Review: Wonder by RJ Palacio

In One Line: Heart-wrenching, gorgeous tale of an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face.

Genre: Children’s literature future classic

The Gist:

10 year old August has been home-schooled all his life, his parents too scared to send him out into the big wide world because of his horrific facial disfigurements. But now the time has come to send him to proper school, and Auggie’s life, as well as the lives of the people closest to him, is going to change forever. 

The Cover:

This cover blows me away! It screams: READ ME!!! I love the fact that the designers/editors took a chance with this one and went all out to create an image that has the potential to become truly iconic. The artwork from the cover resonates with the sketches inside the book too, and even the advance proof copy I read has a design ethic that makes it stand out from all the rest. Truly impressive, and a cover that captivates and intrigues rather than bores and confuses. 

Why You’ll Love This Book

• Auggie!!! Prepare to have your heart well and truly melted. He is gorgeous, and I just want to scoop him up and hug him tight! 
• First Person Perspectives! The story flits around the viewpoints of some of the important people in Auggie’s life, and is done reassuredly and beautifully. I would perhaps like some of the voices to be a bit more singular and more stand-out, but I don’t think the point of this novel was to express the author’s talent at first-person dexterity (I’m actually pretty certain that the author has this talent anyway). 
• Heart. This novel has so much heart that it creates a heart-shaped gravitational tug on your own heart, wrenching at it until it is just a bloody, pulpy mess on the floor. The result may be tears.
• This book makes you want to be a better person. It makes you want to say hello to complete strangers on the street or get in touch with someone you haven’t seen in ages. Or at the very least just give the person next to you a hug (or a standing ovation!).

Why You May Not Love This Book:

• Americanisms. If you’re the kind of person who detests that whole american hoopla of POSITIVITY! and CHEERING! and general YEYNESS! then you may find this book a little saccharine. It does not shy away from the schmaltz. 
• I could have done with a little more darkness. Sure, there are some dark things that happen in this novel (dog lovers beware!), but the author always just shies away from really dark places. One thing I would have loved to explore more is the angry mother who wants Auggie to leave the school. I could have done with more of her! Just for a contrast from all the sweetness. 

The Hypersomnia Test:

It passed with glorious flying colours! I read the second half of this book in a couple of hours in Starbucks, and I sank back into my chair and just wallowed in the wonder of Wonder. The chapters are short, which keeps the pace up, and the plot doesn’t sink at all, anywhere. It just keeps going, and even if you’re revisiting moments from another perspective, you’ll never be bored. I was very sad when it ended - I could read the entirity of Auggie’s life!

Final Verdict:

Oh what a wonderful, wonderful book. This is one for kids to read, then for older brothers and sisters to read, and then for the parents and grandparents to pick up too. A lot of people I know actually cried at the end - I didn’t, but I was left with a lovely bubbly feeling of joy in my tummy. Read this book and become a better person!

Further Reading:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

To buy Wonder please click HERE!!!

Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

In One Line: The much-anticipated sequel to Delirium.

Genre: Dystopia-tastic

The Gist:

Then:

After the heartbreaking ending of Delirium, Lena finds herself learning to survive in The Wilds with other runaways and delinquents. Will she ever get over the grief of losing Alex? Will life be too tough for her and would she ever go back to the loveless world she grew up in?

Now:

Parallel to this story is that of New Super Lena, a schoolgirl in New York City, cured of Amore Deliria Nervosa and seemingly integrated into the world she once struggled to leave behind. But nothing is quite what it seems, and New Super Lena is a rebel with a cause and ready to fight! 

(yeah, there’s a whole parallel plot line thing happening with alternate chapters from the Then and Now. It’s off putting at first, but you’ll get used to it I promise!)

The Cover:

Yeah... so... um... I’m not feeling it. I don’t get the relevance, it doesn’t match the hardback of the first book, and it doesn’t tell me anything about this one. If I read this on the tube (I read the proof edition, so I didn’t know what the cover would be at the time) then the people around me would have absolutely no idea what this book was about, or even it’s themes or genre. Distinctly, and disappointingly, meh. 

Why You’ll Love This Book

• Lauren Oliver is amazing. She just... is. You can tell that she is in love with words, and is a master of conveying emotion in new and beautiful ways, without letting her style overcome the plot. She’s the kind of writer who I would love to emulate. 
• After the death of Alex at the end of Delirium, Lena is back stronger, feistier and awesomer than before. She is a grown up now, wise to the ways of her world and hungry to fight. This is a Lena I can get along with!
• Ms Oliver can write a kissing scene like nobody else. I was on the tube, reading this one scene in particular, and I felt like I was MELTING. And it wasn’t even particularly steamy, it was just a kiss! A very naughty part of me would love Ms Oliver so write erotica. Although I think if I read that I might actually die from blushing.

Why You May Not Love This Book:

• The new love interest. I don’t want to do any spoilers but I just want to say that he is NOTHING compared to Alex. He’s a mere kid, immature and needy. Lena gets to play the role that Alex played for her in the first book, but I was so utterly in love with Alex and his fondness for colouring in his shoe laces that I just couldn’t let anybody else get in there. Sorry. 
• It’s surprisingly different from book 1. I was a little put off at first, expecting those gorgeous extracts from the Book of Shhh at the start of each chapter, but this is actually like a totally different book. To the extent that you may actually be able to read this without reading the first book first. I wouldn’t recommend it, but it’s definitely possible. 
• Cliffhanger alert! I was a sobbing mess of a woman when I finished Delirium (in public no less) so I purposefully didn’t wear any mascara for the duration of reading Pandemonium, but my reaction at the end was very different: I SCREAMED in frustration. If you hate a cliffhanger I would wait for the third and final book in the trilogy to come out and do them all in one go. Buy it now though. 

The Hypersomnia Test:

Passed. Passed. Passed. I didn’t want this novel to end. 

Final Verdict:

If you’re only going to read one dystopian series, then this one has to be it. The writing is beautiful, verging on literary, and the plot is plausible enough for you to get really involved. Pandemonium goes in an entirely different direction than you would expect from Delirium, but with such a gamut of dystopian tales out there it’s a relief to read something truly good and wonderful. Be warned, once you read this, nothing else will compare. I read another dystopian novel straight after, and all I could think was ‘this is no Lauren Oliver’. Plus the kissing. Oh my god the kissing. *melts again*

Further Reading:

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Matched by Allie Condie

Pure by Julianna Baggott (read my review HERE!)

To buy Pandemonium please click HERE!!!

Review: Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress by Sarwat Chadda

In One Line: geeky kid on holiday in India uncovers dastardly plot to release absolute evil upon the world, and kicks some ass!!!

Genre: middle-grade mythological action adventure - with added demons!

The Gist:

So here’s the disclaimer: this is NOT YA, and I know the author, so I was really nervous approaching this one. What if I hated it? What if you all think I’m just being sycophantic? 

Well here’s the truth. You know when you go with your mates to the cinema, and you can’t decide what to watch so you go and see that Hollywood blockbuster because the chances are the majority will end up liking it (while inside you’re going but I WANT THE CLASSIC ROM-COM DAMMIT!)? And then you end up getting floored by said blockbuster even though you were dead cynical about it and thought it might just be an overblown CGI excuse to wear 3D glasses? Well this book is like that. I was all prepared to just nod and smile politely and pat lovely Sarwat on the back and go Well Done You! And then I got floored. Because this book ROCKS. 

Ash is your typical English-Indian kid who is on holiday in India visiting relatives with his kid sister Lucky. When he accompanies his uncle to visit Lord Savage (BLATANT BADDIE ALERT!) he unwittingly gets embroiled in a mega-plot to unleash a devastating evil across the earth (but mostly India). Cue evil demons, not so evil demons, snakes, spiders and kids in baggy pants type things doing ancient martial arts! Kapow!!!

The Cover:

Look guys! There’s Ash, with his weirdy sword about to kick the sh*t out of a giant muscular demon with dreads!!! The ethos of this cover is ‘what you see is what you get’ and it sets a template for further books. 

Why You’ll Love This Book

• Actual Hindu mythology. Yep. The writer’s done his research, and he knows his stuff. This book is crammed with authentic CULTURE folks, and it’s written in such a way that it doesn’t get in the way of the plot, but enhances it. You’ll find yourself dipping into wikipedia to check the facts whilst reading, and you won’t be disappointed! I also love the fact that unlike the mythology of the ancient Greeks or Egyptians, this stuff is happening Right Now. This is living mythology, and gives an exciting view on Hindu mysticism. 
• Geek talk. Ash Mistry is a DUDE. He has a paunch and his references Star Trek. So basically he’s a character in The Big Bang Theory waiting to happen. Except that we all know that he’s actually the hero, even if he doesn’t realise it yet! Watching Ash develop from mega-geek to KAPOW is awesome. 
• Parvati. Anyone call for a super-hot badass Indian girl who is actually a cobra but also one of the good guys? Hell yeah! I love Parvati - she’s my only hope for a girlie YA spinoff. Imagine getting to your awkward teenage years, and then discovering that you’re actually a snake and that your Daddy is actually the Indian Satan? But what I especially like about her is that she’s not just the token hot girl with fangs - she has a dark side that means you’re always slightly doubting her intentions and motives. She has DEPTH guys. 
• Classic action movie tropes. Something tells me that Sarwat Chadda knows his cinema. Yeah. He’s watched loads and loads of awesome movies. You can just tell. 

Why You May Not Love This Book:

• Lucky. Sorry, I just didn’t buy the kid sister. Mostly because every other character is so awesome, and she was just a stereotypical kid sister. And my inner-feminist-demon got a little pissed off when the siblings get their kickass training - Ash gets to learn martial arts, and she gets to do healing stuff. I kind of felt sorry for her. A bit like when the Pevensie kids get their presents from Father Christmas, and Lucy gets the vial of healing liquid whilst her brothers get weapons. Yeah. You heard me. I made a CS Lewis reference. 
• Properly scary demons. Now I know that for the target audience, the scary animal demons are undoubtedly a Good Thing. But I get scared easily. Especially by the woman who turns herself into lots and lots of hairy spiders. 
• It’s not YA - just thought I’d put that in. Because my regular readers are probably going ‘what the hell? You’re reviewing a book with no sexytimes?’ BUT you do get a hint of a possible romance to come in future installments (for when Ash is older than THIRTEEN).

The Hypersomnia Test:

Do you know what, this book did it for me. The pace, the action scenes, the scary creatures - there were moments when I thought that reading this book was better than many of the big blockbuster films that Hollywood has been churning out lately. And I was gripped. No sleepytimes during this one!

Final Verdict:

I will be the first to say that this isn’t the kind of book I will usually read (as you may be able to tell from my blog reviews so far), but I got along with this book so well it’s made me realise that often YA can be lacking in pace and darn good storytelling. Regardless of your age, it’s hard not to be sucked in by this epic twist on Indian mythology. I’ll also say this: I have never ever been tempted to visit India (I don’t think I will get on with the food, and I am a VERY fussy eater) but now I am seriously thinking about going. For as much as this book is a classic action-adventure for younger readers, it’s got so much respect for the culture of India that it does a pretty good job of selling the place for people like me! 

Further Reading:

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The History Keepers by Damian Dibben

Time Riders by Alex Scarrow

To buy Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress click HERE!!!

Review: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

In One Line: the sequel to Wither!!!

Genre: dreamy-dystopian-drama

The Gist:

This book picks up directly from where the last one left off, so let me warn you HERE BE SPOILERS!!! I won’t be spoiling anything from this book, obvs, but there is a chance that I will mention something from Book 1 in the trilogy, so if you haven’t read that one yet, buy it HERE, read it quickly, and then read this review of Book 2. 

Two-tone-eyed Rhine has escaped from the mansion where she was kept as a wifey to naive Linden and is desperate to get to Manhattan, where she hopes to find her two-tone-eyed-twin brother. Along the way she gets sucked into a twisted sexy carnival, meets a fortune teller, nearly gets raped by the owner of a diner and succumbs to a devastating illness. Hilarious hijinks this is not. 

The Cover:

Tyra: Girl you rocked that photo like that rocking horse rocked the merry-go-round!

Andre Leon Talley: I’m adoring that broken down doll, the gentleness of the hands - I would hang this in my salon!

Noted fashion photographer Nigel Barker: I love how you’re wearing the dress, the dress isn’t wearing you. You look sad, distressed and broken, but you never lose that outer model. Well done. 

Mr Jay: Tyra, I must say, we had a few problems on the set with this one. We tried to get Model-Rhine to wear the contact lenses to make one eye brown and one eye blue, but Model-Rhine just wasn’t going for it. This is why the we ended up with a closed eye shot. 

Tyra: This is a problem that lots of models have. Instead of doing this - *makes face* - you need to be doing this - *makes face slightly tenser*. And girl, even with your eyes closed, you could have been smizing. You got the tone of the shot just right though. I was going through your film, and every shot was wracked with sadness and angst, but we chose this particular shot because you just look like you’re letting go, like the weight of the dystopian world is on your shoulders and you’re losing all hope. You nailed it. 

Ms Jay: The photo is fabulous, but you need to work on your walk.

(please note: the above will only make sense if, like me, you watch a LOT of America’s Next Top Model)

Why You’ll Love This Book

• Guys! It’s the sequel to Wither! Guys! If you loved that first book, you are undoubtedly going to love this.
• Sexy carnival time. This book went places I didn’t think it was going to go - drug addiction and prostitution. And I think that maybe Rhine and her manservant-boyfriend Gabriel nearly participate in a bit of exhibitionism. I don’t think they actually end up Doing It (although it’s debatable) but there are moments in this book that certainly get a bit saucier than your average YA dystopian drama. 
• The Big Wide World. Book 1 was set firmly in the realm of the mysterious mansion, and had a fairytale quality to it I likened to the story of Bluebeard. This book takes place in the great big Outside, so we get to see what Rhine’s universe really looks like. 
• The Journey. I was nearly finished before I realised what this book reminded me of, and you are going to think I’m crazy, but Pinocchio. The sense of an endless quest with mad circuses, friends that turn out to be enemies and the omnipresence of futility and death (I’m talking about the original Pinocchio, not the Disney one!). Except that instead of a Blue Fairy promising life and love (and school!) we have Rhine’s evil father-in-law Vaughan, who seems to lurk around every corner. 

Why You May Not Love This Book:

• Repetition. Rhine does like to over-do the thinking, and constantly brings up memories or important novel details that we’ve already read before. I want DeStefano to put a bit more trust in her readers ‘getting’ what’s going on, instead of constantly explaining everything to us. 
• Dreamy gorgeous language. Normally beautiful language would be considered a good thing, but here I feel like it can be a bit of a block to us understanding the Real Rhine. She glamorises everything. Even the starkest, most horrible thing is given shades of beauty through references to colour and smell. As such I feel that the book is over-written. I never feel that it is Rhine herself speaking to me, but I’m always conscious of the writer behind the scenes, desperate to impress me and out-do her last simile. A bit harsh? Possibly, but once I started thinking about it I couldn’t stop. 
• Cliffhanger. Yep. It’s another one of those trilogies that leaves you hanging. I do feel like it’s my duty to warn you of this, because it gets on my nerves. It stops me regarding this book as an individual work, and makes me wonder if the whole story should really be thought of as one entity, instead of three. In which case I would probably rather one complete big fat novel, instead of three smaller ones. 

The Hypersomnia Test:

Passed! Passed! Passed! The pace was so quick I sped through the book, jumping from one mad dramatic scene to the next. And every now and again you glimpse the intimacy between Rhine and Gabriel, and this was just steamy enough to stop my brain drifting off into it’s hypersomniacal state (you may have noticed after reading a few of my reviews that a good sex scene will always stop me falling asleep). 

Final Verdict:

I couldn’t help but feel that this book was the bridge to take me to Book 3. When I’ve finished reading the entire trilogy, will I remember Book 2 as a standout? Probably not, but it does its job well, widens the scope of DeStefano’s universe and presents some interesting moral conflicts. And the cover is SO pretty. 

Further Reading:

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Switched by Amanda Hocking (read by review HERE!!!)

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Buy Fever by Lauren DeStefano HERE!!!

Review: After The Snow by S.D. Crockett

In One Line: Young boy sets out to avenge his father’s kidnap in a future-world ravaged by ice.

Genre: Eco-apocalyptic quest!

The Gist:

Willo lives up a mountain in a part of the world that may possibly be Wales (the first part of the novel is called ‘Snowdonia’, which is a major clue). And dude, is it cold! We’re talking ice age here people. It appears that all the money we are actually currently pumping into wind-farms is absolutely pointless, because wind-farms don’t work in the cold. But those clever folks in the East have built them some nuclear power plants, so they’re all rich, leaving most of the UK in hellish poverty. 

When Willo’s father gets kidnapped (possibly due to the scary Geraint) Willo sets off to get his revenge. But he quickly gets sidelined after rescuing young Mary from a pack of ravenous wolf-dogs. Soon enough Willo and Mary find themselves in he big city, where friendship is a rare commodity. 

The Cover:

This cover looks like a designer version of a crow cave-painting, which is VERY in keeping with the mood of the book. It’s edgy and non-gendered and doesn’t give you much of a clue to the intended age of the reader - I LIKE THIS. Because although the book is narrated by a boy, it’s kind of a genderless read and wouldn’t alienate boys or girls. And it has an ageless quality - I couldn’t quite figure out the age of Willo, but that worked for me. He could be in his late teens, or he could be thirteen, and likewise this cover doesn’t alienate younger or older readers. It’s for everyone. One note though - I wish it was a dog image on the front, not a crow. Not sure why it’s a crow really, especially as dogs are such a potent theme in the book. 

Why You’ll Love This Book

• Storytelling. Proper old-style traditional storytelling that at times feels like you’re sitting around a fire listening to a grand old sage telling it to you. And this is despite the fact that it’s written in a phonetic style (similar to works by Patrick Ness and Moira Young). What results is instant engagement with the narrator and his world.
• Eco-disaster. For once we have a post-apocalyptic tale that isn’t caused by aliens or nuclear detonations or something weirdy-science-fictiony. This is a disaster that has actual, plausible science behind it, and the more you investigate the more you discover how frighteningly plausible this story really is. 
• Internal Dog. Kudos to anyone who manages to write an invisible friend/inner voice that doesn’t make the character seem psychotic. I mean this seriously, because I seriously trusted Internal Dog, and longed for an Internal Dog of my own. I have two Actual Dogs, who are gorgeous fluffy creatures but alas, they don’t give me advice. And they’re Bichon Frises, so I have a feeling that instead of keeping me alive on a mountaintop, they’d give me advice on how to best make my hair look fluffy. 

These are my gorgeous doggies, Sandy and Beau. They know nothing about survival, but they sure know how to look good. 

Why You May Not Love This Book:

• Just one thing really grated on me reading this, and I don’t even think it’s that big of a deal. It certainly didn’t stop me enjoying the book. Basically, it’s that Willo doesn’t DO much. Things happen to him and he goes with the flow. And especially in the latter half of the novel, it’s like he has absolutely no control over his actions at all. I can understand why this is, as Willo is stuck in a big city with no friends and no hope, so he is relying on the kindness of strangers, but where is the kid with all the anger and desperation we in the earlier pages? Most notably, it is during these latter pages that Willo’s Internal Dog is absent. I think what I’m trying to say is that I want more Internal Dog!!!
• Quest Narrative. I’m usually not a fan of quest narrative stories, because I tend to find they can drag on and on and on and it sucks because you know that they aren’t going to get to the end of the quest until the final pages, which is often 600 pages away (this is why I HATE Lord of the Rings with a passion. And the ancient Greeks.). But I did like this book, a lot. So I suppose I’m trying to say that if you’re looking for a good romance/thriller with a jaunty sub-plot, this isn’t the book for you. But you should probably read it anyway because it’s stunning. 
• Pessimism. Woah those city-dwellers are mean! Especially the young ones. And I know that they are all poor and hungry and cold and if the Summer riots showed us anything it’s that gang culture is a horrible and dangerous thing, but still, seeing such ghastly young people made me sad. 
• Coincidences. There’s just a tad too many for my liking. 

The Hypersomnia Test:

Oh, it didn’t pass, but not much is passing the hypersomnia test at the moment. I’ve gone part time at work so that I can focus on my own writing, and somehow my brain has figured out that it can therefore sleep A LOT more. I wanted this book to pass though, I really did. I have a stupid brain. 

Final Verdict:

I felt like I was reading a classic. Like The Giver or A Wrinkle in Time. There is something timeless about this book that makes it a joy to read. I almost wish it wasn’t coming out at a time in teen publishing when there is such a gamut of post-apocalyptic/dystopian novels because I fear it may get lost. There is something slightly ‘uncool’ about this book that makes it shine. I want it to be one of those word-of-mouth cult hits that gets proclaimed a ‘modern classic’ in twenty years time and gets a shiny silver cover to commemorate this. 

Further Reading:

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Shipbreaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

To buy After the Snow click HERE!!!

Review: The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker

In One Line: Girl emerges from protective bunker and finds her world ravaged by mutant zombie creatures - but it’s ok because there’s a hot boy to save the day!

Genre: Post-apocalyptic zombie-horror lite. 

The Gist:

Sherry is trapped in a bunker with her family and she has been in there for a LONG time. Outside a horrible virus and bombs have ravaged her world, and when food runs out in the bunker, Sherry and her Dad venture outside to see what’s going on. And it’s really not good. Dad instantly gets captured, but then a hot boy arrives and saves Sherry from being eaten alive. What follows is a desperate attempt to rescue Sherry’s dad and figure out why the hell nobody has come to rescue all the survivors out there. 

The Cover:

From a distance the cover looks quite sweet - bold letters, swirly shapes and butterflies! But get closer and you realise that the swirls are really barbed wire, and the butterfly is really bloody and fearesome! Good work designers. It’s the perfect ‘draw-them-in-then-freak-them-out’ cover. 

Why You’ll Love This Book

• Weepers! These are genuinely quite disgusting and scary. Those infected by the virus become these foul, hairy beasts who weep milky tears. A properly fearsome detail! 
• Family values. This is a family who survives TOGETHER. After so many books where the teens have to cope on their own, sometimes it’s comforting to know that Sherry isn’t completely alone. 
• Josh - he’s tortured and heroic and used to being alone, ok? But we all know that he’s gorgeous and that Sherry is perfect for him. 
• There is some beautiful writing going on in this book, and descriptions of a ruined LA were particularly stunning. I can also reveal that Winnacker has written this book in English despite her first language being German. Knowing this makes some elements of the writing particularly impressive. 

Why You May Not Love This Book:

• The science isn’t necessarily all there - sometimes you feel you are missing crucial details. Survival techniques, medical info and the such like. It’s not a huge deal, but every now and again I found myself wanting more depth, and the lack of scientific detail just stopped me engaging in places.
• I couldn’t help but feel that the book could have gone further and darker. This is probably because I’m a big YA reader and I’m used to things being a lot more intense. 
• The chapter interludes. Inbetween each chapter is a little snippet of life before the catastrophe, and while these are cute and showcase Winnacker’s great writing talent, I was hoping that they’d end up more necessary to the overall plot. They aren’t. But they are pretty. 
• Big plot problem - why does Josh instantly presume that Sherry’s dad is alive and being held captive? Why do they go and risk their lives to rescue him? My instinct told me that if you’re captured by mutant cannibal creatures then you’re probably dead already. 
• If you know your post-apocalyptic zombie fiction and have read a lot of it, then there’s nothing new for you here. 

The Hypersomnia Test:

Passed! I stayed awake! I think this is because this book is a very speedy romp - the pace is so fast that you’re completely swept away with it, desperate to know what twist comes next. 

Final Verdict:

I think anyone who is used to the gritty darkness of older zombie books will be disappointed with this - but it doesn’t claim to be bold YA writing. If anything, this is the perfect book for younger readers desperate to read something older but not yet ready for the tough stuff. It reads younger, it avoids controversy, but has it’s moments of thrill and fear. Also the perfect read if you are new to post-apocalyptic zombie fare - this is the kind of book that works as a perfect gateway to the genre. 

Further Reading:

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

Undead by Kirsty McKay

To buy The Other Life click right HERE!!!

Review: Heaven by Christoph Marzi

In One Line: It’s beautiful, it’s magical, please just read it. 

Genre: Urban Fairytale

The Gist:

This is going to be one of those weird reviews where I try to tell you absolutely nothing about the book. This is because I want you to discover it for yourself. I was captivated by the first few lines alone, so here’s an excerpt:

"The night that Heaven lost her heart was cold and moonless. But the blade that sliced out the girl’s heart was warm with her dark blood. Forlorn, bewildered and throbbing fearfully, the heart was mirrored in the curved, silvery blade. Fingers encased in gloves made of shiny black leather held the heart up before a face that wore an expression of the utmost satisfaction."

But Heaven is still alive, and to the surprise of her murderer, gets up from the bloody scene and runs away. 

That’s all I’m going to give you. Pick up this book, get lost in the prologue, and let yourself be taken away on an adventure above London’s rooftops under a not-so-starry night sky. 

The Cover:

Oh... this cover makes my heart break, and it is so right. It’s a cover that lets the words do the talking and is equal parts totally romantic and totally sinister. I particularly love the fact that the cover doesn’t give anything away. 

Why You’ll Love This Book

• Starlight, magic, beauty and wonder.
• If you’re a Londoner, you’ll never look at the night sky in the same way again.
• This book is a complete escape from the real world - get lost and enjoy.
• Highgate Cemetery - I want to go and explore NOW. Who’s with me?
• A thrilling climax aboard the London Eye. 

Why You May Not Love This Book:

• Sometimes the language gets brutally real, and the few times this happened I got a shock! This is a fairytale, but the real world creeps into it in weird places.
• It’s a translation - the original was written in German. Sometimes you don’t know if the stilted style is meant to be, or is a result of the translator not finding the right phrasing. 
• This book isn’t for everybody - I can imagine some simply just not ‘getting it’. I feel sorry for those people.
• There are lots of inter-textual references, particularly to the worlds of cinema and Dickens. I would preferred Marzi to try and express himself originally, instead of relying on so many similes.

The Hypersomnia Test:

Passed with flying colours! This book was like reading a dream, I just couldn’t put it down.

Final Verdict:

This book left me intoxicated, and has resulted in me seeing my hometown, London, in an entirely different way. I just can’t rave about this book enough. I know I’ve hardly told you anything about it, but I want you to approach it without any expectations of the plot. Just lose yourself in it and go with the flow. If you believe in magic and strangers and starshine, just read it. 

Further Reading:

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Un Lun Dun by China Mievelle

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

To buy Heaven click HERE!!!