Event report: Undercover at Walker Books

On Saturday, I was lucky enough to be invited to the London offices of Walker Books for a preview of their new Undercover campaign. This is probably the kind of book event I like best, because I get to hear about all the most exciting upcoming YA titles straight from the people publishing them. Also in attendance were Becky of The Bookette, Liz from My Favourite Books, Sarah from Sarah's Book Reviews and Lynsey from Narratively Speaking.

The first book introduced was Long Reach by Peter Cocks. This one's set for publication in early January 2011, and it's the first in a series of thrillers about seventeen year old Eddie Savage. We viewed the trailer, which has the feel of a well-made tv drama about it, and as a result I'm expecting this one to be gritty and edgy.

Next up was Flip by Martyn Bedford, a psychological thriller about a fourteen year old boy who wakes up in someone else's body. I love body swap stories, so my ears definitely perked up at this one. The Walker peeps were being extra careful not to give any plot twists away, which of course made me completely intrigued. Flip is Martyn Bedford's YA debut.

The next title was Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. While this one is already out in the UK in trade paperback format, it'll be published in regular paperback in March 2011. News to me was that the film rights to Clare's first series, Mortal Instruments, have already been optioned and that the first book has been cast. So, we could see City of Bones on the big screen as early as 2012. I loved that book, so I can't wait for that. Plus, everyone in the room who'd read Clockwork Angel already sounded really enthusiastic about it, including Becky from The Bookette - so I'm planning on checking that one out soon.

Then we heard about a new novel from Todd Strasser, called Blood On My Hands, set for UK publication in April 2011. I hadn't heard of this one before, but I love the premise. Another thriller, it's about a girl who stumbles upon the dead body of another girl, is found holding the murder weapon, and has to prove her innocence. This year I read Strasser's If I Grow Up and thought it was incredibly powerful, so Blood On My Hands is definitely going on my wishlist.

For me, the big surprise of the day was the news that Michelle Gayle has a YA novel on the way. While the name might not mean much to those outside the UK, Michelle Gayle has been both a successful actress and singer over here, so a collective murmur went around the room when her name was mentioned. The novel itself is about a girl who aspires to be a WAG, and it sounds like it's actually going to be a pretty empowering read. It sounds like Walker have some interesting plans for extra content with this one, too. Pride and Premiership is due for publication in May 2011.

Next, the news that 2011 also sees the UK publication of Girl Parts by John Cusick. This is a title that I WoWed a while back, before the US release, so I was especially happy to spot a copy in my goody bag. It sounds fun and clever, and I'm really glad to see it getting an official UK release.

Our next preview was of a new novel by award-winning author Mal Peet, entitled Life: An Exploded Diagram. This one is apparently semi-autobiographical, and was described as falling at the more literary end of YA. This one is set in England during one of the major crises of Cold War, and it sounds like a real coming-of-age story. Interesting stuff.

Finally, we had a special visit from author Zoë Marriott, who had been invited along to talk about her upcoming novel Shadows On The Moon. This was a real highlight, as I've had this book on my wishlist for a little while now and Zoë was both engaging and hilarious. Shadows On The Moon is set in a fantasy world based on feudal Japan, and it was fascinating to hear about the way that Zoë set about creating it. She even brought us all a miniature Japanese fan scented with cherry blossom, to evoke the world of the book while she talked about it. I'm expecting a strong female heroine and epic world-building. In other words, I'm already enamoured with this one.

All in all, there was definitely a buzz in the room about the Undercover titles, and I'm really looking forward to reading and reviewing them. A big thanks goes to Walker Books and to Zoë Marriott for making this such a wonderful event.

Review: The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan

At just 180 pages, The Long Weekend is a quick read that packs a major punch. Savita Kalhan's debut novel addresses a subject that's rarely broached in young adult fiction, illustrating that the scariest stories are always the ones that could actually happen. When eleven-year-old Sam and his friend Lloyd find themselves abducted by a stranger and held captive in an isolated house, they're brought face to face with one very real horror that exists in our world. Told sensitively and unflinchingly, The Long Weekend is a story that will have readers on the edge of their seats as the boys desperately try to escape their captor - and a fate too terrifying to contemplate. It's page-turning stuff all the way, and I couldn't put it down.

The abduction itself is cleverly done, as Sam and Lloyd each assume the man calling to them both from the flash car at the school gates is the other's dad. Kalhan makes a point of just how big a part the characters' preconceptions play in what happens, as while Sam and Lloyd come from different backgrounds they've both been raised in our consumerist society. Where a man calling from a run down old banger might have set alarm bells ringing, a shiny new limo has them instantly impressed and jumping straight in, barely believing their luck. But it's ultimately Sam's upbringing that's also equipped him with the qualities he needs to be the hero of this story, and this definitely gives readers food for thought about the way that they put themselves at risk in certain situations.

The back cover of The Long Weekend warns that the content isn't suitable for younger readers, and certainly this is a story that goes to some dark places. Sam and Lloyd's ordeal is truly horrifying, and while the most disturbing events of the weekend occur off the page, it does make for unsettling reading - no matter what age you are. However, as well as being a thriller The Long Weekend is a cautionary tale for our (materlistic, celebrity-obsessed) times, putting the reader in the shoes of two characters who let their guard down and forget everything they've been taught about stranger danger. Although it doesn't pull any punches, the main characters are young themselves and Kalhan's writing is accessible enough for readers of about the same age.

No matter what age you are, Savita Kalhan's debut novel is guaranteed to make your stomach churn and your heart pound. As gripping as it is menacing, it's the kind of book that pulls you in from the first page and doesn't let you go until the very last. The Long Weekend will give you chills.

Out: October 2nd 2008, UK

Thank you to the author for providing a copy of The Long Weekend for an honest review.

In which I visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

As some of you may know, I've just got back from a trip to Orlando, Florida. Being a rollercoaster addict, the Orlando theme parks have always been my favourites, but this time round there was an added attraction: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Now, like many fans, I've long been aware of the Harry Potter series' theme park potential. I'd always thought that the logical location would be England or Scotland, so when I first heard that Universal were going to be devoting an area of one of their Orlando parks to a HP-themed attraction, I had mixed feelings. Still, as I heard more about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, my enthusiasm built. It sounded awesome. Obviously, I had to go there. Twice.

On my first visit, we arrived at around seven o'clock in the morning for a special early entrance to the Islands of Adventure theme park, where The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is located. The one-time early entrance is offered by the tour company we booked our holiday with, and since we'd been promised the chance to explore Hogsmeade before the park was opened to general admission at nine o'clock, we braved the early start barely containing our excitement. (There was actual squeeing. And not just from me.)

Along with a small group of others, we ate breakfast at The Three Broomsticks (porridge, toast and pastries) with the silhouettes of owls visible high in the rafters above us. Then, we were let loose on Hogsmeade, Hogwarts castle and the various HP-themed attractions - all without any crowds at all. We spent a couple of hours exploring every detail and taking snapshots, and I have to say it was super fun. So much so that we went back the following week for a second visit and to pick up a few more souvenirs. 

There are three rides in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the best of which has to be The Forbidden Journey. It's a blend of special effects, robotic arm technology and flight simulation, during which you find yourself face to face with Death Eaters, evading the Whomping Willow and even caught up in a Quidditch match. The lines for this ride weren't too long when I was there - I queued for about ten minutes on one occasion and twenty on another - but there's actually plenty to see while you're waiting. The queuing system itself winds its way through Hogwarts castle, past artifacts mentioned in the books and even the occasional very cleverly rendered sighting of the characters. The other two rides are revamped versions of rollercoasters that already existed in the park: The Flight of The Hippogriff, which is a fairly mild ride for all ages, and the awesome two-track coaster Dragon Challenge, which is really two rides in one. As a major rollercoaster fan, I obviously had to ride both tracks on the Dragon Challenge, and found the Hungarian Horntail track a little scarier than the Chinese Fireball.



As you'd expect, all that adventuring takes its toll on a fangirl, so we made sure to check out some of Harry's favourite snacks while we were there. First stop, Honeydukes. We found a variety of sweet treats on offer, including items like chocolate frogs and every flavour jellybeans that fans of the books will be familiar with, as well as cakes, cookies and traditional favourites like coconut ice and fudge.

I picked up a couple of chocolate frogs, which are packaged exactly like those you see in the movie - complete with collectable witch or wizard card. At around ten dollars each they're not cheap but they are tasty and about as authentic as a non-magic version could hope to be. One of my nieces bought some of the every flavour beans but after she allegedly ate a bacon-flavoured one I decided to give those a miss.

Of course, all that chocolate made us thirsty, so we sampled some butterbeer. I wasn't expecting to like it, but it's actually really good. It looks pretty much like real beer, complete with a delicious frothy foam on top, and tastes a lot like an ice cream soda. And I was especially psyched to get cute souvenir butterbeer mugs to take home with us.

Aside from rides and refreshments, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter also has a huge range of HP-themed merchandise. Adjoining Honeydukes is Zonko's Joke Shop, and there's also Ollivander's, where selected visitors actually get to experience what it's like for a wand to choose them. Ollivander's is connected to The Owl Post, where you can purchase wands and stationary items, and Dervish and Banges, which has a range of goodies like remembralls and Hogwarts robes in house colours. There's even a store in Hogwarts castle selling everything from Quidditch caps to plush unicorns. I finally settled for a Ravenclaw scarf, Quidditch keyring and bound Hogwarts notebook, and my partner got a replica of Professor Lupin's wand which now has pride of place on my bookshelves.

I think the best thing about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is definitely the attention to detail. It all looks fabulously authentic, and it's staffed by enthusiastic people who seem to really throw themselves into their roles in recreating this magical universe. And hey, it's in Orlando, so there's less risk of the weather putting a dampner on things. While I probably wouldn't make the trip just to visit this attraction, there's tons of fun things to do in Orlando and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is definitely one of the absolute funnest.  

Not Exactly In My Mailbox, or 'Why American bookstores make me happy and airline baggage allowances make me sad'

The fact is, since I started blogging I don't shop for books in the way I used to.

I don't go into my local bookstore and spend an hour just browsing, picking up book after book and checking out the cover blurb. Why? Because, with the exception of Waterstones Piccadilly or the heavenly Foyles, for the most part I already know what I'll find. I go into UK stores having done my research online and knowing what I'm likely to buy that day.

American bookstores, on the other hand? Totally different story. I've just got back from a couple of weeks in Florida, the majority of which I seem to have spent scaring myself stupid on the world's most amazing rollercoasters. (Manta at Sea World, anyone? Just wow.) But I also got the chance to visit not one but FOUR bookstores. And yep, those two branches of Barnes and Noble, one cut-price books outlet and airport terminal Borders were just as thrilling.

Let me start with B&N. There's something serene and library-like about these stores, at least on a weekday morning. You can even relax at their Starbucks outlets in between perusing the shelves. For any non-UK readers out there, I should probably explain that our big chains tend to focus their YA displays on special offers (often piled-high three-for-two or buy-one-get-one-half-price deals on new or recently published paperbacks). While this is pretty fantastic on many levels, I found I really appreciated the difference in the way that the two B&N stores were merchandised. Displays featured recent releases in different genres within the YA category - mainly hardbacks, and all spaced out carefully on the shelves. Whereas in UK chains I often find myself grabbing interesting-looking titles in bulk, in B&N I found myself compelled to read the blurb of every single featured book and carefully mull over my choices. While in the UK I'd probably get two or three paperbacks for the price of that one US hardback, I have to admit that I kind of preferred the feeling of indulgence I got in making my B&N selections. And, I got a really cute bookbag for around £1 with my purchases. Win, right?

Secondly, I had the good fortune to stumble upon a fab little discount bookstore. YA paperbacks were going for $2.99 each here, or four for a bargainous $10. While the selection was slightly limited, what I loved about this shopping trip was the fact that it had a mixture of fairly recent releases and some older titles. There were about twenty books I quite wanted to get, but since I'd already bought a few hardbacks at B&N I settled on just two paperbacks here. Because: luggage weight restrictions. Boo.

Finally, I couldn't pass back through Orlando International airport on my way home without checking out their branch of Borders. Quite honestly, it has the best YA section of any airport bookstore I've been to. It was a bit of a flying visit (ha!) since we were in a hurry, but the range of books on offer here was really rather good.

So, without further ado, here's my loot (with links to Goodreads.com):

The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June - Robin Benway

I've already started this one, and I'm loving it so far.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares - Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

The first few pages of this one (yes, I read some of it in the store) sealed the deal here. And also made me even more determined to check out The Strand bookstore in New York.

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist - Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Okay, so I appear to be on a Cohn and Levithan kick. I read this on a lazy day by the pool, and will be reviewing it soon.

The Scorch Trials - James Dashner

I've been desperate to read this sequel ever since I finished The Maze Runner, so I was really happy to see it.

The Anatomy of Wings - Karen Foxlee

This is the paperback version of a book that's been out a couple of years already, but I read just a few pages and I knew I'd adore it. Plus, I love Aussie YA. I really do.

Looking for Alibrandi - Melina Marchetta

I've been meaning to pick this one up for ages, so as a discount purchase it was basically essential. And y'know, Aussie YA again.

The Unidentified - Rae Mariz

I WoWed this dypstopian novel earlier this year, and I've heard great things about it.

Wherever Nina Lies - Lynn Weingarten

Honestly, I know very little about this one and I'm not even sure I'd heard of it before. But for me, that's part of the intrigue.

All in all, I think I was relatively restrained. In a way, without getting all philosophical on y'all, shopping for books in America reminded me how to be be restrained, despite the fact that given enough Galleons and unlimited baggage allowance for the flight home, I'd have (to channel Harry Potter here) taken the lot.

The real In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Waiting On Wednesday: So Shelly by Ty Roth

This week, I'm waiting on So Shelley by Ty Roth.

Summary from Amazon.com: Until now, high school junior, John Keats, has only tiptoed near the edges of the vortex that is schoolmate and literary prodigy, Gordon Byron. That is, until their mutual friend, Shelly, drowns in a sailing accident.

After stealing Shelly's ashes from her wake at Trinity Catholic High School, the boys set a course for the small Lake Erie island where Shelly's body had washed ashore and to where she wished to be returned. It would be one last "so Shelly" romantic quest. At least that's what they think. As they navigate around the obstacles and resist temptations during their odyssey, Keats and Gordon glue together the shattered pieces of Shelly's and their own pasts while attempting to make sense of her tragic and premature end.

Honestly, what's attracting me to this one has to be the fact that I have absolutely no idea what to expect from it. There's something elusive about that summary, and I love that it's not giving too much away.

I don't read much poetry these days, but I've always found the Romantic Poets intriguing. Since Ty Roth is invoking the names of three of the biggies in romantic poetry, I can't wait to find out where he's taking this idea.

So Shelly is due to hit US bookstores on February 8th 2011. I'm anticipating something out of the ordinary.

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Two years after the death of her little brother Truman, New Yorker Andi is lost in despair. Her family has shattered, and she can't begin to think about schoolwork or the future.

But when her dad insists that she accompany him on a trip to Paris, Andi stumbles upon an old diary that seems to call to her. Through its story of love and loss, revolution and bloodshed in 18th century Paris, Andi finds herself drawn further into this dangerous world than she could ever have imagined.

Reading Jennifer Donnelly's Revolution is a multi-sensory experience. It's all so vividly described that I finished the book feeling as though I'd visited the dank Parisian catacombs myself, and heard the emotion in the music of fictional composer Amade Malherbeau. Even our protagonist's over-medicated state of mind is reflected in these pages, leaving the reader occasionally as disorientated as teenage narrator Andi herself. This is a book that, if you let it, will seep into your consciousness and linger there for days afterward.

We meet main character Andi at her lowest ebb, in a spiral of self-destruction that stems from her grief and guilt over her younger brother's death. Relying on prescription drugs to get through each day, she's flunking her classes and can't seem to care about the fact that if she doesn't turn it around, she might not graduate from her exclusive New York private school. Initially, I was surprised that Donnelly had chosen to give her bereaved protagonist such a wealthy and privileged background, but as the story unfolds it becomes clear that this is no accident. Besides, Andi's grief is so palpable that it's impossible not to sympathise with the terrible sorrow that she feels.

Andi shares the narrative with Alexandrine, a theatrical player from 18th century Paris, whose diary she discovers concealed in a guitar case. Through diary entries we're taken back to the time of the French revolution, and the life of a girl employed as companion to the little prince Louis-Charles. While I didn't find Alexandrine's voice quite as striking as Andi's, and her sections are sometimes slow-moving, their two viewpoints are seamlessly woven together into one compelling tale that's impossible to put down. By turns terrifying and heartbreaking and uplifting, it's a story that draws upon the extremes of human experience: love and loss, self-sacrifice and brutality.

The great achievement of this story is that, through her present-day protagonist, Jennifer Donnelly makes the events of the French revolution utterly relevant to the 21st century YA reader. Even before Andi experiences her actual time slip, Alexandrine's two-hundred-year-old words hit home with a powerful sense of urgency and immediacy. The parallels between Andi's loss and Alexandrine's own torment certainly give us a deeper understanding of our protagonist's emotional journey, but they also remind us that the lessons of history should never be forgotten.

Revolution is staggeringly well-crafted. There's a sweet love story here too, and an ending so perfect that it'll fill even the most cynical reader's heart with hope. I recommend it wholeheartedly. It's beautiful and powerful and thought-provoking, and it might just make you look at the world in a new light.

Out: October 13th 2010, UK / October 12th 2010, US

Many thanks to Bloomsbury for providing a review copy.

Event report: in which UK bloggers meet Lauren Kate

A few weeks back, I was lucky enough to get the chance to attend a rather excellent blogger event organised by the fabulous Random House UK.

Since Lauren Kate was here in Blighty on a Torment book tour, the publicity team at RH decided to treat us bloggers to a little gathering with the author herself. I know, right? Too. Cool.

I arrived at the venue, a pub aptly named The Angelic in Islington, London, a little late but strangely nervous. Honestly, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little starstruck to be sitting at the same table as the author of the hugely successful Fallen series. I mean, these books have made the bestseller lists!

Over the course of the next two hours, Lauren chatted with us about a myriad of bookish topics - everything from Kindles (want one!) to book tours (which sound a little surreal) to Twitter (compulsory). Soon, the conversation turned to Passion, the third book in the Fallen series. Since there are apparently rumours that the third book in the series is in fact a prequel to Fallen, Lauren clarified that Passion actually picks up where Torment left off. As far as I'm concerned, this is great news - because that cliffhanger at the end of Torment is one of my all-time favourites, and I'm pretty desperate to find out what happens next.

What had me especially thrilled was the news that the Fallen film rights have been optioned, and that we might be seeing a movie version as early as 2012. We all contemplated possible casting choices for a while, and then Lauren talked a little about Brenna Yovanoff's debut novel The Replacement, leaving me desperate to read it for myself.

I was also excited to hear further news of the UK publication of Lauren's The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove, as RH's Lauren and Becky dropped hints about the UK cover. While I can't divulge exactly what they said, I will say that it sounds seriously awesome and I can't wait to see it.

Naturally, we'd all brought along our copies of Torment, Fallen and The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove - which Lauren was kind enough to sign for us. All in all, this was the kind of day that made me even more thrilled than usual to be a UK blogger. Major thanks to Random House UK for arranging this special event, and of course to Lauren Kate for hanging out with us.

Waiting on Wednesday: Timeless by Alexandra Monir

This week I'm waiting on...

Timeless by Alexandra Monir

Summary from Goodreads.com: When tragedy strikes Michele Windsor’s world, she is forced to uproot her life and move across the country to New York City, to live with the wealthy, aristocratic grandparents she’s never met. In their old Fifth Avenue mansion filled with a century’s worth of family secrets, Michele discovers a diary that hurtles her back in time to the year 1910. There, in the midst of the glamorous Gilded Age, Michele meets the young man with striking blue eyes who has haunted her dreams all her life – a man she always wished was real, but never imagined could actually exist. And she finds herself falling for him, into an otherworldly, time-crossed romance.


Michele is soon leading a double life, struggling to balance her contemporary high school world with her escapes into the past. But when she stumbles upon a terrible discovery, she is propelled on a race through history to save the boy she loves – a quest that will determine the fate of both of their lives.

I love time travel stories. Just love 'em. Most time travel novels I've read see a character stranded in a different time before finally returning home, so what I'm especially loving about this summary is the suggestion that the main character actually goes back and forth between the past and present.

Also, doesn't it sound romantic? And I love the fact that we're promised a boyfriend-saving-heroine rather than a damsel in distress.

Timeless is published in the US on January 11th 2011. Roll on the New Year!

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Review: Entangled by Cat Clarke

Initially, Entangled seems to be a story within a story. In the immediate present there's the mystery surrounding seventeen-year-old protagonist Grace's current predicament: confined to a white room by the strange but seemingly gentle Ethan, she has no idea what he wants from her or what he might be planning to do. Will she ever see the outside world again? With only pens and paper to occupy her, she guesses that he wants her to write. So she does the only thing she can; she writes down the story of the recent events that led to her suicide attempt - a story of love and loss and a pain so deep she can't bear to feel it. And as she writes, we realise that these two seemingly separate strands are actually part of the same story, itself drawing upon threads of other characters' lives too. Entangled isn't a tidily plotted tale unfolding in a vacuum; it's knotty and it's messy, and that's what makes it such compulsive reading.

Narrator Grace is the kind of character who, at first, will probably divide readers' opinion. On the surface, she's caustic and irreverent, recounting the story of her attempted suicide and abduction with an unnverving matter-of-factness. Even as a hostage, she's checking out the physical charms of her captor and sniping about the mother who'll barely notice she's gone. While this does mean she's perhaps not the most obviously sympathetic protagonist, her voice is real and authentic and arresting from the very first page. She might say things that make you uncomfortable, but you'll want to hear them. She'll definitely make you laugh. And as her story unfolds, you'll see that all her spikiness is actually armor. She needs it. Underneath, she's fragile and broken and lost.

However, the beauty of Entangled is that author Cat Clarke doesn't cast her main character as a victim. Yes, Grace has been abandoned and deceived, but she's not the only person in the story who has been hurt - and she's not entirely blameless herself. Her story is about control as much as betrayal; she refuses to see what the reader soon does, and makes it impossible for other characters to speak the truth. Yet there's still a huge twist in this tale, as we finally realise the truth about Grace's captor. It's the best kind of twist, too; the kind that clicks perfectly into place, even though you never saw it coming. The kind that, if you reread the book, will suddenly give a whole new context to what you previously thought were incidental little details.

Entangled is one of the most powerful novels I've read in a long time. I suspect that readers' interpretations of Grace's story will differ greatly, not just because of the complexity of Cat Clarke's storytelling, but also because when you come to care about a character deeply you can't help but mull over their motivations long after you've read the last page. Layered and haunting and heartbreaking, this is one remarkable debut.

Out: January 6th 2011, UK

Many thanks to the awesome Quercus for providing a review copy of this book.