The novel opens with Cecily urging Mel to get together her things and leave - as soon as possible. Craig, Cecily's abusive, soon-to-be ex-boyfriend, leaves the house after an argument leaving a small window of time for Cecily and Mel to leave.
Cecily announces that they are going home to Mel's grandparents' house - something that Mel doesn't want to hope too hard is true, but imagines how wonderful it would be to finally settle somewhere. However, Cecily's grandmother refuses to accommodate them and Cecily and Mel are left living in their Pinto car and relying on the generosity of the soup kitchen. However, when Cecily is arrested and jailed for shoplifting, Mel has no choice but to live with her grandmother, who is as angry about the situation as Mel is sad.
Mel has had no security in her life but soon finds some in her local library. She is there every day (the novel takes place during summer break) and soon, her grandmother thaws. Mel's hope for a real home begins to come true again, piece by piece, and the only thing that is needed for Cecily to be released.
Mel is a very stoic and solid-seeming character for a twelve year old whose life has known nothing but upheaval. It's sad that she has accepted this as the way of life, "Cecily likes change", and even more so that she accepted it's the way it would always be. She's shy and unsure of her own worth until external, solid characters tell her she is important. She is supported by a good community of characters in the novel. Conflict in the novel presents itself in the chaos of her life circumstances, rather than a traditional bully or villain, but as a reader your heart aches for her no less than it would for a character facing a more traditional kind of conflict.
Though it is narrated by a twelve year old, the frankness and straightforward nature of the writing makes it seem more mature. Description is sparing, as the focus of the writing is, if not in dialogue, more about Mel's reaction to her surroundings and those of the people with whom she interacts. It is a good balance, though, and just enough description is given of the town for the reader to fill in the rest.
The novel itself is just about a couple of hundred pages, though it does a lot in it. It is enjoyable, saddening, and moving, and an insightful glimpse into how important it is for children to have stable homes. I would highly recommend this book.
Tuesday, 24 July 2018
Hiatus
After my last review in August last year, (The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas), I decided to take some time out from the blog. I wanted to devote more time to my own writing and this blog was an easy way of procrastinating from that! I have missed it, though, not least to share my thoughts on some cracking reads but also missing a way of keeping track of what I have read!
Below I'll list some books I've read over the past year that I would also recommend.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy by Laini Taylor (fantasy, top end of YA/New Adult crossover)
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Web of Darkness by Bali Rai
Still Me by Jojo Moyes
The Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes
Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes
The Break by Marian Keyes
The Break by Marian Keyes
Sea of Lost Love by Santa Montefiore
The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood
Butter by Erin Jade Lange
Dead Ends by Erin Jade Lange
I'm sure there have been more but those are the ones I can remember!
Monday, 14 August 2017
Review: The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas
Sixteen-year-old Starr is an inhabitant of two worlds. One world is the poor neighbourhood in which she grew up. The other is the private, predominantly white (she is one of only two black students), high school that she attends. For her, the two worlds means acting as two different Starrs, even in front of her close friends and (white) boyfriend, for fear of misunderstanding and ridicule.
After witnessing her friend, Khalil, being shot dead by a police officer in a seemingly unnecessary traffic stop, Starr has to make some tough decisions. Will she give witness? Will she use her voice to speak up against the authorities or stay silent as there's no way Khalil would ever get justice?
Angie Thomas' writing is powerful, authentic, and hard-hitting, from the description of the neighbourhood in which Starr lives, to the murky waters of navigating high school as a person of colour. There are some very tough passages in it which brilliantly encapsulate the struggle people of colour face when trying to get justice.
There are some bright spots, though. Two of my favourite characters are Starr's parents. They are down to earth, warm, funny, and aware of how lucky they are at this point in life. None of their children are directly involved in gangs; Starr's dad owns a store, and Starr's mum has a steady, secure job at the local clinic. Considering Starr's dad spent some time in prison going down for someone else, they are doing okay for themselves. Reading about their family dynamic - the complexity and frustration and their love - is one of the most sincere and compelling parts of this story.
Angie Thomas tells this story incredibly well, but it feels so raw because you can see it on the news, particularly in America. In fact, we pretty much have seen this story on the news, time and time again. It exhorts us to stand up for those who have been oppressed. For those of us who are privileged to check it and to use it for those whose voices are trying to be quashed. It's as much a call for justice as being a damn good story.
After witnessing her friend, Khalil, being shot dead by a police officer in a seemingly unnecessary traffic stop, Starr has to make some tough decisions. Will she give witness? Will she use her voice to speak up against the authorities or stay silent as there's no way Khalil would ever get justice?
Angie Thomas' writing is powerful, authentic, and hard-hitting, from the description of the neighbourhood in which Starr lives, to the murky waters of navigating high school as a person of colour. There are some very tough passages in it which brilliantly encapsulate the struggle people of colour face when trying to get justice.
There are some bright spots, though. Two of my favourite characters are Starr's parents. They are down to earth, warm, funny, and aware of how lucky they are at this point in life. None of their children are directly involved in gangs; Starr's dad owns a store, and Starr's mum has a steady, secure job at the local clinic. Considering Starr's dad spent some time in prison going down for someone else, they are doing okay for themselves. Reading about their family dynamic - the complexity and frustration and their love - is one of the most sincere and compelling parts of this story.
Angie Thomas tells this story incredibly well, but it feels so raw because you can see it on the news, particularly in America. In fact, we pretty much have seen this story on the news, time and time again. It exhorts us to stand up for those who have been oppressed. For those of us who are privileged to check it and to use it for those whose voices are trying to be quashed. It's as much a call for justice as being a damn good story.
Review: Island of Secrets, Patricia Wilson
London-born Angelika, known in the story as Angie, decides to travel to Crete to find her mother's family before she gets married. Her mother has always been unwilling - to the point of terrified - to talk about what happened in her past. Angie tries to coax her grandmother into talking about it.
She does, but starts the story a lot further back than Angie would like. Instead of just finding out about her mother, she finds out about the Nazi brutalities and massacres in Crete, a little known but hugely impacting event in the Second World War. Angie hears of her grandmother's loss in her son, Petro, and her fight to keep her two other sons alive.
The story flits between past and present quite regularly, which can be quite a welcome breather for the reader. The more Angie learns about Crete, the more bound she feels there but also guilty about her mother who had not returned to the country since she left as a teenager.
Bountiful and lush description abound along with great characters and gripping plot twists. The juxtaposition of the picturesque, tourist-trap Cretan idea with the horrors of its past are quite jarring. The more of these stories we find out about, the more we realise that the Nazis left behind more tragic histories than just the concentration and death camps.
Though this story is a work of fiction it is based on true stories of real life Cretans, which makes Patricia Wilson's story telling even more powerful and spellbinding.
Thursday, 3 August 2017
Review: The Rest Of Us Just Live Here, Patrick Ness
Do you ever wonder what happened to the people who aren't the Chosen Ones? Students at Hogwarts, Forks High School, the rest of the districts in the Hunger Games?
The Rest Of Us Just Live Here, does exactly that. It's a YA novel with an element of the supernatural, but focuses on the ones who aren't risking their lives to save the world. They're doing everything they can just to live.
Mikey and his friends are those in question. The novel begins with them doing what a typical high school senior is doing - trying to make it to graduation - when the world starts to fall apart around them - again. One of the so-called indie kids runs out of the forest chased by someone who is actually glowing. While curious, Mikey and his friends aren't immediately caught up in it so they go back to their own issues.
And there are a fair few, most particularly Mikey and his sister, Mel. Mel is recovering from a severe eating disorder and Mikey suffers with severe anxiety and OCD, relating to his sister's severe illness. And both of them are fiercely protective of their younger sister, Meredith, particularly against their alcoholic father and politically ambitious mother.
There's the other normal high school stuff, too, like who likes who, what's everyone doing for prom, trying to get through finals, etc, authentically written with warmth and humour.
One of the most interesting things was the structure of the book - each chapter starts with the supernatural story, yet it's very much in the background. We're made aware of its happening but it's definitely not the most important thing to our characters.
If you're a YA fan and wanting both a dose of the ordinary and extraordinary, then this is the book for you. Well-written with almost two stories running concurrently; complex characters; a balance of humour and depth (particularly with the mental health themes); The Rest of Us Just Live Here is a novel that will stay with you long after you've read the last page.
The Rest Of Us Just Live Here, does exactly that. It's a YA novel with an element of the supernatural, but focuses on the ones who aren't risking their lives to save the world. They're doing everything they can just to live.
Mikey and his friends are those in question. The novel begins with them doing what a typical high school senior is doing - trying to make it to graduation - when the world starts to fall apart around them - again. One of the so-called indie kids runs out of the forest chased by someone who is actually glowing. While curious, Mikey and his friends aren't immediately caught up in it so they go back to their own issues.
And there are a fair few, most particularly Mikey and his sister, Mel. Mel is recovering from a severe eating disorder and Mikey suffers with severe anxiety and OCD, relating to his sister's severe illness. And both of them are fiercely protective of their younger sister, Meredith, particularly against their alcoholic father and politically ambitious mother.
There's the other normal high school stuff, too, like who likes who, what's everyone doing for prom, trying to get through finals, etc, authentically written with warmth and humour.
One of the most interesting things was the structure of the book - each chapter starts with the supernatural story, yet it's very much in the background. We're made aware of its happening but it's definitely not the most important thing to our characters.
If you're a YA fan and wanting both a dose of the ordinary and extraordinary, then this is the book for you. Well-written with almost two stories running concurrently; complex characters; a balance of humour and depth (particularly with the mental health themes); The Rest of Us Just Live Here is a novel that will stay with you long after you've read the last page.
Sunday, 9 July 2017
Review: Grandpa's Great Escape, David Walliams
Jack loves his Grandpa more than anyone in the world, and doesn't care that he seems to be losing his memory and becoming more and more stuck in the year 1940. What Jack cares about is his Grandpa's stories and his love, and is genuinely excited about all the things Grandpa tells him.
Unfortunately, not everyone in the family feels that way.
It all comes to a head when Grandpa is found in the middle of the night atop of the town church's spire, convinced he's back in his spitfire plane, battling against the Luftwaffe. After negotiating with his parents, Jack convinces them to let Grandpa live with them, so they can keep a better eye on him.
This all sounds like a great plan until Grandpa goes missing for a week and they find him asleep in a Spitfire in the Imperial War museum.
Grandpa is taken to (and dumped off at) Twilight Towers, an old people's home. But there is something suspicious about the place and Jack can't let it go...
Grandpa's Great Escape is a brilliant story that, though written for children, adults will surely love as well. It's heartwarming and funny with a genuinely good story that pulls you in and has you shouting 'No, no, no!', when you think all is lost (it's not). I'd say it's most targeted for children between 8-12 but I was laughing as much as this age group would be. David Walliams is on to another winner with this one.
Review: Monsters of Men, Patrick Ness
The final book in the Chaos Walking trilogy. It's a long read - one that will necessitate pauses due to vicarious battle fatigue - but a great ending to the series.
The Spackle are coming, in their tens of thousands. The Return (the Spackle who escaped in book 2) has reported the monstrous crime and the Land (the actual name for the Spackle) have come to fight for their very existence.
The new settlers we met in book 2 (Bradley and Simone) are hesitant to get involved. They came to this world for peace, not to fight in new wars. But Viola (much to Mistress Coyle's delight) ends that discussion decisively when she sees Todd in danger. She fires one of the ship's missiles into the Spackle. The Spackle's near certain victory is snatched away from them.
Most of the book is a series of battles, skirmishes, and guerilla warfare. It's interesting to see how Mayor Prentiss' character develops in this one. Todd's mantra is that the Mayor is not redeemable, but we start to think he is. He chooses to do some things that are good - the reason being, according to him, that Todd is making him a better man, but his conduct over the series makes the reader think their is something underhanded going on.
Once the Spackle and the humans realise that they will come either to a stalemate or equal slaughter on both sides, peace talks begin. The Return (whose voice we also read in this volume) is dead against this and wants to ruin it. His conversations with the Sky (the leader of the Land) reveal deep bitterness, hurt, and betrayal built up over many years. He wants nothing more than to kill the Knife (Todd) yet when face to face with another human connected with Todd, he can't do it. Things have become less black and white than he thought.
Just by nature of the plot and the end game of this book, I found it the most intense and tiring of the three, but this is by no means a negative thing. Trilogies sometimes suffer their third book being the weakest and slapped together, but this is certainly not one of those. Beneath the action of the book, there are deep, necessary questions asked like, how do we live together despite our differences? How can differences in politics and ideologies be resolved without going to war? Is anyone ever irredeemable?
It's no wonder this trilogy got so much critical acclaim. From detailed world building and complex characters, to well-developed plot and uncomfortable questions posed, it's a story that will enrich you and open your mind.
The Spackle are coming, in their tens of thousands. The Return (the Spackle who escaped in book 2) has reported the monstrous crime and the Land (the actual name for the Spackle) have come to fight for their very existence.
The new settlers we met in book 2 (Bradley and Simone) are hesitant to get involved. They came to this world for peace, not to fight in new wars. But Viola (much to Mistress Coyle's delight) ends that discussion decisively when she sees Todd in danger. She fires one of the ship's missiles into the Spackle. The Spackle's near certain victory is snatched away from them.
Most of the book is a series of battles, skirmishes, and guerilla warfare. It's interesting to see how Mayor Prentiss' character develops in this one. Todd's mantra is that the Mayor is not redeemable, but we start to think he is. He chooses to do some things that are good - the reason being, according to him, that Todd is making him a better man, but his conduct over the series makes the reader think their is something underhanded going on.
Once the Spackle and the humans realise that they will come either to a stalemate or equal slaughter on both sides, peace talks begin. The Return (whose voice we also read in this volume) is dead against this and wants to ruin it. His conversations with the Sky (the leader of the Land) reveal deep bitterness, hurt, and betrayal built up over many years. He wants nothing more than to kill the Knife (Todd) yet when face to face with another human connected with Todd, he can't do it. Things have become less black and white than he thought.
Just by nature of the plot and the end game of this book, I found it the most intense and tiring of the three, but this is by no means a negative thing. Trilogies sometimes suffer their third book being the weakest and slapped together, but this is certainly not one of those. Beneath the action of the book, there are deep, necessary questions asked like, how do we live together despite our differences? How can differences in politics and ideologies be resolved without going to war? Is anyone ever irredeemable?
It's no wonder this trilogy got so much critical acclaim. From detailed world building and complex characters, to well-developed plot and uncomfortable questions posed, it's a story that will enrich you and open your mind.
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