The Accidental

Hello, it's Heather here! This is a review on The Accidental, which is a little more mature than the typical book I'd go for, but I felt like trying something different.

Author: Ali Smith

Published: 2005

Publisher: Hamish Hamilton

The writing style is what really makes this book stand out. Anyone that knows my book tastes can confirm that I love a good stream of consciousness, so naturally I was intrigued by The Accidental. It's not quite as heavy as Woolf's take on the stream of consciousness, so anyone tempted to delve into that sort of work - but concerned it'll be too slow paced - may want to try this out. Some of the scenes and topics covered are quite mature. There will be spoilers in this review.

The accidental is peculiar to say the least, I began reading it (technically last year I suppose) in December and was delighted at how it was set out. The book is so structurally organised, I felt rather orderly indulging in one sub-section, then eating a biscuit, then reading the next sub-section etc until I had finished a section (and too many biscuits). It flutters between five narrators; Astrid, Magnus, Michael and Eve as well as a rather ominous narrator who calls themselves Alhambra who the reader can presume to be Amber I suppose, though that’s up for debate really. There are three sections which allow each character to have their say. The story-line is hard to concisely put into words without sounding dull, but basically the family are on holiday when a girl named Amber knocks at their door and apologises for being late for an appointment. Everybody then assumes that this appointment is either to meet with Eve (who is a historical writer) or someone involved with Michael, who seems to have numerous affairs with his students. Meanwhile, Magnus is consumed with guilt from having participated in a prank that resulted in the death of a girl he barely knew, so does not question Amber’s appearance. The quote below, eloquently put in Magnus’ narrative, expresses the family dynamic quite well:

“Everybody at this table is in broken pieces which won’t go together, pieces which are nothing to do with each other, like they all come from different jigsaws, all muddled together into the one box by some assistant who couldn’t care less in a charity shop or wherever the place is that old jigsaws go to die. Except jigsaws don’t die.”

Whilst there are certainly some rather awkward moments for the reader, which I’ll write about in a bit, there are also some excellent parts. The writing style is lovely. I’ve said many times that a stream of consciousness is one of my favourite styles because there’s so much that can be done with it – Smith did one of Eve’s sections through a question and answer style thing in her mind (I’m sure we’ve all done it sometimes, you ask yourself a question then answer it like you're on TV) this is surprisingly fun to read. At times, I’d have liked a little more imagery and some more details, we hear a lot of thoughts but not so much description. The contrast in tone between each character was written beautifully: Astrid is a vibrant and young yet somewhat naïve girl fascinated with filming so she can retain the memories she worries will be spun into a dream as she ages and doubts reality, Magnus is consumed with grief then struggles to comprehend Amber and his feelings as he matures, Eve is too forgiving yet also appears bitter and insecure and Michael is pretty self-consumed. Then, there’s Amber, who we mostly hear about through the others. I honestly am in awe of their politeness towards this girl, who randomly intrudes their house, breaks Astrid’s camera and is extremely rude to Eve. The presence of this girl is perhaps so curious that they are bamboozled by her to the extent they don’t seem to mind her crudeness.

The sexual scenes between Amber and Magnus in this book were somewhat disturbing given the age gap and how vulnerable he is at this point (she literally found him trying to commit suicide in the bathroom before trying to seduce him). I was very glad that they weren’t too long or detailed… Another weird part of their relationship was that the church seemed to be a favourite place to meet and do the sex thing (you can probably tell I feel awkward writing about this) – which is fairly typical of an English Literature novel; look at books like Regeneration in which two characters get intimate on a gravestone. Smith plays with this idea of sex and religion being interlinked, perhaps looking at the bad morality of the situation, which seems to foreshadow the relationship itself. Though one can also associate a church with the circle of life since many are christened there, get married there and then have their funeral there. I’ll probably write more detailed waffle about how death and sex are common themes in my Birdsong review. Anyway, the other aspect of this relationship that really deflated the romance was that Magnus’ stepdad Michael was first wrongly presented by Eve to be one of his many flings, then Michael even spends a little time wishing Amber was involved with him in that manner. So, it’s weird to go from thinking that she could be a potential love interest with Michael to then realising she’s more attracted to his stepson.

Alright, that's the end of this review then. If you have read this book too then let me know what you think in the comments section below! Anyone considering reading it, I'd only recommend this to those over the age of 16 and would advise to look out for symbolism (note how Astrid talks a lot about red when the books reaching its climax) if you like symbolism hunting. 

Something Unpopular

Hey guys! Its Lydia here. I think this writing piece really speaks for itself, its another homework/revision task for my creative writing Alevel. I really didn't know what to writing about, and this was the first thing that eventually came to my mind, I wrote about something I had experience it and felt those emotions.
Write me a comment it you enjoyed reading it, or tell me what you would do to improve it.

Measure the planes terminal velocity compared to the car. – I don’t remember. All that time, all that dedication, wasted for this final moment. I had forgotten how to answer the question. This was my last exam; finishing on the subject I hate the most, the useless one of all, and I was going to fail.  The fear begun to melt down my forehead; the anxiety of seeing that unforgiveable F on my sheet at results day. The trembling disappointment of not working hard enough and not exuding the required effort. A test of memory this was all this was, it didn’t even demand intelligence from a person. Yet why couldn’t I remember? Was it because I was stupid? Was I not listening enough?

What a twisted perversion from the government, to make students squirm with anxiety and paranoia that they haven’t tired hard enough, hadn’t studied enough. This testing of old men couldn’t and wouldn’t work for this generation, all people were different and each brain formed significantly. To make us suffer this sentence of depression was a cruel joke.

“Time is up. Put down your pens please,” said the invigilator suddenly.

Those dotted lines will forever remain blank from a spoiling mind.

As I walked along the corridor, I could hear my classmates say, “that was so easy” and “question two was a breeze”. Urgh I though, yes I know you understand science better than I do, and are probably more intelligent, so just shut up! I felt black and white amongst the blues and yellows of others. My dull being was no match for their superior brightness.    

When I reached home, I threw myself onto the sofa, and pressed the TV on. Friends instantly appeared, and my anger slowly subdued as I curled beneath a blanket. After a few minutes an advert came on, it was something I’d seen everyday. Text 639 to Water Aid to help those in need. I realized something as the advert faded, not only were those people deprived of food and water, but education. This girl looked my age, and may not even know how to read. They lived beneath basic existence, not striving for a goal or learning that last quote for an exam. They would forever be in a turbulent purgatory, never answering a quadratic equation or looking forward to their next reading book from the library. Those children would never be able to achieve a qualification, or dream of who they’d become in fifteen years, because they wouldn’t have moved an inch, they’d still be sitting within the cracked dry earth.

My mind went blank for the first time today; that could have so easily been my life. Perhaps I should be more grateful that my parents paid for my education, be thankful that I wake up every day knowing I will learn something new. Be honoured as someone took the time to plan a student’s discovery in that one hour. Yes education can and always will be a stress and struggle, but I should appreciate the education I am granted with now and the next few years, as it will tar the road that my life will sprint down.

A Monster Calls

Hey guys! Its Lydia again.  This book I finished around the start of last week, and I've got to say its one of the best 12+ books I've read in a while, I know I've reviewed Finding Audrey and Girl heart Girl, but this one is one of my favourites this year. I hope you enjoy the review.
Beware there will be spoilers!

Author: Patrick Ness
Published: 5th May 2011
Publishers: Walker books
My rating: 5/5

I have seen A Monster Calls many times on multiple bookshelves in book shops, but for some reason I never picked it up. I think the title kinda scared me a bit, as I first saw the graphic novel and the imagines to accompany the story are quite dark, so as an eleven year old this really freaked me out. But now I would recommend buying and reading either the graphic novel or the normal novel.

 What I loved so much about this book was the fact that it was so relatable, a young boy who is struggling to come to terms with the truth and reality, in which his triggered nightmares from this awaiting reality cause him depression and an unhealthy way of living.

"I have come to get you, Conor O'Malley...." - This part scared me quite a bit, I was almost thinking, I've picked up a horror book for children. But when I turned the page I started to laugh, because the monster just grabs Conor and starts swaying him around his room, and the visualisation of his massive hand waving this teenage boy around is hilarious. Okay back to the serious stuff. - The monster at first is described in a very raw and ugly image, however as you progress through the book, you forget about the monsters ugliness and focus on what he's trying to tell us. Its that hidden message that Ness is trying to express, the one parents told you as children, 'Never judge a book buy its cover' or 'Its the truth and beauty which lie underneath'. There are a lot of hidden morals within this book. I also have a theory that perhaps Ness drew inspiration from christianity and the bible, as the monster tells Conor that he wasn't just a yew tree and could appear in many forms, so this reminded me of the story of Moses, how God appeared to Moses in the for of a burning bush to give him the strength and courage to return to Egypt. This is similar to the monsters presents to Conor he is there to help him realise and cope with his suffering. The monster is also like a paternal figure, Conor has no parental figure for quite some time, and the monster stands as a conscience and guide.  The three stories that the monster tells Conor are quite similar to the parables that Jesus told his decibels and followers, they all had a messages and moral guidance.

"I did not come to heal her, the monster said. I came to heal you." - This is my favourite line of the book. It expresses that there are different types of pain, the physical and mental kind. What is also quite sad and also very true is the fact that Conor's mothers cancer is in the background of the story and it more focuses on the pain that Conor is experiencing, he is at the center of the book. The monster didn't come walking for his mother but for him, to heal Conor. It shows that once a loved on is dead or is dying, it isn't he/she who will be left in tatters, but their family. This is why the monster came walking for Conor he healed his heart so he could face with letting his mother go.

I think that as a children's book Patrick Ness has done a fabulous job in creating a moral to the story, teaching children about life and about death, and that not everything lives forever.  I don't think this novel is limited to just children and young adults, I read this book in two days and I'm going to be eighteen soon. This book really touched my heart and since I read a lot their aren't many books that can touch my heart and make me cry.

I thoroughly recommend this book, however there is also a film version of the novel, that came out on the 1st January 2017.

The Eccentric Trilogy's Favourite Books of 2016!

Happy New Year's Eve everyone! 

It's been a long year for us, we've all read so much during 2016, and for our last post of the year we decided to create a list of all our top five favourite books that we've read during the year! 
We started this blog during the year and it's safe to say that we have enjoyed every single moment since we created Eccentric Trilogy. So, a major thank you to everyone who is reading our reviews and getting in contact with us as well! 

Heather's Top Five Favourite Books of 2016

1.) To The Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf. 

(Heather is absolutely obsessed with this book, especially the light symbolism that Woolf uses.)

2.) The Accidental - Ali Smith

3.) The Shock of The Fall - Nathan Filer

4.) The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

5.) Regeneration - Pat Barker

Lydia's Top Five Favourite Books of 2016

1.) A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J Maas

2.) The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

3.) To Kill A Mocking Bird - Harper Lee

4.) Queen of Shadows - Sarah J Maas

5.) A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness

Shani's Top Five Favourite Books of 2016

1.) A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J Maas

2.) The Illuminae Files 01 - Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

3.) A Study in Charlotte - Brittany Cavallaro

4.) Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

5.) Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Rating: 5/5
Authors: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Published: 20th October, 2015
Publisher: Oneworld Publications/Rock The Boat

Hello everyone, it's Shani here, and today I wanted to express my opinions on the book Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

Illuminae is the first novel in the Illuminae Files trilogy. When I bought this book, I had already heard some amazing things about it - the novel has been praised for its style and narration by numerous other book reviewers, and let you tell me this. This book met every single one of my reading standards, and somehow managed to raise them as well.

Illuminae was my second favourite book that I've read this year. It has one of the most gripping story lines I've ever encountered, hooking you from the very first page, and keeping you on the edge of your seat through out the entire book. Kaufman and Kristoff have presented a YA, sci-fi novel in the least cliche manor possible, and I loved it.
I'm not much of sci-fi reader. I've tried in the past to read many sci-fi books, but I've often found that the plot is too predictable, or that the story is reaccuring. That's not to say that Illuminae's plot is miles different from other sci-fi novels. In fact it isn't. It has all the cliche settings: It's in space, there's fighting, there's an uncontrollable virus that is turning people crazy and reducing them to killing one and other. It's your typical sci-fi novel. What was different was the way it was presented. The book is presented entirely through files, legal documents, chat messages, emails, and security camera footage. I have never found a single author that has formatted their novel this way, and I absolutely applaud Kaufman and Kristoff for experimenting with this style, because it works so well!

The plot, though it involved some typical sci-fi tropes, was fairly original in certain areas. The novel centres around seventeen year old Kady Grant and Ezra Mason who have just escaped from their planet being destroyed by an evil corporation named BioTech. The novel takes place in 2575, yet the authors still manage to keep the novel relevant to their audience, the language they use and the appropriate pop culture references really made me able to relate to the characters in the novel, despite them being thousands of years in the future.

This doesn't start of slowly at all, it throws you straight into action - which was one of the main reasons I adored it so much. I tend to get bored very quickly when reading unless the story really grips me, I tend to find classics hard to get into for example, because the first few pages are normally quite slow, thus I tend to have to force myself to read them just to be able to pursue the rest of it. Illuminae is one of the very few books where I didn't have to do this. I was interested and invested from the very first page, and it was very refreshing!

Another excellent point about Illuminae is the character development. Oh, golly. The character development in this book is incredible. Not only does this book have an incredibly strong, intelligent, and snarky female protagonist, but Kady's character development is wonderful. She endures loss, she makes mistakes, she is presented to the reader as a real person with flaws and I loved this about her.

Illuminae is now in my top ten favourite books that I've ever read, and I'm so excited to read the sequel Gemina, which came out a few months ago!

The Go-Between

Hello, it’s Heather here, hope you all are looking forward to a great new year! The girls and I have all studied this book in our A-Level English Literature class, so I thought I’d write a short review on the prologue – partially for close analysis revision purposes and so they can also review it if they wish to do so without repeating similar things.

Author: L.P. Hartley

Published: 1953

Publisher: Hamish Hamilton

This book is in a framed narrative; thus, the prologue and epilogue is narrated by older Leo (technically his name is Lionel but he thought that sounded fancy so calls himself Leo after the zodiac symbol). In the prologue, Leo finds a box of his older possessions and, after rummaging through it and listing some very symbolic items, he finds his diary. When composed, he decides to read a little bit of it. This is never a good idea, I read my diary a few years ago, and still feel scarred at how whiny eight-year-old me was. Anyway, I could sympathise with Leo when he read about how he was traumatised at having used the word ‘vanquished’, earning himself a bad reputation for having used such a peculiar bit of language. Young Leo is very amusing, he has this odd infatuation with the Zodiac, particularly the Virgin; this belief in fate and his dallying with magic makes the prologue engaging – who doesn’t like a good bit of magic?

His reactions are a bit immature, he spends little time engrossing in self-remorse: for instance, when two boys are hurt and Leo claims it was his spell that caused their accident, he labels himself as a hero and has very little pity for them. I reckon most children would at least feel a tad dejected at someone else being hurt – but it’s vital to grasp that Leo is not what most children are like. In many ways, he’s stereotypical, having just reached that age where he starts to ponder about girls (especially in the main narrative) and being cautious about fitting in at his school. But he’s also completely oblivious to sex at the same time, though given the time era, they were a bit more prude about these matters, yet in a boarding school you’d have thought he’d know the basics. He also seems to read very deeply into things, again this is seen more later in the book, like when he is disgusted at being given something green (because it must be symbolic, right?). I quite liked this, it gives away that vulnerable, self-conscious side, those natural feelings that most children display through not wanting to do certain things anymore, but Leo showed through his analytical mind.

The first line is pretty spectacular; “The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.” It’s amazingly tempting to use this line after confessing scandalous deviances (for instance, “HEATHER, DID YOU STEAL MY CHOCOLATE ORANGE” … well, you see dear brother… the past is a foreign country, they do things differently there.) The meaning is also quite interesting to consider; look at how much we change as we grow, when you were younger you’d be deemed normal to go to a ball pit and hang out in the park and read picture books but the older you get, the stranger these little things become, imagine a forty-year-old in a ball pit. These changes aren’t the only ones that occur though, most people change their moral coding as they mature, so their customs and norms are like different countries. I could write an entire essay on whether or not Leo has actually changed though, because to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure if he ever did. It’s obvious that his loneliness and craving to fit in is something constant. He queries where the Virgin, his representation of a female companion, is. And on the first page, there is so much symbolism from various items in the box to imply isolation and a loss of meaning: magnets that have lost their magnetism, a couple of empty sea urchins. It’s perfect for the exam, if ever you have a block in ideas, you can simply turn to the prologue and pull some metaphorical meaning out of something.

I remember doing our first essay in English Literature on how Hartley had presented the narrator in this book and being very excited to write it because there’s so much to say! I found the prologue the best part of the novel; literally every other line can be closely analysed, and the charm of older Leo reminiscing about how younger Leo was intrigued with magic and destiny made it a great start to the story. Apparently, this is now a musical, my friends and I were rather befuddled as to how they’ve added musical numbers to this book, but if anyone has had the chance to see it or has read the book then let us know what you thought.

Once Upon A Winter

Hello, it’s Heather here! I hope all those celebrating Christmas are having a wonderful time, I was in the midst of panicking over last minute Christmas presents when our book blog received an email granting us access to read this enchanting novel! Initially, I danced in joy with the thought that if the book was good, it would make a charming present, but now I see that the book would look at home in my own bookcase (and only the best books are allowed on there). I think the other two will also be reviewing this one shortly too.

Author: Melyssa Williams

Published: November 2016

Publisher: Red Team Ink

This book is so heart-warming, I struggled to tear myself away from reading it. For this time of year, it is absolutely ideal. I found myself immediately relating to the protagonist, Ree, who dreaded her family’s Christmas party for the many awkward encounters the night would probably entail (let’s face it, sometimes we’d much rather be curled up reading a book), but also looked forward to her godfather’s inventions with mounting anticipation. And wow, they were certainly impressive gifts. Being a keen mechanic herself, Ree helped to create the first one, but the next two were shocking even for her. The plot took a swift turn as he presented the guests with two clockwork figures, both of which enthralled Ree with their realistic quality – this section has some really brilliant imagery, so you feel the same excitement as Ree does. Her fascination with the dolls leads her to a thrilling adventure out of the comfortable world she had become somewhat bored with.  

The style of the book reminded me of Phillip Pullman, which I was delighted with, being an avid fan of this type of book. The world it’s set in is similar enough to ours to make it easy to visualise, yet refreshingly magical with some nice fantasy features, most of which I haven’t seen before, like the reindeer children. I was talking with a friend the other day about how fantasy is a genre that has so much potential – limitless possibilities – and can be stunning when the author puts in the effort to communicate the little details, this book certainly falls under this category. Many masterpieces are from this area, think of Harry Potter, The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings trilogy – these are all such successful and cherished stories because the author successfully whisked us away to somewhere new, where we could follow captivating adventures. The usage of clockwork was very different and well executed.

Ree is such a great character to lead the story, firstly because she’s a girl that spends little time waffling and is blunt about what she thinks without appearing rude or conceited, also as her sarcasm and sass is faultless and to top this, she admits any mistakes she makes. She goes stubbornly against what her sister claims is proper; yearning for adventure, passionately delving into mechanics even before the novel is set and actually fighting when necessary. Every ounce of fear and happiness that she feels is radiated through the language: she is not fearless, labels herself as claustrophobic at one point and screams a fair amount later on in the book. I think it’s important for authors to address that being scared is not weak, at no point does Ree stand up and say “Okay guys, this was fun but now I want to go home,” and walk away, that’s what really matters. Another plus point to her character was that though she often admired the boys, the story does not end with a cliché and emotional kiss, nor does she spend a long time pondering dates. I look forward to when the author writes a sequel (please write one) so these kinds of relationships can form, but the chemistry between Ree and Nikolai was perfect.

If you want a nice book to keep you company on these long and cold winter days, I would highly suggest this one. I’ve included some links below to help you all find it and hope that you do so. This author has so much potential, I cannot wait to read her next book and feel she will definitely grow in popularity soon!

Buy it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N1KOXEP/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1482491403&sr=8-13&keywords=once+upon+a+winter

OR buy it on Red Team Ink: https://www.redteamink.com/shop?olsPage=products/once-upon-a-winter-melyssa-williams&olsFocus=false