The Day My Kisses Tasted Like Disorder

Hello, this is Heather posting. Hope everyone who celebrates it had a wonderful festive period! Today I'm reviewing some of the most emotionally moving poetry that I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Many thanks to Hristova for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Information

Author: Emmanuella Hristova

Published: August 2018

Length: 50 pages

Brief Description (from Amazon)

I hesitate when you kiss me because I 

am afraid you will taste the disaster 

brewing underneath my skin. 

Emmanuella's debut poetry collection documents the birth and death of a relationship, and the death of her sister. Each poem is an emotional time-stamp that plunges the reader into the depths of the author’s feelings as they burgeon and wane. The book reads like a diary and chronicles the boundaries of the things that we all feel: love, heartache, and pain that gives way to hope.

(https://www.amazon.com/Day-Kisses-Tasted-Like-Disorder-ebook/dp/B07CP43MLJ/ref=la_B07F8N2N1J_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1534981163&sr=1-1)

Review

Hristova’s collection explores a challenging year in the poet’s life as she enters a new relationship, loses a loved one and experiences heartbreak. Her free-form writing style is raw and moving, initially expressing hope and excitement, then melancholy and anger. The illustrations in her collection, not yet included in the eBook are incredible, absolutely stunning, and I really hope these can be adapted to eBook soon! 

Towards the end of the collection, there are some extremely powerful pieces of feminist poems. I’m immensely proud of how much feminism has already achieved over the past century, allowing women to be educated, work, vote, and generally be treated more like equals. Of course, this isn’t true for everywhere in the world and is still very much a work in progress, but new movements (like the new up-skirting law in the UK) are definitely moving us closer to gender equality. Hristova’s poetry really delves into why these movements are so desperately needed, with some still holding misogynistic beliefs. ‘Upon being a woman’ places emphasis on this, with Hristova’s speaker repeating ‘men never prove me wrong’ between naming harrowing examples of the various men who have abused her. The aforementioned poem’s reprise ends with a moving plead of ‘Prove me wrong. Please’ – which I hope will come true for her soon. Unfortunately, a lot of women are stigmatised and victimised simply for being female and Hristova’s poetry acts as a poignant reminder that gender equality still has a long way to go. 

From a literary perspective, Hristova is extremely skilled in form and structure. Even without the illustrations, the way the words dance across the page, some bolder or larger than others, brings the poetry to life. October 18th especially induces a sense of emptiness with the lengthy gap between the brackets. I absolutely adore how the collection reads like a diary in chronological order to enable the reader a greater connection. She also intelligently crafts different tones, with increased repetition and a bold use of language in the more passionate poems. Sometimes the sheer quantity of similes and metaphors, each individually really stunning, does weaken the poem as a whole. For instance, September 29th builds some spectacular imagery around how the speaker’s dazed lover views them as a doll, rather than a woman, but mid-way through the poem she turns into an astronomical, dreamy sort of apparition. I felt that these few lines (whilst undoubtably beautiful) reduce the doll portrayal somewhat. My favourite poem in the collection is December 10th, in which the speaker questions what Christmas present would be suitable for their dying loved one. The simplistic, broken form speaks volumes about the internal suffering of the speaker in a way that anyone who has encountered loss can empathise with.

Hristova’s poetry collection captures some painfully genuine emotions in an artful and sensitive manner. Honestly, I would have liked some positive poems in between some of the later, darker ones – being comforted by a friend, the therapeutic feeling of writing and painting, even small stuff like eating a super delicious sandwich – but given how horrendous Hristova’s year was, I can totally understand why such cheerful content would feel dishonest! Overall, I really enjoyed reading her poetry and cannot wait until the next collection comes out.

The Coven Murders

Hi everyone, it's Heather posting today with a review on the paranormal crime book The Coven Murders. Many thanks to the author for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Information

Author: Brian O'Hare

Published: February 2018

Publisher: Crimson Cloak Publishing

Length: 385 pages

Brief Description (from Amazon)

The Coven Murders opens with a horrifying account of a ritual Black Mass with a human sacrifice in an abandoned church. Twenty-one years later, near an old ruined church in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Chief Inspector Sheehan and his team discover the skeleton of a young woman. But what seems initially to be a straightforward case, brings the team into conflict with a powerful Satanist who has plans to offer up to Satan another human sacrifice on the evening of the great Illuminati feast of Lughnasa. Several murders occur, baffling the Inspector until he makes a connection between the modern murders and the twenty-one year old skeleton. The team’s pursuit of the murderer, and their determination to protect a young woman who is targeted by the coven, lead to a horrific climax in a hellish underground crypt where Sheehan and his team, supported by an exorcist and a bishop, attempt to do battle with the coven and a powerful demon of Baphomet, jeopardising not only their lives, but risking the wrath of Satan upon their immortal souls.

(https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coven-Murders-Inspector-Sheehan-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B079SHVTKH/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543243556&sr=8-1&keywords=brian+o%27hare+coven+murders)

Review

It’s fairly unusual for us to be approached with books that merge together the paranormal and crime thriller genres so I was pleased when O’Hare contacted me with this one. The novel is set in Northern Ireland where the police force is bombarded with both the discovery of a skeleton and a series of murders. With the potential linking of the two cases and the strange whiff of supernatural in the air, Chief Inspector Sheehan and his team work hard to try and find the culprit before anyone else is murdered. I haven’t read the rest of this series but as a standalone book it works very well and isn’t at all confusing. I am very proud to announce that I guessed the identity of the murderer pretty early on (I hereby expect to be addressed as Sherlock Holmes… or Chief Inspector Sheehan, a commendable detective indeed) possibly because I read too much crime fiction. This didn’t reduce my enjoyment though, on the contrary, I found this a gripping read that gave me a lot of relief to an otherwise stressful weekend spent planning and writing essays.

The story is set in Northern Ireland, somewhere I must confess I’ve always wanted to go. There is some interesting history to the Protestant-Catholic conflicts still prominent over there included in the story. The imagery, particularly during the festival scene, is fantastic. If I’m being really pernickety then are moments when the writing style feels a little repetitive, for instance, the car-tailing scenes are quite similar and at the start, the word ‘grinned’ is overused. Overall the dialogue is very good, however, it does sometimes border on stereotypical with the upper-class characters being veeery posh and the dodgier guys really showing it! Aside from this, I can’t flaw O’Hare at all, I found the book engaging and exciting.

The police and forensics team itself are a real treat – such vibrant and comedic characters! Throughout reading this they delighted me, both from their amusing lines and O’Hare’s careful consideration on each of their backgrounds. It can never be emphasised enough just how valuable a sub-plot is to adding new dimensions to characters and achieving that all-important sense of verisimilitude. Most of all, I have to praise the O’Hare for writing McNeill’s speech impediment in a professional manner. There is a very small quantity, both in film and literature, of characters who have long-term stammers. Even when this is represented, 95% of the time the writer only includes it to provide a bullying storyline or to give the character an innocent, anxious or quiet persona, often as an act (like Quirrell in the Harry Potter series and Tina in Glee). As you can tell from my ranting, it’s one of my pet peeves so congratulations O’Hare on being part of the minority that does not do that! I also found Andrew a complete and utter sweetheart and hope he finds some happiness in the next book.

Overall I found this a stimulating read with wonderfully written characters. The paranormal elements weren’t too cliched and slotted into the general rhythm of the novel nicely. I’ll be back next month with another review, see you then! 

Literary Book Gifts

Hi everyone! It's Lydia here! My monthly blog post went a bit downhill for the end of October, however I'm here now and ready to discuss a website with you all! This is a slightly different from the reviews I usually write, as they're mostly fashioned around books. Yet, this website is special because it's where all of us book nerds go to and find quotes and book art around our favourite novels. Today I'll be reviewing https://literarybookgifts.com

When first viewing the website I was greeted with a classic white and professional background, which instantly drew my attention to the colour of the products on the home page. The options of what to select were 'Women's Book T-Shirts', 'Book Tote Bags', 'Men's Book T-Shirts' and 'Gifts for Book Lovers', which turn a darker shade of grey when selected. Then underneath this, there was a lovely selection of classic literary fiction gifts ranging from Frankenstein t-shirts to Emily Dickinson tote bags.

Clicking onto the women's t-shirt section, there's a refreshing display of different clothing laid side-by-side presenting a good range of size selection from XS - 3XL. Each t-shirt has a diverse selection of colours that you don't see on most websites. Clicking specifically on the Dracula t-shirt, I initially liked the colour combination of red and black, but the choice of red and white also gave an interesting contrast. I even found some novels that I've never heard of before, for example, 'The Call of the Wild' and 'In Search of Lost Time'.

Moving onto the tote bags, each one is beautifully designed and the material looks strong and durable. I personally prefer the tote bags as the large font and design is pleasing to the eye, and like the t-shirts there is a wide selection of fiction. However, if you want a more simplistic design that isn't based around a book, there are some intriguing style bags with headphone sets and typewriters. What really surprised me was there were also some products that displayed famous science essays and even some philosophers!

Now for my top five favourite products: 1. Dracula t-shirt, 2. Jane Eyre t-shirt, 3. Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde tote bag,  4. Typewriter tote bag, 5. Emily Dickinson tote bag.

Overall, I think this website is fantastic and really cute! So I encourage all our readers to go and check it out! Here is the link again: https://literarybookgifts.com

P.S. The owner of this lovely website has given our team a 20% discount code ECCENTRICTRILOGY20, this includes anything on the website, no minimum and does not expire.

Dracul

Happy Halloween everyone! It’s Heather again - I don’t normally post twice in one month but given that this novel deals with vampires, cockroaches and all that lovely stuff I thought it made more sense to post today. Many thanks to the authors for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Information

Author: Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker

Published: October 2018

Publisher: Bantam Press

Length: 512 pages

Brief Description (from Amazon)

It is 1868, and a 22-year-old Bram Stoker has locked himself inside an abbey's tower to face off against a vile and ungodly beast. He is armed with mirrors and crucifixes and holy water and a gun - and is kept company by a bottle of plum brandy. His fervent prayer is that he will survive this one night - a night that will prove to be the longest of his life. Desperate to leave a record of what he has witnessed, the young man scribbles out the events that brought him to this point - and tells an extraordinary tale of childhood illness, a mysterious nanny, and stories once thought to be fables now proven true.
A riveting, heart-stoppingly scary novel of Gothic suspense, Dracul reveals not only the true origins of Dracula himself, but also of his creator, Bram Stoker . . . and of the elusive, enigmatic woman who connects them.

(https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dracul-Dacre-Stoker/dp/0593080114/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1541009825&sr=8-2&keywords=dacre+stoker+dracul)

Review

Wow. I absolutely loved this novel. When I heard that J.D. Barker and Dacre Stoker (Bram Stoker’s great grand-nephew) were collaborating to write a prequel to Dracula I was absolutely delighted. I’m still recovering from the epic ending of Barker’s Fourth Killer Monkey – who would have guessed that that guy was the murderer?! – so knew they would inject the perfect amount of suspense and unpredictable plot twists. And, like the typical English Literature student I am, I adore Dracula. Ironically, I’ve just written an essay on it so if anyone asks then getting my excuse for staying up all night finishing Dracul is that I’m a dedicated student who wanted to do some further reading. Jokes aside I genuinely did find this a very informative read. The novel blends fiction and fact together so many of the details about Bram were accurate, for instance, it's true that he spent a lot of his childhood bedridden from an unknown illness. 

It’s very easy for writers to fall into the trap of thinking ‘vampire = inhumane monster = evil’ and I was really impressed that Barker and Stoker avoided this. Nanny Ellen’s morally ambiguous traits made her character much more interesting to read about. The same thing goes for any type of character really, whilst it’s fine to have the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ side, the crossover characters add another dimension to a novel. There’s a pretty big split in the Harry Potter fandom between the people who think Snape is a hero and those who believe he’s detestable (I’m on side detestable, there’s no excuse for bullying Neville). Do we have this argument about Voldemort or Bellatrix? Nope. Of course, it’s fantastic to have that absolutely horrible villain, in this case Dracul, and the very likable Bram and Matilda, throwing Nanny Ellen into the mix makes everything more sinister as the reader doesn’t know who to trust. Thornley, whilst definitely on team good, had some phenomenal character development as well as he went from a somewhat distant and suspicious sibling to someone fully committed to hunting down Dracul. 

As a prequel, the novel definitely succeeds in answering some of the more confusing parts of Dracula. The abilities of the vampire, for instance, are addressed with confidence so the reader can fully understand exactly what and how vampires operate. I liked how Stoker and Barker mimicked Dracula’s creative epistolary form in their prequel with the diary entries, though I felt this could have been developed better. In Dracula there is definite acknowledgement of the form with Mina notably compiling all their accounts together and the highly amusing little notes (‘Mem., get recipe for Mina’, ‘this diary seems horribly like the beginning of the “Arabian Nights”’). There’s a bit of this in Dracul but I feel like it could have been used more. Nonetheless, the writing style itself is excellent, packed full of beautifully worded imagery and quirky lines of dialogue. 

Is Dracul actually scary? Well I decided to read this while home-alone and I thought that the mysterious eerie noises coming from our fridge and the missing television remote meant our house was haunted. I don’t know why I thought any monster would steal a television remote and not the TV itself but I think this pretty much reflects how terrified I was. The funny thing is that there’s not much actual gore in the novel. It’s not as though every page is filled with the torments of a poor soul being slaughtered in vivid and disturbing manner. In a way I think this is what frightened me. This coupled with the factual details about Bram Stoker means the realism is heightened massively. The story is convincing yet still undeniably spooky and gripping.

Get nice and comfortable in your coffin because I found myself completely engrossed in this riveting read. Needless to say, I really recommend picking up a copy of Dracul (it’s Halloween, treat yourselves!), particularly if you’re a fan of Dracula.

Love and Kisses from My Padded Cell: Clinical Tale of Addiction

Hello, it’s Heather here! TW: the book I'm reviewing today is focused on clinical addiction and does discuss abuse, alcoholism, eating disorders, self-harm, drugs and other dark topics. Many thanks Dr. Katz for sending me a free copy of her book in exchange for an honest review.

Information

Author: Dr. Ellie Katz

Published: July 2017

Publisher: Self-Published, available on Amazon

Length: 230 pages

Brief Description (from Amazon)

Destruction By One’s Own Hand. What's the difference between an addiction and a habit? What's the difference between a harmless vice and a source of danger? Mishaps and Failures And Mind Boggling Compulsions.

Dr. Ellie Katz recounts the struggles of ten men and women who fell victim to the irresistible draw of using. There is no lack of tragedy, pathos or remorse, but there is also a hint of comedy as we explore the lives of people who have run counter to their true essences and behaved like genuine jackasses.​These stories are shocking, but they are also important. They give a first-person look into the mindset that can drive someone to sacrifice​ their​ good name, fortune, family, and more. Those who tell their stories here do so in the hope that others will be inspired to seek, and perhaps even find, a better way. The reader follows each subject from an early age, so they can see exactly when and why their compulsions began. These addictions frequently seem to be a coping method for individuals stuck in abusive and troubled households or stress either in the workplace or home.

(https://www.amazon.com/Love-Kisses-My-Padded-Cell-ebook/dp/B0741CWTRK)

Review

I've read my fair share of novels that either focus on addiction or contain a character who is suffering from one and have to admit that they've been... varied in success, so naturally I was very excited to read some life-stories about real people who have a clinical addiction. These stories are harrowing, motivational and, for me at least, a poignant reminder to be grateful. The majority of the subjects come from troubled homes with guardians or friends who are often addicts themselves, many of the subjects experience emotional and physical abuse and go through the most horrible ordeals. It's fascinating and tragic to understand exactly why and when their compulsions begin. I'm sure everyone has a few moments in their childhood that they'd rather forget but rarely to these extremes.

My primary concern when reading memoirs is that the subject’s story may be sugar-coated with too much sympathy, either by the subject themselves during the interview process or by the writer. I am pleased to report that this is not the case for Katz, who managed to retain the voice of each subject whilst subtly slotting her own questions and comments, which guides the reader towards their own conclusion, allowing them to be shocked and disturbed but also understand the torment of addiction. This provides a considerate and honest reflection of each individual studied. I feel like media often glorifies addiction, frequently delighting in the idea of an alcoholic or drug addict being ‘cured’ by the support of a truly miraculous love interest, devoted friend or family member. As Katz states, ‘destruction by one’s own hand is far less romantic up close’ and the reality of the matter is that many addicts suffer alone, afraid to show their vulnerabilities, particularly to those they love, and isolating themselves in the process. It was refreshing to read material on addiction and psychiatric illness covered in such a sincere and open way.

Another highlight is that Katz very rarely shoulders blame on one person, instead of recognising that everyone makes mistakes and everyone experiences pain in their past. Most of the more dislikeable people involved in the lives of the subjects notably were addicts themselves, like Rosie’s alcoholic father, and frequently the subjects would say or do things to their family and friends that probably continued this chain. Katz says pretty early on that ‘the addict is the hero and the addiction is the villain; or maybe they both are the villain’ and this struck me as a really interesting point. Psychiatric illness is selfish and cruel, not only to the addict but also to the people who look after and care for them. Pablo’s girlfriend is almost unbelievably forgiving when he pops to the shops to get some cigarettes and doesn’t return for six months! 

The title did initially baffle me since very little of the book is focused on the ‘padded cell’ of rehab itself. On the contrary, Katz seemed to avoid it, instead of writing about everything that fostered their addiction and how they handled it until rehabilitation, their relapses after and current state. For me I did find this a drawback as the reader watches each subject suffer from addiction and anticipates how rehabilitation will help them, only to not be divulged that information. Of course, I completely understand why Katz chose not to disclose what happens at rehabilitation (it’d make each section far longer, there are sometimes confidentiality laws in certain clinics, most treatments take a tedious amount of trial and error to work) but I have to confess that I was a little let down by this aspect.

The book is satisfying in how it's organised, with clearly marked sections, excellent structure and impeccable grammar. The balance between compassion and frank wit in writing style is absolutely spot on, making this a compelling read. The introduction and conclusion are brilliant, noting both the symptoms of addiction and remarking that there is no shame in asking for help. Recovering from addiction is challenging and arguably the process of recovery never ends, but the battle gets far easier to fight with the appropriate treatment and support. Even if the reader cannot see what happens at rehab to help each subject recover, the knowledge that these incredible people have been through so much and can get better is really uplifting.

Addiction is difficult and, again, I want to emphasise the bravery of going to rehab or even just telling a friend. Many of Katz’s subjects were at their lowest when they kept their addiction to themselves - don’t be afraid to reach out to a loved one and tell them what’s going on! I’ll be back soon to write on J.D. Barker and Dacre Stoker’s novel Dracul.

Caina

Hello! Hope you’re all doing well, it’s Heather here, posting a quick review on the crime novel Caina by Joe Albanese. Many thanks to the author for sending me a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Information

Author: Joe Albanese

Published: May 2018

Publisher: Mockingbird Lane Press

Length: 174 pages

Brief Description (from Amazon)

Twins tend to be closer than typical siblings. They often share a bond that is oftentimes unexplainable.*

For some reason that bond didn’t apply to Grant and Lee Tolan. Grant was always the responsible one. Lee, on the other hand, was always in trouble and in jail, self-destructing to the point the twins hadn’t seen or spoken in years.

In trouble with the Irish mob who wanted him sleeping with the fishes, finding Grant dead of an apparent suicide, Lee did the only thing that made sense. He switched identities.

Instead of making life easier, Lee is plunged into a world the Irish and Italian crime families, the Mexican cartel and the DEA. Pitting one against the other, Lee enlists the help of friends to save his own life. He will need a miracle.

But Grant’s secret is the biggest shock of all for Lee and he must re-evaluate his entire life.

*Maureen Healy, author of Growing Happy Kids.

(https://www.amazon.co.uk/Caina-Joe-Albanese/dp/1643167847)

Review

Anyone familiar with Dante’s Inferno may already associate the word Caina with the Ninth Circle of Hell and, more specifically, treachery against kindred. That pretty much sums up the main plot. Despite being twins, Lee absolutely loathes his law-abiding brother Grant. However, after discovering his corpse, Lee finds himself impersonating Grant and realises that he may not have been as much of a goody-two-shoes as Lee had anticipated. 

As a person, I don’t know if Lee and I would have been besties. He’s irrationally bitter over his brother’s success, immature, totally unsympathetic, spends too much time dallying about in illegal matters and is generally very selfish and rude, though I appreciate how much he cared for Angela and Clare. However, as a character, I found him refreshing. I cannot count the number of crime novels and shows centred around yet another random busybody that feels like meddling in something that has nothing to do with them but, despite their complete and utter lack of experience or qualification, are granted access to the crime scene and solve the entire thing in less than a week. Or that good old detective with a long, swishing coat and ominous tone laced with sarcasm. To be fair, I normally rave about how wonderful these characters are (the nosy meddlers and very-serious detectives feel like family) despite the blatant stereotypes but nonetheless, Lee was a welcome change of perspective. 

The flow of the plot was good. I never thought I’d encounter a character that would come across their (admittedly estranged) identical twin brother’s body and, rather than grieve, pretend the corpse was their own to trick a gang and take on the deceased brother’s identity without thinking it far-fetched but this proved to be an exception. It’s like a twisted, criminal version of The Pretty One. Lee is just so… Lee that I have no issue with the plot here. However, I did find the excess of gangs a bit much. Personally, I’d have preferred just one or two gangs with more focus on each member of the gang and their background. Instead, the reader relies on a brief description of the majority ethnic group of each gang and the names of the most important members, which can get a little confusing towards the end. The highlight of the plot for me has to be the ending. Albanese really built the everything up well and I was concerned I’d be disappointed but found myself pleasantly surprised. My main question to the author is whether a sequel is on the horizon? I feel like the ending lends itself to another book and I certainly wouldn’t protest reading another novel in Lee’s narrative voice.

I found there were very occasional typos, like a few haphazard speech marks that must have been missed over the editing period, but there weren’t enough for this to be an issue when reading. I also thought the cover of the novel perhaps a bit too dark and serious looking for a crime comedy but looked very smart even so. Aside from that, the formatting was good – the font was slightly larger than average, making it a joy to read, the blurb describes the novel perfectly etc. 

Albanese's strongest skill in this novel would have to be his creative use of perspective. I've already mentioned how interesting Lee was as a narrator, but I haven't spoken much about Grant. We learn so much about Grant without even meeting him when he's alive. He comes across as a hard-working and loving man and I found it quite endearing how he cared about Lee and tried to support him despite Lee's stubborn dislike of him. Naturally I found it irksome how Lee showed very little sympathy towards poor Eric, who was clearly close to Grant, but again, that's just... Lee. Overall, I did enjoy this book despite the slight confusion over the numerous gangs.

That’s it for today, folks. Let me know what you think of Caina if you’ve read it. I’ll be back next month with a review for a memoir on addiction.

The Secret Countess

Hello! Helen here, for the very first time. I’ll be talking about one of my absolute favourite pieces of children’s literature this time – a book that never fails to make me laugh and cry, even now, on what must be the 11^th reread.

Book: The Secret Countess

Author: Eva Ibbotson

Blurb: (from the 2015 Macmillan children’s books print) When revolution tears Russia apart, Anna abandons her identity and homeland for a safe haven in England. She finds shelter there, working as a servant in an aristocratic household, her luxurious past now just a distant memory – until she falls in love with the young Earl of Westerholme, and risks revealing her secret.

( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Countess-Eva-Ibbotson/dp/1447280105/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537102020&sr=8-1&keywords=the+secret+countess )

Set against the backdrop of a war-torn and shell-shocked Europe, The Secret Countess is ultimately a tale of survival and love, even after the destruction and horror of the First World War. Like many of the Russian aristocracy, the Countess Anna Granzinsky fled St Petersburg in 1917 with her family, and eventually made her way to London. Determined not to trespass on the hospitality of her old governess, Anna takes the position of a housemaid at the stately Mersham Manor despite her total lack of experience, all the while hiding her true title. Once there, she meets a host of charming and eccentric characters – such as the orderly Butler, Cyril Proom; the Dowager Countess, who communes with the spirits of those long deceased; and of course, the Earl himself.

The plot itself is rather predictable for an older reader, and fits the ‘Boy meets Girl’ trope to a T. It is, of course, a children’s book, and a certain amount of leeway is allowed here – not that Ibbotson needs it in the slightest. Any predictability is completely overshadowed by the witty and engaging prose style that Ibbotson implements so successfully in all of her literature. Her characters leap off the page in all their idiosyncratic glory, and it is impossible not to fall in love with Anna as she muddles her way gracefully through the stiff rules of the English country estate – something very familiar from countless episodes of Downton Abby. Even the villain of the piece is completely alive and as hateable as Dolores Umbridge herself, and the romance is entirely magical.

For a children’s book, The Secret Countess touches on a surprising amount of the issues that cropped up after the First World War. PTSD, the isolation of refugees and the loss of their national identity, the value of duty, and even the insidious tendrils of white supremacy and ableism that would eventually fuel the ideological foundation of Hitler’s Third Reich are all included – but in a way a child can understand, without compromising innocence or becoming a subliminal political agenda. Instead, the themes of the book focus on kindness, love, and finding a home somewhere you might not expect. Not surprising, considering Ibbotson’s own hurried escape to England after the Nazis came to power in Austria.

Full of joy and humanity, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who needs to smile more, not just the children it is aimed at. The dramatic climax alone will have you humming the Valse des Fleurs for days on end.

The How To Do Stuff (Right) Book

Hey everyone, it's Heather here. We've all just started university, so have each been a little busy with adjusting to a new home, new friends, and lectures - posting has been slow. We'll probably get back to a better pace when we've all settled in more. Anyway, massive thanks to Pegasus Publishing for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review. I thought the title was suitable for starting a new chapter in my life!

Information

Author: Glen P. Aylward

Published: August 2017

Publisher: Vanguard Press, Pegasus Publishers

Length: 223 pages

Brief Description (from Amazon)

In this humorous look at everyday life, psychologist Dr. Wayward explains how to deal with everyday situations using findings from his extensive (and field-tested) research. Learn how to do stuff (the right way) with Dr Wayward's expert advice on everything from wine tasting and buying a car to raising toddlers and maintaining the perfect garden lawn that's sure to impress those neighbors when they peek out from behind the curtains. Witty, smart and full of laughs, The How to Do Stuff (Right) Book will teach you to survive the modern world and its pitfalls, whether you're a technology-savvy Millennial keen on growing the perfect bonsai, or a Baby Boomer struggling to keep up with the advances of the twenty-first century.

(https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Stuff-Right-Book-Situations/dp/1784652938)

Review

It's going to be a short review because this is a non-fiction book, so there's less that I need to comment on. Each chapter of this book is dedicated to a random topic; like how to maintain a lawn, and how to do wine tasting. With 16 chapters, there's so many situations discussed that even if you don't drink alcohol, are allergic to pets, cannot drive, and have no garden, most of the other chapters will still be applicable at one point in your life. Chapter Twelve, which detailed how to survive living with an adolescent, was my favourite. Despite being in the later adolescent stage, looking back on the first two stages I could definitely see where the writer was coming from, and I know many of my peers were the same! Although the content of the book is interesting, Aylward's writing style is the highlight. Witty, clever, sarcastic and amusing, it's a fun read, so even if some of the situations written about are not necessarily relevant to the reader, they can be entertained by reading about it nonetheless. Many of the tips are genuinely quite useful to take on board, whilst others are more light-hearted, for instance a tip in the wine-tasting section is to avoid "asking the proprietor to break out the jello shots". 

The design of this book has really exceeded my expectations - this one looks really classy with an appealing and bold green cover. This kind of book would make a perfect stocking filler as well (we're fairly near Christmas... right?), and is the type of book that someone like my dad would adore to get as a gift. I loved how the book includes graphs and diagrams sometimes, and bullet point lists to make full use of formatting, making it extremely easy to understand exactly what the writer means.

This is a really funny book, definitely the sort of non-fiction book I like to read in my leisure time. I'd recommend it for most adults. Leave me a comment if you've read, or are curious about The How To Do Stuff (Right) Book below!

Written in Blood

Hello, it's Heather posting today! Oh my goodness. Just wow. This novel is phenomenal. It slightly reminded me of The Silkworm. I’ve been preparing for university, so it was a relief to tear myself away from the woes of how I’ll ever pay my student loans, and read this instead.

Information

Author: Layton Green

Published: November 2017

Publisher: Seventh Street Books

Length: 320 pages

Brief Description (from Amazon)

Detective Joe "Preach" Everson, a prison chaplain turned police officer, is coming home. After a decade tracking down killers in Atlanta, and with a reputation as one of the finest homicide detectives in the city, his career derailed when he suffered a mental breakdown during the investigation of a serial killer who was targeting children.

No sooner does Preach arrive at home in Creekville, North Carolina--a bohemian community near Chapel Hill--than a local bookstore owner is brutally killed, the first murder in a decade. The only officer with homicide experience, Preach is assigned to the case and makes a shocking discovery: the bookstore owner has been murdered in exactly the same manner as the pawnbroker in Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment.

With the help of Ariana Hale, a law student and bibliophile who knew the victim, Preach investigates the local writer's community. As their questions increase, a second body is found, this time eerily resembling the crime scene in a famous Edgar Allan Poe novella. Preach and Ariana realize that their adversary is an intelligent, literate killer with a mind as devious as it is disturbed--and that one or both of them may be his next target.

(https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1633883612)

Review

The detective protagonist, Joe ‘Preach’ Everson, is investigating the murder of a bookstore owner who was killed in a way that had remarkable parallels to that of the murder in the classic novel Crime and Punishment. As the novel progresses, more murders with links to literary classics take place, and Preach frets that, in the crucial moment, he’ll repeat an error he made earlier in his career. Along with Officer Kirby and aided with the help of Ariana Hale, who adores reading, they try their hardest to catch the murderer before anyone else is killed.

The description throughout is thoughtful and illustrative, I particularly enjoyed the imagery of Damian Black’s house, which was pretty much the ideal horror writer’s home. The dialogue is also expressive and interesting. What really stands out is the plot, however. I found myself gasping out loud and texting friends frantically towards the end about the amazing twists and turns. As usual, I failed to guess who the culprit was – I love the feeling a reader gets when the detective finally realises who the killer is. The only slight criticism that could be put forward would be that everything is a little too convenient in terms of who-knows-who, but given that the place is quite small, and most of the main characters grew up in the area, this is definitely excusable.

Normally, I chastise authors for taking too much time to write about romance, but Ari is lovely and actually helpful in solving the crime; their relationship doesn’t distract from the story and develops at a natural pace. I think most readers can also relate to Ari, I’m sure most of us would love to work in a bookstore. And Preach is such a brilliant character. His backstory unfolds through his therapy sessions, making the reader really see how much suffering and guilt he’s endured (despite him never being at fault), it was a very clever idea to include the therapy sessions - lots of authors overlook the mental strain solving crime can have. I was delighted to have a protagonist who had emotions, empathy and vulnerabilities, and going against his past self. There’s a bit where Ari analyses him, and he does the same back, and it’s fascinating to see these impressions, and how they were formed.

There are some dark themes in the novel, so anyone under eighteen would not be advised to read this. Other than that, any fans of the dark crime genre will be sure to enjoy this. I’m definitely going to look out Layton Green’s books in the future, leave me a comment if you’ve read this!

Sweet Reality (Reality Star)

Hey, it’s Heather posting. We’ve all been devouring our university reading lists, so these last few weeks have been spent basically becoming books (I swear my hair smells slightly like the paper somehow now). Needless to say, after a week of reading Shakespeare, however wonderful that may be, I was in dire need of something lighter, and thus was delighted to read the sequel to America’s Next Reality Star (see my review on that), Sweet Reality. Many thanks to the author for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.

Information

Author: Laura Heffernan

Published: September 2017

Publisher: Lyrical Shine

Length: 236 pages

Brief description (from Amazon)

Jen Reid's life after walking off a reality show has been great--she's gone from being a broke twenty-four-year-old Seattleite with no love life and no job to the twenty-five-year-old who got the guy, moved to Miami, and is starting a bakery with her best friend. She thinks her showmance love might be about to propose. And with mouthwatering goodies based on everyone's favorite shows, her business, Sweet Reality, is destined for success.

That is, until a killer competitor opens right across the street. If she's going to save Sweet Reality, Jen has to come up with a secret ingredient--like the recipe that won Totally 80s Bake-Off. Jen can get it--if she steps back into the spotlight. Soon she and her boyfriend are out to sea on a cruise ship full of reality stars, including her nemesis, Ariana; her lying, cheating ex; and some wicked producers looking to bring the drama. Separate cabins, "surprises" from her past, and scenarios tailor-made to spark fights are just the beginning. But with her self-respect, her business, and her future on the line, the fallout from this made-for-TV plotline will be all too real . . .

(https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sweet-Reality-Star-Laura-Heffernan-ebook/dp/B01N1R8PV6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1504621082&sr=8-2&keywords=sweet+reality)

Review

I sometimes struggle with reading sequels. The first book is often so much better than the second or third, which can sometimes ruin the entire series for you. Even years later, the prospect of reading the Hunger Games frightens me because Peeta’s character turns so nasty in the third book, and poor Prim had such a rushed death scene. Honestly though, I’m so glad I persisted with this one because it’s just as well written as its predecessor.

In my review for the prequel, my main criticism was that the ending felt hurried, so I had high hopes that this novel would tie up some of the loose ends – something definitely achieved. Jen’s about to open a cake business with Justin’s sister, Sarah, with the unique selling point of the baked goods being reality television themed. Meanwhile, Justin’s finishing his studies in law and helping the others out with the legal side of opening the shop. The couple also decide to go on a cruise for reality television stars, in which a few familiar faces pop up again. Typically, Jen gets the worst luck possible and finds herself stuck on a cruise with her enemy, Ariana, and her ex-boyfriend, as well as the wife he hid from her throughout their past relationship.

Jen definitely retains the same flaws as in the last book; she’s easy to agitate, insecure, bitter, has severe trust issues… this is excellent. Jen is far from a perfect person, that’s what makes her real and relatable, especially after the last serious relationship she had. Similarly, Justin is so stressed out with family problems, worrying over when to propose, and his academic results, that we see some of his less ideal boyfriend traits. Ariana’s character has a very clever and interesting twist at the end, making her character have dimensions and development which I adored. Another praise has to go to the author for including a deaf character, and subtly approaching the challenges the deaf have to face, I really hope that in the next book we see more of this character, or Jen learns sign language. Ed and Rachel are such lovely people, wonderful friends for Jen to have made, I can only compliment them too.

Friendships were another highlight of this novel, both old and new ones, Heffernan wrote them with the perfect amount of banter and support that’s realistically involved. The relationship between Jen and Justin was so problematic though, that I have to confess I kind of hoped they’d break up at times – it’s clear that Jen needs more time to realise that she can fully trust Justin, and they could certainly use a bit more communication. Maybe she needed more of a break after her last relationship? Although, they did have a couple of calmer, cute moments.

As usual, Heffernan writes in an imaginative way, including snippets of private interviews, news reports, and standard narrative. This creative written style is lifted even more by the measures of humour and drama, poor Jen really has to go through some mortifying situations. And, oh my goodness, that secret ingredient had me laughing out loud. I’d really recommend this series for anyone that wants a funny, light read.

Virtue Inverted

Hello, it's Heather posting today. Again, it's quite a short review today as I've been very busy. Many thanks to Dreaming Big Publications for sending this to me in exchange for an honest review.

Information

Author: Piers Anthony and Kenneth Kelly

Published: July 2017

Publisher: Dreaming Big Publications

Length: 142 pages

Genre: Fantasy

Brief Description (from Amazon)

Virtue Inverted is the first novel of a hard-hitting sword and sorcery trilogy by Piers Anthony and Ken Kelly. Benny Clout is a poor mountain boy who has found true love in Virtue the vampire. However, Virtue is not an ordinary vampire; she's actually a very nice girl. Her bites contain extraordinary power, but will that power be enough to combat the evil that awaits them?

(https://www.amazon.co.uk/Virtue-Inverted-1-Pakk-Trilogy/dp/1947381008)

Review

This is about a chap named Benny who works in a pub for his friend Jack, where he pines hopelessly for his co-worker Nadia. Everything changes when two menacing strangers entice him into joining them on an adventure.

Benny irked me throughout the book, from his exasperation that Nadia would like a guy that was less attractive than he (because, of course, liking a guy for his personality would be crazy… right?!), to his lack of emotions when his brother randomly left. His shallow and vain attitude made him really difficult to like, in fact I found myself pegging for a giant or vampire to kill him at times. His feelings for Virtue developed remarkably quickly to love, and though I’m glad that he did not take advantage of her, I still thought she appeared more terrified of him than in love. 

However, I did like the paternal styled relationship between Jack and Benny, their friendship was very sweet and protective. I couldn’t spot any notable spelling or grammar mistakes and the presentation of the novel is good, including a map at the start to help track Benny’s adventures. The plot progresses snappily, and there is a good amount of dialogue and description to keep the story moving.

There’s a vast number of women that have descriptions made up mostly of their voluptuous factors. The women rarely engaged in fighting or anything really aside from occasional bar-work, and frequently were introduced naked for some bizarre reason, which made them seem like sexual objects. Furthermore, there’s frequent joking references to sexual abuse, groping and rape – none of which are amusing at all, I wasn't keen of how lightly these issues were treated. There’s also some insinuations that being a less macho man is somehow inferior, which I also disliked.

It’s probably very obvious that this book was not at all to my taste, but that’s not to say that it’s not written well; the description in the prologue being especially lovely. Let me know your thoughts on it below.

Black & White

Hiya, it’s Heather posting today! Hope you’re all having a super summer, I’m not particularly well at the moment so apologies for a shorter than normal review. Many thanks to the author for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.

Information

Author: Nick Wilford

Published: September 2017

Publisher: Superstar Peanut

Length: 180 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian

Brief Description (from Amazon)

What is the price paid for the creation of a perfect society?

In Whitopolis, a gleamingly white city of the future where illness has been eradicated, shock waves run through the populace when a bedraggled, dirt-stricken boy materialises in the main street. Led by government propaganda, most citizens shun him as a demon, except for Wellesbury Noon – a high school student the same age as the boy.

Upon befriending the boy, Wellesbury feels a connection that he can’t explain – as well as discovering that his new friend comes from a land that is stricken by disease and only has two weeks to live. Why do he and a girl named Ezmerelda Dontible appear to be the only ones who want to help?

As they dig deeper, everything they know is turned on its head – and a race to save one boy becomes a struggle to redeem humanity.

(https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-White-Book-One-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B07395MKSH/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502791602&sr=1-1&keywords=black+%26+white+nick+wilford)

Review

This novel is set in a spotless society (they’d despise my house) called Whitopolis in which even the word dirt is confusing to the citizens. One day, a kid named Mallinger from another place suddenly appears there – and this boy is covered in dirt, so naturally the citizens are terrified and condemn him as a ‘demon’. Meanwhile, Wellesbury is bored of how routine and perfectionistic their lifestyle is, so talk of a ‘demon’ intrigues him and he decides to investigate.

I found the concept of living in an immaculate society really creative. There’s no illness, most people live until they’re a hundred, and everything is fairly uneventful. This did rub off on some of the characters too. With the exception of Wellesbury, Ezmerelda and Tindleson, everyone living there seemed content with their lives yet were distant, passive and dull, almost lacking any energy. Wellesbury was a good protagonist; I really liked how innocent he was, harbouring a sweet crush for Ezmerelda and wanting to help Mallinger, but also struggling with his peers as school. Ezmerelda was animated and passionate, her bravery and thirst for justice making her very likable and a strong character. To be honest, I felt that Tindleson was introduced too late on in the book and seemed to very suddenly gain the trust of Wellesbury and Ezmerelda.  

“Her eyes had colour. Her skin had colour. Ezmerelda longed for more colour in her world.”

Sometimes, I found myself yearning for just a little more imagery – it’s particularly hard in fantasy and science fiction books because the reader needs to feel convinced that the place could exist. It’s the little things like the shade of the paving slabs, descriptions of the hovercars and food, did they have garages? Was there any fake grass or stone patches or was the outside completely concrete? Did they have windows and statues? Teensy details like the sound of one’s footsteps on different materials can really help to develop a sense of realism for the reader. The whole concept of eradicating anything vaguely unclean does make one question how toddlers were dealt with pre-toilet-training stage and whether dust was an issue. Were paint stains frowned upon? I know that a certain amount of information should be left to the imagination, but I’m a curious person and the idea of Whitopolis sparked my interest, so these questions bugged me.

I enjoyed this novel, but felt it needed just a little bit more description. The grammar was flawless, though there was an overuse of ellipses at the start. If you’ve read it, let me know your thoughts below!  

The Year of the Flood

Hello, it’s Heather here. Lydia lent me this novel earlier, and after finishing it I just had to write about it! I had no idea that this was the second of the trilogy until after reading it, though from the comments I’ve read online this seems to be linked, but not necessarily attached, to its predecessor. There are sexual and violent themes in this book so it’s probably best for under-eighteens not to read it.

Information

Author: Margaret Atwood

Published: September 2009

Publisher: Bloomsbury (UK), McClelland & Stewart (Canada)

Length: 448 pages

Genre: Speculative/Dystopian/Feminist Fiction

Brief description (from Goodreads)

"The Year of the Flood" is a dystopic masterpiece and a testament to Margaret Atwood's visionary power.

The times and species have been changing at a rapid rate, and the social compact is wearing as thin as environmental stability. Adam One, the kindly leader of the God's Gardeners--a religion devoted to the melding of science and religion, as well as the preservation of all plant and animal life--has long predicted a natural disaster that will alter Earth as we know it. Now it has occurred, obliterating most human life. Two women have survived: Ren, a young trapeze dancer locked inside the high-end sex club Scales and Tails, and Toby, a God's Gardener barricaded inside a luxurious spa where many of the treatments are edible.

Have others survived? Ren's bioartist friend Amanda? Zeb, her eco-fighter stepfather? Her onetime lover, Jimmy? Or the murderous Painballers, survivors of the mutual-elimination Painball prison? Not to mention the shadowy, corrupt policing force of the ruling powers . . .

Meanwhile, gene-spliced life forms are proliferating: the lion/lamb blends, the Mo'hair sheep with human hair, the pigs with human brain tissue. As Adam One and his intrepid hemp-clad band make their way through this strange new world, Ren and Toby will have to decide on their next move. They can't stay locked away . . .

By turns dark, tender, violent, thoughtful, and uneasily hilarious, "The Year of the Flood" is Atwood at her most brilliant and inventive

(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6080337-the-year-of-the-flood)

Review

Boldly inventive as always, Atwood definitely succeeded in crafting an eerie story following two women that join a religious group called the Gardeners and following their lives before and after, and how they manage to survive the man-made, water-less 'flood'.

The narrative is a little messy at times, sometimes I had to flick back to check what time the chapter was set in and whether it was Ren or Toby. I think it might have worked better starting from the beginning, instead of year twenty-five. Every now and then, there’s a speech given by Adam One on a special event or day. At the start of the book, these really confused me, I had no idea what they meant in the context of the book, nor did I know who most of the referenced characters were. Had I read this novel for analytical or educational purpose, as oppose to leisure, I would probably have actually read these bits, but instead I found myself skipping past it to get to the narrative. These were bits were followed by hymns – which would have been a lovely touch – but again, I wanted to stay attached to the story, and it’s much better to hear or sing a hymn than to read it, so they were normally skipped too! In true Atwood style, when it ends you expect there to be another page or chapter; maybe the last novel in the series covers all the unanswered questions.

Like in The Handmaid’s Tale, Atwood includes charming little touches to her writing, for instance Toby contemplating the word daybreak and whether the sun or the night are splitting. Her writing remains as bold as ever, venturing into some dark and sensitive themes and using a lot of symbolism. I’d rather not get too bogged down on the whole meat debate as it’s pretty controversial for everyone, but I did find it interesting to look at, despite Ren and Toby’s view being overly one-sided in terms of religion (consider that Jesus frequently ate meat). I was reading up on Atwood earlier and it’s mentioned that she links meat-eating to sexual oppression sometimes, so perhaps this was done on purpose to show how, as women, they were oppressed. Utilising this idea, it’s no wonder that the SecretBurgers (a blend of whatever meat, and sometimes fingernails, could be found) made several appearances; maybe a symbol for the disturbing presentation of sex.

The world itself felt tiny, main characters running into one another so frequently that I wondered if Atwood was doing this to infer fate or just a lot of coincidences in a small place. As characters go, I’ll admit that sometimes Nuala and Pilar somehow got muddled up in my head, the Gardeners being similar in dialogue, but this kind of made me think that the bee hive was a symbol for them – moving as one with the same flow of thoughts. Little Ren was very sweet and easily influenced by Amanda; I really liked how Atwood wrote Ren’s guilt and sense of betrayal as she grew up, sometimes finding their lifestyle difficult and yearning to dress like the other children did. Zeb was a powerful character, filling a role as a fatherly figure to Ren, which the novel was otherwise pretty absent from, aside from perhaps Toby being maternal towards her. I liked how the novel portrayed friendship as more powerful than romantic love.

This brings me onto the next subject: sexual and romantic love. Throughout the novel, Toby is described by Ren as the dry witch, completely un-sexual and hardcore. I really think this demonstrated the way that Blanco’s abuse of her destroyed her sense of sexuality, contaminating the very idea of romance. Ren herself has some bad experiences with love as well, and it’s written wonderfully, really illustrating the many ways love can hurt you. All in all, romantic love is presented as painful and damaging.

Perhaps this is what makes the narrators both feel so isolated. Ren is quiet, but in her head, it’s obvious that she’s having to deal with a lot of issues alone and unsupported in a truly selfless manner. Toby also comes across as isolated, feeling abandoned regularly by those she loved and having to hide her own doubts to fit in. It was fascinating to see how Toby settles into the Gardeners, particularly as she frequently expresses a difficulty to believe like they do, and yet she finds herself at home there. The theme of disguise and concealment was another element that Atwood presents as important. Toby is constantly trying to blend into the background, be it by joining the Gardeners to escape from Blanco, and by physically changing her appearance. This idea almost makes unique identity and individuality appear negative, making even the self lonely.

Personally, I found the novel difficult to initially get into and the structure a little awkward, but it’s definitely worth persisting with. The storyline itself develops nicely, making it enticing and scary to read. 

Jane Eyre

Hey everyone! Its Lydia here. I finished Jane Eyre yesterday and thought I'd voice my views on the well beloved classic.

Author: Charlotte Bronte
Published: 16th October 1847
Publisher: Smith, Elder and Co
Pages: 448
Genre: Romance, Gothic, Romantic

Description (from Amazon)
Jane Eyre ranks as one of the greatest and most perennially popular works of English fiction. Although the poor but plucky heroine is outwardly of plain appearance, she possesses an indomitable spirit, a sharp wit and great courage.

She is forced to battle against the exigencies of a cruel guardian, a harsh employer and a rigid social order. All of which circumscribe her life and position when she becomes governess to the daughter of the mysterious, sardonic and attractive Mr Rochester.

However, there is great kindness and warmth in this epic love story, which is set against the magnificent backdrop of the Yorkshire moors. Ultimately the grand passion of Jane and Rochester is called upon to survive cruel revelation, loss and reunion, only to be confronted with tragedy.

Review

I've had Jane Eyre on my bookshelf for some time and I started to read it at the beginning of this year. However, I only got about a third of the way through before school work intervened. But my sister this year bought me a really lovely limited edition of the novel for my birthday, so I said to myself, "come on, now that you've got the time, you have to read Jane Eyre".

Jane Eyre is a novel with quite complex language, so if you're new to reading classics, I would perhaps start off with an easier book, like Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, or 20th century classic like The Great Gatsby or To Kill a Mocking Bird, which are some of my personal favourites. I urge this as the first time I started to read some of Jane Austen's novels, I was around twelve or thirteen, and for good part of the time, I didn't understand the language.

Now, like in all my reviews I like to discuss aspects I both liked and disliked within the book. The first quality I enjoyed about Jane Eyre was Bronte's creation and style of narrative. The first person narrator (Jane herself) has a welcoming and polite tone, as she directly addresses the reader occasionally, creating a confidant relationship between the narrator and reader, forming a close and personal atmosphere. This adds wonderfully to the plot and direction of the story, as Jane is retelling her life experiences.

Jane is a lovely character: she's strong minded, independent and direct in speech - qualities I find in myself, and it seems other people find compelling in other reviews I've read. The characters traits are quite interesting given the time and age of the book. As I've written above in the details, Jane Eyre was published in the 19th century, and directness and openly opinionated women weren't seen to be very attractive (but that seems to be a different case in the book, I'll discuss this further down). It's additionally evermore curious that Bronte published the novel under a male name, Currer Bell. As a reader, I can see that Bronte was able to secretly express her personal characteristics while avoiding the female hypocrisy in society.

Judgement is something that Jane is confronted with all her life, with her Aunt Reed (her legal guardian), at school and even by some of the minor characters of the book. From a little girl, Jane has been cruelly judged. Personally, I think she is judged for many reasons, all very unreasonable, but mainly because she is forthright and expresses her opinions. Most women of that time didn't directly challenge people, as society would have seen it to be unfeminine. However, when Jane meets Mr Rochester, I think that it's what he likes most about her, that she openly speaks her mind.

Continuing with Mr Rochester, I'm brought to the theme of love and passion in the novel. It is clear, not at first, that Jane and Mr Rochester love each other. But what I like about their romance is that it isn't based on their physical appearance, which a great deal of Romantic novels are based upon. The couple fall in love because they find each other equally unattractive. At the beginning, it is made quite clear that Jane isn't beautiful, other characters and Mr Rochester even expresses that she is 'plain' looking, yet equally Jane comments that Mr Rochester isn't an attractive being either, and occasionally tells the reader he is ugly. This conveys that they love each other for sense of conversation and intelligence, and the colloquial term 'it's what's on the inside that matters'. This gives a certain warmth and sentimentality to their relationship throughout the novel. However, there are some moments in the story where I thought Mr Rochester to be quite an abusive lover, not physically, but mentally. He tricks Jane into jealousy, becomes possessive and becomes quite aggressive when he doesn't get his way. Yet he does openly express he loves Jane and doesn't convince or force her to marry him, like another marital interest attempts to do.

The last aspect I enjoyed about Jane Eyre was the Gothic side to the novel. Amongst all the beautiful pastoral language were dense and dark concepts. There is a sense of supernaturalism at the beginning, and scenes of morbidity and horror. I really enjoyed these moments, as it gave the novel a balance of both affection and hatred, as well as light and dark sentiments. I'm a big Gothic reader, I studied Frankenstein and Dracula for my coursework in my A levels, but even when I was slightly younger I enjoyed reading The Woman in Black and I'm the King of the Castle, which I studied for GCSE. These are all brilliant books, and if you like horror books, I'd give these a read next.

I hope you enjoyed my review of Jane Eyre! Sorry if it was very long, I had a lot to say about this wonderful book.

Tainted Blood: Face Your Demons

Hey, it’s Heather! I’m reviewing this horror novel today, please be aware that the book features a lot of violence so is definitely not suitable for under eighteens. Many thanks to the author for letting me read in in exchange for an honest review.

Information

Author: Nina Hobson

Published: June 2012

Publisher: Self-published

Length: 149 pages

Genre: Horror

Brief description (from Amazon)

“Have you seen anyone around?”

“That’s me,” stated Ron with no outward expression.

“What?” Jennifer’s sure she hadn’t heard him right.

“That’s me…ummm, he’s me. I can’t explain it Jennifer but ever since last night, I’ve felt funny, like something in me is missing. I think it’s…I’m following us.”

* * *

Ron Davis’s statement was enough to scare the crap out of Jennifer Holden, his best friend, because she’d been seeing things too -- especially in the back in the back room off the kitchen. The one her parents had forbidden Jennifer and her little brother to enter…which was okay by her since she’d no intention of stepping one foot in there.

That is until her terminally ill cousin takes up residence in it setting in motion a horrific turn of events; putting her and the entire town in mortal danger.

Tainted Blood: Face Your Demons is book one in a four book series of high school to adult, paranormal horror novellas. Action packed, suspenseful, thrilling yet sensitive, this first installment brings beings from two opposing dimensions together under one roof.

Imagine the specter from your worst nightmare adopting and trying to raise two sweet, young teens; trying to keep them safe while something dark and dangerous stalks and ravages the natives of Cleveland and you’ll have all you need to read this new urban horror classic.

(https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tainted-Blood-Face-Your-Demons-ebook/dp/B0089PT018)

Review

The plot was fast-paced and interesting throughout. The perspective changed a lot, but it was always clear which character the reader was following. The title itself also links into the story, which I thought was quite clever. There were some grammatical errors, like ‘to’ and ‘too’ being mixed up, and sometimes more commas being needed, but these were minor so didn’t really affect the read. The more violent scenes had the best description, making it chilling and disturbing, which is what you want to achieve for a horror book, though I did feel it was over the top quite a lot (I don’t read much horror, so was cringing even at the less gross bits to be fair). It might have been better to build up to the ‘worst’ deaths, instead of retaining the graphic and gory methods of slaughter through the entire novel. I was also astonished at the lack of attention from other people given to the killings. Had a young lad been beheaded near me, I’m pretty sure my family would have banished me from leaving the house unsupervised for at least a week (bearing in mind I’m an adult and these were twelve/thirteen year-olds), then again I guess their own house was hardly safer.

Whilst I do appreciate the author trying to include LGBT+ characters in their literature, I wasn’t a massive fan of Angie’s crush on Jennifer. Angie’s infatuation with her was definitely overly creepy and worthy of a restraining order; particularly when she brushes her hand near Jennifer’s private area on her thigh, which bordered on sexual harassment given all the signs Jennifer had given her to stop flirting. I’m unsure on whether it was written like this to appear somehow romantic or if it was meant to disturb the reader. I also was perplexed at the friendship between Jennifer and Ron. If any of my friends crushed a baby bird to death, regardless of the fact nature would probably kill it eventually, I would have had very stern words with them. Even Jennifer herself was a somewhat dislikeable character, from the first chapter she presented herself as arrogant, claiming to be too smart and good for Cleveland. These aren't critiques of the writer though - I disliked all the characters in Wuthering Heights but enjoyed the novel nonetheless, sometimes having very flawed characters can make the read more relatable. Though the descriptions of each character were definitely good in providing clear images for the reader. Also, Tom was absolutely adorable, the sweetest little brother ever, his bond with his sister was lovely.

As I said earlier, the change in perspective was interesting in seeing how the plot was developing for different characters, and it was clear whose perspective one was reading as well. Aside from Mr. Mitschell, I thought the writer could have changed the writing style itself more depending on the character; even if it was simply by adding longer and more eloquent words for the older characters. It was especially impressive that the evil demon things had a language though. I was a little bit confused to come across some scenes that were sexual, given that we had been told on our submission form not to expect this at all. Although, the sexual content is not too graphic and can be skimmed through quickly if anyone else out there feels uncomfortable reading this type of stuff, most of it is implicit. Emotionally, I still felt like there could have been further development. If someone close to a character dies, particularly in a torturous way, they are going to feel upset for a long time. Honestly, I’d have liked to have seen several pages (even a chapter or two) devoted to describing the utter misery the characters were in, the children especially would have been traumatised. Again, this is my personal opinion, many people prefer to have a snappy plot than to see the emotional side of characters.

Given the violent nature of this book, I’d have to advise it for over eighteens that don’t mind a lot of blood and painful ways to die. It’s a short novella – I finished it in one afternoon without any problems, and certainly is not dull, though was perhaps a little too gory for me!