Book Review: Mr Monster by Dan Wells

When I attended the Headline Online party so many people told me how good Dan Well's latest book, Mr Monster is. I was lucky enough to get a copy at the party and other bloggers said that I should try and read the first book, I Am Not a Serial Killer at some point but that it wasn't vital before reading Mr Monster. Here's the idea:

My name is John Cleaver. I'm sixteen. I'm a mortician. I'm a sociopath.
But I am not a serial killer. Yet.
It's been almost five months since I first killed someone. Nobody knows it, but I stopped the Clayton Killer- a serial killer who tore his victims to shreds. The other thing nobody knows is that he wasn't even human- he was a monster. Literally a monster. A demon.
Now the only monster left is me- the dark side of me I call Mr Monster. I try to keep him locked up but he's desperate to kill again, and now people are getting suspicious, the FBI is asking questions and corpses are showing up all over and- well, something's gotta give...

The Headline party has really inspired me to explore Young Adult Fiction more as I clearly am missing out on some great books.
Mr Monster is just brilliant but also completely terrifying. Dan Wells takes the reader into the mind of John Cleaver, a sixteen year old sociopath. We read his thoughts and the extreme measures he has to go to in order to control his behaviour. I don't want to give the plot away but Dan Wells does have you on the edge of your seat, especially in the final few chapters.
I must be pretty out of touch with what young adults are reading nowadays (how old do I sound!) as there are some quite disturbing and graphic descriptions in this book. I think that it would suit a reader from about fifteen upwards but I can understand why so many adults love these books too.
Dan Wells packs so much into such a relatively short book that you can't help but keep turning the pages. Mr Monster was a great starting point for me to begin exploring Young Adult fiction again, there will be many more books in this genre going on the Dot Scribbles wish list.

Book Review: The Rapture by Liz Jensen

The lovely people at Bloomsbury sent me a copy of The Rapture by Liz Jensen and I really liked the sound of it:

In a merciless summer of Biblical heat and destructive winds, Gabrielle Fox's main concern is to rebuild her career as a psychologist after a shattering car accident. But when she is assigned Bethany Krall- violent, delusional and insistent that she can foresee natural disasters- she begins to fear she has made a terrible mistake. When catastrophes begin to occur on the very dates Bethany has predicted, the apocalyptic puzzle intensifies and the stakes multiply.
A haunting story of human passion and burning faith, The Rapture is an electrifying psychological thriller that explores the dark extremes of mankind's self-destruction in a world on the brink.

Liz Jensen brings together three very big and complex ideas in this book, psychiatry, evangelical religion and the devastation being caused to the Earth by global warming.
This is a book you have to concentrate on and follow carefully but if anything this just makes you even more engaged in the story. Secrets and misconceptions are littered throughout the book and Liz Jensen keeps the reader guessing about the true nature and motives of nearly all the characters.
Bethany Krall is an intriguing creation; she is only a young girl but she has a terrifying past which Gabrielle Fox is called in to unlock. You can feel Bethany's desperation, she is under the control of these people yet she has to try and make them believe something entirely unbelievable for their sake as well as her own.
A psychological thriller with global warming at it's centre is so relevant to the times we are living in. It is an impending disaster that most of us choose to ignore yet Liz Jensen does not allow you to turn a blind eye in this book.
The Rapture is a fast paced, edgy thriller that I would very much recommend, it is one that certainly leaves you with a lot to think about.

Book Review: Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

I really enjoyed reading Sophie Kinsella's book Remember Me? last year so I was excited to finally read her latest offering, Twenties Girl.
Lara Lington has always had quite an over-active imagination but even she is surprised to believe that she is being visited by the ghost of her Great Aunt Sadie. Decked out in a full 1920's Charleston outfit, Sadie begs Lara to help her find her beloved Dragonfly necklace so that she can rest in peace. Once Lara has convinced herself that she is not going mad, she sets out to fulfill her great-aunt's wish. Aunt Sadie injects some much needed fun and glamour into Lara's life and she begins to wonder what she will do without her.
It took me a fair while to warm to the character of Lara and become involved in the story but I fell in love with the characters of Sadie immediately. I loved how even though she is a ghost, she seems to be the only one around Lara who can make her realise that she needs to give herself a break and enjoy life.
The dragonfly necklace is at the centre of the story but Sophie Kinsella includes a lot more. Lara deals with her past love life; sorts out her fledgling business and finds herself a new love, all largely down to Sadie.
I enjoyed this book more than Remember Me? and I particularly liked all of the 1920's references. Lara doesn't think that Sadie has any relevance to herself at first but it is surprising just how much she learns from her 105 year old aunt!
If you are already a Sophie Kinsella fan then you are bound to enjoy this one. It is a lovely, feel good book and the mystery of the missing necklace draws you in.

Book Review: The Graveyard Book my Neil Gaiman

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a perfectly normal boy. Well, he would be perfectly normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living or the world of the dead.
There are dangers and adventures for Bod in the graveyard: The strange and terrible menace of the Sleer; a gravestone entrance to a desert that leads to the city of Ghouls; friendship with a witch and so much more.
But it is in the land of the living that real danger lurks for it is there that The Man Jack lives and he has already killed Bod's family.

I had been meaning to read The Graveyard Book for ages as I had heard so many wonderful things about it. I was not disappointed, Neil Gaiman's story is fascinating and I finished it in one sitting as I had to find out Bod's fate.
Neil Gaiman has talked of the influence that Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book had on this story. Obviously the ghosts and ghouls take the place of the animals but the sentiment is the same. Gaiman is exploring life as an outsider; Bod knows very little of where he came from and could not be more different from those who have raised him.
The Man Jack is a terrifying creation and his presence hangs over the whole book. Neil Gaiman gives his reader so many fascinating characters whilst holding back little secrets so that we are left wanting more.
The graveyard gives Bod the security and protection that he needs but there are still many adventures to be had and danger is often lurking just around the corner.
I can understand why so many adults and children have raved about this book. The story of Bod is exciting but also has so many elements for the reader to identify with. If you haven't read The Graveyard Book then I highly recommend it.

Headline Online Party

Dot Scribbles went on a little adventure to London yesterday as the lovely, lovely people at Headline had invited me to their first Online party. The idea was to bring bloggers and authors together and for us to meet some of the Headline team in person.
I made it to Headline HQ on the Euston Road safely which is quite a feat for me as I tend to get lost quite easily especially when unsupervised! The party took place in Headline's boardroom which has fantastic views across London and was the perfect space for us all to do some mingling!
Once we all had a glass of wine in hand we sat down to watch a presentation and it was exciting to hear about all the brilliant books that Headline will be publishing this year and it is very clear to see how much they love what they do and want to support their authors.
Time for a little more mingling, I met the lovely Carolyn from Book Chick City and Amanda from Floor to Ceiling Books and they both seemed as excited as I was! The authors arrived and we were lucky enough to meet Carole Matthews, Alex Bell, Sean Cregan, Jonathan L Howard, Paul Magrs and Dan Wells. It was lovely to chat to Carole Matthews as I really enjoy her books and it was interesting to hear what she thought about book bloggers.
Next on the agenda was the quiz which Sam from Headline had put a lot of effort into; we were split into teams and I have to say that some of the questions were pretty fiendish but my team came second so we were quite pleased with ourselves. The team at Headline were extremely generous and welcoming, they had laid on loads of gorgeous home made cakes and also gave us bags that we could fill with books that were dotted around the room. This was a little like Christmas for me and I came home with eight books which I am really looking forward to reading and reviewing. I think everyone invited had a lovely time and very much appreciated the effort that the Headline team had made. More than anything, yesterday opened my eyes to some new genres of fiction that I have clearly been missing out on which also gives me another excuse to buy more books!

Me, Carolyn, Amanda and Carole Matthews!

Headline Online Blogger's Party

I had a fantastic afternoon yesterday at Headline's online party, I met loads of lovely people and came home with some fantastic books. Full report later in the week once I have sorted the pictures out!

Book Review: The Difference a Day Makes by Carole Matthews

I read The Difference a Day Makes by Carole Matthews over the weekend and I thought that it was a really lovely book.
William and Amy Ashurst love their busy London lives and high flying careers. They have two beautiful children and a Nanny who works miracles to look after them all. But then William collapses on his commute to work and when fully recovered he vows that he will never return to the rat race. So three months later the whole family move to Helmshill Grange in the stunning Yorkshire Moors. William may be living his dream but it is going to take Amy a lot longer to fall in love with life in the country. However, tragedy strikes the Ashurst family and Amy has to decide she can make the dream last especially as it is not her own.
I thought that Amy was a brilliant character, I found her entirely believable. It is so clear how she changes throughout the book as she realises that what she thinks she wants may not be what she truly wants and needs.
I loved the contrast between London and the Yorkshire Moors, especially when Amy pays a visit to her old life after being in the country for a while.
Carole Matthews writes with great humour and warmth and I didn't want the book to end.

I am off to the Headline blogger's party at their HQ in London today and Carole Matthews will be in attendance along with several other exciting authors. I shall tell you all about it when I get back!