Hollow City – Ransom Riggs

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The mixture of photo’s and novel is one of the factors that led me to this series and this book is no different from the first.  The book picks up right where the last one left off and consists of the group continuing there journey.  The mix of humour, excitement and adventure is just right in this book, which makes the story progress and flow well.

Although this book has all the familiar characters from the first novel it also introduces enough new characters to keep the story refreshing and exciting.  I have to say if there was any criticism I felt there were not as many pictures in this book than the first.  However, this may have been my perception.  I have always wondered whether the author fits the story to the pictures of the pictures to the story.

The ending of the book is a real cliff hanger which means I am now counting down the weeks to the new one is released.  A very good second book in the trilogy.

Synopsis
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children was the surprise best seller of 2011—an unprecedented mix of YA fantasy and vintage photography that enthralled readers and critics alike.

This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.

Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.

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Filed under 4 Star, Young Adult

Under the Never Sky – Veronica Rossi

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This is the story of relationships in a strange dystopian world.  Not just the inevitable love interest which is brilliantly written but family relationships.  The relationship between the two lead characters is engaging and a good read.  The relationship I really loved was that between Perry and his nephew.  The strong character development from this author makes these relationships believable and you feel that you invest in all of them.

The story is thought provoking and warm in many places.  There is sadness, joy, laughter and anger all in equal parts.  I love this new strange land that Rossi has designed although I have to admit I hope in future novels we find out more of the history of this strange land.

The ending to this book is perfect.  It rounds the story of completely and could in fact be a stand alone novel.  However, with the excellent characters that have been described by the author I know I have to pick the next book up and spend some more time with all my favourite new fictional friends.

Synopsis
Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she’s never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He’s searching for someone too. He’s also wild – a savage – but might be her best hope at staying alive.

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Filed under 5 Star, Dystopian, Young Adult

Sherlock Holmes Hounds of the Baskerville Graphic Novel

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This is a traditional black and white graphic novel.  The story is well known and as a graphic novel it sticks to the plot of the original novel well.  The drawings are basic and I have to admit to wanting a little colour.  Having said that the drawings are clear and concise with good consistency with the characters faces.

This is a short graphic novel which was a quick fun read.

Synopsis
The intrepid detective and his faithful assistant take on a supernatural challenge in one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s most popular mysteries. This graphic novel’s original illustrations accompany an easy-to-read account of Holmes and Watson’s investigation of a family curse. Readers will be irresistibly drawn into the search for a giant spectral hound that haunts the fog-shrouded moors.
This Dover Graphic Novel Classic offers readers ages 8 and up an exciting introduction to a time-honored tale. Expertly abridged and packed with dramatic illustrations, this version offers a streamlined narrative that retains all of the storytelling essentials.

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Filed under 3 Star, Graphic Novel

An Unofficial Guide to Adoptive Parenting – Sally Donovan

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When I chose this book it was with a hint of concern as I am a parent of a foster child not an adopted child.  However, having read the book thoroughly from my perspective it relates well to all types of parenting.

When you read this book as with many like this you have to read it with the reality that not all theories work with all children.  Although the author is so experienced in this area there are several theories and ideas which can be adopted by parents.  Being an experienced foster parent there were enough ideas to add to my tool kit for this book to be a relevant read.  The author writes in an easy intelligent way.  You feel a friend is talking to you over coffee rather than preaching to you through a book.  The author’s strong voice and enthusiasm for the children she adopted comes through loud and clear.  In addition to this the book is well referenced and I now have an extensive list of other resources to look into.

The mixture of free flow writing, author knowledge and intelligent techniques makes this one of the best book about this subject I have read to date.  A brilliant read for all parents no matter what your circumstances.

Synopsis
This is not just another book about adoptive parenting. This is the real stuff: dynamic, messy, baffling adoptive parenting, rooted in domestic life.

Award-winning columnist and adoptive parent Sally Donovan offers savvy, compassionate advice on how to be ‘good enough’ in the face of both day-to-day and more bewildering challenges – how to respond to ‘red mist’ meltdowns, crippling anxieties about new routines and, most importantly, how to meet the intimidating challenge of being strong enough to protect and nurture your child.

Full of affecting and hilarious stories drawn from life in the Donovan household, The Unofficial Guide to Adoptive Parenting offers parents a refreshing counterblast to stuffy parenting manuals — read it, weep, laugh and learn.

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Filed under 5 Star, Factual

Zoo – James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

13353667-1I always approach Patterson novels with a hint of trepidation when he has co-written them.  These joint ventures are either good or simply awful.  I also have concerns about how much of the book Patterson actually writes or whether he really is just used as a name to publise a new author.

To start with, the premise of this book is just ridiculous.  Animals rampaging around the land set on a mission to eliminate humans.  I believe the awful writing however greatly affected the fact that I thought the book was ridiculous.  The writing was immature and at no time engaging.  The introduction of the ape side kick went further to make this book childish and stupid.  I have to say after reading the prologue I was optimistic about the book however, this is the only decent part of the book.  After this it moves on to a slow childish plot with no character development.  I didn’t relate or like any of the characters in the book.

A very poor effort from Patterson not up to his usual standard.

Synopsis
All over the world, brutal attacks are crippling entire cities. Jackson Oz, a young biologist, watches the escalating events with an increasing sense of dread. When he witnesses a coordinated lion ambush in Africa, the enormity of the impending violence becomes terrifyingly clear.

With the help of ecologist Chloe Tousignant, Oz races to warn world leaders before it’s too late. The attacks are growing in ferocity, cunning, and planning, and soon there will be no place left for humans to hide.

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Filed under 1 Star, Thriller

24 Underground #1

This is a good solid story which deals with the time between when we last saw Jack Bauer and when we will see him again in the latest series Live Another Day. Where has Jack been? What has he been up to and where has he been living? The graphic novel is well written and is a must for any 24 fans. I have to say I am not sure how relevant it is to those who have not seen the series. As a fan of 24 I loved this story.

The art work is traditional and good, although I have to say some of the faces of the supporting cast appear to not always be consistent. A quick read graphic novel I loved and a must for any 24 fan.

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Filed under 4 Star, Graphic Novel

Global Giveaway

To cheer us all up as the summer has finished and to thank my loyal followers across all social media I have decided to host a global giveaway for a hardcover copy of Dean Koontz – 77 Shadow Street.

Synopsis 
I am the One, the all and the only. I live in the Pendleton as surely as I live everywhere. I am the Pendleton’s history and its destiny. The building is my place of conception, my monument, my killing ground. . . .

The Pendleton stands on the summit of Shadow Hill at the highest point of an old heartland city, a Gilded Age palace built in the late 1800s as a tycoon’s dream home. Almost from the beginning, its grandeur has been scarred by episodes of madness, suicide, mass murder, and whispers of things far worse. But since its rechristening in the 1970s as a luxury apartment building, the Pendleton has been at peace. For its fortunate residents—among them a successful songwriter and her young son, a disgraced ex-senator, a widowed attorney, and a driven money manager—the Pendleton’s magnificent quarters are a sanctuary, its dark past all but forgotten.

But now inexplicable shadows caper across walls, security cameras relay impossible images, phantom voices mutter in strange tongues, not-quite-human figures lurk in the basement, elevators plunge into unknown depths. With each passing hour, a terrifying certainty grows: Whatever drove the Pendleton’s past occupants to their unspeakable fates is at work again. Soon, all those within its boundaries will be engulfed by a dark tide from which few have escaped.

Dean Koontz transcends all expectations as he takes readers on a gripping journey to a place where nightmare visions become real—and where a group of singular individuals hold the key to humanity’s destiny. Welcome to 77 Shadow Street

To enter
Please send your name and address to me through the contact form on my website.www.bookwormedreviews.com
Draw will be held on 2nd October 2014 

Thank you all for your support and good luck

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