The Last Wild - Piers Torday

“My story begins with me sitting on a bed, looking out of the window. 

I know that doesn’t sound like much. But let me tell you where the bed is, and what I can see from it. This bed is right in the corner of a room only just big enough for it, and the bed is only just big enough for a kid my age.

(Twelve - just about to be thirteen - and skinny.) 

The window is the size of the whole wall, made of special tinted glass that means the room stays the same temperature all the time. The room is locked shut and you need an electric keycard to open the door.”

Kester Jaynes has been kept prisoner in Spectrum Hall for six years now. He is there because he cannot talk, not a single word, even when he wants to. Those in charge, Facto, keep any challenging children in the Hall and there is no escape, for it hall is in the middle of the quarantine zone. The quarantine zone was put in place when the disease that killed all the animals, red-eye, got so bad that people feared it would pass on to them. Kester has never really known anything other than his home, and the hall, but when a flock of pigeons break through the window of his room and start talking to him, telling him to get out, he knows he should follow. Kester doesn’t understand much of what is going on but it is clear that the pigeons understand him and if he doesn’t help soon even the varmint, the lowest of the low creatures, will soon be gone from the world. 

***

This was a sweet book. I wasn’t sure what to expect and to be honest is was a bit odd, but I did enjoy reading it and thought the concept was really good. 

The story is about a world full of disease, a world where people are told the decent, food chain like, animals are all dead and all that remains are vermin, a world where all the crops have failed because there is no longer any bees and flies spreading the nectar. The world is in a state of disrepair and the only people who can help are those in Facto, the food company that rose to power because they produced a formula which meant people could carry on living without animals and plants. There’s something off with Facto from the start, you can tell they aren’t nice people, especially when you learn more about Spectrum Hall and their ways of disciplining the children there. However Kester gets out of Spectrum Hall very quickly and you soon learn that what he has been taught about the world around him is not strictly true. 

I love a good conspiracy theory so I thought there was more than enough to keep me carry on reading The Last Wild because of that. However the writing got a bit slow and the pace dropped dramatically in the middle for me. It was great but I only really carried on reading because I had invested too much time in it by then. The ending was worth it though. The book seems to have been left open for a possible sequel but I’m not certain there’s one on the cards. If there is I would probably give it a go just to get answers to additional questions I had. 

The Last Wild is a great middle grade, younger teen slightly dystopian fantasy. I really enjoyed it but it didn’t come with the huge amounts of danger that I am used to from the older dystopians I have read. There were some sad bits and some happy bits and I loved the main character, Polly and their companions. I especially loved Sidney and her attitude to everything. 

I probably would have liked this book more had I been reading it with a middle grade aged child or if I was one. It would make for a great bedtime story, even with the sad bits, and I would recommend it if you want to introduce yourself or your child to dystopian fiction. However if you are a hardcore dystopian fan like me it will leave you slightly disappointed I think. 

The Last Wild was published by Quercus on March 28th. My copy was sent as an unsolicited review copy from the publisher. 

For more information please visit: 

Amazon | Goodreads | Author Website

Letterbox Love (#41)

Welcome to Letterbox Love, this is a UK meme, hosted by the lovely Lynsey at Narratively Speaking and inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox. This post is a means by which to highlight the books we get in the post and beyond, and especially to bring attention to those books which may be sat on our shelves for a little while yet that we love all the same.

Lots of wonerful books this week. The first lot came in a fantastic Where's Wally tote bag (pictured below) from the Walker Books Manchester Roadshow which I attended:

Fangs: Operation: Golden Bum - Tommy Donbavand 

This isn't on goodreads yet but you can read a little about the series on Tommy Donbavand's website. It sounds brilliant and is the first of a series of six books coming out in September and October this year from Walker 

The Nightmare Club: Help! My Brother's A Zombie - Annie Graves

Again I can't find this on goodreads but it is from Little Island, which is an Irish indie publisher who work closely with Walker. It sounds and looks brilliant and I will definitely be reading it... probably very quickly as it is only around 50 pages long! 

The Messengers - Edward Hogan

This is Edward Hogans second book, following on from Daylight Saving which I saw so may fantastic reviews for last year! It sounds a bit supernatural and I am very intrigued by its blurb. Thank you Walker for this! It isn't on goodreads yet as its not out until September.  

Blood Donors - Steve Tasane 

This is a zombie book... what more do I need to say. It sounds creepy and awesome and is out in October from Walker. 

Wild Boy - Rob Lloyd Jones 

This is my second proof of Wild Boy, I have read and reviewed it on the blog already and will probably give this one away at some point soon as I adored it! 

Hello Darkness - Anthony McGowan

Again, not on goodreads but you can read a little about it on the Inkslingers website... I cant wait to read this one as it sounds crime-y and I love crime YA. This one comes out in September by Walker 

Blink of an Eye - Cath Staincliffe 

This is an adult title from Constable & Robinson and doesn't sound like my kinda thing at all.. I will be passing this on to my local library or giving it away. 

The below came through the post from the publishers for review: 

Guinea Pigs Online: Viking Victory - Jennifer Gray & Amanda Swift 

 This is an unsolicited review copy from Quercus. Thanks guys. Not my kinda thing but its only tiny so I'll probably read and review it then pass it on. 

Invisible Girl - Kate Maryon

This one was requested from HarperCollins and it sounds incredible... from what I gather from the blurb its a contemporary that hits a lot of serious topics and I really want to know more. Thank you HarperCollins for this! 

The Bell Between Worlds: The Mirror Chronicles  #1 - Ian Johnstone

I can only imagine this was sent out as a mistake as I received a proof of this last week too... I'm not sure what happened there but I will be either giving this extra copy away as part of a giveaway or if someone wants to offer a bit of the postage cost I can get it sent to them? Thanks anyway HarperCollins. 

Bookish and Blogish News (#40)

Bookish and Blogish news is my weekly wrap up of the news around the YA industry and my blog this week. This includes cover reveals, new book announcements, new author sign ups, book trailers, blog tours and more. I hope you enjoy!

***

Allegiant UK Cover Reveal 

This will be the third book in the Divergent trilogy, coming from Harper Collins in October. The cover fits well with the other UK covers but I'm afraid I do not like them. I think the three uk covers are really generic and I much prefer the US covers. The US Allegiant cover was revealed just a few days before the UK one and can be seen below.

*** 

Strange Chemistry sign up a new debut author

Strange Chemistry are a relatively new YA imprint and I think they are doing a great job of signing up amazing new authors. This week they announced that they were signing Danielle Jenson up for a three book deal, the first of which will be called Stolen Songbird and will be published in early 2014. The book sounds like an incredible epic fantasy and I am definitely looking forward to hearing more. You can visit Danielle at her website here and read the blurb to Stolen Songbird below. 

Trolls are said to love gold. They are said to live underground and hate humans. They are said to be evil.  When Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and sold to the trolls, she finds out that there is truth in the rumours, but there is also so much more to trolls than she could have imagined.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus, the city she hadn’t even known existed under Forsaken Mountain: escape. But the trolls are inhumanly strong. And fast. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.

But something strange happens while she’s waiting - she begins to fall in love with the handsome, thoughtful troll prince that she has been bonded and married to. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods - part troll/part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.

As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter from Goshawk’s Hollow. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch.

***

Readaraptor is A Daydreamer's Thoughts' Blogger Spotlight!

I am over on Faye's blog, A Daydreamer's Thoughts, today as part of her monthly blogger spotlight. The post involves a lovely Q&A between me and Faye and I just want to say a huge thank you to Faye for having Readaraptor as her monthly blogger spotlight! 

You can read the post here. 

The Terrible Tales of the Teenytinysaurs - Gary Northfield

Every wondered if you could fly to the moon in a wedge of snot? How triceratops grow back their horns or if the Bogey Monster really exists? The Teenytinysaurs are here to help you answer those questions and more in epic graphic novel form. Join Dave, Natasha, Reggie, Ronnie and Thomas as they explore stinky innards, steaming volcanoes and the star-spangled outer space. 

***

Oh wow, I had soooo much fun reading this graphic novel. I didn't want to stop reading as it meant I had to leave the dinosaur gang behind and that nearly broke my heart.

The book is a collection of a set of comics which follow the teenytinysaurs as they learn about visiting the moon, the bogey monster and what to do if you snap your horn off. Its fun and its exciting and there are even activities for younger readers to join in with such as board games and puzzles.

Obviously Teenytinysaurs is a lot younger than my normal reading age, it was described in the Walker catalogue as being for 7+ but I have seen other places offer it as 5+. To be honest I think this book will provide fun for all the family and even a teenager would (secretly) enjoy it. There's a lot of funny bits in it and sometimes its because you just can't believe that the gang believe what they are saying they do!

I think my favourite of the comics had to be The Cloud Whisperer because it was so funny and I loved the idea of a cloud following someone. I also enjoyed The Journey to the Centre of my Brother story, especially the double page innards and the terrible but fantastic pun that closed that story off. The art really added to the impact of the stories being told and I absolutely loved Gary's style, it was fun and cartoony but not too much so that the dinosaurs looked totally different to their 'real' counterparts. There were some kind of Where's Wally type pages too which made the book even more fun too.

My only concern for the book was that it really did conform to gender stereotypes. There was only one female dinosaur, Natasha, and she was pink and came across as very girly. The boys picked on her, they didn't let her join in with football and most of the time she didn't want to do things that were icky, she also said 'Ew' a lot. I didn't really like it and thought the book would have benefited by another female dinosaur in addition to Natasha who wasn't as girly to balance it out a little more.

I really did love The Terrible Tales of the Teenytinysaurs though and will definitely be shouting out about it. My nephew is five this month and shares my love for dinosaurs... so I reckon his pressie is sorted already!

The Terrible Tales of The Teenytinysaurs was published on May 2nd by Walker Children's Books. My copy was sent from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

For more info please visit:
Amazon | Goodreads | Author Website

Rachel Ward Blog Tour: When I Grow Up...

Someone asked Neil Gaiman, the brilliant writer of ‘The Graveyard Book’ and many others, ‘I want to be an author when I grow up. Am I insane?’ His answer: ‘Yes. Growing up is highly overrated. Just be an author.’

I’m 48. I’ve got a house, a car, a husband, two kids, a dog and four chickens. It sounds pretty grown up, right? And sometimes I feel pretty grown up too - when I pay my credit card bill or get someone in to unblock the drains or arrange travel insurance, Other times too, when I lose myself in looking after other people - when my kids are ill or unhappy or tired and unreasonable and somehow I find reservoirs of patience and kindness that last until they feel better, or sitting in a hospital waiting room knowing that I’ve got a long day of waiting ahead and I’m going to have to keep it all together.

Being a grown up means I don’t worry quite so much what people think of me as I used to. I can eat what I want when I want, wear what I want and, these days, pretty much do what I want as well. Apart from random acts of fate, which you have to deal with at any age, I feel like I’m the author of my own story.

I write about teenagers, from their point of view, and while some of it is simply making stuff up, imagining what it’s like to be someone else, I’m aware that sometimes I’m mining my own teenage feelings, drawing on the emotions and insecurities that I had then.

I was quite a sad child and a depressed teenager. At various times in my childhood and adolescence I was prescribed, and took, anti-depressant tablets. I can remember the little purple pills in my school lunchbox. Looking back, I can hardly believe it happened, but it did.

I started to feel happier in my twenties, and being in a stable, loving relationship and having kids changed my life. I didn’t start writing until my mid-thirties, and I honestly don’t think I could have written my books before then. Maybe it’s not growing up, maybe it’s just putting enough distance between the teenage me and me now. It’s fine to look back and revisit those feelings – they can’t hurt me now. I’ve been happy for 25 years or so now and I don’t think it’s likely that I’ll ever go back to those purple pills.

Some writers know that this is what they want to do from a very early age. It took me much longer to find writing, and when I did, I did it in a quiet, almost secret way, learning through writing (and reading, I guess) and I think that happened for a reason. It was just the way it had to be. I had to grow up a bit, or at least grow older. I had to be grown up enough to write.

By the way, my shower outlet is still blocked. Does anyone know a good plumber?

Thanks Rachel for sharing this brilliant insight into what it takes to be a writer, and a grown up, and your path to becoming an author. Rachel's new book, The Drowning, has recently been published by the lovely folk over at Chicken House and my review of it went up yesterday if you fancy checking it out. 

The Drowning - Rachel Ward

“‘Stop. We need to stop. That’s it, everyone - we’ve done our best. I’m calling it. It’s four seventeen.’

I open my eyes. A raindrop hits my left eye, dead centre. O shut both eyes quickly. Careful now, I squint out. The rain keeps coming. Water bombs dropping out of a grey sky. There’s stuff in my mouth. Mud. Gravel. 

I turn my head and spit. 

There’s a face a metre from mine. Hair plastered on to his forehead in glistening snakes. Mouth, thin lips slightly apart, a trickle of water spilling out of the corner. Pale skin, streaked with mud. Eyes, closed, stunted eyelashes forming two stubby lines. 

It’s my face.”

When Carl wakes up on the bank of the lake and the first thing he sees is his brother, the first thing he hears is the paramedics calling his brothers time of death, the first thing he thinks is that he has to be next. 

But he’s not. He is placed in an ambulance and the girls that the paramedics were also helping is sat shivering near him... but when she turns to him all she can do is scream. 

Carl doesn’t understand what has happened, the accident has caused severe memory loss and he can’t even remember who his own mother is. All he knows is that he must find out what happened to his brother, the girl and himself that day, before the truth comes back to drown him. 

***

Wow, I was a massive fan of Rachel Ward when I had only read two of her previous books - Numbers 1 and Numbers 2 - however now I have read The Drowning I think I love her more, with her ability to suck you in and refuse to let you move until you know the entire story, her books are a like a vortex - and I mean that in the best possible way. 

The story was mesmerising. You know from the start that Rob is dead and Carl can’t remember a thing, but you don’t know about Neisha straight away, she comes in after a little while. You know that the brothers didn’t have a great upbringing and that their mother is a bit of a drinker. You know that Carl starts to remember little bits here and there and soon he starts to blame himself, especially once he starts seeing and hearing his brother around his home and the estate. 

His brother was an immense character, filling up every page with his presence, Rob was incredible. The way the character linked into the water was just incredible and I came to fear every drop of water on the page. I loved how that part of the story built up slowly and just kept getting bigger. There was a lot to the story and I loved that the water acted as a kind of metaphor for the grief that Carl was going through. 

The way the story unfolded was really cleaver and there were little hints and stuff that made me think a lot about where the story was going. I loved the ending, absolutely loved it, but I won’t talk about that here as I don’t want to spoil things. I honestly can’t get enough of the idea of the book and think it was just incredibly well plotted. It was a little short and the pace was quite fast but I expected that kinda from Numbers so I didn’t mind at all. 

My one and only niggle with this book doesn't come from the writing or the story, it comes from the cover. As I started reading the book I expected Neisha to be the girl on the cover, however it soon becomes apparent that she of mixed ethnic origin and yet the girl on the cover looks very white british to me... it kinda bugged me a bit and I would have preferred for the cover to reflect the character within the book better. 

I would definitely recommend The Drowning, its a little creepy in places and there are a fair few swears so maybe it would be better for the older reader, but if you like that sort of thing you will definitely love this. 

The Drowning was published on May 2nd by Chicken House. My copy was sent to me form the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Please visit the blog tomorrow for my stop on the Rachel Ward blog tour.

For more info please visit: 

Amazon | Goodreads | Author Website 

ACID - Emma Pass

“The first time I notice the new inmate is when we’re all lined up outside our cells for morning head count. He’s standing five doors down from me, sneaking glances at the rest of us as the guards wave their wrist-scanners across our hips to read the spytags that are implanted when we first get here... 

When his gaze lands on me, he does a double take, just as I knew he would.”

Jenna Strong has learned to accept the stares she gets from new inmates at Mileway Prison, as the only female inmate she stands out and she has had to also learn how to deflect the come-ons and the abuse given by the new male inmates. In Jenna’s world ACID control everyone, they are the most brutal police force in history and have blocked entry to and exit from the Independent Republic of Britain for the past fifty years. Jenna is locked up for a crime she struggles to remember and when a mysterious rebel group break her out of the prison she has to use the tactics she learnt inside to hide from ACID and stay one step ahead of them at all times. 

***

I knew I would love ACID. There was no doubt in my mind that a dystopian with a kick ass heroine and an amazing storyline would press all the right buttons for me. Though to be honest I was worried, with the huge influx of Dystopian YA out there right now ACID needed to be special and thankfully, it was.

The story was incredible, I was rooting for Jenna the entire way through and I loved the was it was written, you had narration from Jenna as if she was telling you her story and I felt like I got to know her really well because of it. Then you had little snippets of news stories, letters and transcripts from various people throughout the book which added that touch more and worked fantastic. The readability of the book was incredible and I just couldn’t put it down, Jenna’s narration really sucks you in and makes you want to read just for a little longer, next thing you know an hour and at least 100 pages have passed! 

I was worried that romance would make up a lot of the book but I was completely mad to think that. There was a small element of it but the ethics and the control of ACID were more of a topic. The things that the group did to control the country were mental and I often found myself thinking ‘WTF, they can’t do that!’ but they did, and man they were assholes. The twists and turns that the book made were brilliant too and I really loved some things that got revealed at the end of it all. 

I like that there has been an obvious opening at the end however this book felt complete. There is room for a sequel but it doesn’t need one, however if there is one I will definitely be reading it! I can’t fault this book at all and its definitely one that will be staying on my shelves to read again.

ACID was published on April 25th by Corgi Children’s books. My copy was sent from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

For more info please visit:

Amazon | Goodreads | Author Website 

Paper Aeroplanes - Dawn O’Porter

“I take my place on the front bench of the science lab. A few weeks ago we had been dissecting pigs’ trotters and all the vegetarians were huddled in a corner trying not to look. I thought it would be funny to flick a bit og trotter at them from the end of my ruler. As it turned out, it wasn’t very funny. I only meant it as a joke but it landed inside Kerry Bowden’s pencil case and she screamed like someone had run over her foot.”

Renee and Flo are both going through their own crisis’ at the minute. Renee’s life hasn’t been good since her mum died of cancer when she was 7 and now her sister hates her and her granddad blames her for everything. Flo’s dad has just left and her mum treats her like crap, and like a live-in nanny for her little sister. Renee deals with the situation by covering it up with her outlandish behaviour and extrovert personality, Flo deals by hiding in the shadow of her bitch of a best friend, Sally, who puts her down and makes her feel even worse about herself. The two of them shouldn’t become friends, it doesn’t make much sense, but when they are united by their loneliness they form a bond which is stronger than anything either of the have felt before. 

***

What a powerful book. A contemporary teen novel that deals with the reality of being a teenager, dealing with others, the pressures of school and family on top of periods, hormones and a multitude of other things, Paper Aeroplanes was a refreshing, realistic portrayal of this time of life and I really loved reading all about it. 

I had heard good things about this book before I started reading and I was not disappointed. Paper Aeroplanes was real, well written and incredibly nerve-wracking to read, all of which made it a fantastic filler for a Friday night in the house on my lonesome. I felt a connection to the girls who I was reading about, both the main characters and the other girls in the book and I was instantly transformed back to my high school years. 

The story dealt with a lot and it was quite a heavy going book in places. There were a lot of moments where I had tears in my eyes and I could feel a lump in my throat. Both the girls were so brave for going through what they went through and I loved them all the more for it. Their friendship was a fantastic quality in the book and it never failed to make me feel loved for having the friends I had, and have. 

I loved the refreshing take on what it was like to have sex, and how blunt the writing was when it came to sex and other ‘sexual acts’. The out and out policy on talking about periods was helpful too and approaching it with the attitude Porter did kind of makes me feel happy that its something that nearly all women share and we shouldn’t have to be embarrassed about it... these things were all rather hush hush in my school and I wish they weren’t because it lead to a lot of rumours about things meaning other things when it came to sex and stupidity when it came to periods. 

There were a few small niggles with this book. I didn’t like the outcome of the storyline with Renee’s sister and thought it was a bit stupid that not once did Flo’s brother get called a slag for what he was doing yet if it was a female character she would have had that word and worse branded about like wildfire. I also thought that the very drastic change in one of the characters at the end of the book was a little too much and that a sudden change in storyline three pages before the end left that a bit too open for my liking too. 

However even with those niggles Paper Aeroplanes was one of the best representations of real teen life that I have read in all my time reading YA literature. If I had read this book at 15 it would a firm favourite, much as it has become now, and I would like to think I would have looked at things with a much better perspective than I did back then. 

Paper Aeroplanes was published on May 2nd by Hot Key Books. My copy was sent from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

For more info please visit: 

Amazon | Goodreads | Author website

Letterbox Love (#40)

Welcome to Letterbox Love, this is a UK meme, hosted by the lovely Lynsey at Narratively Speaking and inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox. This post is a means by which to highlight the books we get in the post and beyond, and especially to bring attention to those books which may be sat on our shelves for a little while yet that we love all the same.

Such a fantastic book haul this week, thank you to all the publishers who sent books for review, it's very much appreciated! 

For Review: 

Teenytinysaurs - Gary Northfield 

This was sent by the amazing Hannah at Walker Children's Books. I raved about this one on twitter and she knew how much I oved dinosaurs so sent over a copy. I have already read it and it was awesome, review to come later in the week! 

The Mirror Chronicles; The Bell Between Worlds - Ian Johnstone 

This was sent by the awesome folks at HarperCollins and sounds just incredible, its a fantasy which has been compared to CS Lewis and Philip Pullam, so it has a huge reputation to live up to! 

The Wimpy Vampire Strikes Back - Tim Collins 

This was an unsolicited review copy sent from Michael O'Mara books. It's the third in the Wimpy Vampire series, which is a series I am interested in but haven't read or got... so I'm not sure if I will be reading this one, if I don't I will donate it to a school or public library. 

Summerkin - Sarah Prineas

Another unsolicited review copy sent through from Quercus... I'm not sure what this one is about and as it is the second in a series I haven't started, or own, I'm not sure if I will get to read it. 

If I don't I will make sure I get it sent to a good home. 

The Originals - Cat Patrick 

I am part of the blog tour for The Originals and so the lovely people at Electric Monkey sent over a copy of the book for me. I am quoted in it too like I was in Revived! yay! 

Kite Spirit - Sita Brahmachari 

I had forgotten that I requested this one but the lovely folk at MacMillan kindly sent me over a copy so I could finally get round to reading some of Sita Brahmachari's stuff.. I have had her other book, Artichoke Hearts on my wishlist forever but haven't ever gotten round to getting hold of a copy. I am looking forward to Kite Spirit! 

Bought:

Floors - Patrick Carman 

The Dead of Winter - Chris Priestley 

Missing Judy - Anne Cassidy 

Mortlock - Jon Mayhew 

I found these beauties in town yesterday at a great price so couldn't resist! I have all of them on my wishlist except The Dead of Winter which I actually have on my kindle but as I don't like using my kindle I decided to buy it again as a hard copy. 

Bookish and Blogish News (#39)

Bookish and Blogish news is my weekly wrap up of the news around the YA industry and my blog this week. This includes cover reveals, new book announcements, new author sign ups, book trailers, blog tours and more. I hope you enjoy!

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If You Find Me by Emily MurdochTrailer

The trailer for the immensely incredible If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch, published by Indigo, was revealed this week over at the Dark Readers blog. It is brilliant and makes me what to read the book all over again. Check out the trailer above, the blurb below and my review of the book here. 

Goodreads Summary:

THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND ...

A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen-year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey's younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and the girls are found by their father, a stranger, and taken to re-enter the "normal" life of school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must come to terms with the truth of why their mother spirited them away ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won't let her go ... a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn't spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

***

New Indigo Cover Reveals: Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher & Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

These new covers have recently been annouced by Indigo, and I really love them both! The Ketchup Clouds one is pretty striking and whilst I prefer the Hardback edition (here) I do like this one too. The original Midwinterblood cover which I have and read (here) was pretty cool but gave across a different feel than the new cover and I think I prefer the new one a lot. 

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Patrick Ness Announced as the Fifth Doctor! 

Ok so this isn't as exciting as that headline made it out to be... however it was announced this week that Patrick Ness is the author of the fifth book in the new short stories Dr Who books which are being published to mark the 50th anniversary of the show! 

There hasn't been too much announced as of yet but you can read what has been here, where you can find links to preorder the e-book. 

The stories will be published as a paperback anthology in November to coincide with the 50th anniversary and I personally will be waiting for that! 

***

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo UK Cover Reveal

This is the incredible new cover for the second book in the Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo and I cannot wait to read it. I got a copy of the special omnibus edition of the Grisha series but you can buy the second book, Siege and Storm separately from June 6th. 

If you were a fan of book one Shadow and Bone (also known as The Gathering Dark) you can also join in with the #GrishaArmy over on the Fierce Fiction Tumblr page... Head on over there to find out more! 

Check out the blurb for Siege and Storm below, but be warned, it may contain spoilers for the first book! 

Goodreads summary:

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

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Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin cover reveal

Those guys over at Indigo really have been busy this week as the have also released the cover for the second in the Bethany Griffin series, The Masque of the Red Death. I loved the first book and especially its cover so I am glad they have followed it up with this stunner. The blurb can be read below, but again it is the second in the series so careful for spoilers! 

Goodreads Summary: 

In Dance of the Red Death, Araby’s world is in shambles—betrayal, death, disease, and evil forces surround her. She has no one to trust. But she finds herself and discovers that she will fight for the people she loves, and for her city.

Her revenge will take place at the menacing masked ball, though it could destroy her and everyone she loves…or it could turn her into a hero.

With a nod to Edgar Allan Poe, Bethany Griffin concludes her tragic and mysterious Red Death series with a heroine that young adult readers will never forget.

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Blog Tour News

I will be taking part in two blog tours in the upcoming weeks. 

The first will mark the publication of The Drowning by Rachel Ward. Rachel will be on Readaraptor on Thursday 16th May talking about growing up and writing. It's a great post and my review of the book is due to publish on Wednesday too! 

The second will be for Cat Patrick's new book The originals. I'm not sure what Cat will be talking about yet but be sure to visit on the 28th May to find out! 

I am really intrigued by The Originals as it sounds very different to Cat's other two novels but I am really looking forward to reading it and sharing my thoughts with you guys!