September 2011 - Competition Winners//Books of the Month//Win a copy of Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts & Best New Books for October!

My Month in Review post has had a makeover! Putting together all those links was sooooo time consuming! If ever you want to look back on the month gone by there's an archive further down the page or a list of book reviews A-Z up top!


From now on I'll be doing a quick round up of my favourite books of the month gone by as well as highlighting my top book picks from the 'soon to be released' pile!



You'll also find competition winners listed here along with news of what's coming up on the blog and I might even do a giveaway or two!

First things first....Competition Winners!

Diana G. won a copy of Everlasting by Alyson Noel.

Gemma O. won a copy of Bloodlines by Richelle Mead and Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel.

Nikki D. won a Mary Hooper Historical Fiction Prize Pack.

Sena won my 1000 Followers Prize Pack #1 - Really Great Reads.

Stephanie B. won my 1000 Followers Prize Pack #2 - The Summer Special.

Andi won my 1000 Followers Prize Pack #3 - Most Wanted.

All winners have been notified and you should have your books soon. For books sent from The Book Depository please allow up to 28 days for delivery.

*Please Note: I am not responsible for books lost in the mail (luckily this hasn't happened yet!)

** Sena - Please contact me to claim your prize! I emailed you a couple days back. :)

Check out my competition to win a copy of VIII by H.M. Castor (UK Only)

Books I Loved in September:

Book of the Month:  Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts.  I loved this book describing it as Apocalyptic awesomeness for horror fans! If that sounds like your kind of thing, then buy this book! You won't be disappointed!

Read my Review of: Dark Inside.

Read my Interview with: Jeyn Roberts.

I rated Dark Inside: 5 out of 5. A must read!

I also Loved: Velvet by Mary Hooper.  Stunning historical fiction depicting the spiritualist craze that swept Victorian and Edwardian England.

Read my Review of : Velvet.

I rated Velvet: 4½ out of 5. Very highly recommended!

What I'm reading now: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor and I gotta say DO believe the hype surrounding this one. You will get lost in Laini Taylor's beautiful words as she takes you on a journey to a fantastical world. I'll be reviewing this one next week and I'll be giving away a copy of the book too!

Win a copy of Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts!

I don't give 5 star ratings too often, so when I do I want to celebrate!

COMPETITION CLOSED! WINNER ANNOUNCED SOON!

My Top Picks for October:

Can you actually believe it's October tomorrow? September went by so fast!

October is not as crazy as September release wise (seriously September is a crazy month in book publishing. My TBR pile was insane!) October is nice and calm in that respect, but there are still some great releases upcoming that I can't wait to get to!

L-R: Angel Fire (Angel #2) by L.A. Weatherly, Between by Jessica Warman, Silence (Hush, Hush #3) by Becca Fitzpatrick.

Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly

Angel was one of my favourite books of 2010 and now finally the sequel Angel Fire is here! Oh, and more news: there's a quote from my review of Angel in this one. Keep an eye out for it! :)

Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly is available October 1st.

Between by Jessica Warman

Love the sound of this one! It's described as The Lovely Bones for the YA crowd and as a big fan of The Lovely Bones  I have high hopes for this one! The synopsis is awesome, as is the book trailer. You can watch the book trailer by seeking out my book trailer post (OK, I did it for you, it's here) or clicking on the blog tour banner in the sidebar.

Between by Jessica Warman is available October 3rd.

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

The wait is almost over! After that killer cliffhanger ending in Crescendo I have been counting down the days to Silence.  But if you thought this was the last you'd see of Patch and Nora...then think again! Becca Fitzpatrick is writing a fourth Hush, Hush book. Yay!!

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick is available October 4th.

If you can't wait you can read the first chapter: here
I haven't read this because I know if I do I will just want more!

Coming up on the blog in October:

Amongst other treats I will have... A giveaway of a copy of Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor...Blog tours for Angel Fire and Between and an interview with Amy Kathleen Ryan author of GLOW!

I'll also be organising some special spooky treats for Halloween!


New Blogs: 

I've noticed lately that my blog roll is in need of a revamp! (I haven't updated for a long time!) so if you have a fab new book blog and you already have me on your blog roll, leave your link here and I'll return the favour!

Competition Alert! Celebrate the release of The Name of the Star & win a Jack the Ripper Fan Walk with Maureen Johnson!

To celebrate the publication of Maureen Johnsons new YA thriller The Name of the Star, HarperCollins Children’s Books is offering 10 lucky readers the opportunity to accompany Maureen Johnson on a private Jack the Ripper walk in London on Thursday, 13th October 2011.

The walk begins at 5:00 PM and will carry-on for two hours into the night! Visit the haunting sites of Jack the Ripper and hear first-hand from Maureen how they inspired her new book The Name of the Star.

To enter, simply email nameofthestar@harpercollins.co.uk for a chance to attend the event with a friend.

Disclaimer: Entrants must be 13 or over. Please ensure that you are available to attend the event on Thursday, 13th October from 5.00pm to 7.00pm before entering. Winners will be informed on Friday, 7th October, and will be provided with further instructions then.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books

Release date: September 29th 2011.

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

How awesome is this competition? Good luck to everyone who enters!
The Name of the Star is OUT NOW! That reminds me, I must pick up a copy!

Reviewed by Jen: Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver.

Product details:
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd.
Release date: September 29th 2011.
Hardcover, 320 pages.
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Ages: 9+
Source: Received from publisher for review.
Reviewed by: Jen.

We meet Liesl the night after the day her young father has died. That same day she is visited by a ghost, Po, an eight year old boy who lives on the other side, the territory between life and death that runs parallel to the living world. Po has come to tell her that her father is stuck on the other side, and that she is the only one who can help him cross over. A couple of wooden boxes. Some ashes. Some magic dust. A ghost, its pet, and a boy who forgot to wear a hat in the cold. From these seemingly odd, random characters Oliver weaves the enchanting story of how, with the aid of Liesl, these elements come together over the course of one week to restore love and luster to a world gone grey and heartless.

I am going to have to say that Lauren Oliver’s enchanting ghost story Liesl & Po is one of the best books I have read this year.  It is a timeless story about love and loss, good vs. evil.  Oliver admits in the introduction that this story came from a dark place in her heart and helped her heal in the face of her own devastating loss.  Although categorized as a middle grades novel, Liesl & Po is a story that will certainly appeal to a wide variety of readers.  Especially those who love a good ghost story!

Will, the alchemist’s assistant, has made a horrible mistake! He was supposed to deliver The World’s Greatest Magic to the Lady Premier, thus making his boss, the Alchemist, a legitimate and world renowned scientist.  Finally people would stop calling him a magician, the greatest of insults for a man of his talent and ability.  Unfortunately, while Will was making a delivery to Mr. Gray, the town mortician, he accidentally exchanged his box of important magic for the remains of a Mr. Morbower.  Once Will’s honest mistake was revealed he had no choice but to run for his life! 

At the same time Will was trudging all over town to run his bosses errands Liesl Morbower’s father had been dead for three days.  Liesl never even got to say goodbye, as she has been locked in the attic ever since her father took ill thirteen months before.  Her stepmother, Augusta, says it is because the world is a dangerous place, but Liesl has other ideas about why her stepmother might want to keep her locked away forever.  Liesl’s hopes of ever leaving the attic are dim until a ghost named Po and it’s (as a ghost it does not remember if it was a boy or a girl) ghost pet Bundle bring her a message from her newly deceased father.  He wants to go home.  Immediately she knows that she must bring her fathers ashes to the willow tree to bury next to her mother.  Then he can move from the Other Side to Beyond and finally rest in peace.  Po & Bundle agree to help Liesl on her quest and so begins a treacherous journey that unites Liesl and Will as they are chased by those who believe that they have stolen The Greatest Magic in the World and will stop at nothing to get it back. 

Although the themes in Liesl & Po are quite dark, the story itself is very uplifting.  For every ounce of evil described there is a pound of good that ultimately prevails.  The cast of characters is eclectic and colorful, despite the dreary setting (the sun itself has not been seen in 1,728 days), and they are woven together quite beautifully.  Every character, no matter how minor, has a story and those stories are intertwined together throughout the plot.  The suspense builds as Liesl and Will embark upon their journey where they are chased by both good and evil.    The plot moves along swiftly and there is never a dull moment as each page reveals more secrets and truths.  As a reader it was exciting to connect together all of the inferences and make predictions about what was going to happen next.   

Once I started reading Liesl & Po I found myself unable to put it down.  I became quite attached to the characters and absolutely needed to know what was going to happen next.  This is one of those rare books that makes you want to both cry and cheer when it comes to the end.  The story is so charming and the characters so delightful, both good and bad, that it became very difficult to say goodbye. 

Book Trailer: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.

Check out this great book trailer for The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. This book has  pretty much been right at the top of my wishlist ever since I first heard about it, and now after seeing this HOT trailer I want it even more than before!

I had thought this one was a US only release, but then came the news that the fab Simon & Schuster UK will be publishing The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer in March 2012. I'm so excited! If that wasn't enough excitement for one day you can read the first chapter of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer here.  I had shivers down my spine after reading this! I can't wait to find out more!

This one is already out in the US so if you've already read it, I'd love to know what you thought of the book. I've posted the US cover here, but if there is a cover change for the UK publication, I'll be sure to update with that one!

 The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing

Release date: Sept. 2011 (US) // March 2012 (UK)

Ages: 14+

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger. She wakes from a coma in hospital with no memory of how she got there or of the bizarre accident that caused the deaths of her best friends and her boyfriend, yet left her mysteriously unharmed. The doctors suggest that starting over in a new city, a new school, would be good for her and just to let the memories gradually come back on their own. But Mara's new start is anything but comforting. She sees the faces of her dead friends everywhere, and when she suddenly begins to see other people's deaths right before they happen, Mara wonders whether she's going crazy! And if dealing with all this wasn't enough, Noah Shaw, the most beautiful boy she has ever seen can't seem to leave her alone… but as her life unravels around her, Mara can't help but wonder if Noah has another agenda altogether…

Waiting on Wednesday #37 - Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine that spotlights eagerly awaited upcoming releases.

Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile.
Release date: February 2nd 2012.


Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures in this fast-paced thriller

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn’t expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she’s going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she’s come home. She’s even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she’s the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can’t trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her—and the rest of the world too.

Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.

The synopsis for Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne has left me wanting more! I'm really excited to read this one. I love a good psychological thriller and I can't wait to find out the secrets of Faye, Kel and the mysterious Holbrook Academy!

As always let me know what you think of my choice, and leave your WoW links in comments.

Book News: Random House Children's Books announces a new book set in the world of Lauren Kate's bestselling Fallen series.

Fallen in Love will publish on February 2nd 2012.

Mark the date, Fallen fans!

Lauren from Random House Children's Books made my day today with an email announcing the forthcoming publication of an original novel by Lauren Kate set in the world of her bestselling Fallen series.  Fallen in Love a collection of four intertwined love stories featuring the characters you have come to know and love will publish before Rapture, the fourth and final book in the Fallen series.  Just in time for Valentine's Day Fallen In Love promises lots of romance with stories featuring Miles, Shelby, Roland, Arriane, and of course Luce and Daniel. I can't wait to read it!

Fallen in Love will publish on February 2nd 2012 (UK)//January 24th 2012 (US), with Rapture, the fourth and final book in the Fallen series following in June 2012.


I haven't seen the cover art for Fallen in Love yet, but if it's anything like the other books in the series it will be stunning. As soon as the cover art is available, I'll post it up!

Blog Tour: VIII by H.M. Castor - Review, Exclusive Extract & Giveaway!

Product details:
Publisher: Templar Publishing.
Release date: October 1st 2011.
Hardcover, 336 pages.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Ages: YA
Source: Received from publisher for review.

VIII is the story of Hal: a young, handsome, gifted warrior, who believes he has been chosen to lead his people. But he is plagued by the ghosts of his family's violent past and, once he rises to power, he turns to murder and rapacious cruelty. He is Henry VIII. The Tudors have always captured the popular imagination, but in VIII, Henry is presented fresh for a new generation. H M Castor does for Henry what Hilary Mantel did for Thomas Cromwell - VIII is Wolf Hall for the teen and crossover market. The contemporary, original writing style will have broad appeal and VIII brings the tension of a psychological thriller and the eeriness of a ghost story to historical fiction.

Combining the page-turning tension of a psychological thriller with the spine-chilling shivers of a ghost story, H.M Castor’s VIII is an accomplished work of historical fiction with that most fascinating of subjects Henry VIII at its core. If you’re thinking that this is just another retelling of Henry VIII and his six wives, then think again. Castor’s VIII is a unique take on the life of the man who is perhaps best remembered as a grotesque and tyrannical figure. But, as Castor reminds us, Henry, or Hal as he was also known, wasn’t always a man driven by a fierce desire to dominate and to behead. In this book we first meet Henry as a child, and as we follow him throughout life we see how tragic family circumstances as well as the inner workings of his haunted mind shaped him both as a leader and as a man.

With its engaging and accessible prose, VIII is a compelling, fast-paced read that will keep readers both young and old hooked from start to finish.  Throughout VIII Castor is mindful of her intended Young Adult audience and as such strikes a perfect balance in her writing.  While VIII is meticulously researched and well rounded in every way the story is never overwhelmed by political or religious detail at any time, focusing instead   on its vast cast of characters. With this focus on the characters and their importance to the changing personality of Henry I recommend a little background knowledge on The House of Tudor and the main players in how it came to be before reading this one.

One of the most interesting aspects of VIII is the focus on Henry as a child. While I’ve read lots of books both academic and fictional on Tudor history, most concentrate on Henry as a ruler or as a (not very good) husband. Here though, we meet Henry as a headstrong, but also thoughtful and considerate boy. Adored by his mother, Elizabeth of York, he adores her in return and shares her mutual dislike of his paternal Grandmother Margaret Beaufort, for whom the world battleaxe must have been invented.  The other main players in Henry’s life at this time are his father Henry VII and his older brother Arthur who is heir to the throne, while Henry is nothing more than a spare and is treated as such by the King. But, when Henry begins to have ghostly visions and then a prophecy foretells great things for him, he changes from a boy who is haunted by the tales of his mothers lost brothers in the tower into a determined young man who will be King and who is as ambitious and ruthless as his father and grandmother before him.

Of course, with a Kingdom comes a wife, or six in Henry’s case, and they are discussed here too along with Henry’s mounting fears and frustrations at the failure of his first two wives Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn to produce a living male heir who would be his successor as King. Ah, but we do get to witness the birth of a girl called Elizabeth, and we all know what happened next.

With major crossover appeal VIII by H.M Castor is a highly enjoyable and refreshing work of historical fiction that will be loved by readers young and old alike. Recommended.

Exclusive extract of VIII by H.M. Castor.

Click on 'View in Fullscreen' or download document for larger text.

Watch the great trailer for VIII below:

VIII by H.M. Castor - Book Trailer from Helen Boyle on Vimeo.


Thanks to those lovely people at Templar I have a beautiful hardback copy of VIII by H.M. Castor to give away!
To be in with a chance to win, just fill in the form below.
Competition is open to: UK Only (Publishers request).
Competition Closes: Wednesday, October 5th 2011.

COMPETITION CLOSED!  WINNER ANNOUNCED SOON!

Sneak Peek: Crossed by Ally Condie.

If you are eagerly awaiting Crossed the sequel to Ally Condie's Matched and just can't wait any longer take a look at the extract below where you can read the first chapters. Thanks to the publishers for providing me with the info!

Crossed will be published on November 1st 2011 in the US and in the UK on November 24th 2011.

Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie.

Publisher: Puffin/Razorbill

Release date: November 24th 2011.

Rules are different outside the Society.

Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky-taken by the Society to his certain death-only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices everything to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.

Narrated from both Cassia's and Ky's points of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever...

CROSSED by Ally Condie (Chapters 1 & 2)

Dark Inside Blog Tour: Delightful Debutantes with Jeyn Roberts.

Today's Delightful Debutante is Jeyn Roberts author of Dark Inside one of my very favourite books of 2011. I couldn't get enough of this book, and if you want to know why just head on over to my review.

I'm very happy to have Jeyn on the blog as part of the blog tour for Dark Inside. This is one book that you all need to put on your reading lists! Read on to find out more about Jeyn and her delightful (if terrifying!) debut!

One of my favourite books of 2011 Dark Inside is a truly stunning genre defying read. In a sentence I would describe the book as ‘Apocalyptic awesomeness for horror fanatics everywhere’. How would you describe Dark Inside to potential readers? I don’t think I can beat apocalyptic awesomeness for horror fanatics. I love that! Can I steal it? I have a tough one with trying to label Dark Inside. I don’t really think it’s dystopian but I can see how it falls under that category. I personally like to think of it as horror with an end-of-the-world twist.

Dark Inside contains some truly chilling moments, and with the focus on mankind bringing about his own destruction the message in this book hits very close to home.  What inspired you to write Dark Inside? When I was a teenager I used to have these reoccurring dreams about a damaged world that often took place beside a river. I was often with a group of people and we would be hiding out in a house or apartment. There were often the same people. As the years passed, the dreams continued and they filled out more. There was something evil haunting my dreams and one night I woke up with the word ‘Baggers’ on my mind. Dark Inside is based loosely on these dreams. In fact, some of the scenes are straight out of my sleep induced brain.

UK Cover

Dark Inside had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish with its intense, exciting plot, but its not all murder and mayhem.  Dark Inside also contains some wonderful characters such as Aries who I loved watching grow in strength as the story progressed and Daniel who I am totally intrigued by. Who was your favourite character to write, and why? I love writing Nothing because I can say the most awesomely strange things and they make sense coming from his/her brain. I also love Mason because he’s so damaged and such a challenge. Sometimes I want to toss him off a cliff, other times I want to give him a hug.

The UK and US covers for Dark Inside are both very different, but equally striking and brilliantly representative of the book. What are your favourite elements of each cover? The UK cover is amazing in its stark whiteness with the big crack down the middle. The US cover of course has the really cool eyes and the destroyed city in the background. I love both covers so much!

Horror is my first literary love, and it is all I read as a teen.  What books were on your favourites shelf as a teen and did any of the authors you read back then inspire you to become a writer? As a teenager I didn’t read a lot of YA, mostly because there wasn’t as much as there is today. I read a lot of Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine but what I really loved was adult horror. I was reading Stephen King by the time I was eleven and it used to terrify me. I also read a lot of Dean Koontz and Robert McCammon. 

US Cover

Can you recommend three other books that readers of Dark Inside might also enjoy reading? Oh boy. Just three? Hmmm. I just finished reading Blood Red Road and I thought it was brilliant. I also have been enjoying the Gone series. And for those who love end-of-the-world stories, I have to mention Stephen King’s The Stand. One of my favorite books of all time.

The ending of Dark Inside left me with lots of food for thought, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.  Can you tell me anything about the next book in the series? (Working title: Sanctuary) I like a little romance to go along with my horror, and I’m wondering if there’s a possibility of romance in the next book? Yes, the working title so far is Sanctuary. Basically it takes place three months after the earthquakes and Mason, Michael, Clementine, and Aries are still together (along with the others and a few new characters). Only now the Baggers are starting to rebuild society and they’re rounding up the survivors. Some of them, they kill—the others are forced into slavery. Yes, there is going to be some romance but I’m not gonna say who! Some of them are starting to pair up and there are some good twists thrown in too. You’ll just have to wait and read for yourself.

I can't wait to find out what happens next! Thanks to Jeyn for a great interview! Dark Inside is out now in the UK and Ireland and will be released in the US on November 1st 2011.


The Dark Inside Blog Tour continues on Monday at Tall Tales and Short Stories. 

Jeyn on Twitter

Jeyn on Facebook

Book Review: A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies.

Product details:
Publisher: HarperTeen.
Ebook, 400 pages.
Release date: September 27th 2011.
Rating: 2 out of 5.
Ages: 13+
Source: Netgalley

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

A formulaic Paranormal Romance that disappointed on all levels, A Beautiful Dark may come in a pretty package, but it’s what’s inside that counts, and what lies inside these pages is a  clichéd story that falls flat in terms of both plot and characters. If this story has been done once, then it has been done a thousand times.  I take no pleasure in writing negative reviews, but this book was such a disappointment that I’m struggling to find anything good to say about it. In fact I can only recommend A Beautiful Dark if you have never before read a YA Paranormal Romance. Maybe then you might find something new or original here.

A Beautiful Dark trods the well worn path of every Paranormal Romance that has gone before it. The book opens with Skye celebrating her seventeenth birthday and encountering two mysterious strangers that will change her life forever.  As is par for the course, Skye is an orphan, lives with an “aunt”, actually a friend of her mothers, who is never home, and FYI she is no ordinary girl as recently strange things have started happening whenever she around. So far, so samey? Despite this, I thought A Beautiful Dark got off to a pretty good start with an interesting premise and a beautiful snowy setting, but it soon went downhill with the introduction of the boys. I know, I’m complaining about the boys in this book. A rare occurrence!

Skye  has a  small group of friends, including a guy called Ian who is hopelessly in love with her, but she has no interest in him, instead falling head over heels for mysterious new (bad) boy Asher  who has arrived in town along with his cousin mysterious new (good) guy Devin who also has a thing for Skye. Oh, and maybe she falls for him just a little bit too.  FYI her friend Ian is  more appealing than either of these guys, even though all he ever really seems to do is make coffee for Skye while acting all hopelessly in love with her.

While the love triangle has been as done to death in YA, I am not opposed to love triangles when they are done well, but this one didn’t work as neither Asher or Devin appealed to me, and I couldn’t understand why they appealed to Skye either. Asher is presented as the bad boy of the piece, but unlike any of the great bad boys of YA fiction, he doesn’t seem to have any redeeming characteristics.  In fact, I found him to be quite nasty, and even creepy at times, which is so not hot. Devin on the other hand is downright dull. I’m not really sure what the point of Devin was other than to make it plainly obvious that the author wants her readers to root for Asher.  The character of Skye herself was difficult to connect with. She’s a very one-dimensional character and at no point did I get any real sense of her personality.  I guess she must be beautiful though, because for most of the book she has guys falling at her feet. The pace of this book is slow, as are many first in a series, but here the plot just never really takes off. Skye’s special abilities such as they are were entirely forgettable for me as was the mythology in this book which didn’t hold my interest at all.

This book was written by someone who has read a lot of YA and who knows what works. Unfortunately when you’ve read as many books of this type as I have, you want something more than what‘s already been done to death already. A Beautiful Dark follows a tried and tested YA Paranormal Romance formula and offers nothing new for avid readers of the genre. Despite the cliffhanger ending here I won’t be sticking around to find out what happens in next book. As it is, I’ve already pretty much forgotten what happened in this one.

Blog Tour: Read an Extract of Stealing Phoenix by Joss Stirling.

Today I'm hosting a stop on the Stealing Phoenix blog tour!

If you enjoyed Finding Sky by Joss Stirling read on for a sneak peek into the lives of another one of those Benedict brothers in Stealing Phoenix the next book in this series about savants and their soulfinders.

Enjoy!

Stealing Phoenix (Finding Sky #2) by Joss Stirling.

Publisher: Oxford University Press.

Release date: September 1st 2011.

Thunder rumbled over Tower Bridge. Storm clouds moved in and it began to rain. Not a gentle ladylike weeping but a great howl of tears from the sky, crying with no thought to what you look like, nose running, mouth open in an ‘O’ of misery. I knew how that felt. I was soaked in a matter of minutes, hoodie dripping at the sleeves, wringing wet at the shoulders, water working its way through to my T-shirt. I got up, squelching in my shoes. Wrapping my arms around myself, I shivered, eyes closed, brain too frozen to think what I should
do next.

Arms caught me and hugged me to a hot, wet chest. ‘How can you even think that I would walk away?’ he said bitterly. ‘Yves.’ The emptiness suddenly filled; protest became a shout of happiness.

‘I saw you sitting there—you really thought I’d gone. You didn’t even trust me enough to look twice, did you?’ He had got up a good head of steam, temper finally escaping. ‘And standing on the edge like that, threatening to throw yourself in—I can’t believe you said that to me!’
‘I’m . . .’

‘I don’t want to hear it. Every time you open that mouth of yours you say something dumb that gets me angry, so I’m gonna stop you the only way I know how.’ His lips swooped down on mine in a hot, forceful kiss, spiced with fury and frustration. Firecrackers exploded behind my closed eyes, sparkles in the pit of my stomach. I could feel the muscles of his chest bunching as he shifted to move me to a better angle, his fingers slipping under the damp material of my T-shirt to brush my waist. Responding to this new side to him, I shoved my hand under the tight belt around his jeans to touch the small of his back, palm resting against the strong notch at the base of his spine. His skin was so warm, so perfect.

He raised his head to take a breath. ‘Don’t you dare say we don’t belong together,’ he warned. ‘We have this—and so much more. I’m not letting you throw it away.’

Stop by The Slowest Bookworm tomorrow for the next stop n the Stealing Phoenix blog tour!

Reviewed by Liz: CRYPT: The Gallows Curse by Andrew Hammond.

Product details:
Publisher: Headline.
Release date: September 1st 2011.
Paperback, 352 pages.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Ages:YA
Source: Received from publisher for review.
Reviewed by: Liz

Meet Jud Lester: Paranormal Investigator. When a crime is committed and the police are at a loss, the Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team (or CRYPT for short) is called in to figure out whether something paranormal is at work. Jud is their star agent. Jud, unwillingly paired with new recruit Bex, has just landed his biggest case yet...people have been disappearing in mysterious circumstances while others are viciously attacked - yet there are no suspects and a complete lack of hard evidence. The only thing that links each attack is the fact that survivors all claim that the culprits were 17th century highwaymen. Can Jud and Bex work out what has caused the spirits of these dangerous men to return to the streets of London before they wreak more death and destruction?

CRYPT: The Gallows Curse is an excellent start to a new series. The story focuses on Jud Lester, a teenager with ESP who works for the Covert Response Youth Paranormal Team (CRYPT) a sector of MI5 that teams up with young people to solve paranormal related cases. Jud is a great investigator, and number one in his team. Some even say he’s become obsessed with ghosts, but this is because Jud is harbouring a dark secret – he is in fact Jamie Goode, son of rich and famous Jason Goode, and is a convicted criminal, wrongly charged with the murder of his own mother. Jud never killed her, it was the ghosts that did it, but of course, who in the world would believe that? Forced to hide his true identity, Jud takes his work in CRYPT very seriously, because the only way to clear his name and to finally get freedom is to prove that ghosts really do exist. But doing so is harder than it seems – recently, a series of odd events have taken place, but Jud just can’t seem to collect any evidence, or find any connections to prove any paranormal activity took place. The only clue he has is that all the surviving witnesses claim to have seen the ghosts of 17th century highwaymen. Together with Bex, a fellow CRYPT member, Jud must work out why ghosts have recently started attacking while also trying to figure out a way to stop them. 

I really enjoyed CRYPT: The Gallows Curse – it was a perfect mix of horror, mystery, action and humour, and I think it would definitely appeal to a wide range of people. Jud was a very interesting, very likeable character, and I loved getting to know him. In order to be able to work for CRYPT, he had to go by the false name “Jud Lester” and was made to change his appearance as well as every other part of his life. Though he pretended to be tough and arrogant on the outside, inside Jud was actually very lonely and felt isolated, and was still mourning the loss of his mother, while also having to deal with the fact the entire world thought he was a murderer. He was desperate to clear his name - desperate to find freedom and escape his confinement in CRYPT. He was not allowed to do things normal boys his age were because he was under constant surveillance by the police, who still refused to believe he was innocent of his mother’s murder. I felt so bad for him because he had been wronged by the justice system, and now his life was a mere shadow of what it was before. His father treated him like a stranger, and he didn’t really have any friends – it was all so unfair. The only person that seemed to be really there for Jud was Bonati, the professor at CRYPT who was like a second father to Jud. He seemed to understand what the teenager was going through, and while he was a bit strict, I did like Bonati because he seemed to really care for Jud as if he were his own son.

Bex was the girl Jud was partnered with for the mission, and she was another character I really liked. Headstrong and feisty, Jud wasn’t used to dealing with girls like her, and I like the way she challenged him. Bex seemed to be one of the only people that realised there was more to Jud than his “number one investigator” label, and tried to get to know him, which is something not a lot of other people did. I liked the way their friendship grew, and how they both realised they were glad to be partnered with each other. They worked well together, and were both smart and came up with a lot of ideas to solve the case, and while there was nothing beyond friendship in this book, a few hints were dropped here and there that perhaps suggest Bex and Jud ‘s relationship may develop in future books (or maybe this is my wishful thinking, who knows!).

The book was generally well-paced, but a little slow at parts, and the chapters alternated between the teenagers at CRYPT and other characters outside of CRYPT - usually ordinary people who were being attacked by the ghosts. I liked the way Jud and Bex managed to solve the puzzle and connect up all the dots to work out what was going on, and I really enjoyed the fast-paced action towards the end (though I felt perhaps that things were resolved a little too quickly). The ending was satisfying and wrapped up the story of this book while also leaving a few loose ends, and I definitely look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Overall, CRYPT: The Gallows Curse was a highly entertaining read, and I would recommend it to fans of ghost stories/light horror, or to anyone who enjoyed the Alex Rider series. A fabulous fiction debut!

           

Read All About It #2 - Recent exciting Book Deals!

I'm back with another installment of Read All About It where I'll feature all the latest and greatest book deals according to...me! This time round you can find out about Philippa Gregory's new YA deal, an exciting movie deal for the book that's being hailed as a YA "Time Traveller's Wife" and lots more exciting stuff too...Read on to find out more!

Philippa Gregory Signs Deal for Four YA Historical Romances

Admittedly my info on this is a little scant. No titles or synopsis yet, but the news that Philippa Gregory is going to be writing YA is excitement enough, right? I love her adult titles, and I can't wait to find out what historical period she's going to concentrate on for these books. These will be published by Simon & Schuster in the US and UK with the first book releasing in summer 2012.

What the Publishers are Saying:

"We are tremendously excited to welcome Philippa Gregory to the Simon & Schuster Children's list. Her magical storytelling, combined with romance and strong characterisation, will have enormous appeal to the young audience. We look forward to working with our colleagues across all of Simon & Schuster to bring her stories to young readers worldwide."  - Ingrid Selberg, Publishing Director, Simon & Schuster.

Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann:

Spanning three decades with a story told to the backdrop of 1940's, 50's and 60's America Tigers in Red Weather sparked an eight publisher auction with Picador set to publish in the UK and Little, Brown in the US winning American rights. I adore books which take family secrets and lies and take them on a journey through time. Can't wait to read this one!

More About the Book:

Set primarily in 1950s America, Tigers In Red Weather is the sweeping novel of a wealthy East coast family with troubling secrets at its core. It is a story of betrayed loyalties and violence suppressed beneath a polished facade, only to emerge over the course of summers - against a backdrop of cocktails and jazz – in ways that are surprising, revealing, healing and tragic. Superbly characterised, told from five points of view and across three decades, this is storytelling at its finest: ambitious, accomplished and utterly involving.

What the Publishers are Saying:

"I'm thrilled to be working with a talent as arresting as Liza's. She has tremendous novelistic flair and is a consummate storyteller. Tigers In Red Weather is a glorious, elegant and committed novel, boldly in conversation with such classics as Tender is the Night and Revolutionary Road, yet doing something entirely fresh. It spread around the company like electricity and we couldn't be more excited to be publishing it." - Kate Harvey, Editorial Director, Picador.

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone:

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone isn't a new acquisition - this was originally announced back in April when the book was still known by it's original title Mobius.  However, since I'm really excited for this one (This is the one they are calling the YA "Time Travellers Wife) and since the movie rights have  just been acquired by CBS Films, I thought I'd mention it here. Look out for Time Between Us in Autumn 2012 from Random House Children's Books in the UK and Hyperion in the US.

More About the Book:

Time Between Us is about Anna, a 16-year-old living in a small town in Illinois in 1995, and Bennett, a 17-year-old in 2012 living in San Francisco, who can time travel. He finds himself in Anna's world, and the two fall in love even though they know Bennett will eventually have to go back to his own time.

More About the Author:

Blog: Tamara Ireland Stone

Twitter: @tamaraistone

Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn:

HarperTeen always have really exciting titles, and this one coming in 2013 sounds really, really good! The synopsis has me really intrigued and I can't wait to find out more!

More About the Book:

A girl wakes up wandering the roads of Oklahoma knowing that she is occupying another girl's body -- and that she has killed the girl whose body she is in -- who then returns to the girl's parents in upstate New York to uncover who she really is, and who else she has killed.

More About the Author:

Blog: Kate Karyus Quinn

Twitter: @KateKaryusQuinn

After You by Jessica Corra:

After You, the debut novel from Jessica Corra is another one to add to your 2013 wish list! Billed as Before I Fall meets The Sky is Everywhere I want to read it already, um, even though I haven't read either of those books yet. Don't judge! I'll get to them...

More About the Book:

Eighteen-year-old Camilla Jay has the power of second chances. She can rewind to any day and relive it, and she remembers everything. A tragedy like the death of her twin sister Madelyn shouldn’t be possible. Camilla rewinds to the same day over and over, but Madelyn dies each time – by her own hand. Madelyn doesn’t want saving.

Madelyn’s death allows Cam to finally connect with her long-time crush Wall. As they grow closer, Camilla uncovers a series of writings Madelyn did about her own ability to forward in time. Madelyn believed killing herself was the only way to save Camilla from a horrible fate. Cam’s not convinced.

Cam tries to find a way to save Madelyn without bringing about the things her sister saw. Madelyn didn’t think it was possible, and that by trying to save her, Camilla will destroy herself. Camilla doesn’t know what to believe, but one thing becomes clear: if she saves Madelyn, she’ll lose Wall. Is she willing to gamble everything?

More About the Author: 

Blog: Jessica Corra

Twitter: @jessicacorra

 *******************

Additional info & quotes: 

booktrade.info, The Bookseller, Publishers Lunch

Please note:  Release dates and book titles may not be final and may be subject to change.

Book Review: Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie

Product details:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books
Hardcover, 256 pages.
Release date: September 15th 2011.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Ages: 12+
Source: Received from publisher for review.

It's two years after the events of Girl, Missing and life is not getting any easier for sixteen-year-old Lauren, as exam pressure and a recent family tragedy take their toll. Lauren's birth mother takes Lauren and her two sisters on holiday in the hope that some time together will help, but a few days into the holiday one of the sisters disappears, under circumstances very similar to those in which Lauren was taken years before. Can Lauren save her sister, and stop the nightmare happening all over again?

In Sophie McKenzie’s bestselling debut novel Girl,  Missing we followed fourteen year old Lauren Matthews as she uncovered the secrets of her past and in doing so found her future. Now, in this fast paced sequel we join Lauren two years on from the life changing events of Girl Missing as that future is threatened and she must go to any lengths possible to stop history repeating.

For me, Girl, Missing was not a book that demanded or even lent itself to a sequel, and yet since I really connected with the characters of Lauren and her best friend turned boyfriend, Jam, I was excited to see what happened next. However, I ran into a few problems while reading this one.  First off, while Sister, Missing  is not simply a re-hash of Girl, Missing certain events do follow a similar pattern to the first book, while the main crux of the story isn’t as compelling as the events of Girl, Missing leading to several exaggerated plot twists which are not believable and which seem contrived in places. Sister, Missing is told at break-neck speed with multiple shocking revelations and a plethora of character introductions which left me feeling like I was experiencing fragments of different stories instead of one fully rounded plot which I could become totally invested in.  While I can’t deny that the events of Sister, Missing were exciting, they sometimes dominated the plot to the point where the characterization suffered.

In Girl, Missing I loved getting to know the characters of Lauren and Jam and watching their relationship develop from best friends into something more.  Here, I wanted to see how as boyfriend and girlfriend their dynamic had changed. I was also interested in finding out how Lauren’s new life, split between her biological and adoptive parents was working out.  Things in Lauren’s life are as eventful as always and she is her usual headstrong, stubborn self.  In fact, here Lauren is a less likeable character than she was in Girl, Missing who doesn’t seem to have matured all that much since we met her as a fourteen year old. Here, she is often portrayed as selfish in her dealings with her parents, Jam and her sister Shelby with whom she constantly clashes. In the aftermath of a family tragedy, her little sister Madison is the only one that Lauren really connects with, so when Madison goes missing during a trip to the beach, in circumstances that are strangely similar to her own disappearance years before, Lauren will do just about anything to get the little girl back before it’s too late.

As for Jam and Lauren, well, I loved those two in Girl, Missing, but here they weren’t quite working for me. Sure, they have their moments, but their connection was a little lacking. In Girl, Missing, these two were best friends, there for each other no matter what, but here there is a distance between them, and at times, it seems as though they almost resent each other. Will they make it? You’ll have to read Sister, Missing to find out!

Girl, Missing was a gem of a book in both its great characterization and its timely and highly believable subject matter.  While Sister, Missing is not as compelling in either of these aspects it is nonetheless an exciting page-turner which contains plenty of shocks and surprises throughout.  If you loved the first book and want to see what happened next for Lauren, Jam and Co. you should give Sister, Missing a whirl!

Reviewed by Jen: Flawless by Lara Chapman.

Product details:
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
Release date: May 10th 2011.
Paperback, 255 pages.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Ages: 12+
Source: Received from publisher for review.
Reviewed by: Jen.

Sarah Burke is just about perfect. She's got killer blue eyes, gorgeous blond hair, and impeccable grades. There's just one tiny-all right, enormous-flaw: her nose. But even that's not so bad. Sarah's got the best best friend and big goals for print journalism fame.

On the first day of senior year, Rock Conway walks into her journalism class and, well, rocks her world. Problem is, her best friend, Kristen, falls for him too. And when Rock and Kristen stand together, it's like Barbie and Ken come to life. So when Kristen begs Sarah to help her nab Rock, Sarah does the only thing a best friend can do-she agrees. For someone so smart, what was she thinking?

This hip retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac is filled with hilariously misguided matchmaking, sweet romance, and a gentle reminder that we should all embrace our flaws.

One of my favorite devices in young adult fiction is the modern retelling of the beloved classic.  It is fun to see how authors are able to use the classic as a foundation to build a completely new and fresh story.  Lara Chapman’s Flawless is a modern retelling of Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac that is, unfortunately, quite flawed. As excited as I was to dive into this one I knew I was going to be disappointed by the second page.  Immediately the story line struck me as contrived.  The further I read the more difficulty I had in accepting these characters and their shallow existences.  

High school senior Sarah Burke has only one flaw, and it’s a big one that sits right in the middle of her otherwise beautiful face.  In her entire life she has only met one person, her best friend Kristen, who is able to look past her hideous nose and see the person Sarah truly is.  Even Sarah’s own mother, the beautiful news anchor Beth Burke, wants Sarah to go under the knife to correct the only thing holding Sarah back from true happiness, her large and ugly nose.  Yet, Sarah is determined to prove to her mother that beauty is only skin deep and that keeping her flaw will also keep her true to herself.  Enter Rock Conway, the hot new boy in school.  Immediately both Sarah and Kristen fall head over heels for him and although he seems attracted to Sarah it is Kristen who he is the most enamored with, at least physically.  Kristen knows it will take more than her gorgeous face and hot body to win Rock over, so she guilts Sarah into pretending to be her online in order to make Rock think Kristen is the full package: beauty and brains.  As Sarah agonizes over her feelings for Rock, while pretending to be Kristen online, she realizes that she can’t hide behind her nose if she ever wants her own chance at true love. 

This story lost me on page one when Sarah sits down at breakfast to find a rhinoplasty (nose-job) brochure sitting on her plate courtesy of her mother.  Sarah chucks the pamphlet into the garbage and assures her mother that she likes her face just the way it is.  Yet, that is not entirely true.  Sarah suffers from low self-esteem due to her facial flaw, and the way the author writes the story it appears that Sarah’s nose is impossible for people to ignore.  It is so hideous that Sarah is often the victim of ridicule and harassment by the people around her in school and on the street.  If, in fact this otherwise beautiful girl really thinks that no one will ever love her because of her awful nose, then why wouldn’t she correct this flaw if she has the money and opportunity to do so?  It is just not realistic that a teenage girl in Sarah’s position would chose to do nothing in order to spite her mother.  Although Sarah claims to love herself she very obviously doesn’t and only seems to see value in herself when she has the attention of a good looking boy.  I also did not care for the characters in this story.  Kristen has been Sarah’s best friend since grade school, protecting her from the mean kids who exclude Sarah because of her nose.  Yet, I got the feeling that it is Sarah’s nose that made Kristen keep her around as a friend in the first place.  If your best friend is too hideous to date then you don’t need to worry about the competition.  It never crosses Kristen’s mind that Rock might actually be interested in Sarah over her.  Kristen is the Alpha female and Sarah is just her homely sidekick.  I just didn’t see why Sarah would be so incredibly indebted to Kristen. 

The first time I read the name Rock Conway I rolled my eyes.  Could his name be any more contrived?  I found it difficult to take him seriously with a ridiculous name like Rock.  Both Rock and Kristen are shallow characters who care more about looks than personality, at least at the beginning of the book.  Sarah wants the world to look past her nose and love her for who she is, but she seems to have a hard time practicing what she preaches.  She is so obsessed with how hot Rock is that she fails to recognize the good things that are right in front of her.

I think I would have enjoyed this book more if Sarah did not come from a wealthy family and was not given the opportunity to correct her flaw on the first page. She also would have had more substance than just being a girl trying desperately to flee from the shadow of her popular mother.  Sarah’s adventures are fun to read about if you are just looking for a quirky romance, but don’t expect Flawless to become a classic.

Sneak Peek: Read an extract of Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie.

Sister, Missing the follow up to Sophie McKenzie's award winning book Girl, Missing releases on Thursday September 15th, and thanks to Simon & Schuster UK I have an exclusive extract to share with you today.

I loved Girl, Missing, and will be reviewing this follow up soon.  I'm expecting more of the same addictive blend of excitement, danger and romance in this one!

Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Release date: September 15th 2011

It's two years after the events of Girl, Missing and life is not getting any easier for sixteen-year-old Lauren, as exam pressure and a recent family tragedy take their toll. Lauren's birth mother takes Lauren and her two sisters on holiday in the hope that some time together will help, but a few days into the holiday one of the sisters disappears, under circumstances very similar to those in which Lauren was taken years before. Can Lauren save her sister, and stop the nightmare happening all over again?

Sister, Missing by Sophie McKenzie - extract



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Book Review & Trailer: Velvet by Mary Hooper.

Product details:
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
Paperback, 320 pages.
Release date: September 5th 2011.
Rating: 4½ out of 5
Ages: 12+
Source: Received from publisher for review.

Velvet is a laundress in a Victorian steam laundry. With both her mother and father dead, she is an orphan and has to rely upon her own wits to make a living. The laundry is scalding, back-breaking work and Velvet is desperate to create a better life for herself. Then Velvet is noticed by Madame Savoya, a famed medium, who asks Velvet to come to work for her. Velvet is dazzled at first by the young yet beautifully dressed and bejewelled Madame. But soon Velvet realises that Madame Savoya is not all that she says she is, and Velvet’s very life is in danger . . .

A romantic and thrillingly exciting new novel from an acclaimed and much loved historical writer for teens.

A stunning work of historical fiction with a fascinating subject matter, Velvet by Mary Hooper is a thrilling exploration of the spiritualist craze that swept through Victorian and Edwardian society.  This is the first book by I’ve read by Mary Hooper, but it certainly won’t be the last as I was entranced by the world and the characters that Hooper created here . A true page turner from start to finish, Velvet is filled with shocking revelations that will keep you reading late into the night as you uncover the secrets of the mysterious Madame Natasha Savoya.

Velvet has not had an easy life.  An orphan, she’s had to make her own way in the world and works day after day in a stuffy steam laundry where conditions are harsh and pay is paltry.  That’s until she catches the attention of Madame Savoya, a celebrated medium who lives in a world of splendour and séances and who invites Velvet to become part of her household where she will tend to Madame’s every need along with  Madame's trusty companion, a handsome valet called George. Velvet soon settles in to her comfortable new life where she lusts after George, greets Madame’s wealthy clients with champagne and makes small talk with them as they wait for Madame to reach their lost loved ones on the ‘Other Side’. To Velvet, Madame is an inspiration, putting her gifts to good use to bring comfort to those in mourning, and if they want to pay extravagant sums of money for the service, then who is she to say no. As readers we are privy to Madame’s private sessions with these wealthy clients, while Velvet is not, and so we see the inner workings of Madame’s profitable business,  as little by little Velvet begins to suspect that things are not all that the seem in the house of Madame Savoya.

The most fascinating element of this book for me was the world and workings of the mediums who took society by storm in the late nineteenth century. With competition fierce amongst rival mediums and with mediums all over London being exposed as fakes and money grabbers, Velvet inhabits a dangerously exciting world. Hooper goes into detail about mediums and their methods throughout the story and in her historical notes, most of which are downright cruel, but nonetheless fascinating to read about. In featuring real mediums from the era as well as prominent members of society such as Arthur Conan Doyle who visits Madame’s house, Hooper has created an addictive story which paints a thrilling and disturbing portrait of life during the spiritualist craze. More disturbing still is the depiction of the horrendous Baby Farms of the time, something which I knew nothing about, and which make me shudder to think about.

A born storyteller, Hooper’s skills are such that even though I read this without knowing all that much about the spiritualist craze, I found myself immediately invested in the story.  So engaging is Hooper’s writing and so evocative her characters  that I felt as though I was right there with Velvet uncovering the secrets of the mysterious Madame Savoya. A beautifully written and researched historical fiction, this one comes highly recommended from me.