Ultraviolet by R J Anderson

June 2011, Orchard Books 

416 pages, Paperback

Review copy

Young Adult

Themes: light colour and sound spectrum, psychiatric hospitals, living with mental illness, coping with isolation, effects of medication, shutting out the world, misinterpreting people, hint of abuse, treated like a criminal, lots of tension, tissues will be needed. 

Summary from Orchard Books

Once upon a time there was a girl who was special. 

This is not her story. 

Unless you count the part where I killed her. 

Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery, no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori - the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right? 

Nayuleska's reasons for loving Alison...she is so scared and unsure of the situation she finds herself in but she doesn't stop trying to find a way out. She sees most people in the wrong light, but realises the truth at the end and becomes a better person. 

Is there another character who deserves a mention? Tori reminds me of Lilah's friend in The Taming of Lilah May by Vanessa Curtis (no I can't remember the friend's name...) 

How evil/nasty is the enemy? When evil psychiatrists are trying to get you to say you killed someone you don't think you did, you will see danger in every world you hear from them and become paranoid. 

Are there lots of plot twists and surprises? Just as I thought I'd figured the story out, suddenly the world got turned on its head. There's all the feel of Knife in the spunky characters, and something new which suits the genre. 

One of my favourite parts was...when Alison was finally believed by the one person who had rejected her. 

This seriously wow read gets 10/10 for having me hooked for the last few hours as I read what felt like an episode of Star Gate, minus the goaulds. 

Suggested read

Definite check out Zelah Green: One More Little Problem by Vanessa Curtis, which is without the science fiction parts of Ultraviolet, and explores mental illness. 

The History Keepers: The Storm Begins by Damian Dibben (Children's, 9 years +)

September 2011, Doubleday Children's 

464 pages, Hardback 

Review copy 

Children's, 9 years +

Themes: time travel, family separation, tragedy, living in different eras of history, secrets, lies, subterfuge, snakes (just what is it with villains and snakes?) lots of thrills, heaps of humour especially at the darkest moments

Summary from Random House Children's Books

Imagine if you lost your parents - not just in place, but in time. 

Jake Djones' mum and dad have gone missing and they could be anywhere in the world - at any time in history. Because the Djones family have an astonishing secret, which for years they've managed to keep - even from each other. They belong to the HISTORY KEEPERS: a secret society which travels through the centuries to prevent evil enemies from meddling with History itself. 

In the quest to find his parents, Jake is whisked from 21st Century London to 19th century France, the headquarters of the mysterious History Keepers, where he discovers the truth about his family's disappearance - and the diabolical Prince Zeldt's plan to destroy the world as we know it. 

Nayuleska's thoughts

Jake is quite bold, uses his head (most of the time), is quick on his feet and adapts to the situation. He sometimes lets his heart rule his head. I absolutely love all his friends, they each have distinctive personalities which had me laughing away, even when I couldn't see a way out for them. I even love how nasty the villains are, they made me want to hide out of sight because their plans are extremely evil. 

I'm given this 9/10 because initially I didn't feel there was a lot of conflict at the beginning. I confess to skim reading a few pages at the end because I'm pretty terrified of snakes and my imagination is already good enough in that area of the animal kingdom.

Check out The History Keepers website, where you can play fun games and learn lots more about the characters. 

Suggested read

Do try out the equally hilarious The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan 

Starring Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson, (Children's, 9 years +)

March 2011, Corgi

208 pages, Paperback

Review copy 

Children's, 9 years + 

Themes: school life, school play,  hopes, hardship, dreams - both obtainable and unobtainable, a child's imagination, lots of laughs, a few tissues needed

Summary from Random House Children's Books

Tracy Beaker is back...and she's just desperate for a role in her school play. They're performing A Christmas Carol and for one extremely worrying moment, the irrepressible Tracy thinks she might not even get to play one of the unnamed street urchins. But then she is cast in the main role. Can she manage to act grumpy, difficult and sulky enough to play Ebeneezer Scrooge? Well, she does have a lot of help on that front from Justine Pain-In-The-Bum Littlewood...

Nayuleska's thoughts

Tracy truly is a unique child, both in the ways she looks at things, and how she responds to all life throws at her. I felt really sorry for her because she gets ideas into her head and that's all she can think of. Reality striking isn't always pleasant for her, but her emotions are something everyone can relate to, no matter the family circumstance. She made me both laugh and cry. 

This gets a solid 9/10. 

Check out more about Tracy and Jacqueline on her website.

Suggested read

Definitely make sure you read book one, where it all started: The Story of Tracy Beaker

The Green Line by Polly Farquharson (Children's, Picture Book)

If you want to find out more about this book constructed mostly of photos, head over to Picture Book Shelf, a new blog solely for picture books!

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy (Young Adult)

September 2011, Frances Lincoln

352 pages, Paperback

Review copy

Young Adult

Themes: Life in Afghanistan, disfigurement, living with being different, hope, disappointment, smashing of rose tinted glasses, working alongside the military, hard work, families, love and friendship, education, having a future, being able to eat, drink and smile. Lots of tissues needed

Summary from Frances Lincoln

Zulaikha hopes. She hopes for peace, now that the Taliban have been driven out of Afghanistan. She hopes for a better relationship with her hard stepmother. And she hopes one day even to go to school. Then she meets Meena, who offers to teach her the poetry she once taught her mother. And the Americans come to the village, promising not just new opportunities, but surgery to mend Zulaikha's face. But can Zulaikhar dare to hope they will come true? 

Nayuleska's thoughts 

I often wondered what is like in Afghanistan for 'normal' children. Zulaikha has a bit of a tough time because of her cleft lip, but she's a strong one. Life goes on as much as it can while the army are about. She keeps fighting. Her journey is a harsh one, with its own personal tragedies which rank alongside the joys. They echo the hope that the military can bring to other children like her, to give them a place in the community, although people are reluctant to change their views so readily. Zulaika begins to stand on her own two feet, and make her impact on the world she lives in, something she couldn't do before seeing the Americans. 

This heart warming, hope giving and tearful tale is very impressionable, and worth 10/10. 

Suggested reading

For a powerful read, try Morris Gleitzman's Now 

What are you reading? #85

What are you reading on Monday? is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Home Girl's Book Blog where you post books completed last week and plans for upcoming books. Jump over to her blog and see who else is participating.


Books I've read this week

 

 

Shugo Chara! Volume 1 by Peach-Pit

Manga (English translation), Young Adult

It has a fantastic concept and seriously cute illustrations!

10/10

 

 

 

How about you, fellow readers?  What have you read this week?

The comments are open....

 

 

Guest blog post by Teresa Flavin: 5 eras in time I'd like to go to and why

After reading her thrilling books, as part of the promotion for The Crimson Shard (Link to follow soon), Teresa very kindly wrote about 5 eras she would like to have travelled to and why. I can see where she gets all her ideas for her stories from - there's just so much scope in all the historical eras. 


Time Travelling
When I began thinking about the top five eras in history I'd like to visit, I thought they fell into two straightforward categories: Heavenly and Hellish. But I realised that each had its upsides and downsides as well, and that as a time-traveller, my experience would very much depend upon whether I walked among the rich or the poor. 


If I could cross time, like Sunni and Blaise, my teenager characters in The Blackhope Enigma and The Crimson Shard, I'd go to mid-1750's London like they did and see it for myself. Their experience of this filthy, lawless city is Hellish because of the dire circumstances they find themselves in, and it's far from the glossy, indulgent lifestyles of the rich. But Sunni and Blaise do also experience the opulent side of Georgian life: large houses, entertainments and costumes. As an artist, all these dark and light elements attract me greatly and play a big part in the 'film' that is running in my head when I write Of course I'd want to wear a huge dress and a fantastic wig, or even an outrageous costume to an over-the-top  ball, but I'd also want to experience the edginess of London street life. 


My second journey across time would to (Heavenly) 16th Centure Venice, where I would hopefully be transported into a painter's studio. If I were especially lucky, I would be on hand to see Titian or Veronese working. Not only would I be privy to their ways of painting, but I'd also be in one of the most beautiful cities in the world - and one of the most powerful and prosperous of the Renaissance. I made Fausto Corvo, the enigmatic painter at the root of The Blackhope Enigma, a Venetian, and imagined him navigating the canals and maze-like squares, on the run from his enemy, Soranzo. Even the most beautiful cities have terrifying dark sides. 


I would be back in Hellish territory for my third journey: 17th century London in 1665-66. But I would only do this if I were immune from all disease and able to escape quickly, for this was the period of the Great Plague and then the Great Fire. My fascination for this dramatic time was at its height when I was in art school and did an illustrated history of the Plague year. I learned everything about rats and buboes and plague doctors, but I also listened to music of the time and studied the work of painters like Sir Peter Lely, a prolific portrait artist. I have a particular liking for the fashions of the period: swashbuckling boots with bows, daring necklines on dresses and lots of high wigs. 


I'd leave Europe for my fourth (and Heavenly) trip to the past and visit India under the Mughal emperors, Akbar and Jahangir, in the late 16th and early 17th century, when their artists were creating some of the most stunning miniature paintings ever seen. The Mughals brought Persian culture to the Indian subcontinent, and presided over one of the richest and greatest empires in the world. Once again, I would seek out the miniature painters' workshops and watch their painstaking renderings of illuminated manuscripts. I have been inspired by Persian and Indian miniatures for many years and try to bring their richness of colour and detain into my own illustrations. 


My final trip would be to Paris in the 1870's and 1880's, to experience the radical new ideas of the Impressionist painters, such as Monet, Pissarro, and Renoir, who challenged the artistic conventions of the time. This would be a heady experience, and not without drama, because the Impressionists withstood harsh criticism, were rejected from exhibitions and worked on with little money. I'm fascinated by their Parisian cafe society, the passionate battle they waged to see their work accepted and by their, at times fractious, camaraderie. To paint outside in all weather conditions with Monet or to draw dancers rehearsing in the company of Degas would indeed be Heavenly. 


Thank you Teresa for a truly interesting post - they all sound fascinating times to pop into. I'm looking forward to whatever you write next.