Once a Monster by Robert Dinsdale (audiobook)

Pages: 512

Narrator: Justin Avoth

Publisher: Macmillan

Released: 21st of September 2023 

London, 1861: Ten-year-old Nell belongs to a crew of mudlarks who work a stretch of the Thames along the Ratcliffe Highway. An orphan since her mother died four years past, leaving Nell with only broken dreams and a pair of satin slippers in her possession, she spends her days dredging up coals, copper and pieces of iron spilled by the river barges – searching for treasure in the mud in order to appease her master, Benjamin Murdstone.

But one day, Nell discovers a body on the shore. It’s not the first corpse she’s encountered, but by far the strangest. Nearly seven feet tall, the creature has matted hair covering his legs, and on his head are the suggestion of horns. Nell’s fellow mudlarks urge her to steal his boots and rifle his pockets, but as she ventures closer the figure draws breath – and Nell is forced to make a decision which will change her life forever...

What I Have to Say 

I liked this book a lot, but it wasn't special to me in the way that the Toymakers was. The Toymakers tore out my heart and left me thinking about it for years after, but this one didn't have the same effect as much as I wanted it to. 

I love Dinsdale's characters so much. Obviously the complicated character of Minos is noteworthy, as he's the central character in the book. His complexity the nice man who befriends Nell and the monster hidden deep deep inside are constantly at war. But actually my favourite character was Nell. Her story of learning what's right and how to stand up against Murdstone who doesn't have her, and certainly not Minos', best interests at heart. I loved her journey and her absolute faith in Minos. 

The narrator was good, but not noteworthy. I liked the voice that he did for Minos, as it combined the man and the monster really well together and gave hints about his character, but other than that, none of the characters voices really stood out for me. 

I definitely want to read some more of Dinsdale's novels because I did enjoy this a lot, but I'm sad it wasn't as good as the Toymakers. 

3.5 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Macmillan for providing me with a gifted copy of this audiobook for review. 

The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix

Pages: 416 

Publisher: Gollancz 

Released: 23rd of March 2023 

There is often trouble of a mythical sort in Bath. The booksellers who police the Old World keep a careful watch there, particularly on the entity who inhabits the ancient hot spring. Yet this time it is not from Sulis Minerva that trouble starts. It comes from the discovery of a sorcerous map, leading left-handed bookseller Merlin into great danger. A desperate rescue is attempted by his sister the right-handed bookseller Vivien and their friend, art student Susan Arkshaw, who is still struggling to deal with her own recently discovered magical heritage.

The map takes the trio to a place separated from this world, maintained by deadly sorcery performed by an ancient sovereign and guarded by monstrous living statues of Portland Stone. But this is only the beginning, as the booksellers investigate centuries of disappearances and deaths and try to unravel the secrets of the murderous Lady of Stone, a serial killer of awesome powers.

If they do not stop her, she will soon kill again. And this time, her target is not an ordinary mortal.

What I Have to Say 

I'm really enjoying this series. The characters are fantastic, the story has enough twists an turns to make the ending unexpected without making it seem too far out and it has wonderful pop culture references that make the 80s setting pop with life. 

Merlin is a fantastic character. His quirky fashion sense, unpredictability and hints and gender fluidity come together to form a character who I very quickly came to love. Along with Susan and Vivien, he fends off threats that come after them. 

Parts of this book took place in Bath, as you can tell from the title and it really did well to show off the wonderful bits of a city I love. I loved reading about bits of the city I knew, though it left me desperately craving Sally Lunn's buns! 

If you haven't started this series yet, I would really recommend you do so ASAP! 

4 stars 

My thanks go to Gollancz and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for review. 

The Elemental Detectives by Patrice Lawrence (audio)

Pages: 432 

Publisher: Bolinda Audio 

Released: 1st of September 2023 

A stunningly imagined, action-packed fantasy adventure for fans of Nevermoor, Neverwhere and Mortal Engines, from bestselling and award-winning author Patrice Lawrence.

Step into a London lit up by the Elemental spirits: the fiery Dragons, the airy Fumis, the watery Chads and the earthbound Magogs. But humans have been causing chaos for centuries, trampling through the landscape trailing noise, mess and pollution. What if the Elements could slow down this new world... or stop it all together?

The revenge-fuelled Shepherdess, who moves between the everyday and the supernatural London worlds, is the perfect weapon. She brings a sleeping sickness down on the city with the destruction of society in her sights. Marisee and Robert are the Elemental Detectives chasing the clues to avoid catastrophe: they must face the ghosts of Hyde Park, the monstrous coiled snake of the Serpentine, and a whole host of other fantastical creatures in their mission to stop the Shepherdess and prevent London slumbering for all eternity...

Big, bold, future classic storytelling for a new generation.

A London where magic sparks just beneath the surface - this book is set to ignite young imaginations.

The page-turning, empowering, heart-racing first book in a major new series.

 What I Have To Say 

I enjoyed this, but it's not what I expected from the title. I expected more of a whodunnit mystery with the characters investigating whereas this was more of a adventure story where they had an adventure and solved the mystery on the way. It's a shame because I would have enjoyed it more if I'd know what I was getting in for, but oh well. 

The characters were great but obviously, I was more interested in the elemental characters than the human ones. The fumis were my favourite. I loved the way they were named and the suggestions of their language. I really want to see more of them in the next book. 

All in all, I think this was a good start to a series. I definitely want to see more of these books. 

 

3.5 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Bolinda Audio for providing me with this copy for review. 

London, With Love by Sarra Manning

Pages: 432

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton 

Released:  5th of May 2022 

London. Nine million people. Two hundred and seventy tube stations. Every day, thousands of chance encounters, first dates, goodbyes and happy ever afters.

And for twenty years it's been where one man and one woman can never get their timing right.

Jennifer and Nick meet as teenagers and over the next two decades, they fall in and out of love with each other. Sometimes they start kissing. Sometimes they're just friends. Sometimes they stop speaking, but they always find their way back to each other.

But after all this time, are they destined to be together or have they finally reached the end of the line? 

What I Have to Say 

I love Sarra Manning, but this book just didn't do it for me. It's a pity because Sarra Manning really helped me get back into reading and therefore reviewing, so I wish I'd liked this more and could give it a better review. It was well done and well executed, I think I just didn't like the relationship and in the end if you don't like the central relationship a romance book will always fall flat. 

I did like however the descriptions of London and the tube stations. I use the tube a lot when I'm in London so it instantly made the setting feel familiar to me even at the stations I hadn't been in and as it started in a time before I was born. 

Manning also did a superb job at depicting the disasters of 9/11 and the tube bombings. The 9/11 chapter was harrowing and emotional, everything you'd expect from a depiction of such a tragic event and was handled sensitively and well. The tube bombing chapters focused more on the pulling together of Londoners and Nick and Jennifer's reunion and were much lighter to read, but without shying away from the events of that day. 

My only real complaint about the book was that we never found out what happened to Priya. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for providing me with this copy for review. 

Agatha Oddly: Murder at the Museum by Lena Jones

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 320 

Publisher: Harper Collins Children's Books 

Released: 7th March 2019 

A second mystery for thirteen-year-old Agatha Oddly – a bold, determined heroine, and the star of this stylish new detective series.

Agatha Oddlow’s set to become the youngest member of the Gatekeepers’ Guild, but before that, she’s got a mystery to solve!

There’s been a murder at the British Museum and, although the police are investigating, Agatha suspects that they’re missing a wider plot going on below London – a plot involving a disused Tube station, a huge fireworks display, and five thousand tonnes of gold bullion… 

What I Have to Say 

A lovely new voice to the MG detective scene! Though this was the second in the series, it still gave a really nice introduction to the characters. I don't normally like coming into a series on the second book, but this one just really worked for me. I might go back and read the first book at some point, but there was enough detail in the book to catch me up with what happened. 

I loved Agatha's character a lot. I loved how she liked fashion and looking good alongside codebreaking and investigating. Often girls who are active and adventurous in children's book are made into tomboys and are given less feminine-attributes so it was really good to see that Agatha was allowed to be feminine alongside her dectectiving. I also loved her friend Brianna who was more of a sciencey-girl and helped Agatha out with the science side of her investigations. I loved her style too. I'm not sure what she was like in the first book, because I know she was a popular girl in the Chic Clique , but in this book she was awesome. 

I also really liked how detailed it went into Agatha's code breaking when she was working through the tests for the Gatekeeper's Guild. It made me really want to learn how to code break and send secret messages for my friends. 

This is definitely a book for any fan of MG detective so if you have a murder-mystery obsessed kid or just want to investigate Agatha's world yourself, go pick up this book or the first in the series! 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Harper Collins for providing me with this free copy for review. 

Songs About a Boy by Chris Russell

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 400

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Released: 2nd of August 2018 

Just as Charlie allows herself to succumb to Gabe's charms, the explosive revelation about her mother's death threatens to pull them apart.

Meanwhile, a media circus has exploded around the future of Fire&Lights - when they announce a US tour to show the world that they are stronger than ever, Charlie gets the opportunity to accompany them. New York City, here she comes! But it's not all fun and games. Charlie is still feeling all kinds of awkward around Gabe and knowing that her mother's last days were in America touring with her band, Charlie uses the opportunity to uncover some more truths about her mother's death.

As Fire&Lights try to win over the world again, and as Charlie and Gabriel uncover the true story that links their pasts, will Charlie finally be able to follow her heart?

What I Have to Say 

This series has been such a joy to read. There's something about it that makes me feel warm and cosy, each book something to sink into like a nice cosy blanket. It's dramatic and emotional, but it's still like an old friend that you can feel comfortable reading about. I love books like that. It makes reading them a real pleasure. 

I don't know much about One Direction, but I've seen some people calling this One Direction fanfiction. There's nothing wrong with fanfiction at all, but I do feel that calling is really overlooking Charlie, because yes it's a story about Fire and Lights, but more than that, it's Charlie's story. Everything is centred around her and the mystery of her mum. Charlie is such a beautiful character, driven, talented and a really great person. I love how much the band adores her and make her feel like she's a really integral part of the team. 

The band is beautiful. Yuki is wonderful and Aiden too, I really liked. The dynamic of Ollie and Gabriel was a dramatic conflict, but Yuki and Aiden were a really amazing part of the band. 

I love these characters so much and the story was a wild ride of dramatic twists and turns. Chris Russell's habit of ending each book on a sudden twist was frustrating in the best possible way, but I can forgive him for that. 

I can't wait to see what he does next. 

My thanks go Netgalley and Hodder for providing me with this copy for review. 

The Little Cafe in Copenhagen by Julie Caplin

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Pages: 272
Publisher: Harper Impulse
Released: 1st of February 2018

Welcome to the little cafe in Copenhagen where the smell of cinnamon fills the air and the hot chocolate is as smooth as silk.

Publicist Kate Sinclair’s life in London is everything she thought she wanted: success, glamour and a charming boyfriend. Until that boyfriend goes behind her back and snatches a much sought-after promotion from her.Heartbroken and questioning everything, Kate needs to escape.

Leaving behind rush hour and late nights in the office for a city break in beautiful Copenhagen, Kate discovers how to live life ‘the Danish way’. From candles and cosy nights in to the easy smiles of tall, gorgeous Vikings and eating your body weight in pastries (ok, that’s just her), the city offers her a new perspective.

Can the secrets of hygge and happiness lead her to her own happily-ever-after?

What I Have to Say 

This book made me long for a cosy blanket and a nice warm fire with a lovely cup of hot chocolate to while away the night. It made me want to explore Copenhagen and learn more about Hygge. It really did a good job of showing the concept and Kate's reaction to it. 

It delved into the differences between Danish culture and the more work orientated, busy lifestyle of the UK. The difference between a fast paced job in London and a nice little café in Denmark was very clear how very different things were. 

I loved the group dynamic of the journalists who went on the Copenhagen trip, how they were all changed and brought together in different ways by Hygge and the café. Each of the characters were so different and were changed in different ways throughout the books. 

I really can't wait to read the next book and see more of Sophie's story. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Harper Collins for providing me with this copy for review. 

We See Everything by William Sutcliffe

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 304

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books 

Released: 21st of September 2017

Lex lives on The Strip – the overcrowded, closed-off, bombed-out shell of London. He’s used to the watchful enemy drones that buzz in the air above him. 

Alan’s talent as a gamer has landed him the job of his dreams. At a military base in a secret location, he is about to start work as a drone pilot. 

These two young men will never meet, but their lives are destined to collide. Because Alan has just been assigned a high-profile target. Alan knows him only as #K622. But Lex calls him Dad. 

What I Have to Say 

This was another book that just didn't dragged through most of the book. I liked the  setting a lot and it seemed really interesting, but so little happened except at the beginning and end. 

Alan was slightly more interesting than Lex, because it was interesting to see into the mind of someone who is so willing to kill people. It was interesting to see how he justified it to himself and how his world was shaken when it came to Lex. 

Lex however seemed only really to be there to have the romance. It just seemed rather pointless that there wasn't more to the plot like that. 

The ending was good, but I would have liked to see more that happened between the attack and the ending. I would have liked to know what happened to change everything so much. 

This book just disappointed me really and I wish it had been better. 

My thanks go to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for review. 

A Most Magical Girl by Karen Foxlee

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 224

Publisher: Bonnier Zaffre

Released: 8th September 2016 

Magical machines, wizards, witches, mysterious underworlds, a race against time - and two most magical girls.

Annabel Grey has been brought up to be a very proper Victorian young lady. But being 'proper' isn't always easy - especially when you can sometimes see marvellous (as well as terrifying) things in puddles. But parlour tricks such as these are nothing compared to the world that Annabel is about to enter... 

After the rather sudden departure of her mother, Annabel is sent to live with her aunts. They claim to be Shoreditch witches, and from a very old family line of them too. They're keen to introduce Annabel to their world of transformation, potions and flying broomsticks (which seem to have strong personalities of their own) but are horrified when Annabel announces not only does she not know any magic, young ladies shouldn't believe in such things. But before Annabel has time to decide whether she does or not, she is swept into an urgent quest. 

The trees of Highgate have been whispering to Kitty - an extraordinary urchin of a girl, who Annabel's aunts seem very fond of - and so have the fairies. They talk of a terrible, dark magic that wants to devour all of London. And of a most magical girl who might be able to stop it . . . 

What I Have to Say 

This book was the epitome of British quaintness in the most wonderful way. It takes the reader deep into the rules of society in Victorian London and introduces them to the stiff-upper-lip, while also showing a world that is set completely apart from that. It combines this beautiful world with magic and adventure with a useful technique of clearing one's mind and coping with grief and misery. It was beautiful both as a story and an imparting of useful coping strategies to the reader. 

But as wonderful as the setting and way of life was, it felt too rushed. There wasn't enough time to be introduced to the house of the Shoreditch witches before Annabel had to rush off with her broomstick to save the world. It felt like it should have been more than one book. I would have wanted a much more relaxed introduction to the magical world that Annabel is discovering before she had to go off to save the world, perhaps a duology with a cliff-hanger, just something longer 

Besides that, the characters were lively and interesting and I really enjoyed the way it all played out. This was a fantastic read.

My thanks go to Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for providing me with this copy for review. 

No Virgin by Anne Cassidy

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 192

Publisher: Hot Key Books
Released: 3rd of November 2016 

My name is Stacey Woods and I was raped.

Stacey is the victim of a terrible sexual attack. She does not feel able to go to the police, or talk about it to anybody other than her best friend, Patrice. Patrice, outraged, when she cannot persuade her to go to the police, encourages Stacey to write everything down. This is Stacey's story.

What I Have to Say 

This was one of those books that is very hard to read because of the subject matter, while also being so compelling that you don't want to put it down. It showed Stacey's innocence and naivety as her story unfolds but it also shows how much she is overlooked in her life. It interested me a lot how mistreated she was by her sister and how much her talents were undervalued by those around her. 

In a lot of ways it was the simple story of a girl running away and getting into trouble. But it was the background of the story that fascinated me the most. It was the way Stacey was treated by her family and why she ran away that I liked reading about the most. 

This is a very sad story, but it was also very beautifully told with a lot to read into the background. I would love to read more about Stacey and what happens to her after she wrote her story down. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Hot Key Books for providing me with this copy for review. 

A Whisper of Horse by Zillah Bethell

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 368

Publisher: Piccadilly Press

Released: 11th of August 2016 

Serendipity loves horses. No-one in Lahn Dan has ever seen one, apparently they died out before the Gases - but there are statues of them around the city, paintings and drawings too if you know where to look. And there's the little lost wooden horse Mama gave Serendipity when she was little. 

When Mama dies, Seren is taken under the wing of Professor Nimbus, a storyteller. Nimbus is kind and knowledgable, but Seren has started to question the Minister's rule and life beyond the high, impenetrable Emm Twenty-Five wall. Hidden among Mama's few possessions was a map which suggests there is life outside of Lahn Dahn, and a place where horses live and roam freely - out beyond the wall and the Minister's grip. So, with the help of a trader boy called Tab and his little dog Mouse, Serendipity heads into the unknown, searching for the beautiful creatures she's always dreamed of. But the Minister is behind them, determined to hunt her down. . . 

What I Have to Say 

I kind of wanted to see more of this world than we did. I loved Seren's journey to find the horses and how she had to travel through places with people surviving in different ways, but through it all, I was so interesting in Lahn Dahn. I wanted to know more about how things changed from our world to this so controlled society being told lies about how there's no one left outside and they can't leave the city. 

The society was so interesting, how it was divided into these three castes that were vastly different from a financial standpoint. But again, I wanted to know why they were given the names they did. How exactly did it get to the point where the very rich started hoarding all the technology and hoarding themselves away. 

The language both annoyed me and fascinated me. One of my biggest pet peeves in books is when they change names to things like Lahn Dahn to make it such an obvious future setting. But again, I found myself wondering how they got distorted, what process the names went through to be changed in this way. 

So all in all, this book was rather frustrating. It was a lovely story about a girl's search for horses and trying to escape the people trying to track her down and drag her back to Lahn Dahn, but I just wanted so much more information than there was on offer.