I Read, Therefore I Blog

The Blurb On The Back:

People call me Fish Boy. My skin goes up and down like the waves. My mind goes in and out like the sea. They say I’ve always got my mouth open, but what’s wrong with that?

Billy is obsessed with swimming in the sea, which is where he goes to wash his problems far, far away. Thanks to his mum’s mystery illness, his dad has ben forced to work extra hours to make ends meet, so Billy is often left to his own devices. Meanwhile at school, bullies mercilessly seize on Billy’s ‘otherness’ and make his life as miserable as possible – but then new boy Patrick Green, with “fingers like steel, strength of a bear” joins Billy’s class. And a mackerel swims up to Billy’s face, blows bubbles into his Vista Clear Mask goggles and says: Fish Boy.

And Billy’s whole world changes.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Chloe Daykin’s debut children’s novel is a smart, emotionally intelligent read with a magical realist feel and strong themes about belonging and the difficulties of living with someone with a chronic illness that has great illustrations by Richard Jones, which is perfect for children aged 10+. Billy has a great narrative voice – by turns frightened, warm and funny – I really enjoyed the scenes where he imagines Attenborough’s commentary on his situation as Daykin captures him perfectly (so much so that I wondered how many of his lines actually came from real nature shows). Also good is the friendship with Patrick, who’s gift for magic and ability to make friends with anyone, only serves to feed Billy’s insecurities (with Daykin doing a good job at how his fears also help to keep him separate from and suspicious of his classmates). The scenes with the mackerel (helped by Jones’s illustrations) convey a great love of nature and the need to belong but the staccato delivery with its broken sentences and use of Hungarian words threw me out at times and I wondered if younger readers would be able to follow it. I was also unconvinced by the scenes with Billy’s mother – I believed that she was sick and in the reaction of Billy and her father to it but the link to M.E. didn’t really seem to fit into the story and it could have been any illness. That said there’s a lot here to admire and I would definitely check out Daykin’s next book.

FISH BOY will be released in the United Kingdom on 2nd March 2017. Thanks to Faber & Faber for the ARC of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

The rebel, the bully, the geek, the pariah.

These four were never destined to like each other. But they’re speeding down the motorway together. In a stolen police car. Running from the law …

Well, it’s one way to make friends …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

I picked this up because I really enjoyed Erin Lange’s previous YA novels BUTTER and DEAD ENDS and I was interested in the idea of a road trip playing out over one night. There are things that I enjoyed in this book – Sam is sensitively written – self-conscious about her scars and by turns disappointed in, angry at and loving to her mother (who is shown with all her flaws but who you are sure does love her daughter). Some of the best scenes in the book are where Sam is forced to confront how she is not as invisible at school as she thinks and the flashback scenes showing previous interactions with Boston, Andi and York are pithy and packed with emotional truth. Unfortunately Andi, York and Boston were (for me) thinly drawn to the point of being caricatures and ultimately the series of events drawing them together and driving the plot just don’t ring true, especially the ending where the sudden reveal of information was disappointing and Sam’s actions didn’t convince me. Ultimately it’s a novel that (for me) had some good moments but pulled its punches and didn’t make me believe in the story, although I’d definitely read what Lange writes next.

Thanks to Faber & Faber for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

I pointed up. “That star is called Sirius. See?”

Perijee glowed, like a candle in a jar. He grew more fingers, tens of them, wrapping them round my hands and wriggling. “Home,” he said.

When Caitlin finds a tiny alien on the beach, she teaches him everything she knows. He’s like the brother she’s always wanted. There’s only one problem: Perijee won’t stop growing …

A stunning story about an unusual friendship, a heart-stopping adventure, and the power of kindness when faced with an alien invasion.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Ross Montgomery’s standalone novel for children aged 9+ is an absolute gem – warm, witty and sharp in its observations about how human nature can match darkness with kindness. Caitlin is a delightful character, kind but lonely and terribly afraid of letting down her high achieving parents and she is mirrored in the wonderful Perijee who is similarly frightened and lonely and desperate to go home. Montgomery has a lot to say about selfishness, notably with regard to Caitlin’s father who is more concerned with his own career and his growing fame than in his wife and daughter but Caitlin’s mum is not immune to criticism in that regard either. There’s a lot of humour in the book – notably in the scenes between Caitlin and Frank (whose dialogue I loved) and there were several laugh out loud moments – but Montgomery doesn’t shy away from darkness either – the scenes where people behave in a cruel, destructive way are well observed and very believable and the Obsidian Blade cult combines absurdity with a nihilistic obsession that’s truly chilling. The illustrations are absolutely charming and I loved how the images used at the chapter headings are drawings made by children at the primary school where Montgomery teaches. In short, I absolutely loved this book and will definitely be checking out Montgomery’s other work.

PERIJEE & ME was released in the United Kingdom on 3rd March 2016. Thanks to Faber & Faber for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand …

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town – until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate … when strange things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard.

Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy with a crooked smile, who likes coffee and kisses you in a cemetery ...

Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

April Genevieve Tucholke’s debut YA fantasy novel is a paranormal romance with an American gothic tone. It’s a slow burn story with Tucholke spending a lot of time setting up the family history of the Wests, the relationship between Violet, Luke and Violet’s best friend Sunshine before moving onto establish the growing relationship between River and Violet and then the creepy things that start happening within the town. Although I’m not a fan of instant love connections, there’s a good reason for it here and I found River an interesting character in that he’s essentially an addict driven to use his strange ability (his glow) by need. I also enjoyed the love/hate relationship between Luke and Violet and the impact that Sunshine has on their relationship. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take to Violet who I found far too passive. Although other characters complaining that she’s too direct, she never actually says what she thinks or asks what she wants and frequently allows herself to surrender to the control of others. That’s a particular problem when the story builds to a climax where I simply didn’t believe that she’d do what she does. Added to this is the fact that a big reveal at the end comes a little out of nowhere and I found the late introduction of a critical character to be unconvincing (particularly as they’re so generic in their characteristics). The book ends with a set-up for a sequel, which I’m not in a hurry to read although I would check out Tucholke’s other books.

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA was released in the United Kingdom on 3rd April 2014. Thanks to Faber & Faber for the ARC of this book.