Children’s & Young Adult

His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman [Review]

Published by Darren on May 22, 2013 | 3 Responses

The world he creates is completely emersive and you almost absorb his words rather than read them, you care deeply about his “good” characters and hate deeply, at least initially his “bad” ones. Why the quote marks, around “bad” and “good”? well you really need to read the books to know why, without me spoiling it, but suffice it to say, the line between good and bad is down to your point of view.

This What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Published by Darren on May 14, 2013 | Leave a response

This again makes a novel that is much more than it’s central romance, it’s also about what Ellie and Graham want and need from their lives, and finding their places in the world. Graham’s isolation is particularly well drawn and balanced against the love of his job.

Girls and Monsters by Anne Michaud [Review]

Published by Darren on May 8, 2013 | 1 Response

Girls and Monsters, is a wonderfully dark collection of tales and while it isn’t as ‘uplifting’ as promised, some of the stories do have hopeful moments, but there are many more moments of despair, and not all the stories end happily for the main characters, and I think in the end the collection is all the better for it. There can be hope in the darkness, but it would have felt false for them all to end in sunshine and roses.

Hidden by Marianne Curley [Review]

Published by Darren on April 4, 2013 | Leave a response

The plot while not amazing, did serve to keep the pages turning, mostly helped because I quite liked the three main characters, and I did want to know more about their individual stories, and seeing how they wove together.

The Book of Doom by Barry Hutchison [Review]

Published by Darren on April 2, 2013 | 2 Responses

The Book of Doom, is the second book in Barry Hutchison’s Afterworlds series. The books stand-alone and feature different characters and stories in each book, although some of characters will be popping up in other books for cameo appearances. I enjoyed The 13th Horseman greatly…