Review: A Court of Thorn and Roses Trilogy

So. It has been 14 days since I lost posted. It is not that I have not read in those days, in fact, as the title suggests, I have read all three available books of the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series. I actually finished about three days ago, not a bad effort, I read all three (not so short!) books in about 5 days. In between I did not write a review because I desperately just needed to move onto the next book. Now, it has taken me three days to get around to writing a review because I have been suffering from one of the worst book hangovers I have ever had. I cannot bring myself to read anything else as I am not ready to leave the world that Sarah J Maas has created. The fourth book is out on the first of May. There is a little bit of me that stubbornly wants to refuse to read anything else until that comes out. I don’t know how realistic that will be. But I am struggling to come back to real life!

I make a full disclosure at this point that this review is totally glass half full. I loved this series, and as such doubt that I will be objective at all!

In essence, this book or series, is very similar to Diana Gabaldon’s Cross Stitch series, (or the Outlander TV show) Where Claire is drawn into a world that is not her own, falls in love and becomes powerful. It is quite similar here. The main character Feyre is also drawn, or more dragged, into a world that is not her own and falls in love and becomes quite powerful.

Despite the fact that the concept of the base story is not new, there are still enough twists and surprises to keep a reader on their toes. I am saying very little about the plot as I do not want to give away anything – perhaps not surprisingly my suggestion is that everyone should rush out and read the series!

The one thing that I struggled with, and that I struggle with in quite a few books is that way that characters go from one bad world changing thing, to another bad world changing thing, with very little time in between, it is exhausting and frustrating, however in saying that I look forward to the fourth book to change this pattern.

However, I thought the characters were well developed, and each had their own part to play, I particularly like how the book dealt with change in loyalties, which took into account jealousy, and heartbreak which felt real and genuine.

There were really nice themes particularly around the idea of family, and how important it can be to surround yourself with family that you choose yourself, people who have your back beyond all else.

In short – read it!! And look forward to the 1st of May when I can read the next one!

Mrs K

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Speculative Fiction

Review: The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley

The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley. Written by Shaun David Hutchinson

This was something a little different to what I normally read. A year 13 student walked into class saying that I needed to read it. (Although he had not yet finished!) Then he brought it back at the end of the day. I was lucky enough yesterday to get time to read it, and could not put it down!

So the title is a nod to the five stages of grief. And Drew certainly is going through all of those stages as he roams the hospital halls hiding from his grief, his guilt and the outside world.

I really liked this book. I think it was a book of a journey, and a journey of acceptance. I liked that we saw the raw elements of death, and the impact of that on the nurses. I also liked the work that Drew did in the pediatrics ward. I liked too that there were things that happened that totally sucker punched you and the characters in the book.

More than anything this is a book that is able to show the reality of death, that it sneaks up and takes you by surprised when you least expect it.

I also liked that as the life Drew had created for himself unraveled it was because he had let love in, and ultimately, he was ready for more.

It is really hard, I don’t want to give anything away – I think the story is better when you know very little (I have only said things you can read in the blurb). The character development is really well done, the story is compelling, and the twists and blows just keep going.

This would be really interesting to do a connections report on – and look at those notions of isolation, isolation of the nurses, of Drew and of some of the other patients. An interesting mix of voluntary and involuntary isolation.

Overall – read this! It is in the senior fiction section of our school library, so probably most suited for year 11 and up.

Mrs K

Genre: Adolescent Fiction, Young Adult, LGBT, Contemporary, Romance

The CILIP Carnegie Medal Shortlist 2018

The CILIP Carnegie Medal Shortlist 2018 – Mrs K’s thoughts!

So I am feeling pretty proud – the shortlist was announced on the 15th of March, and here I am on the 6th of April having finished the shortlist. Here is a summary of my thoughts on the books, and who I think should win. (Let’s note though that I am in no way associated with this at all I totally just do this for fun!)

I was intrigued that there were similar themes among the books. For example Where the World Ends and Beyond the Bright Sea were quite similar. Like wise Saint Death and The Hate U Give could certainly have parallels drawn between them, about getting out of the spiral and trying for a better life. I do worry a little that The Hate U Give is quite embedded in current movements, and from that perspective potentially has an expiration date, where as Saint Death has the potential to be more timeless.

Patrick Ness up for his potential Hat-trick offered a very nice story on the journey of one boy in Release. However it felt quite similar to other Patrick Ness books and I was not totally sold.

Rook was good, but was quite simplistic, lacking any real character or plot development, and Wed Wabbit I would not want to every suggest anyone read.

What surprised me was although the books were quite different, the similarity between this list and last years list, dealing with some quite tough issues, and then the more ‘fun or light’ book thrown in there as well. What this year did lack – and I wonder if it shows a shift in what is being published and read at the moment – was any science fiction. Arguable there was still some speculative fiction, but it came in the form of historical fiction rather than looking to the future. I feel like it is also one of the first years without any dystopian titles in a little while. An interesting shift to writing more contemporary fiction that deals with real issues in the world?

Over all – if it was my choice…

I would give first place to After the Fire. I thought this was a brilliant book that looked at power and recovery and new life.

Second place I would give equally to The Hate U give and Beyond the Bright Sea

and the surprising fourth place would go to Saint Death.

Now we just need to wait for the 18th of June to see who really won!

Mrs K

 

Review: Saint Death

Saint Death by Marcus Sedgwick.

This was one of the books that I was least looking forward to. Initially I thought it was by the Author of Where the Wild Things Are, and then I realised that was wrong, but that I had read another of his books. (She is not Invisible) and I VERY strongly did not like it. I struggled with character development, plot holes, and a general lack of purpose.

However.

Saint Death was better than I expected, it was quite a compelling read. I finished it in one day, which I understand is not that uncommon for me – but was certainly not quite what I was expecting.

The one thing that I really loved about this book was his description.

“Then, on the second night, it came. At three in the morning, the world began to shake. Deep underground, fantastic leviathans from ancient times were stirred as the tracks vibrated. They forced their way to the surface, gasping for breath, and then the creatures emerged into the fetid night air of southern Mexico, and from around the bend in the forest, three dazzling eyes blinded Faustino with light.”

The description throughout the book was phenomenal, and was able to make the book come alive.

I also was really brought into the book by the dedication, which read:

This book is about other stories that occur over there, across the river.

The comfortable way to deal with these stories is to say they are about them.

The way to understand these stories is to say they are about us.

Charles Bowden (1945-2014)

This story, which took place only over a couple of days was able to show the extreme poverty, and more than that, the reason why people take such desperate chances. Desperate chances with gangs who will provide and income. Desperate chances with the desert which will kill them. Desperate chances by trusting people who should not be trusted. Desperate chances to make some money as a way out of the spiral.

Arturo and Faustino are two brothers who find themselves in very similar situations but got there from very different methods, we see each of them hit breaking point and follow their spiral as they do what they can to get out.

Each chapters is interspersed with little excerpts from other things, internet chats between people, definitions, which give you a glimpse of how people perceive the people that we are reading about.

Overall the story is very well written, and engaging. I enjoyed the cyclic nature, although that in itself was able to hit hard.

I would recommend this book to readers of all levels, with those at year 12 and 13 probably having the capacity to understand it on a different level. It deals with a different aspect of isolation, and identity, but also looks at what makes family, and the way in which life can spiral out of control.

Mrs K

Genre: Adolescent Fiction, contemporary fiction, slice of life

Review: Passing For White

Passing for White. Written by Tanya Landman.

Two books read before lunch! That is pretty good going. It helps that this was another Novella. This was the last one I needed to read for my school competition (not that I have managed to find a team yet!) And, oddly enough the last book I have sitting around to be read! Not quite sure what to do since I still have 2 and a half days before I go back to work!! I am taking suggestions!

I really enjoyed this book. It is historical fiction, although written very simplistically, for young teenagers. It is set in 1848 in America’s deep south. In this book we follow the lives of fictional characters Rosa and Benjamin, two slaves who decide to do what they can to escape and have a life of freedom.

Written almost as a journal we see things, largely from Rosa’s view, and how her immense bravery is what is able to get them out of tight binds in a short time frame. The book then follows the couple for another couple of years and we are able to see the effects that pen on a piece of paper can have for destroying people’s lives.

A little bit of research post reading, tells me that Tanya Landman won the Carnegie Medal in 2015 for her  book Buffalo Soldiers, I may just have to pop that on a reading list – as certainly I enjoyed her easy to follow writing style, and the way she was able to make these characters come alive.

Because of the shortness, and relative straight forward plot line I would recommend this for our year nines and tens, and not any higher year levels. However it probably would need to be taught with an awareness that it could be a trigger for some students.

Over all – have a read – it was an easy and enjoyable read.

Mrs K

Genre: historical fiction, adolescent fiction, novella

PS: What is good? What can I read next!

Review: Rook

Rook. Written by Anthony McGowan

This is the second to last book I need to read off the Carnegie Shortlist. This book was A LOT shorter than I ever expected.

However, it was a really nice slice of life novella. The whole events of the book took place over two or three days. Starting with the Rook, and then following the lives of the Rook’s saviors, Kenny and Nicky.

I read it in one short sitting, the book itself is only 120 pages, and it was easy to read. The overall message or theme was also compelling, and was a very sweet story about believing that it will all be ok in the end. It also has a very sweet sense of family coming together.

I struggled with the structure. Given the whole first chapter was written from the Rook’s point of view, I struggled that the Rook then seemed to disappear into nothingness, and in fact disappear from the story altogether.

I also struggled with  he lack of emotion in the book. There was some anger, and a little bit of guilt but it was not well conveyed, and largely left me feeling confused. The trouble was too – because of the Novella aspect, there was less feeling towards the characters and even once you understood their back story there was no emotion or feeling that characters had got what they deserved or they didn’t deserve what they got.

The simplistic story line was good, like I said, and the fact that it is a novella, could make it really good for my students who struggle with reading, especially because it still has some grunt to it, despite the length.

I really liked the narrative style in the first chapter, and in the end I desperately wanted to like this book more than I did.

I see that this is part of a trilogy, and the books Pike and Brook tell the story of the earlier parts of Nicky’s and Kenny’s lives. Unfortunately even knowing that, and getting glimpses of the events that those earlier books will cover still does not make me want to go and read them. Which does sadden me a little bit because there were good things about the story and the characters.

It does offer the idea of a different type of isolation, however would not be suitable for connections or personal reading responses for anybody older than year 11. From a serious point of view, this could be a good book to purchase for our OLC classes at school.

Mrs K

Genre: Novella, Slice of Life, Contemporary fiction, adolescent fiction, Carnegie Shortlist