Book Review: Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts... but they believe in her.

Violet has spent years taking part in her mother's fakes seances, putting the rich and powerful in touch with the dead, and their success has brought them a life of luxury they could only have dreamed of and Violet the prospect of a society marriage.

The last thing Violet expected was to start seeing and hearing the dead for real. But now she is haunted day and night but the ghost of a drowned girl who won't let her rest until her murderer is uncovered. 

Violet must use her talents to unravel the mystery surrounding the girl's death- and quickly before the killer strikes again.

I have read and enjoyed Alyxandra Harvey's Drake Chronicles so I was very excited to learn that her new young adult book had gone in the direction of historical fiction. Haunting Violet is set in 1872 and the world of Victorian spiritualism. Violet's mother is a fraud, she pretends she has the gift and holds the seances for the gentry who hold her in esteem as a celebrity of the day. It is these bogus talents that earn Violet and her mother an invitation to Rosefield, which is Lord Jasper's country estate. Mrs Willoughby is to entertain his guests who are staying and Violet is her unwilling accomplice. Rosefield is a new beginning for Violet though as it is here that she discovers that she truly does have the gift of seeing the dead. Violet tries to fight against it as she knows that her mother will think nothing of exploiting her only child.
One of the ghosts that Violet sees is pretty terrifying. Rowena was the daughter of one of Lord Jasper's neighbours he apparently drowned leaving behind her sister Tabitha. It soon becomes clear though that Rowena was murdered and the only way that she will leave Violet alone is if she can reveal the identity of her killer.
Violet wants justice for Rowena but soon finds herself the victim of several 'accidents', Rowena's murderer is clearly prepared to silence Violet if needs be and to have another death on their conscience.
Haunting Violet is hugely atmospheric, I think that Victorian spiritualism is fascinating and the author talks about many of the tricks of the trade. Alyxandra Harvery creates some terrifying scenes when Rowena appears to Violet and you get a real sense of her desperation for justice and the need to protect her sister.
If you like historical fiction or books with a paranormal twist then you would enjoy this one. Haunting Violet is young adult fiction but I think it will easily cross over to adult readers. I really hope that Alyxandra Harvey writes more in this genre as this is my favourite books that she has written so far.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy of the book to review, Haunting Violet was published yesterday.

Book Review: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time by Yasutaka Tsutsui

One of Tsutsui's best known and most popular works in his native Japan, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is the story of a fifteen year old school girl Kazuko, who accidentally discovers that she can leap back and forth in time. In her quest to uncover the identity of the mysterious figure that she believes to be responsible  for her paranormal abilities, she'll have to push the boundaries of space and time, and challenge the notions of dream and reality. 

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is one of the author's best known stories in Japan and has even been made into an anime film. It is definitely a story or novella rather than a full blown book as it is only 105 pages long in total.
I am a little undecided about this one, I think that sometimes you lose the essence of a book when it is translated. It felt a little disjointed at times and stilted; I may not have felt this way if reading in the original Japanese.
As I have said, it is very short so although I liked Kazuke, I didn't really feel as though I got to know her in any way. It doesn't feel like the book is long enough to allow you to invest emotionally in the characters.
However, I must remember that this is a YA book intended for quite a young audience. I do think that the book would make a great talking point and could be used to explore the idea of time-travel and all of the imaginative possibilities that holds.
I suppose in some ways, I could have done with the book being a little longer but if the book was being used in a YA setting then it would be the perfect length to promote group discussion.
Don't let my review put you off, at 105 pages, it is short enough for you to find out for yourselves.

Many thanks to Alma Books for sending me a copy to review.

Book Review: Die For Me by Amy Plum + Give away!!

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister Georgia and I were orphans. We put our loves into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent. Mysterious, sexy and unnervingly charming. Vincent appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk everyday. He also has enemies...immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

Can I risk putting my heart as well as my life and my family's in jeopardy for a chance at love?

Firstly let me say that the cover for this book is beautiful, it really captures the romantic nature of the story, especially with the Paris backdrop.
Die For Me is the first in the Revenants series by Amy Plum and what a brilliant beginning- this is one of the best paranormal, young adult books that I have read in a long time.
A revenant is an immortal being; in certain circumstances, people who die in the place of others come back to life 3 days later. They then continually save others even if that means dying again, they will always return to life unless someone burns their body, that is the only way they can truly die. Vincent is a revenant and he has fallen for Kate, who is only just getting over the death of her parents so the idea of being with someone who is going to have multiple deaths absolutely terrifies her.
Vincent is not alone, he lives with his 'uncle' Jean Baptiste and more of his kindred, as they call themselves, Charlotte, Charles, Ambrose and Gaspard. They work together to save the lives of others across the city of Paris.
The revenants have a major enemy in the Numa, they are the complete opposite, they have gained their immortality by taking the lives of others. Once immortal they continue to try and murder people, which is what the revenants have to work to prevent.
Kate has no contact with the Numa until the end of the book. A rescue attempt goes wrong and Charles cannot handle what happened and so he turns to the Numa to end it all for him. Lucien is head of the Paris Numa and is happy to take advantage of Charles' misfortune, especially as it means that he can gain revenge on Vincent who is his sworn enemy. However, Lucien didn't imagine that Vincent would ever fall in love with a human and so Kate finds herself in mortal danger and Lucien knows that Vincent will do anything to protect her.
Amy Plum has created such a beautiful story, I loved the romantic idea of the revenants, they are like angels on earth. Vincent is a very attractive character and I can see why Kate falls for him. Kate is a very likable character too but she is very vulnerable so it is understandable that she questions this new relationship. Kate needs somebody like Vincent but she has to decide if she will be able to cope with the fact that she will lose him again and again.
I'm so excited that this is just the first in the series as I just want to know more and more. Vincent and Kate's story will have great appeal for the YA market and I believe it will easily cross the gap to slightly older readers.
If you like your books with a paranormal edge then give this one a go, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Many thanks to Atom for sending me a copy of the book to review, it is out on May 26th!

I actually have a copy of Die For Me to give away to any UK followers. If you would like a chance to read this book then please leave a comment below this post, the comment must include your email address so that I can contact the winner. This give away is open until midnight on Tuesday May 24th, good luck!!

Book Review: The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

Never acknowledge the dead.

Never stray from hallowed ground.

Never get too close to the tainted.

Never, ever tempt fate.

My father's rules.

I've never broken them until now.

My name is Amelia Gray. I'm a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I've always held fast to the rules passed down from my father. But now a haunted police detective has entered my world and everything is changing, including the rules that have always kept me safe. It started with the discovery of a young woman's brutalized body in an old Charleston graveyard I've been hired to restore. The clues to the killer- and to his other victims- lie in the headstone symbolism that only I can interpret. Devlin needs my help, but his ghosts shadow his every move, feeding off his warmth, sustaining their presence with his energy. To warm him would be to invite them into my life. I've vowed to keep my distance, but the pull of his magnetism grows ever stronger even as the symbols lead me closer to the killer and to the gossamer veil that separates this world from the next.

Wow! I am very excited about this book, even more so because it is the first in a series. The Graveyard Queen series by Amanda Stevens follows Amelia Gray who is a graveyard restorer. More importantly, Amelia can see ghosts, as can her father who has given her a list of rules to follow so that she is not in any danger from these spirits who are stuck between two worlds.
Amelia has been following these rules but when the body of a young woman is discovered in the cemetery she is working on, Amelia's dedication to her father's advice is severely tested. Detective John Devlin is the main culprit, he is leading the investigation and enlists Amelia as a consultant due to her expertise. The problem is that John Devlin is haunted, he has the spirits of a woman and young child with him. Amelia knows that she should keep away from anybody that is haunted but she just can't help herself where Devlin is concerned. As more bodies are found, Amelia becomes more and more involved and the ghosts seem to be getting closer to her everyday. She begins to realise that by ignoring the rules she may have opened a door that she will be unable to close.
I believe that this book is aimed at young adult readers but I think it is similar to Twilight in that it will easily cross over and appeal to the adult market.
Amanda Steven's writing is great, she certainly knows how to send chills up the reader's spine. The Restorer has a little bit of everything, you have a murder mystery, the paranormal element and then of course the romance between Amelia and Devlin. The incredible tension between those two was my favourite part of the book. The author keeps on building it up and I was willing for something to happen but I was torn as I knew that Amelia knows that she should steer clear of the haunted detective.
I really am so excited about this series and cannot wait to read the next one that is out in November. Amanda Stevens tied up all of the loose ends for this particular mystery but she also left many questions unanswered. I know that I will read the other books in the series in order to get some answers and I'm sure another great story.

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.