REVIEW: Replica - Jack Heath

GENRE: Dystopa/Futuristic
PAGES: 256
PUBLISHER: OUP
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

'Whose body is that on the table?' I ask. She stares at me, as though the answer is obvious. 'It's yours,' she says. Before I have time to scream, she types a command on the keyboard. My consciousness whirls away like storm water down a drain. Chloe wakes up to find all her memories have been wiped. And the only person who knows what happened is a teenage girl who looks and sounds exactly like her. Who is she? And what does she want? Chloe is running out of time to discover the truth. But she's in even more danger than she realizes, and nothing is as it seems ...

REVIEW

The opening chapters are honestly some of the best of any book that I've read and it doesn't really relent right up until the end. Chloe (which ever one, trying to the review as spoiler free as I can) is an admirable character, she is a 'machine' with strength and determination that you will not believe. The only thing that let this down for me was a bit of a lacklustre ending, however I'll let this off as I'm almost certain that this was done to allow for a sequel, that would tie-up some of those loose ends.

With incredibly striking cover art, Replica is exactly the type of book you'll highly recommend to friends and then you'll soon realise that you've started a trend! The style and pace of the book means that you'll probably read it in a few sittings or even one long night if you've got the stamina, which I don't! This is a smart YA novel that is action-packed and thought provoking, that raises some really interesting debate.

- Adam.

REVIEW: Journey to the River Sea

PAGES: 320
PUBLISHER: Macmillan
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

It is 1910 and Maia, tragically orphaned at thirteen, has been sent from England to start a new life with distant relatives in Manaus, hundreds of miles up the Amazon. She is accompanied by an eccentric and mysterious governess who has secret reasons of her own for making the journey. Both soon discover an exotic world bursting with new experiences in this highly colourful, joyous adventure.

REVIEW

Beginning in 1910 Edwardian England, 'Journey to the River Sea' by Eva Ibbotson tells the story of Maia, a thirteen year old orphan who is being sent to start a new life with relatives thousands of miles away....up the Amazon river! She doesn't travel alone however, as she is joined by her strange and unfathomable governess (Miss Minton) who secretly wants to take the journey for reasons of her own.

The world they encounter along the way is just as exotic as they had predicted, complete with new experiences and characters that they would never have met back at home. For Maia, the journey is intriguing and astonishing, yet when they finally arrive at their destination of Manaus, things aren't quite as planned. The long lost family they are to stay with are nothing if not odd, Mr Carter has tucked himself away from 'modern life', his wife is scared of the world around them and the less said about their twins...the better! All of this is sent to test Maia and Miss Minton but they take it all in their stride and they soon begin to enjoy the way of the Amazon.

This book is so beautifully written and the description of the surroundings, people and world in which Maia now lives will whisk you away with her. For me this was the quintessential story for children, featuring excellent characters with brilliant narration from Maia, lovely and vivid storytelling and subtle moral undertones (as is to be expected from stories like this). 

Journey to the River Sea reminded me of The Water Babies by Reverend Charles Kingsley as some of the themes are quite similar. I also couldn't help but think of Roald Dahl too as the descriptive passages are also very reminiscent of some of Dahl's books for earlier readers such as Esio Trot and The Magic Finger.

This was a very enjoyable read which is perfect for all ages but would be more suited for older children/younger teens as the underlying theme of finding your place in the world, separate from your guardians prevails throughout.

- Adam.

REVIEW: The Dark Inside - Rupert Wallis

PAGES: 368
PUBLISHER: Simon and Schuster
FORMAT: Hardback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

SUMMARY

The House on the Hill has been abandoned for as long as James can remember. So when he discovers Webster, a drifter, hiding there, he's instantly curious about the story behind the homeless man. What is he running from? Afflicted by a dark curse, Webster is no longer who he used to be. But there is said to be a cure and it might just be that by helping Webster, James will find some solace of his own. Together they embark on a journey, not knowing that what they discover will impact them both in ways they never imagined..

REVIEW

James is a 13 year old boy who is struggling to deal with the death of his mother and his new life with his stepfather (similar to the underlying story in The Year of The Rat by Clare Furniss). His only escape is an abandoned house that he visits frequently when he needs to be by himself. However, his whole world is flipped upside down when one day he discovers a man staying in the single place that he can call his own. The man, Webster, is apparently on the run from something and someone...something dark and evil.

Webster confides in James that he has been cursed and that he will soon 'change', unless a cure is found! Both James and Webster have difficulties with normal life and find a certain amount of comfort and understanding within each other that they soon bond. James opens up about his home life and Webster trusts James enough to tell him about his often harrowing past serving in Iraq.

I found both of the main characters to be genuine and easy to empathise with, even though there aren't too many things that I share in common with either. The various trials and tribulations that have occurred for both characters in the past and present will certainly strike a chord for readers of varying ages.

This sounds like the ultimate book cliché, but there were twists and turns a-plenty throughout the whole book, a couple of which took me in complete surprise and kept me interested to see what the outcome would be for both. Not sure if anyone else will notice this, but I found that the more fast-paced the action was, the shorter the chapters were, while the more emotional and dialogue driven parts were longer and more wordier. This is in no way a criticism (or not a negative one at least) as I found this helped keep a steady pace throughout.

The Dark Inside is about one third fantasy and two thirds modern teenage novel, complete with brilliant character depth, warmth and feeling. Come at this with a slightly open mind and enjoy the tale as it unfolds.

-- I'd like to thank the great people at Simon & Schuster for sending me a wonderful Exclusive Signed and Limited Edition of this (number 329 of 1000 to be precise!), you can follow them on Twitter at @simonschuster and @simonkids_UK) --

- Adam.

(@the_drums)

REVIEW: Dragon Shield - Charlie Fletcher

PAGES: 258
PUBLISHER: Hodder
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 3 Stars

This book is due to be published on 3/07/14

SUMMARY

The start of a thrilling, action-packed trilogy from Charlie Fletcher, set in a world where statues come to life and dragons and heroes battle. Something dark has woken in the British Museum, and it has stopped time, literally freezing the city in its tracks. The people are there, but unmoving, unseeing - like statues. The statues, on the other hand, can move, and are astonished at what they see. In the Great Ormond Street Hospital, Will and Jo are suddenly plunged into this world of statues - and find themselves pursued by murderous dragons. With help from a couple of friendly statues, Will and Jo must escape the evil that stalks them in the streets of London.

REVIEW

Following on from the ever popular (and rightly so) 'Stoneheart' Trilogy comes Dragon Shield, the first in an all new trilogy of books from Charlie Fletcher. The brilliantly written 'Stoneheart', its follow up 'Ironhand' and ITS follow up Silvertongue will be hard to beat but Charlie is definitely up for giving it a go.

Set within the same realm as the previous trilogy, Dragon Shield tells the story of Will and Jo who are thrust into a mysterious world of which they only dreamt, however this world comes with its fair share of consequences, one which is fire-breathing dragons. With the streets of London as a backdrop, Will and Jo must adapt to a world of statues that are able to come to life and terrorise those who dare step in their paths.

The synopsis for this books reads; "Something dark has woken in the British Museum, and it has stopped time, literally freezing the city in its tracks. The people are there, but unmoving, unseeing - like statues. The statues, on the other hand, can move, and are astonished at what they see.". The perfect summary of a thrilling, twisting and turning novel that is bound to excite and invigorate all ages.

This reader found it to be well written, not too simplistic (as can be expected from other books of this type), with good character progression and emotion in bounds. The ideal start for younger readers looking to explore new genres. And there's Dragons, what's not to love.

- Adam.

REVIEW: Waiting For Gonzo - Dave Cousins

PAGES: 256
PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press
FORMAT: Paperback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 3 Stars

SUMMARY

Meet Oz ...he's got a talent for trouble but his heart's always in the right place (well, nearly always). Uprooted from his friends and former life, Oz finds himself stranded in the sleepy village of Slowleigh. When a joke backfires on the first day at his new school, Oz attracts the attention of Isobel Skinner, the school psycho - but that's just the beginning. After causing an accident that puts his mum in hospital, Oz isn't exactly popular at home either. His older sister's no help, but then she's got a problem of her own ...one that's growing bigger by the day. Oz knows he's got to put things right, but life isn't that simple, especially when the only people still talking to you are a hobbit-obsessed kid and a voice in your own head! Packed with action, heart and humour, Waiting for Gonzo takes you for a white-knuckle ride on the Wheel of Destiny as it careers out of control down the Hillside of Inevitability. The question is, do you go down laughing? Or grit your teeth and jump off?

REVIEW

Having not read a tremendous amount of Teenage Fiction (except what I read when I was actually still a teenager) I wasn’t sure what to think of this at first. However, I must admit that this judgement was based primarily on the cover of the book. I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I couldn’t help but be put off by the bright shiny cover, but I really shouldn’t have made this judgement, as the book is a perfect example of how Teen Fiction can be so excellent!

Oz finds himself in a new village, removed from a life he once knew and removed from his best friends. After starting at his new school, he soon attracts the attention of the ‘school psycho’ Isobel Skinner, who he quickly grows an affection for. He soon ends up on the bad-side of most people and he knows that he needs to put things right, one way or another. His sister gets pregnant, his mom is involved in an accident (that he helped cause), his only friend is as geeky as they come and to top it all off he’s talking to a voice inside his own head.

Books like this prove that fiction aimed at young adults doesn’t always have to follow the typical ideas of vampires, witches and wizards, etc. (that’s not to knock HP, Twilight, Half Bad etc). They can, however, deal with ‘proper’ issues that most teenagers have to come up against in daily life such as family, love and new emotions. ‘Waiting For Gonzo’ tells us that it’s okay to be different; it’s okay to not always get along with your family; it’s okay to get into trouble (sometimes, and for a good reason) and more importantly that it’s okay to stand up for what you think is best.

Dave Cousins has a fluid writing style that makes reading his work effortless but not boring. This is the ideal book for fans of reading stories about realistic lives that they can appreciate and relate to. I’ll be sure to check out Cousins’ other books as soon as I’ve read the rest of my pile!

- Adam. 

Adam's Antics: REVIEW - Year of the Rat

Welcome to Adam's Antics! Here you fill find reviews of both recent and up & coming YA titles that i've read. I'm a relatively new Bookseller and as so i'm still trying to read a bit of everything from all over our wonderful 5 floors but YA is something that i'd love to get the chance to read more of. Let me know what you think of my reviews, whether you've read the same book and any suggested titles you may have read yourselves. But more than anything, keep reading YA!!

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This week I'm reviewing The Year of the Rat by Clare Furniss:

PAGES: 320

PUBLISHER: Simon and Schuster
FORMAT: Hardback
BUY IT: Waterstones
RATING: 4 Stars

PUBLICATION DATE: 24/04/14

This review refers to an uncorrected advance edition.

SUMMARY

I always thought you'd know, somehow, if something terrible was going to happen. I thought you'd sense it, like when the air goes damp and heavy before a storm and you know you'd better hide yourself away somewhere safe until it all blows over. But it turns out it's not like that at all. There's no scary music playing in the background like in films. No warning signs. Not even a lonely magpie. One for sorrow, Mum used to say. Quick, look for another. The world can tip at any moment … a fact that fifteen-year-old Pearl is all too aware of when her mum dies after giving birth to her baby sister. Told across the year following her mother's death, Pearl's story is full of bittersweet humour and heartbreaking honesty about how you deal with grief that cuts you to the bone, as she tries not only to come to terms with losing her mum, but also the fact that her sister - The Rat - is a constant reminder of why her mum is no longer around…

REVIEW

This is one of the most refreshing books i've read in some months. Not normally something that I would pick up but I was intrigued by the story and I always like to read an authors' first offering if possible so this was a no-brainer for me really. We start by learning that Pearl (a young teenage girl) has fairly recently lost her mother during childbirth which has left her living with her step-father and newly born baby sister. Her sister is not someone that she even wants to attempt to get to know or even see as she, in Pearl's eyes, is the source of all her anguish and despair due to her mother's death 'because' of her.

I won't go into any further detail about that particular relationship but 'The Rat' really is the source of Pearl's depression and the story unfolds around that relationship and how Pearl is now going to deal with the given situation.

With a little help from a familiar face Pearl learns to come to terms with her loss, eventually, and begins to try and move on with her new life. Exceptionally well written, again especially from a debut author, and extremely emotional in parts (I foolishly read the end of the book on my break in the staff room at work) it will no doubt ignite some sort of feeling within you, good or bad. The characters are well developed and the friendships and romance that Pearl does allow during the story are meaningful and well told. Very difficult to put down and easy to read in one or two sittings if you invest that time in the book.

Certainly an author that i'll be looking out for in the future.

- Adam.