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The Tangled Leaves of Anniseed

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Category Archives: Young Adult Fiction Review

Demon Road by Derek Landy

14 Saturday Nov 2015

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Demons, Horror, Humour, Supernatural

I’ve missed the phenomenon that is Skulduggery Pleasant, so this was a good opportunity to try a Landy novel. This new series is definitely aimed at an older audience, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Amber is a teen with a bad relationship with her parents. She works part-time at a diner, but one night on her way home she is attacked by two men. Yet she not only fights them off – she does them serious damage. Confused, she heads home where her parents reveal to her the shocking truth – she’s a demon, like them. And what’s worse, in order for them to consolidate their powers, they are going to kill her and eat her.

So Amber does the only thing she can – she goes on the run and does a deal with the devil.demonroad

Accompanied on the Demon Road by enigmatic Milo, driver of a charger with a mind of its own, and by Glen, a garrulous Irish boy who is marked for death, fulfilling her side of the bargain is not going to be easy. Tracking serial killers and monsters across America, the trio encounter some truly scary and gory situations – the doll’s house with its miniaturised dead bodies, the tree witches and their zest for human skin… Deliciously gruesome and very, very violent. And always the threat of her parents right behind her, and the Devil calling in his debt.

This is a relentless road trip novel, packed with dark humour and copious amounts of viscera. It’s pacy and full of action, and very, very readable. I loved Glen’s character and was intrigued by Milo’s dark past, and Amber was an engaging heroine, trying to hold onto her humanity while her demon side lusts for blood. Great fun, and I shall definitely be reading others in the series!

Harper Collins Children’s Books, 2015, ISBN 978-0008140816

Monsters by Emerald Fennell

10 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by Anniseed in Young Adult Fiction Review

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Abuse, Childhood, Crime, Murder, Serial Killers, Thriller

Sometimes murder is child’s play….

I read this in one sitting last night and my skin is still crawling – my mind feels slightly disconnected, altered somehow. Don’t let the Blyton-esque cover fool you. This is a dark, deeply disturbing portrait of childhood gone wrong, in the vein of The Wasp Factory and We Need to Talk About Kevin – not for the easily perturbed.monsters

The nameless narrator is a twelve-year-old girl whose parents “got smushed to death in a boating accident when I was nine. Don’t worry – I’m not that sad about it.” Sent to live with her true-crime-obsessed Grandma, the girl develops an unhealthy interest in serial killers. Spending the summer with her aunt and uncle who run a crappy hotel in Fowey, Cornwall,  that interest will spiral out of control.

Two exciting things happen that summer. Firstly, the body of a naked woman is hauled out of the sea. Secondly, a thirteen-year-old boy called Miles comes to stay in the hotel. Completely dominated by his vile mother, Miles is unlike other boys, and the girl becomes Miles’s first friend. They quickly discover they share a passion for the macabre, and deciding to investigate the murder (as the police, they agree, are hopeless), the pair show the reader the underside of Fowey – not so much picturesque fishing village, as Royston Vasey by the sea. They also enjoy passing time playing the “murder game”, in which Miles attempts to strangle or drown the girl – a game which hints at the darker turn the story will inevitably take. As their friendship develops, and it becomes clear that a real serial killer is on the prowl, the pressure builds and builds until the children’s repressed emotions break free.

The narration is superb – the girl’s voice is as clear as crystal and utterly compelling. And through her narration we see the truth of things – yes, the children are monstrous, but so are the adults that surround them, who turn blind eyes to the children’s trauma and saturate them with shame. It is little wonder that things turn out the way they do. This is a portrait of how children turn bad, and how society likes to pretend that it happens in isolation – the children must have been “born evil”. The truth is far more disturbing.

Monsters is not for the faint-hearted – it’s ending is very shocking and the themes that it explores are uncomfortable in the extreme. But it’s brave and original, and lingers long in the mind. I really couldn’t put it down – it’s exceptional.

Aimed at a young adult audience, I would recommend this for 14+ to adult; and I think it’s definitely a novel adults should read, as it raises a dark mirror to the way we raise (or fail to raise) our children.

Hot Key Books, 2015, ISBN 9781471404627

Blood Family by Anne Fine

17 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by Anniseed in Young Adult Fiction Review

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Adoption, Alcohol, Families, Issues

This was an interesting one to review – it tackles a subject close to my heart, and is by an author whose novels I have enjoyed, but with whom I don’t always agree. Her public reaction to Melvin Burgess’s Doing It being a case in point – the golden rule is don’t criticise a novel if you haven’t actually read the whole thing! So I was intrigued to know how she would deal with the subject of adoption, which is often surrounded by myths and misunderstandings. And I was pleasantly surprised.

When a nosey neighbour sees little Eddie peering out of the window, a child that shouldn’t be there, she calls Social Services and before long Eddie and his mother are rescued from the hands of brutal Harris. But his mother has been beaten once too often, and is broken and damaged beyond repair, incapable of looking after her four-year-old son. So Eddie is placed in foster care, and eventually adopted by a couple who have already adopted an older girl. Eddie initially thrives, but unbeknown to his new family, he is haunted by the fear that he will turn out just like Harris. And as he hits his teenage years, this fear leads him to discover alcohol, and he starts a spiral descent into his own worst nightmare. Will he be saved for a second time, and is nature more powerful than nurture?

The story is told from various perspectives, and Eddie’s voice in particular is powerful and poignant. Anne Fine succeeds in capturing both the adolescent turmoil of a typical boy and the added dimension of adoption – the fear of the past and the future, a sense of not truly belonging, and confusion over identity. Other voices however fare less well, and the adoptive parents in particular come across as well-meaning but inadequate, not realising why Eddie is in trouble or indeed that his situation is becoming so desperate. Eddie’s biological mother is also denied a voice of her own, and seen only through the eyes of those who pity or despise her – a missed opportunity really to examine the complex situation of women surviving domestic violence. The social worker is also a little clueless. In all, I woudl say the younger characters are depicted well but the adults tend to be stereotyped and rather more one-dimensional, so the analysis of the issues involved is limited.

However, this is a moving story, and introduces some of the complexity of adoption to readers who may never have thought about it or realised that it is not necessarily a “happy ending”. It’s a strong Young Adult novel that will appeal to teenagers. I kind of wanted to get cross with Anne Fine but in the end I didn’t – she’s not done a bad job here at all. And nature vs nurture? There aren’t any easy answers. Rating: ***

Doubleday, 2013, ISBN 9780857532404

 

Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman

23 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by Anniseed in Young Adult Fiction Review

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Science Fiction, War, Young Adult Fiction

Noughts and Crosses was one of the most popular and powerful books I shared with students in my days as a school librarian, and its uncompromising depiction of racism assured that Malorie Blackman has a devoted following amongst a generation of young people. Noble Conflict will be enjoyed equally. It tells the story of Kaspar, an eager young recruit to the Guardians, who is trying not to rely on his parents’ reputation as Guardians before him. Kaspar is determined to make his mark and defend his world, which is beset by seemingly random but terrifying terrorist attacks by the rebels that live beyond the city. But he uncovers instead a horrifying conspiracy, which threatens all that he believes in. How far will he go to protect his world, when nothing is as it seems?

This is a thought-provoking story with a genuinely horrible twist; action-packed and well-paced. Kaspar is a good hero, and for once the Librarian (a figure much maligned in literature!) is also shown as both clever and cool. The ending hints at a possible sequel, but this stands well alone. I enjoyed the subtle critique of modern warfare transposed to a science fiction scenario, and teenagers will find much to get their teeth into here. Again, Malorie has shown that she has the power to make young people think for themselves – and from there, change the world. Rating: ***

Corgi, 2014, ISBN 9780552554626

 

The Company of Ghosts by Berlie Doherty

28 Tuesday Jan 2014

Posted by Anniseed in Young Adult Fiction Review

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Families, Ghosts, Hauntings, Paranormal, Supernatural, Young Adult Fiction

You can’t go wrong with Berlie Doherty. She’s a highly accomplished author for Young Adults and never wastes a single word. The Company of Ghosts is no exception.

Ellie’s running away from home, and receives a lucky break when she’s invited to stay on a remote Scottish island. Chance to clear her head and get some space. But then circumstances play a cruel trick and Ellie is left on the island – alone. Only perhaps not quite alone as she thinks… Who is the mysterious woman in the lighthouse, and will anyone help Ellie get home?

This is an atmospheric ghost story with a compelling and well-visualised setting. Ellie is a sympathetic character, and the resolution to her family troubles is ably handled. It’s a gentle ghost story but one that effectively lingers in the memory, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Andersen Press, 2013, ISBN 9781849397292

Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough

28 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by Anniseed in Young Adult Fiction Review

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Ghosts, Horror, Supernatural, Young Adult Fiction

Another lovely creepy tale! This genuinely scary story for teenagers is set in 1958. Cora and her little sister Mimi are packed off to stay with Auntie Ida in the country by their feckless father, who doesn’t want to look after them. Ida doesn’t want the children either but for very different reasons – there’s a horrible history of harm that comes to children at Guerdon Hall, and she’s desperate to stop it happening again; but lumbered with the children she is paralysed by fear and unable to prevent the supernatural stirrings of an ancient evil… Before long Cora is aware of a ghostly presence in the house, and as she and her new friends Roger and Pete explore the local church they encounter more terrifying spectres. As the vengeful spirit of Long Lankin sets his sights on innocent Mimi, can Cora stop him and save her sister?

I loved the story’s multiple narrative voices, particularly that of Roger, who wonderfully captures the spirit of a free-range 1950’s childhood. There’s a genuine sense of supernatural menace in this story and a dark, brooding presence in the murky landscape, mirrored in the everyday world by the inability of the adults to recognise and respond to danger, or the childrens’ fears. Only Ida understands and she is so afraid she cannot act, unlike feisty Cora. The conclusion is meaty and tense, providing a satisfying resolution to the creepy unease that has been deftly built throughout the story. A good read for teenagers and adults alike. Rating: ***

Corgi Books, 2011, ISBN 9780552563215

Hidden by Marianne Curley

19 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by Anniseed in Young Adult Fiction Review

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Angels, Love, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Supernatural

Reproduced with kind permission of Bloomsbury

Reproduced with kind permission of Bloomsbury

It sometimes seems that the trend for paranormal romance will never reach its end… In fact it’s quite easy to get cynical about the narrow range of fiction pushed at a young adult audience. So I was surprised that I enjoyed this new offering to the genre, and now feel that perhaps there’s life in it yet!

This is the story of Ebony, who’s never been beyond the valley in which she lives with her parents. And Jordan, who’s life she is about to save. The concept of guardian angels is given a new twist, as beings from another dimension do battle over Ebony’s soul, and Jordan must compete with an angel called Thane for her heart. The characters are well-depicted and I especially liked Jordan, who is very sympathetic and as the human love interest, ably counterbalances his all-too-perfect angelic rivals. The action-packed plot is constructed with enough surprises to make it stand above the glut of predictable paranormal romances, and leaves the door open for an interesting sequel. It’s refreshing to delve into angel lore as opposed to vampire mythology, and Curley has created a believable universe for her characters to inhabit. Even if you’ve become tired of the genre, this is an enjoyable novel and well worth a read. 13+, rating:***

Bloomsbury, 2013, ISBN 9781408822623

Copy provided by the publisher for review

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner

21 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by Anniseed in Young Adult Fiction Review

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Dystopia, Thriller, Young Adult Fiction

Reproduced with kind permission of Hot Key Books

Reproduced with kind permission of Hot Key Books

For some reason I thought this would be an amusing read to cheer me up after the dark intensity of Then by Julie Myerson – whoops, I got that wrong! But I don’t regret it. It’s a novel that takes familiar concepts and succeeds in creating something very fresh and involving, with a brave and unforgettable climax.

Standish Treadwell likes to keep his head down, especially since his best friend Hector kicked the football over the wall, and he and his parents then disappeared. Standish’s parents have already gone, and he lives with his canny silver fox of a Grandad. It’s 1957 and living in the Zone is no joke – standing out could get Standish into deep, deadly trouble. Especially since Grandad is hiding a Moon Man in the cellar…

Standish’s narration is very convincing and he’s an average teenage boy with a spark about him. It takes a while for the penny to drop, as he takes his world for granted, but this is a story where the Nazis won the Second World War and Standish is living in a totalitarian state. Part of the ongoing efforts of the ruling elite is to win the space race against America – the land of “Crocas-Colas” and cadillacs – and it’s the Resistance’s efforts to disrupt this that blows Standish’s world to smithereens. This is a shocking story in parts, but it’s not without charm, as our hero tries to interpret events in his own way. The ending is superb – and I have to admit, that sitting in the staffroom at work, it made me cry. You can’t say more than that.

Awesome. Rating:****

Hot Key Books, 2013, ISBN 9781471400445

The Seeing by Diana Hendry

30 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by Anniseed in Young Adult Fiction Review

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Childhood, Families, Tragedy

Lizzie makes friends with wild Natalie, when she saves Natalie’s weird little brother, Philip, from drowning. Before long the three children are inseparable, and sensible Lizzie is captivated by Natalie’s anarchic nature and the spooky game she plays – hunting down evil in the form of “Left-Over Nazis” through Philip’s psychic revelations. They spend their days harassing these “LONs”, but the game escalates to tragedy when Natalie becomes jealous of Lizzie and Philip’s bond with a local artist. This is a moving story set in a post-war seaside town, and deals with difficult themes of child abuse, loss and guilt, with the Holocaust casting its long shadow over the actions and motivations of the characters. It is sensitively written and captures the grief and rage felt by survivors of different horrors with insight and compassion. The character of Philip in particular draws the reader in, and as Lizzie starts to question her role in events as she grows older, you can feel a real empathy for the pains of childhood. 13+. Rating: ****

The Bodley Head, 2012, ISBN 9780370332130

At Yellow Lake by Jane McLoughlin

27 Thursday Dec 2012

Posted by Anniseed in Young Adult Fiction Review

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Friendship, Relationships, Thriller

Reproduced with kind permission of Frances Lincoln

Reproduced with kind permission of Frances Lincoln

Etta’s on the run from her mum’s creepy boyfriend; Jonah is in flight from his past; and Peter is trying to fulfill a promise to his dying mother. When the three teenagers collide at the cabin at Yellow Lake, the scene is set for a turbulent love triangle. Add in some murderous thugs, and you have a tense, sometimes uncomfortable read about survival, independence and sacrifice. Difficult decisions must be made and there’s no telling who will live to tell the tale… An excellent first novel, with just the right amount of “hold your breath” moments, without being too graphic. Recommended for 14+. Rating: ***

Frances Lincoln, 2012, ISBN 9781847803603

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