My Book Review Rating: 3 stars – an interesting look into teenage life when you feel like everything is out to get you.

I picked up Just in Case from the library a few months ago having heard good things about some of Rosoff’s other novels. The novel starts out in the bedroom of David Case; a teenage boy with a baby brother. A baby brother who decides that he wants to be a bird and stands a little too close to the window ledge. In that moment David loses his childhood innocence – his lack of fear – and starts to think what if…? David suddenly sees death everywhere in his everyday life and decides to change his name to Justin in an attempt to escape fate’s evil hand.

The novel then follows Justin as he tries to establish his new identity, make new friends and fall in love. All the time believing he is cursed and fate is out to get him — and you probably would to if you were Justin and death seemed to appear at every corner.

This was an intriguing novel; an easy one to read but one that makes you think. I wonder if at some level David Case had some kind of psychotic break the day his brother crawled on the window sill; Rosoff’s look into a disturbed teenager’s mind is sensitive and insightful.

Whichever level you read it on this is a book worth reading and I look forward to reading more of Rosoff.

Just in Case

Book Review | Just In Case by Meg Rosoff is a post from: Blue Archipelago Reviews

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My Book Review Rating: 3 stars – a book that combines my passion for reading, blogging and making money online

When Stephane Grenier dropped me a line and asked me to review his new book I couldn’t really refuse. After all when I’m not spending my time with my nose in a book I am online blogging, and more recently trying to make money online.
In his new book Grenier interviews 40 top bloggers and asks them to share the secrets of their success. Names include Aaron Wall, J.D. Roth, Seth Godin and Yaro Starak.

The book isn’t particularly onerous to read and can be picked up and put down easily until you’ve worked your way through the interviews. Most of them follow a similar question structure which has its pros and cons. I did like being able to compare the answers of the different bloggers but found it a little monotonous if I tried to read too many interviews at once.

Questions asked include: “Best tip for a successful blog post”, “common mistakes made by new bloggers”, and “the best way to make money from your blog”. My personal favourite was “which five blogs to you read regularly?”

I learnt a thing or two from the interviews, and have been introduced to a number of new bloggers, but I’m not sure I really know the secret to a high-profit blog after reading this book. I would also have liked to see some of the more high profile bloggers interviewed like Leo Babuto and Darren Rowse.

All in all it was an interesting read and worth a look if you are thinking of taking your blog to the next level in 2009.

Blog Blazers

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Book Review | Blog Blazers by Stephane Grenier is a post from: Blue Archipelago Reviews

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My Book Review Rating: 3 stars – an intriguing but shocking novel about a tribe of boys stranded on a desert island.

This was another book that I picked up for the Classics Challenge, and I can’t actually believe I’ve reached the wise old age of 32 without reading it! I always thought Lord of the Flies was just a book about a group of young boys stuck on a desert island — but as is usually the case with esteemed classics it is so much more than that!

Golding uses the premise to explore the rules of civilisation and savagery. When the boys first crash on the island their instinct is to create rules; a leader, a designated place to wash and sleep, assigning roles to different groups so that the camp runs smoothly. When conflict arises between the two main characters Ralph, the appointed leader and Jack, the wannabe leader, the rules begin to break down and the camp divides into two.

The novel also explores the loss of innocence; I was quite shocked at times at the savagery and violence displayed by the boys, and death is quite key to the novel’s themes.

Overall I enjoyed reading Lord of the Flies and only wish that it had been a set text at school so that I could have spent some time really exploring the themes and the symbols throughout the novel (although if I had done I probably would have hated every minute!).

LORD OF THE FLIES (With a biographical and critical note by E.L. Epstein, and a portrait of the author) (WIDEVIEW/PERIGEE BOOKS)

Book Review | Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a post from: Blue Archipelago Reviews

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My Book Review Rating – 3 stars: A classic novel with a modern feel

I picked up Northanger Abbey as part of the Classics challenge (which I failed miserably to complete). I wanted to challenge myself to read a Jane Austen novel as my only encounter with her previously had been in the first couple of chapters of Pride & Prejudice.

I have to admit that I was dreading reading this novel — but I was pleasantly surprised! It’s in no way old and stuffy and full of hard to read language as some classics are, in fact if you didn’t know the author you could quite easily mistake it for a modern day story (in an olden day setting obviously!).

The Jane Austen Centre in Bath Image via Wikipedia

The novel revolves around Catherine Morland, a young lady of seventeen who goes to spend the season in Bath with some family friends. For my American readers, Bath is a beautiful spa town not too many miles from where I live in the South West of England. If you’re ever in the area it’s well worth a visit.

Anyway – I digress – so Catherine goes to Bath, where she makes friends with the flirtatious Isabella. The two become fast friends and spend many an hour walking around the Pump Rooms. I always find it strange that characters in such classics seem to have nothing to do other than socialise. What a life that would be to live! I admit that I had no clue what a Pump Room actually was but thanks to the fabulous Jane Austen’s World blog I now know that it was a room at the Spa where people spent hours promenading up and down and drinking the waters.

Before to long Catherine is introduced to her love interest in the form of  the dashing Henry Tilney whereupon she is thrown into a state of confusion as to whether he notices her or not.

Despite the name of the novel, the reader is not introduced to Northanger Abbey until half way through the book. The home of the Tilney family, the Abbey is not quite the grandoise structure Catherine anticipated but thanks to a story told by Henry on their jouney is still gothic enough to fuel her overactive imagination. The recounting of Henry’s story and the ensuing hilarity bought on by Catherine’s imaginings were by far my favourite part of the book.

Northanger Abbey is about friendship and love triangles and is well written by Austen with enough humour to keep it light and entertaining. If you too have been put off by Austen in the past I recommend you give this one a try. I’m off to investigate the movie/television adaptations.

Northanger Abbey (Vintage Classics)

Book Review | Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen is a post from: Blue Archipelago Reviews

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Rating

The Moon in Deep Winter by Lee Polevoi is a strange and harrowing tale of a young man trying to keep his family from imploding.

I’m not sure I’ve ever read anything like The Moon in Deep Winter before. It’s quite a short novel told over a period of days telling the story of Parker Sloane and his family.

When Parker returns home after five years he is greeted by his Step-father holding a shotgun. In the days that follow we witness Parker’s strained relationship with his younger brother who is trying to build an airplane in his bedroom; and the way he is entranced by his alluring half-sister. The novel is at times unsettling as Polevoi leads us through this world of family a homecoming towards the shocking ending when everything starts to unravel.

I think this novel would be perfect for Book Clubs or Literature classes and is an intriguing debut from Polevoi. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for his next novel.

The Moon in Deep Winter

Book Review | The Moon in Deep Winter by Lee Polevoi is a post from: Blue Archipelago Reviews

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Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie set in 1960s Nigeria and follows the lives of a number of different characters as they are engulfed in the shocking horror of war.

I’d heard fantastic things about this novel, and after seeing an interview with Ngozi Adichie was really looking forward to reading it. I imagined it to be similar in vein to The Kite Runner, and I suppose it is in some aspects, though I found this to be a much tougher read.

The novel starts out with young Ugwu, a poor village boy who becomes a house boy for a university professor. Olanna is the beautiful young woman who abandons her priviledged life to move in with the professor. Richard is the charasmatic englishman who falls in love with Olanna’s twin sister.

Throughout the novel Ngozi Adichie moves the stories back and forth through time as the character’s paths cross and war breaks out in Africa.

Cover of A Thousand Splendid Suns

I found the book quite hard going at times; I certainly didn’t get as caught up in the story as I did with Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns. But that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it. I can see why this novel has received such acclaim, it is beautifully written and the author is a skilled story teller. The images of war were at times shocking and heart breaking, but the story itself was endearing.

If you are interested in learning more about the war in Africa in the 1960s, or just want to read a beautifully written book, then I recommend you give Half of a Yellow Sun a try.

Half of a Yellow Sun

Book Review | Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie is a post from: Blue Archipelago Reviews

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Rating:

Murder on the Down Low by Pamela Samuels Young is a legal thriller about murder and a group of young African-American women who are trying to come to terms with the death of their close friend.

I read this book as part of the Pump up your book promotion virtual book tour. It’s the first book I’ve read as part of a book tour and I’m glad I got involved as this is not the type of book I would usually read.

I read this book during a vacation at the beach and was hoping it would be a fast-paced read. I was a little unsure when I first picked it up as I’m not really a fan of authors who describe characters by giving an account of their clothing (personal taste but it feels a little clunky at times) however I stuck with it and was glad I did. Once you get your head round each of the characters and how they relate to each other this becomes a really enjoyable book. As several murders occur and the friends are involved in trying to catch the killer, or prove that they themselves are not the murderer I really got caught up in the story. The characters are likable and Samuels Young throws in enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. I admit I didn’t figure out whodunit until right at the last minute!

The one thing I feel I should point out is the meaning of Down Low. I’m from the UK and that piece of slang means nothing to me; the back cover merely refers to the murder of African-American men, so I was a little taken aback in the first few pages to learn that being on the Down Low means you’re a ‘straight’ man who sleeps with other men. I feel I should throw that in there as I know it might not appeal to some readers. Personally I thought that the author handled my education in this subject very sensitively and I came away from the novel having thoroughly enjoyed the ride and feeling like I had learnt something too.

Great job Pamela – I look forward to reading more of your books.

Order today:Murder on the Down Low

Book Review | Murder on the Down Low by Pamela Samuels Young is a post from: Blue Archipelago Reviews

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5 stars – chick lit at its finest – with a handsome Italian thrown in for good measure!

When Ramona becomes a widow at the age of 34 her world comes crashing down around her, and the only thing that keeps her getting out of bed in the morning are her two young sons. That is until Leonardo Da Vinci walks into her life. Not the real Leonardo obviously, but a 25 year old Italian student who has come to make a new life for himself in America.

As Ramona sets out to teach Da Vinci the skills he needs to succeed in this foreign country she finds that she too is learning something; that life can go on after you lose your soul mate.

In this light-hearted and humorous novel, Lott covers the sensitive subject of bereavement and how it affects Ramona as she loses her soul mate and her children’s father. The affect on the young boys as they go to great lengths to make their mom smile again. And on Judith, the mother-in-law who is torn between protecting her beloved son’s memory and helping Ramona find love and happiness again.

Dating da Vinci is a fantastic chick lit novel, just perfect for the beach (which is where I read it). Lott does a fabulous job of creating believable and likeable characters in Ramona and da Vinci, her two sons Bradley and William and her best friend Anh. Oh and Cortland; for where would a chick lit novel be without the ‘other’ love interest? Should Ramona choose fun in the form of the gorgeous Italian who brags about her to his college friends and reminds her how to smile, or settle down with the reliable but handsome doctor who shares her love for words? I suggest you read dating da Vinci and find out!

Dating da Vinci

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Book Review | Dating da Vinci by Malena Lott is a post from: Blue Archipelago Reviews

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Coraline Graphic Novel

Rating

3 stars – a slightly spooky tale of a girl who finds herself in another world

Coraline is about…

A young girl who goes exploring in her apartment and opens a door to another world where her ‘other mother’ tries to kidnap her and her parents.

I’ve heard fantastic things about this book over recent months and thought it would be a good opportunity for me to experience my first graphic novel – but I think it will unfortunately be my last. I just didn’t get it.

Image via Wikipedia

The story is obviously told through illustrations as well as snippets of text but I think I’m a lover of words more than pictures and found the book lacking in atmosphere. Sure the illustrations of the ‘other parents’ and their world were slightly freaky looking but I think if I’d have read the ‘real version’ of this book I would probably have been more spooked. Luckily I’ve enjoyed Gaiman previously so this hasn’t put me off him as an author and I’m looking forward to The Graveyard Book.

The movie is due for release sometime soon and I believe they’re re-releasing the paperback version to tie- in; perhaps I’ll wait awhile and then give that one a try instead.

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Book Review | Coraline by Neil Gaiman (Graphic Novel) is a post from: Blue Archipelago Reviews

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Rating

5 stars – so realistic I thought it was a biography

One Foot in the Black is about…

A teenage boy who leaves home to escape an abusive father and trains to be a Californian wildland fighter.

I received a review copy of this book a couple of months back and thought I’d better get stuck in and read it. The book tells the story of a young man called Greg who moves to California from Michigan to be a wildland firefighter.

The book opens with the following line:

“A year ago, I saw a man go up in flames.”

The prologue goes onto explain that Greg and his crew are trapped on the side of the mountain, and that while most of the crew escaped the fire, one member perished.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

From that point Kamm takes the reader on two journeys, one covers the months up to that fateful fire as Greg trains to be a firefighter. The other goes back to Greg’s childhood and covers his relationship with his abusive father.

I was hooked from that very first line and thoroughly enjoyed this book. In a move away from most novels the whole story is pretty much told using dialogue between the characters rather than any descriptive narrative. This works perfectly and I felt like I was right alongside Greg, through the training, the beatings and the fires.

I was quite surprised when I finished the book to find this was a work of fiction; I was so sure it was a biography. Every year we hear on the news about the wildfires burning in California; next time I will definitely spare a moment to think about the brave men who risk their lives to save the locals, while understanding a bit more about how they go about it.

If you’re looking for a gripping read that’s a little different from the norm I can highly recommend One Foot in the Black by Kurt L. Kamm.

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Book Review | One Foot in the Black by Kurt L. Kamm is a post from: Blue Archipelago Reviews

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