Tuesday 20 October 2015

Blog Tour! Monster by C J Skuse (Young Adult, 10E/10E)



 September 2015, Mira Ink, 320 pages, Paperback, Review copy  

 Content: lots of thrills, some gore, tension, murder, eep moments, cute moments, funny moments 
 

Book summary
 At sixteen Nash thought that the fight to become Head Girl of prestigious boarding school Bathory would be the biggest battle she’d face. Until her brother’s disappearance leads to Nash being trapped at the school over Christmas with Bathory’s assorted misfits.

As a blizzard rages outside, strange things are afoot in the school’s hallways, and legends of the mysterious Beast of Bathory – a big cat rumoured to room the moors outside the school – run wild.

Yet when the girls’ Matron goes missing it’s clear that something altogether darker is to blame – and that they’ll have to stick together if they hope to survive.

Nayu's thoughts 
I love C J's work, although I'm not able to read all of it due to content (I'm not a zombie girl, which her book Dead Romantic was about), I was thrilled to read Monster. 
 I could only read this in daylight, and when I wasn't on my own. My spine was tingling as the boarding school story got creepier and darker. It's supremely awesome! I absolutely adore Tabby, the thought of a 6 year old being away from her parents tweaked my heart, but I do understand why she had to be there. I hated how she was bullied by the resident mean girl. I lived for the scenes with Tabby in! She is crucial to the story, as is the wintry weather which enthralled me as much as it entrapped all those in the murderer's grasp, whose identity was a surprise and had me wanting to reread it straight away just to see where all the hints were. 

Nash struggles with her missing brother remarkably well, considering the other goings on around her. She is plucky, puts others first, does have her weaker moments but they just made her more realistic. There are all the typical boarding school themes (team work, not so great food, teachers who seem evil, info about dorm life, after lesson activities etc) While talking with C J on Twitter (I think, it might have been by email as I read this a while ago) she said there  might be another story using some of the characters, so watch this space! 

For the latest news follow C J on Twitter @ceejaytheauthor 

 The book is available to buy at many bookstores including NRC affiliate Foyles.  

Suggested read
Another of C J's books which I enjoyed is Rockaholic by C J Skuse (Young Adult, 8/10E)

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