The Name Of The Star | Maureen Johnson | Review

Monday, 27 May 2013

The Name Of The Star | Maureen Johnson | Review

Jack the Ripper is on the loose on the streets of London, murdering the innocent and terrifying the nation. But this isn’t England in the 1800’s anymore…nope this is the 21st Century and new spree of serial murders are terrorising modern day London.

Enter Rory Deveux. A teenage year old girl from Louisiana, whose moved here and due to start Wexford, a prep school in London. Her arrival coincides with the first of the ‘Ripper’ murders, all of which are mimicking the infamous serial killer from centuries past. Not that she’s supposed to be worrying about that, she has to stumble her way through British life, mountains of schoolwork, boy trouble and hellish Hockey P.E. sessions.

But Rory is soon forced to care as the police force struggle to piece together serial murders with no other witnesses, evidence or leads…except for the fact that Rory saw a man that no one else could see, who’s now the prime suspect who’s being hailed the new Jack the Ripper. As the only eye witness Rory’s seemingly quiet life is thrown into the world of the paranormal, near death experiences and secret police force with some unique talents. 

So what’s my verdict?

Having gone into this novel without the knowledge it was a ghost story and knowing that Maureen Johnson’s style was geared towards teen coming-of-age novels, I can safely say this book surprised me at every turn.

First of all, the premise of the book itself was brilliant. The humble ghost story is one we’ve seen countless times before, but Johnson manages to create a fantasy lore that’s both honest and believable. As Jack the Ripper 2.0 stalks the streets the setting only aides the tension throughout the story. The grey skies of London, cobbled streets and aesthetic of the ‘old City’ lends to the Gothic tone, but kept alongside Rory’s narrative the traditional ghost story is fast forwarded into the present day.

Speaking of Rory…fumbling and talkative Rory is certainly your typical teen Mary-Sue at the beginning of the novel, but her character evolves with her new found knowledge. She proves she can be the hero yet still be the girl-next-door. And then there’s the host of secondary characters, Stephen Dene (tall, dark and focused on the job), Callum (butch, laddish yet brave), Boo (a TOWIE girl with major smarts), Jazza (Rory’s adorable new best friend) and many other colourful characters both alive and dead. But don’t be fooled by the YA stamp on this, Johnson can get graphic especially as the story climaxes. It’s a classic 'whodunit' with a paranormal twist and I couldn’t recommend this book enough and…

…it’s a series! The sequel The Madness Underneath is already out and book #3 The Shadow Cabinet is set for release at the end of the year (so far away, wah!), so get reading!

Reading soundtrack:

Panic: The Smiths; Bubbles: Biffy Clyro; The Dark Of The Matinee: Franz Ferdinand; Hide & Seek: Imogen Heap; Overture: The Phantom of the Opera OST; Faint: Linkin Park; Monster: Paramore

For lovers of

The Mortal Instruments, Beautiful Creatures, Being Human and Supernatural

Read more »

2 comments

The Hangman's Daughter | Oliver Pötzch | Review

Sunday, 26 May 2013

The Hangman's Daughter | Oliver Pötzch | Review

Jakob Kuisl is the hangman of a small town called Schongau in Germany. The year is 1660, the era where women are accused for witchcraft and are executed as such. One day a boy is found drowned in a river with a very crude and confusing tattoo etched onto his skin. The town believes that again this is the workings of a witch and they arrest a woman who is likely to have done this crime. But more children are dying and the woman is behind bars. As the town quickly descends into chaos, Jakob Kuisl is chosen to decide who is really doing this. But he's not doing it alone. Bringing with him Simon, a young university educated son of a physician and his daughter Magdelena, they work together to try and reason who is responsible for these deaths.

At a glance it's a thriller, filled with totally scary moments and scenes which are completely spine chilling, but at the heart of it, it's also a love story. What is also really interesting is that this is based on real life events. The story itself is fictional but there really was a Jakob Kuisl who was the town's local executioner at the time. This means that he would have been hanging "witches". Only, his name was Fritz Kuisl, instead of Jakob. Fritz is actually one of Oliver Pötzch's ancestors and it is through some digging through his own history which Oliver has been able to make this book which I think is really amazing. 

So what did I really think?

I really enjoyed this story. As with any other story, I generally see what the first fifty pages of a book is like and if it is good, then I will finish the book. With The Hangman's Daughter, I bent the rules slightly. At the beginning, the writing was quite slow for me to read. There was so much description that it was hard to keep reading for me. However, the actual storyline kept me going so I kept reading and by the time I reached page seventy of the book, I knew that I was going to finish it and by that time, I got accustomed to the author's writing style. 

The story is brilliant and there were some parts I had to pause and watch something funny so that I could distract myself from the scary scenes which are in this book. I would say it was one of the scariest reads I have braved to read but it has really persuaded me to continue reading scary stories. I thought the characters were brilliantly described and you could really relate to Jakob and how hard it is being a hangman. I think this was because Oliver did so much research into his relative's life that it made the characters stand out.  

I'm giving this book a four star rating. It would have been five if I had liked the writing style more but apart from that it is a brilliant read and a really unique story so if you're in need of a book that gives you goosebumps or a book unlike no other, then this is the book for you! 

This book was reviewed by regular reviewer, Lucy, get to know her here!
Photo from Goodreads. 

Read more »

No comments

Being A Book Blogger | Interview with Lulu aka Lulu Frances Books

Thursday, 23 May 2013

Being A Book Blogger | Interview with Lulu aka Lulu Frances Books

Welcome back to another installment of 'Being A Book Blogger', this time I'm talking to the lovely Lulu of Lulu Frances Books. Here's what she had to say about blogging, Catching Fire the movie and more...


BB: For those who aren't already following 'Lulu Frances Books' could you tell us a little bit about the girl behind the blog & how you became a book blogger?

I have been an avid reader since kindergarden, where I taught myself how to read and as I grew up without TV I was always found with my nose in a book and a pile of books next to me...I started my first (fashion) blog in 2010 and my photography blog shortly after, oblivious to the fact that there was something like book blogs. One day last year in April I searched for a review on the book I was currently reading which led me to the first YA book blog I knew - yay! I was hooked and started reading more and more YA blogs until I decided I wanted my own one as well, at the start of this year. (Yeah I know, having two other blogs isn't enough huh :D)

BB: What is your favourite thing about being a book blogger?

Oh sooo much! I love finding out about new books and being able to discuss all bookish aspects with people that understand and I love reading book related news! Also, I noticed that I really enjoy writing reviews even if I don't do so too often compared to others and despite them being rather like me just chatting about the book to someone instead of analyzing it properly but yeah...

BB: Back in January you took part in our collaborative post all about our 2013 reading goals, how are you getting on with reaching your targets? have you managed to cross off any of the 5 books you vowed to read?

I said I wanted to read 75 books this year and I'm currently reading book number 28 and goodreads tells me I'm about 4% ahead of my goal, so that's going rather well. I actually also managed to read three of the books but have unfortunately not yet read Insurgent (I KNOW!!) and The Luxe (I said I'd review that on here - don't worry, as soon as I've read it I will!).

BB: As a big film fan myself I have to ask; you recently posted about the Catching Fire teaser trailer, which parts of the story are you most looking forward to seeing come to life on screen?

Ahhhh Catching Fire!!!! I'm so glad the film/ trailers are not a letdown compared to the books! I can't wait to see Sam Claflin as Finnick and I am also very curious about the arena, especially the "blood" rain and the crazy monkeys, wonder how that will be like.


BB: Here at BB we're always looking for recommendations which 3 books would you suggest that we need to pick up now?

Woah that is difficult. The book I'm reading right now - Darc Canopy - is amazing but unfortunately only in German so far... The Awaken series (by Katie Kacvinsky) deserves more recognition, great dystopian! And I recently finished This Is What Happy Looks Like which is incredibly sweet.

BB: Just for fun; If you could invite 5 famous characters to a dinner party who would you choose and why?

Well I'd say Lola from Lola and the Boy Next Door, because her style was so inspiring, Jack from Blood Red Road because he is one of my book boyfriends haha and Katniss and Peeta, because - who wouldn't?! And maybe Holden Caulfield, he is hilarious. But this list is likely to change whenever you ask me so this is just who I feel like inviting now.

BB: Last question, which other book blogs or YouTube channels would you recommend to our readers?

You really want to get me started? Okay, I'll recommend only English speaking/writing blogs and channels because I think the majority of your readers understands that (but if anyone wants German blog recs - ask me!). I love Perpetual Page Turner, Jamie's blog is probably one of my all-time favs! And the girls from Titles and Teacups have a unique reviewing style that is fun to read.

My favourite youtube channels are bookables (you featured her here already - yay!), bookratmisty, jessethereader, polandbananabooks, katytastic, padfootandprongs...yeah all the famous ones basically. I also like bookreviewer21 who started the unread books tag!

You can find Lulu's blog here & Goodreads page here.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'd like to say a huge thank you from all of us here at BB to Lulu for taking part in this interview.

If you are a booktuber or book blogger and would like to be featured in a similar post we'd love to hear from you - just email us at bloggersbookshelf@gmail.com for information!

Interview & post by Erin   
Catching Fire still from imdb.com

Read more »

1 comment

Love Is The Higher Law | David Levithan | Review

Wednesday, 22 May 2013

Love Is The Higher Law | David Levithan | Review

“It was like everyone suddenly knew what mattered. Money didn't matter. Politics didn't matter. Tabloid news didn't matter. No, compassion mattered. Calm mattered. Respect mattered. Did it really take something of this magnitude to make us realize this?” - David Levithan, Love is the Higher Law

Love is the Higher Law is a novel about three teenagers in New York City and their reactions and feelings about the well-known events of 9/11. We get to know what they do, how they react, and how they feel during the events that day. But we also get to follow them during the year to come after 9/11. The novel is a story about these three teenagers and how they by coincidence gets drawn info each others lives by the tragedy that is 9/11. But it's also a story about a city and it's people and how they together do their best to heal after a tragedy they could never have imagined.

Love is the Higher Law is a pretty short novel with it's 176 pages and therefore a fast read. Short novels usually leaves me wanting more. They tend to make me feel like I've missed something or like I don't get to see the whole picture. That's not the case with Love is the Higher Law. Of course I want more in the sense that I really enjoyed the book, but I mostly felt content and satisfied with the reading experience when I was done. I didn't need to know more, I just got the information that was important to this story and that was a pretty refreshing.

As a Swede I might not have the same perspective to the events of 9/11 as I might have had if I was an american. But I do remember that day and exactly what I was doing when I first got the news. So I thought it was interesting to read about that day from a new yorkers perspective. Most of all I liked that the book wasn't specifically about 9/11 and what happened that day. It was about three teenagers and how the events affected their feelings and their lives. I really enjoyed reading Love is the Higher Law. This was the first book I read by David Levithan and I truly liked his writing style. I also felt like the story and the people in this book felt believable and honest. I think I got a pretty good picture of how people in New York City were feeling the days, weeks and months after 9/11. The only thing that I might have an opinion about is that I felt like the story about the female character Claire didn't feel as strong or as the two other stories. But it might just be me and the lack of chemistry between me and Claire.

This is not the kind of book I usually pick up but I saw it in my local library and got interested because I've heard a lot of good thing about David Levithan and his novels and after reading it I'm pretty sure I'm going to read a few of his other books in the future. So I do recommend everyone to pick this book up, it's a pretty short and fast read and there's a high chance that you might really enjoy it. I give Love is the Higher Law 4/5 stars!

This post was written by regular reviewer Niina, get to know her here.

Read more »

No comments

The Silver Linings Playbook | Matthew Quick | Review

Monday, 20 May 2013

The Silver Linings Playbook | Matthew Quick | Review

Pat Peoples believes everything will work out in the end, he believes that his life is like one of those feel good movies that always have a happy ending. So as he embarks on a journey to get back with his wife Nikki back after spending a lengthy stretch in a mental health facility, nobody wants to let Pat find out the truth. The truth which doesn't look like it has any silver lining. But then Pat meets Tiffany, a young lady who has struggles with everything life has thrown at her lately. Their friendship grows and the real truth starts to reveal itself.

The Silver Linings Playbook is not one of those books that I would have immediately picked up in a book store.  However after watching the film I was convinced that I needed to read the book. I’m glad I did especially as the book gives so much more detail about the characters – which are the most interesting part of this book.  The way the book tackles the serious issues, shows how these characters interact or close themselves off are what kept me reading and enjoying every page.

If I had not watched the film first (big mistake I know – I should of known better) I think I would have really enjoyed rediscovering Pat’s old life with him and being taken on that journey.  Hidden elements of his past are slowly revealed to us and it really allows the reader to play the guessing game. I would of enjoyed trying to work it all out before Pat did (the competitive side of me would of reared its ugly head).

If I could pick out one aspect of The Silver Linings Playbook which I found frustrating it would be all the details of the classic novels that Pat reads. Now don’t get me wrong I love how they have included these books and that he is reading them – but some of them I haven’t read and now I don’t feel I need to as the plots have already been revealed to me in quite some detail.

I would definitely recommend The Silver Linings Playbook, especially if you like to read something a little different every now and then. 

This post was written by regular reviewer Laura, get to know her here.
Image from Goodreads

Read more »

2 comments

Of Kings and Queens | Suneeta Misra | Review

Sunday, 19 May 2013

Of Kings and Queens | Suneeta Misra | Review

Of Kings and Queens is a novella written by Suneeta Misra. Set in India, it follows Ram, a young teenage boy, and his friendship with Maya. Ram is the only son and heir to the King of Mirpur; Maya is the granddaughter of his tutor. When Ram’s teacher has an accident and can no longer travel to Ram for lessons, Ram goes to him, but is surprised to find that Maya will be the one teaching him. Although she is only a few years older than he is, she knows her stuff. As their lessons progress, so does their friendship. When Ram’s life is threatened by his own family, he stays with Maya and her grandfather until he is well again. From there, knowing that he cannot go back home, his maternal grandmother arrives and he travels with her to England, where he then stays.

The story then jumps ahead a few years, and now Ram has a law degree and a fiancé in England, having left his old life behind. Or so he thinks. He receives word that his father, back in India, has died and that he was the only heir to throne, despite his father having had a bunch of other children – all girls. Ram, some-what reluctantly, returns to India with his new fiancé, and tries to pick up the pieces of his father’s terrible reign. While in India, memories return of the time he spent with Maya in her grandfather’s house, and he goes searching for her. His feelings towards his fiancé start to waver and unfurl when he sees Maya again, realizing that he has actually loved her for a long while.

The novelette is written in third person, but in present progressive tense (I think?) which made for some interesting reading. It’s not really a tense that I enjoy, but I think for the most part, it worked for this story. It was very descriptive at the beginning, letting the reader know a little of the background and of the situation; setting the scene, I guess, though I found this a little forward and too full of simple facts that I think I would have enjoyed more if they were subtly added throughout the story. However, it was a very easy to read and was a great look into some Indian culture, and Indian-British relations in those days. The impact of the twist at the end would have been more shocking if I hadn’t seen it coming, but I think that’s because I read too many books, and am always looking and guessing at what twist could be thrown in the mix.

Overall, I did really enjoy this story. The writing itself was very nicely done, and I loved some of the phrases and language used. The characters were great and it had a good amount of mystery and crazy family members in it to make it a story I’m going to remember.

c/o - This novellete was sent to me by the author, Suneeta Misra, and the review was written at her request. However, like all my reviews, it has not been influenced in anyway, and it is 100% honest.
Image from Goodreads.

Read more »

No comments