Volcano Boy - Libby Hathorn

Volcano Boy isn't the kind of book I normally read, and nor would I usually put this kind of book on here either. Volcano Boy is a free-flow, verse or prose poem.

'A real volcano boy,' his mother had called him.

Placed in the custody of his puritanical but well-meaning Uncle Frank, Alexander moves from Brisbane to volcano-circled Rabaul in Papua New Guinea. There the dark powers of the rumbling volcano call to him as irresistibly as the dark eyes of Alice, his newfound love. Alexander records his experiences in a moving, candid journal that surfaces many years after the volcano's fury has settled to ash.

Volcano Boy is beautifully written, and Hathorn is a beautiful writer. Her adult works have been adapted for stage and screen, as well as for opera and online. Volcano Boy is, however, her first verse novel for young adults such as myself. She doesn't disappoint, however, as Volcano Boy is a moving, touching novel that captures brilliantly the feeling of teenage years; the conflict, the emotion, the frustration and the need to be important and to mean something to somebody.

A quote directly from the book -
She's been in my room,
young Alice-
shifted my paintings,
riffled through my notes,
I know it.
But she hasn't found this diary-
thoughts about her

As you can see, although it is in verse form, it carries a heavy plot easily, and twists and turns and shifts in front of your eyes as easily as a narrative or a recount. The first section of the book is written as a letter, addressed to someone we will never know, as he's not mentioned, except as 'H'. It talks about a man, a writer, in Rabaul. He finds Alexander's diary with a proprieter, who explains that she found it in the ash outside after the September 1994 eruption.

Now, I'm not going to give away too much of the plot, as I really think you should read this, but I will tell you about the characters.

Alexander is depicted as your typical teenage boy - frustrated with his parents and his Uncle, and his Uncle's 'other fat friends'. He feels like he loves Alice, and wants to be with her, but he's scared. Completely terrified of the things he's never felt before. He makes friends, and gives in to the desire I think most of us feel - to want to keep his friends all to himself and let no one else near them - and thus alienates himself. Hathorn portrays all of this brilliantly, and it is easy to see how she has won so many awards.

Alice is harder to get a handle on. She and her mother clean Alexander and his Uncle's house, and she is very much the demure female. She also feels that she loves Alexander, and, in the traditional crushing-teenage-girl style, she spies on him and goes through his things in order to try and find out more about him. She then proceeds to watch him through doorways, but runs away when he tries to talk to her.

As I said, Hathorn is a brilliant writer, and as her debut novel into the young-adult genre, Volcano Boy is worth reading. It's the kind of book that you think you understand when you finish it the first time, but when you re-read it, you walk away thinking, 'Wow, that's deeper than I first thought...'

It's a good book, the perfect length for a verse novel. I finished it in about 3 hours, so it's perfect for a plane flight or extended car trip. I highly recommend it.

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

- sequel to The Hunger Games -
(mentioned August)

Catching Fire is the breathtaking sequel to The Hunger Games, and is just as good as if not better than it. Catching Fire is about Katniss and Peeta's return to District 12, and their attempt at returning to a normal life in the Victor's Village.

The blurb reads -

Katniss Everdeen survived the hunger games. Now the capitol wants revenge.

Katniss and Peeta's lives are torn apart once again, when the next year's games are announced. It's the 75th year of the games, and therefore a Quell, or something special. The last Quell, all the animals and food where poison to eat, and double the amount of tributes was required. This year, President Snow announces that the tributes will be pulled from the current victors. Katniss is shattered.

On top of all this, Gale confesses his love for her, however she is still conflicted over what she feels for Peeta, and now for Gale.

The pre-games training is very different from the year before, with Haymitch encouraging the pair to make as many friends as they possibly can, effectivly making them 'Careers'.

Catching Fire is a middle book, with the third and final installment coming soon. As with all middle books, Catching Fire is not as grabbing as The Hunger Games, or as breathtaking as the third is set to be, however is a space-filler, or a set up for the final book. However, Collins is a brilliant writer and Catching Fire is brilliantly written all the same. However, not to be read without first reading The Hunger Games.

Kiss of Life - Daniel Waters

- Sequel to Generation Dead (mentioned August) -

This is a stunningly written book, which frequently switches between character POV in 3rd person limited. It differs from Generation Dead by including a differently biotic's opinion, Adam's, as well as Phoebe's and Pete's.

The blurb reads -

When Phoebe's best friend Adam takes a bullet for her, it proves everyone right - Adam is in love with her. And now that he's come back to life, Phoebe's more important than ever. A zombie can come back from death faster if they're loved - and kissed... which means Phoebe has to say goodbye to Tommy Williams, the other zombie in her life.

While coaxing Adam back to reality and fending off Tommy's advances, Phoebe tries to carry on as normal. But what's normal when teenagers are rising from the dead and scores of others want nothing more than to send them back to their graves? And does having a zombie boyfrind make Phoebe a target too?

It turns out that Adam is a 'slow learner' when it comes to regaining his life, and it makes Phoebe wonder what she's doing wrong, bringing to the forefront her insecurites and self-doubts. Tommy is still trying to get back together with her, and she blows him off, making herself feel so guilty as she still feels for him, but she feels that she has an obligation to Adam because he sacrificed his life for her.

When Tommy leaves to 'spread his message' about America's undead population, everything goes to hell. Takayuki, Popeye and George begin to stage pranks, trying to intimidate the 'beating hearts' as they now call trad people.

In addition to that, Pete Martinsburgh is ordered 200 hundred hours of community service and 1 year of councilling for killing Adam Layman. His community service is to be served at the same foundation that the differently biotic class for Phoebe, Karen, Adam, Margi, Collette and it's new additions Melissa and Cooper (Coop).

He is serving under Duke Davinson, who is the janitor-of-sorts of the foundation. Duke introduces Pete to the world of crime, including grave-robberies dressed up as Takayuki and gang, and capturing it on film, and then staging the murder of Pete's lawyer, also dressed as Takayuki.

Takayuki, George, Popeye, Karen and Melissa are caught pulling another prank. George makes a sudden movement to protect Melissa, and the police gun him down. The other zombies make a break for it, but Karen is reterminated. The government make it illegal to be differently biotic, and all zombies without a responsible parent are taken into custody.

The remaining zombies evacuate Haunted House, going 'underground', as they call it. They ask Adam to go with them, however Phoebe arrives at the last moment and begs him not to go.

This book is brilliantly written, capturing emotions and atmosphere so well it feels like you're walking along beside the characters, living their lives for them. Waters has done it again, with another stunner spin-off of the traditional zombie genre.

Knife - RJ Anderson

Knife is a beautifully-written twist on the typical fairy/faery/fury tale. It's written in 3rd person POV, and is very unusual. It's main character is named Knife, originally Bryony. As a young fairy, she meets the youngest member of the human family living near the oak tree she calls her home.

Knife has been raised to fear going outside the oak, and her mother of sorts, Wink, is terrified of humans. However, Knife is a unruly little fairy who, as she grows up, wishes to leave the oak as often as she can.

Her chosen career path is 'Hunter', and she is apprenticed to Thorn. This thrills her, as it means she is free to leave the oak as often as she wishes, and is not bound by the rules and restrictions of the reast of the fairy-folk.

The blurb reads -

Knife woke in a cold sweat, the torn edge of her wing sizzling with pain. How long had she lain unconscious? Her worst fears had come to pass: she was trapped, flightless, a prisoner. The humands had put her in a box, and now they had come to torment her...

When Knife ventures near the human's yard, she sees Paul again, only this time he is a fully grown man, paraplegic from a rowing accident and in a wheelchair. She continues to go back to the house, until one day he captures her, and puts her in a shoebox in the cupboard.

When she wakes, she escapes, but is attacked by his cat. Paul saves her, and she enters into a grudging friendship with him. He introduces her to his love; art. They quickly become good friends, with Knife sneaking out of the oak to see him more and more.

When Knife's good friend Campion gets a disease called the 'Silence', Knife is forced to question truths she has never before questioned about her culture, and her Queen. She enlists Paul to help her, and uncovers flaws in her people, as well as her love for him. At first she thinks that this is unnatural, and rejects her feelings, but upon reading the journals of her ancestors, she discovers that she is mearly walking their path, and that her people had forgotten their history.

Knife is a delicately written story of love, betrayal, depression and mystery. It's brilliantly written, with plot twists every second page. The characters undergo great characterization, and the plot thickens beautifully.

The Raging Quiet - Sherryl Jordan

Sherryl Jordan is a brilliant writer who has written numerous Young Adult books, including this one, and Time of The Eagle. Jordan has won numerous awards, including an IBBY honour in 2002 for The Raging Quiet.

The Raging Quiet is a moving story about human cruelty and love. The main character is Marnie, a sixteen-year-old girl from a large, poor family. Her family live on land provided by a rich land-owner, who, in exchange for land to work and live on, requires all members of the family sixteen and over to work on their land every day. Marnie's father does this in the beginning of the book, however when he is 'cursed' and becomes paraplegic, Marnie, being the oldest in her family, takes most of the work on the landowner's farm.

When a manager-of-sorts takes a dislike to Marnie, and seeks to discredit her, so as to make her loose her family home, she is forced to marry the much older (as in, his youngest daughter is older than her) landowner's sun, Isake.

Isake takes Marnie to live in a remote village, where he promptly dies.

The blurb reads -

Marnie and Raver are both oustsiders. Each is set apart from the community around them: Marnie because she is a newcomer, having been brought to the seaside village by her new - and much older - husband; and Raver because he is the village lunatic.

The distrust surrounding Marnie increases when her husband suddenly dies. Her subsequent isolation pushes her towards Raver - and an important discovery: the villagers have mistaken his deafness for madness.

The two outsiders soon develop a rudimentary sign language. But their precious new friendship is cut short when the villagers misconstrue their strange, private communication, and put Marnie on trial for witchcraft...

This book is brilliant, however a more mature style of reader is needed as there are some adult themes, although nothing is described. If you must compare the maturity level needed to read this book, liken it to Stephanie Meyer's 'Breaking Dawn', and the honeymoon scene.

Published by Simon and Schuster, this book comes highly recommended by America's 'The Daily Telegraph', and 'TES'.

Can you tell I like this book?

Skinned - Robin Wasserman

Skinned is a book set in the near future, in America, as usual. The main character's name is Lia Kahn, who lives in a world of cloning and T-shirts that flicker between messages and pictures while still on your body. She is part of the group that sets the trends, and has to work hard to stay on top. But she's happy, with her boyfriend and her little sister who has no fashion sense.

This book has two blurbs, which is rather unusual in modern Young Adult books, and the back blurb reads -

"It's pretty," he said.
It. Meaning me.
"You're pretty," he cauthimself. Too late. "Now. Like this."
"You don't have to lie."
He shifted in the seat. "I guess I just thought you'd look a little more..."
"Like me?" But as soon as I said it, I knew that wasn't what he'd meant. I knew what he'd wanted to say; I knew him too well.
I thought you'd look more... human.

While the inside cover blurb reads -

Some miracles come with a price.
Lia Kahn was perfect: Rich, beautiful, popular - until the accident that nearly killed her. Now she has been downloaded into a new body that only looks human. Lia will never feel pain again, she will never age, and she can't ever truly die. But she is also rejected by her friends, betrayed by her boyfriend, and alienated from her old life.
Forced to the fringes of society, Lia joins others like her. but they are looked at as freaks. They are hated... and feared. They are everything but human, and according to most people, this is the ultimate crime, for which they must pay the ultimate price.

Lia is terribly unhappy, hates her life even. In her rehabilitation after the accident while learning to use her new body, she learns that her family regrets bringing her back, and that her life is no longer worth living.

Then she meets Auden. He's a traditional boy, who thinks she's gorgeous. She hates him, but he hangs around anyways.

For exclusive content on Skinned, visit www.behindthepulse.com/skinned

The Last Vampire (The Last Vampire/Black Blood) - Christoper Pike

This book is in fact, two books. As are all the book in this series of which there are three. So six books in total. It's about a 500 000 year old vampire who goes by many names, but is introduced in the first book as Alisa Perne.

The setting is, as always, America present day.

The first book, The Last Vampire, is mainly about establishing character relationships, especially between Alisa and Ray, a high school teenage boy, who, at the begginning of the book, is in a relationship with Patty, a fellow teenager.

The blurb for both books reads -

Beautiful, strong, dangerous, deadly. Alisa Perne is not your average teenager. Alisa has lived for 5000 years. She has endured heartbreak, betrayal and near death - enough for several lifetimes. now Alisa is living in the 21st century, ready to take on an ancient and powerful enemy. She will do whatever it takes to protect herself and her secret, even if that means destroying the people she loves.
For Alisa, human weakness must be battled against. The last vampire, will not die...

This is a good book, though Alisa is portrayed as a little of a snob, with designer clothing and a taste for human blood.

Strange Angels - Lili St. Crow

Strange Angels is the first book in Lili St. Crow's gripping series. The second book; Betrayals, is set to come out in November of 2009.

Strange Angels is a brilliantly written book aobut Dru Anderson, who is a sixteen-year-old girl who's father is a demon hunter. When he doesn't come home alive one night, Dru flees.

It seems that everyone she meets she drags into her world of chaos and death, including her new friend Graves, who is part wulf. Which is once again her fault.

The blurb reads -

Dad? Zombie
Mum? Long gone.
Me? Well, that's the scary part.
The Real World is a frightening place. Just ask sixteen-year-old orphan Dru Anderson, a tough girl wh ohas taken down her fair share of bad guys. She's armed, dangerous, and ready to kill first and ask questions later. So it's gonna take her a while to figure out who she can trust...

Dru Anderson has been 'strange' for as long as she can remember, traveling from town to town with her father to hunt the things that go bump in the night. It's a weird life, but a good one - until it all explodes in an icy, broken-down Dakota town, when a hungry zombie busts through her kitchen door. Alone, terrified and trapped, Drus going to need every ince of her wit and training to stay alive. The monsters have decided to hunt back - and this time, Dru's on their menu. Chances of survival? Slim to none.

If she can't last until sunup, its game over.

Set in Dakota, America of present day, Crow has done a brilliant job of capturing this intricate story line, along with typical teenage insecurities.

Strange Angels is brilliantly written, however if you're not a fan of horror/adventure/action novels, it may loose some of it's interest.

*Some tips for reading the book.*
Dru's grandmother is dead
Dru is tuned in to supernatural energies, and can see things other people cannot.