Cry to Dream Again by Jane Hawking (Contemporary fiction, Historical, 7/10E)

 

June 2018, Alma Books, 480 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Summary from Alma Books 

Book 2 in the Immortal Souls series

In 1930s Greater London, Shirley is a talented ballerina who dreams of becoming a principal dancer at the Sadler’s Wells Ballet Company. Yet one summer, on the way back from staying with her grandparents in France, she meets a handsome young man, Alan, for a fleeting moment and her life changes for ever. Finding him becomes an obsession for Shirley and now she longs to fulfil her dreams in the ballet simply so that he might see her name in lights and know where to find her.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, and those she loves in danger, Shirley’s priority becomes to help in the war effort, but with Alan appearing once more in her life, and the war threatening to part them for a second time, she knows that she cannot cope if she were to lose him again.

Nayu's thoughts

 While I've given the book a grade, this isn't a full review because I couldn't finish the book. I tried hard, because I love most characters who are determined to dance. It took a bit of time to get to grips with Shirley and the type of people her family are, and once I did I enjoyed learning about her life before World War 2 happened. I have to say that the idea of searching for a guy she saw briefly felt fairly ridiculous to me, but Shirley is relatively young so following her heart is normal for her. Her passion for ballet is clear, and it's sad when certain large obstacles stand in her way, forcing her to at least entertain the thought of not being a ballet dancer. 

There are many other hardships in her life, but some of it is good. She has a brilliant relationship with her dance teacher, and the blossoming true friendship she develops with her brother was a delight to read. Her family support her dreams to some extent, although when various issues occur they don't always fully understand just how much ballet means to her. I confess to needing to look up the first hardship, because I had no clue what it meant, and it's meaning made a lot of sense - I'm deliberately not saying the phrase because I don't want to spoil the story for you. It created many challenges for Shirley, but I think they make her an even more determined young lady. 

There were many characters I didn't like, but I wasn't supposed to like them because of how they behaved. The reason why I finished the book half way, and then skim-read parts so I knew what happened, was primarily plot pacing. It's a really thick book, 450+ pages, with rather small font compared to a lot of books I read. |Book length isn't an issue normally, but I felt that there was too much description for my taste. It reminded me of classic books such as those by Jane Austen, where absolutely everything is described. I usually can just skim the parts that waffle on, but what I struggled with this book was that situations got repeated a bit too much. Something would happen, and it would be described, but then further on it would be repeated looking at it from a different perspective, but mostly literally repeating what had happened which I felt was unnecessary. I kept going as long as I could, but I reached the point where it was annoying me too much. 

As I've already mentioned I did then skim read until the end to understand what happens and to see if I could keep going after a break. Shirley definitely goes through more hardships, but there's joy to be found even if it meant she suffered intense grief. I wasn't overly keen how the perspectives changed from time to time, and the ending is plain weird. It's a to be continued ending, but what happens honestly brought me out of Shirley's story and I sat staring at the book wondering what on earth was going on I know I didn't read all of it, but for my personal tastes it was odd and I couldn't make sense of it. It didn't seem to matter it was book 2 in a series, I understood everything well enough.

I think that maybe this style of writing isn't for me, which is fair enough. My thoughts are my own, it's by no means a bad book. I had no idea who Jane was until I got the book and realised she was the late Stephen Hawkings wife. She definitely knows a lot about ballet: I don't do ballet but I read a lot of ballet stories, and she included a lot of detail in Shirley's passion for even the simple exercises, and how auditions for ballet companies take place. It was interesting learning about life before the war occurred knowing it would happen despite characters hoping for the best. It was equally interesting to learn about life in the French countryside, which wasn't a walk in the park for Shirley, but did provide great joy for her brother. Overall it's a good read (of what I read), just not quite what I expected. 

Suggested read 

If you like stories set in the near distant past then try out The Lost Garden by Katherine Swartz (Contemporary fiction, 10/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 

Guest review by Laura: Trace Evidence: A Virals Short Story Collection by Kathy Reichs (Young Adult, 7/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

January 2016, Young Arrow, 304 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Themes: friendship, adventure, drama, good vs. evil, teen life, special abilities, animals, family,  following clues, forensics, relationships, growing up, danger, science and technology.

Summary from Penguin Random House

A collection of four short stories based on the Virals series from New York Times bestselling authors, Kathy Reichs and Brendan Reichs!

Fans of the Virals series will be thrilled with this companion volume that includes three short stories originally published as eSpecials as well as an all-new, never-before-seen Virals adventure! Shift, Swipe, Shock and the new story Spike give further glimpses of the Virals’ world as they work with Tory’s famous great aunt, Temperance Brennan, to solve more mysteries, take look at where it all started before they became Virals, and get to the bottom of an attempted sabotage at Kit and Whitney’s wedding.

Laura's thoughts (guest reviewer) 

Trace Evidence brings together three of the Virals short stories previously published in e-book with a new short story which is set after the fifth book in the series – Terminal.  I was really pleased that the stories were published again in print as I had not had a chance to read them in e-book form, although having them together makes it a little more difficult to orientate yourself around where they should appear in the original Virals series.

The first story – Shock – tells us how Tory Brennan arrived on Morris Island to live with her father after the death of her mum in a car accident.  Key aspects of the story have been mentioned in the main books, but it was really nice to see the beginning of Tory’s story, particularly when you know how it is going to develop.  It also explains how she and her friends meet and how they find their bunker, which is their secret hideout.  This was my favourite of the four stories as I liked to see the dynamic of the friendship group change when Tory arrived.

The second story – Shift – could almost be a stand-alone short story, although it helps to know the background to the Virals and their powers.  The story is set after Tory’s father has been promoted to Director of LIRI, the research institute where he works (somewhere between the second and third of the main books in the series, I think).  There has been a break-in at LIRI and computer equipment is missing. The gang try to help solve the mystery using their enhanced abilities.  The famous forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan from Kathy Reichs’ adult series makes an appearance and also helps to solve the crime.  I don’t really like when these worlds cross over.  I enjoy reading the Temperance Brennan series also, although I am only about half way through, so I don’t know how much Tory and her father Kit make an appearance in these books.  I feel, personally, that Temperance Brennan loses her credibility when she appears in the Virals series because of the super powers that Tory has.  For me, it somehow makes Temperance Brennan’s world less believable.  But that’s just me, others might love that.

The third story – Swipe – also features Tory’s great-aunt Tempe.  While the gang enjoy the day at a Comic Con convention in which Temperance Brennan is signing books and promoting the TV show Bones, a priceless piece of memorabilia goes missing and again Tory and her friends investigate.  Apart from looking at the original publication date, it is difficult to tell where in the series this story fits.  However, out of all of them, it is probably the most stand-alone.  Again, not so keen on the crossover of characters, but the story is fun and will appeal to those who enjoy these sorts of conventions.

The final story – Spike – is set after the fifth book of the main series. It is Kit and Whitney’s wedding day but things keep going wrong. Tory and her friends have to work out if this is just bad luck or if someone is sabotaging the big day.  There were lots of funny moments, but I was a little disappointed.  I loved the end of the last book and was excited to see what would happen to the Virals.  Sadly, the way in which the group and their powers have evolved isn’t how I had hoped. However, I am looking forward to the next main book to see how things all pan out.

Find out more on Kathy's website.

The Time of the Clockmaker by Anna Caltabiano (Young Adult, 7/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

 August 2015, Gollancz, 288 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Content: some major peril, very minor teen romance

Summary from Orion

Lost in time and stranded on her own, the new Miss Hatfield must discover the secrets of the Tudor court. But danger and love are never far away...

 

Her mentor shockingly killed in front of her, Rebecca Hatfield must flee the place and time she knows. She has lost her family, her dearest love and her ability to live a normal life. All she has left is the gift - or curse - of her immortality, and the bizarre clock that allows her to travel in time.

But when she too is attacked by the mysterious black-clad figure, Rebecca finds herself stranded in Tudor England. The clock has been stolen and without it, she can never leave the past. Alone, without friends or resources, she must risk the danger of Henry VIII's court and hunt down her attacker.

But someone else is waiting for her...

Nayu's thoughts  

Having really enjoyed book 1, I was eager to find out what happened next to Rebecca. Her predecessor's death was a shock to me and her, (since it's in the summary it's not a spoiler), especially the way it happened. I was interested in the finer details of Tudor England, the people that Rebecca met were from a wide range of backgrounds, some taking quite a liking to her, others not so much. The costumes and objects are talked about in a fair amount of detail – enough I could picture it in my mind but not so much I was bored.

The area I had an issue with is what Rebecca did, or rather didn't do. There were points where I felt she wasn't doing all she could to get the answers she needed. Yes, I understand she had to take things slowly to avoid raising suspicion, but when presented with obstacles it didn't seem as if she had taken on board her previous experiences, it felt as if she was needlessly hesitant, and wasn't trying hard enough.

Despite being annoyed with Rebecca for part of the book, there were a few laughs especially when she kept being cornered by certain characters who are rather entertaining. When we finally got to the showdown with the clock, it was pretty awesome in how it panned out. I think both this and knowing what Rebecca had been like in book 1 saved this installment of her life from having a lower grade. 

Find out more on Anna's website. 

The Game Master by Ian D Copsey (Young Adult, 7/10E)

 August 2015, Lulu, 226 pages, Paperback, Review copy 

Content: morals, gaming, choices, a bit of weirdness

Book summary

Tired of arguing over which of them was the best gamer, Josh and Alex stumbled upon a new video game shop, run by an enigmatic Japanese shopkeeper. He was to be their Game Master in this virtual reality video game that had no game controls. Little did they know it was a game that would change their lives, of their friends.

Nayu's thoughts

I was intrigued by the concept of this book. Being in a living game sounds fascinating, and how the boys experience the game is clever, because as a reader I frequently didn't know if they were in real life, or still in the game which replicated real life. I liked the concept that each level made the friends learn how their behaviour affects others, how they can improve their relationships with others, and become better people. The scenarios in the book are ones readers will be able to relate to.

However, as you can see from the grade there were elements which were a bit too weird for me. Sometimes the description was over detailed, the pacing of the action getting tied up with describing exactly how everyone was in the scene. There's no denying The Game Master is a total weirdo, and I kept feeling he was a bit evil and had a hidden agenda, but that didn't materialise into anything. I also struggled with the way the game score was calculated, using tables and numbers. 

Because I mostly read when I'm fuzzy headed due to a mixture of constant fatigue and medication side effects, the complexity of the scoring washed over me. I wanted to understand it better, but in truth I skipped past the tables as soon as I saw them, because the explanation by the Game Master made sense. Sometimes the levels in the game dragged a little bit too long for my liking. Overall it is a good read, and the end was a predictable surprise.

Suggested read 

The only book which is vaguely similar to this one is part of the Chewy Noh series, book #2 Chewy Noh and the Phantasm of Winter by Tim Learn (Young Adult, 10/10E)

The Selection and The Elite by Kiera Cass (Young Adult, Dystopian, 7-8/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

Book #1

Book #2

 June 2012 & April 2013, HarperCollins Children's, 272 pages & 336 pages, Ebook, Review copy from NetGalley

Content: teen romance, occasional violence & death, political intrigue, tissue needed, some humour

Summary from HarperCollins for 

The Selection #1

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

The Elite #2 

In America Singer’s world, a bride is chosen for the prince through an elaborate televised competition. In the second book of the Selection series, America is one of only six girls left in the running. But is it Prince Maxon—and life as the queen—she wants? Or is it Aspen, her first love?

Nayu's thoughts

There's a good reason why I can't settle on a grade for these books. First I'll explain what I love about them. I know they are dystopian, but they are a light dystopian. I was worried that there would be a lot more external fighting (a group of girls rarely ever get on 100% of the time, and America witnesses that at first hand), but thankfully there wasn't. Well, the drama from the rebels was thrilling and scary, with clever plot twists that took me by surprise. I adored America's little sister who is a sweetie, and her maids are sweethearts in the way they genuinely care for her, and she for them. They aren't perfect, as they fell out with each other at one point, but they are a great trio who helped when America annoyed me, which was a lot.

I'm having to think carefully how to phrase this without giving away any spoilers. There are 2 main issues which I had with the novel, the first I can safely say. I do not like when real life characters are used in books, because it feels wrong to me when they actually say and do things. That wasn't exactly the case in these books, more that certain countries were used. I nearly stopped reading when I learnt Illea's history. I did not like the negative way China is painted in, I feel it's wrong to brand them for starting more world wars and taking over the world and enslaving America. That's almost like trying to predict what will happen, and I know it's not real but I feel sorry for China and all it's people in the alternate future history that's used here.

The second issue I had was with America. I thought that was that when she got ditched before the selection by Aspen. I intensely dislike (hate) how stupid she acts towards and for him at the end of the first book – she's an utter moron! How she can forgive how he treats her and is oblivious to just how wrong their friendship is I don't simply don't know. Don't get me started on his role in book two. America is so stupid, she doesn't think her actions through – not only in respect to Aspen but to everything else. I was glad when she was punished, and was saddened when someone else was punished instead of her. She is naive, I know she is a five but she seems intelligent, and well read yet is inclined to let her emotions get the better of her. That's why the grade ranges from 7/10E-8/10E. I suspect I'll read the books again because there is something about them which makes them appealing, despite my issues with them. There's 2 more books in the series, I can't say what the 4^th is without spoiling the 3^rd – I haven't read either but I've read summaries – and they do sound fun. 

Find out more on Keira's website. 

Salvage by Keren David (Young Adult, 7/10E)

3rd July 2014, Atom Books, 320 pages, Paperback, Review Copy

Themes: Alcohol, love, violence, broken families

Summary from Atom Books

Aidan Jones was my brother. But I couldn't really remember his face. I couldn't remember talking to him or playing with him. He was just a gap, an absence, a missing person.

Before she was adopted by a loving family and raised in a leafy Home Counties town, Cass Montgomery was Cass Jones. Her memories of her birth family disappeared with her name. But when her adopted family starts to break down, a way out comes in the form of a message from her lost brother, Aidan. Having Aidan back in her life is both everything she needs and nothing she expected. Who is this boy who calls himself her brother? And why is he so haunted?

I glance at the paper. There's a big picture on the front page. A girl with dark red hair. A girl with eyes that might have been green or they might have been grey. I sit down and stare at Cass, and it is her, it is. My stolen sister.

Aidan's a survivor. He's survived an abusive stepfather and an uncaring mother. He's survived crowded foster homes and empty bedsits.He's survived to find Cass. If only he can make her understand what it means to be part of his family. . .

The Mole's thoughts

Keren David is a rare author... whatever book of hers I pick up I find I can't put it down again. I found myself disliking all the characters in this book at some point - even Cass. Cass annoyed me because she was too compliant - not enough her own person. She has had all the breaks... she was put up for adoption and was quickly adopted into a loving, well off family that gave her all of life's advantages and she pays this good fortune back by being what her parents want her to be. Aidan, meanwhile, has been rejected, fought over, rejected again and had none of life's breaks ending up in care but now has a girl friend... one he is convinced he doesn't deserve and is expecting to be alone again any day. 

Despite these characters - and pretty well every secondary character also failed me in some way too - I was still pulled in because if you can care enough to dislike characters then they must be "real" and properly sculpted. The story takes some turns that I hadn't expected and each character (well nearly all of them) managed to twist themselves into my good books before the end comes about. Is it the end I expected? Is it the end I wanted? What I would say is it was an end worth getting to and one that many parents, as well as teenagers would do well to read and reflect on.

The only thing that I found didn't quite gel with me was Aidan's alcohol consumption - it seemed it was more responsible for his behaviour than his 'on page' consumption seemed to reflect.

Find out more on Keren's website.

White Horse by Yan Ge and translated by Nicky Harman (Fiction, 7/10E, a semi short 'n' sweet review)

It was definitely the summary and not the odd cover which drew me to this book

October 2014, Hope Road Publishing, 39 pages, Ebook, Review copy 

Themes: some strong adult situations

Summary from Hope Road Publishing

Yun Yun lives in a small West China town with her widowed father, and an uncle, aunt and older cousin who live nearby. One day, her once-secure world begins to fall apart. Through her eyes, we observe her cousin, Zhang Qing, keen to dive into the excitements of adolescence but clashing with repressive parents. Ensuing tensions reveal that the relationships between the two families are founded on a terrible lie.

Nayu's thoughts

This novella took me by surprise in both content and plot. I expected some romance, but what actually happened was eye opening and made me stop for a few minutes before carrying on. Revelation after revelation made me feel extremely sorry for Yun Yun - I wanted her to have a stable family life, when hers was the total opposite. I think it might be the style which surprised me plot wise. I don't know how or why my expectations were of a quiet, peaceful life with insignificant drama magnified by a child's perspective, but the actual story wasn't like that at all! 

I'm not quite sure how to explain this in words but the style and perspective of Yun Yun's story was a bit different to the books I usually read - not in a negative way, just another thing I didn't expect. This is the joy of reading translations, having my eyes opened to what actually happens in other countries, the way family units are connected, and how no one is spared from absurd family drama with wide ranging issues to be faced.  

Suggested read 

Another Chinese based story is First Girl by Glorian Whelan (Children's, 10 years +, 10E/10E) 

Ellie's Magical Bakery: Perfect Pie for A Perfect Pet by Ellie Simmonds (Children's, 7 years +, 7/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

September 2014, Red Fox, 160 pages, Paperback, Review copy 

Content: lost pet, fairy, magic

Summary from Random House Children's Publishers

Ellie's Magical Bakery is a great success. Ellie and Victoria Sponge are having lots of fun baking cakes which Ellie sells in the shop and Basil delivers on his roller skates. Even Whisk is helping out, by decorating the boxes! 

But when a local boy loses his new puppy, Ellie and Basil are desperate to find it for him. Ellie's magical book has a recipe to help them, but it is rather unusual. The recipe leads them to the butcher's, where they find the puppy has stolen some sausages, and to the village green where they find a stick . . . But how will the recipe help Ellie and her friends find the lost puppy?

Nayu's Thoughts 

I was super excited about this book because I like shop based stories, especially food ones. The illustrations matched the cuteness of the cover, so no surprises there. The story didn't live up to my expectations. I hadn't & haven't read book 1 of the series, which may explain a lot of what I don't understand. I don't understand why Ellie is so stuck with her family, why she doesn't try and get away from them. They are vile! They play dirty, trying to discredit her prosperous bakery. 

More than that I couldn't suspend belief that Ellie ran the bakery. I loved and believed in Victoria Sponge's magic (the baking fairy), the magical book which gave Ellie just the right recipe for every occasion. I couldn't figure out if Ellie was on holiday, and able to take care of her store all day. I wondered which adult was supposed to be in charge of it - I know fiction isn't reality, but I like to be able to believe a story could be real, you know? This is a sweet story, I just have certain elements I couldn't gel with. 

Suggested read

Another cute magical read is Hattie B Magical Vet: The Dragon's Song by Claire Taylor-Smith (Children's, 7 years +, 10E/10E)

The Accidental Socialite by Stephanie Wahlstrom (New Adult, 7/10E)

April 2014, Piatkus, 240 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Themes: living in a foreign country, cultural misunderstanding, socialising, drunken nights, not putting much effort into work, making true friends, meeting total idiots, jet-setting lifestyle, feeling overwhelmed, fois gras incident, meeting royalty,

 

Content: Frequent & strong mature adult content, lots of embarrassing moments, tissue needed

Summary from Little, Brown

Paige Crawford is the Accidental Socialite. Escaping small town Canada to make it in London, she's thrust into the limelight after an unfortunate incident involving a famous footballer, a nightclub and some really great shoes. 

Being instantly elevated to tabloid celebrity status isn't exactly a picnic, particularly when trying to juggle her new job in fashion, a catalogue of dating disasters and a nagging feeling that maybe London won't be as easy to conquer as she'd thought . . .

Nayuleska's thoughts

I was attracted to this book because I wanted to know how Paige became an accidental socialite. She is a girl who is nearly the complete opposite of me. She always got drunk when she went out which pretty much is why she becomes famous. I nearly stopped reading because the language was rather graphic, but there was something that kept me reading so far that by the time I next thought about stopping I was close to the end. Paige doesn't really learn her lesson, even at the end, and makes huge mistakes over and over. I think she was trying to live in a fantasy world, which got tough when reality hit. When she isn't travelling Paige lives in awful accommodation with questionable occupants, until the end when she has more than a little luck in the housing department. I was intrigued how she managed to keep her job, and seriously expected her to get sacked after each escapade.

Thankfully Paige does make a few true friends. I loved Lucinda, who helps Paige out every now and then, and has an amazing home and good dress sense. I equally loved Paige's mother, who stars at the end. Both she and Lucinder give Paige excellent advice, which she is finally ready to pay attention to. Paige's future is as uncertain as ever, but with more than a little experience in living abroad she can start figuring out what she wants to do with her life. I hope she makes something of it, and doesn't slide back down to the lows which got her too much publicity in this book. 

Find out more on Stephanie's website.

Suggested read

For another travelling protagonist finding her way in the world is The Out Of Office Girl by Nicola Doherty (Fiction, 9/10E)

Review, Guest Blog Post & Giveaway: Journey to Rainbow Island by Christie Hsiao (Children's, 9 years +, 7/10E)

 November 2013, Benbella Books, 386 pages, Hardback, Review copy

Themes: good vs evil, love conquers all, save those in danger, fight for what you believe in (in a non-aggressive way), talking animals, 

Content: child slave labour, some fighting, religious/spiritual views

Summary from Serenity Media

Journey to Rainbow Island (November 2013 release at all bookstores), which is also currently being developed into a film and video game, is a story about a brave, dark-eyed little girl, Yu-ning, who ventures out into the world to reignite faith and optimism through her purity, innocence and wisdom. Believing her perfect life on Rainbow Island will never end, Yu-ning’s strength and beliefs are challenged when the idyllic island she has grown up on is attacked by a dark dragon called the Obsidigon. Surrounded by flames, Yu-ning’s best friend gets kidnapped and the island’s Sacred Crystals are stolen. Determined to avoid losing her world full of love and joy, Yu-ning, armed with a magic bow, must venture into the dark corners of the world to uncover secrets thought best ignored, find a weapon believed to be long destroyed, and recapture seven sacred stones—without being burned to a crisp by a very angry dragon. With the help of her master teacher, Metatron, and the comfort of her enchanted pet frog, Magic, Yu-ning embarks on a dangerous journey to overcome not only the darkness attacking her home, but also the scars of sadness that mark one’s own heart.

Nayuleska's thoughts

When asked to read this I nearly declined as it's good vs evil and the moment I want mostly chirpier books (which it ended up being), but then I saw that Yu-ning had a bow which appeals to me a lot (bows sound like a cool weapon to have) and had to say. In this instance I'm going to talk about the parts I wasn't so keen on first. 

It wasn't always the easiest read because the language is highly descriptive, sometimes too much, so I had to read it in parts as I need more straight forward reads when I'm low on energy. There wasn't enough conflict overall: Yu-Ning was able to get through every hurdle fairly easily with the help of her friends - I predicted how every challenge would pan out and it remained the same, I never feared for her life. She almost always knew what to do, she didn't seem to make mistakes or get angry like most children/teens would - there wasn't really any personal development in her character which I was disappointed with. 

I wasn't keen on the animals talking - don't get me wrong, I love animal stories, but for some reasons not all the talking animals sat well with me. The same goes for the strong conviction that love and light can conquer all - I mean this literally. I couldn't suspend my belief enough to believe in Yu-Ning and her story - to have a girl who solves everything using her love, and having people always follow her and believe her and solve the riddle together it felt like something was missing. It felt a bit too easy, and I do like a bit of unpredictability in novels. It was too idealistic for my tastes.

Having said all that, I have graded this as 7/10E, and for good reason. The cool bits were slightly awesome! Overall the theme of love and peace is a positive one for readers to take away. It is far better to love people than to hate them. I'm all for encouraging being nicer to people. Although lacking in certain areas for me it did make a change to have a happier themed book where I knew everything would work out somehow, eventually, and not be all doom and gloom. 

Important issues such as child slave labour is touched upon, as is finding somewhere safe for children to be, where they can be children. I did like how cool the crystal hearts were - you can see Yu-Ning's on the cover...and that leads me to the illustrations! 

These wowed me big time. The characters looked pretty much exactly as I'd imagined them to before I knew what they were like - I love Yu-Ning's practical yet stylish outfit! The illustrations are highly detailed, pleasing to look at, and provide fun breaks in the story to stop and look at them. Yu-Ning ends up with many companions, I loved the picture of her frog called Magic (yes I like frogs...they are cute, ok? Maybe not while a tadpole (too wiggly) but who wouldn't want a frog with them? Ok so I probably did think of the anime Sugar Sugar Rune's frog who is a side-kick to a magic user and looks like this...

Either way a frog sidekick is exciting! Yu-Ning has friends who can help her fly and swim through the sea - no terrain is impassable. If anywhere was dark, well, with Yu-Ning there light shortly followed both literally and figuratively. Her mentors all have distinctive personalities - I grew fond of Metraton and I looked up Cristobel. I fell in love a little with the floating palace, if not the people in it, and the intrigue surrounding Yu-Ning's identity and future which was pretty much the only unsurprising part of the story. This probably isn't enough for me to read the rest of the series, but that is only because I didn't seem to connect with Yu-Ning as I usually do the protagonist, many other readers do connect with her as this is a New York Times best selling hit. I'd say give it a go, as being able to shoot arrows of light which transform the baddies is kind of awesome ^o^. Such a shame we can't do the same in real life.

Find out more on the dedicated website (when I checked it there wasn't a lot of content up yet).

Suggested read

For more magical adventures involving dragons check out Dragonskin Slippers by Jessica Day George (Children's, 7 years +, 10E/10E)

Author Q&A + Competition

It's been fun for me to put forward a few questions to Christie about Journey To Rainbow Island, I'm sure you'll find her answers interesting! 

Nayu:  1) Dragons are a classic element of fantasy stories - what made you pick these for Yu-Ning's adversaries?

Christie: The dragon is an archetype of chaos and disorder, and one of the main messages of this book is that when we choose love, order and serenity can prevail. I picked dragon as a representation of the shadow self, the ego, and then had Yu-ning represent the light that we all are. It's her mission to transform darkness and evil creatures (ego, shadow self) into light. 

Nayu 2) I'm squee-ing heaps over the fact that Yu-Ning has a bow - what made you give her the bow as a weapon? Have you got experience in archery?

Christie: I had to check the Urban Dictionary for "squee," but I'm glad you are excited! And of course, more recently in fantasy fiction and film, bows are finding their way into the hands of the ladies-  Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games and Princess Merida in Brave spring to mind.  I don't see it as a weapon really- it’s made of light, which she shoots out to transform darkness. I wanted to turn the violent aspect of the bow on its head by making it a weapon of transformation, rather than an instrument of death in the traditional sense. That's all I can say, however, because I don't want to spoil things! And no, I've never actually taken up archery--but perhaps I will now. 

Nayu 3) Did you ever consider having Yu-Ning be kidnapped, and somehow escaping then searching for the seven stones?

Christie: Yes, I wanted the book to involve a kidnapping. However, because so many of our fairy tales involve a damsel in distress, I wanted to instead create a "gentleman in distress." So rather than the female protagonist needing to be rescued, we have Yu-Ning working to rescue her best friend, young Romeo.

Nayu 4) Emotions are very much part of the story and I suspect I'll need a tissue while reading it: had you intended of sadness to be a main part of the story, or did it evolve as you wrote it? 

Christie: Children today live in and among sadness, and the sad stories we see in the news are so readily accessible. Just 75 years ago young ears and eyes could be sheltered from the saddest events in the world by turning off the radio and keeping the daily newspaper out of reach. Today, however, with technology, it's nearly impossible to keep even the most horrific events from children. My goal in Journey to Rainbow Island was to deal with some very sad issues, but to do so in a way where young readers will feel empowered to do something about those sad feeling--to choose love and redemption rather than giving in to hopelessness.

Thank you Christie for the insight into your novel. Now, for those of you intrigued by Yu-Ning's adventures, please do enter the competition below to win 2 copies! 

Rules: One entry per person. Please make sure you read through my protection policy. 

To enter: Just fill in the form below! Please note that 2 copies are up for grabs, 1 is a hardback copy for anywhere in the world, the other is also a hardback copy for a winner in the US (or, if no-one enters from the US it will go to a winner living anywhere)

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