A Giveaway!!! [NOW CLOSED]

"Jen takes refuge in a rundown mansion when her life falls apart. To escape reality she finds herself choosing between the world of the living and the dead. She begins having vivid experiences with a beautiful male entity who longs to be her soulmate.
Her childhood friend, 19 year old Ivy, has come from a rough past and has always been different. She learns she has the ability to communicate with the dead and as time passes other supernatural gifts emerge. Ivy will stand against the evil that would separate a love that transcends time and her true destiny emerges.
Jen & Ivy are drawn into the compelling world of the dark side and propelled on the most important journeys of their lives.
“Let’s go Jen. It won’t do him any good if we are all caught”. With one final glance behind her, Jen urged her horse forward, and toward the safety of the mountains. Her heart was heavy and she immediately thought of the other realm. Her hope was that they were aware of what had happened and would help. Chaos was already breaking out; and the world was in danger of slipping back to a time of great darkness, reminiscent of the Middle Ages.
In the quiet of early dawn she hears his distant voice "you are beautiful. I love you always"...."

This is my first ever giveaway on this blog so please bear with me!

M.L. Woolley has been kind enough to offer my readers a chance to win one of 20 eBooks or one of 2 paperback copies of her brilliant novel "Dark Passage"!

To enter, here is what you need to do:

1. Follow/subscribe to my blog :)
2. Write a comment on this post telling me your favourite kind of fiction and your favourite book in that genre :)
3. Provide me with your email address via comment so I can contact you if you win! :)

It's that simple!

This is an international giveaway so feel free to enter wherever you are in the world! All winners will be chosen at random and notified by email :)

UPDATE: One of the 20 eBook winners will also receive a $20 gift card so even more reasons to join in!

Competition ends 8th July 2012.


THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Will Grayson Will Grayson - John Green & David Levithan

Title: Will Grayson Will Grayson

Author: John Green & David Levithan

Publication information: Speak (2010)

This was another one of the books I picked up at the library the other day. I was shocked that it was the only John Green book they had, but I'd heard good things so I picked it up. Will Grayson Will Grayson is about two strangers who cross paths on a cold night. They both have the same name but have very different lives which suddenly take new and unexpected directions, culminating in heroic turns-of-heart and the best musical ever to grace the school stage. From the synopsis, I was unsure if I'd enjoy this book. I've never read any of David Levithan's previous work and only read one of John Green's novels; Looking For Alaska.

The plot was unusual in this novel because you have the two Will Grayson's lives, in alternating chapters, running parellel. This means that you learn their personalities and backgrounds before they meet, giving a higher impact afterwards. A big part of this novel is the romance between certain characters, which is something I don't usually like, but in this story I think that the romance was a vital part of the puzzle and helped to give even more depth to the main characters.

The characters themselves were all very interesting. I really liked John Green's Will Grayson from the start, with his dry sense of humour and group of few friends; much like the protagonist in Looking For Alaska. I found this character easy to relate to as he stumbles through life with his unusual friends. David Levithan's Will Grayson, however, took a while to get used to. He is so depressed throughout most of the book that it kind of slows the read down and even though I liked this character by the end, I really struggled to relate to him at all at the beginning. Of all the side characters, Tiny Cooper was my favourite. His personality shone through the writing and you feel like you really get to know him by the end. 

The writing in this was different depending on which chapter you were reading. John Green's writing was easy to read, was full of personality and was quite quick to get through, whereas David Levithan's took some time to get used to just because he didn't use any capitals. This made it a slower read at first but I soon got used to it and realised that it went together nicely with Will Grayson's personality and attitude.

Overall, I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I really liked the whole thing but when I finished I didn't feel as emotionally attached to the characters as I have in other books, however, it's a great story about homosexuality, relationships and friendships, and it was a great, quick read.

A Sky Full of Kindness - Rob Ryan

Title: A Sky Full of Kindness

Author: Rob Ryan

This is the kind of book that is written for the sole purpose of relaying a message in a beautiful way. There isn't really a plot as such, just, like a fairytale, there is a moral to the story. This book is about a female bird who takes a journey around the world and learns about what it means to be a parent. The way it is written is poetic and the beauty of the words is enhanced by the illustrations. 

Rob Ryan's illustrations are simple; being only two colours; and yet they are unbelievably detailed when you think about how they are created. Due to the formatting of the book, this is a very quick read but I found some of the handcut letters quite difficult to read.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars but I think that it would be suitable for all age groups and is definitely one that you could read multiple times.

Masterpiece - Miranda Glover

Title: Masterpiece

Author: Miranda Glover

Puplication information: Bantam Press (2005)

"In an audacious stroke, celebrated British artist Esther Glass puts herself up for sale by auction at Sothebys, as a living masterpiece, to be owned by the highest bidder for a week. For each day of her possession, she will perform as one of seven iconic women, themselves the subjects of great paintings from the past: Christina of Denmark by Holbein; Olympia by Manet; Madonna of the Pinks by Raphael; Madame de Sengonnes by Ingres; Mrs. Leyland by Whistler; Isabella D’Este by Leonardo da Vinci; and, Judith and Holofernes by Klimt. Esther’s extraordinary art adventure takes her to major European galleries and the Frick in New York to research her seven selected masterpieces. Once sold, she goes to Manhattan for her week of ownership. There she is forced to confront financial corruption by her dealers, the instability of her relationships with her lovers and, on her return to London, her own intrinsic values as an artist, daughter and woman."

The premise of this book was what drew me in beyond the cover. Being an illustration student, I am really interested in art and fine art especially so the historical elements of this book were a highlight for me, backing up Esther's decisions throughout the story. Although the plot was good, I think that the book was a bit slow for me. With 377 pages, it is an average sized novel but I think that some of the points were not needed and if they had not have been included, there would have been a more interesting mystery surrounded the protagonists past. Despite this being quite a slow read, I was interested from the start and due to the small chapters, I did just keep reading on.

The characters were slightly under-developed but I think that on the whole they were all very individual and in some ways relatable. Esther, the protagonist, has the same traits as most arty-types, being quite an introverted person when it came to her emotions and passionate about her projects, but on the other hand, she is a very head-strong character and in some ways this helps the reader to relate to her a lot more.

The writing in this novel was wonderful and easy to read. As it is told from first person perspective, you get inside the head of Esther Glass and the way it is written reflects this personal approach to story telling. I like that historical details were included in this novel because this added extra dimension and although some facts were embellished, this made you connect more with the masterpieces as Esther does throughout the story.

Overall, I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars because although I enjoyed it, I found it quite slow but interesting all the same. I really like the cover of the book as it reflects the plot perfectly and the inclusion of the paintings on the inside of the particular edition that I bought made it easier for me to visualise the paintings as Esther describes them.

Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00 Cover Reveal!

Sydney Marie McSwain and her pal, Cody Beck, team up to take on a secret club called The Devil’s Door where members are branded with the tattoo of a devil and call themselves The Privileged Ones.

Sydney Marie McSwain – a tomboy who yearned for a father.

Cody Beck – a wannabe filmmaker, wisenheimer and flirt.

Jaden White – the star who led the high school hockey team to two championships, and was now on the A-list for NHL scouts.

Sydney Marie McSwain loves her mom, Anna – a private investigator in the coastal city where they live – but they had a major issue between them. Anna refused to give Sydney the identity of her father. On the day of her high school graduation, they were battling it out, once again. An hour later, Sydney, Cody and Jaden were at the local café, and watched as Anna was gunned down, and it was broadcasted on live TV.

Faced with immediate responsibility, Sydney and Cody agreed to take over the agency, only they changed the name to McSwain & Beck. At the same time, Sydney convinced Sutter Beach Detective, Ace Carter, to help her track down her father.

Out of the blue, a model walked in and hired them to follow her step-brother. While Cody was busy editing a trailer to solicit new clients, Sydney settled into her lemon-yellow pickup to do surveillance, and wound up staking out a secret club called The Devil’s Door whose suspicious members wore the tattoo of a devil.

That same night, Sydney received a call from one of her mom’s former clients, only the client was gunned down at the location where they agreed to meet. The mysterious discovery of a DVD revealed the possibility that teenagers were being abducted, only nobody reported them missing.

On the hunt for the victims, McSwain & Beck were chased by men in ski masks, nearly gunned down by members of a cartel called the outlaws, Sydney’s precious pickup was broken into; then the step-brother they were hired to follow, was found dead and Sydney was the number one suspect.

If things weren’t bad enough already, they had to figure out how to crash a red-carpet Mardi Gras bash being held on a private cruise ship, before it sailed off into the sunset, where they just might meet the devil, himself.

Now, the clock was ticking…

And time was running out…

How was she ever going to find her father, now?

“Their lives were in the hands of two 18 year-olds…”

Title: Gone at Zero Hundred 00:00
Genre: YA action-mystery thriller
Published: March 30, 2012
Author: CR HIATT
Website: http://www.crhiatt.com/
Blog: mcswainandbeck.com
Twitter: @mcswainandbeck
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CRHIATT?bookmark_t=page

Soul of the Band by K.L. Brady

From the Award-Winning Author of The Bum Magnet, Got a Right to Be Wrong, and Worst Impressions, a new novel for young adults of all ages.

After years of living with her mother’s mental illness, Brandy Jackson gets a new start in a new town where she finds love, frenemies, a spot in an all-white high school marching band…and lots of trouble!

Music-loving 16-year-old Brandy Jackson has had it up to here with "they"--the annoying voices inside her mother's head. She isolates herself from the dreaded schizophrenic episodes with Beethoven and her iPod. Her long-suppressed desire to learn music is squelched by the burden of mental illness, at least until she arrives home from school to find her belongings on the DC streets and her mother vanished. Fortunately, Aunt Charlie comes to her rescue and moves her to Mapleton, Ohio, where she begins a new life free of her troubled past—or so she thinks.

Brandy’s plans to fly under the radar at school in order to conceal her family's shame are quashed when Jenny Lee, her new next-door neighbor and a flutist, recognizes Brandy's musical obsession and urges her to join the all-white high school marching band. Brandy obliges and soon realizes she’s traded her old troubles for new ones. Now, she stands out like a chocolate chip floating in a sea of milk; she has less than three months to learn to play her dreaded tuba-—her only ticket to earn a spot on the band; and a near kiss with the Queen B’s boyfriend lands her in triple trouble with the popular chick clique. But when another band member’s failed plot to get rid of his nemesis unexpectedly leaves Brandy in contention for the band’s most coveted position, the ensuing drama will give her the strength rise above her circumstances—or leave her paralyzed in the shame of her past.

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A Scandal in Bohemia - Arthur Conan Doyle

Title: A Scandal in Bohemia

Author: Arthur Conan Doyle

This is an extremely short story but as the first Sherlock Holmes book I have ever read, it did not disappoint.

Being a huge fan of the BBC adaptation, Sherlock, I thought that this may ruin the reading experience but I found that they can be enjoyed completely separately and one does not seem to overshadow the other. Being set in the Victorian age rather than the modern times helps this differentiation, as well as the perspective the stories are told from. In the TV series, we see an overview of all of the characters, whereas the books are from the first-person perspective of Dr. Watson which adds a more personal touch, and also makes his opinions and feelings a lot more real.

This story was completely different to the on-screen version, A Scandal in Belgravia, despite the similar title, yet the main side character, Irene Adler, was described very similarly. I soon came to realise to approach this as a completely new story because the time period and the language used are so different and also the style of writing that Arthur Conan Doyle employs.

Overall, I gave this story 4 out of 5 stars but I am very interested in reading more of the Sherlock Holmes stories because I think that they make a good contrast to the television series and they are enjoyable to  read due to the writing style and character personalities.

The Demdike Legacy - Barry Durham

Title: The Demdike Legacy

Author: Barry Durham

Publication information: Lulu.com (2012)

"When Jennifer Southern is found murdered in her cottage on the outskirts of a Lancashire village, it reopens the book on a legacy of witchcraft that was thought to have ended four hundred years ago when the Lancashire Witches were hanged at Lancaster Castle in 1612. But their descendents have lived on, following the old religion and keeping themselves to themselves until now it seems someone it determined to wipe them out. Jennifer’s murder is just the first, and the fact that she is found with a noose round her neck, points to the fact that that her killer considers her death an execution. While the police puzzle their way through the case, Jennifer’s husband Nicholas (a direct descendent of the original Demdike) decides to deal with things his own way but finds himself pitted against an implacable enemy. As the body count rises, the police reluctantly realise they must join forces with the modern-day witches if the killer is to be brought to book. But will they find him before he carries out his plans?"

I think that the plot was fantastically researched and although graphic in parts, I think that it was all completely relevant to the enormity of the plot. In my opinion, this is a very adult novel but would be suitable for more mature teenage readers. The plot itself is complex and engaging, making you want to turn the page whether that is through interesting romantic relationships or the darker aspects of the mystery. Although, to me, it was obvious who the murderer was from the beginning, I found that this just made me more interested in his plans and how the police were going to find him.

The characters in this novel were what kept me reading through even the darker parts of the story. The mystery surrounding Nicholas was intriguing and the methodical techniques of Stone and Johnson kept me interested throughout. I think that all of the characters were really well developed and even now I have finished reading, I want to read more about them, especially Stone and Johnson. I found that these were especially well developed characters which were quite relatable in some ways. I like that the murderer was given a lot of background history and personality, despite him being the "villain" in this book. I think that this made the darker parts of the story more real and necessary to the plot and gave the reader enough reasons to want to know why these events were taking place.

I found the writing in this novel very easy to follow and the pace was perfect throughout making this a steady read. Sometimes books like this can be slow because too much information is being thrown at the reader but in this case, I found that there was a perfectly balanced mix of fact and fiction which made the reader wonder how much of the plot was based on history. This added a lot to the creepier parts of the plot and kept me hooked as I am fascinated with this kind of subject.

Overall, I would give this 5 out of 5 stars as I loved every aspect of the premise and the way it was written. I think living near the area where this story is based made it all the more enjoyable but creepy, making this an interesting and engaging read for anyone who enjoys supernatural, mystery or history based novels.

Deidre Haverlock Guest Post!

Author Deidre Haverlock has stopped by my blog today with a guest post for her blog tour. Check it out!
What is your favorite genre…and why?

Gothic, of course. My first gothic book was titled, The Bloody Dagger. (I wrote that in grade three, for my mom.) It was a story about a man who hides in the shadows, killing unsuspecting people. A kid finally hunts him down and rats him out. I’m sure my gloomy story impressed my mom. I know it impressed my teacher, Mrs. Whalen, who asked, “Don’t you have any happy thoughts?” I have a lot of happy thoughts…the guy got caught, didn’t he?

Actually, I haven’t met too many people who don’t love a good gothic book. I even heard that The Monk is being released fairly soon as a movie. (I can’t wait. In fact, I wanted to write a screenplay for that book…drat, I’m too late!) It seems gothic has definitely risen to the top of some people’s A-lists. Which is somewhat weird, gothic is after all dark and depressing. But I think the genre has gotten a bad reputation due to a horrendous misunderstanding.

Feminists tend to dislike the female gothic tradition because it portrays women as weak and needy (think The Mysteries of Udolpho). FYI, in the female gothic tradition, a girl struggles to survive under the burden of a patriarchal society (think The Handmaid’s Tale), and most often she waits to be saved, usually by a man (think Saving Mary: The Possession). This pathetic desire to be saved (without lifting a finger to save herself) certainly would put feminists on edge. After all, it’s true—women don’t always need to be saved. But a totally intolerant stance against the female gothic tradition misses the beauty of it.

If anyone is a fan of gothic they should read Art of Darkness by Anne Williams, where the male and female gothic traditions are discussed. Like this author, I don’t see the female gothic tradition (which includes the need to “be saved”) as intrinsically weak and pathetic. I see it as reflecting a talent within all of us…it just shows up best in the weak. It’s the ability to ask for help and accept help. And whether we like it or not, there are instances in life where we are simply incapable of saving ourselves (read my book and you’ll see); and, therefore, faith in the mysterious other (to save us) kicks in.

Both traditions (including the male gothic model—which includes the need for punishment) are core issues inside all of us. FYI, in the male tradition the protagonist usually has to die or at the very least suffer for his/her vile and sinful life (think Anne Rice’s books or The Monk or The Picture of Dorian Gray). Typically, the male gothic model is condemned by Christians (as opposed to feminists) because of the model’s focus on sin and punishment. (In male gothic there is no salvation for the character, only hopelessness.) But again, dislike for this model can be caused by a misunderstanding for the genre. Christians, after all, should understand the concept of eternal damnation more than anyone.

In these contexts, gothic isn’t about horror. It’s about life: oppression and sin, salvation and damnation. Either way you look at gothic, if someone gets saved or someone gets a final punishment—it means the darkness has passed. And that’s why I love it.

We all live in a gothic world, and we have to learn how best to survive it.

Author's Links:
Purchase link on Amazon
Purchase link on Amazon UK
Amazon Author Page
Website Link - www.deidrehavrelock.com
BOOK TRAILER LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZiA4VhQMPc
Email – havrelock@charter.net
Facebook –LIKE SAVING MARY  http://www.facebook.com/SavingMary.ThePossession
Follow Deidre at…Author blog - http://deidrehavrelock.wordpress.com/

The Tears of the Salamander - Peter Dickinson

Title: The Tears of the Salamander

Author: Peter Dickinson

Publication information: Macmillan Publishers Limited (2004)

The Tears of a Salamander by Peter Dickinson follows the story of Alfredo, a young choir boy, and his encounters with his mysterious uncle. This is a mysterious story full of magic and depth which is marketed as a children's book but I think that YA readers may also enjoy it.

Overall the plot was quite good. I liked the mystery element and the depth to the history of Alfredo's ancestry and of the powers that his relatives have. I also like the way that the end of the plot is hinted at throughout but is not entirely clear until the very end.

In my opinion, the characters let this book down quite a lot. Although I really liked the amount of development in all of the side characters, I did not feel that I could connect with Alfredo as much as a reader should be able to connect with a protagonist. I found that, maybe due to his age, I always felt distant from him and although most of his thoughts were written, his emotions did not show well enough throughout certain plot points. This distance made this a difficult read for me as parts of it seemed to drag and I found myself getting frustrated with some of the characters.

Also, the writing made me feel distant from the characters. It was not very descriptive in the way it told the reader about the area or how the protagonist was feeling, leaving a lot of questions unanswered. Due to this being a children's book, the vocabulary was quite simple and did not really engage me that much with the plot.

Overall, I would give The Tears of the Salamander 3 out of 5 stars as I did not feel like the book itself lived up to the intriguing premise. I think that younger readers may enjoy this book because of the plot and the simplicity of the writing but unfortunately this was not for me.

The Pirates! in an Adventure with Communists - Gideon Defoe

Title: The Pirates! in an Adventure with Communists

Author:Gideon Defoe

Publication information: Weidenfield & Nicolson (2006)

This is the third installment in the Pirates! series and although I really enjoyed the first and second, I can't really say the same for this one. The plot takes place in the year 1840 and follows the usual group of pirates on their adventures. In this one they meet Karl Marx and are on a mission to discover why everyone is against the Communist movement. 

The main problem with this novel, I find, is the plot and the pacing. Not a lot happens until about half way through and the beginning drags a lot so overall it was a much slower read than the previous two books. The end was exciting and action-packed but I feel that it ended too suddenly.

The characters were consistent with the other two books and were funny as always. I think the character of the Pirate Captain was developed well throughout the book and some of the other pirates were developed further.

Overall, I feel that The Pirates! in an Adventure with Communists was not as good as the previous books in the series but I still enjoyed it. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Smoke and Mirrors - Neil Gaiman (PART 1)

I've not posted on this blog in a while as I have been concentrating on getting all of my work finished by my deadline tomorrow! I've managed to get everything done so I thought that I'd do a review on the first few short stories in the Smoke and Mirrors collection by Neil Gaiman.

Title: Smoke and Mirrors

Author: Neil Gaiman

Publication information: Review (2005)

Introduction

I found even the introduction an interesting and important part of this book. The reasoning and origin of all the short stories, provided by Neil Gaiman, gives great insight and background to the stories you are about to read and the story that is included in the introduction has a strong message and, although confusing at points, it has a haunting effect on the reader.

Chivalry

This is the first short story in the book and follows Mrs Whitaker and the strange happenings that occur when she happens across the Holy Grail in a charity shop. This is a very lighthearted and humourous story helped by the character of Mrs Whitaker. She is a typical old lady who likes looking after people and making tea and I think that this made Chivalry an extremely quick and easy read.

The Price

I didn't really enjoy this story. Despite the message in it, I did not find this very engaging at all and to be honest, I forgot the plot almost immediately after reading it.

Troll Bridge

This is definitely my favourite of the three stories I have read so far. I love the main character and of course the intrigue surrounding the troll under the bridge. I think that it is a very interesting story with a sad ending, but definitely worth the read.

I don't know how much more of this book I will get read before I have to return it to the library so I'm unsure if I will be reviewing any more of it, but overall, I would love to read more and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys short stories or Neil Gaiman's writing.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon

Title: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Author:  Mark Haddon

Publication Information: Vintage (2011)

This book is about Christopher, a teenager that struggles with Aspergers, accounting his life through family problems and the incident of his neighbours dog being murdered with a garden fork.

Overall I think that the plot was quite interesting, especially at the beginning with the mystery itself because I thought that it was interesting to see the logic behind Christopher's ideas and actions. However, I found the middle of this novel dragged quite a lot and lost it's way a bit, yet the ending got better. I really liked the mystery element at the beginning of this story and the way that the protagonist talks about other people such as Siobhan.

I really liked the character of Christopher as I think it gave the reader a clear insight into how he was thinking and his own rationale to what he was doing at certain points in the plot. Although I don't usually like books that contain swearing, I think that in this novel it could be seen as relevant as it is not overly used and is used at points of high tension in the plot. 

The writing was good; easy to read and well paced, apart from in the middle where, as I said before, it seemed to drag, however I thought that at some points, I got distracted from the plot by Christopher's explanations of science or maths. I think that it was interesting to include this information but it felt like it was breaking up the story too much for me. I liked that it was quite a quick read; the book has 268 and it only took me a few hours to get through as it was very engaging.

All in all, I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars as there were some bits that I disliked and I felt like some of the characters needed to be developed further.

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists - Gideon Defoe

Title: The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists

Author: Gideon Defoe

Publication information: Orion Books (2004)

This book is about a pirate crew seeking adventure when they come across Charles Darwin near the Galapagos Islands. The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists is an hilarious novel that deals with the weighty issue of science versus religion whilst also featuring lots of roaring, running people through with cutlasses and other piratey things! I picked this one up in the library on a whim because I felt like I recognised the title and after looking it up online found that I'd seen the trailer for the Nick Park film adaptation! 

This book is a very lighthearted action-adventure story and is hilarious to read. The author has written in hilarious characters and events, and this humour is also present in the presentation of the book itself; on the flap on the inside of the back cover it says that Gideon Defoe wrote this book about pirates "to impress a girl". This seems similar to what some of the characters in the book might do so I found this quite funny.

The plot did not need much detail and intensity as this is a very lighthearted novel. The pacing was great and easy to read, with just enough action to make it a believable pirate adventure.

The characters were my favourite aspect of this book. I liked how none of the pirates had names, and they were just referred to as aspects of their appearance, such as 'the pirate in green' or 'the pirate with the scarf'. Each one was funny in their own right and added to the overall humourous atmosphere of the plot. Even the antagonist would say something occasionally funny. I also liked that these pirates were unlike their usual stereotype in that they had manners and were slightly more educated than is expected.

The writing, as I have previously said, was paced beautifully so there was never a dull moment and the language itself was quite simple which lent itself well to such a quick read.

Overall I would give The Pirates! in and Adventure with Scientists, 5 out of 5 stars as I found it a very enjoyable read and I will definitely be looking to read the rest of this series by Gideon Defoe.

At the House of the Magician - Mary Hooper

Title: At the House of the Magician

Author: Mary Hooper

Publication information: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (2007)

Lucy escapes her poor village and drunk abusive father in search of work and money to provide her mother with a better way of life. This story follows her in seeking employment and then the adventures and events that surround her when her luck turns, and she finds herself employed by the somewhat mysterious Dr Dee.

At the House of the Magician is an historical fiction with some supernatural aspects revolving around Lucy, the protagonist of the novel. I think that most of the historical aspects seemed believable; set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, the troubles between the monarch and Mary Queen of Scots is briefly discussed and the grandure of the palace and the queens clothes are described in great detail. At the end of the book, after the end of the story itself, the author provides some background to the history and the setting of the novel and I think that this makes it a lot more believable and helps, in hindsight, to establish the way of life of the inhabitants of Elizabethan England.

To me, the plot was quite slow and not much happened until the end of the novel. Although at first this was quite disappointing, I soon found out that there is also a sequel which may have played a part in the reasoning behind giving this story such an abrupt ending. 

Lucy, the main character, is quite interesting and the reader gets to learn quite a lot about her background and family, as well as her adventurous side which is explored more as the story develops. Some of the side characters were not very well developed and I found that this led to some of them being insignificant to the story but this may change in the sequel, which I plan to read at some point in the future. I really like the character of Mistress Midge because her bad temper and her attitude added some comedic aspects to the book. I also really liked Tomas, the court fool, as I thought there was aspects of romantic tention between him and the protagonist which I hope will be explored in the second installment of the series. 

The writing was very simple and easy to understand. This meant that although, at first, I found the novel difficult to get into, it became a quick read, having only 228 pages. Also, the lettering is quite large on the page which made it a lot quicker. I like that the author included some words that are not used nowadays, but were used when the story is set, as this makes it a lot more believable and I like that a glossary was provided at the back of the book so you could look up the meanings for some of these disused words.

Overall, I was slightly disappointed with this book as I expected a lot more adventure and mystery than there was, but again, this may be addresseed in the sequel. Also, having read the book, I have decided that I do not really liked the cover as I believe that a cover, if it shows a person, should show the protagonist. In this case, Lucy is said to have dark eyes and brown hair, whereas the photograph on the cover is fair-haired and has blue eyes. Considering my opinions of the book overall, I would give this 3 out of 5 stars but am intrigued to see if the second installment of the series develops the storyline better than this one so far.

The Trap - John Smelcer

Title:  The Trap

Author: John Smelcer

Publication Information: Anderson (2008)

This novel is about an old man who is on his way home from a hunting trip and accidentally gets his leg caught in one of this own traps. It accounts his struggle to survive and his grandson's journey to rescue his grandfather. This story is set in an Alaskan winter, adding to the threat of the grandfather's life and also the worry of Johnny back at the village.

As far as a survival story goes, this novel wasn't very captivating. Although the level of danger to the grandfather, Arthur, was quite high, I wasn't able to empathise with the character because I think that the style of writing, and some of the things that were mentioned distracted from the main plot.

Overall, in my opinion, the premise of the plot initially seemed very interesting, and reading the synopsis on the back of the book, I was intrigued. However, reading this book all the way through was difficult for me despite how short it is due to the plot going on a lot of tangents, telling the readers stories of the Indians surviving cold winters and older traditional tales that the author put in the narration in very unusual places, breaking up the flow of the main plot.

We, as readers, didn't really get to know any of the characters very well and I feel that they could have been developed a lot more. Johnny is a 17 year old boy and apart from his love of reading and school, you don't really get to know a lot about him as a person. Likewise, the grandparents were not described very much either, although the grandfather, Arthur, was shown the most through his struggle and his attitude, which made him, overall, a strong character.

The writing was something that I absolutely loved in this novel, and was the main reason I kept on reading. Smelcer's beautiful fluid descriptions of the Alaskan landscape and the pain that Arthur is going through adds to the cold atmosphere of the novel and really helps you visualise the environment in which these characters live.

Overall, I would give this book a 3 out of 5 stars because the writing made up for a lot of the negative opinions I have towards the plot and underdeveloped characters.

Smith of Wootton Major - J. R. R. Tolkien

Title: Smith of Wootton Major (Extended Edition)

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien

Publication Information: Harper Collins Publishers (2005)

This book contains the story of Smith of Wootton Major as well as notes, drafts, transcriptions and essays by J.R.R. Tolkien. The story itself is only about 57 pages long in the edition I borrowed from the library so is a very quick read. It contains medieval style illustrations by Pauline Baynes. This is the first story by Tolkien that I have managed to read; I have tried to read the Lord of the Rings trilogy many times in the past, and have not been able to get into it, but this style seemed completely different to me.

There aren't that many characters in this short story, the main ones being Smith, Nokes and Alf. As the story is extremely short, there isn't a lot of character development but I think due to the fairytale style of the book, and the fact that it is such a quick read, this doesn't deduct from the plot at all. Most of the characters and very caricatured; Nokes is the typical disbelieving grumpy old man, Alf the mysterious outsider and Smith is the typical curious protagonist. I think that this adds to the fairytale style and also makes the story a lot easier to read.

This story follows a few of the archetypal features of a traditional fairytale; with the magical object, the ordinary hero, the mysterious stranger and a strange other-world. I think that as this is such a short story, the level of description of Faery wasn't very extensive which left a lot of the details to the reader's imagination.

The plot wasn't very complex at all but this is sometimes vital to such a short story as it lets the reader become interested in the story without needing too much introduction or background. I really like how Tolkien established things like the Great Cake as a tradition in this fictional world in such a way that made the whole thing very believable.

Overall, like I said at the beginning of this review, I found the writing style in this short story a lot easier to read and understand than the writing in some of Tolkien's other publications. The sentence structures were very varied in the most part but a lot of the time the pacing was quite quick, meaning that although the story was pushed along at a comfortable pace, the plot lacked descriptive language and background to the characters.

Overall, I would give this a 4 out of 5 as I found the story interesting and the writing style enjoyable to read, but I found myself wishing that there was just more to it; more descriptive language, more establishment of the traditions and the environment.

A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness

Title: A Monster Calls

Author: Patrick Ness  (from an original idea by Siobhan Dowd)

Publication information: Walker Books LTD (2011)

This book was written by Patrick Ness using the final ideas of Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death, caused by cancer, prevented her from writing it herself. This funny, sad and extraordinary novel captivated me from the beginning and it was the kind of book where you have your own ideas about what should happen, but what happens is actually more satisfying. This is a very quick read; it's only 215 pages; and includes the haunting beautiful illustrations of Jim Kay, which adds to the mystery and intrigue of the book.

Regarding characters, there were two main ones featured; Conor and the monster. Conor, is a young teenager in this novel and I think this is a great interpretation of how a person of that age would deal with these kind of events. Overall he is quite a well-rounded character; he has realistic fears and emotions and it is clear that he hasn't been made too stereotypical in that he is not a brave protagonist that could withstand anything - he's just human, and that's one of the main things I like about this book. The monster, is everything a monster needs to be in this kind of novel. It adds mystery and fear to the novel, helped by the wonderful, dark illustrations. The other characters in the book are really only touched upon slightly but that helps the reader to feel the alienation that Conor is feeling. Reading the book, we don't really know what to expect, and the side characters reflect that, they  are part of the unknown. Although we as readers don't get told much about Conor's grandmother, mother or father, we know enough to understand what's going on. I think that the addition of the school bully was an interesting way to emphasise that Conor is just a normal teenager and as the story unfolds, we realise that this bullying becomes an integral factor in the events that unfold.

A Monster Calls is classed as a fantasy novel, which is true to some extent, but I think that as it is set in modern times, in what seems like this world, the fantasy aspect is only really explored by the addition of the monster and the dreams. This makes the story a lot more believable to the reader and emphasises the idea that even though there is a monster in this story, which is a very important part of the plot, the story that is unfolding before your eyes is real; the boy, his mother and their struggle.

The plot isn't that complex. The overall premise is clear from the beginning and although the ending is not obvious, the messages told throughout the novel give clear indications to what is going to happen. At first, I felt like this might be suitable for a much younger reader than myself, which it probably would be, but again, as the plot unfolds it draws you in and I think that it would be suitable for any young reader and that the reader benefits from the message told through this story.

Overall, I feel that the writing is simple to understand and propells the story along at a comfortable pace. This is a short novel with a deep plot and I think that the pace suits the style of storyline perfectly. One of my favourite things about this book is the way the monster's speech; the way that it almost speaks in riddles adding to the mystery and the way that all of it's speech is printed in italics. This makes it stand out from the rest of the text and makes you wonder whether he is actually speaking at all, or whether it's all in Conor's head. Also, I really enjoyed the way that although it was written from third person perspective, you could see exactly what Conor was thinking and the length of the sentences in parts reflected the urgency that he was expressing.

Overall, I would give this a 5 out of 5 as I found the story captivating and the illustrations made the whole thing a lot more enjoyable to read and added to the atmosphere of the plot.