The Good, The Bad And The Multiplex by Mark Kermode

The Blurb On The Back:

In It’s Only a Movie, the incomparable Mark Kermode showed us the weird world of a film critic’s life lived in widescreen. Now, in The Good, The Bad And The Multiplex, he takes us into the belly of the beast to ask: ‘What’s wrong with modern movies?’

If blockbusters make money no matter how bad they are, then why not make a good one for a change? How can 3-D be the future of cinema when it’s been giving audiences a headache for over a hundred years? Why pay to watch films in cinemas that don’t have a projectionist but do have a fast-food stand? And, in a world in which Sex And The City 2 was a hit, what the hell are film critics for?

Outspoken, opinionated and hilariously funny, The Good, The Bad And The Multiplex is a must for anyone who has ever sat in an undermanned, overpriced cinema and asked themselves: ‘How the hell did things get to be this terrible?’

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Mark Kermode’s polemic on the modern film industry is a sharply written, coherent read with a lot of wit and better still, you don’t have to be a film student in order to follow it. It’s the type of book that would appeal to anyone who claims to love cinema and I’m really keen to read Kermode’s other work on the subject.

All Fall Down – A Story Of Survival by Sally Nicholls

The Blurb On The Back:

A deadly contagion races through England …

Isabel and her family have nowhere to run from a disease that has killed half of Europe. When the world she knows and loves ends forever, her only weapon is courage.

The Black Death of 1349 was the deadliest plague in human history. ALL FALL DOWN is a powerful and inspiring story about survival in the face of real-life horror.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Sally Nicholls’ YA novel is a historically accurate account of life during the Black Death, but it lacked dramatic tension, with plot and characters existing only to describe what actually happened. As a result, although this is a worthy read and one I’d recommend for any teenagers studying the period, I didn’t find it a satisfying novel overall. I would however be interested in reading more of Nicholls’ work as she does understand period and portrays it well.

ALL FALL DOWN was released in the UK on 1st March 2012. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the free copy of this book.

Dust by Joan Frances Turner

The Blurb On The Back:

Nine years ago, Jessie had a family.
Now, she has a gang.

Nine years ago, Jessie was a vegetarian.
Now, she eats fresh meat.

Nine years ago, Jessie was in a car crash.
She died.

Nine years ago, Jessie was human.
Now, she’s not.

After she was buried, Jessie awoke. She tore the earth and arose, reborn, a zombie. Her gang is the Fly-by-Nights. They roam the dark places humans have learned to avoid. She’s in love with Joe, a maggot-ingested corpse. They fight, hunt and dance together as one – something humans can never understand.

But now, Jessie and the Fly-by-Nights see new creatures in the woods; things neither human nor zombie. A strange new illness is causing the undead to become more alive and the living to teeter on the brink of death.

As bits and pieces of the truth fall around Jessie, like the flesh off her bones, she’ll have to choose between looking away or staring down the madness – and hanging on to everything she calls life …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Joan Frances Turner has created a clever and thoughtful take on zombie mythology in a horror novel with strong themes of life, friendship and regret. I thought that it was a satisfying read that reminded me of WARM BODIES by Isaac Marion, given its approach to zombie development and organization, albeit that Turner’s approach to zombie evolution didn’t convince me or work successfully as a theme.

Thanks to Penguin for the free copy of this book.