days ago!

Clockwork Prince

2 Replies

By Cassandra Clare, published by Walker.

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices, #2)

**To read my review of the first in The Infernal Devices, click HERE**

After the events of Clockwork Angel, Tessa has finally found safety in the sanctuary of the Shadowhunter Institute of London. As training commences for Tessa , rogue forces inside of the Clave are plotting to kick Charlotte out of the Institute, which she is the head of. This would leave Tessa on the streets with nowhere to go, so an adventure begins for her and her new Shadowhunter friends, to find the enemy and stop them. But this enemy has connections to the Magister- which amps up the danger levels. As Tessa works with Will and Jem on a terrifying and perilous journey full of lies and betrayal, she begins to fall for Jem, who fears he has little time before death. As she becomes closer to him, Tessa begins to feel tension between her and Will. Who will she choose?

After seriously enjoying Clockwork Angel, and waiting for about a month to read the next instalment, I was so excited to start reading this. It didn’t let me down at all, in fact, it was even more amazing than the first book in the series.

I loved the plot so much. It was layered with a different and detailed story for every major character, and full of so many plot twists that kept me constantly reading. I absolutely loved the twist involving Jessamine (I’m trying to write a spoiler-free review, so I won’t say what she does!) shocked me so much. She was the last person I would expect to change the course of the story entirely, and I loved her sudden, major involvement! As always, Cassandra Clare has astounded me again with her writing. It was so complex, with switching paragraphs to different characters, but stayed understandable and enjoyable. I just love how she has about five different sub-plots going at once, and then entwines them all together in such a clever and intriguing way.

Tessa was awesome. She really came out of her shell a lot more, emotionally, in Clockwork Prince. I think she gained a whole new level of confidence too. I absolutely loved seeing her develop throughout the course of events of this book. I think she got in on the action a bit more, because she went all undercover and used her abilities for the first time since the Dark (pardon the pun, which you’ll only get if you’ve read the books (; ) events of Clockwork Angel. I also liked her developing relationship with Jem. I had felt so sympathetic for Jem in the end of the last book, and when they became a kind-of-secret item in Clockwork Prince, I did a little dance for joy. I loved Jem’s development in confidence and emotion in the book, and I loved to see that also in Will. Both of them made serious competitors for Tessa’s love in this book, and it was such a hard decision for Tessa, and I was heartbroken and overjoyed at the same time- does that make sense?- at the outcome.

Overall, Clockwork Prince was absolutely breathtaking, with a captivating plot that gripped me from the start and didn’t let me go until the last page. I fell in love with all of the character and can’t wait to read more about them! And, as this ended on such a cliffhanger, I now can’t wait to read Clockwork Princess, the last in the Infernal Devices trilogy!

Paper Aeroplanes

6 Replies

By Dawn O’Porter, published by Hot Key Books.

Paper Aeroplanes

Fifteen year olds Flo and Renée, high-school girls on Guernsey Island, were never really meant to cross paths. They’re totally different, and come from equally sad and harsh, but very different backgrounds. Flo lives with her mum who has separated from her father, and ends up looking after her baby sister instead of socializing all of the time, whereas Renée lives with her overly-strict grandparents and thirteen year old sister following her mother’s death years before. When they do meet,things will change for the both of them forever, as they form a friendship whilst experiencing the ups and downs of beings fifteen in 1994.

I was very curious about this debut, and didn’t really know what the events in it would be like. But, right from the first page, I was totally absorbed by this book and read pretty much all of it in one car journey. Renée and Flo’s voices both captured me from the start, and I really felt for them as the both went through some pretty traumatic times together. I really enjoyed the switching narratives between the protagonists- as it gave me a real insight into what one thought about the other. I though Paper Aeroplanes would be told from only one narrative, so that really surprised me… and it was pulled off really well, too. I loved both of the characters very much- their backgrounds were realistic and well-developed; as were their unique personalities. They were loveable, and easy to understand. I really loved reading their story and finding out how these two girls, Renée and Flo, form such a beautiful yet unlikely friendship, and also how they dealt with bullies like Sally!

The plot was really great; the events played out really well. there was always something really exciting happening in at least one of the girls’ lives, which made this book such a page-turning thrill ride. The story dealt with some really common themes in teenage life, not just in the nineties but today as well: exam stress, love, rebellion, peer pressure and home-life struggles. All of the events were realistic and understandable through the brilliant narratives. It was really sad, but at the same time the author has added in clever pinches of humor that liven it up.

Overall, this book was a totally stunning debut. It was powerful, thought provoking and emotional to me as a reader, and I think it will be like that to anyone who picks it up. Dawn O’Porter has captured teenage life expertly, and I wouldn’t have had this book any other way. It was a totally thrilling story, with so much emotion and drama packed into the pages- I didn’t believe it was a debut! A must for older teenagers and adults.