K and O: Bonkers About Books
We're a mum (K) and son (O), who are both bonkers about books, in particular children's books. We love to curl up and read, and now want to share our love of books with you.
Fear Files: Hide And Seek - Christopher Edge
How To Get Magically Popular - Radhika Sanghani
Bury Your Friends -Benjamin Dean
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
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.
Fear Files: Hide And Seek - Christopher Edge
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