Book Review- Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Title: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

 Author: April Genevieve Tulchoke

Series:  Between #1

Published:  3 April 2014

Length:

Warnings: suicide

Source: publisher

Other Info: Book 2 will be called Between the Spark and the Burn.

Summary : You stop fearing the devil when you're holding his hand... Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White's sleepy, seaside town...until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet's crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Violet's grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who likes coffee and who kisses you in a cemetery... Violet's already so knee-deep in love, she can't see straight. And that's just how River likes it.

Review: Violet White has lived in Citizen Kane, a house out by the cliffs in a quiet seaside town, with her twin brother ever since their parents left to go travel Europe. Not much happens. Until River West turns up-good looking, charming, and someone for whom Violet falls head over heels in love. But as a child goes missing, a man kills himself, and other children hunt in graveyards for the Devil, Violet isn't scared.

I was very much looking forwards to this. The title, the tagline (you stop fearing the devil when he's holding your hand), the cover made it sound gorgeous.

It was gorgeous, though in a different way to what I was expecting. There's instalove, which is explained later in a way which makes you question all the love between River and Violet.

I really like the atmosphere and writing style of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. It's romantic, dark, and gothic, and also has touches of 20s glamour, with Freddie, Violet's grandmother, playing a key role in things She's probably my favourite character, despite the fact she's dead.

I liked the way the plot develops, especially with the unexpected arrival of River's family and the tensions between them.

I'm uncertain as to the actual devil-ness of various people, but that didn't really matter. The paranormal elements definitely enhanced the story, even if it was a little creepy at times (ie how it affects the relationship between Violet and River).

The ending, ie climax of the novel, was very unexpected, even though there had been vague hints throughout. I liked it. The very ending seemed a little too neat and tidy a finish, but was still nice.

Overall:  Strength 3.5, just more a 3, to a beautifully gothic romance with a little mystery running through it too.

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Author website |

Book Review-Who Framed Klaris Cliff? by Nikki Sheehan

Title: Who Framed Klaris Cliff?

 Author:  Nikki Sheehan

Series:   N/A

Published: 6 February 2014 by OUP Oxford

Length: 264 pages

Source: publisher

Summary :  People used to call them 'friends' and said how they were good for your brain. And then a day came when all that changed . . . when they became our enemy. Now, anyone found harbouring a rogue imaginary person is in for the Cosh, an operation that fries your imagination and zaps whatever's in there, out of existence. That's why I wish Klaris Cliff had never shown up. And why I know that proving her innocence is the last hope I have of saving myself.

Review: In this world, invisible friends are dangerous. Anyone found to have one is sent for the COSH, a procedure that shrinks the area of the imagination that an invisible friend will reside in. Klaris Cliff is one such invisible friend. An imaginary person who contacts Flea, and later, Joseph. As bad things go on at the Cliff household, Doctor Cliff wants Klaris gone, and it's up to Joseph to prove her innocence.

I hadn't heard of this until the OUP night for this and Storm and Stone, but upon hearing  about this, I definitely wanted  to read it. The first thing I heard about it was “What if someone can kill your imaginary friend”, which caught my attention, as it must have caught Sheehan's.

You very quickly get a feel for this world, which is slightly dystopian for the way that the COSH and its threat rules over the children. You also quickly get to know the characters, the friendship between them, and the sibling relationships seem real.

The characters all have their individual quirks that make them likable, unique and funny at times. The twins are especially cute (and a little gross in parts). Despite the fact most of them are younger than I normally read about, they're really nice to get to know.

The mystery uncovering works nicely, and I liked the way it all panned out at the end. Sheehan also wrote in less mystery, more family parts, which I found a nice touch, rounding out Joseph and giving him a bit more of a life.

I like the fact that one little detail that you think isn't going to be major, just a bit of back-story to explain where Joseph is today, is quite important, and leads to a satisfying, kind of heart-warming but also sad, conclusion.

The idea of the COSH is very very scary.

Overall:  Strength 4 tea to a slightly younger mystery that people of all ages should read.

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Author website | 

Book Review- Trouble by Non Pratt

Title:  Trouble

 Author:  Non Pratt

Series:  N/A

Published:  6 March 2014 by Walker

Length:364 pages

Source: publisher

Other info: this is Non’s debut novel.

Summary : A boy. A girl. A bump. Trouble.Hannah’s smart and funny ... she’s also fifteen and pregnant. Aaron is new at school and doesn’t want to attract attention. So why does he offer to be the pretend dad to Hannah’s unborn baby? Growing up can be trouble but that’s how you find out what really matters.

Review: Hannah is fifteen and pregnant. And she won't tell anyone who the father is. Aaron is the new boy at school whose father is a teacher. Aaron offers to pretend to be the father. Hannah agrees. Trouble ensues.

I read this because everyone was saying how good it is. I am very glad I followed everyone's advice.

I would very much like to congratulate the cover designers. It's eyecatching, instantly tells you what  Trouble is about, and doesn't make it seem off-putting at all.

Hannah is very frank throughout her narration, while Aaron is a bit more secretive. I liked the contrast between the two styles, and I think Non did very well at differentiating the two. She also gets teenage thought processes, priorities and ideas really well.

I loved the characters so much. Neville, the old man that Aaron visits. especially-he doesn't seem very nice to start with, but as you learn more about him, you feel emotionally connected to him. All the characters are real, likable, and stick with you. Watching Aaron and Hannah  develop is really nice, and the diverse supporting characters make a great cast.

When we found out who the father is, I was just “Woah. Yeah, I can see why you'd want to keep that hidden. This makes the story infinitely more interesting.” The plot comes along really well, and I loved reading it.

I find it odd that the teachers don't have much involvement, what with Hannah being fifteen and pregnant at school. Jim (YaYeahYeah)said  it's because Non doesn't want to come across as judgy, which I totally get and totally love the lack of preachy message, but it just took away a little bit of realism from an otherwise really believable story-I'm fairly sure that if anyone at my school got pregnant, everyone would be freaking out. It's also weird reading this when I did- I am in the year that will be coming up to GCSEs. It's scary to read this. Not bad scary, but good.

I loved reading all the sideplots other than the main one about teenage pregnancy, which, instead of just supporting it, were each equally good.

Overall:  Strength 4 tea to a wonderfully real contemporary.

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Author twitter | 

Daugters of Time Blog Tour, with Penny Dolan and Marry Wollstonecraft

Hi guys! Today, I'm a stop on the tour for the Daughters of Time book, which is an anthology by The History Girls and edited by Mary Hoffman. When I heard about this book, which is all about awesome women through history (just so we're clear, I love women and history), I was just "Yes. Going to read that some day".

Today, we have Penny Dolan, who writes about "Why I Chose Mary Wollstonecraft" (extract from Daughters of Time, published by Templar)

---

I chose Mary because she called for girls to be well-educated, for men and women to live as equal partners, and for the rights of both men and women in an age when only a few men had the power to vote.

I also admire Mary because, unlike many famous women, she was not aristocratic or wealthy.

She came from a troubled, unsettled family. At a time when prettiness and wealth were essential for ‘a good marriage’, Mary had little fortune or great beauty. However, she was incredibly determined: given little formal schooling, she educated herself, gaining a reputation as an outspoken writer, intellectual and journalist. Even so, Mary’s headstrong, passionate personality did not make her life easy, happy or long.

I based this story on a visit mentioned in Mary’s published letters about a trip to Scandinavia, trying to imagine how a young girl might feel on meeting the remarkable Mary at a certain moment
in her own life.

---

Thank you, Penny! I've just read Penny's story, and it's quietly good. A review of the whole anthology will come later.

Daughters of Time by The History Girls, edited by Mary Hoffman
£6.99 Templar Publishing. Out now.

Book Review-Last God Standing by Michael Boatman

Title: Last God Standing

 Author: Michael Boatman

Series: First in series.  

Published:  April 3 2014 by Angry Robot

Length: 400 pages

Source Publishers:

Other info: Book 2, Who Wants to be the Prince of Darkness comes Spring 2015

Summary : When God decides to quit and join the human race to see what all the fuss is about, all Hell breaks loose.Sensing his abdication, the other defunct gods of Earth’s vanquished pantheons want a piece of the action He abandoned.Meanwhile, the newly-humanised deity must discover the whereabouts and intentions of the similarly reincarnated Lucifer, and block the ascension of a murderous new God.How is he ever going to make it as a stand-up comedian with all of this going on…?

Review:  Yahweh, aka the Abrahamic god, has decided he's had enough of being God.  Therefore, he quits, joins the Human Race and tries to live life as a stand-up comic. However, with gods of old pantheons trying to take his place, and a now-human Lucifer to deal with, this isn't going to be easy.

I was really looking forwards to this. Multiple pantheons, all the myths, all wrapped up with a big dose of comedy? Right up my street.

It starts off well. The dramatis personae sets up an interesting c premise, featuring my favourite gods from various mythologies, plus a few more I was less familiar with.

Lando has a good voice. I liked him and his comedy could be good if it wasn't wrapped up in a whole load of other stuff. I also liked Yuri, Lando's family, and Suhrabi. I love the way the gods are presented-Zeus and the Morrigan especially.

The thing that let it down most was the plot, and the way it just went ways I don't really get. The bit with Hannibal got good at the start, then relaxed a bit earlier than I  was expecting. The whole thing with Lucifer, Gabriel and the angels was very predictable, but turned out well. But then there's this whole bit in the middle where I think Lando swaps bodies or something with another guy. I say I think. I honestly don't know what happened there, but it changed Lando for the last quarter of the book. Also, the god battles, while fun, were also a bit confusing in that they went everywhere in time and space and were hard to follow.

Also, I didn't get the comedy that I was promised, apart from in small bits ie  introduction of the gods. Or maybe it just wasn't my kind of humour. Either way, sadness from that. 

Despite this, I will read book two. Just because  Hell. And game shows.

Overall:  Strength 2 tea to a book with a really good premise that just wasn't put together as well as I was hoping.

Links: Amazon | Goodreads | Author website |

Cover Reveal- Delete by Kim Curran

You know how much I love these books, where if you want, you can change a decision you made, even if it's not always for the best...
Anyway, Kim Curran's Shift was released December 2012 and Control was released last August (me: seriously??? How has the time gone past?)   And this August, DELETE is being released. And here's the cover.

Given Control's giant cliffhanger, and the firey colours  on the cover of this, I'm expecting big things from Delete!

I also like the way that the stakes seem to have gotten higher as the series progresses- look at the background- warehouse to modern city skyscrapery things to the Houses of Parliament.  Exciting.

Finally, did I ever tell you about Kim's other project, Glaze? No? Well, check it out here. It looks awesome. 

Book Review- Death and Mr. Right by Kendra L. Saunders

 

Title: Death and Mr Right

 Author: Kendra L  Saunders

Series:  N/A

Published:  1 October 2013 by Spence City

Length: 264 pages

Source: Spence City Share Group (Thanks Kayleigh)

Summary :  It is March 32nd, the day that doesn't exist, and Death, the agent of nightmares, has been demoted and exiled to live among mortals for the rest of his unnaturally long life. Everyone knows They don't look lightly on important items getting lost or an agent falling in love.
Can the diva-like Death navigate the modern world, recover what was stolen from him (the names of the damned ooops!) and get his job back? Or will he fall in love with Lola, the pretty thief who got him into all this trouble in the first place?

Review: Death is the agent of nightmares. Well, was. He's just been fired and exiled to life among humans because he lost some paperwork and now wants to try and find Lola, the thief who stole them, and get his job back. As long as he doesn't fall in love.

I read this book purely because of the title. When I read the summary, it wasn't what I was expecting from the  title, but still it sounded good.

Death and Lola are both absolutely adorable.  They're both funny, Death especially with his thought processes , and I found myself  just really wanting to be friends with them and Mr Right, who seemed like a more secondary character than his being named in the title. Also, I loved Death's blue hair. Just because. Blue hair.

This is most definitely  primarily comedy. Standout moments include  Death on earth at the start  and Death finding his obituary. The plot aside from this is good, involving someone who wants to be the next agent of nightmares, and so tries to stop Death getting his job back. It's paced well- reading it isn't difficult.

I saw someone else compare this to the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. I agree with this comparison-both are crazy, unpredictable fun comedies. This just has a  more romance and  has supernatural elements and bureaucracy instead of space and aliens.

Overall:  Strength 3.5, just more a 3, to a light hearted, dark contented, romcom.

Links: Amazon |  Goodreads | Author website | 

Theatre Review- The Collected by Dominic Bray

This will be on at the Oxford Firestation on Thursday 6 March. You should totally go and see it.

Title: The Collected

Writer: Dominic Bray

Performed by: Timeless Theatre Productions
Directed by: Hannah Phillips

Major cast: Rebecca Bujeda, Alex Hudson, Declan Kitchener, David Cox

Seen at: Bucks New Uni

Warnings: abuse

Review: Lily, after growing up with an abusive father, lives with neighbours Tom and his aunt Maggie. Tom and Lily's friendship grows, as does Tom's love for Lily. But then everything goes wrong. War breaks out and young men are called to the front line. There, Tom becomes best friends with Eddie. Meanwhile, Lily leaves for London and trains as a nurse. Later, Eddie is injured and is sent back to Lily’s hospital. Love and life tangle as death watches over them all.

I went because one of my friends is a cast member (Eddie) and it was advertised as something inspired my Marcus Zusak (I loved The Book Thief with all my heart) so of course I had to go.

The first act is mostly character and relationship exposition, with comedy, and a little seriousness. It was nice to watch, and but felt a little dragged out in some places. The second act was where the major conflict happens, and this was really intriguing to watch as relationships change with simple actions.

Maggie, the nurses, and Eddie provide comedic relief in the first act, with words, actions, and, in Eddies case, getting Tommy to make out passionately with his helmet. In the second act, we see completely different sides to them, which I liked.

I really like the fact that Death is ALWAYS  on stage, in the shadows, observing, and narrating as scenes change. I also find it interesting that he always has a drink with him. He does however have a tendency to spoil things, which takes away from the emotional impact of certain things happening.

The girl who plays Lily is a really good actress-emotion pours off her, and you really feel for Lily. I also liked Tom and Eddie, and Maggie. Tom, I feel bad for in the way his character developed after the war takes its toll on him.  The ending isn’t particularly happy, and is satisfying when it does end (towards the end, there’s Death interrupting to make little speeches more and more which made me think that it was going to end when the story wasn’t done yet, but luckily that didn’t happen.

Overall: Strength 4 tea to a small production that pulls you in from the start and doesn't let you go.