Katie McGarry: You’re known for your tough as nails attitude and skater chick fashion sense. Do you have any personal role models/fashion icons you look up to?

Beth Risk: No. My fashion sense is mainly dictated by the amount of money in my non-bank account. Though I do have this love affair with one particular pair of jeans. They’re worn, fit tightly, and I love where each and every rip falls, but my Uncle Scott has banned me from wearing those outside of the house.

Katie McGarry: No matter how much trouble your mother gets herself into, you’re always there for her. If you could wave a magic wand and give her any one thing, what would it be?

Beth Risk: Selfish answer? I wish I could give her the ability to love me more. The way a mom should. With life turning out as it has, I realize that I deserve better than what I’ve received from her.

Katie McGarry: Noah and Isaiah have been amazing friends to you in Louisville. When you were a young girl, Lacy was your best friend. Is there anything you missed about having a girl best friend after you left Groveton?

Beth Risk: At first, no. Noah and Isaiah were everything that I needed so I wasn’t interested in any other type of friendship, but Lacy is different. Noah and Isaiah don’t talk about a lot of things, like emotions. And while I’m not real big on it either, sometimes it’s nice to have someone who’ll discuss more than cars.

Katie McGarry: Do you think you’ll ever become friends with Echo?

Beth Risk: Yes. No. Maybe. Probably. Noah loves her and she loves him. I understand that now. She scared me when she popped into the picture. I finally had a family with Noah and Isaiah and everything began to change when Noah fell for her. Echo and I will figure our crap out sooner or later since we both care for Noah.

Katie McGarry: What’s your favorite childhood memory of Scott?

Beth Risk: Playing baseball. He taught me how to throw and hit a ball. I stunk at it, but Scott didn’t care. I just liked spending time with him and I think he liked spending time with me as well.

Katie McGarry: Describe your first impression of Ryan in five words. 

Beth Risk: Jock, arrogant, hot, built, conceited.

Katie McGarry: If you had grown up in a house like Ryan’s, how would your life be different right now?

Beth Risk: It’s hard to imagine not growing up like I have. I guess I’d be more like Ryan or Lacy. You know, use a few less cuss words, possibly be nice to most people. Not question everyone’s motives as to why they’re talking to me or being nice. As hard as things have been, I’m happy with my road. I have people like Isaiah and Noah in my life. That’s not worth trading.

Katie McGarry: What would be your ideal date with Ryan?

Beth Risk: I love hanging out with Ryan near the pond at the back field of his father’s farm. We lie on the grass and stare at the sky for hours. I just like the feel of his body next to mine.

Katie McGarry: If you had to describe your experience moving to Groveton and meeting Ryan with one song, what would it be? 

Beth Risk: “F**kin’ Perfect” by P!nk is a great song for the overall experience. If I had to pick a song for Ryan and me, I’d say it’s “Broken Arrow” by Rod Stewart.

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• Title: Invisibility
• Author: Andrea Cremer and David Levithan
• Publisher: Penguin
• ISBN: 9780141348872

Synopsis

Stephen is used to invisibility. He was born that way. Invisible. Cursed.

Elizabeth sometimes wishes for invisibility. When you’re invisible, no one can hurt you. So when her mother decides to move the family to New York City, Elizabeth is thrilled. It’s easy to blend in there.

Then Stephen and Elizabeth meet. To Stephen’s amazement, she can see him. And to Elizabeth’s amazement, she wants him to be able to see her – all of her.

But as the two become closer, an invisible world gets in their way – a world of grudges and misfortunes, spells and curses. And once they’re thrust into this world, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how deep they’re going to go – because the answer could mean the difference between love and death.

Review

Bit of an odd duck this one. I didn’t seem to know if it wanted to be an insightful exploration of what lies beneath the surface of interactions and relationships, the importance of looking below the surface and all that.

Partly of course, this is because you expect plenty of this in a David Levithan novel, as he’s an expert at connections and relationships, so when it has to take a back seat it’s all the more noticeable.

And it takes a back seat, because this is also a straight out paranormal story, compete with a world of spellcasters, hexes, curses and more, it even has a bad guy lurking in the background, pulling strings and making life difficult for everyone else.

Invisibility, does both of these elements pretty well individually, but the mix doesn’t quite work. I think some of that is the way the blurb tries to sell both elements. When the plot kicks in and the chase is on for a cure for Stephen, the book never quite returns of the questions of what being invisible means. This is somewhat necessary of course. When the curses start flying, attention is focused on survival , but it is always disconcerting when a book switches tracks on you.

That’s not to say, however, it is any way a poor book, it isn’t. It’s just not an amazing one either. 3.5*-4* stars rather than 5*.

The world Andrea Cremer and David Levithan build of grudges, curses, and those that wield them, along with the story behind Stephen’s curse, and their attempt to break it, is, as I said pretty satisfying and it really does make for an enjoyable read.

Helped by the fact, I really liked the characters of Stephen, Elizabeth, and Liz’s brother Laurie. Stephen’s amazement when he realises Elizabeth can seem him is palpable and really makes you happy for the guy.

The sibling relationship between Liz and her brother Laurie is also a wonderful thing to see, not only because Laurie is a great character on his own, but they clearly care for each other a great deal, and are really close.

And even though he can’t see him, Laurie soon becomes a good friend to Stephen. Clearly something, Stephen has never had before (and given what happened in his own past, a good friend is something Laurie has been short of himself.)

All in all, the pluses do out weigh the niggles, and I think that if you go in knowing a little more about what you are getting, then that niggle, if it even is one, will play less of a part.

Buy: Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan

The post Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan [Review] appeared first on Bart's Bookshelf.

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Went to see this guys last night. Was a wonderful night.

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“Don’t shush me,” she said, eyes blazing. “I hate being shushed.”

Kate de Vries, is one of the main characters (alongside Matt Cruse) in Kenneth Oppel’s Airborn trilogy.

This series is set in an alternative reality, steampunk-esq world, where aeroplanes have not yet been invented and the main form of transportation are hydrium powered airships.

One such ship is the Aurora, onboard which is cabin boy Matt Cruse, a hard-working and brave, young man; airships are in Matt’s blood, and he feels most at home in the air.

We first meet Matt, as he attempts to rescue an old man the crew of the Aurora find adrift. Unfortunately, soon after they get him aboard, the old man passes away, but not before rambling about some strange flying creatures he claims to have seen. Twelve months later, Matt finds himself welcoming the old man’s granddaughter and her chaperone on to the Aurora. That granddaughter is heiress, Kate de Vries.

It’s apparent straight away that Kate is very strong-willed, and will do anything to prove her grandfathers research, and someone who like Mel in Barry Hutchison’s The 13th Horseman or the Doctor’s new assistant, Clara Oswain Oswald, is a girl who is not afraid to grab the hero’s hand, and drag him off where she feels he needs to go, or off into another adventure somewhere!

“You think I’m being selfish, don’t you? That I’m rich and have nothing but choices. But I’m a girl, and girls don’t get choices. No one’s going to give me a chance unless I force them to. It’s not enough to just be smart and curious. It’s just like you, being poor. You and I have to try harder and be better to get ahead. I have to have something amazing like this before they’ll pay attention to me.”

But, Kate is not just some assistant, or even a secondary character, but very much a main character in her own right, and just as capable (often more so) than Matt, and can certainly look after herself in a tight spot.

As we follow her throughout the trilogy, Kate’s determination to succeed and prove herself never waivers, and nothing not even her friendship with Matt will stand in her way, if she believes herself to be following the right path. However, while she may not let a friendship get in the way, Kate also isn’t the sort to turn her back on her friends either.

“Honestly,” she sighed. “I don’t know what kind of life we’ll have together, with me flying off in one direction and you in the other.” 

I smiled. “It’s a good thing the world’s round.” I said. 

Kate de Vries, is one spunky, intelligent and determined girl, and one of my favourite YA heroines, and you should definitely pick up a copy of Airborn and meet her. 

“You two were in a cave together?” said Miss Simpkins in horror.

“Yes,” said Kate, “and it was very, very dark.”

If you want to know more about Kate De Vries & Matt, make sure you check out their adventures in:
Airborn | Skybreaker | & Starclimber

This post first appeared on Barry Hutchison’s Website as part of his blog tour for Afterworlds: The Book of Doom.

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Today, I am reposting my review of the His Dark Materials series by Phillip Pullman which was first posted on Jun 8, 2004 wayback when this wasn’t even a book blog!

As I say in my review, it took me a couple of tries to fall in love with this series, by when I did, I fell all the way!

Synopsis

Northern Lights introduces Lyra, an orphan, who lives in a parallel universe in which science, theology and magic are entwined. Lyra’s search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and turns into a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. In The Subtle Knife she is joined on her journey by Will, a boy who possesses a knife that can cut windows between worlds. As Lyra learns the truth about her parents and her prophesied destiny, the two young people are caught up in a war against celestial powers that ranges across many worlds and leads to a thrilling conclusion in The Amber Spyglass.

The epic story Pullman tells is not only a spellbinding adventure featuring armoured polar bears, magical devices, witches and daemons, it is also an audacious and profound re-imagining of Milton’s Paradise Lost. An utterly entrancing blend of metaphysical speculation and bravura storytelling, HIS DARK MATERIALS is a monumental and enduring achievement.

Review

First off, it is going to be impossible to review The His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman with out spoilers. I’ve tried to start Northern Lights two or three times but never got past the first few chapters. Until recently, when about halfway through If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things another book I’m reading, I got stalled and couldn’t go any further. So I decided to give this trilogy another go, and I am so glad I did, once you have got past those first few chapters, Pullman really hits his stride and the action doesn’t let up for the rest of the books.

The world he creates is completely immersive and you almost absorb his words rather than read them, you care deeply about his “good” characters and hate deeply, at least initially his “bad” ones. Why the quote marks, around “bad” and “good”? well you really need to read the books to know why, without me spoiling it, but suffice it to say, the line between good and bad is down to your point of view.

Even ignoring his theology, all the way though the three books that make up His Dark Materials I was going you can’t do that in a kids book, everything from the ‘Incision’ reveal (something which made me physically flinch!), right to the end, His Dark Materials grabs your emotions and gives them a good kicking.

And his theology is the one thing I didn’t like about the book, Pullman is VERY Anti church, and isn’t afraid to use that in the plot. I haven’t a problem with his beliefs or his right to use them in a story, as he see fit, but it did make me wary in the same way G.P Taylor’svery pro-church stance in Shadowmancer did, some how it just feels slightly out-of-place.

And then the ending what can I say…

Horrible, ghastly, nasty, evil, twisted, brilliant, fantastic, perfect ending, and if you keep your eyes open whilst your reading, you will see it coming. Still Argh!

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This year has seen them reach a major cup final (the first lower league team to do so in 70 odd years). play more games than all but one other team in the league, and today they went back to Wembley for the play-offs which they won, in fantastic style! and sees them take the final promotion place. Joy as a City supporter has been a long time coming, but this season has been something else!

As this tweet I spotted says:

Wow just wow, if carlsberg did seasons #unbelieveable #bcafc

— Sam Kenny (@sam1kenny) May 18, 2013

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• Title: Supermarket
• Author: Brian Wood
• Art: Kristian Donaldson
• Publisher: IDW
• ISBN: 9781600103537

Synopsis

In the future world of Supermarket, it’s the literal truth. Legitimate and black-market economies rule the City, overseen by the vying factions of the Yakuza and Porno Swede crime families.

Convenience store clerkette and 16-year old suburban wise-ass Pella Suzuki suddenly finds herself in the middle of it all, heir to an empire she couldn’t possibly inherit – but hitmen on both sides aren’t taking any chances!

Review

I’m not going to lie. One of the big reasons I bought this book was the fantastic cover by Kristian Donaldson, and I’m pleased to say that, he wonderful artwork continues throughout the book, and is one of the best things about an already pretty decent graphic novel.

His stylistic choices and colour palette perfectly suit the story, and his panels always have plenty to look at.

While decent, the story itself could be stronger, it’d have worked better as a full length story rather than a novella for instance. The back story of Pella’s family and the rise of the Yakuza and Porno Swede crime families, could have taken up this novella on its own and still skimmed over much.

But still, Pella herself is a cool character with plenty of sass and wise cracks and her coming of age story, along with how she and her new friends overcome the factions that are after them, is a whole lot of over-the-top fun!  The whole thing is delivered is delivered with plenty of action, style and cracking dialogue, but you probably shouldn’t look too deep.

Worth it for the art alone, the story holds its own just enough to make this one I’m happy to recommend.

Buy: Supermarket by Brian Wood and Kristian Donaldson

The post Supermarket by Brian Wood and Kristian Donaldson [Review] appeared first on Bart's Bookshelf.

It really can’t come as a surprise to anybody that has been following Bart’s Bookshelf for any amount of time, that Ellie Linton the narrator of The Tomorrow Series by John Marsden was going to feature in “Crackin’ Characters” my new series of blog posts, especially as the first few profiles are all going to be females.

When Ellie and her friends go camping for a week, they return home to find their country has been invaded. Ellie and the other survivors face an impossible decision: They can flee for the mountains or surrender or they can fight.

Ellie, takes us through the camping trip and the groups shock and confusion as they return home to Wirrarwee, and their subsequent decision to take the fight to the enemy; making guerrilla attacks on the enemy’s locations (and eventually as the books progress, beyond.) Ellie’s narration actually forms part of the story as she has been asked by the group to document their efforts, and she does this with an honesty that occasionally gets her in to trouble with the group. Even then her love of those friends shines through, and not being honest would be doing them a massive disservice.

The other thing that shines though is Ellie’s love of the place  she lives, Australia and The Outback, when the bullets are flying and explosions are rocking her home, she draws strength from the beauty she can still find in her surroundings.

Possessing a prideful, stubborn steak, a mile wide, she rarely backs down from a fight, particularly those with old friend and one of the group’s leaders Homer Yannos, some of this tension is from her confusion as to who Homer is to her, childhood friend? The brother she never had? Possible love interest?

Ellie swings between them all at times. Her personal “journey” takes all seven books to play out, as the effects of the war begin to take their toll, and she struggles to cope becoming more and more intent on survival she loses some of her caring side, becoming hardened and more violent, before eventually a group of “feral” kids allows her to re-discover some of caring side.

Throughout it all, she remains fiercely loyal to her friends and family, and will give absolutely everything she can for them even in darkest of times, when she is uncertain of her choices and actions and what to do for the best. She’s as brave as they come.

“That was the first moment at which I started to realise what true courage was. Up till then, everything had been unreal, like a night-stalking game at a school camp. To come out of the darkness now would be to show courage of a type I’d never had to show before, never even known about.

Ellie Linton – Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden

Start following Ellie’s journey in Tomorrow When the War Began.

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Today, I am reposting my review of Airborn by Kenneth Oppel which was first posted on 07/02/2007.

The characters of Kate and Matt are both among my favourite YA main characters, and the Airborn trilogy is one of my favourite YA series.

• Title: Airborn
• Author: Kenneth Oppel
• Publisher: Hodder
• ISBN: 9780340878552

Synopsis

SET IN AN IMAGINARY PAST where giant airships rule the skies, Airborn is the story of Matt Cruse, the 15-year-old cabin boy of the 900-foot luxury airship Aurora.

Hundreds of feet over the Pacificus Ocean, Matt fearlessly performs a dramatic rescue to save an old man from his crippled hot-air balloon. Before he dies, the stranger tells Matt about the fantastic, impossible creatures he has seen flying through the clouds. Matt dismisses the story as the ravings of a dying man, but when a beautiful, bold girl arrives on the Aurora a year later, determined to prove the story true, Matt finds himself caught up in her quest.

But can he and Kate solve the mystery before pirates, shipwreck and frightening predators end their voyage forever?

Review

Narrated by cabin boy, Matt Cruise, the story takes a cracking pace that keeps building as it twists and turns, taking in life on the Aurora, an attack by pirates, a desert island, a hidden pirate base and returns for the climax on the airship’s exterior high above the ocean.

As a reader you connect with the heroes, just as quickly as Matt and Kate do with each other and their banter drives a lot of the more humorous moments.

Oppel is quite obviously a talented writer (he has many novels to his name, all of which sell well and apparently highly regarded) and he describes the events, characters, places with a wonderful touch, and I said earlier the plot moves along at a cracking pace, with enough plot lines and twists to keep everyone entertained, until the books exciting climax.

The main characters are likable, and fully rounded, especially Matt and Kate who are good for each other and not just in the romantic sense (and there is some romance involved, but if that is not your thing don’t worry it’s handled lightly) but their ‘friendship’ is far more important, they support and challenge each other, Matt has adventure in his heart, but his sense of duty and protectiveness of his ship, hold this back, Kate draws it out of him, and knows just how to get him to do what she wants (and knows in his heart he wants too) Conversely Matt is able to reign in Kate’s more willful adventurous streak (although not always directly, she still doesn’t always make the right decision, but you do feel the wrong ones would be more numerous if it wasn’t for Matt’s presence.

Even the bad-guy has more layers than you would expect, he’s more than prepared to use violence when it’s needed, but never applies it randomly, he can be callous with his enemy’s (read Kate and Matt!) and yet is shown to be a soft, caring & loving family man.

I really can not recommended this book highly enough, either to it’s young adult target market or adults of any age, I’ve always believed a good story is a good story and this is most certainly a good story. Go buy, mooch or borrow a copy right now!

Buy: Airborn by Kenneth Oppel

Visit the Airborn website, here.

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