Book Review: The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie by Alan Bradley

The Sweetness At The Bottom of the Pie is a very endearing mystery set in England in the 1950's. It's heroine, Flavia de Luce (such a fabulous name) is a precocious eleven-year-old chemistry enthusiast with a dazzling intellect which she puts to use when her father is accused of murder. It all begins when, upon hearing a raucous in the cucumber pit below her window in the middle of the night, Flavia goes down to investigate and discovers a very nearly dead man who breathes his dying breath right into her face. Well far from being horrified, this is by far the most interesting thing that has happened in Flavia's life and she is determined to solve the mystery of who he is, why he is here and how he died.

This book was no work of genius but I loved it just the same. The character of Flavia, though annoyingly bright, is so likeable and very clever for an eleven-year-old. The plot of this book has lots of delicious twists and turns, lots of interesting trivia and delectable language. There are old-fashioned English policemen, secret identities, custard pies, stamps, King George, picturesque scenery (so I imagine), a character called Mr Twining (my favourite brand of tea) and a lot of general English delight.

I haven't read a lot of mysteries. My favourite series of mystery books are the Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde, I love mystery when mixed with humour. This book is often humourous, to me simply the premise of it was humourous!! This is the first in what promises to be a simply delightful series.

Book Review: Room by Emma Donoghue

Wowzers. This is an amazing book. My first read of this year's Booker Shortlist. I don't know how the others will compare but at the moment I really hope this wins. It is such a bold and brave book to write, such a difficult subject matter and a child narrator can be very difficult to pull off.

Room is told by Jack, a five-year-old boy who has lived in Room his entire life. Room is an eleven by eleven foot room with minimal furniture, a skylight, and a electrically locked door. He lives with his mother and is often visited at night by a man he knows as Old Nick. When he turns five his Ma reveals to him that there is a whole world outside of Room and she asks him to help them both escape.

I really don't know where to begin with the wonderfulness that was this book. And by wonderful I mean absolutely horrible, nausea-inducing, moving, moving, moving. I read this book in three days, and the only reason it took me that long was because I had to work all three of them, and on the second day I was going to a party and decided to drive and thus not drink because I was too scared to go in a taxi lest I get raped and abducted and kept in a room for years and years and years. Yes, I have a tendency to overreact, but still, bloody well done Emma!!

Perhaps the most moving aspect of this book is that is told by a five-year-old. The language and his observations are entirely innocent and I felt that this made the book so much more tragic and affecting than if it were told from Ma's perspective. In this way, we are exposed to the rape, violence and manipulation that Ma experiences but never explicitly and never with detail. It is ever so chilling. The plot is fast paced and compelling and frankly, I can't fault this book!!

Good luck for the Booker Ms Donoghue!!

Book Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Every now and then I read a YA book and whenever I do I think back to my teenage self saying to my Dad "I'll always want to read YA books. I'll never grow out of them." and he, wisely as ever saying "Maybe one day you will." And then the strange discovery one day that all I read was adult fiction and had truly left the YA genre behind. But every now and again I feel compelled to revisit it, just in case there is some magic there that I am not acquainted with.

I read If I Stay by Gayle Forman in one sitting (a huge positive about the YA genre) and enjoyed it for the most part. It reminded me in a way of The House of Secrets series by Joyce Stranger that I relished as a pre-teen, Georgie's Secret (has anyone read that?) in that the central character is unconscious. Nice. If I Stay is narrated by by Mia, a classical music loving 17 year old cello player, who is involved in a horrific car accident and is stuck somewhere between life and death watching the aftermath. She soon comes to realise that she has to make a decision, to stay and live with the love of her life, or to die and be at peace.

I loved the premise for this book, I can never go past a tragedy, but there were a couple of frustrations for me. And to be fair, I'm being super picky here. No, really there was just one main issue. She misspelled Haydn. A classical composer. And Mia, who loves classical music and her cello more than anything talks about about 'Hayden'. There is no 'e' in Haydn. Now I don't know if Ms Forman was trying to make this book more accessible to the teen audience, or she genuinely didn't know the correct spelling, or if in fact they refer to Haydn as Hayden in America, but whatever, it annoyed me. I don't think it ruined the book for me and I definitely know that I'm overreacting so I will now shut up on that point. I also feel that the injuries Mia sustained (particularly to her brain) will actually require a miracle for her to recover from, but perhaps I'm a bit jaded by brain injuries in my workplace. And this is a work of fiction and miracles certainly do happen!

Overall I think that this is a great book for teens. I found it a bit too sentimental at times, but what teenage girl doesn't love a bit of drama? There is a sequel to this due out next year called Where She Went, which in itself may give away the ending of this book, but my lips are sealed. Who else has read this? What were your thoughts?

Book Review: And This Is True by Emily Mackie

And This Is True is the first book by Scottish Emily Mackie. I chose it on my recentish holiday to Adelaide for three reasons. 1: the cover; 2: the title, 3: the blurb.

Once upon a time there was a boy whose home was a van and whose world was his father.

Be warned: this is not a fairytale.

Although it does contain love,

Betrayal,

Escape,

And most important of all, a kiss.

But you have to be ready for an unpredictable journey through a realm where nothing is black or white. That, of course, is why you should take the first step.

A startling new voice shows us a painful truth: you can't help who you fall in love with.

Doesn't that just sound utterly magical? I thought so. I thought that it was going to have a magical element (despite the fairytale warning) and was going to be about this delightfully wonderful forbidden love, and I would laugh and cry and be dazzled by the storyline. I wasn't though. Perhaps (definitely) my expectations were way to high and obviously way off the track so it isn't the book's fault, much less Emily Mackie's, that I didn't enjoy this one.

And This Is True is the story of introverted Nevis Gow who has lived in a van with his father since the age of 4. They lead what Nevis considers to be an idyllic lifestyle, moving from place to place, playing games, learning about science, while his father madly writes and writes. That is until the kiss. And this is where my little balloon of magical happy story was seriously popped. The kisser was Nevis. And the kissee was his father. That's right folks, this is a book about incest. After the kiss, Nevis' father (Marshall) crashes the van and tries to integrate Nevis into normal society. Following the crash they take up lodging at a nearby farm belonging to the Kerr family who are mourning the recent loss of a beloved family member.

This was my second ever experience of "oh my goodness this is an incest book!" and both of them have really snuck up on me. My first was with Ann-Marie Macdonald and 'Fall On Your Knees' (again, chosen for the title). It took me almost to the end of that book to realise what was going on (perhaps too young to be reading that one at the time) and I was quite horrified when I discovered the truth. Again here. Now now. I really must stop focusing on that 'I' word. There really was a lot to this book apart from the kiss. It is a fascinating exploration of an unconventional childhood, grief, loss, adolescence, love and incest.

The best bit about this book was the Kerr family. Underneath the experiences of Nevis and Marshall, the lives of the Kerr family twist and disintegrate until they reach their tragic fate. Father Nigel is mourning the loss of his wife Catherine, and their son Colin (the Duckman) appears to be becoming a troubled, delinquent young man. Come to help out are relatives Elspeth and Ailsa, both of whom Nevis abhors.

Emily Mackie is a young writer (27) and this is her first novel. And despite my misgivings, I must say, hats off to her. Although I didn't enjoy it, I have never read a book quite like this one and I think that hers is a name to remember. She tells this story unashamedly and really gets into the head of young Nevis. I was impressed with her writing style, her ideas and even the plot. I just didn't love it.

The Red Tree by Shaun Tan

I read this book almost weekly. That isn't saying much as it is a picture book, and there are very few words. But The Red Tree is one of the most magical books I own. Shaun Tan is some kind of God when it comes to pulling at the heart strings and his illustrations are divine. I remember the exact moment when I first saw this book. I was in year 12, in the library after school, desperately trying to fumble my way through an assignment and my stress levels were somewhat high. To say the very least. And I looked up and saw this on a shelf and was immediately lured by the cover. So I read it and I actually felt lifted up. Though this is a picture book I don't think it is for children at all. It is about hope and depression and is illustrated in such a moving and meaningful manner.

I have never suffered with depression, nor have I had a difficult life at all so I feel that I really can't adequately comment on this book, or that I am a fraud. And I am by no means suggesting that this book is an accurate representation of depression or can have an impact on a depressed person. However, to me, this book was so life-affirming and hopeful that I couldn't help but feel utterly radiant by the end of it. It is a book of real life magic and every time I read it I am sure that I glow!

The story begins with a young girl waking up in her grey room, looking grey and evidently feeling grey. Before she knows it her room is filled and she is engulfed by black maple leaves. As she goes about her day things just get worse for her. Her depression is illustrated so poignantly.

But then at the end of her day she makes it home. And there is a little bit of hope waiting for her, you know, just as you imagined there would be.

Book Review: Affinity by Sarah Waters

Oh my goodness Sarah Waters, you are sensational. This is by far the best of hers I've read so far. I now have Tipping The Velvet and Fingersmith in my possession, but am desperately trying to save them. Like thats going to work. So Affinity. The blurb reads:

From the dark heart of a Victorian prison, disgraced spiritualist Selina Dawes weaves an enigmatic spell. Is she a fraud or a prodigy? By the time it all begins to matter, you'll find yourself desperately wanting to believe in magic.

I DESPERATELY WANTED TO BELIEVE IN MAGIC!! This book completely sucked me in. And while I dare not reveal if Selina was in fact a fraud or a prodigy, this book is so compellingly believable that it almost doesn't matter. Almost.

This story is told from two perspectives, that of Margaret Prior, a lady visitor to Millbank Prison in Victorian London, and Selina Dawes, an inmate. Margaret becomes increasingly interested in how Selina came to be at the prison and they develop a friendship of sorts and Margaret's interest in the art of spiritualism grows. Behind all of this lingers Margaret's sadness, the loss of her beloved father, the rejection by a lover and the secret of her sexuality.

As with many of Sarah Waters' novels, several of the characters are homosexual however this is never the basis or most important part of the plot. However in this story, it is used as an important plot device and works in a very successful and heartbreaking way.

I don't want to go on and on about this one, I find it difficult to say much without giving it all away. Just go and read it because it is truly awesome!!

Book Review: One Day by David Nicholls

One Day is the story of Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley who meet on the night of their graduation on the 15th of July, 1988. The novel then follows them for the next twenty years and catches up on their lives on that one day, the 15th of July.

I can't stress enough how much I loved this book!! I bought it on a whim because I was in the ABC shop and it was sitting up nicely with a First Tuesday Book Club sticker on it, and as I love that show I decided that I would, for once, try and read one of the featured books. I have just returned from Hobart where I was visiting relatives for a few days, and just gobbled this book up in all my spare moments.

I didn't expect to enjoy this book quite so much as I did, especially given that there is barely room for the title of the book through all the critical acclaim littering the cover and I'm sure this novel falls under the category of popular fiction, a genre I generally avoid. However this book is poignant and sad, and funny and so true to life that I think it would appeal to everyone. Sweeping generalisation? Probably. But I, at least, was surprised by how much I liked it.

The characters are likeable, if not consistently. Emma is an aspiring writer who after university gets a job in a dingy Tex-Mex restaurant called Loco Caliente, where the specialty is a fish burrito. Yuk. Dexter, however, somehow always falls on his feet, spending his first couple of years post uni travelling in places like Italy and India until landing a job in television. The whole way through you are desperate for the two to finally open their eyes and get together. However there are the usual complications: misplaced letters, a posh and frosty wife, a stand-up-comedian boyfriend... So do they or don't they finally realise?

Of course I am not going to spill the beans on this one. It is a delightful romantic comedy, such an easy read. I laughed out loud, I cried more than once, I desperately wanted them to figure their lives out, and along the way I learnt a thing or two about living for the moment and when to let go. Plus it is beautifully written, David Nicholls has that rare ability to make you laugh and cry in the very same sentence. I desperately want to go back and read it again and again and again.

"Love and be loved.. if you ever get the chance..."

Book Review: The Night Watch by Sarah Waters

Ah where to begin Sarah Waters? Where to begin? 'The Night Watch' is my favourite sort of book, an ensemble drama of sorts, random characters with connections that become "unveiled" as the story progresses. And I think this is one of the best of those I have read.


'The Night Watch' revolves around 4 main characters and is set between 1941 and 1947. Kay drove an ambulance during the war but has become a ghost of sorts since, wandering the streets in men's clothing, drifting. Helen is a kind girl working in a post-war dating agency who deals with issues of past betrayal. In this office works Vivien, a glamour girl, who continues to pursue an affair with a married soldier she met during the war. The final character is Duncan, Vivien's brother, who served the final years of the war in prison.


This book works backwards, a fantastic narrative technique if done well, as it has been here. The story begins in 1947 and travels backwards, slowly and ever so enticingly revealing how each character arrived in their current circumstance. I found this book utterly heartbreaking at times. This book explores World War II from the perspective of London civilians in a realistic and non-apologetic manner, yet allows it to be the setting for the story, not the basis of the plot. The story involved air raids, rationing and gruesome tragedy without making it about this, the focus was still on the characters and their experiences whether they were war-related or not. 


Sarah Waters is so wonderful at character development, they are so real, vulnerable. This book explores homosexuality during the war, being a woman during the war, imprisonment during the war, love and loss during the war, without being about the war. She describes the normal human emotions that are somewhat heightened by the stress and tension of this time.

She felt capable of anything! She finished her coffee, her mind racing. She was thinking of all the things she could do. She could give up her job! She could leave Streatham, take a little flat all to herself! She could call up Reggie! Her heart jumped. She could find a telephone box, right now. She could call him up and tell him - what? That she was through with him, for ever! That she forgave him; but that forgiving wasn't enough... The possibilities made her giddy. Maybe she'd never do any of these things. But oh, how marvellous it was, just to know that she could!

Haven't you felt just that? That exact feeling? I could never have put that into words. And such simple things in this book that made me ache for the characters, Helen's fear of rejection when her lover doesn't come home one night, and the despair and vulnerability...

"I had to have dinner all on my own. I stood right here, at the bloody oven, and ate it with my apron on."

 I actually cried then. Oh the humiliation of love and loneliness.

This was a fantastically poignant and moving book. I felt the adventure of air raids, the despair of loss, the excitement of new love, the hopelessness of war. I want to read it again, but the true joy in reading this book is not knowing where it is going. Once I told an elderly lady that I was reading 'Anna Karenina' and she said "How wonderful! I long to read that for the very first time again." So go and read this book, and enjoy it for the 'very first time', it is wonderful.

Have you read this? What did you think?

Book Review: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

My Dear Lucy, 

I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realised that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand, a word you say, but I shall still be your affectionate Godfather,

C. S. Lewis.

Was there ever a better book dedication than this?? I remember when I bought 'Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows' (at 9:01am) and sat in my car and read the dedication and burst into tears (at 9:02am) and I just thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever read. Well now I have found another tear-inducing dedication. And really, what is more moving than a tear-inducing dedication in a book?


However I am not here to review the dedication (although that is an idea, maybe I'll start a dedication day, as it is one of my favourite bits of the book!), I am going to review the actual book. I am 24 and have NEVER read this book. I didn't have a horribly deprived childhood cut off from literature, I actually was too chicken. I saw an episode of the (very old) television series and was really really really scared and subsequently never picked it up. So I decided to rectify this.


I just loved this book. I experienced it through the wonder of audio book, narrated by Michael York, and it was a such delightful medium! I was able to 'read' it almost completely innocently, I haven't seen the movie, and I didn't really know too much about it so I loved the story unfolding as though it was completely new to me. I am sure most people have read, or at least know the premise of 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe'. Four siblings, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, are evacuated from London during WWII, to a grand house in the countryside. In this house they discover a wardrobe leading to another world, the beautiful land of Narnia, a place stuck in a perpetual winter, though never Christmas. In control of this place is the White Witch who has had a tyrannical rule for many years. However Aslan, the true King of Narnia, is on the move, and along with the children, and several magical creatures along the way, sets out to defeat the witch.


I really can't fault this book, it is a true classic. There is no wonder that it has survived years and still delights children today. This book is full of adventure, tragedy, magic, love and comedy. I found myself chuckling quite often, and often found myself with tears in my eyes. And by 'tears in my eyes' I mean 'actually crying'. I don't really know what else I can say about this, except that if you haven't read it, make it a priority!! And remember, it is very foolish to lock oneself in a wardrobe. So be careful!!

I've reviewed this also as part of Carl's Once Upon A Time Challenge. Check it out here, plenty of awesome fantastical reviews!!

Book Review: Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel

Words are cold, muddy toads trying to understand sprites dancing in a field.

I have been left completely gobsmacked by this new book by Yann Martel. I don't even know what I can possibly say in a review to do it justice, or even how to describe how I feel about this book.

'Beatrice and Virgil' is the second major novel from Yann Martel, following his hugely successful 'Life of Pi' (which I thought was sensational). It draws its title from characters in Dante's 'Divine Comedy': Beatrice is Dante's guide through Heaven and Virgil is his guide through Hell and Purgatory. In this book Beatrice and Virgil are a donkey and monkey (respectively) in a play within the novel. Where to begin here? I just don't know. Once again Yann Martel has baffled the reader with fact and fiction. The main character in this novel, Henry, is a writer who has been unable to produce a second novel following his initial success (translated into several languages, won prizes, included several wild animals, sound familiar?) and has recently abandoned a work about the Holocaust. Years following this abandonment he receives a letter containing a short story, an excerpt from a play and a note requesting help. Upon seeking the author of this mysterious passage, Henry finds himself in a taxidermy shop run by an elderly man, also named Henry, and meets Beatrice and Virgil who have both been previously taxidermied (is that even a word?). From here Henry becomes embroiled in helping this man write his play.


This book is astoundingly beautifully written. All the excerpts of the play are divine, full of beautiful adjectives and metaphors, with existential musings that mirrors Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot'. This book is also multi-layered. While on the surface it is the story of a writer struggling for inspiration and a somewhat creepy old taxidermist with a donkey and a monkey, it really is about the Holocaust. Here again, Martel has blurred the lines of reality and fiction, a story about struggling to write about the Holocaust is, in fact, a story about the Holocaust. 'Beatrice and Virgil' is a fable, an allegory for one of the most horrific scenes of human history, simplified and at the same time complicated by the use of metaphor. And the truth is, because of this, it is the most moving and tragic story of the Holocaust I have ever read.


Beatrice and Virgil's friendship is made all the more beautiful by their differing of species. They genuinely love each other, desperately almost, they are all the other has in life. It is amazing how affectively their vulnerability is highlighted in this book, simply by not being human, and it makes the tragic and shocking end to this book so utterly devastating. Please don't think I'm giving things away here, this is the sort of book you get so caught up in you forget everything you have previously read.

Not a moment to be lost. Be happy right now. Be happy. I'm so happy with you, so very happy. Let us dance with our porcelain shoes. Everything will be all right.

Though this book is barely 200 pages long it does become convoluted at times, and you wonder if things are necessary. Though while it lagged a bit in the middle and the allusions became increasingly less subtle as the book continued (to the point that they were often explained in case the reader missed them, cringe), the emotional affect this book had on me was immense. I will admit that it is not unusual for me to cry in a book. In fact it is more common for me to cry than not. I read very innocently. Like I said in my review for The Little Stranger I am completely gullibly sucked in to the plot of any well written book and therefore I think books like this have a maximum impact on me. I don't read cynically and I don't look for flaws (I lie, I picked Twilight to pieces) and therefore I am more likely to give a book such as this a far more glowing review than a somewhat more discerning reader. Despite this, I don't think this is a sit-on-the-fence book. You will either love it, or you will despise it. I am on Team Love. Thank you Yann Martel.

Please let me know if you have reviewed this, I would love to hear what you thought.


Other Opinions
Amy's Book Obsession
BookBath

Book Review: The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

I have been rather disorganised this week with blogging, but it is because I've been reading this AWESOME book!! And by awesome I mean terrifying. Can you believe I was genuinely frightened by this book? I have read other reviews that have said they were disappointed by the lack of 'fear factor'. Well I did not feel this. However I am the person who can't watch the ads for those spooky criminal TV shows because I get all jumpy, and couldn't walk down my darkened hallway for 4 months after I saw 'I Know What You Did Last Summer'. And frankly, I think I really picked the wrong time of my life to read this book. I am house-sitting an old house at the moment which comes with its own 'little stranger', a 400 year old dog. She howls. A lot. So no sooner would my rapidly beating heart recover from a moment of suspense in the book and I was beginning to think that I might indeed survive the night...


would I hear...


AROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...


I tell you what, that dog does a damn good impression of a ghost.


Now. Shall I tell you a bit about the actual book? 'The Little Stranger' is narrated by a local county doctor in Warwickshire in England, Dr Faraday, who is called to old manor house, Hundreds Hall, to see the young maid who has become ill. Over the following months he becomes increasingly involved with the family who live here, Mrs Ayres and her two grown children, Caroline and Roderick. Following an unforseen tragedy at a party hosted by the Ayres family, their lives begin to unravel as more and more seemingly inexplicable events occur.


I don't want to go into too much detail as this book unravels deliciously, if not a little frustratingly. I found Dr Faraday to be quite annoying and thought that he was far too sensible in regards to the possibility of a ghost. He was always able to rationally explain the appearance of strange marks, strange noises and strange happenings even when logic really didn't fit, passing the most bizarre happenings off as mental delusion (as any good doctor would). I found most of the characters in this book difficult to like and to relate to and found the character of Betty (the malingering adolescent parlour-maid) to be the most endearing. Mrs Ayres appeared cold and distant at first, however as her story evolves she becomes a warmer and more motherly character. Caroline and Roderick both experience the house differently, Roderick becomes desperately maddened by events, whilst Caroline initially resists and justifies them until she too, slowly succumbs to the drama as it unfolds.


This is my first Sarah Waters experience and won't be my last. Apart from all the apprehension and lack of sleep I suffered whilst reading this, I thought it was an utterly brilliant book. I was unnerved by the activity within the house and the tragic effect it had on the family. I just finished this book last night and really want to read it again as I think that upon a reread a somewhat sinister and ever so subtle twist will reveal itself to me. Alright, maybe not entirely subtle, but very much open to interpretation. And for that Sarah Waters, I take my hat, scarf, and sparkly red shoes off to you! You are a genius. This book had a really interesting effect on me. I believed everything I was told (OK, I'm quite gullible) so that when supernatural influences were implied I believed them, and when they were rationalised by logic I believed that too. So I wonder if what I think was implied was actually implied, or if I was looking for too much information and insight that I could never actually receive given that this book was written in first person. Despite its first person narrative, I feel that the perspectives of each character were mostly fairly represented, as much as they could be at least. I think that the narrative was a strength of this book and really gets the reader stuck in wonder as to whether the root of the problems here are mental delusion and strain or supernatural phantasms?


To be honest, I don't know what I believe about the conclusion of this book. I think it is a must read and am desperate to hear what other people thought of this one. Have you read it? Could you sleep?

Other Reviews [if you've reviewed this please let me know and I'll add it to the list]
Farm Lane Books
Savidge Reads
First Tuesday Book Club (spoilers)
Books Please
Book Bath
Constance Reader
Books I Done Read

Book Review: The Halfmen of O by Maurice Gee

Do you remember when you were little and you watched Fern Gully for the first time and it was the most magical and visually stunning thing you had ever seen? Then you tried to relive the magic when you were all grown up and it was poor quality (because you're watching it on video) and dull with a very simple story? Well I am afraid that that is how I felt about The 'Halfmen of O' by Maurice Gee. When I was in grade 5 we read this as a class and I loved every minute of it. However I moved to another city and subsequently left the class before we finished and I have wanted to finish it ever since. So I took the opportunity of the Once Upon A Time IV Challenge as the perfect opportunity. Oh how I wish it was perfect.


The blurb of this book reads...

Susan has always been a bit odd and never really got on with her cousin Nick, but the mark on her wrist draws them together in a frightening adventure. They are summoned to the beautiful land of O in a last-ditch attempt to save the planet from cruel Otis Claw and his followers, the evil Halfmen, who have lost every trace of human goodness and kindness.

I don't quite know what to say about this book because it is a children's fantasy book, which is a genre I haven't read since I was a child myself. The book is average length for a children's/YA novel, 186 pages, so the action begins and finishes very quickly. I felt that the writing wasn't stellar, however it was appropriate for its target audience. I will be the first to admit (and I've said it before) that I am far from an expert on the fantasy genre but I felt that this book had all the fundamental elements of a fantasy. A young heroine who rises to a mammoth task, another world, strange creatures, lots of things that warrant capital letters (the Halves, the Motherstone) and people wearing cloaks. But I am not able to discern if this makes it an original and unique children's fantasy, or a run-of-the-mill adventure book set on another planet.


What I liked: The land of O was beautifully described and made out to be a beautiful planet. It seemed to me reminiscent of Pandora, of Avatar fame (which I haven't seen), or Fern Gully. O was so diverse and full of different and fantastical species, the Halfmen, the Woodlanders, the Birdfolk, the Stonefolk and the Seafolk, and their quest took them to such different environments throughout the land. Susan was a worthy heroine and got appropriately drawn in to the drama and enormity of her task.

Image from here

Image from here

What I didn't like: Nick. Possibly one of the most annoying characters I have ever read. He was so full of his self importance, yet obviously an idiot (harsh?). He tried to be protective and noble but had his own agenda (of being the protective and noble) and stated the obvious ALL THE DAMN TIME!! All the big action bits were over in a couple of pages and there was always a convenient solution to the bigger challenges. I never felt the suspense, worried for the characters or wanted them to complete their task.


So... the biggest letdown for me was the memory. I think if I had finished it when I was 11 I would have just loveloveloved it. I am giving this a big yes for the 10-13 age group but sadly a no for me at this age. Maurice Gee is a New Zealand author and this book was first published in 1982. It won a few awards back in the day, but I haven't seen it in any book shops recently, nor have any of my friends read it. Though I didn't love it myself, I think this book is too good to be forgotten. I am interested to hear of anyone else out there who has read this? What did you think?

Book Review: Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

image from here

This will be my first review for the Once Upon a Time IV Challenge, and what a beautiful book to begin with! I have always been a wee bit cautious when faced with a 'fantasy' book, well lets be honest here, frankly terrified!! My brother is an avid fantasy reader and can often be found battling with a book that weighs more than he does and his endless refrains of "Don't worry! It's easy! It's the second book of the 4th trilogy, you read it before the 6th book in the prequel series but the events in it don't actually occur until after the 6th trilogy. Oh yeah, and all the characters are called Saraman." follow me as I run away in terror. And that is why I have never read 'Lord of the Rings'. So where does 'Tender Morsels' actually fit? To preserve my own sense of morals, I am placing it in the 'fairy tale' category, which is frankly a synonym meaning 'fantasy for chickens'.


Tender Morsels is a retelling of the tale of Snow White and Rose Red, a German fairytale. It tells the story of Liga, a broken young woman who disappears from her sad and difficult life into a world far more beautiful, her own perfect heaven. With her she takes her daughter Branza, and a second unborn daughter Urdda. In this world they live peacefully with no threat of danger, poverty or heartbreak. However this magic and perfect happiness cannot last forever and before long, the divide between the real world and Liga's world begins to break down.


It is not only Liga that has made the transition to this world; a kind young man finds himself within this world in the body of a bear and seeks warmth and kindness from the family. An uncouth, beastly dwarf makes several visits searching for riches he cannot attain at home; and another man/bear appears, though not as placid or kind as the first. As the children grow, their encounters with these foreigners lead their paths in separate directions and force them to realise there may be more to life than they know.


This book is beautifully written, exquisitely beautifully written in fact, Margo Lanagan WHO ARE YOU?? The description in this book is vivid, everything just grows inside your head until you feel as though you're there, and that is a rare thing in a book. One thing that Ms Lanagan does which just gives me a hundred goosebumps, is describe the smaller things, the things that don't really matter, that the book doesn't need to fulfill the story, yet makes the reading experience so pleasurable that you wish it was Margo Lanagan who was writing your life! One such passage is when Branza and Urdda are feeding some birds:

The air began to fill with the light, dusty sound of their wings, and the pips and peeps of their calls. They landed and landed, and Urdda's arms rocked at each landing. The birds were bright in the sun, and the busyness of them flaunted and flapped the sunlight so that Urdda felt radiant with them, as if they were a kind of fire flaming across the top of her. What a grand idea this was! 

She stood straight and still, not frightening a single bird away, and Branza, hands clasped, watched her from the wood-edge until the birds had pecked up all the crumbs from Urdda's person, and all the spilled crumbs and and pieces from the grass around her feet, and one by one had flown off, leaving widening breaks in the flaring line of sunlight. Two sparrows must sit and preen awhile once they had fed, but when they were done they, too, darted away, and then Branza ran out of the trees in delight and satisfaction, waving the other bread-end. "Now me!" she said. "That was quite wonderful!"

Whilst I loved every word within this book, I found the story at times unnerving and difficult to follow. It dealt with issues such as abuse (physical, sexual and emotional) and incest in graphic detail and is certainly not for the faint of heart. It is marketed as a young adult book, however I don't think I personally would have enjoyed this book at that time of my life, and at the same time I know several grown up adults who would love this.


I was initially confused with the switching between worlds and times, and the narrative also switches between first and third person with regularity, and the first person sections have different narrators as well. I found this confusing at times and it took me a while to get used to this style. However I think this is also a very positive aspect of this book as it allows the reader to have perspective of both worlds and what goes on within each.


Overall, I enjoyed this book. The writing often moved me to tears, but the story wasn't my favourite. I think this is really just because I'm new to fantasy/fairytale beyond His Dark Materials and Harry Potter. In saying that, I think this is such a valuable piece of writing, especially as it is written by an Australian author. And if you love anything fantastical and magical you will love this. And Margo Lanagan is a storytelling genius. Full stop. No argument. The end.

Imagine, always to have this arm at your waist, the arm of a good man and kind, who had been to your heaven and loved it too; who had seen your daughters in their childhoods there and begun wanting daughters himself.

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Book Review: All My Friends Are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman

The blurb of this delightful book reads:

All Tom's friends really are superheroes. Tom even married a superhero, the Perfectionist. But at their wedding, the Perfectionist was hypnotised to believe that Tom is invisible. Nothing he does can make her see him. Six months later, she's sure that Tom has abandoned her. So she's moving to Vancouver. She'll use her superpower to leave all the heartbreak in Toronto. With no idea Tom's beside her, she boards an airplane. Tom has until the wheels touch the ground in Vancouver to convince her he's there, or he loses her forever.

I found this book in Waterstones when I was in the UK a couple of years ago (how I miss that shop!) and instantly fell in love with the title. I had no money at that point so remembered the title and hunted for it upon my return to Australia. I couldn't find it anywhere, but convinced it was going to be a great book, I bought it from Amazon. It was an excellent decision. This is a very short book, only 106 pages long, a really easy read. The story moves from Tom's current predicament with his wife, to little snippets of his life prior to the wedding and introducing other superheroes, friends of Tom, throughout.


I found this book just adorable. It is no great work of literature and doesn't try to be. However it is very well written, quirky and engaging. This book portrays life's difficulties of love and friendship in a beautifully non-complicated and funny manner, but retains a 'message' if you will, that life isn't always easy. There is an abundance of laughter and magic in this book and I enjoyed every minute of it.


This book is also perfect as a gift for the person who has everything. It is non-specific in genre, there is humour and happiness and I defy you not to enjoy it!! I haven't seen it on Australian shelves which is disappointing, however it is available through both the US and UK Amazon websites.


Please let me know if you have read or reviewed this book, I would love to hear what you thought!

Book Review: Consolation by Anna Gavalda

Consolation is the story of Charles, a middle aged architect living in Paris who faces a mid-life crisis upon hearing of the death of a beloved friend. He receives an anonymous note in the mail one evening stating "Anouk is dead" and recognises the handwriting of that of his estranged childhood friend Alexis, Anouk's son. Throughout his childhood, adolescence and adulthood, Charles has forever been in love with Anouk and subsequently her death provides the catalyst for his inevitable downfall. As Charles spirals into depression, he travels into the countryside in search of answers from Alexis and in the process discovers the luminous Kate, who may just provide his salvation.

This book is an absolute delight to read. It is very different in style to Hunting and Gathering (Gavalda's beautiful 2006 novel) but has the same core of lost and hurting characters that give Gavalda's stories colour and triumph. Despite Charles being the protagonist of this glorious novel, this is really a story about women, particularly those who have shaped him. This story is littered with rounded, real, beautiful, beautiful characters however it is the female characters in this book that are truly divine. Anouk is the motivating force here, and despite the fact that she is only living in flashback, the gradual revelation of her story is heartbreaking and engrossing. Then there is Kate, a young woman living in an old isolated farmhouse raising 5 children, none of whom are her own. She captures Charles's heart and provides that little bit of magic that sets his life straight.

I just loved this book. At first I found it difficult to read as several characters were introduced at once and my brain couldn't remember who was who. However this quickly resolved as I came to know the characters better. Virginia Woolf once said "For a great writer, she was the most difficult to catch in the act of greatness," about Jane Austen and I always think of that when I read a great book. Gavalda is the best kind of writer, where the story just comes to life in your mind and you feel and understand everything that is happening, without being wordy and over descriptive. She manages to write stories about loss, love and hope without being over indulgent or soppy.

This book had the most impact on me after I had finished it. While I was reading it, the plot seemed to head in directions I didn't want it to go, and there was unexpected tragedy which carried the story in a darker direction than Hunting and Gathering (really, you can't compare the two). Upon reflection now, I think this story was just right. It had a magical 'midsummer nights dream' feel to it (for me at least), perhaps it was the 'French' thing... everything French seems so much more romantic than real life!

There is so much everyday stuff to love about this book, Charles's love of music which he shares with his teenage stepdaughter; life in Paris; Kate's countryside living with her children and her animals; Anouk's hard working life as a nurse; and all of this seems idyllic, but realistic, it is almost as though you want to have the same struggle as Charles, just to be living the rest of his life.

If you liked Anna Gavalda's previous novel, Hunting and Gathering, or if you like French literature in general, this book is for you. Some other French authors to check out are Muriel Barbery and Joanne Harris (who is actually English/French).