Variant by Robison Wells

The Blurb On The Back:

Trust no one.

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence, where video cameras monitor his every move – and where breaking the rules equals death.

All Benson wants is to find a way out. But when he stumbles upon the real secret the school has been hiding, he realises that escape may be impossible.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Robison Wells’s debut YA novel is a science fiction/thriller hybrid set in modern times. I am interested in the central concept and in seeing where Wells takes it but for me, he took too long in establishing the idea of it being impossible to escape from the school, with the result that the story was slow to build up and then felt rushed in the final quarter. I’m also not a fan of cliff hanger endings and this book ends on a biggie. I’ll probably check out the next book in the hope that some of the main questions start getting answered.

VARIANT was released in the UK on 20th November 2011. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the free copy of this book.

Down The Angel … And Up Holloway Edited by Pulp.net

The Blurb On The Back:

Pulp Net is a webspace that feels like a book. It’s also a headspace where anyone can write, if they want to.

Set anywhere from the Angel to the relatively unexplored literary territory in the wilds of Holloway, these are stores that will make you laugh, cry, swear or perhaps remember past lives of Islington that only you carry around with you.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Pulp.Net’s anthology of short stories, extracts and poems is a bit of a mixed bag with some pieces definitely working better than others. However, they do all have something that should interest anyone familiar with Islington in London and as such, it’s worth a browse.

Master List of Books 2011

1. The Demon Trappers: Forsaken by Jana Oliver.

2. Taking Flight by Sheena Wilkinson.

3. Ministry of Pandemonium by Chris Westwood.

4. Twilight Robbery by Frances Hardinge.

5. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.

6. Gullstruck Island by Frances Hardinge.

7. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa.

8. Soulless by Gail Carriger.

9. Changeless by Gail Carriger.

10. Innocent House by P. D. James.

11. Blameless by Gail Carriger.

12. The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney.

13. The Demon Collector by Jon Mayhew.

14. Married With Zombies by Jesse Petersen.

15. Delirium by Lauren Oliver.

16. The Electric Church by Jeff Somers.

17. The Digital Plague by Jeff Somers.

18. Amortals by Matt Forbeck.

19. Muncle Trogg by Janet Foxley.

20. The Demon’s Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan.

21. Stuart: A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters.

22. My Sister Lives On The Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher.

23. The Magnificent 12: The Call by Michael Grant.

24. Necroscope by Brian Lumley.

25. Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin.

26. Nickel Plated by Aric Davis.

27. Changeling: Demon Games by Steve Feasey.

28. Divergent by Veronica Roth.

29. Loser’s Town by Daniel Depp.

30. Rot And Ruin by Jonathan Maberry.

31. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr.

32. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare.

33. White Cat by Holly Black.

34. Old Man’s War by John Scalzi.

35. The Hero And The Crown by Robin McKinley.

36. Duty Calls: Dunkirk by James Holland.

37. Undead by Kirsty McKay.

38. Wish Me Dead by Helen Grant.

39. Artichoke Hearts by Sita Brahmachari.

40. There Is No Dog by Meg Rosoff.

41. Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow.

42. Random by Craig Robertson.

43. Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur.

44. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd.

45. My Side of the Matter by Truman Capote.

46. The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi.

47. Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman.

48. Blood Red Road by Moira Young.

49. Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater.

50. Octopussy And 007 In New York by Ian Fleming.

51. Diary Of A Wimpy Vampire by Tim Collins.

52. Otherwise Pandemonium by Nick Hornby.

53. Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz.

54. Liberator by Richard Harland.

55. The Truth About Celia Frost by Paula Rawsthorne.

56. The Diamond As Big As The Ritz by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

57. Brother/Sister by Sean Olin.

58. A Tangle of Magicks by Stephanie Burgis.

59. Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman.

60. The Genius In My Basement by Alexander Masters.

61. Hunting Lila by Sarah Anderson.

62. Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan.

63. Lost Christmas by David Logan.

64. The Double-Edged Sword by Sarah Silverwood.

65. The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan.

66. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch.

67. Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch.

68. The Sad Tale Of The Brothers Grossbart by Jesse Bullington.

69. Hidden by Miriam Halahmy.

70. Heartless by Gail Carriger.

71. The Queen In Hell Close by Sue Townsend.

72. The Fear by Charlie Higson.

73. Midwinter Blood by Marcus Sedgewick.

74. Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts.

75. Daughter Of Smoke And Bone by Laini Taylor.

76. Heartstone by C. J. Sansom.

77. From The Dead by Mark Billingham.

78. Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer by Derek Landy.

79. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt.

80. Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.

81. Changeling – Zombie Dawn by Steve Feasey.

82. The Memory Cage by Ruth Eastham.

83. Heist Society by Ally Carter.

84. Skellig by David Almond.

85. Diary Of A Wimpy Vampire: Prince Of Dorkness by Tim Collins.

86. The History Keepers by Damian Dibben.

87. Soul Beach by Kate Harrison.

88. The Thief-Takers Apprentice by Stephen Deas.

89. Strange Angels: Defiance by Lili St.

90. Happy Birthday Jack Nicholson by Hunter S. Thompson.

91. Seventeen Poisoned Englishmen by Gabriel García Márquez.

92. Young Sherlock Holmes: Red Leech by Andrew Lane.

93. Adventures Of A Wimpy Werewolf by Tim Collins.

94. Being Billy by Phil Earle.

95. Watching by Judy Allen.

96. How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran.

97. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare.

98. Beastly by Alex Flinn.

99. Variant by Robison Wells.

100. Down The Angel … And Up Holloway Edited by Pulp.net.