Spark - Alice Broadway

Spark - Alice Broadway

The much anticipated sequel to Alice's first novel, Spark follows Leora on her continuing journey to discover the truth about her family and the feud between the blanks and the marked.

Without giving anything away, in Ink we learn that everybody has their lives tattooed onto their skin; every action and moment (good and bad) is recorded for all to see and, when you die, your tattoos are removed and a skin book is created as a record of your life.  When Leora's dad dies and they discover that part of his book is missing, she is determined to find out what has happened.  

In Spark, Leora is questioning everything she has ever known about herself and her family.  As half-marked, half-blank, she wonders whether she will ever fit in anywhere and Mayor Longsight decides to use that to his advantage, persuading Leora to join Featherstone (the home of the blanks) and act as his spy in order to bring them down.  Leora is still desperate to uncover the real truth behind her family so agrees to go (partly because Mayor Longsight threatens the safety of those close to her unless she does as he says); however, will she be able to fulfil the mayor's request or will seeing the other side of life and the stories she heard growing-up change her mind? 

O's Opinion:
From the first time I read Ink, I loved the perseverance and courage in Leora. She helps other people that she doesn't know and she tries everything to find out the truth. I love the relationships she makes with the other characters such as Obel and how she finds the happiness of people that seem to be very sad or grumpy. And Spark was no different.

I loved that it was written from Leora's point of view as it made me see things the way she did: curiously. It made me wonder about things I hadn't wondered about before and it helped me realise what it felt like for her to be caught between two worlds and doubting everything she grew up with. This is what I loved most about the book.

K's Opinion:
Having read and loved Ink, I was very keen to get my hands on Spark (in fact it had only just arrived in Waterstones Newcastle when I went in for it so our copy didn't even make it to the shelves!).  O stole it first so I had to wait even longer but it was worth it.  As the story picks up pretty much from where we left Leora at the end of Ink, I found it easy to get into the plot.  The style of writing is beautiful and the interweaving of the folktales gives the whole book a real fairy-tale feel.  I liked the unpredictability of the book and couldn't make up my mind which way Leora was going to turn until the very last page (which, I have to say, made me audibly gasp!). 

Leora is a complex character but one I like.  I admired her strength but, at times, I wanted to shout at her and tell her what to do so I was pleased to hear Alice herself  (in conversation at Waterstones Newcastle earlier this week) describe Leora as under-confident, intuitive, loyal and brave! She is certainly determined and questions what she discovers as she begins to realise that things are never as simple as they may first appear, and I think that the next book will reveal even more about her (Yes, I am pleased to say that Alice confirmed that there will be a third book!).

This is a great book and one which I feel perfectly crosses the MG/YA categories.  It's perfect for those beginning to dip their toes into YA as well as those who already love YA (and indeed parents and grown-ups as well!).  

O and I had a great evening at Waterstones  on Wednesday and were thrilled to hear Alice's thoughts and inspirations for the series.  She came across as modest and rather humble about her books but we both think that she should be shouting about them from the roof-tops ... we are!  We can't wait for book 3!

Brightstorm - A Sky-Ship Adventure

Brightstorm - Vashti Hardy.

‘Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will. You can be comfortable or courageous - never both.’

Twins Arthur and Maudie  Brightstorm are devastated to hear that their father has perished during his exploration to the Third Continent in a bid to be the first to reach South Polaris.  They are even more distraught to hear testimony at the Geographical Scoiety by Eudora Vane, a rival explorer, that he and his crew stole Vane's fuel and that his air ship was then found empty with traces of blood near by. News such as this means that the twins' father broke the Explorers' Code laid out by the Lontown Geographical Society which means that no insurance is paid to the now orphaned children who are subsequently sold to Mr and Mrs Beggins. Thus begins their new life in the slumps: Maudie (good with engineering) is sent to work at the docks, whilst Arthur (with one metal arm) is set to work in the house.

The twins, however, are a determined and courageous pair and are far from convinced by the story of their father's demise (even more so when Parthenon, their father's sapient bird, reappears), so when they see an advert in the paper for crew for a journey to South Polaris, posted by explorer Harriet Culpepper, they jump at the chance to join and to fulfil their dream of clearing their father's name.  And so begins their adventures.

Will they make it to be the first crew to reach South Polaris? Will they discover the truth about what happened to their father and why is Eudora Vane so keen to scupper their chances?

O's Opinion:
There was an abundance of adventure with Arthur and Maudie as wherever they went they always seemed to encounter action and mystery. I found a lot of suspense within the book in times of peril and times of mystery. I loved all of the characters but my favourite was Harriet as she helped any member of her crew no matter what. 

This book made me cry and laugh at all the right times, and I loved reading it. This is an amazing first book and I hope there will be a second!

K's Opinion:
Any book that contains the line "How exciting - books are the greatest gift." gets my vote any day!  And this book certainly gets my vote!  

I have to admit thinking that this may be a slightly predictable plot (enjoyable but possibly predictable); however, I was to be proved wrong as there were several unexpected twists along the way which kept me gripped, as did the strength of the characters.  I always enjoy getting to know independent female characters and you certainly get that in the form of Maudie and Harriet (as well as Eudora, I have to say), and I love the fact that they are both keen engineers; however, it was Arthur who really drew me in: determined, headstrong and lead by the desire to discover the truth, it's clear that he isn't held back by his arm. I liked the fact that there is also a vulnerable side to him and we see his uncertainty in himself and a jealousy of his sister's sense of direction (although he is also proud of this) - it was these complexities that made him my favourite character.

This was a very well written book and I can't wait to get back into school to start recommending it to the children.  In school, the sign of a good book is one that never makes it was far as the library as it is simply passed from child to child - I think that this will be one of those books!

We would recommend this book to fans of Cogheart, Sky Chasers, Tin and The Peculiars.

Beyond The Odyssey

Beyond The Odyssey - Maz Evans

The highly anticipated third book about Elliot Hooper and his life with the Greek gods sees our hero trying desperately to keep his family together.  

With his mother's health deteriorating and the school welfare team growing suspicious, it is up to Elliot to put things right.  Of course, he isn't on his own and his trusty family of immortals is always at his side.  He also has his father, David, who has reappeared having been in prison for ten years.  Josie-Mum; however, doesn't seem seem to trust Dave but Elliot puts this down to her worsening condition.

It quickly becomes evident to Elliot that the only way he can save the day is to go in search of a potion that will help his mum.  Of course, this entails a quest to find the third chaos stone and a trek through some pretty dangerous territory, and let's not forget that there are now Titans on the loose! Elliot is forced to confront some tricky situations; however, with the Gods by his side, he valiantly fights on.

Will he find the potion?  Will he be able to save his family and will Hermes ever wake up?

O's opinion:

I liked the way that Maz has put comedy and seriousness side by side in a way that creates the right balance and has the reader laughing and crying. I liked the determination in Elliot in the way that he's fighting Thanatos and trying to save his mum at the same time: he shouldn't even be doing one of those things at his age! This was an amazing third novel in the series and the books have been amazing to read. I can't wait for the last one!

K's opinion:

I think I experienced every emotion going whilst I read this book: I laughed (a lot), I cried, I was nervous, I was excited ... and it is rare that a book allows me to experience all those emotions in one sitting!  

We got hold of the book on Tuesday and O started reading it before

we even got home (I found him sat on the floor in John Lewis with his head buried in the book at one point!) and he finished it in a day.  There were several comments uttered (as well as a tear or two) so I was very keen to get started once I got hold of it!  Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed.  The way Maz manages to combine the Greek mythology with a modern plot and humour is a marvel to me ... and she does it so well (little things like Vetflix, Dragons Dungeon and Don'tcAIR making the difference - and O says I MUST mention Mypu here!!!) as well as the fast-paced plot, combine to make compelling stories in unputdownable books.

I have to make mention of the idea of the afterlife in this book - it's so beautifully put in my opinion.  Also, huge applause is needed for Tiresias' character ('Just because a lot of people do something, doesn't make it right,' - I'll be using Tiresias in the classroom next term).

I'm in danger of waffling now, so I'll simply say that we loved this book and we'll be recommending it next term in school.  

A triumph Maz - here's to book 4!

The Silver Hand - Terry Deary

The Silver Hand - Terry Deary

We were hugely honoured to have been handed a proof copy of Terry Deary's latest book, The Silver Hand, which is due to have its book birthday on the 10th May so we wasted no time in getting stuck in ...

Set during the final days of WWI in and around The Somme and, in particular, the town of Bray-sur-Somme, the novel is centred around a girl called Aimee and her life growing up during the war.  Aimee is a confident and determined girl whose love of languages (particularly Latin and English) is evident from the start of the book. Whilst her English father is away fighting for France, she and her mum, Collette, must run the family farm.  Aimee quickly learns that Collette has also been acting as a White Lady (the code name for the underground intelligence network that operated in France and Belgium during WWI).

The arrival of the British army in Bray, means that school closes for Aimee; however, her encounters with the soldiers lead her to hear things she really shouldn't have and she meets Sergeant Grimm whose silver hand was given to him after he heroically lost his saving a solider.

As the English tactically leave the town and the Germans arrive, the farm is soon used as a hospital for wounded German soldiers and Aimee meets Marius, a gentle young German boy who joined the war to heal people but ended up as a soldier.  His knowledge of herbs (in particular Willow bark) means that Marius is able to help many of the soldiers who have fallen prey to the flu epidemic.

Despite her initial hatred of Marius, the pair soon become friends and are forced on a journey that will see them risk life and limb for each other.  

Will they make it to Clery?  Why is Sergeant Grimm so keen to catch-up with them and who is the mysterious person who is following them?

O's opinion:
I liked the way that Aimee becomes friends with 'the enemy' and how the friendship grows between them as well as how the English and French help him out in many ways. I also liked the fact that the story was told from different points of view and from different sides of the story. This book has made me feel differently towards the Germans that were in that war and it has made me see how they would feel about the war as well as our view as well. I would recommend this book to anybody who liked Letters From The Lighthouse or books about WW1. This is an amazing book.

K's opinion:

I am rather embarrassed to admit that I hadn't read any of Deary's fictional novels so I wasn't certain what to expect; however, I quickly found it difficult to put the book down.  The plot shows a different side of WWI, through the eyes of Aimee and Marius, two very different characters.  Aimee is a brave, bold young lady who contrasts against Marius' more gentle personality.  From rocky beginnings, the pair show that the two opposing sides can come together to become allies and shows us that you shouldn't judge people by their nationality.

I was impressed with the historical detail within the novel (I researched Bray after I finished the book and quickly discovered how accurate Deary had been).  As I read, I had a real feeling of walking with Aimee and Marius through the streets and towns, and I particularly liked the description entwined within the narrative.  I lived in France many years ago but have never visited the area of The Somme - I'd like to now.

This is a gripping story.  The action creeps up on you at first as the story is established and I like the development of the characters at the start; however, it's safe to say that once the plot takes hold, it doesn't release you until the very end and I was frustrated every time I had to put the book down.  This is the sort of book that stays with you long after you've read the last page and I found myself thinking of Aimee and Marius for days afterwards!

This is a truly great novel and the best historical novel I've read in a long time.  As a teacher, my reading always sparks a lot of interest from the pupils and there was much intrigue over this book, especially when I mentioned that it isn't in the shops yet! There will be a queue come May!