Soonchild - Russell Hoben

'Somewhere in the Arctic Circle, sixteen-face John, a shaman, learns that his first child, a soonchild, cannot hear the World Songs from her mother's womb. The World Songs are what inspire newborns to come out into the world, and John must find them for her. But how? The answer takes him through many lifetimes and many shape-shifts, as well as encounters with beasts, demons and a mysterious benevolent owl spirit, Ukpika, who is linked to John's past...'
 The illustrations that run throughout this book by Alexis Deacon are absolutely stunning and it is worth looking at for them alone. The text is incredibly beautiful and I found myself re-reading sections to absorb myself within the language - this is a challenging read but beautifully put together.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/mar/07/soonchild-russell-hoban-review

What are you reading?

The Brides of Rollrock Island - Margo Lanagan 


Rollrock island is a lonely rock of gulls and waves, blunt fishermen and their homely wives. Life is hard for the families who must wring a poor living from the stormy seas. But Rollrock is also a place of magic - the scary, salty-real sort of magic that changes lives forever. Down on the windswept beach, where the seals lie in herds, the outcast sea witch Misskaella casts her spells - and brings forth girls from the sea - girls with long, pale limbs and faces of haunting innocence and loveliness - the most enchantingly lovely girls the fishermen of Rollrock have ever seen. But magic always has its price. A fisherman may have and hold a sea bride, and tell himself that he is her master. But from his first look into those wide, questioning, liquid eyes, he will be just as transformed as she is. He will be equally ensnared. And in the end the witch will always have her payment.


I have always loved the Selkie myth and so was drawn to the story within this book, incredibly atmospheric you really feel like you are on the island and can almost feel the wind! It is bewitching and a great read.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/feb/10/brides-rollrock-islands-margo-lanagan-review

What are you reading?

Code Name Verity - Elizabeth Wein

'Two young women become unlikely friends during WWII...but then a vital mission goes wrong and one of the friends has to bail out of a faulty plane over France. She is captured by the Gestapo and becomes a prisoner of war. The story begins in 'Verity's' own words, as she writes her account for her captors. Truth or lies? Honour or betrayal? Everything they have ever believed is put to the test.' 

This was a recommended read and I am really glad that I chanced upon it. It is almost written in two halves and the first half is fantastic...but the second half weaves all of the story threads together and was just wonderful! I think that the thing that I liked the most is that the characters were incredibly real, they loved lipstick, boys, gossiping but they were also incredibly brave and intelligent. It will keep you guessing till the end and I'd be suprised if you didn't shed a few tears along the way. A fantastic read!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/mar/31/code-name-verity-wein-review

What are you reading?

After The Snow - S.D.Crockett

I found the voice of the main character 'Willo' a little strange to start with, but after a while I really liked this writing style and particularly the anger and naivety within the voice. This is a story that is set in our future, 2059 in a sixth ice age. Throughout the book you begin to discover how people have begun to form a new existance to survive, or not, and how much smaller the world has become. There are moments of extreme violence and suspense - which help you as a reader to truly imagine what this world has now become. It is a very thought provoking read and, I think very good.

"I'm gonna sit here in my place on the hill behind the house. Waiting. And watching. Ain't nothing moving down there. The valley look pretty bare in the snow. Just the house grey and lonely down by the river all frozen. I got to think what I'm gonna do now that everyone gone. But I got my dog head on. The dog gonna tell me what to do. The dog gonna help me. The house look proper empty - don't it dog? You just sit quiet in these rocks Willo."

What are you reading?

I Am Thomas - Libby Gleeson and Armin Greder

A beautifully illustrated story with a very strong message throughout, that it is okay to be different and not just to follow the crowd. I really enjoiyed reading it and its message.

'As the voices in his life crowd in on him, Thomas looks for another way. Powerful illustrations and a spare text make a parable of Thomas's journey, which reflects the courage we all need to find our passion and be ourselves. A masterful and compelling story.'

What are you reading?

Slated-Teri Terry

'Kyla's memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.

She's been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist,
and that they are giving her a second chance -
as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla's mind. Someone is
lying to her, and nothing is as it seems.
Who can she trust in her search for the truth?'

I thought that this was a really interesting concept for a book and that teenager readers would love the ideas, it reminded me a lot of the book 'Unwind' By Neal Shusterman. I liked the way that it linked in with the unrest and criminal riots that took place in the UK over the summer months and how a coalition government might deal with this type of situation if it had continued. When I reached the end I wanted to find out what happened next, which is a sure sign of a good book and I am sure that there will be a sequel!

What are you reading?

Mockingbird - Kathryn Erskine

'This is a heart-warming story of loss and recovery that won the American National Book Award 2010 - one of the most moving books you'll ever read. 11-year-old Caitlin has Asperger's syndrome, and has always had her older brother, Devon, to explain the confusing things around her. But when Devon is killed in a tragic school shooting, Caitlin has to try and make sense of the world without him. With her dad spending most of his time crying in the shower, and her life at school becoming increasingly difficult, it doesn't seem like things will ever get better again.'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/feb/03/mockingbird-kathryn-erskine-review