Bookmarked... #17

The return of the (mostly) weekly post letting you all know what I'm reading and have lined up for the week! It's my own version of Sheila at Book Journey's It's Monday What Are You Reading (now hosted by Kathryn at Book Date) and I have her permission to rename it for my own nefarious reasons...

I have completely lost track of my reading. I have bookmarks in so many books and I think I finished 3 books recently but I honestly can't remember.

Finished Recently

Currently Bookmarked

The Death House - Sarah Pinborough

Toby's life was perfectly normal... until it was unravelled by something as simple as a blood test.

Taken from his family, Toby now lives in the Death House: an out-of-time existence far from the modern world, where he, and the others who live there, are studied by Matron and her team of nurses. They're looking for any sign of sickness. Any sign of their wards changing. Any sign that it's time to take them to the sanatorium.

No one returns from the sanatorium.

Withdrawn from his house-mates and living in his memories of the past, Toby spends his days fighting his fear. But then a new arrival in the house shatters the fragile peace, and everything changes.

Because everybody dies. It's how you choose to live that counts.

The Death House is, at its heart, a love story. Unlikely I know for something that reads like a dystopian Gothic but it's the truth. Toby is one of a handful of residents of the Death House, an isolated big house on an island presumably somewhere in the British Isles.Sixteen years old and decidedly unlikeable Toby is waiting to die, like all the other residents of the Death House, from a mysterious illness that can only be picked up in a blood test and once you're found to have it you're whisked away - leaving your life, family and friends behind for good. One day though, something happens and Toby realizes that just maybe he wants to live. Clara, the new resident, turns everyone's lives upside down and suddenly little things that didn't matter? Now they do...

I'm a huge fan of Sarah Pinborough's writing and have been since I picked up a copy of A Matter of Blood way back when. The Death House is one for the favorite's list, it's beautifully written and the children in the house are vividly written as is the house itself. It should be a depressing, downbeat read but is actually quite wonderful in its description and the way that there's a layer of menace over everything, from the children themselves to the matron who is maybe just as dangerous as this disease they are all facing. Clara and Toby are two of the best written teenagers I've come across in a while. In fact it's quite easy to forget they are teenagers at times as they develop a sense of maturity way above those of their peers not on the island. The supporting cast of characters, Will, Louis, Jake, Eleanor and Ashley are all equally as well written and unique in their character too and play pivotal parts in the story of The Death House. It's a slow build to a most unexpected ending, especially when there's an element of hope throughout the latter part of the story that has you hooked to the very last page. I shall say no more but if you're anything like me you'll need a box of tissues handy...

The Death House - Sarah Pinborough

ISBN - 9781473202320

Publisher - Gollancz

Release date - February 26 2015

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

Many thanks to Gollancz and Netgalley for a review copy!

Reckoning - Kerry Wilkinson

 

Reckoning - Kerry Wilkinson

ISBN - 9781447235309

Publisher - PanMacmillan

Release date - May 22 2014

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon UK Kindle | Amazon US Kindle

In the village of Martindale, hundreds of miles north of the new English capital of Windsor, sixteen-year-old Silver Blackthorn takes the Reckoning. This coming-of-age test not only decides her place in society - Elite, Member, Inter or Trog - but also determines that Silver is to become an Offering for King Victor.

But these are uncertain times and no one really knows what happens to the teenagers who disappear into Windsor Castle. Is being an Offering the privilege everyone assumes it to be, or do the walls of the castle have something to hide?

Trapped in a maze of ancient corridors, Silver finds herself in a warped world of suspicion where it is difficult to know who to trust and who to fear. The one thing Silver does know is that she must find a way out...

I picked up Reckoning on a whim after reading several of the author's adult crime novels featuring Jessica Daniels. Intrigued by the completely opposite direction he has taken with his first YA novel I settled in not quite sure what to expect. Three hours later I turned the last page and was so pleased I had a review copy of the second book in the series, Renegade, to start! 

Imagine if you can, a dystopian fantasy version of the not-too-distant UK. Oil has run out, England and Ireland have been separated into four realms and Scotland has become the 'country who shall not be named'. On reaching the age of sixteen all children must go through something called the Reckoning, a test that is different for everyone who takes it, to determine their usefulness to society and, more importantly, their rank. It's here we meet Silver Blackthorn, named for the silver streak in her hair, her best friend Opie and her family.

Silver is a very determined teenager whose strengths lie in technology, thanks to the illicit trips she pays to the dried out lake near the village where she lives. Full of technology that has been discarded over the twenty five years since the war began Silver teaches herself to put back together and mend things that she finds along with determining how her 'thinkwatch' works, the tech that all children now have and not beyond the realms of possibility in reality. Chosen as a Member, Silver thinks her Reckoning is over and with Opie she can begin to move on but there's a shock in store. Silver becomes the Member Offering for the North and is ripped away from everything she knows in the north to live in the south, at Windsor Castle, as a tribute to King Victor, the charismatic ruler who pulled the country back together again. The only problem is nobody knows what happens to the Offering when this happens as none of them are ever heard from again.

Determined to make the most of her situation and quickly realizing that Victor is nowhere near the beneficent ruler he appears to be when in public Silver has to adapt to another life, one harder than the one she left behind. Thrust into a world of violence, starvation and isolation Silver struggles to survive but meeting Imrin, another Offering, helps her to look beyond the castle and to dream of escape. The castle is a horrifying place, with guards dressed in uniforms made from futuristic fabric hard to find, dungeons that are still very much in use and the Offerings pitted against each other as entertainment for King Victor. Silver knows that she has to get out and so starts to form a plan to do just that.

Reckoning was a nail-biting read and a page turner, you never knew what to expect from one scene to the next and Wilkinson was not afraid to pull the punches. There are some great characters developing here, particularly Silver and a couple of the other Offerings from the girl's side. Apart from Imrin there's only really a couple of other male Offerings that we get to know, Lumin (who Silver works with), Hart (an Offering from Silver's village a few years prior) and Rush, one of the newest Offerings who we meet on the train heading south. It was hard to know who to trust, who was on Silver's side and to be honest I still have my doubts about Imrin but time will tell. The best thing about Reckoning though? That it's set in the UK. It was great to read about what had happened to England and Wales thanks to the raging civil wars and I am definitely intrigued to find out why we can't talk about Scotland...

Review & Giveaway(US only): We All Looked Up - Tommy Wallach

We All Looked Up
by Tommy Wallach
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 31st 2015

Synopsis:

Four high school seniors put their hopes, hearts, and humanity on the line as an asteroid hurtles toward Earth in this contemporary novel.

They always say that high school is the best time of your life.

Peter, the star basketball player at his school, is worried “they” might actually be right. Meanwhile Eliza can’t wait to escape Seattle - and her reputation - and perfect-on-paper Anita wonders if admission to Princeton is worth the price of abandoning her real dreams. Andy, for his part, doesn’t understand all the fuss about college and career - the future can wait.

Or can it? Because it turns out the future is hurtling through space with the potential to wipe out life on Earth. As these four seniors - along with the rest of the planet - wait to see what damage an asteroid will cause, they must abandon all thoughts of the future and decide how they’re going to spend what remains of the present.

I'm not even sure how to start writing this review. I was completely blown away by We All Look Up and for a debut novel it was pretty much perfect, in my humble opinion... 

It all started with that cover and giving myself a headache trying to read the title. After reading the synopsis that was it, I had to read it. It's almost a dystopian Breakfast Club (without the detention although there is a principal with a personality problem!) but do not let that put you off, it could just be me that makes this comparison!

There's the intelligent, thoughtful jock, Peter, with his younger sister Samantha (or Misery as she likes to call herself). There's the slacker, Andy, misunderstood, flawed and wishing that his friends weren't quite so intent on doing the wrong thing. There's the girl who kissed the wrong boy at the wrong time and now has a reputation for sleeping around. There's the poor little rich girl, rebelling against everything Mommy & Daddy want for her who wants to be a singer. And then there's the one thing that none of them can escape. The asteroid hurtling towards earth, shining like a pretty blue star in the sky and known as Ardor. You might think that these characters all sound so different that there would no way that they would all be connected in friendship, love, lust and dislike but that is exactly what happens.

They all change gradually throughout the story, every one of them making their mark and finding a purpose in life even though that very life could be days away from ending. Eliza starts a blog about the impending doom of Ardor and instantly becomes famous. In love with Peter since that infamous kiss, the kiss that started the need to sleep around, she finally finds something that fulfills her and discovers that Peter is not just a jock. Andy discovers that he can escape the pull of drugs and his friend Bobo (and through him, some connections to some of Seattle's dodgier characters) and, with Anita, finds that music is is his comfort. 

We All Looked Up is the story of an asteroid, the story of two boys and two girls, finding love, dealing with all the issues a teenager is confronted with whilst dealing with the knowledge that the life that they were all planning for themselves is unlikely to be a reality. With such beautiful writing Wallach has created a beautiful story that will stick in my mind for a long time. He deals with all the cliches of teenage life with a varied array of characters not all of whom are likeable but that's okay. The way this book is written you want to know the characters, regardless of whether you like them or not. You want to see how they're dealing with knowing that their lives are going to end, wiped out by something they have no control over. Wallach is also not afraid to deal with the bigger issues. There's drug taking, sex (and that irritating phrase, slut shaming) and death. Not all of the characters are going to see what happens the day Ardor hits and while I expected a couple of them one is out of the blue and shocking in its circumstance.

If you're looking for a beautifully written contemporary novel with a dystopian twist then We All Looked Up is the book to read. I don't think I've ever highlighted as my phrases and words as I did with We All Looked Up but the writing is that good and I know it will most definitely be on my top ten books of the year. I'm still staggered by the fact that it is Wallach's debut novel and can't wait to see what he writes next. As an aside, Wallach is also a musician and has written We All Looked Up: The Album. Visit his website to find out more!

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Tommy Wallach is a Brooklyn-based writer and musician. His first novel, We All Looked Up, will be published by Simon and Schuster in April 2015. His work has appeared in many nice magazines, such as McSweeney's, Tin House, and Wired. He has released an EP with Decca Records, and he also makes music videos, including one that was exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum. You should buy him dinner.

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Review & Giveaway: Dark Days by Kate Ormand

Dark Days
by Kate Ormand
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Release Date: June 3rd 2014

Synopsis:

The future world has been divided into sectors--each the same as the other. Surrounded by thick steel fences, there is no way in and no way out. Yet a cyborg army penetrates each sector, picking off its citizens one by one, until no one is left. Behind the sectors' thick walls, the citizens wait to die. Few will be chosen to survive what's coming; the rest will be left behind to suffer. A new world has been created, and its rulers are incredibly selective on who will become a citizen. They want only those with important roles in society to help create a more perfect future. 

Sixteen-year-old Sia lives in one of the sectors as part of a family that is far too ordinary to be picked to live. According to the digital clock that towers high above her sector, she has only fifteen days to live. Sia has seen the reports and knows a horrific death is in store for her, but she is determined to make the most of her final days. Sia refuses to mourn her short life, instead promising herself that she'll stay strong, despite being suffocated by her depressed mother and her frightened best friend. Just when Sia feels more alone than ever, she meets Mace, a mysterious boy. There is something that draws Sia to him, despite his dangerousness, and together, they join a group of rebels and embark on an epic journey to destroy the new world and its machines, and to put an end to the slaughter of innocent people.

I can't remember when I first heard about Dark Days but I do know that it was on the author's blog and I was hooked as soon as I heard the premise. Knowing you only have 15 days to live? Intriguing, and I couldn't wait to find out more.

Dark Days is the story of Sia and her family who live in a 'sector' of uniform housing where a giant countdown in red ticks down the days you have left to live. If you're deemed worthy a plane flies in and whisks you away to the New World, created by a man named Damien Hoist who only wants the best for his brave new world. Rather than just give up Sia creates a 'bucket list' which, being a teenager, includes 'kiss a boy/fall in love' along with things like climb the only hill in the sector and swim in the lake. Her parents both handle the imminent demise of their family in their own ways, her mother sits in front of the television watching the 'Reports' becoming more depressed by the day whilst Sia's father Len starts to disappear for hours on end every day. Thanks to this Sia is pretty much left to her own devices, banned from seeing her best friend whose father thinks her relationship will jeopardize their chances of being chosen she meets a boy, Mace, and makes a new friend, Lilly.

Dark Days moves at a swift pace, the book itself is quite short, so there is a lot crammed in and something happening on every page. Sia goes through the hideous bad luck of finding her mother dead a few days into the book, whether from suicide or wasting away from not eating or moving is unclear but this ultimately pushes Sis into making some of the extremely unwise decisions she makes. After meeting Mace that old chestnut 'insta-love' rears its ugly head, given that they only have 15 days left this is almost excusable but it was still a bit unbelievable for me. Mace seemed to be the wrong fit for Sia, there's another a bit further on in to the book who has known Sia all of her life and he seemed to have much better chemistry with her than Mace. I guess at that age though, knowing you're going to die, it's the thrill of the unknown. If I was about to become target practise for a cyborg I think I would be slightly irrational too!

Becoming involved in the Resistance Sia makes some startling discoveries, such as the identity of the leader of the small band of people who have decided to fight back rather than give up and she realizes how far she will go to stay alive by making choices that will ultimately cost people their lives. The action kicks up a notch towards the end of the book and there are some great fighting scenes, you know the confrontation is coming but until it actually happens you have no clue just how bloody it's going to be. Like one of my favorite authors who shall not be named but writes a series I think most of the world knows Kate Ormand is not afraid to kill characters left, right and center!

Ultimately, as much as I wanted to love Dark Days there were a few too many flaws for me. I loved the originality of the cyborgs with knives for fingers but I found it hard to believe a group of 20 men, women and teenagers could destroy a whole army without being slaughtered. I also found Sia's reaction to the death of her mother and a couple of other characters who I won't name so as not to spoil anything mighty strange. I get that they were all about to die anyway but it's almost like they were completely forgotten about seconds after their deaths were discovered. I don't think Sia would be able to process anyone's death let alone her mother's that quickly and so that didn't work for me. The big thing for me though was the lack of information, I wanted to know more about how the sectors came into being, what disaster or war had caused all this to happen and exactly whos was this charismatic man that people started blindly believing, to the point that he could get away with slaughtering the majority of the world's population. It's still a highly original story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, I'm hoping that there's going to be a sequel/prequel/companion novel which will maybe fill in some of the blanks which I would definitely read. If you like original dystopian fiction and can see past the almost reasonable case of insta-love then do read Dark Days, fast paced and well written it will hold your attention from page one.

 

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KATE ORMAND is a YA writer represented by Isabel Atherton at Creative Authors Ltd. She lives in the UK with her family, her partner, and a cocker spaniel called Freddie. She recently graduated from university with a first class BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art Painting. It was during this course that Kate discovered her love of reading YA books, prompting her to try a new creative angle and experiment with writing. Kate is also a member of an online group of published writers and illustrators called Author Allsorts. And she writes children’s picture books under the name Kate Louise. 

You can see more about Kate and her writing by visiting her website (www.kateormand.wordpress.com) or on Twitter (@kateormand).

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