In the after by Demitria Lunetta

Amy is at home watching tv when the unthinkable happens - creatures are attacking the world, eating anyone they can catch, and in a matter of hours the world as she knew it is gone.  The only reason Amy survived the first wave of attacks from Them was because she was at home, kept safe by the electric fence her mother insisted they have, but over the next three years she learns how to keep herself safe, and along the way she takes in a young child that she calls Baby.  There are just three rules to keep you alive in this new After - don't make a noise, only go out at night, and don't trust strangers. 

It is an uncertain world, where death waits for you to make a stupid mistake.  Amy has stayed alive because she is careful, always thinking about Baby, and always taking the time to make sure they are safe.  When they take a chance on a stranger it seems as though things are changing for the better, even if Amy can't help but feel a little jealous of the time Baby and Amber spend together.  But then Amber betrays them and they are forced out into the open.  Out in the open Amber feels vulnerable, but at least they are still able to survive - and then they discover the colony of New Hope.  On the surface New Hope is an almost perfect Utopia where people have what they need to thrive as well as survive, a place of hope and science, a place where Amy and Baby might have a real future.  But things are not what they seem.

In the after is a stunning debut novel, very polished for a first time author, with a well thought out plot and well developed characters.  At times it did feel as though the story was a little contrived, but I think it was the awkwardness of the section - flicking back and forth in time to the present and the events leading up to the present, but it was distracting more than off putting.  Amy is an interesting and engaging person, you really feel the events she goes through and see the world through her eyes - eyes that refuse to have the wool pulled over them.  The other characters are also well developed and each have their part to play - a part which at times is not what you might think.

I really enjoyed In the after, and while it feels like there could (should?) be a sequel, it reads exceptionally well as a stand alone novel.  Lunetta has a great future in writing if this is what she is able to produce as a first outing.  Amy is a strong voice in her own right, but also a strong voice in a genre that is often male dominated - she has her flaws, she isn't perfect, and she doesn't always see the big picture, but she is also not afraid to be herself and she will stand up for what she believes in.

If you like this book then try:

• Proxy by Alex London
• Altered by Jennifer Rush
• The 5th wave by Rick Yancey
• The rules by Stacvey Kade
• Enclave by Ann Aguirre
• Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza
• Adaptation by Melinda Lo
• The testing by Joelle Charbonneau
• Rot and ruin by Jonathan Maberry
• The hunt by Andrew Fukuda
• Daughter of smoke and bone by Laini Taylor
• The forest of hands and teeth by Carrie Ryan
• Anna dressed in blood by Kendare Blake

Reviewed by Brilla

Proxy by Alex London

In a future where the Earth has been ravaged by war and natural disasters, a new order has arisen where those who created the safe haven of the new city benefit from their wealth with good food and a suitably lux lifestyle, while the orphans and ordinary people scratch out a living in the Valve.  It is also the city where the wealthy can purchase a Proxy contract for their entitled children, selecting orphans from the Valve to be their own personal whipping boy (or girl) - every time the Patron child misbehaves the Proxy child is punished in their place.  It is a system that works, a system that is meant to protect the Patron child as they grow and learn, the punishment of their Proxy should lead to learning a lesson - but sometimes the Proxy ends up with a Patron like Knox.

Knox is wealthy and entitled, and he has no care for his Proxy Syd -every time he does something Syd has to deal with the consequences from hard labour through to painful jolts from an EMD stick.  When he is dragged before the Guardians yet again Syd wonders what his next punishment will be, and he has no idea that this time Knox has committed murder and the punishment is hard labour in a prison camp where he is likely to die or face permanent injury - and he will be imprisoned well beyond the two years he owes on his contract.  In what seems to be an impossible move Syd escapes and finds himself on the run with the most unlikely ally - Knox, the Patron who has made his life a living hell (and he has the scars to prove it).

Proxy was an intriguing and interesting take on the dystopia theme, but also on the theme of the whipping boy who takes the punishment of their wealthy Patron - a system they are signed up for in the orphanage without their consent.  The only way to leave the Patron/Proxy system is to repay the debt, to do your time and avoid racking up extra debt, or to die.  Syd is at the centre of a conspiracy that he has no clue about, he has no idea how special he is until Knox makes a completely boneheaded decision that sets both of them on a collision course with an unbelievable secret that neither of them could ever have guessed at.

The cast of Proxy is interesting, and the action is well paced, and the little hints and clues about the conspiracy at the centre of the novel are carefully doled out to keep you hooked on the story.  As Knox and Syd learn the little bits of the truth you learn with them, and it keeps you very much connected to what they are going through and what the ultimate goal might be.  The characters built around Syd and Know feel a little clichéd at times, but that is to be expected a little as people and stereotypes become clichéd for a reason.  This is a well imagined future, and one that could easily be just around the corner.  The writing felt a little awkward at times, the sentences not laid out or said quite the way I would have expected, but it was still an addictive read that I didn't want to put down - especially when I reached the second half of the book.

If you like this book then try:

• XVI by Julia Karr
• The Declaration by Gemma Malley
• Numbers by Rachel Ward
• The limit by Kristin Landon
• Slated by Teri Terry
• Hex by Rhiannon Lassiter
• Eve by Anna Carey
• Legend by Marie Lu
• Variant by Robison Wells
• Arrival by Chris Morphew
• The hunt by Andrew Fukuda

Reviewed by Brilla

Eight million gods by Wen Spencer

Nikki has an unusual affliction, she has hypergraphia, a compulsion to write - not a bad thing in itself, but everything she writes turns out dark (and often deadly) for her characters.  For most of her life she has been checked into mental institutions and kept under the thumb of her mother and her mother conviction that Nikki is a danger to herself and everyone around her.  Escaping to Japan and living off the radar seemed like a good idea, it will be nearly impossible for her mother to find her in a city of millions and she can work on the novel her publisher expects her to deliver within the next year - another romantic thriller, doesn't seem too hard (except all her love interests keep getting killed off).

Life is trundling along in a haze of writing when bouts of hypergraphia strike, and it seems like she may meet her deadline - until there is a murder in the city that is eerily similar to the murder she just blogged on her website.  Suddenly Nikki is a murder suspect in a foreign country, and she is in serious danger of navigating the Japanese justice system or even worse - dealing with her mother.  When she is follows clues in her writing that lead her to a sword hidden in a locker Nikki has no idea that she is about to dragged into the world of Japanese mythology, a world of eight million gods who will stop at nothing to get what they want.  Along the way Nikki will face some personal demons, and a few bad guys.

I have loved Wen Spencer since I picked up Alien taste for the first time, and have even managed to track down a few in New Zealand to call my very own instead of having to borrow them from the library.  Eight million gods is what I have come to expect from Spencer, a carefully created world with lots of detail that supports believable and relateable characters.  In a departure from her other novels Eight million gods has been set firmly in this world and is densely populated with Japanese cultural references that lends a rich depth to the story but at times was a little overwhelming to try and keep everything straight - thank goodness there was a glossary in the back of what the terms meant to Spencer because that helped a lot.

This is a fast paced novel that covers a short space of time and has a complex interwoven cast of characters that come together through Nikki's eyes as she figures out everyones place in her story.  There was one thing about this book that drove me absolutely nuts - missing words!  I don't know how it happened but the copy I had was missing five words in the first 100 pages, and they were obviously missing words because the sentences only made sense if you inserted a word, and there must have been more than 10 errors in the whole book!  I was so frustrated with this because it kept nudging me out of the story, and at one point I was slammed out of the story because there were two words missing out of the same paragraph.  Apart from this frustration I did enjoy the story and hope that there might be some more novels set in this reality.

If you like this book then try:

• Alien taste by Wen Spencer
• Tinker by Wen Spencer
• Precinct 13 by Tate Hallaway
• Prowlers by Christopher Golden
• Children of the night by Mercedes Lackey
• Cast in shadow by Michelle Sagara
• Summon the keeper by Tanya Huff

Reviewed by Brilla

Thousand words by Jennifer Brown

It started with something very simple - a photo snapped and sent to a boyfriend who wasn't there to share the fun of the party, but it wasn't an ordinary photo - it was a naked snapshot.  Now Ashleigh has to live with the consequences of a moment of drunken stupidity, because when her boyfriend breaks up with her and things turn ugly, he sends the intimate picture to someone he knows and it is soon spreading through the school like wildfire.  Ashleigh has gone from being just another girl from a well off family to that girl, the slut, the whore, the object of jokes and snide comments.  

To make matters worse, Ashleigh has to complete 60 hours of community service because sending the picture to her boyfriend was considered an act of sharing child pornography.  Ashleigh has been living in a nightmare, one that keeps growing and gaining more momentum as more and more people receive the picture and even post it online.  It is a miserable time for Ashleigh and her parents, but worse is still to come - because Ashleigh's father is the superintendent and some people want him to resign because of her actions.  Ashleigh has to find the courage to look at the events that have led up to this moment, and she has to accept the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth if she truly wants things to get better.

Thousand words is an intense and enlightening novel, one that skips back and forth between the present time with Ashleigh in community service, and back in time a few months to when the infamous events took place.  At first this was a little annoying, but only because I wanted to know more right now, but the tension in the story is sooo much better when you have to wait to see what happens next, how things go from bad to worse, and how Ashleigh's life starts to spiral out of control.  It is so easy to see how this story could be happening right now to a naive teenager who trusts his or her partner, sending an intimate picture that will ultimately be abused by the other person if things go wrong.

Jennifer Brown is not afraid to tackle difficult or confrontational topics, and Thousand words doesn't pull any punches - Ashleigh is in real trouble, as are some of the other main "cast" members.  The voice of Ashleigh comes across as very real, and there are moments when you want to shake her because she blames everyone except for herself - she may have trusted the person she shouldn't have, but it takes her a long time to realise and accept her role in the events.  Her ex-boyfriend Kaleb is also interesting, and while he seems a bit of  walking cliche when he starts college, sometimes cliches exist for a reason - and his role in the later part of the book rings true for someone who feels sorry for himself.

I picked this book up because I read Hate list earlier and enjoyed the dose of realistic writing and the intense topic and wanted to see if Brown could deliver a second time - and I was not disappointed.  As sexting is a hot debate topic, and as there are teenagers out there who do share pictures with their partners I would highly recommend this book for teenagers to see how things can fall apart if you trust the wrong person, but I would also recommend it to anyone who just likes a really good book to read.

If you like this book then try:

• Hate list by Jennifer Brown
• Bitter end by Jennifer Brown
• I swear by Lane Davis
• Rooftop by Paul Volponi
• Panic by Sharon M. Draper
• Thirteen reasons why by Jay Asher

Reviewed by Brilla

Agent 21: Codebreaker by Chris Ryan

Codebreaker is the third book in the Agent 21 series so there are ***SPOILERS*** in this review if you have not read the other books in the series.  If you like reading series without spoilers then read Agent 21 and Agent 21: Reloaded before you read this review.

Zak is back from his last mission, carrying with him the knowledge that he will never be the same again, struggling with the fact that he has changed since becoming Agent 21 and he is not 100% sure what to do with that knowledge.  Knowing that decisions are made in the heat of battle is one thing, but experiencing those tough decisions first hand has made it more real fro Zak - and especially hard lesson when the person who tried to kill him was someone he considered a friend, a valuable lesson not to get too close to the people you are using to get close to your target.  Zak has learned a lot, but he still has some harsh lessons to learn.

When a bomb explodes on an early morning train, killing dozens of people it seems like an isolated terrorist plot, but it appears that there was a warning - but no one took it seriously.  Locked up in a high security mental health facility is a teenaged wonder kid who has annoyed the heck out of the Americans by hacking into government computers, an act that painted a target on his back.  When the mission to get him out of the hospital goes terribly wrong Zak and the team find themselves in a race against time to stop more bombs, racing against time to figure out where the next bomb will be.  The potential for carnage is high, and when Zak, Gabs, and Raf cross paths with the bomber they paint a huge target on their backs - and the bomber has plans that he will protect at all cost.

Agent 21 is a fast paced series that takes you on a high octane race against time as Zak Darke works against the clock to stop the bad guys - living in isolation with his Guardian Angels to hone his body and mind into the perfect spy, ready to step in at a moments notice.  One of the things I like most about this series is that it is well written, and doesn't try to be too smart.  The action and adventure is what drives the story forward, and while there is a smart idea behind the story, the book is not written as high brow literature where you need a dictionary beside you to figure out what they are talking about - it is a very accessible read for readers of lots of different reading levels. 

Finding really good series for boys can be difficult, but Chris Ryan has carved out a nice niche market for himself in the action/adventure/teen spy market with his series Agent 21, Code Red and his Alpha Force.  I love the fast paced action, and this series has really appealed to my nephew who likes reading books about the armed forces, spies, and action.  This is not a series for younger readers of the Cherub series by Robert Muchamore, but older teens who have enjoyed the last few books in the Cherub series may also enjoy Agent 21.

If you like this book then try:

• Agent 21 by Chris Ryan
• Agent 21: Reloaded by Chris Ryan
• Boy soldier by Andy McNab
• Catch the Zolt by Phillip Gwynne
• Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
• Lost worlds by Andrew Lane
• People's republic by Robert Muchamore
• Subject Seven by James A. Moore
• Code Red: Battleground by Chris Ryan
• Death cloud by Andrew Lane

Reviewed by Brilla

Skinny by Donna Cooner

For years Ever has been that girl, the fat girl who everyone laughs at, the one that people don't want to be around.  Ever weighs over 300 pounds and everyday is a struggle, not just because of the things that happen around her, but also because of the voice only she can hear - the voice of Skinny in her head telling her she is fat, that everyone laughs at her, that she is the butt of everyone's jokes.  It is no way for a teenage girl to live, and while Ever knows gastric bypass surgery is an option she has always been too afraid of the complications to really consider having the surgery - until something happens and she can no longer ignore what her weight really means to her.  The surgery is not a magic bullet though, Ever will have to make some serious changes in her life, and she will have to face some truths that she may not be ready to face yet.

Skinny is a personal story and based on the authors bio it appears to be at least a little autiobiographical.  Normally I don't like books like this because they seem more than a little preachy and holier-than-thou, but in this case I felt really connected to Ever as a person rather than just as a character - and there is a lot of depth to her character, rather than just the element of her being morbidly obese.  This book will not appeal to all readers, but it is an interesting read because Ever has her flaws and her strengths and while she does get a happy ending it is not the delirious happy ever after you might expect. 

This book is remarkably difficult to review because it is a very niche book - even though the characters have a wider readability and audience it is at heart a book about a teenage girl who takes drastic action to deal with her weight.  If you are interested in reading about teenagers who have a drastic change in their appearance and have to face their inner (and outer) demons, then this may just be the book for you.

If you like this book then try:

• Cut by Patricia McCormick
• Thirteen reasons why by Jay Asher
• Stuck in neutral by Terry Trueman
• Staying fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
• Fix by Leslie Margolis
• Empty by K.M.Walton

Reviewed by Brilla

 

 

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

After the Seven Stages War, humanity is hanging on by a thread, the population of billions drastically reduced and each settlement of people faces challenges from pollution, mutations, and a lack of resources.  Most people spend their whole lives in their settlements, some are happy with their lot in life while others dream of the Testing and entering University.  The Testing was a dream for Cia Vale, but she never dreamed she would be chosen - but for the first time in years people from her settlement have been chosen for the Testing, an honour that is treason to deny. 

Cia feels nervous about leaving, and softly spoken secrets from her father do little to ease her worries.  Cia learns about his nightmares, the memories that may or not be real after his memories were wiped after his own Testing - and his last words are to trust no one.  Thrust into a world of fierce competition where everyone seems to be in it for themselves, Cia tries to hold onto who she really is and clings to the hope that things are not as they appear.  As the other candidates make decisions with deadly, even fatal, consequences Cia must find the courage to survive the tests she is facing - but also the Testing itself.

The Testing is a gripping novel set in a dystopian future in the remains of the United States, where young people face deadly challenges to gain the prize of a coveted University position.  That may sound vaguely familiar, another Hunger games wannabe with much pomp and ceremony, a familiar story of triumph over adversity and blah blah blah - but The Testing is one of the best dystopian novels, a quietly creepy and disquieting novel that leaves you feeling like you have touched a truly distasteful world where the people in power can do anything they want and it is all you can do to hold onto your humanity - and even if you hang on to it you still may not really be a "winner".

Describing too much about the story and characters will reduce the impact of the story and the little twists and surprises Charbonneu has built into this absorbing (and more than a little sickening) dystopian future.  I can see the strong parallels between the Hunger games and The Testing, but it is not a carbon copy nor a pale imitation.  Like the Hunger games this will appeal to a wide range of audiences, and the sequel looks to be a promising follow up to this first book in the series.  I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward to seeing how things develop for Cia and the other survivors of The Testing - and how things pan out for the people they have left behind.

If you like this book then try:

• The Hunger games by Suzanne Collins
• Eve by Anna Carey
• Enclave by Ann Aguirre
• Dualed by Elsie Chapman
• Reboot by Amy Tintera
• Slated by Teri Terry
• Legend by Marie Lu
• The forest of hands and teeth by Carrie Ryan
• XVI by Julia Karr

Reviewed by Brilla

The look by Sophia Bennett

Ted is used to being the odd one out, the tall girl with the outrageous (and uncontrollable) hair, literally head and shoulders above the rest.  Her sister Ava has it all, the looks, the brains, the ability to make friends easily - and at the age of seventeen she also has cancer.  Her family didn't realise she was sick at first, and the diagnosis of cancer is a shock to the whole family - especially when the specialist says they have a 90% success rate.  Refusing to worry about the 10%, the family rallies around Ava to help her through the treatments.  Ava and Ted are close, sharing a room and spending time together, and when Ava wants her to follow up with a modelling scout Ted can't resist - even though she knows it will come to nothing.

It doesn't though, instead Ted finds herself swirled up into the breath taking world of modelling and high fashion.  Chosen by a modelling agency known for their unique models, it seems as though it is all going to be over before it even begins - but then Ted makes a breakthrough and all the world is laid out at her feet.  It seems impossible that one sister can be rising so high while the other is faltering and failing with a disease that could end her life before it even begins - and with the pressure growing all round Ted will have to make decisions that she may not be ready for, decisions she may regret for the rest of her life.

The look is a fascinating read, blending together a Cinderella-esque story with a moving story about the relationship between two sisters where one of them has a potentially fatal illness.  Ted is an interesting character because she is very human, full of doubt and genuine concern for her sister - she may seem naïve at times, but she has incredible depth and has a very steep personal growth curve.  Her sister Ava is the kind of sister you would usually dislike in a novel like this, the perfect older sister who does well at school and has a gorgeous boyfriend, but she is portrayed as a character with real depth and emotion and it is hard to dislike a character who so obviously loves her little sister long before she is famous. 

To say too much about this book is to ruin the surprises along the way and the portrayal of the relationships between Ava and Ted, and the relationship with their parents.  I was expecting a somewhat vapid and fluffy novel with the title and cover image, but what I found instead was a deeply emotional book with all the elements of a true coming of age story.  Ted is lovely with all her flaws and personal doubts, and Ava is just as amazing as she bravely works through the issues around her illness.  Too often novels peter out towards the end, starting strongly and then failing to deliver the punch line, but I loved The look from beginning to end and look forward to reading more from this author in the future as she has an easy to read style, and she is not afraid to have some substance to her novel.

If you like this book then try:

• Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick
• The crimson thread by Suzanne Weyn
• Airhead by Meg Cabot
• Six months to live by Lurlene McDaniel
• The selection by Kiera Cass
• Just listen by Sarah Dessen
• Dead time by Anne Cassidy
• Always and forever: Two novels by Lurlene McDaniel
• The half life of Ryan Davis by Melinda Szymanik
• All-American girl by Meg Cabot
• I swear by Lane Davis

Reviewed by Brilla

Ella Minnow Pea: A novel in letters by Mark Dunn

Welcome to the island nation of Nollop, an independent island that lies off the coast of the United States of America near the South Carolina coast.  It is a small country, where the inhabitants proudly live in a culture rich with language and words with meaning, a legacy from Nevin Nollop who wrote the famous sentence that uses all the letters of the alphabet with little repetition - "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog".  These immortal words are etched on a memorial that has stood for over a hundred years, but when a letter falls from the monument it is seen not as a sign of aging adhesive, but rather the will of the mighty Nollop expressing his opinion from the great beyond - the letter has to go.

What begins with the loss of a single letter - z - soon turns into a dream-like (okay nightmare-like) existence where one by one the letters of the alphabet are removed from the written and spoken language, each letter removed from the language as it falls from the monument.  The people are a little confused at first, bemused even, but as the ones they love are punished (and even banished from the island completely) it becomes clear that things are never going to be the same on their little island.  As things go from bad to worse, it is up to one courageous young woman to save them all - but can she manage to complete Enterprise 32.  Ella Minnow Pea is not your average heroine, but she may be just what the island nation of Nollop needs.

In what may seem an odd twist this book was recommended to me by one of our library customers - and I am now passing on the favour by recommending it to you.  I am not usually a fan of novels in letter form, they can be quite contrived and hard to work through as the author tries to be clever and hide plot points in the letter with little care for how the letter would read - that is not the case here.  Almost from the first letter I was hooked on this story, and sat to finish the second half in one sitting so I could reach the end and find out what happens. 

This is one of those eye-opening books that makes you look at things in a different light, one of those thought provoking novels that will no doubt end up as one of those books students read at school to see how people can be manipulated to do things by the people in power - a modern classic to replace Animal farm or Lord of the flies.  This difference between Ella Minnow Pea and those other novels is that I actually enjoyed reading it, it became an addictive read to see how Ella would cope with the missing letters, the next little power trip from the council, and finally if anyone could break the 32 barrier and complete Enterprise 32.  An engrossing and thought provoking novel that will stay with you for some time.

If you like this book then try:

• Ibid: a novel by Mark Dunn
• Animal farm by George Orwell
• Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien
• Lord of the flies by William Golding
• I am the cheese by Robert Cormier
• Fahrenheit 451: A novel by Ray Bradbury

Reviewed by Brilla

The accident by Kate Hendrick

One moment on a wet and stormy night changed their lives forever - one moment that is in the future, in the present, and in the past.  Sarah survived the crash but her brother Robbie didn't, and her future is a new school, a painful new beginning, and a family that is pulling apart.  Will's present is a mother who lives like a hermit in her room while he takes care of himself and his younger sister Morgan takes care of herself - while their big sister Lauren seems to be anywhere but at home.  And looking towards her future is Eliat, who is struggling to be a parent to two year old Task while she tries to finish her studies and still have a good time.  Three teenage lives on a collision course with fate, connected by an accident that none of them saw coming, and which had consequences none of them could have planned for.

The accident is one of those weird books that was a good read and was engaging, but left me feeling more than a little disappointed in the end - and dare I say it leaving me feel a little cheated.  The overall story is well thought out and shows a lot of thought, but some of the connections felt a little shaky, and with the bouncing around between past, present, and future it felt at times like the author was trying to be too clever rather than focusing on the meat of the story.  Strangely though, I still enjoyed the story, even though books like this usually make me roll my eyes after a chapter or two and throw them on the reject pile - I can't help but think that maybe it would have been better to have the whole past, then the whole present, and then the whole future, it may have ruined a few of the surprises but for me it would have read better. 

There are some hidden strengths in this story, but there are also some rather gaping cliches.  Each of the characters is well drawn with their own strengths and flaws, and there are some genuine teenage voices here speaking through trying experiences, and I hope that teenagers will be able to connect more with the story than I did looking with adult eyes.  Set in Australia, there is a subtle Aussie flavour, but it could easily have been set anywhere in the world.

If you like this book then try:

• Rape girl by Alina Klein
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Counting backwards by Laura Lascarso
• Staying fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
• I swear by Lane Davis
• Whale talk by Chris Crutcher
• The half life of Ryan Davis by Melinda Szymanik
• Letters from the inside by John Marsden
• Catch the Zolt by Phillip Gwynne

Reviewed by Brilla

The possibility dogs by Susannah Charleson

The path a life takes can sometimes be surprising, and sometimes the journey is the most surprising of all.  This is a memoir with a difference, blending together a life of working with a search and rescue trained golden retriever and providing refuge for rescue dogs - and a life of discovery in the often misunderstood world of psychiatric service dogs.  In a carefully balanced dance of chapters we experience the life Susannah lives with Puzzle, her swarm of Pomeranians, and a puppy that fell into her lap called Jake Piper, but we also learn about the lives who have been touched by working psychiatric service dogs.

I have a strong personal interest in psychiatric service dogs and assistance dogs in general because I have seen them working and done the research - psychiatric service dogs are thought of as a crutch, a gimmick, a chance for someone to take their pet with them to make them feel better, but there is so much more to these dogs than that (and sure some people would abuse the law but you get that everywhere).  What easily could have become a preachy book, talking at the reader about these dogs, instead it is a touching and at times emotional journey through one woman's work to train a rescued puppy to become a working assistance dog, but it is also a collection of short biographies of working partnerships that can (and did) bring you to tears.

In recent years books about working dogs have become very popular, thanks in no small part to the release of a book called a Friend like Henry by Nuala Gardner - a very personal story about a family with a child with autism spectrum disorder and the Golden retriever that reached him when nothing else would.  These stories have traditionally been about assistance dogs for the physically disabled, or in the case of Until Tuesday where the handler has both physical and psychiatric conditions, but Charleson focuses less on the physical and more on the pure psychiatric.  Her story also shows the level of training that is required for assistance dogs, Jake Piper is put through his paces (and then some), he is not given an easy pass just because he may end up as a guide dog for the mind - Charleson expects him to have the same high standards as any other assistance dog.

I come from a country where the law clearly defines a disability assist dog, and where dogs can only work in public spaces if they are certified by organisations listed in the legislation that allows working dogs - and I can see the benefits of this over the system in the United States where anyone can train a dog and call it an assistance dog.  One of the reasons I find our system better is that it holds a high standard for training and certification, allows for better public education, and ensures the person working with the dog has a genuine disability - three things missing from the situation in the United States.  Charleson's book provides a glimpse into the training of psychiatric service dogs and provides a glowing example of how it should be done, how people training their own dogs can strive for and reach high standards.  The possibility dogs is an education wrapped up in an engaging and absorbing story.

If you are interested in learning more about psychiatric service dogs then this is a fantastic book to read - if you are interested in reading about amazing relationships based on the human-animal bond then this is a fantastic book to read - if you are interested in reading a book about rescue dogs that will bring tears to your eyes then this is a fantastic book to read - if you are looking for a good book to read then this is a fantastic book to read.

If you like this book then try:

• Homer's odyssey a fearless feline tale or how I learned about love and life with a blind wonder cat by Gwen Cooper
• Finding Harmony by Sally Hyder
• A street cat named Bob by James Bowen
• Cowboy & Wills by Monica Holloway
• Until Tuesday: A wounded warrior and the dog who saved him by Luis Carlos Montalvan
• A friend like Henry by Nuala Gardner
• Thunder dog: The true story of a blind man, his guide dog, and the triumph of trust at ground zero by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory

Reviewed by Brilla

Frost burned by Patricia Briggs

Frost burned is the seventh book in the Mercy Thompson series so this review contains ***SPOILERS*** of what happens in the previous books.  If you like to read series in order then don't read anymore of this review until you have read the other books in this series - a series that really benefits from being read in the right order.

Mercy has settled in well to her role as Adam's wife and the role of being the mate of the Alpha werewolf - even though there are some members of the pack who are not particularly happy with some of the changes she has made, never mind the fact that she is a skin walking coyote rather than a werewolf.  A somewhat easier role to settle into has been the role of Jesse's stepmother, but even that has it's challenges on a busy night when everyone and their dog (or coyote in this case) is out searching for bargains leading up to Christmas.  The worst thing Mercy should have to worry about is looking for a decent parking space, but instead she finds herself bumped and bruised after a car accident - and shaken and lost when she realises the pack has been drugged and taken by force by a mysterious group of people who claimed to be federal agents.

It is a stressful time for Mercy, not only is she nursing some physical injuries, but she is also nursing a few spiritual and emotional ones as well.  She is never afraid to face danger head on, but when there are vulnerable civilians in the way things become much more complicated - especially when the bad guys prove that they are not above playing dirty to get what they want.  It is times like these when Mercy realises just how much she misses because she is coyote rather than a werewolf like everyone else, the subtle little things that everyone else does rather than having to think about it.  Feeling the loss of Adam, and sickened through their pack bond, Mercy has to figure out what is happening and fast - otherwise she could loose more than just her Mate and her Pack.

The Mercy Thompson books and the Alpha and Omega series are both guilty pleasures for me - not because they are fantasy novels, but because I usually slink away to hide in the house somewhere so I can try and read them in one sitting.  Frost burned is no exception to this rule, although I did have a little trouble settling into the story for the first chapter or two because I had to remember what had happened in the last book (through the veil of all the books I have read in between) - this is a professional hazard of reading as many books as I do in a year.  This is not a reflection on Frost burned, which started with a bang (okay that might have just been the car wreck) and built the mystery and tension until the villain was ultimately revealed, along with a little more information about the law of vampires and werewolves in Brigg's addictive and well imagined world. 

I am a shameless addict and Frost burned was definitely a good fix while I wait for the next Alpha and Omega and Mercy Thompson books to be written.  There are several series out there that have a similar vibe, but they have quickly become too tangled in their mythology, loosing some of the charm of the series and become too complicated to follow across time - that is not the case of Brigg's world.  A very satisfying read.

If you like this book then try:

• Moon called by Patricia Briggs
• Tinker by Wen Spencer
• Night shifted by Cassie Alexander
• Cry wolf by Patricia Briggs
• Kitty and the midnight hour by Carrie Vaughn
• Dark descendant by Jenna Black
• Burning water by Mercedes Lackey
• Kitty goes to Washington by Carrie Vaughn
• Blood price by Tanya Huff
• Urban shaman by C.E. Murphy
• Spiders bite by Jennifer Estep
• Dead witch walking by Kim Harrison
• Precinct 13 by Tate Hallaway

Reviewed by Brilla

The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Elite is the sequel to the Selection so this review contains ***SPOILERS*** if you have not read the Selection.  If you like to read series in order then don't read any more of this review until you have read the Selection.

 

The Selection has seen the arrival of 35 girls to compete to become the princess of Ilea and the wife of the future king.  Over time the original 35 has been whittled down to just 6, and axon has been spending time getting to know the girls who remain, although America is sure that she holds a special place in his heart.  Everything seems to be going okay with the Selection, but with every passing day America finds her confusing growing as she tried to decide who really holds her heart - Maxon or Aspen.  Just when America thinks she has finally made her choice, she finds herself torn once more between the safe and comfortable love from Aspen, and the apparently more passionate and intoxicating romantic gestures from Maxon.

 

In the background the rebels are working to overthrow the kingdom, threatening the royal family and everyone living in the palace as they fight to make changes to the country of Ilea.  America knows that her country isn't perfect, and she struggles with the knowledge that she has moved up in the caste system while others have been punished and sent down the tiers of the caste system.  It is a difficult time, especially when all the other Elite girls seem to have knowledge, skills, or graces that let them excel at their lessons and during their public appearances.  When they unthinkable happens and America publicly goes against the royal family in a very public way, she risks losing Maxon for good - has she taken too long to make up her mind, will she lose her true love before she even realises who it is?

 

The Elite is the sequel to the Selection and picks up where the first book left off, dragging you deeper into the love triangle of America, Aspen, and Prince Maxon.  This is an interesting series because it has romance at the heart of the story, yet the story fits neatly into the genre of adventure and mystery as well.  The future world where the Elite is set is the remains of America, a dystopian world where the only way to save society was to create a caste system where everyone knows their place from birth, it is a simple society that everyone understands - yet there are people who fight against it.  Dystopian novels are popular at the moment, but the Selection and the Elite stand out from the crowd a little because they are not a simple and straight forward story, there is a lot of background information that you only really learn about in the Elite, information that helps you to better understand America and her world.

 

This is not high brow literature, it is a story that is meant to be read and enjoyed - and I did both.  Cass has created a realistic world and populated it with realistic people, America is not perfect and neither are the people around her.  At times I wanted to shake her and tell her to grow up, to grow a backbone, to think of other people, to see the possibilities - and while she does develop over the novel I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her a few times.  The Elite is darker than the Selection and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book in the series as America discovers some home truths about herself, but she also discovers more about the people around her that is both shocking and begging for more detail.  This series is very readable, and was difficult to put down once I picked it up.

 

If you like this book then try:

• The Selection by Kiera Cass
• Matched by Ally Condie
• Wither by Lauren Destefano
• Crown duel by Sherwood Smith
• The hunger games by Suzanne Collins
• The pledge by Kimberly Derting
• Eve by Anna Carey
• Winter of fire by Sherryl Jordan
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer

 

Reviewed by Brilla

Reboot by Amy Tintera

Five years ago Wren died - and woke up 178 minutes later as a Reboot.  As a Reboot Wren has only one choice, to work for the Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation (HARC) - and she is now Wren 178, the most feared Reboot of them all.  Wren is the "oldest" Reboot ever known, she was dead for so long that most people treat her as an inhuman monster, incapable of feeling emotions - in short she is the perfect tool for the HARC as they hunt down undeclared Reboots, the sick, and the rebels who threaten to undermine the HARC.  She is everything the HARC could want in a soldier, and she is content with her life and her place in the world, but the arrival of a new batch of Reboots rocks her world to the core.

As the highest ranked Reboot Wren has her pick of the new recruits, and she has always picked the highest number, the Reboot most likely to succeed in the training.  She excels at training Reboots, her trainees seem to live longer than other trainees, and they are model soldiers.  When Callum arrives it seems as though he will never make it as a Reboot, at 22 he is just too human, too close to the people they are supposed to help control and contain.  When Wren takes him on as her trainee (against her better judgment) it seems as though everything is stacked against them, and when Wren is told to bring Callum in line or terminate him, she begins to realise that all the things she has always believed about Reboots may not be true at all.

Reboot is set in the remains of the state of Texas, a series of settlements that have been ravaged by the KDH virus and the Reboot wars.  Wren is the epitome of a Reboot soldier working for the HARC, she is obedient, strong, and have no pesky emotions to get in the way of enjoying her work.  For the past five years she has trained, hunted, and retrieved her state sanctioned prey, all at the beck and call of the humans that hold her and the other Reboots with contempt, disdain, and fear.  It is a scary thought that our future could hold not only a virus that creates a creature that looks human (with a few subtle differences) but is no longer the person they used to be. 

It is difficult to pinpoint which mythology the Reboots fall under, they almost seem like zombies because of the whole walking dead and no emotions thing, but they are also quite like the vampire mythology because of the need for red meat and because when they go off the rails they crave blood and red meat.  It is safe to say that there is a new kind of mythology here, and in some ways the future world in Reboot reminded me very strongly of the future world we saw in the movie I am legend staring Will Smith.  It is not surprising in the least to know that there is already a movie in the pipeline for Reboot as it reads very much like a movie script - a little too much so for my taste, it always feels a little bit like the author is cheating their readers when something is so blatantly written for the screen.

I did enjoy Reboot, although I did find it a little predictable and there were moments when things seemed a little too easy, but it was a good bit of escapism and that was what I was looking for at the time.  Tintera has great promise for future writing as this was a strongly written debut novel that showed real attention to the little details.  There is just a smidge of romance here, and that may make it a little more appealing to teenage boys - the action is the centre of the story and what keeps the pace moving to the end.  I am not sure if there will be a sequel, it felt like a complete and contained story, but there was also an element of this possibly being the first book in a series - we will all have to wait and see.

If you like this book then try:

• Enclave by Ann Aguire
• The forest of hands and teeth by Carrie Ryan
• Altered by Jennifer Rush
• The hunt by Andrew Fukuda
• Thyla by Kate Gordon
• Crave by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz
• Legend by Marie Lu
• XVI by Julia Karr

Reviewed by Brilla

T-Rex trying by Hugh Murphy

The longer title of this book is T-Rex trying: The unfortunate trials of the tyrant lizard king and it was laugh out loud funny from the moment I opened the first page.  What started as a simple cartoon drawing for his wife, has turned into a hilarious Tumblr blog and now a book!  My co-workers and I have an in joke thanks to a dinosaur cartoon where a bunch of dinosaurs are singing "if you're happy and you know it", and the T-Rex in the front accuses them of being, well not very nice - T-Rex kind of reminds me of that in joke. 

 

There are so many visual jokes in this book that make you want to roll around on the floor laughing that it is difficult to choose a favourite - particularly because everyone had their own favourite.  There are jokes for all occasions from team building (a T-Rex trust fall or wheelbarrow race anyone) through to a T-Rex trying to hitchhike or ride a horse.  It takes a certain person to create a simple visual gag that people can instantly relate to, a twisted mind, a genius mind, or something trapped between the two (you choose but you may be revealing more about yourself than you intended!).

 

I loved this book and it reminds me a lot of Simon's cat and Texts from dog in the fact that they were all famous online before they made their way to the pages of a book, but also because there is something simple and charming about line drawings (and the humour that is about the content rather than all the bells and whistles).  This was a fun and amusing book, and may just make its way to my bookshelf at home too.

 

If you like this book then try:

• Simon's cat by Simon Tofield
• All my friends are dead by Avery Monsen and Jory John
• Texts from dog by October Jones
• Vader's little princess by Jeffrey Brown
• Darth Vader and son by Jefrey Brown
• How to tell if your cat is trying to kill you by The Oatmeal and Matthew Inman

 

Reviewed by Brilla

10,000 dresses by Marcus Ewert; illustrated by Rex Ray

Bailey dreams about dresses every night - all kinds of beautiful dresses that are unique and just begging to be worn.  When Bailey tries on the first dress the crystals clink against each other like little bells and rainbows jump out when the sunlight hits the crystals just right.  With all her heart Bailey wants the dress, but the next morning when she tries to tell her mother about the dress her mother tells Bailey that she is a boy and boys don't wear dresses! 

The next night Bailey dreams of a dress made of lilies and roses, with honeysuckles and blossoms that tasted like honey.  When Bailey tried to tell her father about the beautiful dress he tells her that she is a boy and boys don't wear dresses!  Bailey feels like a girl, even though she looks like a boy, and all she wants is to have one of the beautiful dresses she sees in her dreams.  It seems like an impossible dream because even her family is not listening, they keep telling her she is a boy and boys don't wear dresses!  Then Bailey meets a girl called Laurel and things make a change for the better.

I am not usually a fan of books with messages - especially picture books - but 10,000 dresses is a simple and sweet book that can be enjoyed as a story in its own right.  Too often our books for children are full of stereotypes of how people should look or sound, and to have such an open and honest story about a girl who just happens to look like a boy to everyone else has immense charm for me.  There are other books out there that encourage acceptance of diversity and provide support for children who are experiencing tough or confusing times, but most of them can not be enjoyed as a simple story - and 10,000 dresses can.

I loved this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who knows a transgendered child who needs a bit of a boost, to anyone who has a child who is friends with a transgendered child, and anyone who would like to read a sweet and touching story about a child who is happy in their own skin who happens to find a happy ending.

If you like this book then try:

• My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis; illustrated by Suzanne DeSimone
• Chamelia by Ethan Long
• And Tango makes three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
• Be who you are by Jennifer Carr; pictures by Ben Rumback
• It's okay to be different by Todd Parr
• You're different and that's super by Carson Kressley; illustrated by Jared Lee

Reviewed by Brilla

The rules by Stacey Kade

For ten years Ariane has followed The Rules - never trust anyone, remember they are always searching, don't get involved, keep your head down, don't fall in love - five simple rules to keep her secret and keep her safe.  She has always followed The Rules, even though it can be a struggle just to remember to seem like everyone else, completely human - because Ariane is not, completely human that is. 

Ariane is designated GTX-F-107, a human alien hybrid who lived like a lab rat until her "father" rescued her one night after the lab was bombed.  For the past ten years she has tried to blend in, hiding the physical difference with coloured contacts and hair dye, and she almost passes for human - almost but not quite.  Her one friend is Jenna, and together they are riding through the social hell known as high school, staying under the radar and mostly unnoticed - until Jenna finds herself in the cross hairs of queen bee and school bully Rachel Jacobs. 

Suddenly things are not quiet and simple, and once Ariane breaks one of the rules - the others quickly tumble too.  Things go from complicated to completely messed up when Zane Bradshaw steps outside of the rules as well, going against the will of the mighty Rachel Jacobs.  With Rachel pushing all her buttons, and Ariane struggling to control the abilities she has kept clamped down for so long, the battle lines are drawn for an epic battle that may mean life or death - for Ariane, and the people she cares about.

The Rules is the first book in the Project Paper Doll series and it is an explosive beginning to the series - complete with a conspiracy of secrets, a heroine who is more fragile than she seems and not what she appears to be, a tortured soul looking to fit in and be accepted, and a spoiled prima donna who wants what she wants and doesn't care who gets hurt in the process.  Some (minor) cliches not withstanding, The Rules is an absorbing read with a carefully thought out back story that is both convincing and a little too close to some of the conspiracy theories out there (how many of the stories about secret government facilities are there anyway?). 

Ariane rings true with her teenage voice and concerns, but she also has a true voice as someone who is trying to keep the ultimate secret - she is not wholly human and some of the things she could do as a child were both awe inspiring and scary.  Trying to navigate high school is tricky enough for a normal teenager, never mind being a teenager who lives by a series of rules that are designed to keep her hidden and safe.  The characters built around Ariane are realistic and have their charms and flaws - something you pick up more readily because the chapters alternate between Ariane's voice and Zane's.

This is a very promising start to a new series, and while it is not a short read (410 pages) once I was absorbed in the story the chapters flew by until I reached the stunning conclusion.  This is one of the better books I have read this year, and I hope that Kade doesn't keep us waiting too long for the next book in the series.

If you like this book then try:

• The originals by Cat Patrick
• Origin by Jessica Khoury
• Altered by Jennifer Rush
• Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza
• Sister assassin by Kiersten White
• Variant by Robison Wells
• Adaptation by Melinda Lo

Reviewed by Brilla

Parallel by Lauren Miller

For Abby Barnes it was just a normal day on the movie set with a little partying in the evening to celebrate her (almost) 18th birthday.  She never expected or wanted to become an actress, but through a twist of fate her dreams of college turned into a reality of acting in a movie with one of Hollywood's biggest leading men.  When she wakes up from a night spent dreaming about earthquakes she discovers that she is no longer on the way to fame and fortune in Hollywood - instead she is a student at Yale, a school she never planned to go to.

Confused and more than a little disorientated by the difference in her life as opposed to the real life she remembers, Abby reaches out to her bestfriend Caitlin to try and make sense of what is happening.  The explanation is both freakishly simple and freakishly scary - there has been a collision between parallel worlds and the events in the other world have become their new reality, and only Abby seems to remember that there ever was another reality.  As her parallel makes decisions Abby discovers that things can change over night, and only she can remember a difference.  Uncertain about what will happen next, Abby clings to what she remembers and grows increasingly resentful towards the "other" Abby, the one she sees as ruining her life.  But are things as simple as Abby believes, or is there more to her story than meets the eye.

Parallel is both incredibly slick and clever, but also intriguing and addictive.  At first it took a few chapters to really sink into the story and what was happening, but once I did I didn't want to put the story down because I wanted to know what the "other" Abby was going to do and how it would change the situation for "real" Abby.  The subtle changes in the alternate reality made some quite huge changes for Abby, and at other times things hardly rippled at all.

This is one of those books where explaining too much about the story has the potential to ruin the plot for people - so I won't say anymore about the plot.  At times the story did feel a little "clunky" but for a debut novel there is an amazing amount of polish and I look forward to seeing if Miller continues as an author and what she is capable of as this is a very promising start for an author who doesn't cheat her audience by taking sort cuts and using cheap clichés to keep her story moving.

If you like this book then try:

• Revived by Cat Patrick
• Invisibility by Andrea Cremer
• Altered by Jennifer Rush
• Pivot point by Kasie West
• Unremembered by Jessica Brody
• The Ward by Jordana Frankel
• What's left of me by Kat Zhang
• Dualed by Elsie Chapman
• Slated by Teri Terry

Reviewed by Brilla

Rump: The true story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff

His whole life Rump has been picked on because of his unusual name and because he doesn't know what his full name in - his mother died before she could speak his full name.  It is a sad tale, but that is only the start, for Rump's young life is full of challenges and trials on a daily basis.  Rump lives with his grandmother on The Mountain, digging and searching for the gold that his King holds so dear.  Everyone on the mountain tries to find enough gold to get their fair share of the provisions that the Miller distributes on behalf of the King.  It is not an easy life, he has to search for gold and avoid the gold obsessed pixies that hover anytime gold is near.

When Rump finds his mothers spinning wheel he has no idea that he is about to embark on a mind boggling adventure that will be told for generations to come - although not in quite the way he experiences it.  When Rump tries to use the spinning wheel he discovers that he has the ability to spin common straw into strands of magical gold, a discovery that soon turns into a nightmare when the greedy Miller finds out his secret.  When the gold loving King discovers that someone in his village can spin gold, Rump's life and the life of everyone in the village will never be the same again.

Rump is a wonderful retelling of the legend of Rumpelstiltskin, not only because Shurtliff has covered a part of the story that has not been covered before, but also because of the warmth and humour the story portrays.  Rump is something of a victim of fate, but the people around him help him to discover who he really is and what his destiny will be.  The characters range from villains to friends, through to family and idiotic kings.  The elements of the traditional telling of Rumpelstiltskin are all there, but not quite as you expect.

This is a fun little story, and Shurtliff has a firm future in writing books for children if she can keep up the world creating and myth busting that she has created here.  Often books like this are too clever for their own good, trying to be something they are not, but I didn't feel that about Rump at all - it is a book that is true to itself, but also manages to be true to the legend as well.  It was a pleasure to read for the fun of it, to discover a world that is just a little different to what you thought it was going to be - a truly fractured fairytale.

If you like this book then try:

• Ella enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
• A true princess by Dianne Zahler
• Curse of the Thirteenth fey: The true story of Sleeping Beauty by Jane Yolen
• Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
• The fairytale detectives by Michael Buckley
• Snow in Summer: Fairest of them all by Jane Yolen

Reviewed by Brilla