Cat's Book Reviews

Book Review: The Pact by Jodi Picoult

2011-05-04T20:36:00.007+10:00

The Pact- Jodi Picoult

Synopsis:

Emily Gold and Christopher Harte have known each other their whole lives, having grown up next door to each other in the small town of Bainbridge, New Hampshire. Virtually inseparable, the two are best friends and soul mates, with their friendship blossoming into a romantic relationship when they reach their teens. Their parents, Melanie and Michael Gold, and James and Gus (Augusta) Harte, are just as excited at the romantic union between their children- unsurprised at the turn that their friendship has taken- and impatiently wait for the day when they will be able to call each other in-laws, rather than just best friends.

But everything changes one night when Emily and Chris are admitted into hospital- Emily with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The gun, belonging to Chris’ father, is found at the scene, with one unspent bullet still remaining in it. Chris tells police that the second bullet was intended for him, to complete the suicide pact he made with his girlfriend, but that he fainted before he could take his own life.

Doubting Chris’ story, the police decide to launch an investigation, naming Chris as the main suspect, and treating Emily’s death as a homicide…

What I gained from reading this book:

As with all of Picoult’s novels, The Pact raises some serious issues- most notably issues regarding teen suicide and love- and challenges the sincerity of the old saying, ‘Innocent until proven guilty’.

Chris’ life is irrevocably changed as he finds himself on trial for his beloved’s murder. His intense love for Emily, and his willingness to see her happy -whatever the cost- is his ultimate downfall. He learns who his true friends are, and discovers just how far his mother is willing to go to show her unwavering support for her son. Similarly, he sees how, despite his distancing himself from the problem, his father still tries to show compassion for Chris’ cause.

All of this is in direct contrast to Melanie Gold’s reaction to Chris’ involvement in her daughter’s death. Melanie, despite knowing Chris his whole life, is unable to comprehend that her daughter was suicidal, instead preferring to pin the blame on Chris, labelling him a murderer. She refuses to believe that her daughter wouldn’t talk to her about any problem that she may have had. This raises the question: How well do we ever really know our friends and family? There is always the perception that we should know when something is wrong, but in actuality, sometimes these problems can remain a secret until it’s too late to do anything about them. This book highlights the anguish faced by two grieving families, and serves as a lesson to readers that sometimes we don’t know people as well as we’d like to think we do.

Positives:

This novel is beautifully written- Picoult makes it easy to understand and feel the conflict that Emily experiences in her relationship with Chris. Similarly, the tension and the emotion surrounding Emily’s death and Chris’ subsequent incarceration and trial, is extremely life-like, and draws us into the characters’ world.

Negatives:

This novel could be a little bit depressing for some people. Emily believes that all of her troubles will disappear if she can find a way to end her life, and as we progress through the book, we can see that this belief is what pushes her to make the decisions that she does- ultimately turning Chris’ life upside down. People who are looking for a light and fluffy read should steer clear from this novel.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Genre: Family/ Relationships

Recommended for: People who would do anything for love, even if the end result involves serious repercussions.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5) by Richelle Mead

2011-04-09T16:17:00.004+10:00

Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5) - Richelle Mead

Synopsis: The last few years at St Vladmir’s Academy have been rough for Rose Hathaway, but the end is finally near. Graduation is approaching- and after all the love, loss, killing and heartache that have taken place- Rose is excited to leave the school and finally enter the real world as a renowned and successful Guardian. Although she has high hopes of guarding her best friend- and the last Dragomir princess- Lissa, Rose knows that her questionable behaviour record could be an issue. Having just returned from her failed mission to Siberia to locate and destroy her Strigoi ‘boyfriend’ Dimitri, Rose is feeling a little down about her chances of getting this highly coveted position. Making her feel even more ill at ease, Rose knows that Dimitri is still out there- biding his time until she leaves the grounds of the school so that he can attack her and make her into a Strigoi just like him- or die trying. But she also lives with a kind of hope, especially after learning that the Moroi power of spirit (which Lissa yields) could be the cure capable of changing a Strigoi back into its former self. Determined to find out more about this potentially incredible feat- which could mean the difference between killing Dimitri and turning him back into the Dhampir he once was- Rose enlists the help of her friends to uncover as much as she can about the only Moroi who has ever saved a Strigoi. But Rose’s mission comes at a cost, one that means danger for more than just her and her friends. It’s a race against time, as they try to find a cure for Dimitri- before he can find and destroy them…

What I gained from reading this book: Whereas the previous book was all about dealing with grief, this novel focuses more on redemption, forgiveness and winning back love lost. In Spirit Bound, many of the characters have to find ways to buy back the respect of their friends and, in turn, be forgiven for actions they have taken part in. They also have to find ways to heal the many fissures within their relationships. Due to Avery’s influence (spirit and otherwise) in Blood Promise, Lissa treated Christian harshly, and now needs to earn back his love and respect, while Christian needs to let go of the hurt that he felt at Lissa’s unkind behaviour. Meanwhile, Rose is in a sweet new relationship with Adrian, but she still has strong feelings for Dimitri, who she finds difficult to let go. These emotions cause some rifts within Rose and Adrian’s relationship- especially when Dimitri comes back into their lives- and Rose finds herself drifting between her feelings for the two men. Love is an extremely complicated thing, and both Rose and Lissa keenly illustrate this in the novel. Both girls are in love, yet they are unable to express how they feel without someone getting hurt or losing face amongst others. Spirit Bound teaches us that, while it may hurt sometimes, the best thing to do is take a chance- because you never know how things will turn out. Sure, you may get hurt, but at least you won’t regret not trying…

Positives: The action scenes in this novel are awesome (quite like they were in the other books of this series), and Rose is just as strong-willed as ever. Lissa, too, is starting to come out as a stronger character, and her daring actions take the storyline to new levels.

Negatives: There were a few questions left unanswered at the end of the novel, and, while I’m sure they’ll be answered in the next book, it’s quite irritating that we weren’t given at least some hints towards what may happen next.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People who are desperate to find out what happens next for Rose, Lissa and the gang- especially since the next book is the last of the series!

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Girl In Translation by Jean Kwok

2011-03-02T18:25:00.003+11:00

Girl In Translation - Jean Kwok

Synopsis:
Kimberley Chang is only eleven years old when she and her mother move to America from Hong Kong.
Aunt Paula- the sister of Kim’s mother- who has lived in America for thirteen years, finances their entire journey and relocation to New York. She provides them with a dingy squat of an apartment, and a ‘good’ address so that Kim can attend a better public school than the one in her impoverished neighbourhood. She even gives Kim’s mother a job in the factory she manages- a sweatshop in Chinatown that pays its worker’s two cents per garment. Living in the vermin-infested apartment, with only an oven to keep the place warm, and speaking barely any English, the mother-and-daughter duo struggle in their new and unfamiliar surroundings.
To make matters even more difficult, Kim, who always got top grades at her school in Hong Kong, struggles to fit in and achieve similar results in her American school. Language barriers, poverty, and the need for her to work at the factory after school (helping her mother on the production line) means that she has little time to catch up with her classmates.
But Kim soon realises that if she wants to lead a better life than the one she has now, she has to apply herself at school, get into the best college she can, and make something of herself. She starts reading any English she can get her hands on, and before long, finds herself excelling at everything school-related. Kim is determined to make something of her life, leave poverty behind, and experience triumph over adversity. Along the way, she deals with love, heartbreak, mockery and challenges, but she is persistent in turning her dreams into a reality, and breaking free of the mould she has been put in.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel, while fictional, focuses on appalling sweatshop conditions and child labour, which is still existent in America (and other, smaller countries) despite the ethical issues surrounding the problem. In Girl In Translation, the children help their parents in the factory every day after school so that they can make enough money to survive. Even though they are overworked, underpaid, and in dirty and dangerous conditions, many of the employees have no choice but to continue working there (either because they are illegal immigrants or because they don’t have any other skills to get them by in America). Kim’s mother speaks very little English, and is indebted to her sister for getting them out of Hong Kong, and paying for her tuberculosis medication while she was ill. She has no other real option but to work in those appalling conditions, and Kim feels obligated to help when she’s not studying. Because of this, Kim vows to use her intellectual gifts to go to college, get a great job, and help get her mother out of such terrible poverty.
This novel is a wake-up call to all people, especially when the lives of Kim’s rich classmates are contrasted with her own (living well below the poverty line).
This novel is also about courage, love and attempting to achieve the (perceived) impossible.

Positives:
This is a fantastic debut novel by Jean Kwok, and it features amazingly realistic characters. At times the story is so lifelike, that if you picked this book up and started reading it, you could be forgiven for thinking you’re reading the autobiography of an impoverished- yet gifted- Chinese girl growing up in America.

Negatives:
The life that Kim leads as a kid in America is tragic, to say the least. No child should have to endure the difficulties that she faces- studying at school all day and then working at a sweatshop with her mother until late at night.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Family/ Relationships

Recommended for: People who want to read an inspiring story about one girl’s persistence to improve her life, and save those she loves, from a lifetime of poverty.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: China Lake by Meg Gardiner

2011-03-02T18:10:00.005+11:00

China Lake - Meg Gardiner

Synopsis:
Evan Delaney is a science fiction writer, legal researcher and guardian to her six-year-old nephew Luke, who remains in her care while his father- her brother, Brian- flies F/A-18 jets for the US Navy.
As far as good lives go, Evan is on top of the world- her new novel is a bestseller, her career is going from strength to strength and she has a fantastic relationship with her boyfriend Jesse. To make things even better, Brian has just relocated back to the China Lake naval base, which means that Luke will be able to move back in with the father he adores, and have a more stable childhood.
But then Luke’s mother, Tabitha, who abandoned Brian and Luke eight months earlier, arrives back on the scene, and she’s not alone. Having joined the cult religious group, The Remnant, Tabitha is determined to get her son back, and will stop at nothing to make that happen. The Remnant, who believe that the apocalypse is eminent, seek perverse pleasure in heckling people at the funerals of AIDS victims, as well as other ‘weaker’ people, and Evan knows that she has to keep them as far away from Luke as possible.
But when two deaths occur within a short period of time, and Brian is arrested as the murderer of one of the victims, Evan realises that The Remnant will not rest until they get what they want. Evan, along with Jesse and her friends have to protect Luke from the evil cult, who believe that the scriptures of the bible foretell judgement day, and who believe that Luke holds the key to their redemption.
With kidnap attempts, weapons dealing and biological warfare on the cards, Evan has to be as strong as possible to fight against The Remnant, protect her young nephew and keep him from danger.

What I gained from reading this book:
This book is mainly about family, and the lengths that some people will go to, to make sure that their loved ones remain safe and out of harm’s way. Evan is determined to make Luke’s life as pleasant as possible, considering the tough circumstances that surround his parent’s break-up, and when she learns that The Remnant is threatening his safety, she goes all out to ensure that no harm befalls him.
In a similar vein, Evan is just as determined to protect her brother Brian, who is jailed for a crime he didn’t commit, and help her boyfriend Jesse when the situation with The Remnant starts to get out of hand. She always appears to put her family and friends first, and this is something that all readers could aspire to.

Positives:
While the concept of fanatic cults isn’t new, Gardiner has brought a new element to the idea, with the surprising demise of one of the main characters of the plot. This not only creates a sense of mystery, but it means that the storyline is also difficult to predict.

Negatives:
Some of the events of this novel can be a little hard to believe, simply because the characters seem to face few repercussions for their actions. In a more realistic world, there would be far more consequences involved, but this shouldn’t deter you from reading this otherwise absorbing story.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Crime/ Thriller

Recommended for: Anyone who wants to read a crime/thriller where the heroine has to fight against a religious cult to save her family.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Yes... it's been a while...

2011-03-02T18:05:00.002+11:00

Hi everybody!!

I'm back after my long and unexpected hiatus from the internet world, and I have plenty of new book reviews to share with you..

How was your Christmas and New Year break? (I know I'm asking two full months after the fact, but what can be done?) I hope you managed to read and enjoy plenty of new books over the time period, and that you get the chance to cross many more books off your list as the year goes by.

Remember, if there is a particular book you would like me to review then please let me know and I'll do my best to get around to it!!

Cheers, and happy reading!!

Cat xo

Book Review: Annexed by Sharon Dogar

2010-11-30T18:41:00.002+11:00

Annexed - Sharon Dogar

Synopsis:
Peter van Pels is a Jewish teenager, living in Amsterdam in the 1940s.
With the ever-growing threat of the Nazi invasion, Peter and his parents are reduced to hiding away in the annexe of a factory building. Living with them, in close confines, are the Jewish owners of the building- the Franks- and their two young daughters, Margot and Anne. Pining for his ‘girlfriend’ Liese, who was taken earlier by Nazi soldiers, and wishing he could get out of the annexe and fight the Nazi’s like a man, Peter finds it difficult to adjust to his new life in hiding.
Adding to his frustrations, he finds himself increasingly annoyed by Anne and her constant know-it-all chatter. It gets to the point where his only escape is to sit in the warehouse (on weekends, when no one else is around) and carve wood.
But then Peter starts to notice small changes in Anne, and his tolerance for her grows. Soon, he begins to look forward to the time they spend with each other, and a mutual attraction forms. But does Anne really care about Peter in the way that he cares about her? Is she only spending time with him so that she has something to write about in her precious diary? And when the ultimate betrayal occurs, will he able to live, knowing that Anne is out there somewhere, trying to survive the horrors of the holocaust?
These are Peter van Pels’ (imagined) experiences, dealing with terrible circumstances that will hopefully never be repeated again.

What I gained from reading this book:
There are many themes scattered throughout this novel, but the main ones would have to be about tolerance, love and respect (both of the self, and for others). Peter initially finds it difficult to live in such a small space with people he doesn’t really know or like, but he soon comes to grow fond of his ‘neighbours’. From the start, he shows respect for Mr Frank, and tolerates Mrs Frank and quiet Margot, but he absolutely dislikes Anne. He thinks of her as an obnoxious loudmouth, and constantly compares her to his beloved Liese, a girl who is in all ways opposite to the kind of girl Anne is. It isn’t until he gets to know her, and realise how insecure and afraid she is (and how this shapes her behaviour) that he starts to appreciate Anne’s company. After this, his respect and love for her grows. At the same time, Peter battles with feelings of resentment towards the Nazis and the way that they are treating the Jewish people. He wishes that he could fight them, rather than hide from them, and, already a non-practising Jew, becomes disgusted with the negative status that his religion gives him.
It isn’t until he falls in love with Anne that these feelings gradually fade to the back of his mind, and he has new things to think about.
Readers can learn from Peter’s ability to be more open-minded about his experiences in the annexe, and put those motions into practice in everyday life by being more tolerant of other people.

Positives:
It’s great how the author is able to piece together the Anne Frank story and tell it from Peter’s perspective, putting a different spin on the events that were made so famous in Anne’s diary. Dogar has managed to seamlessly weave real-life facts with fiction, making this novel particularly interesting to read. It makes you want to go back to the original source (Anne Frank’s diary), and read it again.

Negatives:
While it is interesting to read snippets of what Peter experiences in the camps- in between his experiences in the annexe- it can sometimes get a little repetitive reading the same thing over and over. I understand that Dogar is trying to paint a picture of the bleakness that Peter faces in the camps, and is attempting to show the repetitiveness of life for the Jewish prisoners, but it still doesn’t change the fact that reading almost-identical paragraphs at different intervals can get a little tedious.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People who have always wondered about the relationship between Anne Frank and Peter van Pels, and don’t mind reading a fictional take on events.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: The Family Law by Benjamin Law

2010-11-30T18:34:00.003+11:00

The Family Law - Benjamin Law

Synopsis:
Benjamin Law- the third of five children, born to Chinese immigrants who settled in Australia- tells some of the stories of his childhood in this humorous, often cheeky biography. As one of the first Asian families to live in Caloundra, Queensland, in 1975, Law’s parents soon set up a popular Chinese restaurant, making the Law family an exotic household name for the white families living in the area. With the restaurant so popular, Law’s dad embarked on several business enterprises, which meant that while the family wasn’t poor, they also didn’t get to see their father that much. You could probably say that Law’s father is the absolute definition of a workaholic.
Regardless, Law recounts some memorable stories about life as a Chinese-looking, Aussie-speaking boy in Queensland.
Along with his three sisters and one brother, Law’s family life has been anything but ordinary- from hearing graphic accounts of birth and babies from his mother, to having the house raided when he was only four-years-old, by federal police looking for his illegal immigrant cousins.
In one chapter, Law tells of trying to learn Cantonese at a language school so he can better communicate with his extended family. While he understood some of the language, he found that he couldn’t actually communicate back, and hoped that lessons would help him improve, at least a little bit. He wasn’t terribly successful.
In another chapter, he recounts family holidays to the amusement parks in Queensland. His mother would act as a stereotypical Asian tourist, documenting everything on film, and he and his siblings would speak in loud, bogan voices so that other tourists wouldn’t think that they were tourists.
Law also tells of cockroach invasions, dangerous school camping trips, his Home and Away acting dreams, seeing his family naked, his mother’s aversion to technology, and gift-giving issues, among other unusual things…

What I gained from reading this book:
Family is an important theme in this biography, as anyone can tell simply from looking at the title! It’s obvious to anybody reading this book that Law shows deep respect and love for his family, even when they behave in seemingly dangerous (his brother, occasionally) or outrageous ways that would be considered out of the norm for most people. Even so, there is an underlying tone throughout the entire book that seems to say: ‘They’re my family- I have no choice, I have to put up with their wacky ways. But, boy, do I love them!’
This highlights the fact that although there can sometimes be friction between some family members, occasional bouts of stupidity and hilarity, and limited communication due to technology issues, there is nothing more important than the comfort of knowing that you have a loving family behind you.

Positives:
This book is quite funny, written with trademark Law wit (not unfamiliar to those who have read his contributions to Australian magazines). This self-confessed ‘double-minority’ writer (he is gay, as well as Chinese-Australian), paints a hilarious portrait of his life, and really makes you wish that you could meet his family, simply to be a part of it all.

Negatives:
There is a little bit of swearing and indecent language in this book, which some people might not be too happy about. But if Law had left it out, the stories wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining. If you can handle a little bit of cursing, this book is well-worth reading!

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Biography

Recommended for: People who enjoy reading Benjamin Law’s articles and anecdotes in Australian magazines like frankie, and want to learn more about him and his childhood.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Skins: The Novel by Ali Cronin

2010-11-09T21:13:00.002+11:00

Skins: The Novel - Ali Cronin

Synopsis:
The summer holidays have arrived, and the gang at Roundview College is keen to get out and enjoy their break.
Effy, having nearly destroyed the friendship between Cook and Freddy, travels with her mum to Venice, hoping that distance will help her find a solution to her boy problem. But while in Italy, she meets someone new who catches her interest, and in the process, discovers some hard truths about herself.
Cook, trying to regain some of his cocky swagger after Effy dumps him, challenges his best friend Freddy with a ‘sexathon’. While the boys engage in mindless sex with complete strangers in an effort to forget Effy, their friend JJ is left to act as a ‘shag referee’- tallying up his friends’ conquests while secretly wishing he could be ‘normal’ and join in the fun.
Sweet Thomas and kooky Pandora are still very much in love, but Panda’s incessant need to take their relationship to the next level is beginning to drive her boyfriend away.
Twins Emily and Katie go on a three-week family holiday in France, but each is dealing with her own problems and their relationship is more strained than ever. Katie deals with her insecurities in the only way she knows how, while Emily pines away for her girlfriend Naomi, wishing that they could be together for the holidays.
Meanwhile Naomi is starting to consider her academic future, and wondering how her new love is going to fit into it.
Bridging the third and fourth seasons of the popular UK television show, this novel delves into the often-hedonistic lives of a motley crew of young adults- each dealing with issues involving love, friendship, pride and loss.

What I gained from reading this book:
While all of the teenagers in this novel (and television series) are completely different in terms of personality, they all share common concerns regarding their relationships with others. The relationships between Thomas and Pandora appears to be strong, yet there are underlying concerns that threaten to tear them apart. Through her misguided experiences with Cook (in season 3 of the show), Pandora now believes that sex is the ultimate aim in a relationship, and wonders why Thomas is so wary about engaging in the act with her. He can’t convince her that his love for her exceeds his need to get physically intimate, and this causes a rift in their understanding of each other. Similarly, Effy struggles to cope when her sexual advances are rebuffed, especially when this has never before been the case.
Emily and Naomi don’t have any problems in the sexual area of their relationship, yet they both have secret concerns about their future together. Naomi is considering going to university, and Emily wants to take a gap year and travel, but Naomi is unable to tell Emily about her plans because she fears it will be the source of an upheaval in their relationship. Freddy competes in Cook’s ‘sexathon’ competition but he still thinks constantly about Effy and his feelings for her. His guilt about his failed relationship with Katie only compounds the problem.
As is similar in real-life situations, the main issues focussed on in this novel are trust and acceptance. The teenagers in this text are limited in these traits and so their relationships suffer as a result. Basically, if there were more trust and honesty within their relationships, and an ability to accept the unknown, their lives would probably be very different.

Positives:
The author really understands the characters and is able to match their thoughts and characteristics perfectly to those of the teenagers in the show.
This novel is also great because it acts as a bridge between the third and fourth season- creating an original story, but not changing the circumstances. So you could watch the third season, read the book, and then watch the fourth season on television, but if you don’t read the book, you haven’t missed out on anything. It’s a handy filler for those fans wanting a little bit more of their favourite characters.

Negatives:
There is a warning on the cover stating ‘Explicit Content- 18+’, and yes, there is a reason for that! If you’re not familiar with the show and think this is a wholesome teenage drama then you might be shocked at some of the language and actions of the characters. Take heed of the warning if you’re a sensitive or conservative person, otherwise you will probably be greatly offended by some of the content in this novel!

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: Fans of the hit show who need their fix between televised seasons.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Escobar by Roberto Escobar & David Fisher

2010-11-09T21:04:00.002+11:00

Escobar - Roberto Escobar & David Fisher

Synopsis:
Life for Pablo Escobar was never going to be ordinary. Growing up in the poorest part of Colombia, he dreamed of becoming a millionaire and, eventually, the president of his country. Meanwhile, his older brother Roberto was interested in cycling, hoping to set up his own bike factory and represent Colombia in world cycling events.
Growing up in poverty, with barely enough money to get by, it seemed that the Escobar boys’ dreams would remain just that- dreams.
But as they grew older, circumstances and good fortune allowed them to succeed and see some of their dreams come true (although this wasn’t necessarily through legal means). Soon Pablo was heading a successful contraband smuggling business and Roberto was selling his bicycles to several large stores.
But then Pablo realised he could make more money producing and smuggling cocaine, and that’s when their lives changed completely.
With his drug business booming- especially in America- Pablo enlisted the help of other smugglers, and formed Colombia’s most infamous drug cartel, Medellín.
He also hired Roberto, a qualified accountant, to handle the millions of dollars of dirty money that was coming in.
Soon Pablo had more money than he knew what to do with, and he started to give it away to the poverty-stricken members of his community- helping to enrich their lives, and buying their undying loyalty at the same time.
But there were people determined to bring Pablo down, namely American politicians and the new Colombian government, who were intent on stamping out drug smuggling. With these forces trying to destroy his livelihood, and the lives of many Colombians, Pablo decided to fight back, and so began a war filled with bloodshed and murder.
This is the biography of the legendary Pablo Escobar, as told by his closest confidant- his brother Roberto. This book covers the highs and lows of Pablo Escobar’s life, and details the many things- both good and bad- that he did throughout his lifetime to make him such a notorious yet beloved member of Colombian society.

What I gained from reading this book:
This book was written so that Roberto could tell the world the truth about his famous outlaw brother. He did not write it to clear his brother from crimes committed or to paint a portrait of him as an innocent. In fact, Escobar goes into much detail about some of the unthinkable things that his brother was involved in, and doesn’t pardon him at all for some of the terrible things he did (only saying that if he could have prevented some of it, he would have). But Escobar also heaps praise on Pablo, for being such a kind-hearted soul to the poorer people of Colombia and for showing them so much charity and compassion.
These contrasting views of the same man provide an interesting picture of the outlaw who holds a place in the record books for launching one of the biggest manhunts in history.
This book also proves that people shouldn’t pass judgement on others without knowing the full story. I’m sure that many of the people who were after Pablo Escobar for his drug trafficking had no idea about his ‘Robin Hood’ reputation, given to him by the poorest people of Colombia.

Positives:
Pablo and Roberto Escobar were very close- towards the end of Pablo’s life, Roberto was one of the few people that he could trust. Because of this trust, Escobar was privy to many things that were never revealed to the public about the cartel, the money and the numerous murders and kidnappings. Escobar’s biography elaborates on much of the information known on Pablo, and establishes which rumours were true and which weren’t, while shedding new light on the life of his brother.

Negatives:
The narrative jumps a little bit in this biography- Escobar will be talking about one event that occurs and then, in the next paragraph, might jump several years forward or backward to prove a point (leaving a very fragile link between the two events).
If you’re hoping to read about Pablo Escobar’s life in chronological order, then you could get a little frustrated with this book at some points.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Biography

Recommended for: People who have heard the legend of Pablo Escobar and would like to learn about his life- told from the point of view of his older brother.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Out by Natsuo Kirino

2010-10-21T20:14:00.002+11:00

Out - Natsuo Kirino

Synopsis:
Masako, Yayoi, Yoshie and Kuniko work the night shift at a boxed-lunch factory in the Tokyo suburbs, creating thousands of ready-made meals each day.
Despite their differences in age and social standing, the women have quite a bit in common- each burdened with difficult relationships, financial woes and familial pressures. While working in the factory isn’t the most social of jobs, the women are able to form a tentative friendship, which helps to break up the gruelling monotony of the production line, and allows them to vent their frustrations with one another.
One day, driven by anger and an intense hatred of her gambling, philandering husband Kenji, Yayoi finally snaps and strangles him to death. Not knowing who else to turn to, Yayoi calls Masako and begs for her help in disposing of the body.
For reasons that even she’s unsure of, Masako agrees, and enlists the help of the others to dismember and dispose of the body.
Despite their care in making sure Kenji’s body disappears for good, some of his remains are discovered in a local park, and soon police are looking for suspects in his murder case.
But the women have more to worry about than detectives, when they learn that a yakuza-connected loan shark has discovered their secret and is threatening to expose them unless they meet his demands. Worse still, a nightclub owner, who the police wrongly accuse of Kenji’s murder, is out for revenge after he loses everything. With his business destroyed and the terrible secret from his past revealed, he is determined to find the real culprits and make them suffer.
Can Masako, Yayoi and the others find a way to distance themselves from the crimes they have committed? Or will they face the ultimate punishment for what they have done? Their own deaths…

What I gained from reading this book:
Appearances can be deceiving, and this is shown throughout the entire novel.
To the public, Yayoi appears to be the innocent housewife- worrying about, and then grieving for her murdered husband- when it’s a known fact to us, the readers, that she killed him in a fit of rage. Masako acts as a protector to Yayoi and the others but she has reached a plateau in her life and finds herself yearning for something, although she has no idea what. Kuniko has a reputation for wearing expensive labels and driving a flashy car, but she’s heavily in debt and struggles financially. Yoshie struggles to deal with her difficult life, yet she represents herself as a model worker at the boxed-lunch factory. Satake has a cool persona in his club, but inside he is hiding a terrible secret from his past as a former yakuza mobster.
There are many more secrets, hidden by many more characters, but my point is that while you think you might know someone intimately, there is always a secret hiding behind the persona. In this novel, most of the secrets are revealed in time, and perceptions are changed because of them, much the same as in real life.

Positives:
The characters in Out are well-developed and you can’t help but get drawn into their lives and the dramas they face. There are so many stories inexplicably linked through the murderous actions of one person- Yayoi- and it’s interesting to see how the whole novel comes together because of her need to retaliate against her husband’s gambling and infidelity.

Negatives:
I have to admit that the ending of this novel kind of threw me. I definitely wasn’t expecting the scenario that takes place, and I’m not sure I can really comprehend the sudden turnaround of some of the characters.
However, while I’m not really a fan of the ending, that’s just my opinion.
You’ll have to read the book to understand what I mean about its conclusion, and form your own judgment.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Crime/ Thriller

Recommended for: Fans of foreign crime writers

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Finding Freia Lockhart by Aimee Said

2010-10-21T20:04:00.004+11:00

Finding Freia Lockhart - Aimee Said

Synopsis:
When Freia Lockhart’s best friend, Kate Smith, bonds with one of the coolest girls at school over a lip gloss, Freia doesn’t realise that her entire existence at Westside Girls Grammar is about to change. Given a taste of what it’s like to be popular, Kate is determined to befriend the Bs -Belinda, Bethanee and Brianna- and become just as cool as them. Unfortunately for Freia, the only way she can maintain her friendship with Kate is if she, too, spends time with the Bs (who she doesn’t particularly like). Soon recess and lunchtimes are spent sitting around discussing boys and makeup, and the once-weekly sleepovers have dwindled to once a month.
Things at home aren’t much better, with Freia’s father constantly treating her like a little girl, and her mother regularly consulting her self-help books to ensure that Freia becomes a successful teenager (and doesn’t go into a downward spiral like so many others her age).
To make matters worse, the girls audition for the school musical and convince Freia to try out too, in the hope that they can meet some cute boys from Westside Boys High.
She soon finds herself on the balcony, working as a lighting assistant beside rumoured druggie Daniel ‘Skeletor’ Taylor-Fairchild.
Freia- who has never kissed a boy, let alone talked to one- is suddenly thrust into the deep end when she has to share a confined space with someone who everybody else seems to dislike. But she soon learns that there is more to some people than meets the eye, and begins to question the friendships she has made. Freia has to decide whether she wants to continue being acquainted with the bitchy Bs, or whether she should pursue new friendships, even if she faces derision for them…

What I gained from reading this book:
This book tackles the notion that you can’t always believe what you hear, and this point is covered thoroughly through the tentative friendship between Freia and Daniel (aka Skeletor). Rumours abound where Daniel is involved- his classmates are convinced that he was expelled from his former school for taking drugs, or for bashing up a guy and putting him in hospital. But Freia soon begins to realise that all the rumours are just that- rumours. She discovers that he’s really just a quiet, misunderstood guy whose physical appearance invites ridicule and gossip. Once she gets to know him, she is quick to dismiss everything that has been said about him behind his back.
This novel also covers social hierarchies in the school community. Freia is yet to find her place in the school pecking order. She’s not popular- that honour belongs to the bitchy Bs- but she’s also not at the bottom end of the scale, like quiet Vicky Soong or ‘punk girl’ Siouxsie Sheldon. While Kate is desperate to belong in the upper end of the popularity stakes, even neglecting Freia in order to get there, Vicky and Siouxsie (who are ostracised by the Bs) turn out to be better friends to Freia over the course of the year.
Siouxsie, Vicky and Freia have a lot in common, and although Freia is hesitant in the beginning to form new friendships for fear of getting teased, her need for close companionship soon outweighs her apprehension. These instances are common in everyday life, especially in a school environment. Finding Freia Lockhart teaches us that sometimes people aren’t quite what you expect, and it’s better to get to know a person rather than believe unfounded rumours about them.

Positives:
It takes a while for Freia to break free from the negative influences of the Bs, but when she eventually learns to be her own person, you can’t help but cheer for her.
Her transition- from a shy, awkward girl who has never spoken to a boy, to being a strong-willed, more confident young woman- is gradual, but inspiring nonetheless.

Negatives:
Throughout most of the book, it seems as though Freia barely tolerates her family- she thinks her parents baby her and treat her like a child, by not letting her do what other girls her age are allowed. But when they unexpectedly do the opposite and let her go to parties, she wishes they would say no so she’d have an excuse to avoid going. This contradictory behaviour can get a tad annoying, but I suppose it’s only a natural part of being a teenager (ie, not knowing exactly what you want!)

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: Teenagers who are trying to find their place within the school community but still aren’t sure where they belong.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern

2010-09-23T20:37:00.003+10:00

Sh*t My Dad Says - Justin Halpern

Synopsis:
Comedy writer, Justin Halpern, was 28-years-old when his girlfriend of three years broke up with him, forcing him to move back home to live with his parents.
While most young people would be frustrated to be living once more in constant contact with their parents after an extended period of independence, Justin took this as an opportunity to start recording all of his father’s outrageously funny comments and ponderings on life.
What originally started out as a Twitter page called ‘Shit My Dad Says’, soon became the catalyst for this book, as well as the source of many newspaper articles and television interviews. Halpern’s Twitter page also attracted a fan-base of over one million people, demonstrating just how popular Halpern’s witticisms are.
This book- Halpern’s tribute to his 73-year-old father, showcasing the profound, witty and hilarious things that Halpern Senior has said over the years- is filled with touching and amusing anecdotes and quotes straight from the mouth of Mr Sam Halpern, and covers some of the monumental moments in Justin’s life. From coaching Justin’s Little League baseball team, and trying to ensure he had the best science competition project, to confronting burglars with a shotgun while naked, Justin doesn’t hold back in showing the world just how unique his father is.
While some of these scenarios may sound slightly condescending, Justin is clearly a man who cares deeply for his father, and tells these stories with the utmost respect and loyalty (and a lot of humour!).

What I gained from reading this book:
Most people, at some point in their life, have looked at their dad with embarrassment. Maybe he said something totally inappropriate in front of your friends, or did something that you would only ever see on a really bad-taste television program.
The great thing about this book is that no matter how embarrassed you felt then, there’s a strong chance that Justin Halpern’s dad has said or done something equally embarrassing- only his social faux pas has been documented by his son so that the whole world can read it! Not only does this book help to ease some of the awkwardness you once felt about your father (because he could obviously be a lot worse), but it is also a sweet -albeit humorous- tribute that one man has written to his father.

Positives:
Even though most of the scenarios that feature in this book could be considered really embarrassing- to both Halpern and his father- it is clear that Halpern has a strong admiration and respect for the man whose funny quotes he is retelling.
I was also impressed with the set-out of the book- there is a developed story at the start of each chapter, and then several quotes at the end of the chapter that only accentuate just how witty (or wacky, depending on what you think) Halpern Senior is. Hilarious stuff.

Negatives:
If you don’t appreciate swearing or any type of coarse language, you should probably steer clear of this book- Halpern Senior has a way with words that would, in all likelihood, make a sailor blush. He doesn’t discriminate in who he uses this language to, either, choosing to say the f-bomb numerous times in front of his kids when they’re only young. But although Halpern swears a lot, this doesn’t diminish the humour of the book, so if you don’t have a problem with cursing, you shouldn’t have a problem reading this.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Non-Fiction Humour

Recommended for: People who want to read an extremely funny tribute that one guy wrote for his father to celebrate their relationship. This would actually make a great Father’s Day present.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

2010-09-23T20:26:00.005+10:00

Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher

Synopsis:
When Clay Jensen arrives home from school one day, he is surprised to find a plain package, with his name and address scrawled on it, waiting for him. With no sender address listed, and containing seven loose audiotapes (which are numbered), Clay is intrigued by the parcel and decides to listen to the first tape, hoping to uncover the mystery of who sent them to him.
But what Clay hears turns out to be the last thing he ever expected- Hannah Baker, his high school crush, who killed herself two weeks earlier.
On the tape, she explains that there were thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life, and that each of the people who receive the tapes are responsible for playing a part in her death. Clay is one of those people.
All that she requests is that each tape is listened to in full and then sent on to the next person on the list. If somebody doesn’t comply with her rules, then a copy of the tapes (with their incriminating stories) will be released into the public domain for everyone to hear, not just the thirteen people she has chosen.
Anxious to hear Hannah’s voice, and worried about what role he played in her death, Clay gets out the map he received from Hannah in the days before she swallowed the pills and traces her story and his role in it.
Over the course of a night, Clay learns all about what pushed Hannah over the edge, witnessing first-hand the trauma that caused her downward spiral, and learning some hard truths about himself in the process.

What I gained from reading this book:
Asher’s debut novel deals with the delicate topic of teenage suicide, and explores some of the reasons why people might choose this as the ultimate solution to their problems. His portrayal of Hannah, taunted by rumours, passive-aggressive bullying and a strong sensitivity, helps to paint a picture of how one vibrant girl could change so quickly into one whose life spiralled out of control- so much so, that the only way that she could find a way out of it was to kill herself.
This novel also highlights how one negative action can create a snowball to affect the lives of many people, even if the original action seems insignificant at the time.
Most of all, this novel teaches us that small acts of kindness can provide a ray of hope for people who need it most. Even though Hannah commits suicide before this novel even begins, she remembers the kindness that Clay and several other students showed to her. Clay realises this as he listens to the tapes, and, hoping to prevent a repeat of what happened to Hannah, learns to reach out to other people who seem lost, in the hope that he can make a difference. This is something that everyone can learn.

Positives:
The way that the novel is written is clever, with Hannah’s story interspersed with Clay’s own reactions and thoughts. This allows us to see several perspectives at the one time. The author is also able to build up suspense by allowing us to hear Hannah’s story only as Clay hears it, via the tapes. By doing this, it makes us- the readers- feel more involved in Hannah’s drama.

Negatives:
At times, you can’t help but feel that Hannah is overreacting to some of the things she claims had a role in her death. I understand that it’s the build up of these events that culminate in her suicide, and that her experiences weren’t pleasant in any way, but the way that she picks apart every little detail of what happened to her in order to justify her death sometimes seems just a tad over-the-top. Perhaps this is merely a reflection of somebody whose mental state is starting to collapse, but to me it seemed kind of nitpicky.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People looking for a serious teen fiction that deals with complex issues.

If you or someone you know is having problems and you need to talk to somebody, please contact the following help lines:

Kids Help Line (Australia) 1800 55 1800
Lifeline (Australia) 13 11 14
Mental Health Advice Line (Australia) 1300 280 737

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Friendly Fire by Wil Anderson

2010-09-02T20:57:00.002+10:00

Friendly Fire - Wil Anderson

Synopsis:
In this book, Australian comedian Wil Anderson explores a diverse range of topics- from childhood obesity to Valentine’s Day, trackie pants to terrorism, aging to four-wheel-drive etiquette, and exercise regimes to VB beer ads- putting his own unique spin on it all. Nothing is sacred as Anderson shifts from topic to topic, stating his views on each and raising some intriguing questions (for example, why is it that you can always come up with the perfect comeback for an insult about thirty seconds too late?). But he also looks at some more serious issues, like the pitiful amount of money that pensioners receive every fortnight and Australia’s binge drinking culture.
Many fascinating points are covered in this funny and often satirical novel.

What I gained from reading this book:
Anderson raises some interesting points in his second novel- although it’s debatable whether anyone would have even thought of the topics he mentions, if they hadn’t read about them in his book. He discusses the term ‘un-Australian’, and talks about how it is used to describe people who do not meet the standards of Australian society, querying why other nations don’t use a similar label for their ‘unpatriotic citizens’. He talks about the perils of weddings, and how gift buying is almost becoming a competitive sport. He complains about unfair ATM fees, where ‘you know the fees are getting too high when you go down to the local RSL and end up losing more on the teller machine than on the pokies’.
Basically, this book is an avenue for Anderson to complain about all aspects of life- but in a witty and entertaining way. This book also reminds readers that everyone has to deal with the same little problems in everyday life, and no one is immune from wanting to have a good whinge once in a while.

Positives:
The way that this book is set out reminds me of a stand-up comedy act. Anderson’s narrative flows from topic to topic, using language that wouldn’t be out of place on stage, in front of an audience. It could be because he is a popular entertainer, in the media and at comedy festivals, but you can almost imagine him standing in front of you and performing his gags (which feature in the book). In other words, this book brings the stand-up comedian into the room with you, and what’s not to love about that?

Negatives:
Unless you have grown up in Australia (or live overseas and have an excellent knowledge of Australian people/places/pop culture references), a lot of the witticism of this book could be lost on you. You kind of need to have an understanding of these things to be able to appreciate Anderson’s humour, so this novel is probably better suited to Australian readers, rather than international readers.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Non-Fiction Humour

Recommended for: Anyone who is a fan of Wil Anderson.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Sweet Little Lies by Lauren Conrad

2010-08-17T21:05:00.004+10:00

Sweet Little Lies - Lauren Conrad

Synopsis:
It’s three months into the filming of hit reality TV show L.A. Candy, and stars Jane Roberts and Scarlett Harp are facing more problems than they ever thought would be possible.
Jane’s reputation is on the line when a series of racy photos are leaked to a tabloid magazine and published. Taken of Jane with Braden (her boyfriend’s best friend) from her bedroom window, the pictures spell the end of what little privacy Jane has left since landing a role on the show- she is now the paparazzi’s ‘golden girl’, and under constant media surveillance. Hoping to benefit from the extra attention, one of Jane’s co-stars, Madison Parker- under the guise of being a caring friend- attempts to ‘shield’ Jane from the hordes of photographers (and in the process, from her best friend Scarlett). Unfortunately, Scarlett is unable to convince Jane of Madison’s true nature, and they find their friendship at a crossroads.
As Jane struggles to deal with the attention fame brings her, Scarlett is facing her own dilemma- she has fallen for someone who she is contractually forbidden to date, a member of the show’s crew. To keep the newly blossoming romance alive, Scarlett has to keep the relationship secret- not an easy feat when your life is playing out on television screens nation-wide.
With the first season about to wrap up, will Jane and Scarlett’s relationship recover? Or has Hollywood destroyed their fourteen-year friendship forever?

What I gained from reading this book:
In this novel, Jane’s trusting nature makes her an easy target for malicious Madison, who hopes to oust her out of the show and become the leading lady. Madison purposely gets closer to Jane, becoming a confidant and ‘watching her back’, while simultaneously passing on the information she learns to a tabloid magazine that isn’t afraid of twisting the truth to sell more issues. Madison isn’t terribly bothered by the fact that she’s tarnishing Jane’s reputation, and is willing to do almost anything to remove her as competition for the starring role in L.A. Candy. Seeing Madison’s true nature, Scarlett is unable to persuade her best friend Jane to see the truth, and this causes a massive rift in their friendship.
This is not an isolated problem among young women, some of whom form toxic friendships (although they are unaware of it at the time), and find themselves ditching their closest friends as their new friendships grow. This novel acts as a reminder that even though it’s okay to make new friends, it’s not good to ignore the ones you already have (especially if your new friends are intent on destroying your social standing). In other words, true friends can be hard to find, so keep close the ones that you have- they’re the people that will stand by you when you really need them.

Positives:
The storyline for Conrad’s sequel is just as addictive as the original- Jane, Scarlett, Madison and Gaby attend numerous Hollywood parties, fall in love, meet new people (both good and bad), and continue to have their lives flashed across television screens and magazine covers. You can’t help but enjoy the dramas, despite knowing that the producers of L.A. Candy are orchestrating almost everything.

Negatives:
It’s no secret that Hollywood is filled with jealousy, bitching and backstabbing- in fact, it’s renowned for it! You’d think that after all of her experiences, Jane would be less naïve about Hollywood and the people that reside there, but unfortunately, her character is still just as trusting as ever. Even her best friend Scarlett- the person she trusts most- can’t make her see that some of the people they associate with are only trying to cause trouble. I realise its just part of her character makeup, but Jane’s gullibility can be extremely frustrating!

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People who read the first L.A. Candy novel and would like to find out what happens next.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: The Book Of Awesome by Neil Pasricha

2010-08-17T20:57:00.002+10:00

The Book Of Awesome - Neil Pasricha

Synopsis:
There are so many simple things in life that can make you happy, and this book (which started its life as a blog called 1000awesomethings.com) is one of them.
Some of the gems featured in this book include fixing electronics by smacking them, popping bubble wrap, finally remembering a word that’s been on the tip of your tongue for ages, using rock-paper-scissors to settle anything, finding the thing you were going to buy is already on sale, the smell of freshly cut grass, finding your keys after looking forever and having a good floss after a tough steak. These (and many more) are things that everybody experiences at one time or another, and are guaranteed to put a smile on your dial. Awesome!

What I gained from reading this book:
In this materialistic world, we often want expensive things- whether they are the latest, high-tech gadgets, the fastest car or the most dazzling jewellery- to keep us amused or entertained. But this book acts as a reminder that sometimes the best things in life are free, and they can often do more to make you happy than anything else ever could.

Positives:
Happiness, and the way that it is passed on, can obviously transcend national borders, especially where this book is concerned. Nearly every one of the ‘awesome’ things mentioned in this book could be related to my life, and the lives of those around me, even though the author lives on the other side of the world. He has chosen the best parts of his blog and made them relatable to all people, from all countries, so that everybody can appreciate the truth of what makes life good.

Negatives:
This book could maybe benefit from having more pictures. But, having said that, the descriptive language that Pasricha uses to describe each happy-making item more than makes up for the lack of imagery.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Non-Fiction Humour

Recommended for: Anybody looking for a reminder of the things that make them happy.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

2010-08-11T20:47:00.004+10:00

Let The Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist

Synopsis:
Living with his single mother in the Swedish suburb of Blackeberg, twelve-year-old Oskar Eriksson’s life revolves around going to school- where he is bullied by a group of thugs led by Jonny Forsberg- and spending time alone around the dreary housing estate he calls home. With no friends his own age, an odd fascination with murderers, and an incontinence problem, Oskar seems destined to forever be a loner. That is, until he meets Eli, a strange young girl who lives next door, seems to have no aversion to the winter cold and whom he only sees at night. The two soon form a tentative friendship, bonded by the fact that both are victims of different circumstances.
When a teenage boy is found murdered in the nearby town of Vällingby, his body drained of blood, panic strikes the heart of Blackeberg and the surrounding towns.
As more bodies begin to pile up, there are fears that the killer, dubbed the Vällingby Murderer by the media, is on a serial-killing frenzy.
Oskar holds a gruesome interest in the developing story, and soon begins to piece together some disturbing facts about his new neighbour and friend.
Why does he never see her during the day and why are her apartment windows blacked out? Why does she sometimes seem wise beyond her years? Why does she sometimes appear to look like an old woman, and the next day look as fresh and sweet as ever?
But Oskar’s digging soon finds him learning more than he ever wanted to know about Eli. Will what Oskar learns turn him from the only happiness he has ever really known? Or will he keep Eli’s terrible secret and stay loyal and true to his mysterious, and deadly, friend?

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel is essentially about victimisation. Oskar is bullied from the outset- teased and harassed by Jonny and his friends, Tomas and Micke. Eli’s victimisation is different but still causes her just as much pain as is inflicted upon Oskar- she is over 200 years old, trapped in the body of a child and has to live with the guilt of killing innocent people, drinking their blood to survive. Eli has also experienced a devastatingly brutal past, which has completely shaped her life as a vampire. Even some of the older characters experience feelings of distress brought about by negative circumstances. Oskar’s mother does the best she can, but clearly struggles as a single parent, while Håkan, Eli’s ‘father’, is a victim of his own weaknesses. Although not all the characters are victims of bullying, many still struggle to get on with their lives, and this novel reminds readers that although life may be tough to deal with sometimes, it usually does improve with time. Oskar’s experiences also show readers that if they fight back and stand up for themselves, justice will prevail in the end.

Positives:
While reading the novel, I had a clear view in my mind of what each of the characters looked like, thanks to Lindqvist’s descriptive language. Admittedly, I saw the film before I read the book, and so this could have some bearing on the way that I imagined the characters, but if that’s the case, then the casting of the film was exceptional! The strengths and weaknesses of each person are explored in the novel, and most of this translates nicely into celluloid. But like all films that are adapted from books, there are key scenes that have been cut (for timing reasons), which add to the depth of the story, and can only be explored when you read the novel.

Negatives:
Some of the subject matter in the novel could be disturbing for some readers. Themes including child prostitution, sodomy, paedophilia and murder pervade the text, and help to form the characterisation of some of the people in the novel. This could be considered a ‘serious’ vampire novel (ie. not a fluffy teen romance like the Twilight saga or some of the other vampire novels around at the moment). Believe me when I say that this book is not for the faint-hearted.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Horror

Recommended for: People who have seen the excellent Swedish film, and want to read the novel that spawned it.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Hate List by Jennifer Brown

2010-08-11T20:37:00.004+10:00

Hate List - Jennifer Brown

Synopsis:
When bullied teenager Valerie Leftman, and her boyfriend Nick Levil, create a list of the people and things they hate, it seems like a harmless way to let off steam. But while Valerie finds it satisfying to write down names and things and simply let it rest, Nick has more sinister plans.
May 2, 2008 seems like any other day, but everything changes in the morning before school starts, when Nick opens fire on his classmates in the school cafeteria. Using the Hate List as a guide on who to pick as targets, Nick seeks revenge against his peers in the worst way he knows how, and forever changes the lives of the staff and students of Garvin High School.
Five months later, Valerie (who was shot in the thigh while trying to stop Nick) is about to return to school to complete her senior year.
While officially cleared by the police for any involvement in the shooting, many of Valerie’s classmates believe that she should be held accountable for helping to write the Hate List. Many others believe that she is a hero for stopping her boyfriend, yet she is still socially excluded from the school community. Valerie’s former best friend doesn’t want to be associated with her, and the only person remotely interested in showing any compassion towards her is the girl who she inadvertently saved.
Valerie’s life, already complicated by her guilt following the shooting, is made even more complex by the ever-increasing tension within her family, regular visits to her psychiatrist Dr Hieler, and the love she still holds for her dead boyfriend.
As a result, all Valerie wants to do is forget the horrible events of the past and pretend that none of it ever happened. But to be able to move on with her life and make amends, she first has to come to grips with the tragedy, and her role in it…

What I gained from reading this book:
Unfortunately, school shootings are more common than we would like to admit, especially in America. According to most news articles, the perpetrator is often described as the ‘quiet one’ who ‘no one really knew’, and the victims often can’t believe that something like this could happen in their close-knit community.
This novel subtly challenges the perception that these incidences are not borne simply from mental illness, but are spurred on by the hate and bullying that the shooter is often a victim of beforehand. In the novel, Nick and Valerie are teased mercilessly because they choose to look and act differently to their peers. While this in no way condones shooting people, it does help readers to see that there is often another side to the story, and that the victims of words and taunts are often overlooked when compared to the victims of bullets.

Positives:
Valerie experiences conflicting physical and emotional feelings throughout the novel, and readers can’t help but empathise with what she is going through. The author is brilliant at portraying the trauma and guilt that Valerie feels, as she tries (with the help of Dr Hieler) to put the past behind her and get on with her life.
But her attempts at recovery are dampened by the fact that her family is disintegrating, and that her classmates are directing a mixture of confusion, fear, anger and forgiveness towards her, for her role in the tragedy.
Hate List cannot be considered a shallow or light-reading novel, for the hard-hitting themes and thoughts it provokes.

Negatives:
I honestly couldn’t find anything wrong with the story, but, like I mentioned above, if you’re after a light and easy read, this book is not for you. The themes in the story (ie. School shootings and bullying) could be confronting subject matter for some readers.
But this shouldn’t deter you from reading this otherwise exceptional debut novel.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People who are interested in reading about one girl’s journey of guilt and atonement, after circumstances which she couldn’t have prevented.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Never Bite A Boy On The First Date by Tamara Summers

2010-07-28T09:22:00.003+10:00

Never Bite A Boy On The First Date - Tamara Summers

Synopsis:
Kira November is a sixteen-year-old vampire, secretly living among mortals, and attending her second high school since becoming a vampire one and a half years earlier.
When star football jock, Tex Harrison, is found dead on the front steps of Luna High School, Kira’s family immediately point the blame at her, despite her protestations of innocence. As the second youngest vampire in the ‘family’, and partly responsible for the incident that forced them to leave their previous home, Kira’s reckless reputation means that she is the likely suspect regarding the gruesome murder of her classmate. Determined to clear her name and desperate to avoid getting locked up in a padded coffin by her old-fashioned ‘father’ Wilhelm, Kira sets out to find the real murderer.
Narrowing the suspects down to three cute boys, Kira has to use all her detective skills (which she has learnt from Nancy Drew books and the Veronica Mars television series), to find the culprit. Could it be Rowan, the weird loner who’s clearly hiding something? Or Milo, the sweet and sexy swim team member? Or perhaps it’s Daniel, the new boy in school who seems to shadow Kira wherever she goes…
All Kira knows is, she has to solve the mystery if she doesn’t want to spend the rest of eternity confined in a coffin.

What I gained from reading this book:
After she died and was turned into a vampire, Kira was adopted by four adult vampires- Wilhelm (her ‘father’), Olympia (her ‘mother’), Crystal (her ‘sister’), and Crystal’s husband Bert, and they taught her how to cope with being one of the undead. Zach was a later addition to the family, but he too was taught how to control the blood urges and re-integrate into society as a ‘human’. Kira explains in the novel how vampires who create others like them are obligated to take the new vampires under their wing and therefore avoid any disasters or suspicious human deaths. While the blood-drinking part doesn’t apply to us, I think that similar honour codes to this, as well as a strong sense of familial obligation, are important factors to remember in every day society. If everybody treats each other with respect and helps others in need, the world will be a much better place.

Positives:
Kira is a refreshing change, compared to the dark and moody characters of other teenage vampire novels. While she isn’t exactly enamoured with the idea of being a vampire and drinking blood, it’s for reasons entirely original- she was a vegetarian for four months before her death and thinks blood is ‘disgusting’. She also hates that she can’t check herself out in the mirror and has to have her makeup done for her by her ‘sister’. These normal teenage characteristics, plus her witty retorts, make her into an appealing person that you can’t help but like.

Negatives:
The ending. It’s not too bad, but I want to know what happened to some of the other characters. It feels as though the author took the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach with them, which leaves you wondering how the characters of Rowan and Milo are coping with what happened to them towards the end of the novel.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: Teenagers looking for a tongue-in-cheek novel that has everything- humour, a murder-mystery, romance, action, and (of course) vampires!

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Six Feet Under Or Up In Smoke by Jim Eames

2010-07-21T21:13:00.002+10:00

Six Feet Under Or Up In Smoke - Jim Eames

Synopsis:
In this novel, Eames explores the Australian funeral industry and provides readers with an interesting overview of what goes on behind closed doors. While many people dread the thought of death and funerals, Eames jumps right into it- interviewing people from the industry and explaining all the intricacies involved in such a necessary but morbid profession. He covers many topics, including information about the picking of gravesites, the process of cremation, viewings, coffin manufacturing, hearses, women in the industry, unusual family requests, and people whose job it is to deal with the aftermath of natural disasters, war or terrorism. He also points out the drastic differences between the funeral profession in large cities like Sydney or Melbourne, compared to those of small and isolated rural communities such as Brewarrina or Wanaaring in New South Wales.

What I gained from reading this book:
Everybody dies. It’s a fact of life. Through reading Six Feet Under Or Up In Smoke, readers can learn all about what happens after they pass, and can then make informed decisions about how they want their funerals or memorials arranged. Whether you want to be cremated and have your family scatter your ashes on a favourite beach, or if you’d rather be entombed in the family mausoleum, Eames looks at the pros and cons of each method without passing judgement. This book will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the business of death in Australia.

Positives:
There are many amusing anecdotes scattered amidst the facts in this novel. While many are these are from Eames’ father’s experiences as an undertaker in the Australian bush, other people in the profession have also contributed some very interesting tales. These experiences include everything from bogged ‘hearses’ (or utes) to strange requests from the families of the deceased (like the person who was buried with a beer keg as part of his tombstone, so visitors could ‘have a drink on him’)!

Negatives:
Anybody who is reading this book and hoping to see how the Australian funeral industry compares to those overseas may be disappointed. Although Eames mentions the international trade, he does not delve too deeply into the similarities and differences between the two. This book is primarily about Australians and how they cope with death and dying.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Non-Fiction

Recommended for: Anyone who is interested in reading about the Australian funeral industry, and how it is has changed throughout the years.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Crank by Ellen Hopkins

2010-07-21T21:03:00.002+10:00

Crank - Ellen Hopkins

Synopsis:
It’s been eight years since Kristina Snow last saw her dad. When she is given the opportunity to spend her summer holidays with him, Kristina jumps at the chance to spend quality time with the man who she once considered the ‘Prince of Albuquerque’, despite her mother’s wishes. But on her arrival in Reno, she is confronted with a father who is totally different to what she expected- the strong, loving father she remembers from childhood has been replaced by a drinking, drug-taking layabout. Desperate to reconnect with her dad, and intensely interested in Buddy, the young man who lives in an apartment downstairs, Kristina finds herself embracing her dark side, going by the name of Bree and partaking in activities that shy Kristina would never consider. While in this state of emotional unbalance, fearless Bree starts taking crank- crystal meth- and quickly becomes addicted to the rush that it brings her. Soon, crank starts to take over her life, and before she knows it, good girl Kristina has receded into the shell of her body, and is ruled by the destructive Bree, in need of her next fix.
As Kristina/ Bree’s addiction grows, and she disassociates herself from her family and friends, she begins to realise why people call crank ‘the monster’, and struggles to find a way to get herself back on track. But the monster is always there, and it’s a difficult demon to ignore…

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel delves into the dark world of drugs, booze and sex, but what makes it all the more challenging to comprehend is that this is experienced by a sixteen-year-old girl. Crank is loosely based on real-life events that occurred in Hopkins’ daughter’s life as she became addicted to the drug, and turned into a virtual stranger to those who know and love her. The sad thing is, this is probably not an isolated story, with many teenagers facing similar concerns as their substance abuse grows out of control.
In the novel, the character of Kristina is a model student, and rarely finds herself in trouble. But on her trip to Reno to visit her dad, she unleashes her darker side- Bree- who is sitting on the sidelines and just waiting to cause problems. Living in a place where she is an unknown, meeting a sexy bad boy, and realising that she has glorified her father in her memories, Kristina recreates herself as Bree as a way of coping with all the sudden changes. When she is introduced to the monster, she is more than happy to jump right in and try something new- even if it is potentially risky- in order to gain respect from the new people in her life.
This sort of damaging behaviour sets the tone for how the rest of the novel plays out. Readers become aware, through reading the verses, that addiction to an illicit substance such as crank changes everything in a person’s life, and affects more than just the person taking the drug.

Positives:
Although I’m not usually a fan of poetry, this verse novel had me hooked. Kristina/ Bree’s story drew me in and I found I couldn’t put the book down- I wanted to find out what she would do next to get out of her predicaments.

Negatives:
Kristina’s alter ego Bree- a strong and vibrant character- is also very destructive. As her addiction to the drug grows, Bree’s actions get progressively worse, resulting in a novel that is recommended for those aged 14 and up, due to its content. This book would probably not be a good choice for people who hold more conservative opinions about human behaviour, or for those who struggle to emphasise with a young person who has fuelled her own demons.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People who are interested in reading a verse novel that is addictive as the subject matter.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Extras by Scott Westerfeld

2010-06-25T21:06:00.005+10:00

SERIES SPOILER ALERT. SERIES SPOILER ALERT. SERIES SPOILER ALERT.
WARNING: The contents of this review may give away some of the major plotlines within the series. Do not continue reading if you want to be pleasantly surprised by the book.

Extras - Scott Westerfeld

Synopsis:
It has been several years since Tally Youngblood brought down the social segregation system that divided uglies, pretties and specials.
Now, people live in a society that is no longer governed by strict regulations that force everybody to be ‘brain-missing’. Instead, people are embracing their individuality- taking on crazy surgery and trends in order to be the person that stands out the most amongst their peers.
Although Aya Fuse is only fifteen years old, she, too, wishes to raise her popularity rank and become famous. With a rank numbering just under 500,000, Aya is considered a nobody- or extra- by the rich and famous. She dreams of becoming a famous kicker (a type of amateur journalist), and in a city where the main currency is popularity (which can buy you anything you desire), Aya has great aspirations to find a story that will propel her to stardom. Although she has kicked many small stories, along with her faithful hovercam Moggle, Aya just hasn’t been able to get her big break.
That is, of course, until she meets the Sly Girls- a group of extras whose main aim is to pull crazy stunts but remain anonymous. Long considered an urban myth, the mystery surrounding the clique would be enough to boost her rank significantly. But then Aya and the girls uncover a secret that could change the course of history and put all of them in danger.
In her eagerness to kick the biggest story of the millennium, Aya could soon become more famous than she ever imagined possible. But will her story also put the world, as she knows it, at risk?

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel is all about fame, celebrity, and society’s perceptions of self-worth. Aya is only fifteen years old, but she aspires to be in the top one thousand people of her city- a difficult feat considering that at the start of the novel, she is ranked at the lowly number of 451, 369. Her city, which awards its citizens according to their popularity in society, creates a different type of hierarchy to the uglies/pretties/specials system, which separated the ‘elite’ from the ‘non elite’. But in reality, this system is not much better, as it incites people to go to extremes in order to boost their popularity. This is obvious through people’s behaviour, especially when they undergo surgery in order to look as ‘out there’ as humanly possible. The kickers also go to extreme lengths to find crazy stories, hoping that they will be able to make a name for themselves in their ever-competitive society. Through the introduction of characters like the Sly Girls, the author highlights the absurdity of fame, and shows that that you don’t need to have a high status in society to be worthy of attention from your peers.

Positives:
Because Aya never experienced the brain lesions, and has only learnt about them at school, it means that a new perspective is thrown on the events of the previous novels. Adding to that is the fact that she is Japanese, and therefore not even of the same culture as Tally Youngblood. This means that readers are able to see how Tally’s actions have spread across the world, and allows them to see how each country has reacted to these changes.

Negatives:
People who are expecting this novel to be similar in style to the previous three books may be slightly disappointed. Although Extras is considered part of the series, and features some of the characters from the other books, it also has its differences. Aya’s story is nothing like Tally’s- it is more about Aya’s quest to kick a fabulous story and join the social elite, rather than forge her own individuality, as Tally’s was.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People who are eager to read the fourth book in the ‘trilogy’, and find out about how life changed after Tally’s exploits.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Specials by Scott Westerfeld

2010-06-25T21:00:00.002+10:00

SERIES SPOILER ALERT. SERIES SPOILER ALERT. SERIES SPOILER ALERT.
WARNING: The contents of this review may give away some of the major plotlines within the series. Do not continue reading if you want to be pleasantly surprised by the book.

Specials - Scott Westerfeld

Synopsis:
Tally Youngblood has become one of the creatures she most feared as an ugly and a pretty- she is now a special.
Biologically enhanced so that her senses are superior and her reflexes amazingly fast, Tally’s body is now streamlined with strong new muscles, and unbreakable ceramic bones, ensuring that her superiority over everybody else is complete. Along with her physical reconditioning, Tally’s latest operation has given her the opportunity to remain clear-headed while she attempts to hunt down the New Smokies and destroy their rebellious camp.
As a member of the Cutters- a group of young specials who have their own set of rules- Tally, along with Shay, is programmed to locate and eradicate the New Smokies, who are threatening to cure the pretties of their brain lesions with a vast supply of Maddy’s pills. As a special, Tally cannot allow that to happen, especially considering the dangerous problems that her boyfriend Zane experienced when he took the pills. But it appears that the Smokies have strong allies, who have given them access to things that they previously couldn’t get, and which enable them to reach an even broader section of society.
The only way that Tally can negotiate this new development is to use a group of pretties as ‘bait’ and uncover the Smokies’ hideout. But the plan doesn’t go as well as she hopes, and she soon finds herself questioning the mission that she is programmed to complete. Will the world be safe from destruction if all pretties are clear-headed? Can uglies and pretties really live in cohesion? And if the Cutters’ mission fails, what will happen to the world as she knows it?

What I gained from reading this book:
As a special, Tally Youngblood finally feels as though she’s found her place in life. As an ugly she felt inferior, while being a pretty was fine until she rediscovered the truth about the brain lesions (that turn all pretties into bubbleheads). As a special, Tally not only belongs to a clique known as the Cutters- who share a special bond through aspects of their creation- but she is also faster, stronger and physically more superior than the rest of the people living in her city.
The one drawback, however, can be found in the actions that gave her clique their nickname- members cut their arms, and some even brand themselves with hot firebrands, in order to feel ‘icy’. This self-harming behaviour gives them adrenaline rushes that keep their minds clear, but is also representative of the destructive path that the Cutters are taking by acting as ‘soldiers’ of the city- they can only get their release by hurting themselves.
Similarly to the Cutters in the novel, there are some people nowadays who cut themselves as a way of coping with their daily lives. Many of these people do not stop until they get the support that they need- support that can be found in close friends and family. In the novel, Tally does not feel compelled to stop until Zane makes her promise that she will end her self-harming ways.
In this way, the author is sending a message by encouraging people to speak up and help friends and family who are dealing with destructive behaviour.

Positives:
This novel introduces even more technology that enables the uglies, pretties and specials to function in society. Sneaksuits, which camouflage their wearer and therefore render them almost invisible to the naked eye, are just one of the author’s many creations that further enhance the futuristic feel of the series.

Negatives:
Unlike the first two books, where it is easy to relate to Tally and her adventures, Specials seems more detached. Perhaps this is representative of Tally’s new persona- as a cool, calm and collected special- but it also makes it more difficult for readers to share in what Tally feels, and justify her actions as a ruthless machine intent on stamping out the rebels of the New Smoke.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People who want to find out what happens to Tally and all the other characters from the previous novels.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

2010-06-25T20:56:00.002+10:00

Pretties - Scott Westerfeld

Synopsis:
It has been months since Tally Youngblood returned to New Pretty Town, and underwent the operation that changed her from an ugly into a pretty.
Since then, she has been reunited with her old friends Peris and Shay, and been introduced to an exclusive clique named the Crims, whose main prerequisite for joining is having completed daring feats as uglies. With Tally’s tricky experiences far outweighing those of her fellow pretties, she has more than earned the right to join the gang, under the leadership of the handsome Zane.
But while she is happy to be incredibly attractive, have fabulous clothes, and a large group of friends, Tally can’t help but feel that something is missing.
When Tally runs into an ugly from her past, she rediscovers the truth about the operation and New Pretty Town, which the operation has partially erased from her memory. As her memories return, she is determined to have her old, clear-headed life back.
But first she has to combat her guilt after remembering her betrayal of the Smokies, find the New Smokies hideout, and convince the Crims that leaving the city is the best thing that they will ever do in their entire lives.
However, doing that while keeping the elite Special Circumstances team from learning of her plans is easier said than done…

What I gained from reading this book:
In this novel, Tally encounters people from various ‘cultures’, and she has to learn to adapt to their ways of life- rather than the comforts she is used to- in order to survive.
Having lived as a Smokey with David and the rest of the runaway community, Tally has had some experience in living in the wild and surviving from the land.
But when she comes across a group of people who seem to have escaped from the sights of Special Circumstances, she discovers that her life with the Smokies was far more urban than she imagined. The villagers of the place she discovers are primitive in their beliefs and theories, live in a blood feud with other outsiders, and see the pretties as Gods who must be obeyed otherwise harm will befall them. This is in stark contrast to the Smokies, who, while in awe of the beauty of the pretties, certainly don’t deify them, and have never engaged in murder for the sake of avenging people killed in the past.
While this kind of situation is not prevalent in today’s society, similar circumstances have played out in the past, in the form of one ‘superior’ race of people exerting their authority over another’s. This has also occurred in third-world countries where people from more well-off countries have challenged people’s primitive beliefs, and attempted to treat them as test-subjects for various anthropological studies.

Positives:
The action scenes in this novel are more intense, as Tally fights to remember what she once learnt, and tries to regain what she has lost in her new life as a pretty. As a pretty, Tally gets involved in even more dangerous stunts than when she was an ugly, and readers who enjoyed the action last time will be even more impressed this time around.

Negatives:
Pretty language can become quite annoying at times, even if it is representative of the vacant-mindedness of the pretties. Readers will probably get sick of reading words like bubbly and bogus, and will get annoyed at seeing –missing and –making tacked on to normal words, turning them into phrases that the pretties would use.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People eager to see the cliffhanger from the first Uglies book resolved.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

2010-06-25T20:46:00.002+10:00

Uglies - Scott Westerfeld

Synopsis:
The world is a bleak place unless you’re attractive, and for Tally Youngblood, nothing is further from the truth as she awaits her sixteenth birthday, and the compulsory operation that will change her from an ugly into a pretty.
With the operation, Tally will finally be accepted into society and be able to spend time with her old friends, all of whom have been changed, and moved from the dorms of Uglyville to the mansions of New Pretty Town.
A few months before the operation, Tally meets another ugly named Shay, who shares the same birthday, teaches her how to ride a hoverboard, and keeps her company during the lonely months. The two are almost inseparable, teaching each other tricks and going on expeditions out of Uglyville and into the great unknown.
But Shay is hesitant about becoming a pretty, and when she runs away, Tally is confronted by a group of authorities known only as Special Circumstances, who give her an ultimatum: find Shay and turn her in, or never turn pretty.
Now Tally has a difficult choice to make, especially when she discovers that Shay is not the only runaway and to turn her in will destroy an entire community that has survived away from the corruption of the big cities. But if she doesn’t betray her friend, how will she ever be pretty?

What I gained from reading this book:
Beautiful people often seem to get through life a lot easier than people whose looks are less aesthetically pleasing. But this novel takes the concept of ‘winning beauty’ to a new extreme, where anybody who looks normal and hasn’t been operated on by their sixteenth birthday is termed ‘ugly’.
What’s more, there is a type of brainwashing going on that ensures that the divide between pretties and uglies continues to grow. Uglies are made to feel unimportant and are taught that they will only fit into society properly after they are made pretty.
The ironic thing is, according to the pretties, the operation was created so that there would be less discrimination between people who looked different. Yet, the pretties are obviously considered the elite in the world that Westerfeld has created.
This novel ridicules the ideas of social aesthetics, and helps people to realise that being different from others is actually better than looking the same as every other person in the world. Through Uglies, Westerfeld is trying to teach his readers to embrace their individuality.

Positives:
The idea for the storyline is brilliant and really makes you question the world in which Tally and her friends live in. It is also interesting to watch the relationships between Tally, Shay and young leader David shift and change as each learns new things about themselves and the values they hold.

Negatives:
Westerfeld has created a futuristic world very similar to our own, except that technology is a lot more advanced than what we’re familiar with. So why, with all the creativity flowing through this novel, has he decided to call the home of the uglies Uglyville? And the home of the pretties New Pretty Town? Of course he could have named the townships this to reflect on the lack of imagination the Pretties have, but the names still seem kind of dull in comparison to what they could have been called.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: Anyone who wonders what the world would be like if everyone was beautiful.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Books Available For Purchase

2010-06-16T09:29:00.003+10:00

Hi everyone!!

As every booklover knows, there are always new books coming out and sometimes there just isn't enough room in your bookcase to keep them all.

Unfortunately, I have reached the point where I am going to have to clear my bookshelves and make room for the piles of books that are already covering the floor next to my bed!!

I have a wide variety of novels (covering many genres) that I am hoping to sell in the following weeks. All books are in excellent condition and most have been read only once (if they've been read at all!!)

If you would like a list of the books available to buy, and the prices, please leave a comment and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.

Cheers,

Cat

Book Review: Thicker Than Water by Maggie Shayne

2010-06-16T09:14:00.003+10:00

Thicker Than Water - Maggie Shayne

Synopsis:
As a seventeen-year-old runaway, Jewel Jordan, along with her friend Lizzie, found sanctuary with a group known as the Young Believers, led by Mordecai Young. Although the experience started out favourable, it slowly became a nightmare for the girls- one which they hoped to escape from as soon as they were able.
But then a fiery attack by government forces extinguished the cult, along with the lives of many of the compounds’ residents. For the survivors, the frightening ordeal appeared to be finally over, and, with the thousands of dollars of cash they managed to escape with, they were free to start over afresh.

Sixteen years later, Jewel has reinvented herself as Julie Jones and has become a successful news anchor, living in Syracuse with her teenage daughter Dawn.
But her peaceful life is shattered when a man named Harry begins blackmailing her, threatening to tell the world about her secret past. With no choice but to give in to his cash demands, Julie is soon worried that Harry isn’t the only person who knows the secrets that could destroy her.
This fear is heightened when Harry is found dead in his hotel room, and the murder weapon- a kitchen knife belonging to Julie- is found planted at her home. Someone is trying to frame her for Harry’s murder, and the worst thing is, she has no idea who it could be, or why they are doing it.
With the help of her journalism nemesis, and unlikely alley, Sean MacKenzie, Julie is determined to find the real murderer, especially when circumstances see her daughter put into danger.
Sean, an investigative journalist who is renowned for covering the worst that humanity has to offer, is just as determined to help, although he initially finds himself torn between wanting to protect Julie and wanting to expose her.
With Dawn’s life on the line and a vengeful killer on the loose, Julie will have to relive some of the horrors of her life in the Young Believers compound, if she is to uncover the truth and save her beloved daughter from an uncertain fate.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel begins in the Young Believers compound- controlled by ‘Reverend’ Mordecai Young- and brings into focus the issues of cults and alternative sects, and the dangerous factors often associated with them. While I am unsure as to just how many cults exist in the world today, I would not be surprised if many of them are run in a similar fashion to the one that is depicted by the author in this novel. [Note: I know this is a massive generalisation, but I am yet to hear of a cult or sect that is completely innocent of wrongdoing]. Seen as a ‘safe haven’ for young runaways, compounds such as this are known for drugging their residents and brainwashing them into believing that the outside world is the enemy. They are often told that the only place of respite is with the cult and its leader, and are often driven to become obsessive about protecting their haven.
Even though the Young Believers of the novel are fictional, readers are more likely to be aware of the dangers of such places after reading this story and experiencing what Julie, Dawn and the others go through because of it.

Positives:
The verbal sparring between Julie Jones and Sean MacKenzie, and their obvious sexual tension, provides light relief from the more serious aspects of the novel. Speaking of which, the originality of the cult storyline, and the subsequent drama surrounding Julie after sixteen years, sets the novel apart from others of the same genre.

Negatives:
Without trying to give too much of the storyline away, I have to question the way that some of the characters managed to survive the raid on the compound, sixteen years earlier. I know that the story can’t happen without them, but it does make the storyline seem less credible.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Thriller

Recommended for: People who enjoy reading Maggie Shayne’s novels.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4) by Richelle Mead

2010-06-16T09:02:00.004+10:00

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4) - Richelle Mead

Synopsis:
St Vladmir’s Academy is still in shock after the horrifying Strigoi attack that claimed so many lives and destroyed any illusions of safety that the Moroi and Dhampirs once held.
But for Rose Hathaway, the attack has changed her outlook on life forever.
The man that she loves, guardian Dimitri Belikov, has been unwillingly turned into a Strigoi, and Rose knows that the only way that she can deal with his ‘death’ is to hunt him down and destroy him, just as they promised one another they would do in the event that something like this happened. But in leaving America and travelling to Russia to find Dimitri, Rose must leave behind her best friend Lissa Dragomir, whose life is quickly becoming unstable. Along with her new friend Avery, and against the wishes of her boyfriend Christian, Lissa starts to participate in reckless and unusual behaviour as a way of coping with her sudden abandonment, especially as the side effects of using her magical power, spirit, grow.
As Lissa’s wayward activities start to get out of control, Rose travels through unfamiliar country and meets many new people- some who are willing to help, some who have no choice but to help, and some who hold an ulterior motive for helping Rose achieve her goals.
But when Rose finally finds Dimitri, will she be able to carry out her plans and find closure? And what if Dimtri doesn’t want to be ‘saved’?

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel deals primarily with grief and highlights people’s ways of coping with the sudden loss of a loved one (even if that loved one isn’t necessarily ‘dead’, as in Rose and Dimitri’s case).
Rose knows that Dimitri is an evil Strigoi, and that his previously good demeanour is now destroyed, but she can’t help but remember him as he once was. After seeing him as a Strigoi, she manages to convince herself that there is still good inside him, and that he still loves her in the same way that he did as a Dhampir. These assumptions soften her resolve to kill him, as she originally set out to do.
Dimitri uses Rose’s grief to manipulate her into not fighting back, and attempts to convince her that her life will be changed for the better if she joins him as a Strigoi.
Furthermore, her lingering memories, and her realisation that killing the man she loves will be harder on her heart than she previously thought, make Rose’s task of destroying Dimitri even more difficult. Despite their promises to one another that they would rather be dead than a Strigoi, Rose discovers that the reality is difficult to cope with, and finds herself straying from her suicidal vendetta in the hope of recovering the love she has lost.
People cope with their grief in different ways, and the characters in Blood Promise are no different. While Rose’s mother deals with the deaths in the strong dry-eyed manner that is expected of her, her daughter is unable to shake away the memories that remain. She feels that she must destroy Dimitri so he can finally rest in peace, and so that she can find a sense of closure. While most people wouldn’t have to deal with this scenario, it just goes to show that coping with grief and finding closure can come in many different forms.

Positives:
The inner turmoil that Rose faces among the Dhampirs is perfectly juxtaposed with the outer turmoil that Lissa portrays to the other Moroi, as both struggle with their issues. Although this doesn’t sound especially positive, it shows how the girls act when they are apart from each other and have to deal with their difficulties alone, which further enhances the plot.

Negatives:
We are introduced to many new characters in this novel; but unfortunately, do not get to fully explore their personalities and capabilities. Hopefully they will reappear further on in the series, otherwise I’ll be quite disappointed. Their presence adds a new dimension to the storylines.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People who read the previous book, who are looking forward to finding out how Rose will cope with facing her worst nightmare.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Life On The Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers

2010-05-26T20:52:00.002+10:00

Life On The Refrigerator Door - Alice Kuipers

Synopsis:
Claire is a teenager, growing up with a single, hardworking mother, whose job in the natal ward of the hospital keeps her away from home at irregular hours.
As a way of keeping in touch, Claire and her mother leave notes for each other on the refrigerator door. Containing everything from mundane shopping lists, requests for money, and reminders about looking after their pet rabbit Peter, to important events that are approaching (such as school tests and invitations from friends), the notes are one of the only forms of communication that the duo have with one another.
It isn’t until Claire’s mother finds a lump in her breast that she and Claire make more of an effort to spend time with one another. But even then, daily life gets in the way, especially when Claire meets her first love, and begins to mature as a young adult.
As Mom’s sickness grows, the routines of their lives become formulated around trips to the doctor, relationship woes, and selfish ‘mother-daughter’ fights, but the notes on the refrigerator continue, even if their tone starts to become disheartening.
Even though Mom’s cancer is slowly making her physically weak, Claire and Mom’s love for one another only strengthens, and the two do their best to cope with Mom’s illness together.

What I gained from reading this book:
Rarely home at the same time, due to work, babysitting or school commitments, Claire and Mom are always rushing around, never having enough time to spend with one another. It isn’t until Mom is diagnosed with breast cancer that the duo realise that their time with one another is going to be dramatically cut short, and they begin to make more time for family. This is a very familiar scenario, and one that is common in most busy households- everyone is always rushing around and thinking of themselves and what they have to do during the day, rather than focusing on the time that they could be spending with loved ones. Most people take for granted the fact that when they get home at night, their family will be there and waiting for them.
In this novel, Claire learns the hard way that this is not always the case.
Even though the events in Life On The Refrigerator Door occur over one year, Claire and Mom’s time is still cut short- their busy schedules dictate their lives and they rarely have the chance to sit and talk to one another, until it’s almost too late. This novel serves as a reminder that we should always try to make time for our loved ones, and tell them that we love them, because who knows what could happen tomorrow?

Positives:
If people are looking for a quick but heartfelt read, this is it. Because each note has it’s own page in the book, and many of the notes are short, readers are able to quickly read their way through the novel. But even though it doesn’t take long to read, the storyline is just as sad and thought provoking as any you’d find in a longer novel.

Negatives:
One of the problems with this story being told in notes format is that the reader is not privy to the events that occur outside of the notes that Claire and her mother leave for each other. Although we, as the readers, are happy when the busy duo finally spends time together, it means that we don’t know what’s happening in their lives unless they mention what has happened in their subsequent notes. Of course, these comments won’t be in full detail just for our benefit, so an air of mystery surrounds the characters’ actions and personal thoughts (although this isn’t necessarily a bad thing).

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People who may need a reminder that spending time with family and loved ones is important. The things you take for granted can disappear when you least expect it.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy # 3) by Richelle Mead

2010-05-26T20:40:00.004+10:00

Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) - Richelle Mead

Synopsis:
Rose Hathaway is still trying to recover from the traumatic events that occurred only three weeks earlier- she witnessed the cold-blooded murder of one of her close friends at the hands of the Strigoi who captured them, and got her first molnija marks, as a sign of having slain several Strigoi.
However, all of these events have begun to build up for Rose, and focusing on normal everyday life is difficult. When the Guardian novices face their field experience orientation, and have to protect their selected Moroi student for six weeks, Rose is determined to do her very best. She is a strong-willed person who is dedicated to becoming a Guardian and she is not going to let a traumatic experience mar her commitment to the job.
Meanwhile, Rose’s best friend Lissa is getting off the meds and will be once again able to access her magic, and sexy Guardian instructor Dimitri is still working on campus, and getting Rose all hot and bothered.
But there are dark forces surrounding St Vladmir’s Academy, and Rose discovers that she is the only one who is able to see the ghostly shadows wandering the campus.
With danger looming and a large-scale Strigoi attack imminent, Rose finds herself having to choose between life and love, and the two people she cares most about…

What I gained from reading this book:
Spirituality and faith are covered a little bit in this novel, as well as the concept of fortune and how it can be shaped by one’s actions.
After Rose starts to see ‘ghosts’, she begins to question her sanity, but she also delves into the spiritual side of life to try and determine whether the ‘ghosts’ she sees are trying to give her a message, in order to find peace, or if they are out for revenge like she previously assumed.
This course of thought also makes her consider her own death and ‘rebirth’ at the hands of Lissa, and makes her wonder whether being shadow-kissed is the reason why only she can sense the dead and the messages that they are trying to communicate.
Rose, Lissa and Dimitri also visit a fortuneteller in this novel, whose predictions cast a shadow over the events in the story, and Rose encounters strange premonitions from an old feeder named Alice as she accompanies Christian to his meals.
These moments, interspersed with some church scenes, make this novel ‘deeper’ than the previous two, and show how Rose is maturing in her views towards faith, especially in times of ill fortune.

Positives:
It’s so romantic reading of Rose and Dimitri’s blossoming but ultimately forbidden love. These moments are especially highlighted during their quiet interludes together, which often occur between the action sequences in the novel.

Negatives:
I don’t know if it’s just the copies that I’ve been reading or if it’s more of a widespread problem but I’ve found quite a few spelling and grammar mistakes in this novel and the previous two books. Although this has nothing to do with the storyline, I find it quite irritating.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People who enjoyed the action of the previous novel in the series, only this time it’s on a darker level.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Lost Girls And Love Hotels by Catherine Hanrahan

2010-05-14T19:53:00.002+10:00

Lost Girls And Love Hotels - Catherine Hanrahan

Synopsis:
Margaret’s life has never been easy. As a child, she was overweight, invisible to her father and never felt as though she could win her parents’ approval. Things didn’t improve when she reached her teenage years- although she lost her baby fat, she soon gained a reputation among the boys in her high school, using her body as a way of dealing with her insecurities. Throughout this growth period, Margaret’s older brother Frank slowly began to lose his mind, gripped by the invisible hands of a severe mental illness.
After a terrifying event forces her to leave the family home, Margaret moves to Japan, hoping to start over anew.
Working as a ‘native English speaker’ at the Air-Pro Stewardess Training Institute by day, Margaret’s nights are spent with her flatmate Ines- trawling the bars in search of alcohol, narcotics, and a new man to spend time with, at one of the many three-hour love hotels that exist in Tokyo.
While these actions temporarily help her to forget home, Margaret finds herself holding on to fragments of her past. She has two voicemail messages on her phone, which serve as constant reminders of what she has left behind, and which she can not bring herself to delete. Adding to her personal demons are the posters of a blonde-haired Western girl who has gone missing in Tokyo, and whose eyes seem to haunt Margaret everywhere she turns.
When Margaret embarks on an affair with a mysterious gangster (still hoping to forget everything from home), she learns that it is harder to leave the past behind than she had originally thought, and finds herself set on a path of infinite destruction and nihilism- one that she may not survive.

What I gained from reading this book:
In this novel, Margaret and her friends often lose themselves in their vices as a way of coping with their personal problems. Indulging in binge drinking, illicit substances and sexual encounters at love hotels with strange men, Margaret tries to forget about all of the negative things that have happened in her life- the betrayals, the teenage traumas, her family’s disintegration and her brother’s mental illness. She immerses herself in a hedonistic yet dangerous lifestyle and, through the changing of the narration from first person to ‘you’, the author is able to show Margaret’s detachment from the world.
This destructive behaviour is often a common denominator in people who have lived fractured lives and who are seeking to find an escape from all that they know. This novel serves as a reminder that these people often need help to find a new, healthier way of approaching their problems.

Positives:
Hanrahan’s debut novel is full of strong imagery that sets the scene for Margaret’s new life in Asia. She describes the backstreets of Japan (with their hidden love hotels and dingy little bars), and contrasts them with the neon-strewn city landscapes that most people are familiar with. Mixing the seedy with the chic, Hanrahan is able to portray the cultural yet modern city of Tokyo in a way that people can instantly picture in their minds.

Negatives:
Margaret’s downward spiral into melancholy and substance abuse may be slightly off-putting for some readers. This novel is not meant to be a light, fun read- it is slightly disturbing, and really makes you think about how our earlier experiences in life can shape our future prospects. So if you’re looking for light-hearted entertainment, this novel is probably not a good choice.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Family/ Relationships

Recommended for: People who are interested in reading about one girl’s efforts to lose herself in a foreign country.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2) by Richelle Mead

2010-05-14T19:41:00.002+10:00

Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2) - Richelle Mead

Synopsis:
It has been some time since Rose Hathaway found herself face-to-face with a Strigoi, and things are only just starting to get back to normal for her at St Vladmir’s Academy. Still attending daily training sessions with her handsome Guardian mentor Dimitri, Rose is determined to eliminate any weaknesses she may have against her biggest enemies, the Strigoi, with the intention of destroying them and protecting her best friend Lissa Dragomir.
However, when a large family of Moroi royals are found slain, along with their Guardians, all previous notions that the Guardians held of the Strigoi are challenged. It looks as though a whole group of Strigoi have worked together, a concept previously unheard of due to their violent natures, and it looks as though they have had outside help in carrying out their murderous ways.
With the Christmas holidays approaching, and as a way of keeping the families united during the break, the Academy decides to schedule a ski trip at an Idaho resort where all families are invited, hoping to keep the Moroi safe from any unforeseen dangers.
But while the Academy students and their families enjoy their trip, news breaks that another royal family has been attacked and killed.
Three students, frustrated about the lack of action being taken by the Guardians, decide to go and fight back against the Strigoi, and it’s up to Rose and Christian Ozera to put aside their mutual dislikes of one another and go to rescue them.
But the students are in more danger than they realise, and one of them won’t make it out alive…

What I gained from reading this book:
One of the themes in this novel is relationships, and how external forces can affect them. Rose’s friend Mason has a big crush on her, and wants to be more than friends, and for a while, Rose ignores it, preferring to focus her attention on her attraction to Dimitri. But when Dimitri starts seeing somebody else, Rose decides to give Mason a chance, and even though she likes him, she finds herself unable to give him her full attention. Rose’s relationship with her estranged mother Janine is also difficult. Her mother’s sudden return into her life, even if it’s just to accompany the family she protects, means that Rose is suddenly forced to look at why her mother is less maternal than others and yet so successful as a Guardian. She learns a lot about her mother, and through the process, about herself as a person.
Most people have relationships with others where, like Rose, they are ignored by those who should be close to them, or revered by those who they are not entirely interested in. Reading of Rose’s interactions with her mother, Dimitri and Mason help to make more sense of these relationships, and highlight any familiar interactions that readers may face with people in their own lives.

Positives:
There is a lot more action in this novel, whether Rose is learning how to stab a vampire in the heart with a silver stake, facing off with the evil Strigoi or even performing aerial skiing stunts to impress Mason. These actions give the story an exciting edge.

Negatives:
Rose and Lissa’s friendship, while still strong, is not as noticeable in this novel as it was in the previous one. Their friendship seems to take a backseat to the love life of Rose, and the Guardians’ clashes with the Strigoi.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People who want to find out what happens to Rose and Lissa after the first Vampire Academy novel.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Spiral Road by Adib Khan

2010-04-22T19:59:00.004+10:00

Spiral Road - Adib Khan

Synopsis:
It has been thirty years since Masud Alam moved from his home country of Bangladesh to Australia, leaving behind his parents, sister and brother. Working as a librarian and living in Melbourne, Masud embraces the simple life that Richmond has to offer- going for runs on the oval, reading, playing chess and indulging in a (some may say dull) weekly routine that rarely changes.
One day Masud receives an email from his older brother Zia, requesting that he return to Bangladesh to visit their father- who is slowly fading away from Alzheimer’s.
Taking up the opportunity to visit and reconnect with his family, Masud travels back to his homeland, marvelling at the changes that have occurred since he left all those years ago, and ready to integrate himself into the family life once more.
On his return, he is drawn back into familial dramas- enduring matchmaking attempts by his mother, conversing with thieving servants, and trying to convince his wayward eighty-nine year old Uncle Musa (on Zia’s insistence) that he should not go ahead with his fourth marriage, to a seventeen-year-old girl.
While dealing with all of this, Masud also has to try and reconnect with his father, whose memory and motor skills are slowly deteriorating, and accept that he is no longer the strong and dominant man that he once was.
In an inspired attempt to understand his father’s often-incoherent ramblings, Masud begins to read his father’s old diaries, and finds himself uncovering old family secrets.
He also discovers just how hard his brother has worked to keep their once affluent family afloat, without allowing their family reputation to diminish.
But there are also sinister events unfolding during Masud’s visit that have a resounding impact on his life. A journalist who knows too much about Islamic extremist groups is found murdered, and an Australian spy makes it clear to Masud that he considers members of Masud’s family to be a threat to the Western world.
These events culminate in several very important questions for Masud: If he has to break family ties and betray a relative to save hundreds of people, will he do it? Will he remain loyal to the country he was born in and whose independence he fought for? Or will his loyalty lie with Australia, a country who adopted him and gave him a chance for a better life?

What I gained from reading this book:
This book focuses on the reasons why some young Muslims may get drawn into extremist groups. The author writes about the discontent that many young people felt after the September 11 attacks- many faced extreme prejudice from co-workers and peers, simply because they were Muslims. In the novel, several of the characters who worked in Western countries at the time of the attacks were taken into custody by police and government agencies and tortured for information that they didn’t even have, concerning the Middle East and Muslim terror cells. When they were finally freed, many took the first plane out of the country and travelled to escape the hurt and humiliation they felt in their adopted countries. With repressed anger and fear guiding them, the logical places to go were countries like Jordan and Afghanistan, where most people practice Islam, and they felt as though they could belong.
It was there that they enlisted in large, organised networks, hoping to gain vengeance on the countries that spurned them.
While we can’t be entirely sure that this scenario is an accurate portrayal of real life extremists, it does seem the most likely reason for such hateful actions against Western countries.
This novel shows that any kind of prejudice can often create long-term implications- for a greater number of people than those originally involved- and often with dire consequences.

Positives:
Despite the terrorist subplot, the author illustrates a typical Bangladeshi life, through Masud’s family and friends. Readers learn about family hierarchies, local customs and beliefs, and about the day-to-day lives of people whose lifestyle is very different to our own.

Negatives:
The plot moves a little slowly in some parts, but while some readers may find this irritating, it is well worth persevering. As you get further into the novel, the narration becomes much more engrossing, and you’ll begin to wonder exactly how Masud is going to get out of his predicaments.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Family/ Relationships

Recommended for: People who are looking for a book that will make them question issues of terrorism and prejudice.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

2010-04-22T19:52:00.004+10:00

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) - Richelle Mead

Synopsis:
It’s been two years since best friends Lissa Dragomir and Rose Hathaway ran away from St Vladimir’s Academy- a school for Moroi (mortal vampire) students learning how to control their magical abilities, and for Dhampir (half human, half vampire) novices intent on training to be guardians for the Moroi against the evil Strigoi (a band of immortal vampires who have lost their souls and kill for pleasure).
The two originally fled from the school because they feared that dark forces resided there, and Rose, worried about Lissa’s safety, thought that it would be safer in the outside world. But after a group of Guardians locate them in Portland and drag them back to the Academy in Montana, Rose and Lissa have no choice but to once again conform to Moroi and Dhampir standards.
Lissa, a Moroi princess, once again becomes the darling of the social elite, despite harbouring feelings for the mysterious outcast, Christian Ozera.
Rose, meanwhile, embarks on a seemingly never-ending training schedule with handsome guardian Dimitri, hoping to improve her Dhampir fighting abilities, and win Dimitri’s approval- and maybe his heart.
But then the strange occurrences that made the girls leave two years earlier begin again, putting Lissa in danger. The girls have to work out why it’s happening before evil invades the campus, and the Strigoi try to turn Lissa into one of their own.

What I gained from reading this book:
Lissa and Rose are best friends who share a unique bond that is unprecedented in their lifetime- Rose is able to connect with Lissa on a psychological level and not only experience her emotions, but jump into her mind on occasions. This bond is a vital part of their friendship, and allows Rose to protect Lissa in a way that other Dhampirs without the ability cannot even comprehend.
Although the girls come from different ‘races’ of vampires- Lissa is a Moroi, while Rose is a Dhampir- they are still closely connected. This is despite the fact that most Moroi vampires, while they respect the Dhampirs for putting their lives on the line for them, do not readily associate with them socially. However, these social barriers do not deter Lissa and Rose from staying the best of friends and close confidants.
This association enforces the notion that everyone has similarities, despite their different backgrounds, and shows that social barriers should not form the basis of how people interact with one another.

Positives:
The introduction of different ‘races’ of vampires, and their special abilities is an interesting concept that helps this book to differ from other vampire series’.
The characters are also easy to relate to, with their schoolyard experiences very similar to those that people would normally face (despite the whole supernatural aspect, of course).

Negatives:
Rose can seem like a bit of a hothead, and Lissa can sometimes appear to be a bit of a pushover, but the girls are ultimately likable characters. Their flaws make them seem more normal and identifiable to readers.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People who enjoyed the Twilight saga and need another vampire fix.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

A Note From Cat

2010-03-30T20:05:00.002+11:00

Hello everyone,

In the next few weeks I will be posting reviews of several series' of books that I have read over the last couple of months.

I have held onto the reviews because I wanted to publish them in their series groups, rather than individually.

However, some of the series are still continuing, such as the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. In this case, I will post the reviews that I have already done, in anticipation of the fifth book, Spirit Bound, which will be released in Australia in May 2010.

Remember, if there are any books that you would like me to review, feel free to leave a comment and I will do my best to fill your request.

Happy reading!!

Cat :)

Book Review: The Reluctant Traveller by Bill Lumley

2010-03-30T19:59:00.004+11:00

The Reluctant Traveller - Bill Lumley

Synopsis:
Bill Lumley is a freelance writer who loves nothing more than going down to his local pub and getting intoxicated on numerous pints of beer. His whole life revolves around his fears, and his possession of a laminated note his mother wrote for him after a serious accident, that excused him from all physical activities at school, and which he still holds near and dear to his heart. In direct contrast, one of Bill’s old friends, Gar Powell-Evans, is a professional rock climber and photographer who lives for adventure and the great outdoors.
One day at the pub, while Bill is celebrating the completion of a large article, Gar suggests that Bill join him on his search for the legendary lost Ethiopian mountain, Wehni. The plan is to meet up with a group of mountaineers, known as the Hot Rock expedition, as they complete the Ethiopian leg of a three-year tour around the world. Aiming to get a place in the Guinness Book Of Records for driving a convertible truck the entire length of six continents, and climbing remote and unclimbed peaks around the world, Bill can’t see how their expedition will be of any worth to him. But he drunkenly agrees to come along, much to his dismay later on when he realises that he has agreed to write a travel book outlining their journey to find Mount Wehni. What follows is Bill and Gar’s voyage from London to Ethiopia, to find the truck and the lost mountain. They encounter many people (some helpful, some not) in their travels, and experience many things that are uncommon in most developed nations, including faeces-covered latrines, wild animals, and countless beggars.
Completely out of his comfort zone, and struggling to find a way to escape working (or finding and climbing the mountain for that matter), Bill’s narrative details the collective effort involved in locating the lost mountain of Wehni and becoming one of the first people in 200 years to climb it.

What I gained from reading this book:
Although this book is mostly about Bill and Gar’s journey to find Mount Wehni, it also touches on the extreme poverty that many Ethiopians live in. It appears that Western aid does not extend to many of the villages that the rock climbing crew drove through on their trip. Many of the Ethiopians they met lived in primitive housing, with minimal (or no) electricity and very little fresh drinking water. Many also appeared to rely on begging from white strangers to assist in their survival, while some utilised their knowledge of different areas by acting as tour guides or guards (for a fee of course). These accounts show that despite the millions of dollars donated every year to combat third-world poverty, the people are still not getting enough aid to survive, especially in the remotest parts of the country. Poverty is still around and it will take a long time before it ends for good.

Positives:
This book actually provides quite a bit of information about Mount Wehni, its colourful history, and the numerous people who have attempted to find and climb it. Unfortunately, however, this information is scattered throughout the text and does not appear to be in any particular chronological order. Lumley’s account of the people of Ethiopia- and their mannerisms towards white strangers- is also fascinating, and provides a captivating insight into visiting a third-world country.

Negatives:
I found it difficult to read this book and not detest the man that wrote it, and that possibly prevented me from finding any real worth in reading this novel.
Besides the numerous spelling and grammatical errors that litter this travel narrative, readers also have to put up with whiney Bill, a self-confessed slacker, complaining constantly about everything he comes across. If you’re looking for a book that perfectly illustrates the definition of a ‘Whinging Pom’, then you’ve found it.

Rating: 5 out of 10

Genre: Non-Fiction Travel Narrative

Recommended for: People who are looking for personal account stories about Ethiopia’s legendary ‘lost mountain’.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: How To Kill Your Husband (And Other Handy Household Hints) by Kathy Lette

2010-03-30T19:48:00.005+11:00

How To Kill Your Husband (And Other Handy Household Hints) - Kathy Lette

Synopsis:
Cassie O’Carroll and her best friends, Jasmine Jardine and Hannah Wolfe, couldn’t be further apart in terms of looks and lifestyles, but their differences do nothing to hinder their strong friendship.
Cassie is a harried mother of two who juggles two full-time occupations- working as a primary school teacher, and looking after a household filled with the injured animals her vet husband takes in.
Hannah lives with her ‘artist’ partner Pascal, runs her own art gallery, and sees her career as the perfect substitute for having a childless relationship.
Jazz, on the other hand, gave up a promising career as a chef to become a stay-at-home mum to her beloved son Josh, and a domestic goddess for Studz- her incredibly rich husband who is renowned for his humanitarian efforts in the medical field, and his flawless work as a cosmetic surgeon.
When Jazz is thrown into prison, accused of murdering her husband on their ‘make-or-break’ trip to Australia, her friends are unable to believe that she is capable of such criminal activities.
But as Cassie recalls the months before the unexpected arrest, she realises that her friend’s sanity may not be completely trustworthy. This is especially the case when she considers all of the betrayals, adultery, toy boys, marriage counselling, work issues and acts of revenge that the women have experienced within that time, and which have impacted immensely on their relationships with their husbands and partners.
It would be enough to drive any self-respecting, modern housewife mad. But could Jazz really have put an end to her marital woes and bumped off her husband?

What I gained from reading this book:
The main thing readers ‘learn’ from perusing this novel is that marriage is a one-way ticket to hell! But there is also a less overt message of love nestled deep within the often-caustic marriage storylines. Cassie habitually complains about her husband Rory’s inability to do anything domestic in the household, but she still defends him when her friend Jazz brings up the issue of his lack of cleanliness. When events in the novel see her and Rory reach breaking point, she comes to realise that even though he has his faults, she still has strong feelings for him, and that a life with him and his messy ways is better than a life without him. This realisation is important for readers because it shows that every relationship has its ups and downs and sometimes the only way to solve the problem is to endure the hardships, and attempt to make things work, no matter how difficult it seems.

Positives:
Lette never fails to put down men in the most humorous, tongue-in-cheek ways possible. Of course, some of the phrases she uses are clichéd, and don’t really come up often in natural conversation, but they’re still good for a laugh.

Negatives:
There are many people who probably won’t be amused with the author’s continuous insinuations about the relevance of men in the family household. Admittedly, sometimes the consistency of her putdowns can get a little overwhelming. But this book is marketed as a comedy, so if Lette’s humour doesn’t appeal to you, then you can always put it down and find something else to read.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Black Comedy

Recommended for: People who enjoy reading Kathy Lette’s ‘man-bashing’ literature.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: And Hope To Die by J.M. Calder

2010-03-15T19:41:00.003+11:00

And Hope To Die - J.M. Calder

Synopsis:
Lieutenant Solomon Glass has faced many demons while working in the Homicide and Serious Crime division, but none have challenged him more so than the case he is working on now.
A nine-year-old girl, Amy Gardner, has just been abducted- the fourth child taken in the past year. Like the previous three abductions, this one follows the same sadistic pattern- a package arrives at the family home, addressed to the mother and containing a body part. An anonymous letter follows, telling the mother that in order for her child to be released alive, she will have to take her own life. So far, two women are dead and, for reasons unknown, a third is spared and her child released physically unharmed.
With no clues as to who the abductor could be- or what his motive is- and with the public starting to become increasingly alarmed, Glass and his team find themselves at a loss. The kidnapper always seems to be one step ahead- able to anticipate every move that the police make- and the chances of finding Amy alive are growing slimmer every day.
But then the sadistic activities start to become more personal, as the kidnapper begins to insinuate to the lieutenant what he has suspected for some time- the abductions directly involve Glass and his less-than-admirable past, and the children and their mothers are just pawns in a very deadly game.
In a race against time, Glass and his team have to find Amy, outwit the person holding her captive, and ensure that no other children, or their mothers, meet the same fate.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel highlights the sadistic plots that some people will create in order to feed and nurture the symptoms of their ‘God complex’. This is when some sick individuals feel justified in creating life and death situations in order to exert their power and control over others. Although the abductor in this case is only fictional (luckily), his actions have surely been replicated (although not in exactly the same way) throughout history, in the form of murderous predators who enjoy holding power over their victims. This novel serves as a reminder that these kinds of people actually exist in society, and that they could be the person you least expect to participate in such gruesome behaviour.

Positives:
In many crime novels, it takes a while for the author to set the scene and introduce readers to all the main players in the story. But in And Hope To Die, readers are thrown right into the middle of an ongoing police investigation, knowing just as much about the ‘predator’ as the police who are trying to solve the case. This scenario makes the story much more engaging for readers.

Negatives:
Some moments in the novel’s plotline were a tad predictable, even if they didn’t seem particularly possible during the moments they occurred. Afterwards, however, when each of these moments is explained, the sense of predictability that you felt reading the novel proves to be right. While this helped to move the story forward, it also put the novel into the not-quite-original category for crime narratives.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Crime/ Thriller

Recommended for: People who are interested in crime novels where the reader only learns as much as the investigators at a particular point in time.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Do They Wear High Heels In Heaven? by Erica Orloff

2010-03-15T19:18:00.005+11:00

Do They Wear High Heels In Heaven? - Erica Orloff

Synopsis:
Lily Waters is a successful newspaper columnist, who has a teenage daughter and a young son and can’t cook to save herself. Michael Angelo (yes that’s his real name), works in the English Department at Hudson University, loves baseball and is blatantly homosexual. Yet despite their differences, the two are the best of friends, and have been ever since their early twenties (Lily almost burning down the apartment building they both lived in, while trying to cook a chicken, formed the catalyst of their friendship). Since then, they’ve experienced many things together- numerous boyfriends, marriage, childbirth, divorce, AIDS scares, drunken nights and all the hair and fashion challenges of the 80’s.
But now they’re about to face a new, more serious challenge.
After Lily’s editor sends her to get a mammogram so she can write a column for Breast Cancer Awareness month, she is horrified to find out that she requires a biopsy for a spot on her right breast. Before long, Lily is attending chemotherapy sessions and has put her life on hold indefinitely. While Michael lends as much support as he can, he can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the realisation that his best friend is slowly dying.
But Lily is determined to win her battle against cancer, and continues to wear her high heels and lipstick as she fights for her life.

What I gained from reading this book:
This book is a reminder of just how fragile human lives really are (as if we needed more proof of that!) At the beginning of the novel, Lily is a vibrant woman with a smart-aleck attitude and a strong personality, who gives as good as she gets and doesn’t let anybody push her around.
But as the reader gets further into the story, and the cancer grows, we begin to see Lily’s fighting spirit start to wan. This is one opponent that Lily is unable to use her wit against, and although she has Michael, her children and a few other close friends to support her in her battle, Lily’s vivacious life is reduced to a fragment of what it once was.
What makes this novel so heartbreaking is how realistic it is.
So many good people, who live full and stimulating lives, are struck down by this terrible illness and succumb before they get the chance to experience old age.
Cancer doesn’t discriminate, and what makes it worse is that these are events that are occurring in somebody’s life right now, not just in Lily’s.

The author also tackles another issue in this novel that is just as life changing as facing an unexpected illness- dealing with the after-effects of bullying and abandonment. Michael has faced severe prejudice from people close to him because of his sexual orientation, and only through excerpts of the ‘fiction’ he is writing, are readers allowed to see the horrors that he has gone through. As a young man, Michael faced unspeakable abuse from his best friend and his baseball team, and was rejected and disowned by his father. By the time Michael meets Lily, he has grown into an attractive and somewhat slutty guy who juggles boyfriends and embarks on one-night stands for thrills. Yet he still harbours deep insecurities following his traumatic history, and finds himself dredging up painful memories as he attempts to finish his novel.
Even though he matures to become a father figure to Lily’s children, he finds that his past continues to haunt him. This proves that no matter how much people try to move on in their lives, there will always be reminders of a past experience, which time cannot always heal.

Positives:
Despite the depressing nature of the story- in the form of Lily’s cancer and Michael’s prejudice-filled life- there are still many uplifting moments. Lily’s sharp and witty exchanges with Joe, the editor of the newspaper she writes a column for, are very amusing. They actually remind me of the old-school grumpy newspaper editors that you see in movies like Spiderman and Superman.
Besides that, Lily and Michael’s friendship is something truly special and they do for each other what many people would not do even for a blood relative. Their love and support for each other is unsurmountable and that makes their relationship a big positive in my eyes.

Negatives:
I wasn’t that impressed with the ending of the book. If Michael’s chapter had been the final one, I think the novel would have had a better, open finish.
But I suppose for some people, hearing Lily’s voice at the end is more comforting, because it means that there is hope after all for people who are looking for peace after cancer.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Family/ Relationships

Recommended for: Anybody who knows someone strong who is facing cancer, and would like to see how a fictional character- and her family and friends- deal with the illness.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Tying The Knot Without Doing Your Block by Terri Psiakis

2010-02-25T18:51:00.005+11:00

Tying The Knot Without Doing Your Block - Terri Psiakis

Synopsis:
Comedienne and radio host Terri Psiakis enlightens brides-to-be and their partners regarding all things wedding-related in this humorous ‘guide’ to fuss-free nuptials.
With straightforward advice covering everything from guest list omissions, to picking the least crazy celebrant for the ceremony, Psiakis is able to deliver a fun and entertaining read, while still focusing on all of the important issues for the big day.
But this book is not just for the girls- Psiakis has also added little sections at the end of each topic just for the guys, with all the essential wedding information that men need to know regarding what happens in the lead-up to the wedding.

What I gained from reading this book:
I know that for some people, planning their impending nuptials can be a fearful experience, especially considering the costs involved, but this book livens up the notion of wedding planning and turns the task into something more enjoyable for all involved.
The author uses real-life situations that she had to deal with in planning her wedding to The Bloke, and relates them in ways that will make the whole planning process easier for readers. She mentions everything of importance, including: choosing rings, outfitting bridesmaids and groomsmen, choosing who to invite, deciding whether to have a gift registry, creating emergency kits, ideas for hens nights and buck parties and describing what information to put on the invitation. She also covers the actual day, giving advice about hair, makeup, dresses, celebrants, locations, photographers, transport and a lot of other stuff I never would have considered, but after reading, I realise is vital for the day to run smoothly.

Positives:
Psiakis’ writing is sharp and witty, and some of the personal stories she has interspersed throughout the book are quite entertaining. Not only is she funny, but she is able to cater to most humour types- from gross-out comedy featuring ‘squirty-bum’ issues, to listings of various items/events that should definitely not be taken into consideration when planning your wedding.

Negatives:
If you’re extremely serious about planning your wedding then this book is probably not for you. Although it features all the essential information, it is also written in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way, occasionally paying out some of the romantic sentiments that are often related to weddings. So if you don’t think you can tolerate a humorous perspective on marriage, you should probably avoid reading this book.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Non-Fiction Humour

Recommended for: Anybody about to get married, or interested in reading a humorous ‘guide’ to wedding planning.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: 90-Day Geisha by Chelsea Haywood

2010-02-25T18:40:00.003+11:00

90-Day Geisha - Chelsea Haywood

Synopsis:
Since she was sixteen years old, Chelsea Haywood has travelled the world as a fashion model. While on her travels, she met many girls who were not only intelligent and glamorous, but also financially supported by rich Japanese businessmen.
These women were able to live the high life by temporarily working in Tokyo’s lucrative hostess clubs- accepting expensive clothes, jewellery and the best that the wealthy can offer, by simply being themselves.
Drawing on the traditions of the geisha, and regularly attended by Japanese men, the hostess clubs provide late-night entertainment and are accepted as a part of Japanese culture.
Fascinated by the idea of being a hostess, but unsatisfied with the incomplete recounts of girls’ experiences working as one, Chelsea decides to travel to Roppongi, Japan, with her husband Matt, with the intention of recording her personal experiences.
She gets a job at Greengrass, a quiet but popular hostess club, and soon meets a variety of interesting and unusual men whose only wish is to have a woman listen to whatever they have to say, or sing karaoke with them.
But as the 90-day expiry on Chelsea’s visa approaches, and the hostess life begins to take over, she finds herself becoming too tempted by material things, and struggling to maintain her relationship with her husband…

What I gained from reading this book:
These memoirs provide an interesting insight into the world of Japanese hostess clubs and dispel the negative connotations that most Westerners have of this cultural tradition.
Chelsea writes at the beginning of the novel:
“With all the other options out there, what were powerful, intelligent and obscenely wealthy Japanese men seeking in a young, Western hostess? She didn’t take off her clothes or dance around a pole… I would be required only to wear a respectable cocktail dress and speak perfect English in a polite and charming manner. I’d need to laugh at jokes, pour drinks and light cigarettes…”
This passage dictates what is to follow in Chelsea’s experiences and immediately shows readers that hostessing is a modern mimic of the Geisha traditions of ancient Japan, rather than prostitution or stripping as it is thought by some to be.
By dispelling such myths, Chelsea is able to inform her readers of a life unique to Japan that is often difficult to comprehend by many Western countries.

Positives:
The author is very good with words and is easily able to set a scene using strong verbal imagery. Her descriptions of places and people, along with little historical facts about Japan, make this book quite engrossing. Chelsea is also able to portray the grittiness of working in such a seedy district, and contrasts this with some of her better experiences, allowing the reader to make up their own mind about the profession.

Negatives:
Some of the people that Chelsea mentions in the novel seem quite crazy, and you can’t help but wonder how she could tolerate being in the same vicinity as them for so long. This admittedly isn’t a negative on the author’s behalf, as she was only writing about her experiences, but surely if you had to face those kinds of people on a daily basis you would do your best to avoid them, rather than go on countless outings with them? I can’t really understand it, except to say that money must have been a big motivator.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Biography

Recommended for: People who have a fascination with the people and culture of Japan.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Size Doesn't Matter by Meg Cabot

2010-02-10T08:59:00.002+11:00

Size Doesn’t Matter - Meg Cabot

Synopsis:
Heather Wells is finally living the life she’s been dreaming about for so long. She has a steady boyfriend- who also happens to be her remedial math assistant professor- and although he isn’t Cooper Cartwright (AKA the love of her life) the relationship is going perfectly. That is, of course, except for the 5 kilometre morning runs and vegan lifestyle, which Heather feels she could do without. But for her boyfriend Tad, it may be going too perfectly, especially when Tad tells Heather that he has a question he needs to ask her.
Suddenly for Heather, the ‘rebound’ guy is starting to get a little too serious.
But all thoughts of what the question could be are dismissed when Heather discovers the dead body of her latest boss, Dr Veatch, slumped over his desk with a bullet in his head.
Despite promising numerous people that she’ll stay out of this one, Heather can’t help but investigate the mysterious reason behind her boss’ demise. Could the culprit really be one of the graduate students, who are striking for better work conditions? Or could boring, rule-abiding Dr Veatch have had ties with the mob? After all, it was a clean and professional-looking shooting, and they are in New York.
Whatever the case, Heather is determined to solve the murder, finish studying, end the graduate student strike and convince Cooper he really loves her (despite being with Tad), all while keeping on a low-calorie diet that may or may not be solely made up of junk food.

What I gained from reading this book:
In this novel, Heather finds herself putting on an act for her boyfriend. She pretends that running 5km every morning with him is not a chore, and that she is happy to eat three-bean salad for lunch over the less-healthy option of a bowl of chili covered with melted cheese.
Although she does her best to hide it from him, you can’t help but feel sorry for Heather as she covers her true feelings about different situations regarding Tad. For example, while on their run early in the morning, she pretends to be cheerful because ‘I’m very careful not to let Tad see my real morning persona. Because he’s not ready for it. Yet.’ She also dislikes the fact that Tad doesn’t own a television, yet doesn’t fully voice her opinion about it.
Even though she has been going out with him for about three months, she is still hesitant to let him see what she is really like, and this is something that I think is quite prevalent in today’s society- some people don’t allow their partners to see their true personality because they are worried about what their partner will ultimately think.
Cabot highlights this problem through Heather, showing readers that the inability to properly communicate with a partner can only cause problems further on in the relationship.

Positives:
Cabot introduces a few new characters in this novel, including outrageous Southern PR woman Muffy Fowler, who is on a quest to find a husband, and Reverend Mark Halstead, the handsome but slightly suspicious new youth minister. Most of the characters from the previous novels also make appearances in this book, which will keep fans of this miniseries amused.

Negatives:
The reason for Dr. Veatch’s death, which is revealed at the end of the novel, is a bit of a letdown. But I know that people have killed for stranger things than that in real life, so I can’t really make a comment. Also, anything more brutal would have taken the humorous edge away from the novel and its subsequent happy ending, so I suppose Cabot had fewer choices available to her when it came to removing Dr Veatch from the scene.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Comedy/ Crime

Recommended for: People who enjoy both Cabot’s writing, and the witty characters she creates.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Size 14 Is Not Fat Either by Meg Cabot

2010-02-10T08:52:00.002+11:00

Size 14 Is Not Fat Either - Meg Cabot

Synopsis:
Heather Wells is about to embark on her first semester of classes- while simultaneously working as the assistant dorm director at Fischer Hall- and she couldn’t be more excited. Even though she will have to take remedial maths classes because her SAT scores are so low, Heather hopes that the free classes following her work probation will help her to forget the horrors that befell her the year before.
The promise of earning a BA, coupled with the fact that she has a cool new boss who isn’t hell-bent on killing her, convinces Heather that this year will be one to remember.
But unfortunately for Heather, her plans for a stress-free year don’t include finding the decapitated head of a popular cheerleader in a pot in the cafeteria.
With everybody warning her not to get involved in this particular murder mystery, Heather is more than happy to comply. But then her sense of intuition and justice comes into play and she finds herself asking questions about certain suspicious characters. Before she knows it, Heather is in over her head (no pun intended), trying to inconspicuously solve the case.
With the investigation taking up her time, her ex-fiancé Jordan getting married, her ex-con father showing up on her doorstep and her housemate still oblivious to her love for him, it seems that Heather will be doing more than just studying this semester…

What I gained from reading this book:
This book shows that sometimes there is more to some people than meet the eye. The dead cheerleader, Lindsay, is well liked and popular with her peers and the staff at New York College, but she also has a darker side that she keeps hidden. Likewise, another character in the novel is not as he appears, and it isn’t until towards the end of the story when the reader discovers exactly who he is.
These characters act as reminders that even if you think you know somebody really well, you are probably only seeing the surface of the person that they are trying to portray. People often hide secret parts of themselves from others and it isn’t until something happens that the truth comes out.

Positives:
Once again, the character of Heather is charming and utterly relatable to anyone who has ever suffered from their own insecurities. Her little conversations with the local drug dealer Reggie, as well as student Gavin and the staff at the dorm are also very entertaining, written with classic Cabot wit.

Negatives:
As much as I enjoyed this story, I just didn’t think I could give it any more or fewer stars, considering some of the other novels I have read and reviewed over the last year or so.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Comedy/ Crime

Recommended for: People who enjoyed reading Size 12 Is Not Fat.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot

2010-02-10T08:44:00.002+11:00

Size 12 Is Not Fat - Meg Cabot

Synopsis:
The life of Heather Wells has been far from ordinary. Once the darling of the teen pop world, and engaged to famous singer Jordan Cartwright, Heather was at the top of the entertainment game. That was, of course, until she rebelled against singing the sugary pop songs that were written for her, witnessed Jordan in a compromising situation with fellow singer Tania Trace, was abandoned and robbed by her mother and saw her dad end up in jail.
Now she works at a New York College dorm as the assistant resident hall director- a job that will guarantee her free university tuition if she passes probation- and boards with sexy private investigator, and Jordan’s older brother, Cooper, in his nearby brownstone apartment.
But Heather’s life is about to change a whole lot more, and not for the better.
When some of the female residents of the dorm fall to their deaths from the building elevators, Heather suspects that foul play is involved. She doesn’t believe the university administrations’ views that the girls were involved in elevator surfing, a predominantly male ‘sport’.
Enlisting Cooper’s help, and relying on a whole lot of junk-food to get her through, Heather’s on a mission to track down the killer of Fischer Hall and put an end to the student deaths…

What I gained from reading this book:
The opening chapter of this novel touches on the sensitive issue of weight, clothing sizes, and what is considered the norm for women’s body shapes. Heather is in a change room trying on pairs of jeans when she overhears the woman in the next stall complaining that the jeans she’s trying on are too big, despite the label saying that they are her size. This prompts the salesman at the store to mention that their clothes use the ‘vanity-sizing’ system, designed to make larger women feel better about wearing a ‘smaller’ size even though they’re still wearing exactly the same size, with only the number on the label reduced.
As a size 12- the size of the average American woman- Heather is outraged by the insinuation that size 12 is fat, and so the title of the novel is born.
Vanity sizing, although common with some clothing companies, is luckily starting to get phased out as more and more women become comfortable with their bodies and the image they want to project. For some readers, Heather’s sizing experiences may be a comfort, especially since she is portraying the image of a normal-sized girl, rather than a stick-thin heroine.

Positives:
Heather, while she has her quirks, is a somewhat relatable character. She is a fairly normal girl who loves to eat junk food, lusts after her housemate Cooper with an almost obsessive tenacity, and would rather have a bath than a shower because she’s too lazy to wash while standing. Although these aren’t behaviours that most people indulge in, readers are still able to relate with her character and see parts of their personality within her.

Negatives:
The character of Heather can be a little irritating, especially in the first few chapters where she continually calls her workplace a dorm, only to correct herself and call it a residence hall- every single time! But luckily this annoying affliction does ease up as you get further into the story.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Comedy/ Crime

Recommended for: People who enjoy reading stories about former pop stars who’ve reconstructed their lives.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad

2010-02-01T08:37:00.006+11:00

L.A. Candy - Lauren Conrad

Synopsis:
Jane Roberts and her best friend Scarlett Harp have just moved from Santa Barbara to L.A. hoping to pursue their dreams. But unlike most people, who move to Hollywood hoping for a career in the film and music industries, the girls have different aspirations- sweet Jane is interning for renowned event planner Fiona Chen, while exceptionally smart Scarlett is attending classes at the University of Southern California (U.S.C.).
The girls make many new friends as they socialise in the city, including the eccentric D, and the sweet but romantically unavailable Braden, but it isn’t until they meet television producer Trevor Lord that things in L.A. really start to get interesting. Trevor offers the girls the chance to star in a ‘reality-style version of Sex and the City’, where they, and two others, will be followed around day and night by cameras.
The girls are soon the hottest stars on television and they find themselves facing more opportunities and open doors than they imagined possible. But there is also a downside to their sudden fame, and it’s not long before Jane and Scarlett start to discover who their real friends are, and just what fame can do to a person’s principles.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel mainly focuses on Scarlett and Jane’s unwavering friendship, but it also highlights the cutthroat entertainment industry in Hollywood. The girls have to deal with intense public scrutiny and adoring fans, much as any star would have to. Scarlett also has problems with the ‘unreality’ of the show- especially the way that she is obliged to repeat words that weren’t caught by the microphones, or when she has to stage pleasant interactions with people whose presence she can’t stand. This is a reminder that a lot of the time, reality-style shows are not as they appear and are often elaborately staged to suit what the producers want, not necessarily representing what is true to life.

Positives:
Conrad’s debut novel is fun and generally light-hearted. The characters are likeable, and it’s obvious that the author has used some of her own television experiences to add credibility to the story.

Negatives:
The ending of the novel may leave some readers a little disappointed. While I don’t usually mind cliffhanger type endings, I really wanted to see what happens to the girls, and so the lack of a resolution was a bit of a let-down. Guess we'll have to wait for the next one to see what happens.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Teenage Fiction

Recommended for: People after a little bit of light-hearted fun, or alternatively, people who love reality-style programs and would like to see an ‘insiders’ view of the filming process.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: The Murderer's Club by PD Martin

2010-02-01T08:26:00.004+11:00

The Murderer’s Club - PD Martin

Synopsis:
It’s been six months since Agent Sophie Anderson, a criminal profiler with the FBI Behavioural Analysis Unit, encountered an evil serial killer known as the Slasher.
But even though half a year has passed, she still feels the effects of her horrifying encounter, and in an effort to ease her vulnerability, trains her body to withstand brute physical force and exertion. As part of her recovery, she also decides to take a week off and spend time with her Arizona-based friend, Detective Darren Carter from Tucson Homicide.
However, on her first day in Tucson a body appears on a university campus, and Sophie puts her holiday on hold as she gets drawn into the case. When a second body appears, also strangled and inscribed with a love heart on the victim’s chest, Sophie begins to wonder if there’s a new serial killer out there- one not recognised by the FBI databases. To make matters worse, as the body count grows, so do the psychic visions that plague Sophie about the victims’ dying moments, which she sees from the perspective of the killer.
Unbeknownst to the FBI and Homicide squads, there are a group of killers who are using a website to communicate and broadcast to each other their murderous intentions. The Murderer’s Club, as they call themselves, is led and controlled by the club president, AmericanPsycho, who has personally chosen all of the victims and organised the set-up of their murders.
With her frightening visions aiding her, and with the FBI’s computer guys working around the clock to track the murderers’ whereabouts, Sophie and Darren have to uncover the identities of the members of the Murderer’s Club and save their still-living victims before it’s too late.

What I gained from reading this book:
Sophie Anderson is an Australian, whose dual-citizenship allows her to live and work as an FBI agent in America. This allows the author to draw comparisons between the Australian criminal system and the American one, and highlight the severity of the murderer problem in the US. In chapter sixteen, a detective quizzes Sophie about how many serial killers have been discovered in Australia, to which she replies several- in comparison to the two thousand serial killers estimated to be still at large in the US. These statistics are chilling, especially considering the sadistic techniques that these killers often use to torture their victims before death.
This novel, although fictional, can help to make readers aware that there are evil predators out there who will go to any length to find themselves a victim. This novel also highlights the often difficult, yet exceptional work, that law enforcement agencies face everyday in their fight against some of the eviler characters of society.

Positives:
This story is easy to follow- without being too simple- and allows readers to see the predatory natures of the members of the Murderer’s Club, as well as the untiring efforts of Sophie and the rest of her team, who are trying to solve the mystery and save the potential victims.
The references to Sophie’s Australian background are also good to see, especially considering the author is an Aussie- Sophie reads the online version of Melbourne newspaper, The Age, and calls her mother mum. This helps to soften the overall Americanisation of the story.

Negatives:
Throughout the novel, Sophie experiences psychic visions that assist her in solving the murders. This cannot really be classed as a negative as it does offer an interesting take on the average murder mystery, however, in including her unusual abilities in the story, it also removes a certain sense of credibility.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Crime/ Thriller

Recommended for: People who are fascinated with the FBI, and the processes they undertake in tracking down serial killers.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Shopgirl by Steve Martin

2010-01-18T11:38:00.003+11:00

Shopgirl - Steve Martin

Synopsis:
Mirabelle works at the glove counter of department store Neiman Marcus, ‘selling things that nobody buys anymore’. Attractive in an unconventional sort of way, Mirabelle manages to avoid the attention of most of the people she works with, and attempts to isolate herself from those she believes to be all beauty and no brains, especially those behind the perfume counters, despite her loneliness.
Her life consists of spending the day at work, bored out of her brains, going home to her two cats and occasionally going out with her friends Loki and Del Rey, if they remember to include her. She also draws and sells her artwork to galleries.
But then two men come into her life- younger Jeremy, who she meets at the Laundromat and who spray-paints logos onto amplifiers, and the older Ray Porter, a wealthy businessman who is nearly twice her age, but willing to spend any amount of money on her. Embarking on relationships with the two men at different points in her life, emotionally fragile Mirabelle struggles to discover what love really is, and through a series of events, attempts to find her place in this often confusing world.

What I gained from reading this book:
Mirabelle is a bit of a recluse- a loner whose depressive state is often hidden behind the façade of aloofness or daydreaming, and whose dark feelings are pushed back by various medications. At times however, such as when her medications fail, she falls into a state of lethargy and is unable to find the willpower to do even the simplest thing. There are probably many people like this in the world, yet most authors do not attempt to make them the protagonists of their novels. Therefore, a whole new world of people struggling with mental illnesses is hidden from readers. Perhaps if more novels were written that feature characters like this, there would be a greater public awareness, and acceptance of, mental illnesses and their affects on people.

Positives:
This novella is well written and often witty. Readers are able to relate to Mirabelle as she struggles with the tediousness of her job, and can sympathise with her as she realises that she’s wasting her life behind the glove counter at Neiman’s.

Negatives:
Some people may not appreciate the quirkiness of this novella, and may wonder what the point of the story is. The truth is, this is basically a story about a young woman’s struggle to accept herself and her uninspiring life, and her effort to understand what love is and how it will affect her. These are lessons everybody can learn, and so even if you don’t like the way that the story is written or set out, Shopgirl should hold some meaning.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Romance/ Relationships

Recommended for: Fans of Steve Martin, or people who enjoyed the film.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Fatal Burn by Lisa Jackson

2010-01-07T19:43:00.003+11:00

Fatal Burn - Lisa Jackson

Synopsis:
Three years ago, Shannon Flannery was accused of murdering her wife-beater husband Ryan Carlyle, who was found burnt beyond recognition after a forest fire. At the time, many people believed that Ryan was the Stealth Torcher, a serial arsonist who lit many fires in the area, and suspected that Shannon had gotten back at her husband by beating fire with fire. The suspicions about Ryan’s ‘occupation’ seemed confirmed when the fires stopped following his death. However, although Shannon was acquitted for the murder, she still faced much public speculation over the case, especially from those who believed that she had gotten away with murder.
Now, believing that the worst is finally behind her, Shannon is attempting to get on with life. She has just bought a new property, where she hopes to expand her search-dog training facility.
But then strange things start to happen that make her question her safety, as well as the safety of those that she loves. Fragments of her past come back to haunt her, and mysterious fires begin to crop up, leading Shannon to suspect that somebody is out to get her. Then Travis Settler, an ex-Special Forces agent, arrives on the scene. His teenage daughter Dani has been kidnapped, and he believes that Shannon’s dark past has something to do with her abduction.
With the body count slowly rising, Shannon and Travis have to learn to trust one another, and uncover the dark secrets of the fire-loving serial killer before he seeks his ultimate revenge.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel takes readers into the often-unexplored world of arsonists, and the emotions that they feel when lighting or witnessing a fire. While many people, myself included, cannot fathom the reasons that some people may have for lighting fires that do nothing but cause destruction and chaos, this novel allows readers to view just how some people respond to flames, and makes readers aware of the power that many arsonists experience when dealing with this deadly element.
I am in no way suggesting that all arsonists are murderers, as many do not think of the consequences of their actions. I am simply saying that this novel is a good study of the way that firebugs may react to flames.

Positives:
The author keeps readers guessing, as she continually introduces new plot twists and scenarios. Travis Settler’s relationship with Shannon adds a bit of spark to the story, and Dani Settler’s determination to survive at the hands of her kidnapper is inspiring, especially considering her age.

Negatives:
Sometimes the story can seem a little slow, with not much happening besides a reiteration of past scenarios or the same questions being asked again and again, but this is more than likely just a technique that the author is using to draw out natural suspense.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Crime/ Thriller

Recommended for: People looking for a crime thriller novel with a murderer not averse to using flames to destroy his victims.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: A Chill In The Blood (Vampire Files) by P.N. Elrod

2010-01-07T19:34:00.002+11:00

A Chill In The Blood (The Vampire Files) - P.N. Elrod

Synopsis:
Jack Fleming is a vampire, living in Chicago in the 1930s- a time when mobsters rule the streets and the city is filled with crime and poverty, following the depression and the lift on alcohol prohibition. Working as a private investigator with his friend and partner, Charles Escott, Jack finds himself in the middle of a gang war after he survives an attempted hit on his life by insane crime lady Angela Paco.
With both Angela and her nemesis from New York, Sean Sullivan, vying for power in the already overrun city, and with corrupt cops on both sides, Jack and Charles don’t know who to trust.
Having already survived several attempts on his life by Angela, and Sullivan’s predecessor Kyler, Jack not only has to save his own skin this time, but he also has to protect young accountant Opal, who every mobster wants to keep on their books, as well as his friends, and any innocents who get caught in the crossfire between the criminals and the cops. Adding to the dilemma, Jack can only work at night, and he has to find time to stop by the stockyards for sustenance if he wants to keep his strength up, and survive the brutal war between the mobsters.

What I gained from reading this book:
In this novel, the power struggles between Angela Paco and Sean Sullivan throw the city of Chicago in turmoil. But there are also other players on the mob scene, including Jack’s acquaintances Shoe and Gordy, who have gangs of their own and are just as interested in gaining a stronger monopoly on the city. This struggle to reign supreme over others is not only prominent in the novel- it is in fact a common occurrence in many countries where gangs and underworld figures have a strong street presence. This novel helps to raise awareness about the corrupt conditions that some people have to live under, especially when they don’t have any other option but to seek assistance from those who have money, and thus, put themselves into the debt of criminals.

Positives:
It's interesting how the author is able to incorporate the mobster world of 1930s Chicago with the story of a vampire private investigator, whose main mission in life (or afterlife) is to bring them to justice. It’s a mixture of two totally different genres that somehow works.

Negatives:
It seems as though nights last a long time in Chicago (or maybe the protagonist is just very proficient at getting a lot of stuff done in a short amount of time!). Jack Fleming’s waking hours are a little exaggerated but considering he falls unconscious during daylight hours, the author really has no choice but to give him a hectic night schedule.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Genre: Horror/ Crime

Recommended for: People interested in a different take on the usual vampire stories- this one includes mobsters, double-crossing and shady deals.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Atonement by Ian McEwan

2009-12-07T18:37:00.002+11:00

Atonement - Ian McEwan

Synopsis:
It’s 1935, and at thirteen years of age, Briony Tallis has decided to move on from writing and illustrating short stories, instead choosing to create a play, The Trials of Arabella. She has high hopes that the play, which is a product of her overactive imagination, and which features her penchant for dramatics, will be performed for her brother Leon and his friend Paul Marshall, following their homecoming from college.
Her cousins, who are staying with the family for an undetermined amount of time while their parents go through a messy divorce, are delegated roles in the play, but Briony is disheartened by their poor attempts at acting and decides to call the play off. It is while she is staring out the window in a depression that she spots her older sister Cecilia in a moment’s interaction with the cleaner’s son Robbie Turner.
With her thoughts going into overdrive, Briony imagines the scenarios that have lead to what she has witnessed, and starts to plot a story far beyond what she knows.
These imaginings skew her perceptions of Cecilia and Robbie’s relationship, and when a crime is committed on the grounds, she immediately points the blame at Robbie, despite contrary evidence.
Briony’s distorted perceptions of the event, and the repercussions that follow, haunt each of the characters as they struggle to survive through World War II and through the difficult years that follow.

What I gained from reading this book:
This story gives as good a reminder as any that you shouldn’t judge someone without knowing all the important facts.
Briony lets her imagination dictate what is happening between Cecilia and Robbie, and this not only threatens to ruin the couple’s new relationship, but it destroys their families and aids a criminal in his escape from justice.
The fact that a thirteen-year-old middle-class girl is believed over a cleaner’s son is also reminiscent of the times when higher status in the community meant more than a person’s integrity. What is worse, even though Briony has her doubts later on, she is too afraid to renege on what she has said for fear of retribution, which only heightens the guilt that she ultimately feels.
This is an issue that affects many people in their day-to-day lives, where they feel the need to lie to save their own skins, despite knowing that they are wrongly incriminating somebody else. The author is able to highlight the remorse that Briony feels about Robbie during the war, but is also able to draw on her fear of being blamed for destroying so many lives. This theme could strike a chord with readers who have also found themselves in situations where they have faced avoidable guilt.

Positives:
Not only are the characters well developed, but readers will get drawn into the drama that comes from their personal stories and the wartime experiences they face- especially as they deal with the consequences of what happened in the summer of 1935.

Negatives:
Although the novel has won wide acclaim from critics, as well as several awards, it takes a while for readers to actually get into the story. The beginning is slow and sometimes it seems as though nothing exciting will ever happen, but if you persist with reading the first few chapters, you will find yourself drawn into wanting to know what happens next to the characters.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: War/ Relationships

Recommended for: People who have seen the film and would like to read the book.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler

2009-12-07T18:28:00.002+11:00

Back When We Were Grownups - Anne Tyler

Synopsis:
From a young age, Rebecca is destined to marry her sweetheart Will Allenby, graduate from college and start a family.
But meeting Joe Davitch changes all of that. Thirteen years her senior, Joe already has three young daughters and becomes smitten with Rebecca after seeing her laugh at a friend’s engagement party, which is being held at his family’s house, The Open Arms.
Within weeks, any future with Will is forgotten as the new couple fall madly in love with one another and marry. It’s not long before Rebecca becomes a part of the Davitch clan, looking after the children and taking control of the festive parties that the Open Arms hosts every week.
However, everything takes a turn for the worse when Joe is involved in a car accident. Rebecca finds herself widowed, juggling the family business, looking after the children and assorted family members, and dealing with the chaos that is her life.
Although she loves her family dearly, she struggles to find her place, and by the age of fifty-three, begins to wonder what her life would have been like if she had never met Joe and instead stayed with Will.

What I gained from reading this book:
This is a novel that very much deals with the question of ‘what if?’
Rebecca, or Beck as she is called by the Davitch clan, wonders whether she would have gradually developed an outgoing persona after being shy for so much of her life, or whether she is only pretending to be so joyous because she knows that is what her family expects of her. She also wonders whether a life with Will would have been as rewarding as her current life or whether she would have fallen into a different kind of bliss. These are questions that many people ask themselves when they find themselves at a crossroad, or even when they are long past the moment and are re-evaluating their life and the place that they hold in it. The characters in this novel are very true to life, in that they too question what could have been, had their circumstances turned out differently.

Positives:
The characters’ arguments and grievances with one another are just as realistic as the harmony that they share. The author is able to portray a strong portrait of the dysfunctional family- one which many people will be able to relate to.

Negatives:
The storyline is a bit slow in some parts and sometimes it is difficult to keep track of who all the characters are, as there are just so many of them (and most are introduced at the same time).

Rating: 6 out of 10

Genre: Family/ Relationships

Recommended for: Fans of Anne Tyler’s novels.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Any Books You'd Like Me To Review?

2009-12-02T19:35:00.004+11:00

Hello there!

Do you ever come across a book that you really want to read but you just don't have the time to read it?

Working at a bookshop, I see all the new releases and the above situation happens to me a lot!! I have to write down the title and add it to my long list of books to read- I call it The List.

But sometimes, depending on the title, someone I know is able to read a certain book before me and tell me whether it's worth moving up on The List..

If there's a particular book you'd like me to review so that you can decide whether to read it straight away or let it wait a while, please let me know and I'll do my best to cover it.

Looking forward to hearing your suggestions!!

Catherine

Book Review: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

2009-12-02T19:17:00.004+11:00

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

Synopsis:
Before the war in Afghanistan, Amir’s favourite pastimes include flying and running kites with his loyal friend, a lower-caste servant named Hassan, who has a talent for catching the last fallen kite- the coveted prize, and a trophy of sorts, during the winter kite-flying tournament. Throughout the rest of the year, the boys cause mischief by reflecting sunlight into people’s homes using mirrors, and shooting walnuts at the neighbour’s dog with a slingshot. Amir also reads adventure stories to the illiterate Hassan, and dreams that one day he will win the approval of his stern father.
One day, after a successful kite tournament, something happens that changes the relationship between Amir and Hassan forever, and alters their lives in ways previously unimaginable. Amir finds himself struggling to cope with his guilt, and in desperation, drives away the only friend he has ever really had.
As war starts to close in on the small country, Amir and his father flee to America, and it isn’t until decades later that Amir is forced to confront his demons and make the difficult journey back to Afghanistan and the life he left behind.

What I gained from reading this book:
For as long as I can remember, Afghanistan has been a country plagued with war, overruled by the Taliban, and destroyed by acts of terrorism. Even now, news reports tell of suicide bombers detonating their bombs and destroying various parts of the country. This book is an eye-opener because it not only covers aspects of the war as seen through Amir’s eyes, but it is also delves into his life as a young boy before war tore apart his native country. The author highlights the differences between the Afghanistan of Amir’s childhood and the Afghanistan of his adult years, and juxtaposes this with the events that helped to define Amir’s transition from an awkward and uncourageous child, to a man determined to turn a past wrong into a right.

Positives:
This highly acclaimed novel didn’t get rave reviews for nothing. The story is exceptionally written and evokes a sense of authenticity that many fictional novels lack. The details involved in the author’s writing make the reader believe that they are reading the memoirs of an Afghani refugee, rather than a fictional story drawn from some of the real-life events of asylum seekers from Afghanistan.

Negatives:
People who are unable stomach stories of war and violent abuse should probably steer clear of this novel, as the crux of the story centres around these themes.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Genre: Family/ Relationships

Recommended for: Anybody looking for a fictional novel that draws from real-life experiences that some Afghani refugees faced in their search for asylum.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: The Other Extreme by T.J. MacGregor

2009-11-06T19:48:00.003+11:00

The Other Extreme - T.J. MacGregor

Synopsis:
Jay Hutchin is an esteemed judge and respected member of the community. But while he is looked upon as an authority of the judicial system, he is also leading a secret life away from the courts, by having an affair with an up-and-coming actress named Diane Jackson- a woman who is taking Hollywood by storm and also seeing other men on the side. When Jay kills Diane in a jealous rage, he has to try and do everything in his power to prevent the press from discovering his involvement. This is especially crucial after the President’s chief of staff contacts Jay to inform him he is on the shortlist for a possible appointment as attorney general. With the FBI delving into his life to determine his suitability for the position, Jay has everything to lose if his role in Diane’s death is made public.
Meanwhile, defence attorney Kit Parrish is hired to defend Diane’s boyfriend, who has been arrested for the murder. While she is collecting evidence for the defence, FBI agent Ben Webster enters her life, reopening a cold case which involves Kit’s brother Pete, who disappeared a decade before. If that’s not enough to contend with, Kit also has to deal with her son’s strange behaviour, which is triggered by voices only he can hear.
Kit faces many challenges in her efforts to save an innocent man from a life sentence, put the real culprit behind bars, and help her son uncover ghosts from memories that belong to someone else.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel shows how jealousy and greed can change people’s lives, and how too much power can corrupt even those whose duty of care shouldn’t be compromised. Although Jay Hutchin is a figure of authority, he finds himself stooping to the level of the people he convicts in an effort to reign supreme and ‘beat’ the judicial system. He even goes so far as to plan the downfall of Diane’s boyfriend, who has been arrested for her murder despite his innocence. This shady portrayal of the judge helps to raise awareness that there are people out there who consider their interests before everyone else’s, and that this is not just a weakness held by people of little power.

Positives:
This story holds all the trademarks of a political thriller like you’d see on the big screen, with paranormal elements such as memory transfers also thrown into the mix. It’s difficult not to get drawn into the intertwining storylines.

Negatives:
The sub-plot involving Kit’s son Ryan and the memories he keeps on dredging up is interesting, but it is also very easy to determine whose memories they are. This predictability, despite the characters not piecing it together, can sometimes be infuriating for readers.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Paranormal Thriller

Recommended for: People who enjoy reading a good murder mystery, even if some of the characters seem to have abilities beyond the norm.

Book Review: Vittorio, The Vampire by Anne Rice

2009-11-06T19:23:00.003+11:00

Vittorio, The Vampire - Anne Rice

Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Vittorio di Raniari is part of a wealthy family who live in a Tuscan hilltop castle that is surrounded by warring fronts. Despite the conflicts that border the small village, the people are safe in the knowledge that their Lord, Vittorio’s father, has made strong alliances with Cosimo de Medici and his people in Florence.
But a more sinister threat than war approaches the village one day and it changes Vittorio’s life forever. Without warning, the homes on the outskirts of the village are empty, as people flee a dark force that looms in the forest and only appears in the dead of night. Vittorio’s family remain in the village, but find themselves victims of a bloody and bizarre massacre- one that leaves Vittorio orphaned, alone, and seeking revenge.
Vittorio’s path of vengeance leads him to the bloodthirsty and demonic creatures of the night, to a strange village that seems too perfect, and into the arms of young Ursula, a woman who played a part in his family’s deaths yet appears eternally ‘innocent’. This is the story of how Vittorio lost his innocence and became one of the creatures he despised.

What I gained from reading this book:
In this novel, Vittorio is faced with a nightmare situation, where he sees his brother and sister die in the most appalling way, and hears his family’s screams as they are slain. What’s worse, a young woman who he can’t help but feel attracted to is one of the perpetrators of the massacre, regardless of the fact that she does everything in her power to save him from a fate like that of his family. Thus, who can blame Vittorio for wanting to seek revenge for his loss? This novel is all about vengeance and its many forms, but it’s also a tale about courage, as Vittorio confronts his fears in the face of death and struggles to find justice in a world where humanity is fragile and demons are at the top of the food chain.

Positives:
Readers already know that Vittorio is a vampire, just from reading the title of the book, but what they may not realise at first glance is that this curse was bestowed by those he hated and wanted to destroy. The author is able to turn this tale of vengeance into one of a different kind of torment for her principle character as he struggles to come to terms with his past and his infinite future.

Negatives:
Despite being written in the late 1990’s, the author uses an old style of language to best represent Vittorio and his views, and because of this technique, some people may not enjoy the story as thoroughly.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Horror

Recommended for: Fans of Anne Rice’s gothic horror stories

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Vamped by David Sosnowski

2009-10-26T18:29:00.003+11:00

Vamped - David Sosnowski

Synopsis:
It’s been years since humans lived freely in a world now run and owned by vampires.
The act of hunting and killing humans is long since extinct, and blood production has become a commercial exercise, produced from stem-cells and packaged in juice boxes. In a world full of vampires, the only place one can find a real human is on black market farms that officially ‘don’t exist’, where vampires, for a large sum, can hunt humans au naturale.
So when suicidal vampire Martin Kowalski comes across a six-year-old girl- who presumably escaped from a human hunting reserve- he decides to take the recently orphaned and blood-spattered child home. While he initially plans on making her into a midnight snack, he finds himself charmed by the young girl, who goes by the bizarre name of Isuzu Trooper Cassidy- and allocates himself the role of unofficial guardian. Through the tumultuous years that follow, Marty embraces ‘fatherhood’ and strives to protect Isuzu from the rest of the world, who would tear her apart for a taste if they knew she existed.

What I gained from reading this book:
Despite the fact that most of the characters in this novel are vampires, the author is strangely able to make readers relate to them. This could be because he describes a world very similar to our own, only the characters function at nighttime rather than during the day. Marty holds a job writing memos for the Bureau of Blood Quality (BBQ), and before Isuzu came along, used to frequent bars where he’d watch topless dancers. His mundane life is what led him to almost crash his car and put an end to the boredom of living an eternal life. Isuzu’s appearance in his life brings a glimmer of hope to Marty, initially for the thrill of fresh blood and then for the challenges of parenthood. This novel shows that there is always something to live for, and to use the cliché, that sometimes the best things come in small packages.

Positives:
This novel is extremely entertaining and there are several reasons for this.
The author has managed to create humour in his portrayal of the eternally angry and emotional Screamers (vampires who may be hundreds of years old but are trapped in the young children’s bodies that they were vamped in- never able to look older than they are, and therefore never taken seriously).
As well as this, the character of Marty has a lot on his plate when it comes to dealing with Isuzu, and this helps readers to relate to his character. Marty’s role as a parent is varied, but in short, he has to protect her from other vampires, deal with her hormonal mood swings as she grows up, make sure he has enough human food (AKA pet food) for her while avoiding suspicion about the amount he buys (since he doesn’t own a pet), and generally adjust to having a female living with him who sleeps most of the night and has regular bodily functions that vampires no longer have. This is a story about co-habitation at its most extreme and most amusing.

Negatives:
The humour in this book may not appeal to everyone, but I think most people will appreciate the author’s rampant imagination.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Genre: Black Comedy

Recommended for: Anyone who has ever wondered what life would be like if everybody in the world was undead.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Queen Of Babble In The Big City by Meg Cabot

2009-10-26T18:18:00.002+11:00

Queen Of Babble In The Big City - Meg Cabot

Synopsis:
Connoisseur of vintage fashion, Lizzie Nichols, is chasing her dream job of becoming a Wedding Gown Restoration Expert in the expensive city of New York.
Living with her boyfriend Luke in his mother’s Fifth Avenue apartment, and with a real Renoir painting hanging over the bed, Lizzie’s dream is off to a good start- except that finding a job in her chosen field is a lot harder than it looks.
The only wedding dress-orientated job she can find is non-paying, and she puts in long hours to prove herself proficient, hoping to learn the tricks of the trade from old Monsieur Henri.
Luckily Chaz, her best friend’s boyfriend, is also able to land her a job in his father’s law firm as a receptionist, which helps to pay the bills.
But then everything starts to change.
Jill Higgins, who works with the seals at Central Park Zoo, and is about to marry the most eligible bachelor in New York society, finds herself in wedding strife.
With her future mother-in-law causing her problems, and an atrocious heirloom wedding dress to wear, Jill secretly enlists Lizzie to save the day and make her wedding into one that she can forever treasure, after a little prompting of course.
Now Lizzie has to try and transform one very ugly duckling of a dress into one that a princess would feel honoured to wear, as well as keep secret the biggest gossip scoop of the century.

What I gained from reading this book:
This book teaches that sometimes people view others in the way that they want to see them, whether the perception is accurate or not. Lizzie believes that Luke is the man for her and refuses to change her mind, even when faced with obvious clues that indicate otherwise. Similarly, she judges other characters on how she thinks they are, reality be damned! By reading this book, people can draw comparisons between Lizzie and themselves and try to stop perceiving people in ways that are not realistic.

Positives:
This novel is extremely entertaining and fun to read. Lizzie’s babblings are humorous and I think they are genuine reflections of how some women really do think. This is especially the case when Lizzie’s thoughts become sidetracked at the sight of a cute dress that she sees on display at a shop. Sometimes when authors try this technique it can make readers frustrated with the character’s erratic thoughts, but luckily Cabot is able to make Lizzie into a likeable person who readers can relate to.

Negatives:
Lizzie’s adoration of her boyfriend, while understandable, can be a little trying at times. Yes, we know he is studying to be a doctor and save all the sick children, and yes he is gorgeous and French and a prince… Luckily for readers, Lizzie gets her mind on track before those particular babblings can get too annoying.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Romance/ Comedy

Recommended for: Fans of the original Queen Of Babble book.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Queen Of Babble by Meg Cabot

2009-10-17T15:11:00.005+11:00

Queen Of Babble - Meg Cabot

Synopsis:
When Lizzie Nichols’ long-distance boyfriend Andrew invites her to stay with him and his family in England, she jumps at the chance to travel overseas and visit him. But their three-month-long relationship is not as loved-up and romantic as she remembers it to be, and before long, Lizzie finds herself regretting her trip to London.
Things become especially worse when she discovers that Andrew is accepting welfare money from the government while also working at a restaurant, and despite her good intentions, Andrew gets into big trouble with the authorities when she innocently lets slip that he is not as destitute as he lets on. Finding that she cannot deal with a boyfriend who is cheating the government, and alone in an unfamiliar country, Lizzie fears she might have to return home to her family sooner than expected.
But then she remembers that her best friend Shari is in a sixteenth-century chateau in southern France, catering a wedding with her boyfriend Chaz, and decides to travel across the country alone- with only basic school French- to find her.
Once at Chateau Mirac, Lizzie finds herself in love with the old-fashioned elegance of the place, and smitten with Luke de Villiers, the handsome son of the chateau’s owner. It’s not long, however, before Lizzie’s big mouth strikes again, and she finds herself struggling to make amends for her latest leaked secret.
With a wedding dress to save, a handsome man to woo, an ex-boyfriend to deter and an angry best friend, Lizzie has a lot to deal with.
The question is, can she beat the odds and save the day? Or will this wedding be one to remember for all the wrong reasons?

What I gained from reading this book:
Lizzie has a very strong sense of what she considers to be right and wrong in the world, and she’s not afraid to take a stand against what she believes to be unfair.
Readers first get an inkling of her do-good nature after she discovers that her boyfriend Andrew is cheating his government’s welfare system. Although she inadvertently lets slip that he’s not genuine, she doesn’t stick around to continue her relationship with him. She also disagrees with the ideas of Luke’s girlfriend Dominique, to turn Chateau Mirac into a plastic surgery recovery centre, believing it would destroy the ambience of the place, and she encourages Luke to follow his dreams of becoming a doctor, despite his hesitations.
Just from observing Lizzie’s beliefs, readers can learn that not everything has to succumb to commercialism, and that missed opportunities are always the ones that you’ll regret in the future.

Positives:
Cabot’s novel brings forth a funny portrayal of how a small group of Americans view things in an unfamiliar country. It’s humorous following Lizzie’s attempts to find Diet Coke (a.k.a. those terrible chemicals) in London and France, and it’s just as entertaining to read about her shock when she discovers that Europeans really do have a more relaxed attitude regarding nudity when sunbathing.

Negatives:
Lizzie’s naivety is truly unbelievable at times. Although it is obvious to everyone that Andrew is a conniving and selfish guy who is only looking for easy money, Lizzie still builds him up in her mind to be something that he is not, and is then horrified when he reveals his true colours to her. This can be slightly annoying for readers, however it does add to her character’s small-town American innocence.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Romance/ Comedy

Recommended for: People who can sympathise with Lizzie’s inability to keep a secret.

Australians can buy this book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: The Blood Hunters by Katherine Ramsland

2009-10-12T10:58:00.005+11:00

The Blood Hunters - Katherine Ramsland

Synopsis:
When four dead bodies are found throughout Bucks County in Pennsylvania, Detective Teri Lewis has her hands full; these deaths are unlike any that the seasoned homicide investigator has ever seen. The victims have been burned from the inside out before their death, are missing blood, and have been bitten- by snakes and other creatures that aren’t quite human- in what is believed to be part of some strange vampiric ritual.
While Detective Lewis follows false trails and dead ends to find the culprits, a young vampire by the name of Christian is sent to Mexico by his elite squad to extract a rival vampire, who holds special abilities that can solve the vampires’ problems back in Bucks County. With the vampire’s existence partially compromised, and human authorities coming ever closer to discovering the real creatures behind the murders, it’s up to Christian to bring the much stronger vampire back, and prove to his peers that he has what it takes to be a part of the vampire elite.

What I gained from reading this book:
In this novel, both Christian and Detective Lewis feel that they have something to prove. Both have previously made very public mistakes that have either cost the credibility of their positions or endangered others. The situation involving the murders is their chance to redeem themselves in front of their peers and earn back their respect. Through this underlying theme, readers are able to see that everybody feels the need to prove themselves, regardless of outwards appearances, and that this need is universal.

Positives:
It is interesting how the author is able to juxtapose the lives of vampires with those of humans and draw links between how each species affects the other. Usually in most vampire stories, readers only see the point of view of either the humans or the vampires, and so this novel is unique in that both sides are covered.

Negatives:
This isn’t just a vampire story- it is also a forensic case where humans are trying to solve murders, so if you don’t really want to read about the coroner’s determinations of the victims’ deaths and would prefer to read just a vampire horror story, this probably isn’t the book for you.
Rating: 6 out of 10

Genre: Horror/ Crime

Recommended for: People who enjoy well-plotted murder stories, even when they know who the culprit is from the start.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: Monster Planet by David Wellington

2009-10-12T10:42:00.005+11:00

Monster Planet - David Wellington

Synopsis:
For twelve years, ever since zombies took over the world, Ayaan and her small band of fighters have been defending what is left of the human race in Africa. Doing overhead patrols in one of the few working helicopters on earth, they monitor the progress of the ghouls heading towards their camp and eliminate any that could be a threat. But one day the group come across a sight never before thought possible- a large group of living humans, working together with the zombies as they trek across the vast African desert. This unusual ensemble is led by the Tsarevich, also known as the Prince of Death, whose supernatural powers as a lich (a zombie who rose again with his intellect intact) are greater than those of any other. Sensing that this may be the only chance for her to destroy him, Ayaan and her crew make an impulsive attack on the Tsarevich’s group, but the stronger forces of the lich win out and Ayaan is captured while many of her crew are slain. Among the surviving members is Sarah, a young woman who Ayaan brought up after she was orphaned at the age of eight.
Sarah feels it is her duty as Ayaan’s young protégée to rescue her from the horrors that await, and if all else fails and Ayaan is killed, to end her ‘life’ as one of the undead. With Osman the helicopter pilot, a ghost and some old revived mummies on her side, Sarah has to face insurmountable odds to save her mentor and friend.

What I gained from reading this book:
In this novel, the viewpoints of some of the major characters change as the action of the story progresses. Views, which were once black and white, now feature variants of grey, and the ideals that were once held are overturned in favour of new concepts about the way that the future should pan out.
This is a situation that often occurs in everyday life, and it is interesting to see how the author can adapt these views to mean the difference between life and death for his characters.

Positives:
This is a story of survival- all of the human characters are fighting to create a world that will once again be safe enough for humans to inhabit, and free of flesh-eating zombies. Even the Egyptian mummies, who have been dead for thousands of years, endeavour to survive the Tsarevich’s discriminating elimination of their ‘race’.

Negatives:
The gory descriptions of the zombies and the methods that the Tsarevich uses to torture and kill his victims are more than a little unsettling at times, but given the nature of the story, this is to be expected. You can’t have a novel about the undead without it featuring some of these themes.
Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Horror

Recommended for: People who enjoy a good zombie novel and who may have read David Wellington’s previous zombie novels.

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below:

Book Review: The Magpie Bridge by Liu Hong

2009-08-30T12:28:00.003+10:00

The Magpie Bridge - Liu Hong

Synopsis:
Jiao Mei is a young Chinese national, studying in England and living with Barbara, her late father’s female companion.
Despite bouts of homesickness, and a longing for the salty and spicy Sichuan food of her homeland, Jiao Mei is enjoying her time in London, has made friends at the university she attends, and is in a new and promising relationship with an architect named Ken.
However, life as she knows it is about to change when she is one day woken by a young Chinese woman who claims to be her grandmother. Despite her disbelief about the apparition’s declaration, Jiao Mei finds herself conceding that the woman is who she says she is, despite having been dead for several years.
The woman, Tie Mei, not only calls Jiao Mei by her childhood nickname, but she imparts knowledge about their family’s painful and complex past and reveals secrets that not even Jiao Mei is aware of.
Tie Mei also gives her granddaughter a message that is becoming increasingly hard to ignore- Jiao Mei is pregnant with Ken’s child, and she has the family reputation to uphold.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel gives a fascinating insight into Chinese culture, and the way that Jiao Mei assimilates into the English way of life is representative of how so many foreigners have had to adapt to the Western world. Readers are able to see London from the point of view of Jiao Mei, but also through the eyes of her grandmother, who had never encountered ‘foreign devils’ before her death. Tie Mei’s reluctant acceptance of her granddaughter’s choices, and her gradual recognition of a life far different from her own as a young woman are also represented by the author, who is able to tell the story by shifting between the imperial gardens of nineteenth-century Beijing, and the grey bleakness of modern-day England.

Positives:
This novel is filled with old Chinese folklore, all of which contributes to the storyline, and gives the story a unique edge over others that have similar plots. Even the title of the novel, The Magpie Bridge, is taken from one of the folk stories that Jiao Mei recounts to her boyfriend Ken. It’s refreshing to see new literature mixed in with remnants of old stories that have been passed down through time.

Negatives:
Sometimes Jiao Mei’s representations of the characters in the novel seem contradictory, and although this is similar to real life, it can be disconcerting to readers. An example of this can be seen in Barbara’s boyfriend Bill. At times, Jiao Mei seems to despise him for always being around the house and being so sarcastic, yet she also seems to respect him for the way he treats Barbara, and she even appreciates how he sometimes smells of cigarettes. But even though she professes to sometimes like him, in actuality she barely tolerates him and goes out of her way to avoid him. While these actions may not be a problem on their own, Jiao Mei’s indecision about him tends to annoy after a while, and is also a common thread among several of the other characters in the story.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Genre: Family/ Relationships

Recommended for: People who are interested in old Chinese legends and superstitions, mixed with the reality of modern life.

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Book Review: The Quiet Girl by Peter Høeg

2009-08-02T14:11:00.005+10:00

The Quiet Girl - Peter Høeg

Synopsis:
Kasper Krone is a circus clown famous on the international stage, and wanted by Danish authorities for tax evasion. Living in a caravan on a property dedicated to circus training and stables, Kasper is unique in that he also has a special gift regarding sound. He can ‘hear’ the musical keys that make up a person, instantly identifying whether they are a D-minor or A-flat major, and thus determining their personalities and intentions in an instant. He can also hear sounds that most ordinary people can’t pick up, and often compares them to great musical works, including those by his favourite composer Johann Sebastian Bach.
But despite his abilities, Kasper also has a deep gambling debt, and is on the verge of being extradited to Spain for his tax evasion.
It seems that Kasper’s life as he knows it is over, until he is recruited by a mysterious order of nuns, from the Rabia Institute, who want him to use his abilities to help them find two missing and extraordinary children who have been kidnapped. In return for his services, they promise him a reprieve from the international authorities, and thus Kasper decides to help.
But Kasper doesn’t realise the full extent of the children’s mystical abilities, or the true intentions of all involved. His determination to save young KlaraMaria, who he previously created a bond with, as well as the other child, means that he faces adversity from all angles, and rediscovers relationships with people from his past.
Kasper has to use all of his circus training, hearing abilities and wit to discover where the children are, and work out how to get them back to safety.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel brings into question the different ‘gifts’ that some people reputedly have. Kasper’s ability to hear the musicality in people’s everyday lives makes him stand out from regular people and gives the book an artistic and even spiritual edge that wouldn’t ordinarily be present in a book of this genre.

Positives:
The character of Kasper Krone is incredibly complex. Even though he is determined to save the children, he is also using the situation for his own gain, hoping to save himself from deportation. His interest in all of the people involved in the situation varies according to their usefulness to him, and his wit and cunning help him in circumstances when most people would ordinarily give up. These characteristics help to make the book so interesting to readers, as they wonder what he will do next.

Negatives:
I can’t fault the way that the book was written because the language that Høeg uses seems almost poetic at times, flowing like the classical music he loves to talk about so much. The methods that he uses in writing this novel, however, make it difficult to link together different parts of the story and can sometime makes it hard to grasp what is happening.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Genre: Mystery

Recommended for: People who enjoy Peter Høeg’s work.

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Book Review: Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

2009-07-29T20:28:00.005+10:00

Mao’s Last Dancer - Li Cunxin

Synopsis:
Growing up in Qingdao, a poverty-stricken rural village in Northeast China, Li Cunxin’s life is already mapped out for him. Only divine intervention will prevent him from doing anything more than work in the fields for the Chinese government, just like his father does, seven days a week.
Even with his father constantly working, Cunxin, his parents and his six brothers barely have enough to eat, and share two beds amongst them. The only enjoyment in their lives comes from telling fables and folk stories, catching crickets, playing marbles, and pretending to be kung fu masters.
Despite his reverence for Chairman Mao, the communist leader whose every word is sacred and filled with promises for a better China, Cunxin can’t help but dream of a better life where his family can prosper and his beloved mother can have enough food to eat.
At age eleven, Cunxin’s life changes dramatically, when Madame Mao’s cultural delegates visit his school to select young peasants to train in ballet. It is hoped that the students will become faithful guards to the communist leader’s aspirations for a better China, and help to bridge the cultural gap in a country that is determined to avoid capitalist ideals at all costs.
Li Cunxin is one of the students chosen, an honour that sees him leave his hometown, family and friends and move to the dauntingly large city of Beijing.
In the years that follow, Cunxin learns to push his body to the limits, dances for international ballet companies and befriends the American president and first lady. This is his remarkable and challenging story.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel provides a fascinating insight into the world of communist China during Chairman Mao’s ruling, and the views that were once held regarding countries like America and Britain. It is also interesting to see how Li Cunxin’s life was shaped by communist propaganda and how he was able to form his own perceptions about Western countries, having actually visited them and learnt about the people living there.
The most important thing to note about this book, however, is Li Cunxin’s strong sense of nationalistic pride. Despite some of the problems that he had with the Chinese government, Cunxin was still determined to represent his country and make his family proud. It is this on-going determination that makes Cunxin’s biography so interesting to read.

Positives:
Cunxin doesn’t shy away from telling the story as he remembers it- he recounts watching the execution of men accused of being too wealthy when he was a boy, and tells of the squalid conditions that he faced while living in his village. He also points out the vast differences in the wealth of the Western world, in comparison to the poverty of the world that he grew up in, and raises questions about why such poverty exists.

Negatives:
Some people may wonder how Cunxin and the other Chinese people could be so brainwashed by the communist propaganda spouted over the years but as you read the novel you can understand the reasons why. The Chinese people didn’t really have much of a choice if they didn’t want to face accusations of treason or be executed. Chairman Mao’s propaganda was also spread through his Red Book that everyone was supposed to own and study, and his values were among the first things taught at school. So it is through no fault of their own that the Chinese believed almost everything that they were taught about Chairman Mao and his ideals.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Biography

Recommended for: People interested in a young boy’s journey from poverty to international stardom

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Book Review: Marley And Me by John Grogan

2009-07-28T21:35:00.005+10:00

Marley & Me - John Grogan

Synopsis:
John and his wife Jenny are happily married, working as journalists at competing newspapers and considering starting a family in the not-too-distant future. But concerned that they might not be able to cope with looking after a child, they decide to get a puppy so that they can have a ‘practice run’.
After visiting a local breeder, they pick out a yellow Labrador pup and name him Marley, but they have no idea what they’re getting themselves into.
Marley is adorable and lively as a puppy and continues to be so, even after he is fully-grown and weighs over ninety pounds. His unbridled energy and unconditional love for everybody he meets, and his love for eating things that he shouldn’t, drives the Grogan’s insane but they can’t help but love him for who he is.
As the family begins to grow, the Grogan’s face many challenges, mostly to do with the mayhem that Marley causes, but they stay united as a loving family unit until the end.

What I gained from reading this book:
There are many pet owners in the world who believe that they have the best dog in the world. There are also many in the world who think that they have the worst. John Grogan found the best and the worst in his yellow Labrador Marley, and recounts his experiences with his lively and often misbehaving dog in this biography.
Together with his wife Jenny, John picked out Marley from a litter of nine puppies, and soon became the owner of an incredibly goofy yet loving Labrador.
This novel recounts some of the more memorable moments in Marley’s and John’s life, highlighting the companionship that so many people share with their dogs throughout their lifetimes together.

Positives:
Grogan’s tribute to his beloved dog has touched people’s hearts all over the world, and his biography has been made even more popular with the release of the Hollywood film of the same title, starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston.
It’s wonderful that Grogan has been able to celebrate Marley’s life in such an honest and candid way.

Negatives:
People who have recently lost a beloved pet may find it difficult to read this book, especially if they can recognise aspects of their relationship in Grogan and Marley. On the other hand, this book may be a good way to help people come to terms with their grief, as they read about the love and hardships that others endure with their pets.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Biography

Recommended for: People who might have seen the film and are interested in reading the source.

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Book Review: Just A Hint - Clint by Lori Foster

2009-07-22T19:24:00.005+10:00

Just A Hint--Clint - Lori Foster

Synopsis:
When schoolteacher Julie Rose is kidnapped by a bunch of thugs who plan on ransoming her for a large sum, Clint Evans and his best friends Mojo and Red, are hired by her ‘fiancé’ Robert Burns to find and retrieve her.
But there is more to the story than meets the eye, especially when Robert insinuates that the person behind Julie’s kidnapping could be the infamous mobster Asa Ragon, and suggests that Clint find a way to get rid of him.
Realising that there is an ulterior motive behind Robert’s ill-conceived theories, Clint approaches the mobster and, through him, is able to locate and save Julie.
At Robert’s insistence, Clint also finds a place for her to stay out of danger, at least until the mastermind of the kidnapping plan is found.
But Clint and Julie soon find their lives on the line as the person behind Julie’s kidnapping decides to seek vengeance following her rescue, and despite Clint’s strong resolve, he finds himself falling in love with feisty and seductive Julie, and she with him. With a little help from some of Julie’s friends, they have to work out who is out to get Julie, and stop them before it’s too late.

What I gained from reading this book:
This story is a classic ‘damsel in distress’ tale, despite Julie’s feistiness and ability to fight for herself. The fact that she has a wealthy background, while Clint is from the wrong side of the tracks also makes this story more appealing to readers, as it brings together some of the different elements of society, and shows that love can blossom between people from opposite ends of the scale.

Positives:
This novel includes small time thugs, neighbourhood mobsters, wealthy estate owners, out of control gambling addictions, illicit love affairs, and of course, an exciting love story, so it is very appealing to readers on many fronts.

Negatives:
Clint can come across as hardheaded, and his no-nonsense approach to violence when defending the woman he loves can be a bit over the top at times. But these characteristics are representative of most of Lori Foster’s male characters, so readers will just have to take it in their stride.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Romance

Recommended for: Any woman who fancies herself as a damsel in distress, waiting for her knight in shining armour to rescue her.

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Book Review: Bringing Down The House by Ben Mezrich

2009-07-17T21:10:00.005+10:00

Bringing Down The House - Ben Mezrich

Synopsis:
Kevin Lewis is an engineering student at MIT when he is recruited by the MIT Blackjack team and taught the art of counting cards. Using basic counting techniques mixed with a variety of physical and oral signals, the team travels to Las Vegas and works the blackjack tables, counting cards in order to make a profit.
Although it’s not illegal, the team have to be aware of suspicious pit bosses and casino security who don’t like the idea of somebody beating the system and taking their money.
Mezrich, a friend of Lewis’, was enlisted to write about the extraordinary tale, where a group of twenty-something’s study and work during the week, and party with actors and famous sportspeople in Vegas on the weekends, all the while earning millions of dollars on the blackjack table.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel was made into a film called 21, starring Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey, but it’s interesting to see just how different the book and the film are. In the film, the characters look very different to how they are portrayed in the novel, and even their relationships are altered (although this is more than likely for cinematic appeal than for any other reason). This only highlights just how much is sacrificed from novels when texts are adapted for film.

Positives:
This story has everything- not only are the characters dealing with millions of dollars in cash and casino chips, but they also have to smuggle it all in and out of Vegas on airplanes, avoid casino heavyweights, keep their secret occupation hidden from their loved ones and all while struggling through college or mundane jobs. But want to know the best thing about it? It’s all apparently true.

Negatives:
The idea that a group of people were smart enough to beat the system and try to take back from the casinos is inspiring, although it makes you wonder exactly how smart they really were, risking their safety to feed their high-stakes addictions.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Biography

Recommended for: People who enjoyed the film and want to read from the source

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Book Review: The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

2009-07-14T21:22:00.006+10:00

The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga

Synopsis:
Balram “White Tiger” Halwai is destined to work in a small Indian teashop after he leaves school, in order to earn money to support his grandmother, brother and extended family, and keep the corrupt landlords of his village happy. But he has higher aspirations and longs to move to the city and become more than just a rickshaw-puller’s son.
The story of Balram’s journey to success is told over seven nights in letters to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who will be visiting the city of Bangalore the following week. The Premier, who is interested in meeting Indian entrepreneurs so he can bring some of their ideas back to his country, will be touring India, and Balram is incensed that he will only be shown the happy and successful parts of the country, rather than the real India he was raised in, which is full of poverty and corruption.
In his letters, Balram recounts his life journey from the village of Laxmangarh, where he grew up with his family, to his position as a driver and servant in Mumbai, to his current entrepreneurial role in Bangalore.
His honest views about religion, poverty, wealth, corruption and social injustice are mingled with dark humour as he attempts to enlighten the Chinese Premier about the parts of India that are often hidden from foreign government officials

What I gained from reading this book:
This book gives readers an insight into an India that is rarely seen in Bollywood films and tourism brochures. The poor, the needy, the homeless, and the persecuted are all highlighted within the dark humour of the novel, and are contrasted strongly with the wealthy, often corrupt, citizens of India. While India isn’t the only country in the world that has a defining gap between those that are wealthy and those that are poor, it is the author’s ability to distinguish the reasons for this wealth, or lack of, that make this book such an interesting and entertaining read. Despite the serious overtones of the social situation in India, the author is able to use humour to help readers relate to Balram and his plight.

Positives:
This is a true underdog tale, and what makes it even more special is the dark humour that Balram often reverts to in his efforts to highlight his struggles to get out of his tiny village and into the city. The author’s attempts to lighten the story with comedy are often very successful and even help to emphasise Balram’s sometimes amoral attempts to reach a higher place in the world.
Although this is a fictional story, readers also can’t help but believe the events that occur in the novel. This is especially the case since the release of the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire, which also showed a darker side to India, and drew attention to the poverty and corruption that so many people live in.

Negatives:
Although the novel is brilliantly written and highly entertaining, it still paints a very bleak picture of India and its people, and some people may not appreciate the references made to the darker, more sinister side, of the country.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Genre: Black Comedy

Recommended for: Anyone interested in reading about India’s darker side.

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Book review: The three day rule by Josie Lloyd & Emlyn Rees

2009-06-29T19:45:00.004+10:00

The Three Day Rule - Josie Lloyd & Emlyn Rees

Synopsis:
Every year the Thorne family travel to small and isolated Brayner Island, just off the coast of Cornwall, to celebrate the Christmas holidays.
However the bonds that once tied the family together have unravelled over time, and long-held rivalries, jealousies and arguments lay under the surface of what looks like a happy family unit.
Elliot is having a secret affair with one of his colleagues, Kellie, and his wife Isabelle is oblivious to his betrayal. His teenage daughter Taylor is rebelling after being sent to boarding school, and her acts of rebellion impact on her over-protected cousin Simon, and local boy Michael, who lusts after her.
Simon’s mother, and Elliot’s sister, Stephanie, is dealing with a grief that she can’t let go of, and blames her husband David for their loss.
Despite their problems, they all congregate on the island to celebrate Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day- only three days that they have to endure together before their lives can return to normal.
But when a violent storm crops up, bringing with it snow and furious winds, the Thornes find themselves cut off from society, and those three days seem to drag on forever as they find themselves struggling to cope in their close confines.

What I gained from reading this book:
This novel brings up the topic of affairs and how they can affect different people, whether they are part of the relationship or not.
Kellie plays a major part in this story, being the mistress of Elliot, and the reader often sees the story from her perspective. As much as she loves Elliot, she doesn’t want to be known as the ‘other woman’, and begs Elliot to end his marriage so that they can be together and start a family. But Elliot is hesitant and keeps breaking his promises to Kellie that the relationship with his wife will soon be over. She longs to be accepted by his extended family and create a friendship with his daughter Taylor, and her yearning to be a part of the family is what makes her accept Elliot’s proposition- that she stay in a hotel on the mainland so they can be near one another over the Christmas break. However, her meeting with Ben, whose father owns a water taxi service, makes her begin to re-evaluate her relationship with Elliot, especially after she finds out how his ex-wife’s affair ruined their marriage.
Through these situations, readers are able to grasp a different perspective on affairs, and see how sometimes love, while special, can be the cause of many problems.

Positives:
The characters in this novel are interesting and very true to life. Who doesn’t have at least one family member who they can’t tolerate? The authors’ are also very good when it comes to portraying the events in the novel, writing from the view of a cheating husband, a grieving mother, a lustful teen and a couple of people in search of love, while still keeping the reader involved in the story.

Negatives:
For some people, the events in this story might strike a little close to home, with grieving, jealousies, betrayal and lust being a major part of the novel. But these characteristics are also what make the novel so enjoyable to read.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Genre: Family/ Relationships

Recommended for: People with families like the Thornes- you can’t live with them and you can’t live without them.

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