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Showing posts from July, 2014

Review of The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

Format: Paperback
Genres: Childrens, Historical,
Pages: 215
Publisher: Black Swan
Release Date: 2007
Find The Author: Website ¦ Twitter

Abe Books ¦ Book Depository ¦ Goodreads
UK Readers: Check if this book is on RISI


When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance.

But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.





The story is told from the point of view of a child, as if to a child, which makes the story even more eerie and unsettling as Bruno tries to find out about the strange people across the fence, wearing striped pyjamas. He's a stark contrast to Shmuel, who's around the same age but knows of the full horrors of the war and has experienced them too.

Bruno and Scmuel's friendship is a simple and tragic one. Schmuel is the only friend Bruno has now that he's moved away from the city into a house next to the 'Out-With', and he tries to visit him every day, often trying to bring food which quickly gets at least half eaten on the journey to the fence.

One of the cleverest aspects of the book is showing an older audience the things Bruno didn't pick up on - the visits from the Fury, Out-With, why his chef wasn't allowed to be a doctor anymore. It really gives the reader a glimpse into the true goings on in Bruno's household, while showing just how innocent Bruno is. 

The ending is quick, but brutal. I did think that last chapter rushed the story a little, trying to tie everything up and there were historical inaccuracies, but the story was still very powerful. You can see the events leading up to it's final conclusion and I was hoping beyond hope all the way through that someone would intervene or something would happen, but it never did.  

It takes a lot to shock me in a story, particularly in a story about World War Two and the concentration camps, however this book managed just that, and will stick with me forever. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas is undoubtedly a modern classic, and will remain a classic for a very long time. 


Review of The Boy In The Dress by David Walliams

Format: Paperback
Genres: Childrens, Humour
Pages: 233
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: 01/06/2009
Find The Author: Website ¦ Twitter


AbeBooks ¦ Book Depository ¦ Goodreads
UK Readers: Check if this book is on RISI


Everybody needs friends, especially a boy in a dress! Dennis's life is boring and lonely. His mother left two years ago, his truck driver father is depressed, his brother is a bully and, worst of all, 'no hugging' is one of their household rules. But one thing Dennis does have is soccer - he's the leading scorer on his team. Oh, and did we mention his secret passion for fashion?

When Dennis's friend Lisa discovers his stash of Vogue magazines, she convinces him to vamp it up and wear a dress to school. But in class, his hilarious hijinks as Denise are brought to a screeching halt when the headmaster discovers his secret and delivers the worst punishment of all - Dennis is expelled from school and therefore forbidden to play in the soccer Final Cup!

Can the team win the most important game of the year without their star player? And, more importantly, will Dennis gain the love and respect of his friends and family, even in a dress? 



I'd never picked up a David Walliams book before this one, but the premise intrigued me. I'm always curious about books and movies with people doing unusual things, so the story of a boy in a dress caught my attention. This was a really well written book, perfect for fans of Billy Elliot.

In the vein of Billy Elliot, Dennis comes from a family with no mother and one brother, and a very traditional father, except this one drives a truck instead of works in a mine. It's a simple, cute story and I really appreciated David showing that gender roles really aren't important, as well as showing that you don't need to be gay to want to wear a dress anymore. Or female. 

One thing I always have trouble with with these books is the publisher. David is a children's author, but his books are constantly being regaled as the new Roald Dahl. Quentin Blake even illustrates them. David's books are nothing like Roald Dahls and sadly, I have to say, do not quite live up to the standard of Dahl either, so the whole think just comes across as some sort of gimmick.

This book has a predictably cute but very enjoyable ending and I finished the whole thing in a couple of hours, It's a very cute, fun read that I think many kids will love. David covers issues that are not often written about in children's literate and handles them extremely well while still keeping the story light and funny.


Many Covers Monday: The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas

Today we're looking at the many different covers of The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas (or Pajamas) and choosing a winner! These won't be the complete collection of covers, just as many as I can find or the most interesting from around the world. Because this is such a popular book, there's a lot of covers!

Berlin 1942
When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance.
But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.



Left: UK
I really like this cover, and it's the one I own. I know exactly what the book is about just by looking at the cover and the type over tape look is great for the title. I think I would remove the review, just because I hate reviews on books.

Right: US
This is what I would call the classic cover, the cover I see the most and was released first, I think. It's a great cover, with the background being the same stripes as the prisoners would have worn. Love the font too!



Left: Movie Tie-In
I actually think that for a movie cover, this is great! Even for a book cover it's a great cover and tells us exactly what the story is about. I haven't seen the movie yet but I will soon.

Right: AU?
 I was unsure about the country but the review says 'The Australian' so. This one looks like my cover (UK, Top Left), and I like this one a lot too but not as much. There's just a lot of blank space around the title and author name.



Left: Italian
More stripes this time but for some reason with the placement, I keep expecting it to be a book of baby names. 

Right: Irish, I guess
This is a pretty cool cover but it doesn't really appeal to me, I can't explain why. I wonder if that's a real jacket that someone wore? 



Left: Chinese Simplified
With free recipes! Just kidding. In all my time doing Many Covers Monday, I've never seen a stranger or less fitting cover that this one. What's with the creepy little gingerbread men?

Right: Hungarian
Spoilers here, highlight to reveal: There's a bit of foreshadowing here, which is quite clever. Otherwise it's a pretty bland cover.



Left: Czech
Why is he balancing an apple on his head.

Right: Romanian
This is quite a haunting cover, I keep being drawn to it. Nice!



Left: Italian
I would like to see this book as I think it's illustrated, going by the little message on the cover.

Right: Thai
Great to see a Thai cover, I don't think I've had one before! I'm not sure which kid this one is supposed to be, as the boy in pajamas has a shaved head.



Left: Swedish
This fence looks oddly modern to me. But otherwise it's a great cover and tells you a lot about the book.

Right: Lithuanian
This reminds me of a film I once saw, Rabbit Proof Fence (amazing, I highly recommend). I thought there was a forest of some kind mentioned in the book but I don't see that here.


 Left: UK
I really like this art, the boy across the fence looks like he's almost faded away, which is pretty creepy!

Right: Polish
This looks really strangely photoshopped. I don't remember them doing anything but sitting and talking in the book (something that leads up to it's devastating conclusion), so adding a chess set and a football seems odd.



Winner


This was a really, really difficult decision but in the end I decided on my cover, as I feel it lets us know what's in the book while still being mysterious!

Loved a different cover? Let me know in the comments!

Review of The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks

Format: Paperback
Genres: Mystery, Horror,
Pages: 268
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: 07/03/2013
Find The Author: Website

Book Depository ¦ Amazon UK/US ¦ Goodreads
UK Readers: Check if this book is on RISI


Room meets Lord of the Flies, The Bunker Diary is award-winning, young adult writer Kevin Brooks's pulse-pounding exploration of what happens when your worst nightmare comes true - and how will you survive?

I can't believe I fell for it.
It was still dark when I woke up this morning.
As soon as my eyes opened I knew where I was.
A low-ceilinged rectangular building made entirely of whitewashed concrete.
There are six little rooms along the main corridor.
There are no windows. No doors. The lift is the only way in or out.
What's he going to do to me?
What am I going to do?
If I'm right, the lift will come down in five minutes.
It did. Only this time it wasn't empty...



This is a strange, claustrophobic tale told from the point of view of Linus, the first resident of the bunker. He quickly notes that there's a communal area next to a kitchen, six bedrooms and a bathroom. Then there's the lift. The bunker is quickly filled with six residents, from the youngest, Jenny, who's nine to Russell, who's described as nearly seventy by Linus. As a lover of films like Saw and Cube, this story really appealed to me.

The characters are an eclectic bunch, seemingly picked out at random by someone Linus describes as Him. A nine year old, a homeless boy with a rich background, a woman in her late twenties that sells property, a herion addict, an management consulant and a natural philosopher. I found it interesting that no two people were alike, and I think that's why they were chosen.

The person that kidnapped them was the most interesting character in this. He's quickly referred to as Him or He, with a capital, like God is in the Bible. His motives are unclear, there's cameras installed in every room that are unbreakable and have their own defense mechanisms, so my guess is that he's curious, wants to find out what will happen.

The Bunker Diary took 10 years of battling to get it printed and I can see why. This book touches on a lot of issues that some parents would not want their children to read - drugs, violence, suicide, murder. I was surprised to find that there was no warning on this book as to what lay inside, as there's even warnings for swearing on books now. I'm not sure I would recommend it for children younger than thirteen, but that depends on the child. For parents, I would recommend reading this book first to decide. I'm not for censoring but this book is brutal and not for everyone.



Stacking The Shelves (26/07/2014)


 Today was the week of BIRTHDAY PREPARATIONS. But not normal people birthday preparations like balloons and alcohol - nope, I'll been making plans for my new bookshelves (like buying letters and cataloging books) that I'll be blogging about on the 16th August (my birthday is on an STS day which is pretty cool).

Also look out for a shelf tour on the 16th too...

Today I spent the whole day cataloging my physical book collection which took about... 10 hours. I was nearly dead by the end of it I swear. But, 418 books are now on Goodreads and I know how many I have to read too. And, I can finally start using random.org to choose my next read! Stupidly excited about that. My old books might finally see the light of day...



Stuff Bought This Week


I only got one book this week, and I requested it from ReadItSwapIt last week as well! I went shopping and just didn't fancy buying books (must have been the heat) so I bought clothes and things for my new shelves instead.


I was originally trying to buy READ for the paper letters but couldn't find an A I liked... so I bought BQQKS instead. You read that right, there were no O's so I bought Q's and hid the tail in the picture. I'll trim them later, of course. The READ letters were just 50p! I'm going to paper them with nice wrapping paper, you'll see them on the 16th too (I hope).


I had an idea in my head for a while, to make a bracelet for each of The Selection books. I finally found the time to hunt down the beads I wanted and made them! You can find more about them on my Tumblr post. I hope you love them because they took me AGES. 

But yeah, I make bracelets.


Read This Week


Apparently the word 'Boy' was a theme this week!

Don't forget to leave your link.
Vickie x

Review of Boy Heaven by Laura Kasischke

Format: Paperback
Genres: Mystery, Horror, Cheerleaders,
Pages: 230
Publisher: McMillan
Release Date: 05/05/2006
Find The Author: Wikipedia ¦ Twitter

Amazon UK/US ¦ Goodreads
UK Readers: Check if this book is on RISI


Around a campfire sit a group of girls telling gruesome and spooky urban legends:

There's the girl who, for a joke, wrote a love note to Satan, signed it in blood, and burnt it and who was found in the morning naked, hanging from a jump rope in the garage. The man who tied heavy chains around his murdered wife's body and tossed her into a lake, then came home to find her sitting in his chair--smiling, soaking wet.

And this: The three girls, Kristy, Desiree and Kristi, who sneaked out of cheerleading camp in their red convertible one summer afternoon and flashed a smile (and a little bit more) at two boys in a rusty pickup truck. Suddenly the boys were everywhere, hiding in the woods at night, stalking them.

Boy Heaven is their story...



I picked up Boy Heaven expecting a cool, creepy campfire read, filled with heart-pounding moments and lots of suspense. And probably a lot of running around a forest. Sadly, I couldn't be more wrong. This story would be better marketed as 'Vapid girl's non-adventures at cheerleading camp with a random twist at the end.'

The way the story is told is very slow. Pages and pages of thoughts from Kristy, who was determined to tell us everything about her life. For 230 pages, I was surprised at how long the book actually felt, especially as there was an entire chapter dedicated to explaining why Kristy found policemen friendly. 

I'm not joking. It was 5 pages long.

Kristy is very, very high on my list of most annoying characters. I did like her some at the beginning but it became pretty clear that this girl was shallow, rich and had everything she wanted. She didn't particularly care about people, only herself. There was one sort of friend in the camp that was clearly very ill, mentally or physically and she never once asked her if she was okay or even attempted to get her any help. Just bizarre.

Boy Heaven was ultimately a let down for me, as I expected so much more from it. However, it did really pick up at the end for a super creepy campfire read, as long as you cut out most of it. Worth the read? I'm not sure. 



Review of Shadowplay by Laura Lam

Series: Micah Gray #2
Format: Paperback
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Magic,
Pages: 400
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Release Date: 07/01/2014
Find The Author: Website ¦ Twitter

Book Depository ¦ Amazon UK/US ¦ Goodreads
UK Readers: Check if this book is on RISI


The circus lies behind Micah Grey in dust and ashes.

He and the white clown, Drystan, take refuge with the once-great magician, Jasper Maske. When Maske agrees to teach them his trade, his embittered rival challenges them to a duel which could decide all of their fates.

People also hunt both Micah and the person he was before the circus–the runaway daughter of a noble family. And Micah discovers there is magic and power in the world, far beyond the card tricks and illusions he’s perfecting…

A tale of phantom wings, a clockwork hand, and the delicate unfurling of new love, Shadowplay continues Micah Grey’s extraordinary journey.



Shadowplay continues Micah and Drystan's story, right after the left the circus and join Maske's theatre. I liked this idea, as I felt that more of the same would quickly bore me. A new fresh setting was a great idea and introducing new characters and new challenges - like learning magic - really paid off and kept me reading, finishing the book in two sittings.

The attention grabber of this series is that Micah is bisexual and intersex, meaning they're both sexes and like both sexes too. However, this isn't just used as a gimmick, Micah really continues to struggle with identity in this book, knowing he could go back to his parents at any moment but they will try and change him into the ideal daughter they always wanted but never had. 

The romance that was hinted at between Micah and Drystan in the first book blossomed in this one and it was really sweet too, Micah and Drystan were one of my favourite couples in Pantomime, even if they weren't actually together yet. I was very happy when they realised their feelings for one another!

The world building continues in this book and I don't think I've even been in such a richly imagined world as Ellada. We learn a whole lot more about it's history and it's people, the Chimera. Meanwhile in the present The Foresters make quite a few appearances with their often violent protests. I think we'll be seeing them a lot more in the next book!

The ending of Shadowplay was just as painful and beautiful as the ending of The Winner's Curse, another book that happily stamped on my heart. Only with Shadowplay it's more so, as Strange Chemistry shut down, it's sequel will not be published by them. However, the final book is likely to still be published by the author, so I can't wait to read it, I know it'll be amazing.


Review of Valentine Joe by Rebecca Stevens

Format: Paperback
Genres: History, Romance, Time Travel,
Pages: 160
Publisher: Chicken House
Release Date: 01/05/2014

Book Depository ¦ Amazon UK/US ¦ Goodreads
UK Readers: Check if this book is on RISI


Rose's granddad takes her on a trip to Ypres, Belgium to visit the graves of those who died in the Great War. It's the day before Valentine's Day, but Rose can sense the shattered old city beneath the chocolate-box new. And it seems that it can sense her too. When she goes up to her room that night, she hears the sound of marching feet and glimpses from her window a young soldier on his way to the front line...


I think we've all had ancestors that we've lost in the wars, and Valentine Joe really made me sit back of think of them. I have a great, great uncle who came back from the second war but later died, we didn't even know of him until I researched my family history. And I likely had family in the first too.As the poem says, 'We will remember them.'

There are many characters in Valentine Joe, but the most memorable are easily Rose, Joe and the little dog that follows them around everywhere. I really felt for Rose, who has recently lost her father. As for Joe, I loved him as soon as I met him, he's a cheeky guy and a bit of a flirt, but very determined and brave, something that I knew would break my heart later. It was even sadder to know that he was a real person, killed in action at the age of just 15.

The concept of time travel is used very well. It's a short book so I was grateful to the author for not making me wade through pages of explanations about how it worked, and just let it happen. The effect of Rose leaving the modern day behind and finding herself in a town in the grip of the First World War was wonderfully executed and very creepy too, I was very worried that she would be hurt or worse. The time travel is not explained but I like to think that our furry friend had something to do with it.

Valentine Joe was such a cute, heartbreaking story that I'm sure will stick with me for a very long time. The characters and the settings were so beautifully described I really did feel as if I was there. This is a remarkable debut and I'm looking forward to seeing what the author has to offer next! 


Review of Sight by A. M. Vrettos

Format: Paperback
Genres: Mystery, Paranormal,
Pages: 295
Publisher: Egmont
Release Date: 06/08/2007
Find The Author: Website ¦ Twitter

Book Depository ¦ Amazon UK/US ¦ Goodreads
UK Readers: Check if this book is on RISI


Dylan and her friends have been haunted by the Drifter ever since Clarence was killed when they were in kindergarten. The memory of that event haunts the friends and binds them together. Now, ten years later, it seems the Drifter is back and the murders are edging closer to the mountain community where Dylan and her friends live. Dylan has visions of the crimes but why can't she ever see the Drifter's face? Dylan can't tell her best friend, Pilar, about her visions so why does she tell the new girl, Cate? And why does Cate seem so interested in what happened to Clarence? As everyone's secrets unfold the Drifter comes closer and closer. Be prepared to be spooked. First snow's coming and he's coming too.


I'm a huge fan of the book Wake by Lisa McMann which is about a girl who sees other people's dreams, so the aspect of visions in Sight really appealed to me. Overall it was a thrilling read that I didn't want to put down, filled with twists and turns. However the ending, with it's 90's horror movie plot twists, ultimately let this great story down a lot.

Sight doesn't bother to set up the story, just throws you into the action when Dylan has recently had a vision and is helping the police officer find the girl, much like Janie helps the police in Fade. This really worked to suck me into the story and I liked Dylan pretty quickly.

The story itself is a little slow after about 20% and you have to be willing to stick with it. Instead of the focus being on the kids that are being found it focuses more on Dylan and her friends, how they're coping in the lead up to the anniversary of Clarence's death. As well as that, a new girl has moved to town and Dylan's trying to juggle being her friend as well as continuing to be friends with Pilar.

The ending did let this book down so, so much. It was just cheesy to be honest, and reminded me of one of the Scream movies. At least I wouldn't say that I found it predictable, because I didn't realise that the ending would be that bad. It's all tied up in the end but I do think the author went a little overboard with plot twists. It was a good read overall though.


Many Covers Monday: Under The Never Sky

Today we're looking at the many different covers of Under The Never Sky and choosing a winner! These won't be the complete collection of covers, just as many as I can find or the most interesting from around the world.

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.
DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.
Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.
Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.
If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.




Left: UK
Likes: The colours are lovely and are really eye catching too.
Dislikes: There's something really weird about this cover, which is probably the weird flying muscular man and ghost girl. It's not a cover that appeals to me at all. There's also the hint (bit more than a hint) that the story is going to be heavily romance based. It's worth noting that there's no matching cover for the sequel of this.

Right: US
Likes: Bad guys don't look at explosions... and bad girls don't look at creepy viney lightning things. This cover is seriously cool and I love the cloudy blue texture.
Dislikes: Not a whole lot, I think the space above her head could have been used better but that's just being picky.


Left: French
Likes: Oh my gosh, I love this cover. It's worth clicking on it because her eyes are so pretty. There's lots that I love about this cover, from the lightning in the background to her clothes giving the subtle hint that's futuristic and the gorgeous font. The sequel has a gorgeous matching cover too but I couldn't find a match for a final book.
Dislikes: Not a dislike, just confusion - this French cover is in English, which I haven't seen before. Odd!

Right: UK
Likes: The font is nice and the colours are lovely. The whole thing makes me think of a scorching desert.
Dislikes: You can't see her face and she's standing really weirdly. She kind of looks like someone's just shot her in the back and she's about to fall to the ground, movie style.


Left: Dutch
Likes: The font is really cleverly done and immediately catches my eye.
Dislikes: Whatever that face thing/border is. Does nothing for me.

Right: Greek
Likes: The sky is nice.
Dislikes: This looks like a bad 90's CD cover and I hate it. The dress takes up like 65% of the entire freaking cover and just no.


Left: German
Likes: It's a simple cover but very eye catching, the big glowing A is definitely the focus.
Dislikes: That A is seriously, seriously big.

Right: Spanish
Likes: I do like covers with trees on them so that ticks this box. It's a creepy cover, if not obviously dystopian like some of the others.
Dislikes: Not sure about the yellow font choice.


Winner


I love digital art on covers and this is just so. cool. It's simple but very effective.

Vickie x