Reviews by Danielle James
Review of Little House At The Corner
By
Enid Blyton
OK, this book was old when I was a little girl - but, as then, it was still popular.
I LOVE this book - it was the first one I read with no pictures. When I realised this, my stomach curled. I did not feel comfortable … by the time I had finished reading it, I felt like a grown up (I was 10!). I was thrilled that I could picture the characters and scenes just as I pleased.
The Little House At The Corner is one of Enid Blyton’s greatest hidden treasures. It’s a sweet story which tells the tale of what happens when the fearsome Aunt Grace comes to visit.
Nobody - including the parents - are happy that she has chosen to visit them. They all have excuses for why they can’t even meet her at the train station. All, that is, except the sweet, kind hearted, gentle Lizzie. She just happens to be my favourite character, more about that in a moment.
Aunt Grace puts a fire under the family - her unwelcome presence throws them into chaos. But is she quite the ogre they think? Lizzie seems to know how to bring out the best in her auntie.
Lizzie was an inspiration to me. I wanted to emulate her. She was not only kind, caring, loving and compassionate, she was also desperate to be a writer.
Of course, I couldn’t put this feeling into words when I was 10 … I just knew she was the best character. I have, unconsciously, always tried to follow the example set in that book. Have I always succeeded? No - but I guess I get points for trying! Lizzie is portrayed as virtually perfect … I’m not! But I have managed to capture some of her good points in my personality.
Sadly, I lost this book, which I treasured, when we moved house in 1986. No clue how that or a couple of other things went missing. I never forgot it.
Then, I was talking to Amanda and said I was always on the lookout for the edition of The Little House At The Corner that I had always loved as a little girl. I have never found that edition (though I would still love to). A few weeks later, though, I DID hear an envelope plop onto the mat. It was addressed to me. Intrigued, I opened it - and almost dropped the book in shock. Amanda is very like Lizzie and I. She will always go the extra mile to help people - in this case she had very kindly searched out a first edition.
Oh how much fun I had re-reading that story! I devoured it from the first to the last in one sitting.
The book is an easy read and a bit of a departure for Enid Blyton. Fans who love her Famous Five books (I am included in that number) could be forgiven for thinking she had ghost written this book or had someone write it for her. There was no sign of her prejudice or incredible adventures. Yet, it didn’t lose anything for all that.
This book won marks precisely because it was such a lovely, gentle story. It taught the reader about the importance of listening to your elderly relatives - something that only becomes clear to adults and children alike when it’s often too late.
I am delighted that, at the time of writing, this book has been found and re-published! It comes with a set (six in total). What it DOES lose points on, sadly, is both the first and this edition have illustrations - and none of them are remotely similar to the characters I picture … Lizzie is the closest.
I wanted to give this book a resounding 10/10 but the benefit of age (mine … and that of the book) has reduced that slightly. It’s a lovely, old fashioned tale which made me cry so that increased its score to a resounding 9.
This book comes highly recommended from me.
Beautiful, Frightening and Silent
By
Jennifer Gordon
Welcome back!
Today’s review is one which is normally out of my comfort zone but it’s a special book so I’m glad I stretched myself.
Beautiful, Frightening and Silent tells a hauntingly beautiful tale which brilliantly written.
Beautiful, Frightening and Silent is emphatically NOT a book that will give the reader nightmares so if, like me, you’re worried about that, then don’t be.
Adam, the main character, begins the book going to self help groups such as the AA - only he’s still drinking. When his wife and son are killed in a tragic accident, the pain of the parting opens up the old scars he has still not dealt with which stem from a difficult, abusive childhood. He feels responsible for the crash which killed his wife and son.
He hears a rumour that there is a place called Dagger Island which offers him salvation of sorts. He is told that, ‘if someone wants it bad enough’ they can be reunited with their loved one. He is not sure what reception he will get from his son - condemnation or salvation so he sets off, with trepidation, to the island where he stays at a dilapidated old house and becomes involved with the spirit of a tormented ghost who has been trapped there for the last 60 years, frightening an old man who murdered her.
This book is exceptionally well written. I can’t count how often the author, Jennifer Gordon has brought the scene to life so I felt I was there. The spirits are written so well that I felt as though I were them - that’s not a typo. I never felt as though I was the outsider looking in and could feel and see their emotions.
Although the book is not frightening, it is heart wrenching at times.
It hooked me from the first page and I felt compelled to continue reading, long after I should have stopped.
What I love about this book is the writing itself is almost lyrical. The words flow like music - sometimes slow, others fast, depending on whether the author wanted to ratchet up the tension or not. The best description is it’s a symphony of words. If an orchestra could play speech, the audience would be enraptured.
Jennifer Gordon knows how to wreak the emotions in the book and I could almost feel that she was emotional as she wrote certain scenes herself. One of the most difficult things to achieve is to get any emotion out of the reader. Jennifer has achieved this in spades. There are parts of the book - especially at the beginning but in other places too - that can only be described as deliciously scary. The type that gives you chills but doesn’t frighten you.
If somebody asked me to give them a taste of what to expect, I would tell them that she is a mix of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and the delightful Barbara Erskine’s House of Echoes.
This book deserves a space on everyone’s bookshelf and it’s a shame I have not yet received my own paperback version yet - I read it on my new Kindle.
Score? 9 3/4!
Review of Middle School
by
James Patterson
My eyes lit up at the sight - a new James Patterson book was out … and less than half price!
I know his books of old - I think I could pick them out in a blind test - but this was different. It was a children’s book.
Middle School is the story of Rafe Kachadorian, a social misfit with a home life that is not great (he particularly dislikes his mother’s partner. He is unkind to poor Rafe, in a very caricatured way. This works well for this type of book but in most it would seem over the top - the guy seems to have no redeeming features), is bullied in school and is head over heels in love with the school representative, Jeanne Galleta.
Rafe starts of feeling shy, just wanting to be left alone.
That plan falls by the wayside, though, when the class bully singles him out.
The reader feels for Rafe as he struggles to blend in.
After a long and tedious assembly, he hatches his master plan with the aid of his best friend, Leo. He will be the first person since the school opened to break ALL of the rules.
What he doesn’t do is take into account the traumatic effect his actions will have on his long suffering mother.
She works long hours in a cafe, trying to keep a roof over the family’s heads while her partner drinks away their money and lies on the sofa all day.
The book is hilarious and keeps the reader enthralled as Rafe plans his attack, deals with constant bullying and experiences unrequited love for the first time.
Things begin to change when he realises how his actions have hurt his mother, who he loves dearly. My heart melted as I saw the effort he put in, trying to turn things around to little or no effect.
Eventually, he commits one crime too many and things hang in the balance for this naughty but loveable rogue.
This is a well written book which, for the most part, stands up with James Patterson’s books for adults in terms of quality. However, things fall a little flat, for me at least, when he tries to improve his behaviour. I loved the naughty side of him, the part which we have all experienced, whether at work or school - that side of us that wants to challenge authority. The difference being, he does!
This book could easily not have worked for me. Generally speaking, I hate stories told in first person (I think there’s a contrary part of me that says, “But I’m not doing that, I’m reading!) and, even worse, is if a book is written in a conversational style. This book used both of these styles of writing.
However, it did work, primarily because it was impossible to see the many twists and turns which were very cleverly concealed from the reader. I would think I had a handle on things and Rafe would flip it and make me realise I was wrong - for me the two cleverest twists were Leo’s identity and the reason the story started the way it did.
The theme of the book - bullying - was superbly handled. We are living at a time when this issue seems to be particularly prevalent, and I am glad James Patterson has written it in this way.
It is clear that Rafe is misbehaving in an attempt to garner attention - it is a cry for help, essentially, but he goes about it the wrong way. I’m glad to say the bully learns an important lesson, too.
I can’t wait for the next instalment.
I give this book 7 3/4!
Hetty Feather
by
Jacqueline Wilson
Oh my God, I think I’m in love!
No, not with a man - but with a wonderful, funny, spunky kid called Hetty Feather!
Jacqueline Wilson has created a funny, quick, intelligent and cute main character in ‘orphan’ Hetty who has an idyllic life until she is 5 years old.
Given to a ‘Foundling Hospital’, Hetty - a slip of a thing - is fostered by a loving family (many of her brothers and sisters are also orphans) who she loves dearly.
However, she is devastated to learn that she will have to return to the hospital when she turns 5. In desperation, she tries to find her mother.
Hetty turns to her adored brother, Jem, for solace and even runs away. Rules must be obeyed, though, and she and her brother are forced to leave the family they love and return to the confines of the ‘hospital’.
The parting had tears running down my face for three whole chapters!
Jacqueline Wilson, I have discovered, writes emotion very well and I was not surprised she wreaked the emotion - just by how long she maintained it. I now see why so many people say I write like this wonderfully gifted author (I only wish I had half her talent).
The reader is taken from laughter at Hetty’s outrageous comments, to tears as she is literally torn from all she loves. I was impressed by how Hetty kept hold of her last vestiges of hope by hiding a coin Jem gives her in her cheek when all her worldly goods are removed. Her anger at the injustice of not even being allowed to keep her doll to comfort her at night reaches out from the page and grabs the reader, pulling them into her world.
Although the book is for older children, the author has stayed true to the emotions of a child of their age. While she still has a temper, Hetty learns to hold it in check as she matures.
One of my favourite parts of the story was when she accidentally ran away after all those years of wanting to do so. As a reader, I felt a mix of elation because she had finally achieved her goal and now had a chance of happiness, and a feeling (which may be because I am reading this as an adult) of worrying how she will cope all alone in the big, wide world.
My heart hammered when a character offered to take Hetty for a bite to eat. I knew something was wrong and found myself thinking, “Don’t go, Hetty! Run!”
It’s very unusual for me to become totally immersed in a story (especially one written in the first person) but I was hooked from the first to these last page and am determined to read more of Jacqueline Wilson books as soon as I am able to.
I know how I would like the Hetty Feather series to end … I have to question, though, whether, if I were Jacqueline Wilson, would I do it that way?
Probably not!
This book is one of the best I have ever read for children of this age group and gets a rare, but well deserved, 10/10!
Review of My Sister Jodie
by
Jacqueline Wilson
I have often been told that I write in a similar vein to Jacqueline Wilson so, when I saw one of her books in a sale for just 50p, I snapped it up.
At first, I wasn’t sure if I liked it. To me, it felt like there was something missing - but I couldn’t put my finger on what it might be.
I never did figure it out (it could have been simply that I am not the intended demography for the book!) but I soon warmed up to it.
In some ways, the story reminded me of my sister and I - just with our roles reversed.
Jodie, the older sister, was very rebellious, testing the boundaries all the time, leaving her parents demented with worry, having got in with a bad crowd and truanting from school.
(Just to make it clear, this is in no way similar to my sister. I say the story reminded me of our relationship - but she was in no way anything like Jodie. I think what I mean when I say that is she is far more confident and daring than I am!)
Her sister, Pearl, on the other hand, was the opposite - very shy and lonely, with a great imagination.
In desperation, their parents take new jobs at a well respected boarding school. It is live in - a oky little flat - and they are planning a fresh start, getting Jodie away from her friends and giving her the chance of a good education.
Pearl is excited at the thought of the impending move but Jodie is far more reluctant - she would prefer to remain in their old home.
When they see Melchester College for the first time, Pearl can barely contain her excitement. It’s exactly like the mansion she has always imagined - complete with a tower! (Throughout her younger years, Pearl yearned for her bedroom to be in a place like this).
It takes almost no time for Pearl to make friends with a young lad, Harvey. He becomes her most faithful friend and they spend hours carefully spreading honey on the grass and watching the badgers.
I love the tender, gentle way the friendship blooms almost into love. It’s very sensitively handled and beautiful to ‘watch’ as Pearl’s confidence grows and she blooms like a flower.
Yet, while Pearl is blossoming, poor Jodie is feeling lonely and desperate.
The sisters have never had any secrets from each other but it soon becomes clear that Pearl is hiding something and Jodie starts feeling insecure, pushing herself on Harvey (kind of like a chaperone for Pearl), getting them into scrapes.
When she snoops in Pearl’s diary, she is horrified that she’s written she has a secret with Harvey. Jodie jumps to the wrong conclusions when she discovers Pearl has sneaked out in the middle of the night.
After the students return to school, Jodie’s behaviour worsens. It’s so sad because the reader can see what her family - and everyone else - can’t.
She is attention seeking, trying to steal the spotlight from her sister - and she is seething with jealousy. Pearl never used to be so popular - and Jodie misses her like crazy. She wants her soulmate back. She yearns to go back to the days when it was just the two of them.
Jodie is not a bad person - she has some great skills, especially her love of children and her wonderful imagination. The Headmaster decides to try giving her some responsibility to try and improve her behaviour. She is given the task of telling the little children stories.
Everything goes well until one night she lets her imagination run away with her and tells them the cruel story of the white woman who will come to get them - the children are terrified and she is forced to tell them there are no such things as ghosts. She based the story on the Headmaster’s wife who is in a wheelchair following a fall from a tower which has since been blocked off.
The end had me wiping away the tears as Jacqueline Wilson put in a surprise twist I really didn’t see coming - then threw us another, right at the end. I kind of saw that one coming but it was very well hidden.
I thought this was an extremely well written book and, if I really do write like her, I’ll be elated. I know for a fact I could never put twists in a book as she does.
Jacqueline Wilson is the Queen of emotion and description - two things that are very important to me as a writer. I could really see and feel everything she described.
A very well deserved 9 1/2 out of 10!
Review of Remember Me
by
Sophie Kinsella
Let me preface this by saying this is one of the few books I’ve ever read that has not been a thriller. I’m discovering the joys of the lighter books at last.
So, I have to say I’m not a complete newbie to Sophie Kinsella. Like many of us, I LOVED her Shopaholic series. I found the character so easy to identify with - I will often buy to comfort myself (in my case, I limit myself to books but whatever floats your boat).
I leaped at the chance to read Remember Me when I was in ASDA … I looked it up on my Kindle and bought it.
The story is thought provoking - though in no way can it be described as depressing!
It tells the tale of Lexi, a 20 something heroine who, in 2004, has a rubbish job, is going out with friends on a night out before her father’s funeral (as you do!) and, in a desperate attempt to get home she runs for a taxi but falls down some steps - the next thing she knows is it’s 2007. She looks amazing, has a brilliant job, is married to a wonderful man … who she doesn’t remember. Her sister has morphed ‘overnight’ into a completely different person.
She is released from hospital, only to find she is living in this amazing, state of the art, home. Television screens in every room, mood lighting at the touch of a button. She can’t believe her luck!
But, slowly, cracks begin to appear. She realises she is lonely. None of her old friends will speak to her; she is suddenly the boss of a huge department and her staff say is she is a bitch. Lexi knows this isn’t like her.
Can the truth be unravelled by the handsome Jon? What does he know? Why will nobody fill in the blanks for her? Most importantly, Lexi feels she has lost herself and needs to find the old person she knows is deep inside - simply forgotten about.
I’m not going to spoil this wonderful story for those of you who haven’t read it (go and grab your copy now! It’s fantastic).
However, I will tell you what I think.
This book takes you on a real roller coaster. Sophie Kinsella has created a wonderful, flawed character that the reader not only cares about but roots for. We want to know what happened, too.
I was worried she was going to cop out and have Lexi fall down more stairs, wake up and be back in her old body, back in 2004. That would have been a cliche’d end.
However, I loved that she did not do this. I rooted for Lexi, cheering her on as she accepted that there were cracks in her perfect life and set about trying to fix them.
This is a thought provoking book. It made me wonder how I’d feel if I woke up after my accident with no memory of the last 3 years. It would be so frightening.
Amnesia is a sensitive subject but it was brilliantly handled in this case. You could feel Lexi’s confusion and, more importantly, loneliness echoing throughout the book. All her friends had moved on or hated her and she was desperate to win them back. Icould identify with that.
This is a quick light read and I found my self engaging with the characters.
From the start, I felt there was something fishy about Lexi’s husband, Eric, but I felt that on some level he did love her.
It’s not often you get a book where you engage with the characters as well as I did with this one. I, honestly, felt as though I would know them if they were to bump into me on holiday or something.
So what is my score? I feel sad I can’t give it more but my final score is an 8.
This is one book I will return to many times. I really like this author. If you’ve not had the pleasure of reading any of her books, start with the Shopaholic series which willshow you Sophie’s talent for making you laugh, then move on to Remember Me and the rest of her books.
You can thank me later.
Whiskers, Feathers & Fur (Veterinary Tales)
By
Austin Donnelly
I know we are a nation of animal lovers - why else would Gerald Durrell and Sir David Attenborough be so popular? Not to mention all the nature programmes on television at the moment.
I love animals, my favourites being cats, dogs, dolphins and koala’s (not in any order) so I was excited when the author of this awesome book, Austin Donnelly, sent me his book. The initial plan was that I would edit it but, due to unforeseen circumstances, that proved impossible.
I was delighted when I was able to read the book in its entirety. I devoured it in one sitting.
Austin’s book is fantastic. It is packed with funny stories and hilarious characters (both human and animal). This book is better than the animal bible: My Family and Other Animals!
The man himself has had countless adventures - and he knows how to tell a great story.
At this point, I would usually give you a brief synopsis but this is basically a collection of stories that have littered his career.
There are some sad stories that did the seemingly impossible - they made me cry. Then there are the funny ones. I won’t spoil it by telling you my favourite but the story is toward the beginning of the book. I spat my coffee out in one instance - I thought I was the only person who could have disasters like the hilarious one told here. That wasn’t my favourite story but I think it was the funniest.
Another thing I loved was that, unlike many books of its genre, this one was very educational. I learned (perhaps a little more than I should have) about birthing a sheep, for instance. Austin neatly sidestepped the mistake made by most writers in this genre: He explained what the terms he used actually meant - in layman’s terms. I didn’t once find myself lost (except for breath as I laughed out loud).
What I love about this book is that Austin Donnelly has written it in such a way that it feels as if he is talking directly to the reader. He has torn down the fourth wall which strengthens the book. I felt as if, just like with the wonderful Jane Wenham Jones, he was sat on the sofa, sharing stories of his life over a good hot cuppa.
Austin is Irish and his inherent warmth shines through. He emanates compassion and I envy any animal who is lucky enough to be treated by him. He’s not afraid to admit when things have not gone to plan and charms the reader with sweet stories and fascinating titbits. The best description I can give is spending an evening with him is like going to a Daniel O’Donnell concert - they both emanate the same warmth.
Throughout the book, which is a rich tapestry of animal stories that would rival any Gerald Durrell book, Austin Donnelly has weaved a glorious golden thread - his compassion and love for seemingly every animal he meets. He gives the impression he cares just as much for the owners as for the animals themselves.
If you are an animal lover, you need to treat yourself to this wonderful book.
I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Was it perfect? No. However, that was part of its charm. The worst issue was that the formatting made the book look like one whole block of text with no paragraphs. That was a little off putting but I don’t attach any blame to Austin. I know what a nightmare formatting can be!
So what score have I given this book? I usually give a flat number but this is one of those rare ones that falls between scores. This book has earned 8 3/4 stars.
Hurry up and bring out your next book Austin!
Dibs
By
Allison Martine
In these difficult times, what we read is even more important than usual.
I would normally read thrillers, murders and that type of thing, but I’ve had to stop because they stay with me and I find myself unable to shake them off, even though I know they are fiction.
When I was told about dibs by Allison Martine, I knew I had to read it - and I’m glad I did.
The story centres on the character of Olivia who has found herself adrift after a shock divorce. She is trying to find some stability but, like so many of us, is floundering. She takes on a job that will keep her too busy to think. I found it so easy to relate to her.
Sent on a training course, Olivia finds herself thrown together with the very dishy Adam, a gentle giant who works for the same company.
The pair find themselves strongly attracted to each other but try to bury their feelings. Olivia is afraid to trust or let go. She can’t bear to be hurt again. She’s not sure how Adam feels.
Will the pair make it through their initial insecurity?
The reader certainly hopes so!
What I love about the story is that it’s a lovely romance, gentle and sweet. The reader is swept along by the romance of the situation.
The book is funny and sad by turns. It made me laugh out loud several times and even cry.
The book is extremely well written. The reader is taken on a journey and know they are in safe hands due to the light guidance of this wonderful writer. She expertly guides you through the story’s twists and turns.
To me, the writing felt real in a way very few books are. I could feel and see the characters, cheer for Adam and Olivia, groan at the silly Lorrie who is Olivia’s very young and ‘blonde’ roommate. I felt as though I was there at the training session with her, suffering through the boring lessons in the training room, sitting in the hot tub and feeling out of place among the group she is with.
What amazed me is that the book had very few mistakes - those that did exist did not detract at all from my enjoyment.
One of my favourite scenes is the barbecue they are sent to. I wanted to join in and grab some of that food myself. I was Olivia as she sat, pressed against this new man who was clearly as interested in her as she was in him.
How can she relax and embrace the changes in her life? Is she brave enough to take the risk? I won’t spoil it but I will say that this book would sit very proudly on any romance reader’s bookshelf.
The book did not once lose my interest - in fact, I grew more engrossed as the story progressed.
We are all stuck at home at the moment - and I hope you’re all safe. Do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of this book. Engage in a bit of fun and escapism which is guaranteed to take you away to your own utopia to spend with your perfect imaginary hunk!
Those who read my reviews will know that it’s a very special book that gets a full star count.
This is one of those - in fact, it falls into a category of its own: 10*!
Grab your copy now - you can thank me later!
Ghost of a Chance
By
Cherie Clair
One of the wonderful things about Kindles (which I fought against for years - I loved my Kobo - still do but that’s a story for another time) is that you have the chance to try books that are new to you. So many of those are free (though I’m not sure I like the idea of having to return them - I’m notorious for re-reading my favourite books). This means there is the potential to find a new favourite author.
Ghost of a Chance is about a Hurricane Katrina survivor who is living in circumstances that are not ideal, to say the least. She lives in a tiny house ‘a potting shed’ as the main character, Viola Valentine, describes it. She is also at loggerheads with her soon to be ex-husband and has a difficult relationship with her mother. Add into that mix that she has lost her child and it’s understandable that she leaps at the chance to escape to Eureka Springs.
Viola takes her courage in both hands and follows her dreams, embarking on a new career. The character reminds me of me. On a tour of some new caves, Viola wanders off to explore a part of the cave she should not be in - with life changing results.
Abruptly, Viola (who seems to be as accident prone as me - I didn’t know I knew this author personally for surely that’s the only way she could have written a character so similar to me). I’m joking, of course. Poor Vi finds herself sliding and, after being knocked unconscious, discovers that she is visited by the spirits of those who have died near water. One, popularly known as Annabelle, is believed to have committed suicide by throwing herself off a balcony when the hotel was used as a school during the winter months - but she, perhaps sensing a kindred spirit, demands Viola’s attention, clearly wanting something - but what?
Viola faces many obstacles - not least her fear because she doesn’t understand what’s going on. The situation is made much more complicated by the fact that Annabelle appears unable to speak. She basically has to mime what she’s trying to ask. This spirit shows Vi how she died and the tragic circumstances that led up to her death. Can Vi solve the mystery of what this young girl wants? And how does she explain to the hunky police chief that she ‘sees dead people’? Why does the Mayor of Eureka Springs despise Viola? All these problems are exacerbated by the appearance of her soon to be ex-husband at her hotel. She is furious when he worms his way into the affections of the hotel and travel writers staff.
To say this particular book is - right now - a favourite may be a slight exaggeration. Though it is definitely one of the best in its genre.
However, I was highly impressed. I’ll start with the negatives first (and, sadly, there are a few) because I want to highlight the positives (of which there are many). I do not want the reader of this review to come away feeling I didn’t like it.
Although it doesn’t state who the publisher is, I do suspect the book is self published. The reason I say this (and I am in no way denigrating self-published books as there are some excellent ones out there) is that there are an awful lot of mistakes, point of view switches, spelling/typos, grammatical mistakes, long sentences - to the point where I lost the sense of what was being said.
Now, I have to say that I’m not the type of person who is overly bothered by typos. Mistakes happen but the problem comes when the mistake throws you right out of the book - which happened to me a couple of times.
Also, one line leaped out at me. Towards the end of the book, the writer tells the reader that (and I’m paraphrasing here) the spirit was her best friend or something like that. At that point I paused … Vi had never heard of this girl until a week earlier, they had lived at vastly different times (around 100 years between them) and, while her story took up a good 70 percent of the book, there were a lot of subplots weaved through like a beautiful silver thread in an embroidery. So, surely it would be a stretch to describe her as a friend. I understand that she cared about her (if that was me, I would, too) but it jarred in a big way.
Only one thing seriously annoyed me though. Look, I’m no prude. I understand why sex scenes are put in so many books. However, I was hoping that, just for once, I would not be subjected to a scene like this.
Ghost of a Chance is - well, a ghost story. This scene came from nowhere at around 80% through the book. It was, I’m sorry, in my opinion completely gratuitous. It was like the writer had realised that there was an almost electrical sexual charge between the pair and thought, “Oh, I have to put a sex scene in there.” That was so sad because it was unnecessary. Somehow - like the way the book is written - what’s NOT said is hotter than what IS said. We all know what goes on behind the bedroom doors, let’s leave it there. Admittedly, it had consequences later - but it would have been better to just close the scene with them falling into each others arms - then re-open with their clothes strewn all over the floor. We all know what happened but we don’t need to see it.
OK, having lambasted it - for which I feel very guilty - I will now tell you what I loved about it.
Cherie Clair is certainly an excellent writer. It took me a little while to get into the story but I’m so glad I stayed with it.
Cherie brilliantly ratcheted up the tension. We start by feeling her anger towards her ex-husband (I so hope they get back together at the end of this series) and can sense how relieved she is to be shot of him when she leaves on the trip of a lifetime. As unhappy as she clearly is at the beginning of the story, you sense that she yearns to move forward and somehow find inner peace. She has experienced a terrible family tragedy and, like all of us who have had an experience like that, feels it’s almost impossible to carry on.
When she discovered TB in her room, I couldn’t help but laugh. Although he’s a slob, takes advantage, tells everyone who will listen what it was like to live through Katrina and will take all the freebies he can get, there’s something very likeable about him. He clearly genuinely cares for her and there’s something about her that makes me feel she DOES still love him on some level, and it’s not just the feeling of bonding that comes from experiencing some catastrophe.
The characters are extremely well written. They feel so real and I had to wonder whether these were based on people the author had met during her own press trips.
Let me tell you something about myself here. I do not like to be scared. I will not read a scary book because - if, like this one, it’s well done it will stay with me, especially before I go to bed.
This book got full marks because it was very frightening at times - but not to the extent that I couldn’t sleep. The author made me jump several times and I realised I was totally sucked in that I felt as if I was in the scene. It’s very hard to do that to me - only the best books do.
She also got points for the fact that (for the most part) she got her 3rd person narration right. It made a lovely change to read a book that was not written in first person!
I could actually see the places she was describing - the hotel and caves, as well as the springs. I usually like to imagine it for myself but on this occasion I did look up the places and was pleasantly surprised that she’d described them almost exactly.
I apologise for the length of this review. I hope if the writer ever reads it she will not be offended by the negative comments. There is so much to like about the book.
Would I read the rest of the series? Yes, definitely.
As you may know my review scores range from 1 through 10. 1-4 are reserved for books I really hate for whatever reason; 6-10 are for those I like or love, with 5 (very rare) being reserved for those I’m undecided upon. It works for me! Usually, I give a solid score but occasionally a book is worth more than one number but not as much as the next … so I give 1/4, 1/2 or 3/4.
I really like this book - it would have scored higher if it hadn’t been for the faults I mentioned earlier. I have given it 7 3/4.
If you like ghost stories (or even ones that seem to be travel ones - this book really takes you to the places it’s set) then this is a book for you.
Ghost of a Chance by Cherie Clair deserves a place on any self-respecting reader!
Review of Rebel With a Cupcake
By
Anna Mainwaring-Clark
In these stressful times, it’s so nice to come up for a breath of fresh air sometimes. I will admit I was feeling fed up when I picked this book up - like all of us, this social distancing is wearing me down.
Within two pages I was laughing. Within five I was totally sucked in. I didn’t want the book to end (in fact, as soon as it did, I went back and re-read it. It was such a fast read I wondered whether I’d missed some pages … well, that’s my excuse anyway).
This book is so well written. It tells the story of a teenager who goes to school on Own Clothes Day and has a disastrous day. The crunch comes when one of the school bullies calls her that unmentionable F word. No, not THAT! I mean: FAT!
She snaps and pushes the bully over. This marks the turning point in her story. Rebel realises she needs to change her approach to life and she does so with courage and an inimitable sense of humour.
I loved this book because I can so easily identify with the main character.
I think we’ve all been there, facing bullies, nasty teachers who won’t listen (or even bosses who refuse to listen to the other side of an argument). We have all had high hopes for a day which has gone irrevocably wrong and there seems no way to make it better - except comfort food.
This book works on so many levels. Rebel is a teenager, with all the additional hormonal issues that involves and she lusts after a hunk at school. As we’ve all done sometimes, she tries to impress him - with somewhat disastrous (and hilarious) results.
What I love about Rebel with a Cupcake is that Anna Mainwaring-Clark has captured the essence of the character perfectly.
Rebel comes from a dysfunctional family: a mother who is super slim and fit, a father who plays in a band that were popular 20 years ago and refuses to let go of the good times. Her Grandmother is a wonderful character - the love between the two is palpable. My favourite scene is when Rebel, having had an awful day, goes in to see her gran who lives with them. She smokes and drinks while Rebel sits at her knee, yearning to cry - it’s such a touchingg and well written scene. If there were nothing more to the book than that, I would gibe it a high score. You can almost picture the scene in a movie, with music playing in the background.
Another favourite scene, because I’ve experienced it myself (and gave up as a bad job) was when she tries to walk in extremely high heels - and fails. This scene made my stomach hurt with laughter.
The reader is taken on a wonderful journey. They root for Rebel, especially when she begins to challenge the norms in her life. They feel rage at her treatment and the unfairness of her situation - and cry for her as she tries to pick up the pieces of a broken heart. The love between her family is palpable and I love the relationship between Rebel and her sister Cat and how it changes through the story. Anna Mainwaring-Clark has captured the family dynamics perfectly.
I would compare Anna’s writing style with Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series - but it deals with grittier subjects while maintaining a humorous thread. If you read no other book this year - and this can be enjoyed regardless of the age, despite being a YA novel - make sure it’s Rebel With a Cupcake.
Those of you who read my website - and especially this Reviews page, know it is almost impossible to score a full 10 points.
Well, this book has achieved that. Anna Mainwaring-Clark has done the seemingly impossible and scored the maximum 10/10.
One of the reasons I give high marks is if the writer can make me believe in the characters, make them spring to life off the page and almost feel like friends. If I find the the emotions are wrought from me - all of which this book achieved.
Anna Mainwaring-Clark’s debut novel is set to take the world by storm. I wish there was a film of it. Grab your copy while you still can. This book is sure to be the hottest seller of 2020!
More please, Anna!
Review of Sisters
This was a complete departure for me - and a total surprise to boot.
It was very strange because when I opened it up I saw a set of pictures. What was this? I had trouble opening it but eventually I realised I’d accidentally opened my first graphic novel.
Totally wrong footed I began to read.
Sisters begins with a family planning a trip - a whole week in the car together, both ways.
Even as you read the first page, you can sense the tension. It appears the sisters don’t get on at all.
The story moves to Flashback.
As most families experience, there comes a time when the first born wants a brother or sister and won’t drop the subject.
The mother has to balance her love for both children and wisely tries to involve her oldest daughter in the planning.
So as the two sisters grow up, you can see that they are poles apart in nature. I loved this because it reminded me of my relationship with my own sister.
The younger sister is a bit of a madam, very independent and the pair clash regularly. The older one is gentle, trying to win her over. She clearly loves her sister though she argues with her constantly.
The problem I have with this is you are not warned that this is a teaser and you need to buy the whole book … I’m unlikely to do that, which is sad.
PERSONALLY, I feel it would have orked better as a traditional (as opposed to graphic) novel.
I have to be fair and say the pictures are awesome. Whoever the illustrator was, she did a wonderful job.
And the story itself is sound - I just wanted more.
I’m conflicted here … I’m going to give this a very rare 5.
The reason for such a low score is that I would need much more to go on if I was to judge the book fairly.
I may, at some point, be tempted to buy the rest of the book - at which point I will alter the score appropriately.
Certainly, if you love graphic novels, this is one I would recommend.
Review of Anne of Green Gables
By
LM Montgomery
Well, this is a funny one for me.
I have often wanted to read this children’s classic and when I got the chance to read the whole series, I leaped at it.
The reason I got it was, first, it was an accident. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing with my Kindle and accidentally downloaded the book - a whopping 9 books, I believe. Sadly, I did not finish the series. I had to read at least one book in order to write an article for a magazine.
The first book, which will form the basis for my article, was absolutely wonderful.
If you don’t know the story of Anne of Green Gables, she is an orphan who is sent to live with Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert. Initially they are not happy and plan to send her back - they had ordered a boy.
Now, I have an issue, right there. Did people really ‘order’ a child, like a mail order company? This was the first of a few issues which have sadly marked the whole series down. I’ll comet them in a minute.
Anne is a wonderful, bubbly child with a wild imagination. A short walk between two houses becomes a Haunted Wood - she believed her imagination so much that she couldn’t walk through it, even to help Marillia. The quiet pond she went over became The Lake of Shining Waters.
Anne breathed a breath of fresh air into life at Green Gables and it wasn’t long before she won the love of Marilla, who was initially suspicious of her.
Marilla brought her up well and she becomes a teacher.
Almost every page makes me laugh. I even giggled when she swore she would never speak to Gilbert Blythe, a class mate who called her hair red - she preferred auburn. You could tell what as going to happen there but that didn’t lose any points, even though it was predictable.
What DID make me sit up - and I’ll be fair. I may be coming at this from the point of view of 110 years later … but I don’t think times have changed that much.
My issue, from the time she became a teacher, she became PERSONAL friends with her pupils. The wonderful Paul, who she went to visit, had a picnic and even visited the beach with to meet his ‘mer’ people; the little girl in another book who she took home to Green Gables on a visit - giving her the holiday of a lifetime. She wrote to this girl’s father and asked him to rescue her from her cruel grandmother. The pair even sat for hours and made a map of an imaginary place … I guess it could be argued that she was teaching her art, English and - possibly geography. But is that feasible? Would she have been allowed to become that close to her charges? I think not.
However, until the fourth book in the series, I was willing to overlook the small issues. I was still prepared to give it an 8 or 9 because I loved Anne. She reminded me of my younger self - and even, to a point, who I am now (I still have a vivid imagination and will still try to help anyone).
Then, from the fourth book on, I noticed something else. Maybe it had been there all the time and I just hadn’t noticed but now I did.
LM Montgomery appeared to have a fixation with death. There were pages upon pages about it - when she wasn’t talking about a dead body, she was discussing what someone looked like after they’d died, or that they would be dead very soon. It got so depressing that I started skipping huge sections of the books.
Then, in two other books, it got so much worse (all part of the Anne series). In the spin off series, there was a gang of girls who firmly believed that the end of the world was due to happen at such and such a time (say 4 o’clock on July 15th or something). They believed it so much that they were EXCITED and took a picnic out to the glade - they were heartbroken when it didn’t happen.
I think it was Rilla of Ingleside that featured the word death on almost every page.
Maybe it’s the times we’re living in - they are scary enough without having that rammed down your throat - but I felt it was too much. This was the main issue that marked it down.
Anybody who reads these reviews will know that I very rarely give a super low score.
As I said before, it’s unusual for me not to finish a book but I had to abandon it. If I read about anyone else’s death I felt like I’d explode.
So, despite my love of the first three books, I’m reluctantly forced to give this series, which had the potential to be wonderful, a very disappointing 4.
Message me and tell me your views. Have I been too harsh? Have you read the series - and if so, do they get better? I would be very interested to hear your opinions.
The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World by Linda Jones
Written by Linda Jones, a successful freelance writer, this handy little book scores 9 out of 10 in my review.
I’ll explain why she lost a star in a moment.
The book is wonderful in so many ways. It’s small enough to be carried around, only about the size of an A5 book; it’s wipe clean cover makes spilling your coffee on it (which I did, accidentally) not a major disaster - a quick wipe with a cloth and I was back in business.
The book is well organised so you can easily look for what you need. I also have to say that the style of writing is remarkably friendly. Just like the Jane Wenham Jones books, I feel as though I’m sat on a sofa talking to the author. There are countless additional little tips which put me in mind of the 52 ideas series - another set of books I’ll be reviewing at a later date.
Linda raises many issues and makes a lot of sense in her dealings with them. There are times she comes across as slightly hard but that’s to make sure she gets her point across. Despite this minor fault I won’t take anything away from her common sense approach.
I’m being very picky with my books at the moment and, for me at least, I don’t like it when a writer copies and pastes a point - Linda Jones appears to have done this a few times. Always the same line worded exactly the same way - in the end I felt like screaming: I get it, thank you!
Other than that, this little book is the perfect companion for someone wanting to break into freelance writing and I feel confident that, should this be the route I planned to take, the book would guide me to my goal. It’s almost like a road map for how to do it. She shows how NOT to do things, too, which is almost as important as how to do them. I found myself nodding as I read her sage advice.
I so wish I could have given this wonderful book 10 out of 10 but it became annoying when she repeated herself word for word. Surely she could have made her points a different way?
This book should take pride of place on the shelf of any self respecting wannabe writer. I may do a give away in the new year if anyone fancies a copy.
Lies, Lies Lies by Adele Parks
OK, recently it’s been pretty difficult to get a 10 star review off me. I’m rather picky at the moment!
However, I’m delighted to say that the lovely Adele Parks has achieved it.
Adele is a new author to me (though she has 19 books to her name, published by Harper Collins). I picked it up by accident, little realising I had just found an author who would suck me in and spit me out, making her one of my favourite authors. What’s even more surprising is that she doesn’t write in a genre I normally read - yet it didn’t matter! I quite literally couldn’t put it down.
The story centres around Daisy and Simon, who is an alcoholic.
Their friends are very well to do and throw amazing parties. Everyone is hiding their own secrets which makes the book intriguing.
I promise no spoilers but I will say that the story begins when the family are at a fertility clinic as they yearn for another baby.
The results of that appointment send Simon spiralling out of control - leading to disaster in every area of their lives.
The lies start slowly and are sprinkled through the book at a pace which lulls you into a false sense of security before hitting you over the head with the truth.
At the end of the book, there are a list of questions to make you think about the book. One of them asks: Which lie shocked you the most?
Three, I think. I didn’t see two of them coming. To be fair, I didn’t truly see the third one but there were hints so I wasn’t truly surprised.
You never know who to trust in this book which makes it an exciting and fast read.
What I loved most, was that I was unable to guess the end. I would never have figured it out.
For some reason, my favourite character was Simon - despite the fact that, for much of the book, he was painted as a villain. There was something I liked about him. When he revealed one of the biggest lies I spat my coffee out … I knew instinctively that was a big reveal but didn’t believe what I was reading. It was a very exciting moment.
The theme of the book (or one of the themes anyway) is about forgiveness and whether it’s fair to hold a grudge. It made me think.
I, personally, enjoy a book which gives me ‘food for thought’ - especially when it points out a different side of an argument.
There are very few authors who could have held this story together.
Point of view is always one of my big point scorers - I hate first person! Worst is first person present tense but if, as in the case of this book, it’s done well in the alternate chapters then it’s not a problem. I spotted a few minor faults but they lost no points because they didn’t jar the story.
I take my hat off to Adele Parks who has written one of the best books I have read so far this year.
I give this book 10 out of 10 and hope that the next one I read of hers is as good as this.
So You Wanna Be A Writer by Jane Wenham Jones
Hey guys! I was thinking that this is a writing website - so I decided to review a book dealing with the subject.
When I picked up So You Wanna Be A Writer by Jane Wenham Jones, I really wasn’t in a good mood.
I knew I needed the help of a professional to get me writing so I decided to pick up this book.
From being in a foul mood as I started the book, three pages in I realised I hadn’t stopped laughing - and by page 30 my sides were hurting. She kept up that pace throughout - and yet the book was so inspirational and really did get me writing again.
So what did I love and hate about the book?
Well, I will start with the negative. There was a page missing from my copy so I missed some of what she had to say! At the end, there is a string of quotes from agents, publishers and authors. Maybe the frame of mind I was in at the end but I was disappointed that she used that as the last chapter. It felt a little tagged on, if that makes sense.
Reading So You Wanna Be A Writer is just like having the author sitting on the sofa next to you. She writes in such a chatty, warm, friendly style that you feel you can ask her anything. I literally did just that - I wrote to her and asked a question that was on my mind. She replied immediately, giving me some powerful advice. She had already advised this in the book but she tailored it to my needs.
Anyway, back to the book.
She is one of these accident prone people and is able to turn any situation into a funny story. She shows exactly how to do that.
Jane breaks down the dreaded synopsis so that it no longer holds any fear for the audience.
Her finest achievement is making the reader laugh out loud. My thoughts on creative writing books are that they can be very dry - but this one is dripping with fun.
What I love best is that she shows us how to find inspiration when all seems lost - and she invites the reader to interact with her.
I think the fear of all writers is Writers Block. It’s the scourge of the writing world. However, she teaches several different ways to break through that impenetrable wall. My favourite method is what she calls Mind The Gap. I will be writing my next blog about this method so I don’t want to explain about it here.
As a alternative, she shows you how to Build a Book. This involves using an A4 folder and clipping in pictures related to your story. I put the book down - and picked it up again to read it again immediately in case I had missed something!
Having read as many books as I have on writing, I have no choice but to give this wonderful book 10 stars.
Have you read it? Let me know your thoughts.
Until next time!
Part of Your World by Liz Brazwell
OK, so I find myself in a very unusual position in that I find it difficult to decide what I think about this book!
Let me explain.
I love the story of the Little Mermaid so I was delighted to discoverr a book which finds out what happened after Arial sadly swam back to the sea.
It would appear that Ursula, whose land name is Vanessa, is determined to wreak havoc on Tirulia and ensure that she bombs Arial’s home out of the sea. However, things are about to change.
Prince Eric, Arial’s one true love, is beginning to recover his memory. He has spent the last five years writing operas which the public love. The last one was about a little mermaid who sadly watched as the Prince and Vanessa married.
By pure chance, Scuttle, Arial’s seagull friend, hears Vanessa talking to a polyp, and singing. Of course that polyp is actually Triton, Arial’s father.
Scuttle sends a message to Arial via Flouder the fish and she sets out on a huge and dangerous rescue mission. There is a beautiful moment where Prince Eric and Arial are reunited - and the book did make me laugh out loud, so it gets bonus points for that.
The tension is almost at boiling point as Arial is chased through the castle while trying to get to Vanessa’s room (she is thrilled that Vanessa and Prince Eric are not sleeping together (as you would be). Just when the reader thinks all is lost and the writer has snookered herself, she finds herself thrust into a small room and the door slammed in her face until her pursuers have given up. The wonderful Carlotta has come to her rescue.
I think, for me at least, the story is sound. However, it loses points because it is aimed at teenagers - but as someone with an above average vocabulary (I often have to rein myself in when writing the blogs) I found myself looking up the meaning of quite a few words. This is an issue that has occurred within the series many times but this was particularly noticeable (I am slightly disappointed in this because I really love Liz Braswell’s writing and would read any book by her. I guess you could say it’s very educational.
I will complete the whole series and have kept all bar The Beast Within.
I have to say that this book is particularly well written - in fact, it’s almost lyrical in parts - whether or not that was intentional, I have no idea.
So, whow many stars will I give this book? I so wanted to say 10 but I’m afraid that is impossible. I will have to say a 7.5.
Have you read the book? If you have, let me know what you think. I would be interested to hear your views.
Next up: The Little House At the Corner!!!!!
The Fairest of them All - by Serena Valentino
OK, this is a complete turnaround for me. If I read a book by an author and I don’t enjoy it, it is rare for me to read another book by them. Even rarer is to discover that the author has stolen my heart with their writing. I guess everybody deserves a second chance.
The first book I read by this author received only two stars. The story (The Beast Within) simply didn’t gel for me.
However, my partner bought me The Fairest of them All and, with great trepidation I began to read.
Imagine my surprise when, within the first few lines, the author had sucked me into the scene. I wasn’t reading it, I was living and breathing it. I was there! The language was so descriptive and emotive. However, there was a negative. She has a bad habit of telling you a few times what the Queen is doing when it’s clear anyway.
Another thing I loved was that although the story is told from the Point of View of Maleficent, this was the very first time I had seen it done from a compassionate standpoint - one I could identify with myself.
In this version, Maleficent (who is never named that - we only know who it is due to many heavy clues such as her asking the mirror who is the fairest of them all, or the crow that appears out of nowhere while she is concocting her spells - and, of course, the famous black and purple cloak).
So I was delighted to realise that the author showed immense compassion to one of the most evil characters I am aware of in fairy tales.
Maleficent has been much maligned as the Evil Queen and, in the books of my favourite series, The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson) she is the second in command of the overtakers. However, as I said in a recent blog, nobody is pure evil. In this case, poor Maleficent, as we’ll call her, had been badly abused by her father who truly didn’t love her, told her she was ugly, the King could never want her - and so on. As the character bloomed and we began to see her personality shine, it quickly becomes clear that not only does she have a conscience but she has so much love to give. She adores little Snow White until she realises she is the more beautiful of the two of them. Then jealousy begins to rear its ugly head.
Interestingly - and the only clue that this book has been written by the same author as the Beast Within - the Queen is aided, abetted and encouraged to kill Snow White by three very odd cousins of the King. They look strange - paint their faces like dolls, their lipstick is just a dot on their tiny lips - finish each other’s sentences and even behave exactly the same as in the previous story. This, for me, is where the book loses a couple of points.
I found I liked the Queen as she was - her insecurities and jealousy on show for all to see. We have all had that experience of being jealous of a beautiful friend - or, at least, envious. As soon as the sisters enter the scene it becomes a parody and, for me, loses the realism and, most importantly, the sympathy.
There is a scene towards the end which surprised me. I expected to feel anger (she has written a story which appears to be designed to evoke strong feelings). I always feel angry when the Queen, as the old hag, tries to kill Snow White. However, it won’t spoil anything for you if you read it to know that in this version the character develops a conscience. The ending came from left of field. I simply didn’t see it coming.
Serena Valentino has changed her writing style and it really suits her. Perhaps she has grown into the writing.
If I could offer up some well meaning advice to her as an author, perhaps remove the Three Sisters from any future writing.
If anyone knows where they are from, do let me know because this is the second time she has written about them. Are these characters I have simply forgotten about? Perhaps they come from another story - or are they created from her own imagination?
On this occasion, with joy in my heart, I am able to give The Fairest of them All 8 out of 10 stars.
The Beast Within - written by Serena Valentino
Oh dear! Well, I guess it had to happen, didn’t it? If you read enough of the same series there will inevitably be a weak book among them.
The Beast Within sounded awesome on the face of it. It was a new and unique twist on the old favourite, Beauty and the Beast. As I said in my last review, this story is a particular favourite of mine - maybe because I can identify with Belle so much and I love that she doesn’t judge the Beast by appearances. She gets to know the person beneath the terrifying outer skin.
So, naturally, I was excited when my partner bought me a copy of this book.
I like new twists on old stories so I settled down with my hot cup of coffee, prepared to relax and lose myself in a tale that is as old as time itself.
Almost from the first page I was confused.
The Beast was standing in the castle gardens and a gaggle of witches put in an appearance, taunting him and reminding him of the impossible task that lay ahead, to make Belle - who believed he was a monster - fall in love with him by his 21st birthday.
Wait! Witches? Tis was a new one on me.
By Chapter Three there was no further mention of Belle, not even a chapter or two cut in to remind the reader she was still there. What as she doing all this time? I guess making friends with Mrs Potts, Lumiere and Cogsworth but I don’t know.
Instead the story centred on the beasts friendship with Gaston, and how he turned his back on a woman he believed was the love of his life because she was the daughter of a lowly farmhand - only she wasn’t! She was a witch - albeit a compassionate one, unlike her sisters.
On discovering that the Beast has dismissed her, the ‘farm hand’ casts a spell. It can only be broken by finding true love by his 21st birthday.
The trouble is her sisters - the gaggle of witches I mentioned earlier - insist on meddling. They make life impossible for him.
An idea strikes him in the nick of time. Princess Morning Tulip is beautiful and she clearly loves him. Add to this, the fact that she is very malleable, she will be an easy catch. Everything is going well until he loses his temper and she sees the beast within. At this point he is still a handsome prince. He tries to gauge whether she will judge by appearance and again the answer appears to be no. However, she and her nanny flee the castle never to return after the Prince shows his true colours. She was his perfect match because she was so gentle - personally I feel the word should be insipid. Her greatest passions are stroking the cat, phalange, and needlework. What nobody knows is that Phflange is actually a spy sent by the witches so they can see what is happening in the castle.
Sound confusing? It is! The enchantress/witch who put the spell on the beast in the first place is compassionate and incensed at the sister’s interference. They do everything to stop Belle and the Beast from falling in love.
It is only in the last chapter or so that the story returns to Belle. After a couple of scenes they fall in love. Curtains!
OK, some would say that at least the story is short, but it actually loses points for that as far as I’m concerned. Tell the story to an end, regardless of the length it will be. This is the shortest book in the series but I would have preferred it to be longer and perhaps more of the back story woven in with what’s happening in present day.
To me, the ending felt too rushed - in fact, scratch that, the whole book felt rushed. Perhaps the author was given a brief of, say, 50,000 words (no, I have no idea how long the book is) and ran out of time. For me, now I think of it in the cold light of day, I feel as if it was a first draft. There was certainly the potential there to be an excellent book but it somehow missed the mark by a mile.
It’s a shame because I really wanted to like the book. To be fair, the writing does get better as the story progresses but not enough to give it higher marks.
I’m very disappointed that I am only able to give it a very generous 3 out of ten. If you have read the book I would be interested to hear your thoughts. Do you agree that ut felt rushed or did you enjoy such an unusual retelling of a classic fairy story? Let me know in the comments.
As Old As Time - written by Liz Braswell
Now this is an interesting book for me to review as it is a new take on my all time favourite book, Beauty and the Beast.
It sadly loses just a couple of marks because so much emphasis is put on what happened before Belle entered the castle. It focussed on her mother and the rest of the characters who used to inhabit a tiny village where everyone felt safe to be themselves, regardless of their species. The village was inhabited by fauns to enchantresses and everything in between.
Now please don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that the story of the charmantes was boring - far from it - but it was more difficult to follow than the story of Belle and the Beast. Frankly, the author didn’t quite grab my interest.
This book inspired me to write a blog called What If - feel free to check it out after reading my review.
I loved the fact that the story focussed on the fact that it was Belle’s mother who cursed the beast - and that his transformation took place over 10 years. However, for me, I did have to question why an adult - even an angry one - would curse an 11 year old child whose parents are dead of fever. Did she have no sympathy?
It was a strange story, especially as Belle’s mother disappeared from it relatively early. Once they escaped from the town to the new place where Belle was born, nothing more was heard of her. I found it difficult to have sympathy with the enchantress.
However, the story picked up when Belle entered the castle. Just like in the original fairy story, she is feisty and determined to get to the bottom of things.
Unusually for the story, she touches the rose and it completely disintegrates, leaving the beast devastated. What can he do now?
One evening, Belle can’t sleep and decides to explore the castle. She sees the portrait which was commissioned and then enchanted to show the prince what he would have looked like as he grew up. Stepping on a piece of glass she sees an image of a familiar woman - then more in other shards of glass. It becomes clear that her mother was the one who had cursed him.
She is baffled and intrigued. The pair gradually become friends - although there are a few occasions when the beast allows his animal instincts to take over.
The pair study the books in the library and discover a census. It shows them a list of people who used to live in the area. They begin to realise that this town must have been a haven for magical people until something changed it and made them flee for their lives. A little gentle questioning of the beast leads them to realise that a fever was rife ten years ago. The charmantes fled for their lives across the river. The King and Queen - the Beasts parents - closed the borders but begged Belle’s mother for help. She attended the castle three times, begging for the lives of the charmantes, who were being killed - but to no avail. The King and Queen didn’t care about anyone but themselves. They died but their son survived. The Enchantress returned to the castle one last time but, similar to the story we all know, discovered an arrogant young man who she felt had no love in his heart. She cursed him to gradually turn into a beast unless he could find true love and compassion in his heart by his 21st birthday.
Ten years later, Belle’s father is imprisoned and Belle takes his place.
Now the pair begin to make inroads into discovering the truth of what happened all those years ago.
They begin to question the servants who remember the events leading up to their incarceration. The Beast realises that he has never seen them as anything other than servants - but they are actually his friends. He feels awful. One of his favourite pastimes when he was a child was to spend hours with Alaric Potts - his stablehand and Mrs Potts (now a teapot) husband.
He and Belle take a walk outside into the snowy but beautiful garden and she suggests he takes her to the stables and shows her where his favourite horse was stabled. While they are there, they find the body of young Alaric.
I love how the relationship between Belle and the Beast begins to blossom. It is slow and gentle and not a sudden turn as so many versions I have read have done. It is a natural progression into friendship.
The pair realise that there is a chance Belle’s mother may be alive. How will they find her, trapped as they are in the obviously forgotten castle?
They discover there is no escape - every time the Beast smashes a window another shard of glass shows a new vision of Belle’s mother. They need help in the form of the men in suits of armour who worked as a team. At last they are free! They return to her home town - only to discover her father has been kidnapped - swiftly followed by Belle herself.
The Beast is completely alone - his servants are all dead so he has no option but to ask for help.
Belle is examined - Monseur D’Arque believes she may have magic within her. While there, Belle is reunited with her mother who has been kept prisoner for the last ten years. She is weak but manages to escape with Belle and her father.
As with most in the Villains series, the books are an easy read but certainly not for children. There are times that the language used is difficult (even I have had to look up the meaning of words in this book) and at times they can be pretty scary. There is one scene in this book which would have given me nightmares if I had been reading it at night.
I am intrigued by the ending of this book because it hints at another in the series, perhaps two. I yearn for this to be true!
I am sad that I am unable to give this book ten out of ten. I have to give it an 8 due to the issues I mentioned earlier. The writing style is beautiful though - almost poetic - and I would say you should definitely read it, especially if you like the story of Beauty and the Beast.
Mirror Mirror Review
Hi guys,
Welcome to the first review for this website. I apologise for the delay in posting this but I read a lot and it’s hard work trying to play catch up.
Last week, I had the pleasure of reading one of the cleverest and most original versions of a classic fairy story that I have ever read.
Mirror Mirror by Jen Colinita (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mirror-Twisted-Tale-Jen-Calonita/dp/136801383X) is the unique retelling of the ever popular fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Published by Autumn Publishing.
So what makes it unique?
Well, we all know the story of Snow White and how the Evil Queen ordered the Huntsman to kill her. The Mirror had told her that Snow White was the fairest in the land so she was white hot with jealousy. I won’t go on because you all know the story.
So Jen Colinita turned the story on its head. What happens to the tale if you tell it from the point of view of the Evil Queen?
I have to say she did a wonderful job. She examined the character of the Queen and asked why she would behave in such a way to her own niece? Was she pure evil - or were more human failings at fault here such as jealousy?
She wove the Queen’s story of unadulterated love for her sister into the classic story we all know and love. The sisters had an abusive childhood and the Evil Queen protected and raised her sister, leaving the family home and becoming orphans, effectively.
The Evil Queen took her sister Katherine, Snow’s Mother, and carved out a new life for the pair.
The parting of the ways came when Katherine became Queen, marrying the King after he tasted her delicious apples.
When Snow was born, her sister was eaten up with jealousy. After murdering her sister and the master magician who taught her everything she knew and telling Snow her father had died, she kept Snow a prisoner, refusing to let any of the staff speak to her. Poor Snow was very lonely.
Eventually, she was able to escape the confines of the castle when the Huntsman took her for a day in the woods and confessed his orders were to kill her. Instead, he set her free.
The poor Princess Snow fled and eventually came to a tiny cottage which was home to - you guessed it - the 7 dwarfs.
This is where the story devolves from the one we all know and love.
When Snow discovers the evil crimes her Aunt is guilty of, she sets out to right the wrongs and wrest control of the castle back, helped by hundreds of others from the neighbouring towns.
The writing is delightful. Although this is a fairy story with a twist, it is not just for children. Adults will enjoy it, too.
The language is almost poetic and I read it so quickly I wanted to go back at once to see if I had skipped some of the story!
I absolutely love the author’s style of writing. I believe she has written at least one more book in the Villains series and I am immensely looking forward to reading it. I hope she writes more. She is a new author to me but I look forward to reading all her other books.
Another thing I love about these books is their size and, more important to me, the font size. As some of you know, I have problems with my sight which makes reading difficult at times but this is kind of large print so it is easy to read.
I have to give this book ten out of ten. A book that belongs on any Disney fan’s book shelves.