New Website

This blog has now been retired, although it is still active for those wishing to read old reviews.

I have a new website, which includes a blog, info on my books, updates on author goings on, and other bits and pieces. The address is here:

Noah Dreary by Aaron Blabey

Review

Aaron Blabey is one of my favourite picture book authors (you may know him from Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley or The Dreadful Fluff). Noah Dreary is his latest – a story about a boy who complains so much that his head falls off. What a hilarious concept. It's right in line with another of my favourites, When the Wind Changed by Ruth Park. I just love picture books that are cheeky and tongue-in-cheek, and that make a clever and engaging story out of a silly saying or idea.

I love the hilarious illustration style in Noah Dreary and it really compliments the story. The illustrations are at their best in the pages that depict all the things Noah complains about. The story is typical Blabey – quirky, irreverent humour, silly, familiar, and ultimately with a positive message. This is a book kids will love for the silliness, and parents will enjoy on a more adult level. Sublime.

Song for a Scarlet Runner by Julie Hunt

Review

Song for a Scarlet Runner was picked up by me because I saw Julie Hunt was a Tasmanian author, and I am always interested to see what stories my old home state is producing. I was also a fan of Hunt's picture book 'The Coat'. I knew I would like Song for a Scarlet Runner because it fitted so perfectly into my favourite kind of book - middle-grade fantasy adventure, coming of age story, quirky, a quest of sorts. Hunt's book had all these things, plus two very important extras - humour, and a strong, independent, brave lead female character, Peat.

I loved the worlds that Hunt takes us into - from the boggy marshes with the cranky, crazy old Aunties; to the surreal nightmarescape of the Siltman; to the little villages and Town Hubs full of all sorts of oddball hustle and bustle. Peat's story moves along at a rapid pace, although I found I only truly got involved once Peat left the Overhang. I really enjoyed Peat's ambition and her desire to learn about the world beyond what she knows - she is inquisitive without ever being annoying or overbearing.

Hunt has created a charming cast of supporting characters. I loved the Aunties and their meddling, magical ways; I love Siltboy with his butterfly mind and lovable way of speaking (I have since read it is based on Anglo-Saxon poets). But my favourite character was by far the Sleek, who was naughty and infuriating, but one of those animal sidekick characters so completely lovable, I very near cared more about him than about Peat. Trust me, you'll love this guy and his attitude.

I thought Song for a Scarlet Runner was told in a lovely old-fashioned style, and I love the sense of adventure that runs through it. I also love that this is also a book about the magic and power of story-telling, and there is a strong folklore theme. Peat is a wonderful little character, and the story has a lot to say about courage and selflessness. I was thoroughly charmed by this book.

Fairytales for Wilde Girls by Allyse Near

Review

Fairytales for Wilde Girls is a book I went from being thoroughly engrossed in, to thinking it was overwritten, to admiring the luscious descriptions, to feeling a little put off by easy sentimentality, to absolutely loving the bubblegum-goth inspired descriptions, to cringing at a little too much heroine idolising. And yet, Fairytales is a glorious mish-mash of old and young, sweet and bitter, light and dark, classic and unique - so I guess my mixed feelings are quite adequate. Ultimately I quite admire it. It's the kind of writing I was doing and wanted to do in all my own creative writing uni classes, but always felt repressed by students and tutors who wanted serious, hip, navel-gazing statements - 'serious' writing that could only be taken 'seriously' if it was socially and culturally 'serious'. Meanwhile I was writing about trees that uprooted themselves and set off on magical adventures to find water. Fairytales for Wilde Girls speaks to the unadulterated, dreamer me who just wanted my writing to be beautiful.

I do admire creative license when it comes to writing, and lush, creative imagery - although a few instances throughout the book I thought, just a little, it was trying too hard. This relentless style of imagery does suck you in, though, added to the delicious contempo-magic world of Isola. Can a book be gothically sweet? Yes, this one is. It is very whimsical. Although I wish the author had pared back a little when it came to the ending, and tying the story together - it was overly-described, and thus I thought some of the beauty of it was lost.

Fairytales for Wilde Girls is set in among all the things I love - magic, gothic, fairytales, folklore, faerie creatures, coming of age, wicca, secrets, escaping to fantasy places. I love the idea of the six princes, and of having faerie confidants that no one else can communicate with. There are so many ideas here, and they are tied together in a very enthralling way.

The only sub-plot I didn't really care for was Edgar. So Isola got her happily ever after? But for a book that had a very strong feminine, female-orientated focus, I didn't really think the book needed to end with a love declaration to a male character. That is very paranormal-romance for me, and I believe Fairytales was Isola's personal growth story, not a love story.

I love that Random House (my own publishers) have the guts to publish something so unique, risky, and unusual. I don't know if I love it, but I love what it's all about

Ship Kings 02 Voyage of the Unquiet Ice

Review

I love this series. The Ship Kings is fast becoming one of my favourite modern children's series, along with Michelle Lovric's The Undrowned Child, and Helen Dunmore's Ingo (sensing a sea theme, anyone?) The second installment in the Ship Kings, Voyage of the Unquiet Ice, had me enthralled from the get go. If you seriously want adventure - good, old-fashioned adventure, but at the same time modern and fresh - then Ship Kings are the books for you.

Andrew McGahan is a great writer - he knows how to enthrall, how to invoke emotion, how to write beautiful passages that portray a character's feelings, without being pretentious and flowery. Voyage of the Unquiet Ice also benefited greatly from upping the pace a bit: one of the things I thought the first book had working against it. This book, however, is pretty much a non-stop adventure - it is thrilling and dangerous and pushes the characters to their very limits, and it perfectly captures the wonder Dow feels setting out on his first real adventure at sea.

Once again the descriptions of the ocean, and the connection people have to it, are wonderful. The descriptions in general are wonderful - once we get to the 'unquiet ice', McGahan throws us into the cold, the wet, the eerieness, the stillness, the danger, the terrible beauty of the icebergs. The atmosphere leaks onto the pages. The way Dow's life on the ship is described is very informative, but never dry.

I really enjoyed the characters in Voyage of the Unquiet Ice. They are a terrible, brutal, and fascinating bunch, and Dow is a great character to navigate the waters around them. I also found the political side to the story (something which generally loses me in fantasy) easy to comprehend and extremely interesting. Having ship kings politics play out in the background while Dow embarks on his adventures gives the story urgency and weight.

Read these books. Do it. You may struggle to get into them at first because they are quite dense - but persist, because they are fabulous. I haven't enjoyed such a well-written book since I read Seraphina last year. Can't wait until the third one.

'How Can We Help' my new play at ETC

News

If you head on down to the Essendon Theatre Company (Bradshaw Street, Essendon) tonight you will see my short play being presented on stage by some very talented and very funny actors.

'How Can We Help?' is a short play I wrote for Essendon Theatre Company's second season for 2013, Whatever Comes Along. It is set in the waiting room of a doctor's surgery and follows the dramas and quirks of the five patients waiting to see a doctor, and of course the harried receptionist. It was heaps of fun to write and is even funnier to watch (although I did feel like a bit of a loser laughing at my own jokes!) Directors Rosalin Shafik-Eid and Rhiannon Dhummet have done a great job, and it is really fulfilling to see my words (and also some of my own waiting room experiences) turned into a story on stage.

The show season runs from tonight, 13th June, to Saturday 29th June. All details can be found on the ETC website (www.essendontheatrecompany.com). There are also two other short plays being presented on the night.

Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles 01) by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Review

I chose Beautiful Creatures as my easy holiday read for a recent trip to Hawaii. 'Yes', I thought at the airport, 'A Ya gothic paranormal-romance read, that does sound like perfect escapism for a twelve hour plane trip, no stops.'

Hmmmm.

Instead, I wanted to escape the book. I read it through to the end because I do not like letting books defeat me, and I didn't want to miss out on a big reveal or anything that would happen that was so amazing it would make reading this book worth it.

My main problem with Beautiful Creatures is that it kind of sits at one level for it's one trillion pages (exaggeration). Nothing really happens. At least, I can't remember anything happening. The idea is a good one but the execution was kind of boring. The characters didn't grab me, in fact the only one I think who makes any kind of bang is Ridley.

And our two love interests - well, they don't have the smultzy teeney love stuff that I find commonly infuriating in paranormal YA, but they don't really have any sparks either. I honestly just didn't care how their relationship would end up by the end of the book; the stakes weren't high enough, and trying to connect their love story with the historical love story as played out by the ghosts in the locket - well, sorry, but I don't think much depth was added there either.

The writing is decent, the ideas great, the gothic atmosphere has a definite allure - but the story is dull. I understand there is a lot to build on in the future books, but I found Beautiful Creatures to be written a little lazily, and I don't have much inclination to follow the series through.

New Writing

Author news

I will have some exciting news soon about my next writing project. Stay tuned!

Also here is the link to a really beautiful review by Vicki Stanton, writing for Buzz Words. I love this review because she really seems to understand the raven and what I hoped to convey when I wrote the book. Thank you Vicki for your beautiful words. Link here: Buzz Words Review

Guest Post on 'The Great Raven'

Author interview

Author and blogger extraordinaire Sue Bursztynski interviewed me for her blog 'The Great Raven' (apt name, right!?)

Here is the link:  Author Interview

I really enjoyed doing the interview and it was great to be able to talk a little about myself as well as the book.

Furnace 01 & 02: Lockdown and Solitary, by Alexander Gordon Smith

Review

 Wow. I think this is a great YA series that exists very comfortably being a strange mish-mash of horror, action and dystopian fiction. There are some genuinely frightening ideas and creepy goings on in the Furnace series, but the books are also clever, suspenseful and involving. I found the writing to be perfect for the tone and style of the book. I read the first one rather quickly and then a few weeks later, I picked the second one up to chill out for a few chapters before doing something else, and then I ended up starting and finishing the book in one night. That hasn’t happened in years.

Lockdown is set in gen pop of the Furnace Prison when Alex is wrongly sent there and begins to experience some of the horrors the prison contains. The second book Solitary sees him in solitary trying to navigate the lower levels of the prison – the levels where the horrific laboratory experiments take place, where a battle is playing out gruesomely between the monsters of Furnace, and where every dark rocky corridor holds another grisly secret.

I think the ideas behind Furnace are fascinating. What I like best about these books is that the writing isn’t pulpy – there’s something very intelligent and emotive behind it. The main characters, who we’re meant to care about – I do care about them. I want them all to get out of the prison. And when some of them don’t, well it’s not like I break down in tears – but there is a sense of ‘oh, damn’, there.

Where the Furnace series is particularly successful is in how it creates suspense – there is a sense of constant anticipation and fear that runs throughout the books. How long till the monsters come for Alex in his cell? How long before the rats break into his solitary hole? Will they get caught before they can blow the cave and escape? How long till they get discovered in hiding? And so on and so on. It is quite harrowing. But it never feels like a cheap tactic to get the reader involved.

The Furnace setting is fantastic – all dark shadows and deep rock far into the bowels of the earth; all creepy laboratories and confined spaces and a darkness that you never know is a blessing or a curse. I understand that in future books Alex manages to break out of Furnace so it will be interesting to see how the story survives once it is set free from the prison.

I really enjoyed these books and think they’re great. I originally started reading them when I had to put together a list of horror books for one of our school library clients at the bookstore. The covers (the American ones) hooked me in. This is a series that I will see out to the finish. I highly recommended for mature teen readers and even horror fiction lovers who want an easy but involving read.

First published in 2009

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Review

On a surface level I enjoyed Wither but there were parts of me that remained stubbornly incredulous and even a little bit derisive at times. This is a dystopian YA novel so I’m willing to suspend disbelief but I do feel a little bit of extra work on the world could have made Wither a more fulfilling read. Both the dystopian elements of Rhine’s world and also some of the character intentions felt lazy and frustrating. I also felt a bit iffy about it at times because the concept – one young man sharing three teenage ‘wives’, emotionally and sexually – well, I find that a little wrong, especially for a teenage book.

There are moments of beauty in Wither, which was mainly why I kept reading. I also really wanted to find out if Rhine managed to leave, and take Gabriel with her. There are a few passages where the author really captures that desperate, funked out atmosphere and sense of hopelessness – this I enjoyed. But then nobody ever did anything about it.

I enjoyed the three main characters in Wither – the sister-wives Rhine, Jenna and Cecily. The relationship that develops between them is the heart of the book (not the kind-of-forced twin-brother angle). I probably cared for Rhine the least, and found her the most un-multi-faceted, but I still did want her to successfully escape. Actually all the female characters in the book – from Rhine’s hand-maiden to the head cook to first-wife Rose – all exude some kind of personality. They are all likeable. The male characters don’t fare so well. Hopefully Gabriel will come out of his shell a bit more in future books.

I have heard this book referred to as a young ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ and I can see resemblances. The Handmaid’s Tale is one of my favourite books and I think the dystopian elements of it are near perfect. The dystopian elements of Wither are not.  I think it is catering more towards the romance element, and therefore YA fans of that will really enjoy it. Wither is quite moody and atmospheric, and actually quite different from a lot of YA dystopian action-based on-the-run books. I guess its uniqueness is a strong selling point. I enjoyed it, but only just.

Fire in the Sea by Myke Bartlett

Review

Fire in the Sea is an exciting mish-mash of ideas – Greek god mythology, adventure quest, time travel, drowned city dystopia, contemporary coming-of-age story. It is exciting to me that an author can make a story like this and set it in a very recognisable Perth. I really admire the scope and imagination of Fire in the Sea, and I think for the most part it all works together in an intriguing and cohesive way.

This book won the Text Prize in 2012, which is why I’ve had my eye on it for a while. I really enjoyed how it started off with a lazy, long-hot Summer vibe; there was great atmosphere and hints of contemporary romance. Then it very quickly got quite weird and very unique.

Sadie was a solid heroine, although at times I think she was a bit selfish and should have treated Tom better. He was one of my favourite characters, and he had a nice quiet strength. Jake the ‘love interest’ had a fair bit of charm too, though. I like the menace that the author created around the Minotaur figure, although I felt that all the other ‘baddies’ were adequate but so-so.

What kept me reading Fire in the Sea was its uniqueness, the exciting fantasy ideas and the thrill of not quite knowing what was going to happen next. I am very much looking forward to seeing what else Bartlett has up his sleeve.

First published by Text Publishing in 2012

WIN What the Raven Saw

There is a competition at the moment over at one of my favourite blogs/websitres, Kids Book Review, to win one of three copies of What the Raven Saw. Details here: WIN. It closes March 10.

There is also a new review of Raven up at KBR. This is what they say:

"This engaging fable-like novel is thoughtful, entertaining and very funny. The debut novel for Australian author Samantha-Ellen Bound,What the Raven Saw is refreshingly different and thoroughly engaging."

 I like!

Younger Sun Bookshop

Event

http://youngersun.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/meet-author.html

I will be at the amazing Younger Sun Bookshop tomorrow, to talk with kids about What the Raven Saw. Raven was their February book club pick. Can't wait to hear all their thoughts and answer questions. There will a signing at the store afterwards if you'd like to stop by. Pics to follow.

A Month with April-May, by Edyth Bulbring

Review

A terrific little YA book arrived instore yesterday. It is called A Month with April-May, and I first read it as a proof. I believe it will be a series, which is fabulous, because April-May February (real name) is a charming character with just the right amount of attitude and heart.

A Month with April-May would be perfect for readers of Jacqueline Wilson or Louise Rennison. Both the style of the writing and the characters/situations reminded me of their books. April-May is the new kid at Trinity College, admitted on a bursary and seemingly doing her best to mess it all up.

April-May is a bit offbeat, always honest and altogether quite charming. I love the snappy way this book is written and the wry observations. It is probably nothing we haven't all read before, but there was just a bit of extra dazzle about it, and the cast of secondary characters was really  enjoyable.

Recommended for early High School librarys, and teen comedy fans.

First published in Australia in 2013, by Hot Key

Thirteen Treasures, The by Michelle Harrison

Review

The Thirteen Treasures is a charming, fast-paced adventure story concerning one of my favourite fictional subjects: faeries. It won the Waterstone’s Childen’s Book Prize a few years back but has been off my radar until now – I don’t think it really took off in Australia as it did elsewhere. But it is a great read. It is interesting and intriguing, and the faerie lore, although a big part of the plot, never overwhelms the book. There are many adventures to have in the big old mansion with secret passageways, and the quaint village nearby, and the creepy, faerie-infested woods, and the faeryielore is wound into it all seamlessly.

I love the setting and the atmosphere Harris creates, and how little sub-plots or the next few clues are revealed every few chapters or so. This is what keeps the pages turning, and I thought the pacing was quite terrific and the writing very easy to read and escape into. I think it is written with a great knowledge of what holds children’s attention.

Faeries (the Celtic folklore-ish kind) are one of my fictional favourites when it comes to kid’s books. I have my own folders and books all about the  numerous beasties and faeries from British, Irish and Scottish folklore, and so I love it when I recognize the source material authors are working from. I really enjoyed Harris’ collection of household boggarts and the lore associated with them. She also manages to create some genuinely creepy, scary moments, which is offset throughout the book with lovely, subtle humour.

A big part of the book’s intrigue comes from most of the main human characters having hidden secrets, and the way these are teased out.  My only niggle was that I felt a few things came together all too easily near the end.

The Thirteen Treasures series (will read the next two soon) would be a great addition to a school library. They are perfect for a late primary audience.

First published in 2009 by Little, Brown

Raven Launch tomorrow

What the Raven Saw is being launched at my bookstore, Book Bonding in Niddrie, 6pm tomorrow. All welcome. Above is the front window dedicated to ... me. And the raven, of course.

Raven Links

Latest Raven links full of awesome Raveny goodness:

Lovely review at Readings: What the Raven Saw

An article and pic on me that I did with the local Moonee Valley paper: here. The books as a background look superb; can't say it's the most flattering pic of me though. Ah well, what can you do. Wouldn't want to show the raven up, after all.

Some fascinating posts by the designer of Raven's cover, Astrid Hicks, on the full process of designing the book as you see it today: here.

Enjoy XX

The Various (Touchstone Trilogy 01) by Steve Augarde

Review

Steve Augarde’s Touchstone Trilogy was recommended to me by a customer at the bookstore who knew I really enjoyed Colin Meloy’s recent Wildwood series. I looked them up; the cover art was gorgeous and they sounded like just the kind of kid’s fantasy I love. I have just finished the first book in the trilogy, The Various, and although I will most likely read the other two, I think I will have long breaks between readings.

The Various was written in the mid 2000’s, but the style, pacing, and themes feel like they belong to the 50s/60s era of children’s writing. This is not necessarily bad, as pretty much all my fav books come from this era. But The Various is perhaps lacking the charm and whimsy of the writing at this time – it feels a bit plain old-fashioned, but not in a hip modern way. I think kids, attuned to a snappy, action-filled and contemporary narrative, would struggle to get through it. It certainly took me a long time, and I persisted, because I hate to let a book defeat me. And though I feel like my efforts were rewarded, I can see how it would deter others.

I appreciate a lot of description, because I know, as a writer, how much you want the reader to see and understand your world as much as you do. But there is too much in The Various. Many passages get too long-winded and over-thought. It seems like we are not spared one thought from Midge’s head, about everything she encounters. This can get a bit tedious and make Midge seem precocious, while also putting the pacing off. The book is as long and languid as one of Midge’s lazy afternoons on the farm. Also, I felt at times it was maybe just a little indulgent, and came off as a little forced – I felt like, let the idea speak for itself, rather than trying to force feelings on the reader.

That being said, there is still lots to enjoy. The second half (or third?) of the book is where the pacing really steps up and the adventure starts to happen, and it is very enjoyable. I love the idea of a ‘faery’ tribe living in the overgrown woods, and thought learning about their world was interesting. And many of the secondary characters, and even the animals, were great fun. Augarde also does atmosphere well.

I hear the other two books, Celandine and Winter Wood, are the better books in the trilogy. So in a few months I shall pick those up and get reacquainted.

Book first published in 2003

'What the Raven Saw' launch

What the Raven Saw will be in bookstores, Australia-wide (and also Target, Big W, etc) TOMORROW. That is awesome. There will be a launch Friday 8th February. Pretty casual affair but will be heaps of fun, everyone is welcome. I will be happy to have a chat and sign books.