The Places I've Cried in Public by Holly Bourne, reviewed by Dawn Finch

First the blurb...

Amelie loved Reese. And she thought he loved her. But she’s starting to realise love isn’t supposed to hurt like this. So now she’s retracing their story and untangling what happened by revisiting all the places he made her cry. Because if she works out what went wrong, perhaps she can finally learn to get over him.

Note - Trigger warnings in this book for abusive relationships and mental health issues

Amelie thought she was in love. Well, it certainly seemed like love and she imagined a future that was all about Reese and their life together, but what did she mean to him? She genuinely thought he loved her right back but is real love meant to hurt this badly? Does real love have so many tears, and so many places marked by crying? Amelie retraces the steps of her relationship with Reese to try to understand how she ended up here, and in doing so sees things with clarity for the first time.

As an adult reader, this book is full of all the terrible warning signs of an abusive relationship, but seeing this is perhaps something that comes to us with age. Amelie doesn't know what Reese is doing to her and doesn't have the tools to see the warning signs. Like many girls (and women) her love blinds her to the obvious. It's only when she gets help, therapy, and distance from the abusive relationship that she can begin to see the harm that has been done to her.

This is an incredibly powerful book about the subtle slide from devotion to obsession and from adoration to abuse. It is at times a traumatic read, but also one of gentle humour, sensitivity and caring. It's not a book that preaches, despite it delivering some very powerful life lessons. I wanted to be able to rescue Amelie. I wanted to sweep her away from her situation, and hug her, and give her a good talking to, and keep her safe. I think we have all had friends that we want to rescue, and have at times, maybe, needed rescuing ourselves. My hope is that if all young women have access to books like this, maybe they’ll be better placed to rescue themselves and others.

The Places I've Cried in Public by Holly Bourne is published by Usborne Books.

Reviewed by Dawn Finch, author and librarian.
@dawnafinch
www.dawnfinch.com

Usborne have a link to some resources that might be useful if referring to this book in a school setting.
https://usborne.com/browse-books/catalogue/product/1/14585/the-places-ive-cried-in-public/

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Optimists Die First by Susin Nielsen: review by Kelly McCaughrain

I know you’re supposed to mention it if you know an author you’re reviewing, and if you look at the cover of my book you’ll see Susin Nielsen has given me a lovely review quote for my YA novel, but I hasten to add that this isn’t because she and I are great mates! I’ve never met her, and the reason she read my book was that I’m such a huge fan of hers I asked my publisher to send her one. I never thought she’d read it, I just thought it would be really cool to think that she had a copy.

Anyway, the point is, she’s my favourite YA writer.  I’ve loved all her books and Optimists Die First was no exception (and what a fab title!). I love books that are firmly character-based, where the characters are so beautifully drawn and endearing that you really don’t need to add an explosion or a melodramatic vampire every three pages to keep readers hooked. Nielsen’s characters grab you from the first page and stay with you.

Which isn’t to say there’s no plot. Her books deal with some serious issues and heavy stuff – I think every one of them features the aftermath of a death – and they deal with it well, but still manage to be light and funny, which is a skill I really admire. They’re the sort of books where you laugh the whole way through and then find yourself crying at the end (how does she do that!). They’re beautifully written and she’s brilliant at making you feel for the characters without adding an ounce of unnecessary sentiment. There’s absolutely no mush – the tagline of Optimists Die First, ‘A Love Story for Cynics’ is very apt.

In this latest book, Petula’s family is imploding since the death of her little sister. She believes she is responsible for the accident that killed Maxine and is now completely obsessed with calculating the risk of death in any given situation and avoiding it. Unfortunately, this means avoiding living her life too. She has adopted pessimism as a survival strategy, which is working fine until she meets optimist Jacob – the mysterious ‘bionic man’ – in her therapy group.  

As well as being a love story between two characters we care about, there’s plenty of comedy in the shape of cat videos, truly awful counsellors, and quirky minor characters who all have poignant stories of their own.

I’ve been sharing Nielsen’s books with my teen writing group (13-16s) and they all love them, boys and girls, younger and older. In fact, I asked one of them for a quote for this review:

Sophia (13) on Optimists Die First: “Relatable and heart wrenching”

I couldn’t have put it better.

Kelly McCaughrain is a YA writer and her debut title Flying Tips for Flightless Birds will be out in March 2018 from Walker Books. Visit her at www.KellyMcCaughrain.com. @kmccaughrain

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THE HOUSE OF EYES by Patricia Elliott .....reviewed by Adèle Geras

Once again, full disclosure. When I review a book, I often have to confess to knowing the writer. In this case, it's even worse. I first met Patricia when she was a student on a Ty Newydd writing course which I taught jointly with the much-missed Jan Mark. Even back then, and it was a long time ago, Patricia was obviously going to be a successful writer and since then, she has gone on to produce many wonderful books,  my favourites of which are MURKMERE and  THE DEVIL IN THE CORNER.

In HOUSE OF EYES, the intended audience is younger. It's what the Americans call Middle Grade. Any good reader of about eight and up would love it and there are not enough books being written for this age group.  Because I'm passionate about introducing younger readers to historical fiction and because I'm convinced that reading historical fiction at an early age can have nothing but good effects, I'm happy  to be able to welcome Connie Carew, our intrepid heroine, who will, if the promise of the title is fulfilled, be having lots of mysterious adventures in the future. This is reassuring. If there's one thing that avid young readers like, it's the idea that the books they enjoy are part of a series of stories which isn't going to run out any time soon. 

This first story is enjoyable from beginning to end. We start with a plan of the house in Alfred Place West, where Connie lives with her aunts Dorothea and Sylvie and her horrible step-uncle, Harold Thurston. Connie wants to be an archaeologist and is forever trying to visit the British Museum. Her horrible step-uncle is Up to No Good...we suspect  this almost from the beginning,  but it takes Connie some time to reveal the depths of his nastiness, in a climax which is most satisfying and exciting.

There's a tragedy in the background here. Ida, Dorothea's daughter,  disappeared when she was very small and is assumed to be dead. Dorothea is bereft and the story begins when she visits a medium in order to get in touch with her dead daughter. Shortly after that, a young woman called Ida turns up looking for a housemaid's job at Alfred Place West....is she the real Ida, miraculously restored, or is she an imposter, after the fortune that awaits her?

 There is romance here, and excitement and even though the story is for younger readers, Elliott doesn't gloss over the nastier side of Victorian exploitation of the bereaved. The whole world of mediums and charlatans is very well evoked. All the characters who interest us are brought vividly to life, especially the aunts and nasty uncle Harold with his creaky whalebone corsets. 

Elliott writes so well that it's hard to pick out any passage to quote. She has a light touch and there's humour everywhere in this book. Here she describes Connie's  rather sceptical reaction the séance:
"Aunt Sylvie  was sitting up half the night to watch for a ghostly girl to float in through her bedroom door. But to Connie the girl had seemed very much alive, despite her strangely luminous frock." That 'despite' is a period touch  of the lightest possible kind.

Connie's piano teacher, Arthur, is described thus: "He had long thin fingers and the rest of him was long and thin as well......his ankles and wrists protruded, knobbly but elegant." Arthur is visible to every reader and we love him, because of that subtly-placed "elegant" and which contrasts humorously with  "knobbly." It's very high quality writing indeed and it pervades the whole book.

I hope this novel reaches the audience it deserves. It's funny, exciting, well-written and has a proper plot and structure.....not something you can depend on finding in a book,  but which is immensely satisfying whenever you find it. This is a delightful book  which I enjoyed enormously.   Do try it!


Published by Hodder Children's Books in paperback.
ISBN: 9781444924695
£6.99

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Anything That Isn't This by Chris Priestley review by Dawn Finch

First the blurb...

Seventeen-year-old Frank Palp lives in a grim little apartment, in a grim little building, in an exceedingly grim city. This is a city full of contradictions, and Frank is no exception. He mostly hates his life, he definitely hates the ludicrous city he is forced to live in and he absolutely with complete certainty hates the idiots he's surrounded by . . . and yet he is in love. A love so pure and sparkling and colourful, Frank feels sure it is 'meant to be'. His love is a reward for all the terrible grey that he is surrounded by - which would be great, if the girl in question knew he existed. And then one day, the perfect sign lands in his lap. A message, in a bottle. A wish, for 'anything that isn't this'. The girl who wrote this is surely his soulmate - and now he just needs to find her.

Frank is as grim as the city in which he lives and is a rather pretentious self-obsessed teenager. (That sounds terrible - stick with me....) He lives under the cold grip of The Grey which he feels sucks the colour and life out of the world. He grumpily blunders through his life feeling that he has no choice, no control and no options. He hates everyone, and the people around him are gradually losing patience with him as his life is slipping past. Then he finds those glorious words that someone else wishes for "anything that isn't this" and he sees a glimmer of light at the end of the Grey tunnel.

This book is, quite frankly (no pun intended) one of the best books I've read this year. The tale of Frank, his life and his family is curiously compelling and the book is impossible to put down. I was reminded of classics such as Peake's Gormenghast, and even Walpole's Castle of Otranto, such is the detail of the Castle and the City that dominates Frank's life.

The book is visually stunning too as the text is supported by Priestley's own illustrations. These inky images drive home the chilling and suffocating atmosphere of Frank's world and provide more than just support to the text. They are an important element in the delivery of the story and I'd love to see more of them. In fact this would make an extraordinary graphic novel or animation, and I very much hope that someone is considering doing just that.

I have read all of Priestley's books, and I feel that this is his finest work to date. I am very envious of its effortless flow, cool style and Gothic elegance. In fact I only have one complaint - Chris, don't introduce me to something as completely fabulous as invisible lizards and then only give me a little bit! More lizards please.

Anything That Isn't This is published by Hot Key Books 

• ISBN-10: 1471404641

Reviewed by Dawn Finch

YA author, librarian (President of CILIP) and CWIG committee member

@dawnafinch

www.dawnfinch.com

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SMUGGLER'S KISS by Marie-Louise Jensen. Reviewed by Ann Turnbull.

A runaway teenage girl, smugglers, romance, humour and secrets - Marie-Louise Jensen's latest novel has them all.  Her story is set around the windswept coastline of Dorset, which she describes so well that the narrative seems borne along on the movement of wind and waves.

The story begins in 1720, when fifteen-year-old Isabelle tries to drown herself and is rescued by the crew of a smugglers' ship, The Invisible.  The smugglers are forced to keep her on board for fear of being betrayed to the Revenue men.  But Isabelle is a lady, accustomed to being looked after by servants.  Spoilt and arrogant, she infuriates nearly everyone - and in particular Will, a mysterious young man who has the bearing of a gentleman, yet dresses like the other rough men and is clearly a key member of the crew.  Gradually Isabelle grows stronger and more self-reliant as Will and the captain involve her in helping with their dangerous trade; and she develops more sympathy for the harsh lives of the men, who turn to smuggling in the winter season to keep their families from starvation.  She also discovers a kinder side to Will - but their burgeoning romance still involves plenty of sparring.

The story is full of social detail from the 18th Century.  Cross-dressing girls are common in fiction, but few are as shocked and ashamed as Isabelle when she's obliged to wear men's breeches - not only used and unwashed, but in a working-man's style far below her social station.  Realistic, too, is Will's response to being 'winged' by a bullet while escaping from the Revenue officers.  Like all heroes, he says it's "only a nick" - but he bleeds heavily, turns faint, and has to lie low for a day to recover.

The secrets carried by Will and Isabelle reveal the unsavoury side of Georgian high society, in which rich men might be venturers in the contraband trade and women were chattels.  Although it touches on some very dark issues, there is nothing unsuitable here for readers of eleven or twelve upwards, and the romance is exciting but chaste.

The gradual revelation of secrets, combined with the smuggling drama, made me unwilling to put this story down, and nothing much got done around the house until I'd finished it.

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Bird of Passage by Catherine Czerkawska

Bird of Passage by Catherine Czerkawska

Reviewer: Susan Price

Category: Adult fiction

          I was three-quarters of the way through this book – or even more – before it dawned on me that it was Wuthering Heights in modern dress.  I was tipped off by a couple of sly and amusing references to twigs tapping on windows and ghosts, and by the hero disappearing for twenty years and then returning a rich man.

          It’s not a re-telling, though – it’s a re-imagining.  A dialogue with the older book, if you like.  It asks, would the same story, the same deathless love, be possible in the modern age, and if so, how?

Catherine Czerkawska

          Even so, if I’d known before I began it, I probably would never have read it, and that would have been a shame.  It would have been my loss – but I’ve read enough self-conscious and unconvincing rewrites of classics to ensure that they’re never something I’m eager to pick up.  However, I’m glad I did download this to my e-reader and click it open, because it’s excellent – as are the other books I’ve read by Catherine Czerkawska:  A Quiet Afternoon in the Museum of Torture and The Curiosity Cabinet.

          Bird of Passage begins on an isolated farm on the Isle of Skye, in the 1960s.  Every year, bands of Irish ‘tattie-howkers’ arrive for the potato harvest, and one year Finn O’Malley comes with them.  He is too young for the back-breaking work, and an elderly farmer is concerned for him, and takes him under his wing, inviting him back to his house to feed him up, and taking him fishing to give him a rest.

          The farmer has a granddaughter, Kirsty, on whom he dotes.  She’s an only child, lonely at the farm, and strikes up a friendship with Finn which persists through the years, as he returns again and again to the harvest.  By the time sex enters the scene, they have forged a close emotional bond that even years of separation cannot loosen; and, as an adult, Kirsty retains an understanding of Finn which others, kept at a distance by his silence, never reach.

          I’ll confess here that I’ve never actually finished Wuthering Heights.  While admiring the down-to-earth reality of its earlier chapters, I’ve always lost interest once it moved on to the next generation.  As far as I’m concerned, it’s one of the classics we love and avoid today.  But I finished Bird of Passage.

Tattie-howkers

          Couldn't have put it down.
          For one, I found both Finn and Kirsty far more engaging characters than Heathcliffe and Cathy.  Kirsty is a bright and loveable child when we first meet her: the sheltered, adored darling of her mother and grandfather.  She can’t understand Finn’s withdrawn and touchy nature and merrily, touchingly, tries to draw him out.  She’s read the ‘Chalet School’ books and, hearing that Finn attends ‘a boarding school’ in Ireland, questions him about dorm feasts.  In reality Finn is a near-prisoner in an ‘industrial school’ for the children of ‘unfit mothers’, staffed by monks.  Things go on in dormitories at night, but not midnight feasts.

The Curiosity Cabinet

          Because we know more of Finn’s background than we do of Heathcliffe’s, we understand him more.  We can see why he is withdrawn, wary and silent.  Nor does he simply vanish before returning a rich man – we know exactly where he’s been, what he’s been doing and how he got that money.  We also understand why he hasn’t changed.  Though I know many Heathcliffe fans won’t agree with me, I’ve often felt that Heathcliffe should be clipped round the ear with a rolled newspaper and told to lose the Byronic pose – whereas with Finn, I knew exactly what he was struggling with and how hard it was.

          I was convinced, moved and impressed by Bird of Passage. It says that, yes, undying love for another, unrelenting absorption in another, is possible in these days of computers and motorbikes.  (Guess who rides the motorbike in leathers: go on, guess.)  But, although it’s possible, you may not want to pay the price.

          Whether you love Wuthering Heights or not, if you enjoy an involving, beautifully written book, you’ll enjoy Bird of Passage.

 Bird of Passage by Catherine Czerkawska can be found here.

Susan Price is an award winning author, and has recently published several ebooks.
She blogs here: http://susanpricesblog.blogspot.co.uk/

Susan Price also contributes to Do Authors Dream of Electric Books? 

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