Bookshelf

What would you do if one day the lights went out and never came back on? How long could you survive once your food runs out or when the nearby nuclear power station explodes?

This post-apocalyptic story starts with news reports of a bomb being exploded in America. Eight years later after the nuclear explosion, that they refer to as ‘The End’, Rowenna and her 14-year-old son Dylan and baby daughter Mona are living in a rural part of Wales where they have learned to be self-sufficient.  There was no panic at the start, no hysterics, just Roweena having the foresight to make plans. The focus of this book is not on the cause of the event, this was almost incidental, but on the effect it has on the relationship between mother and son.

The story is told in a dual POV and although it has some quite harrowing scenes the book is told with an eerie quietness. Dylan and his mother have a difficult and distant relationship. There are so many secrets being held tight by both of them which they only reveal in the ‘Blue Book of Nebo’. On one of their scavenging trips into the village, Rowenna finds a blank notebook and takes it home where they start to record their experiences both agreeing not to read the other’s entries. Dylan writes about the present and Rowenna writes about the past and this is how the story unfolds.

One of the themes that was weaved seamlessly into the story was the importance of retaining heritage in the face of it being lost. Rowenna, who rarely spoke in Welsh herself, started to read books in Welsh while also placing an innate value on making sure that Dylan learnt the language although she couldn’t explain why. 

What is clear is that both Dylan and Rowenna love their quiet existence and thrive in their new life without any modern trappings of technology or media. 

There is an interesting conversation about society  asked by Dylan about the time before The End about how hundreds of people pass by each other every day without acknowledging or speaking to one another. Roweena just shrugged it off but Dylan could not understand how the “world could be like that”. Dylan had a completely different perspective as his world was so narrow the thought of ignoring anyone is completely alien to him.

This led me to think about when as a society we stopped ‘seeing’ or interacting with people, that simply smiling at a stranger could be viewed as suspicious or weird. As a society, do we prefer to interact with people online rather than face-to-face? How have we elevated our relationship with smartphones over that of the person in front of us? 

This is not an easy read, and there are a lot of questions, some of which are answered by Rowena in her diary entries and some that are left unresolved. I do think that this book needs a second read as I know I was a bit preoccupied with questions at the beginning of the book and I might have missed some of the subtle nuances of the story

Even if you are not well versed in Greek mythology you will probably be familiar with the name Medusa, however, this book turns everything we know about Medusa on its head. Firstly, this retelling of the myth is told from a wholly feminist perspective, rather than from the usual viewpoint of Perseus.  It was refreshing to hear the story from a female voice instead of a male one. 

Jessie Burton has taken the story of Medusa and put a character, who is generally viewed as a monster front and centre, weaving an alternative narrative which humanises her in a way we never usually see. 

A young, beautiful Medusa unwittingly catches the eye of Poseidon, for protection she goes to the goddess Athena who gives her sanctuary in her temple. However, Poseidon finds her and attacks her and in the process of the assault destroys the temple. Even though Medusa was the victim and not complicit in any way, she is blamed by Athena who curses her and turns her once beautiful hair into a head of venomous snakes with the cryptic message of “woe betide any man fool enough to look upon you now” 

Medusa and her two sisters, Stheno and Euryale are banished to a remote island where for the last four years live an isolated existence until one day Perseus washes up on shore. Medusa who is now eighteen, refuses to allow Perseus to see her, scared of what he would think of her 'deformity', however, she could not resist the chance to connect with him and soon starts dreaming of a different life.

This book deals with so much that is current in our society today such as body image, toxic masculinity, consent, complicity and victim blaming to name a few of the themes. But ultimately, it is about self-acceptance and the freedom that results from finally coming to terms with who you are and who you can be, rather than confining yourself to how you are viewed by others.

This is the debut novel by  Jenny Ireland and was chosen as the National Teen Book Club read for May. This is definitely not a run-of-the-mill YA romance. Jenny Ireland had pulled together some serious topics such as disability, mental illness and sexuality but weaving it into a storyline that contains first love, romance, frienships and chess!

Set in Northern Ireland, Juliet was diagnosed with arthritis when she was twelve and is now starting her final year at school on crutches. Ronan had just transferred schools and is dealing with family issues of his own. Jules and Ronan connect anonymously online in a chess forum where their friendship develops before they even knew who the other person was. In particular, I liked the back and forth text messages between them before they realised they went to the same school.

The book is told in a dual narrative from each main characters perspective and the author treats it like a chess game where each move has a counter move. 

However, I do think the author tried to cover too many serious subjects in what is quite a short book. In doing so, I did not think she gave each character and subject the time that they/it deserved. I would rather see some of the storylines left unresolved and perhaps dealt with in a sequel rather than rushing to tie everything up in the final chapters.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book especially the way the author dealt with so many different characters, each who had things going on that they were keeping to themselves. The overall message is that if you are stuggling with things in your life, talking to someone, whether it is a friend, parent or other adult will lessen the burden. 

Just how far would you be prepared to go when the future of the planet lies in the balance? To the world, The Circle have no limits to what they will do to make governments take action on climate change. But who is right and who is wrong? The lines are blurring…

Denzi, is in the US, having rushed to see his mother who was in a serious accident. Was the timing of this a coincidence?

Tabby is alone and on the run from the Circle. Neither, Tabby or Denzi know if the other is alive.

Tabby needs help and is desperately trying to make her way to her friend Jago. But at every turn she is being tracked by The Circle, how do they keep finding her?

The story is told in a dual narrative from the point of view of both Tabby and Denzi. Although the pace is slower than book one, the tension is off the charts, with bits of information being dropped into both storylines. As the suspense builds, you are willing Denzi and Tabby to find each other in order to piece together the jigsaw of clues they each have.

This book keeps you on edge throughout and the dramatic ending does not disappoint. Roll on book three!

Whilst her mum and stepdad are on honeymoon in Japan, 16-year-old Becks is left in the care stepsister Silva. However, Silva does not return home after dropping her parents at the airport. So begins the mystery.

Trying not to invade Silva’s privacy, an unfortunate ‘accident’ by Azog the cat, forces Becks into her sister’s room where she finds a box hidden under the bed. The box contains an envelope with eight seemingly random items. But Becks knows her sister and is certain that these items are connected to Silva’s disappearance, she just needs to piece the clues together. So, with the help of her best friend Raych and her crush (and possible new girlfriend) China, Becks starts investigating.

The  book is written in a dual narrative, mostly from Becks’ point of view. She is a strong character who outwardly exudes confidence, but inwardly second guesses herself and is an endearingly, awkward character. Then we have Silva. She’s the opposite of Becks and has a much quieter voice, one which I found quite sinister at times. 

Silva is clearly suffering from depression which stems from the death of her mother. In her fragile and vulnerable state, she is drawn into a toxic relationship with delivery man Logan. They are no longer together, but he has fractured her mental wellbeing so much that she becomes obsessed with him being the love of her life and wants him back at any cost. You soon begin to question who is in danger.

This is a fantastic read that deals with issues of grief, race, sexuality, blended-families, familial pressures, peer relationships and so much more. It seamlessly covers multiple real-life issues, whilst keeping you guessing about Silva throughout the book. It makes you think about issues surrounding mental health, and how we deal with it. Can we recognise the signs if it affects someone we are close to? Or is it easier to believe that everything is okay?

Highly recommended! There are so many interesting characters with stories to tell, such as Becks’ ‘DNA Dad’, that I have my fingers crossed for a sequel.

Tabby lives a transient life moving around with her mother, Cate. She has strict rules, no school, no talking to strangers, no friends, no technology. So when Tabby breaks one of the rules and befriends local boy Jago, it is her first mistake as it sets into motion a series of events that has devastating effects on her life.

After being involved in an accident, Tabby is taken into hospital, but when doctors start questioning Cate, she sneaks Tabby out of the hospital and they go on the run.

Tabby doesn’t understand what’s happening, but she trusts Cate and they leave everything behind including her friendship with Jago. Tabby's second mistake was breaking the no phones rule by using a public phonebox to call Jago. The call is traced, Cate is arrested and Tabby is told that Cate is not her mother, but is in fact her kidnapper.

Tabby does not know who believe and when reunited with her real parents she feels alienated and begins to suspect that everything she has been told is a lie. In her confusion she focuses on swimming as this is the only time she feels any sense of normality and when she is invited to join an elite swimming camp she agrees. This was her third mistake. 

There is something very sinister happening in the camp, people are going missing and there are strange goings in locked areas of the school. Tabby does not know who to trust, all the students are under 24 hour surveillance so leaving the school undetected is impossible, but Tabby knows she needs to escape.

This is a thrilling read, as the story unfolds it gains momentum with so many questions and so much intrigue. Why did Cate kidnap Tabby? What is behind the interlocking symbols that haunt Tabby? Why is the clinic who are treating Tabby also resident at the swim camp. How do the students manage to hold their breath longer than should be humanly possible and why do some of them leave so suddenly? What is different about Tabby's blood and DNA. Is everyone lying to her? 

The only negative comment I have is that we have to wait until July 2021 for the sequel  ‘Red Sky Burning’! But this is a great read for anyone who likes a dystopian thriller full of mystery. 

Patrick Ness is arguably my favourite author, and this book does not disappoint. This is probably the third time I've read this and each time I discover something new. 

The narrative is beautifully poetic, the characters just pull you in, who cares if you have no idea what's going on. Are they dead, alive, in heaven, in hell, or in purgatory? If you want your questions answered you are missing the point. I loved it. 

Contains some mature content