Jinxed / Amy McCulloch / YA

Published by Simon & Schuster.

I have reached page 104 of 323 pp – and already I can’t put this mix of The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) and His Dark Materials (Philip Pullman) down.

Though only having read just a third of the book, it has already enticed me away from doing things I should be doing – I can’t put it down. I am not sure that I would have survived the new school that our heroine begins to attend in part two of the book. Somehow, I could probably deal with The Hunger Games scenario more easily than what I think is likely to develop with Jinxed. We will see.

I can, however, confirm that if you enjoyed The Hunger Games or His Dark Materials that this is a book for you. Due out in early August, it really should be a powerful new title for Young Adult and Adult readers alike.

I have a feeling that I am going to be as emotionally involved with this as I was with Patrick Ness’ Knife of Never Letting Go.

With that I cried on the tube.

A sign of a very good book indeed.

Amy McCulloch is also the author of The Potion Diaries.

 

 

Book Review: The Pony with No Name / Seaview Stables / Tracey Corderoy / 8 – 12

Published by Simon and Schuster

This is a traditional pony story – a horse mad young girl and her Mum have recently moved to live near her grandfather, and whilst exploring she comes across a horse that has bolted – and falls in love.

The trouble is the person who owns the horse, isn’t the one she met with the horse…and when she realises things aren’t as they should be…life gets considerably more complicated.

This is one of those books for horse lovers. Friendship, bravery, determination and the love of a good horse. Oh, I nearly forgot. It’s also about a grumpy cat. Actually the cat has very good reasons for being grumpy…

What more do you need for the Summer holidays?

The illustration is taken from the Internet – accredited to Olivia Walker…

Book Review: The Book of Boy / Catherine Gilbert Murdock / Illus. Ian Schoenherr / 8 and upwards

 

Published by Chicken House

The key to Hell picks all locks.

A tale of Heaven and Hell. This is a story of medieval intrigue. Priceless relics, good and evil and an hunch-back goat herder. Oh and some goats, a stroppy donkey, a pack of dogs, geese, wolves and a phlegmatic and rather sleepy cat, amongst others. Boy is taken from the only home he can remember, leaving his herd behind, to travel with a pilgrim to Rome. The year is 1350 a year of change, devastation and fear. Things are not as they seem and Secundus seems abrupt and frightening when Boy begins his journey. As he goes he finds that people are not what they seem either. Ashamed and fearful he keeps his hump hidden, never touching it, and keeping himself out of the way. Secundus wonders at Boy’s relationship with the animals they meet, but is driven to reach St Paul’s Church before he dies; determined to gather Saint Peter’s relics as he travels. Determined to reach heaven the only way he knows how.

The different animal characters in the book reflect the those you might come across – the cat, confident that all will be well, the hounds, the pack of hounds working together as one entity…

This is a super book. Its perfect – the language is just that bit medieval, to give the story colour, whilst at the same time the mysteries that surround Boy and Secundus entice the reader into a superbly written small volume.

Each chapter is headed with wonderful illustrations (I’m not sure if they are wood engravings), that look the sort you might just find on a medieval manuscript – just right for this, and the map at the beginning is perfect, with an angel and devil supporting the scroll at each corner.

This is a beautiful medieval tale.

My only disappointment, I’m afraid, is the cover of this paperback. The book was first published in America – with the cover shown below – which reflects the illustrations in the text and the story. The new cover, doesn’t do it for me, I’m afraid.  I wish they had stuck with American version here. I will have to try and see if I can get a hardback copy from the States. Though I’m afraid I won’t be buying it from Amazon…. Perhaps my aunt in California will be able to get me a copy…since Waterstones doesn’t recognise the hardback’s ISBN. Sigh.

Truly a  wondrous book.

Lastly – a small note, my colleague Amabel, who works with me in Finchley Road O2, really must read this – I think she and her children would love it…

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