Grimstink - Daniel Peak

 

Grimstink is an alien who has been sent to Earth to kill off all lifeforms on the planet; however, as he arrives, he swaps places with Layla Tenby who just happens to be out delivering leaflets.  Can Grimstink figure out life on Earth and succeed in his mission and can Layla manage to return to the planet she has been unceremoniously plucked from?

Daniel peak is a BAFTA winning scriptwriter and a writer on the Horrible Histories series so I was looking forward to reading Grimstink when it arrived, and I wasn't disappointed.

Layla is spending her birthday in what she feels is the worst way possible: starting a new job her mum has found for her delivering leaflets through people's doors.  Her mood only gets worse when she realises that she can't use any tricks to quickly get rid of the leaflets either.  Before she has even begun delivering, she stumbles upon a fancy looking jewel-like stone which she decides to keep as a birthday present to herself; however, it sticks to her like glue and, before she knows it, she's finds herself in a large dish fighting for her life - this was definitely not how she planned to spend her birthday!  Meanwhile, Grimstink is doing his best to blend in with the locals on Earth, which includes befriending Layla's younger brother.

Told in dual narrative, what unfolds is a funny race to save humanity and for Layla to save herself.  I particularly enjoyed reading Grimstink's interactions with humans and his attempts to blend in - I'm not certain I'll ever look at Ed Sheeran in the same way again!

Publishing on the 10th July, Grimstink is a hilarious book that combines adventure with killer deathbots, and quirky friendships with a race against the clock in a book that is guaranteed to have children crying with laughter. 

Sandy Fin Operation Splash Landing - Martin Stewart

 

'Sandy lives in the Museum of Seaside Stories with the famous explorer Emile du Pont.  Aided by Emile's inventions, Sandy and his best friend Lily are being taught the art of ocean exploration.  Then Albo Start arrives with secret plans to turn Portwhistle into a Seaworld-style thee park, locking up marine life.  Sensing skulduggery, Sandy and Lily set out to stop Start!'

It's no secret that I loved Martin's Bridget Vanderpuff series and they are hugely popular in school (my copies are rarely on the shelf in my office), so I was thrilled when his latest book published and I got to meet Sandy Fin, a delightfully quirky character who uses his scales and his ability to be underwater for long periods of time to his advantage.  He is brave and is determined to do the right thing, no matter how tricky that might be - readers will warm to him immediately.

I also liked the environmental messages that are woven into the book in amongst the adventure and Sandy and Lily, and I know that readers will love to hate the baddy that emerges.

Out now, Sandy Fin Operation Splash Landing is a wonderful book that will make a great summer holiday read.  I really hope there will be more to come from Sandy.

Oxford Blood - Rachael Davis Featherstone

Eva and her best friend George are spending the week at Beecham College in Oxford as part of the interview process to earn a place to study there.  However, when they arrive, it quickly becomes apparent that there are some people there who believe they are more entitled to a place than others.  At dinner, it is clear to Eva that George is behaving very differently and she can't get to the bottom of why.  Then when Seb from Reapington Manor College challenges George to a dare, Eva grows annoyed and storms off.  And that is the last time she sees George alive, for when she finds him the following morning, he is dead on the steps of a statue in the grounds of the college.  The police quickly decide that this was nothing more than a tragic accident but Eva is adamant that George was murdered and sets out to prove she is right.

I love a murder mystery and what better time to read a book set in an Oxford college than whilst on a train taking me to Cambridge for the weekend! (there is a fierce rivalry between the 2 colleges so the irony was not lost on me).

Eva and George are from the same state school and are, rightly so, incredibly proud of the fact that they have both earned a place at interview week.  Eva is a dedicated student and it's been a dream to earn a place at Oxford to read English.  She wants nothing more than to get her place through her own merit and doesn't want anything to distract her from that and that includes her skin colour and socio-economic status which she worries will work against her and is why she lives with the words of her mother from the night before she died 'You astound me, Eva, there is nothing you can't do.'  There is a feisty determination in Eva which becomes increasingly apparent at the plot unfolds - she is forced to draw on strengths she didn't know she had, but ends up putting herself in danger. 

What at first seems to be just a murder mystery is in fact a book that delves into some though-provoking topics:  privilege and the influence wielded by secret societies; equality and equity in the Oxbridge system; funding from controversial sources... it would certainly be a book that would create debate in a senior school classroom.

I loved Oxford Blood!  It's well written and engages from the beginning; the plot is an intricate one with plenty of twists and intrigue that keep you guessing.  I found myself completely immersed and gobbled it up in under a day as I just couldn't put it down!  

Oxford Blood publishes 28th August and I highly recommend pre-ordering it. 

The Murder At World's End - Ross Montogmery

It's 1910 and Halley's Comet is due to pass Earth which is causing all sorts of conspiracy theories to raise their heads; not least at Tithe Hall where the Viscount is preparing to lock every member of the household into their rooms to protect them as the comet passes. At the same time, Stephen Pike arrives at the house.  Just out of prison, he has received a letter offering him a job at Tithe Hall; however, when he arrives, the head butler seems to be oblivious.  Despite initial hesitations, Stephen is given a job as an under-butler and is immediately put to work helping to seal up every room.  When all is done, he is directed to the far reaches of the house to tend to Miss Decima Stockingham the family matriarch who, at 80 years old, still instils fear in every member of staff.  However, Stephen quickly realises that Miss Decima isn't as senile as the family may think and the two strike up an unlikely professional relationship.  The following morning as the family and staff begin to emerge from their lockdown, they discover that there has been a murder, and the culprit must still be in the house.  With all eyes turning to Stephen, the newest member of the house, can Miss Decima help him to discover the truth before it's too late?

Anybody who is a regular reader of my blog will be aware that I am a fan of Ross' MG fiction and so I was thrilled to discover that he's written a book for grown-ups.  An early read proved too alluring and, knowing how much I love a murder mystery, I dove straight in.

I have to say that I really enjoyed the style of writing; there's a tension due to the fact that this is essentially a locked room mystery within a locked house and I enjoyed trying to figure out who the culprit might be - my suspect list changed frequently as the plot progressed!

Above all, I adored Miss Decima!  She's a brilliantly curmudgeonly character who is a force to be reckoned with; she's not allowing her age or her gender (this is 1910) to interfere with the science she wants to pursue and I love her approach to everything she does.  There's a real humour to her and the relationship that builds between her and Stephen is lovely to read.  I think she actually relishes the chaos that unfolds around them and she comes to life whilst investigating the crime.   

The Murder At World's End publishes in hardback on the 30th October and is a book that will keep you guessing, will make you chuckle and will leave you wanting more from this new unconventional crime-fighting duo. 

Lie Or Die Blood Moon - A J Clack

Kass is still feeling the effects of Lie Or Die, the show that took reality TV to extremes nobody could have anticipated; however, when she receives a cryptic message, she once again finds herself at the centre of a reality TV show in a desperate attempt to save her friend, but it quickly becomes apparent that Kass has been lured back in a sick attempt to seek revenge after the first show.

Lie Or Die was a gripping book (you can read my review here). With the end leaving hints that there was more to come, I was thrilled to be able to read an early copy of the sequel, Blood Moon.

Lie Or Die was an incredibly traumatic event for Kass and so she is determined to stay away from trouble, but with Skye still at large, she can't rest, especially when the message arrives.  There are scores to be settled and Kass is lured into the game thinking that refusing will mean the death of Max - I really feel sorry for Kass as she seems to be in a no-win situation from the beginning.  What begins as a dark game, quickly becomes deadly with the contestants forced decide who will die.

There are shades of The Traitors in this, minus the joy of watching Claudia Winkleman and her wonderful wardrobe: the castle setting; the wolves versus the peasants; nobody knowing who falls into which category; contestants having to sit and discuss who they want to nominate to run the gauntlet.  However, there is much more to play for here.  Initially the contestants believe they are playing for £10million, but those in charge have much more in store.

The book will certainly raise questions in readers, including moral quandaries; how you make choices when you know what is at stake and the consequences of using the dark web.   

Blood Moon is a game where you have no idea who you can trust and even those closest to you have the potential to betray in order to save their lives.  The plot is gripping and is guaranteed to horrify and mesmerise in equal measure. It creates panic and fear whilst you read and I am not ashamed to say that I yelled at the book on more than one occasion.  It's a brilliant sequel and I'm already desperate to know whether there will be a third book.

Lie Or Die: Blood Moon publishes on the 2nd October is a perfect for all YA reality TV fans.

Summer Under The Stars Blog Tour

It's my turn on the Summer Under The Stars blog tour and I'm delighted to be sharing Kate's thoughts on how she writes using multiple viewpoints.

Your books, including Summer Under the Stars, are written using multiple points of view. How do you go about writing a book like this?

I’ll be honest—every time I finish one, I vow never to do it again! And Summer Under the Stars was no exception. I love the result, but the effort it takes to get there is huge.

When I write, I set a few key rules for myself. The main one is that I want each of my characters to be equal. There’s no one story that matters more than the others. Because of this, my characters speak in rotation—they each get their turn to tell the story.

In Summer of No Regrets, that structure worked quite naturally because the friends were apart for the summer, each on their own adventures. But in Summer Under the Stars, they’re all together—so the story is happening to all of them at once. They’re experiencing the same events, but each with their own opinions, hang-ups, and emotional reactions. That made the writing experience very different.

Traditional story structure and beat sheets don’t always fit. You can’t have four main characters each go through their own inciting incident or darkest moment one after another—it just wouldn’t work. So the editing became the biggest part of the process by far. My editor and I spent a lot of time trying to make the story feel right—and every time we pulled on a loose thread, whole chapters would unravel. There are the four character arcs to manage, but also, just like in Summer of No Regrets, there’s a fifth arc: the story of their friendship.

That said, what I love about writing in multiple POVs is the chance to really dig into each of my characters’ lives, motivations, and challenges. I get to walk in their shoes, see the world through their eyes. I’m fascinated by why people do what they do, and what shapes them—and this style of writing lets me explore that deeply. It also lets me show how they interact from all sides of a conversation, which I think helps bring the reader in too.

My favourite moments to write are when they’re just together—chatting, joking, supporting each other through the good times and the hard ones. That mix of banter, honesty, and love is what makes their friendship feel real.

And if I had to pick one scene I loved writing most? Definitely the food poisoning scene! They’re up in the night at a campsite in St Malo—chaotic, gross, hilarious. It’s one of the few scenes that made it through the whole editing process almost unchanged. It still makes me laugh, even after reading it dozens of times.

Summer Under The Stars is out now.  You can read my review by following the link here

Kate has put together a play list to go with the book so if you fancy a listen, follow the link here My song today is the classic 'Drive My Car' by The Beatles.

Gargoyles Books 1 & 2 - Tamsin Mori

When Callen and his family move to his father's childhood home, Callen doesn't realise how big it is going to be or exactly what awaits him there.  He didn't know his late grandmother so he is shocked when the family arrive at a boarded up mansion complete with stone gargoyles, and is even more shocked when he sees the state of ruin it is in.  He's far from happy about the move but then he discovers that the gargoyle outside his room is alive and things begin to take a very dramatic turn.  With danger lurking as magic is reawakened, it is up to Callen and his new friends to discover the Gargoyle Guardian in an attempt to stop the threat.

I had read great reviews for Guardians Of The Source from fellow book bloggers, but alas, it became one of those books that fell through the net and I didn't read when it published, so when I got the chance to read Guardians Of The Source and The Watcher together, I jumped at the chance.  I have to say that, it many respects, I was glad I had both books to read at once as the end of the first book left me so desperate to know what would happen next that it took me mere minutes from finishing book 1 before I dove into The Watcher (at which point I was eternally grateful for my flight home which provided uninterrupted reading time).

I'm going to do my best to give nothing away, but I have to say that both books are pure escapism and gripping adventures.  Magic, mystery and mythical creatures combine with friendship, family secrets and just the right amount of peril to ensure that both books are unputdownable.  

Callen is clearly upset by the move to his dad's family home, and I can't blame him really: he's being taken away from friends and the life he knows to a place he's never been to before and where a relative he'd never met lived.  I think most people would find it unnerving, and that's before the rundown state of the mansion is revealed.  The plot quickly unfolds and Callen realises there is much more to the building and his family than first meets the eye.  It is fortunate that he meets Yasmin, Raf and Angus who live in cottages owned by the family estate and each have their own magic creatures.  Their bond is forged quickly but isn't without its trials over the two books as the friendship grows and the four get to know each other. 

The Watcher creates new problems and tests for Callen and his friends in different ways.  Darkness is lurking again and they need all the help they can get, but exactly who should they trust?

I'm hugely grateful to the lovely people at UCLAN for sending me both books.  I know they will be devoured in school when I take them in tomorrow and I can't wait to discuss then with the children.