The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

About the book

The Madness Underneath is the second book in the Shades of London series by Maureen Johnson. It has a publication date of 28^th March and is published by Harper Collins Children’s Books. The book is 352 pages long. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.

Synopsis

Not long ago, Rory Devereaux had a very close call with a Jack the Ripper copycat that nearly ended her life. Instead of staying at school, she was forced to live in Bristol with her parents and attend counselling. When her counsellor suggests going back to school, Rory jumps at the chance. She’s had enough of sitting around being a victim and wants everything to get back to normal. However, after the events with the Ripper, Rory has now gained some extra powers. She’s able to eliminate ghosts with just one touch.

Rory’s good friends, the Shades, were responsible for her return to London though as new deaths cause questions to be raised. The Shades are a secret ghost fighting police and without a terminus to get rid of the ghosts, they need Rory’s help. She knows the deaths are no coincidence but will the Shades listen to her before it is too late?

What I thought

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, The Name of the Star. The whole story with Jack the Ripper, ghosts and the London setting were all extremely interesting and exciting and I couldn’t wait to get back into that world. The Madness Underneath is set a short time after the first book, with protagonist Rory in Bristol with her parents, trying to sort herself out. I really loved getting to know Rory a lot better in this book as she begins to air out her problems and concerns about her life. Nothing is straight forward for her anymore and along with moving to another country, she can’t have it anywhere near easy.

As Rory heads back to London and her school, Wexford, she begins to realise that everything is not as okay as she had hoped. She’s extremely behind in her school work, feels out of place and also has to deal with the ability to see ghosts. I could really sympathise with Rory in this instalment of the trilogy because of her situation. People were there trying to reach out to her although there really aren’t many people around who truly understand what she is going through nor can they help with her problems.

Along with characters from book one being back, there is also a great new range of new characters in this second book. These new characters help to form the plot of The Madness Underneath, which is very different from The Name of the Star. I was a little disappointed though to see that the dark, old and creepy side of London was not included in this book like it was previously. I felt that because of the plot change, and the changes in setting, this book was not nearly as eerie as it could have been.

The first half of this The Madness Underneath was pretty slow going, with us getting to know Rory again and for us to catch up with everything that has been happening with her. The second half of the book though is where it really gets exciting and where the new characters really come into play. Johnson adds in some fantastic twists which I would have never seen coming. With there only being three books, this one ends on such a big cliff-hanger. As soon as I put the book down, I instantly wanted the third and final book in my hands. I have no idea how I’m going to wait to find out what happens next.

Maureen Johnson’s writing is incredibly funny and quirky, which is partly why I love reading this series so much. Although it has a quite serious plot and a scary setting, Johnson injects her personality into the writing. There were numerous times I found myself giggling out loud at suggestions such as pirate bikini models. I wasn’t expecting to find this book as funny as I did but it was nice for everything to not be doom and gloom the whole way through. Johnson sets herself apart from other young adult writers due to her unique style.  

Although not quite as dark as the first book, The Madness Underneath is a great middle book which sets the scene for the final book extremely well.

Book to Film Review: Oz The Great and Powerful

About the film

Oz the Great and Powerful is a fantasy/ adventure film that was released at the cinema on 8^th March. The film is based on the books by L. Frank Baum and is set 20 years before the film, The Wizard of Oz. Oz the Great and Powerful is rated PG and has a run time of 130 minutes.

Plot

Oscar Diggs is a magician in a travelling circus but really, he is just a trickster. In Kansas, he is swept away in a hot air balloon only to collide with a tornado. Begging for his life and promising to be a better man, Oscar finds himself land in a strange world – the land of Oz. The witch Theodora is there to meet him and explains about the King’s prophecy, that a wizard will come to take the throne and save them all. Thinking he is going to have it easy, Oscar admits to being the wizard and cannot wait to get his hands on the gold provided as King. However, it soon becomes clear that he is not the wizard everyone is expecting and there is more than one witch in Oz. The lines are blurred between good and evil and Oscar must decide which witch is really good and true. He must also convince the people of Oz that he really is there to save them and must transform himself into the great and powerful wizard of Oz.

What I thought

I have to be honest; I don’t really like The Wizard of Oz. I don’t know why, but I prefer the sequel, Return to Oz so much more. However, I was absolutely dying to see this film.

Oz the Great and Powerful begins in Kansas where Oscar Diggs (played by James Franco) is working as a small time magician in a travelling circus. The beginning of the film is shown in a different way than with usual films. The screen size is smaller and it is all in black and white. Although I did think for a few minutes the cinema had messed the screen up, I quickly realised what was going on. This is one of the many little nods to the original film and I loved that a similar beginning was kept because it shows just what a different place Oz really is.

James Franco plays a womanising trickster who is a pretty bad magician but I liked him. He was sly and cunning, mean to his one and only friend who is played by Zach Braff and he just doesn’t care about people. I was actually quite glad to see Oscar swept off away on a hot air balloon and into the tornado. The opening of the film isn’t too long which means it doesn’t take long for us to get widescreen and colour back too. When Oscar lands in Oz, we are treated to a vibrant and colourful place bursting with magic of its own. I really enjoyed seeing a new kind of Oz; one that wasn’t run down and broken all over. I wonder what Dorothy would have made of it.

Oz the Great and Powerful has a great range of characters which I loved. We have Theodora the witch who greets Oscar on his arrival in Oz – she is played by Mila Kunis. When Oscar shows her a little more attention than he probably should, she fancies herself in love and wants to be with him forever. I really liked Theodora and Kunis playing her. Unlike the witches in the original film, this one is extremely stylish in leather trousers and heeled books along with a wonderful large, red hat. Then there is Rachel Weisz who plays Evanora, the wicked witch. Compared to The Bourne Legacy which I also watched recently, Weisz is great as Evanora, giving the character such a fantastic personality and performance. She and Theodora are sisters and I liked seeing the differences between the two.

A character more well-known from the original film is Glenda, the good witch although here she is from the South instead of the North for some reason. Anyway, playing Glenda is Michelle Williams. With a wonderful crown on her head, long flowing white dresses and such a lovely personality, Williams was the perfect choice for this role. I certainly couldn’t have imagined her playing one of the other witches. Just like the original, she is sickeningly sweet and nice to everyone but that is just who the character is. Again, here, the filmmakers have given a nod to the original film with Glenda’s big bubbles and her being friends with the Munchkins.

As the plot unravels, you soon realise that not everyone is who they seem and the real good and bad witches are revealed. The film turns into a race to create an army of sorts in order to defeat the evil witch. This is also where Oscar comes into play and needs to finally be the wizard everyone thinks he is. I really enjoyed the plot regarding the wizard and being able to see how he came to be the illusionist he is in the original film. I enjoyed seeing certain characters develop while keeping the plot moving at a steady pace. While not all of this film is as exciting as maybe it could have been, there are moments for everyone to enjoy. I have to say, two particular characters (Finley the monkey and The Little China Girl) made me giggle and smile throughout and were two of the reasons I ended up loving this film.

While this is a PG, there are some moments which younger children would maybe find quite frightening such as the flying monkeys. However, I do think that this is a wonderful family film and one I enjoyed thoroughly.

The Sea of Tranquillity by Katja Millay

About the book

The Sea of Tranquillity is a Young Adult/ New Adult novel by Katja Millay. It has a release date of 4^th June and is published by Atria Books. The Sea of Tranquillity is 448 pages long. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy through Netgalley.

Synopsis (Taken from Goodreads.com)

Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.

Josh Bennett’s story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.

What I thought

I think I’m going to find it quite hard to really do this book justice in a review because I loved it completely. However, here goes…

The Sea of Tranquillity is told through a dual narrative of Nastya and Josh, the two main characters of this story. At the beginning of the story, Nastya is just registering for high school, with her aunt explaining to the principle about her special condition. This, however, does not become apparent until she actually starts school. Nastya does not talk. At all. To scare people away from asking questions, she turns up to school in the shortest skirt, highest heels and lowest cut top she can find. Her eyes are rimmed with black eyeliner and even without talking, Nastya has an attitude. Nastya had such a strong narrative voice and I absolutely loved her. At times, she kind of explains little bits about her past and why she is the way she is but never everything, never in detail.

Even though Nastya doesn’t talk, it doesn’t stop her from gaining the attention of Drew, one of the really popular guys at school. He doesn’t ever take no for an answer and when they go to a party together and she gets wasted, Drew drops her off at his friend Josh’s house. Previous to this, Josh and Nastya had a moment in the courtyard, just looking at each other, but they don’t know each other. After Josh looks after her, the pair end up with a very strange kind of relationship. Josh loves to build things and is often found in his garage, making something or other out of wood. Seemingly fascinated, Nastya turns up nearly every night, sitting on the side and watching him work, without a word.

I absolutely loved both Drew and Josh. As the second narrator, we get to know Josh very well. Unlike Nastya, whose problems are kept under wraps, Josh’s life is not such a mystery. Josh is emancipated due to his whole family being dead. He lives on his own and has problems with letting people get too close to him. However, Josh was an absolute sweetheart and he made my heart melt a little bit. Even though he is lovely, Josh still speaks out about certain things and isn’t afraid to call people out on their BS, especially Nastya. It was also interesting to see both the relationship he and Nastya had with Drew and also how they were so different.

I would never have guessed that this was a debut novel. Katja Millay’s writing, and her story, is absolutely stunning. I can’t remember the last time I read such an amazingly beautiful book that I just couldn’t put down. Not only are Millay’s characters so interesting and deep, but the story is addictive. I wanted to know the story behind Nastya and her problems. I loved watching Nastya and Josh trust each other more and more with every passing day. I couldn’t help but love the secondary characters, who are such a big part of this book. There are so many things that I want to say about this book but also don’t want to give away the surprises. Because there are some. A lot actually.

The Sea of Tranquillity has a wonderful pace to it. At 448 pages long, Millay gives us plenty of time to get to know and love her characters. While a large chunk of the book is spent getting to know Josh and Nastya, weaved into these parts are little snippets of information about each of their pasts. At first glances, this book appears to be a story about finding love but it is quite a lot darker than that. The secrets bubbling inside Nastya are absolutely shocking and heart breaking at the same time. When some things were revealed, I cried my eyes out. I couldn’t help it and I could barely stop once I had started.

The Sea of Tranquillity is going to be on my list of favourite books this year and probably for years to come. I read an e-book version of this but I will be buying the paperback to read over and over again! 

Film Review: G.I.Joe: Retaliation

About the film

G.I.Joe: Retaliation is an action/ adventure/ sci-fi film that is the second in the G.I. Joe series. The film was released at the cinema on 27^th March  with a run time of 110 minutes and a rating of 12A.

Plot

After being framed for crimes against America, the G.I.Joe team are terminated after a command from the President. However, the President is actually an imposter. The man standing in his place, Zartan, has the ability to take on the looks and voice of someone else and plans to take over the world. Zartan knows that the Joes are the only people able to stop him so attempts to get rid of them altogether. A few survive though and are hell bent on putting things right and stopping Zartan before he goes too far.

What I thought

My main reason for going to see this film was because of Channing Tatum. I’m easy persuaded to see a film if there is a hot guy in it, even if I have no interest in the film itself. I also remember seeing the first G.I. Joe film and thinking it wasn’t too bad so didn’t mind going to see this one at all.

With a pretty strong cast, you would think that would make up for the terrible plot of this film. It doesn’t though. Channing Tatum doesn’t stick around for very long, Elodie Yung gives a terribly stiff performance as Jinx and Dwayne Johnson is good but he has been better in many other films. None of the cast members are given characters with much depth either, which doesn’t help things at all. Although Johnson’s character, Roadblock, is given a family and small children, I still didn’t overly care about what happened to him.

Bruce Willis also makes an appearance but his role screens desperation. His character, the original Joe, General Joseph Colton is used to help out the surviving Joes. His character does very little for the plot apart from give Willis the chance to blow up some more stuff. The character is also very stereotypical for Willis and doesn’t show anything new from the actor. Although I do really like Willis, I didn’t see the need for his involvement in this film whatsoever.

G.I.Joe: Retaliation has a plot worth laughing at. The bad guy is someone impersonating the President, even though he acts nothing like the real guy, and makes decisions he never would. Pretty much, Zartan is planning to either take over the world or bomb it with nuclear bombs, and doesn’t care too much about the consequences. There were some really bad moments regarding Zartan’s plans and the other world leaders, which could be seen as extremely offensive or funny, depending on where you stand on particular topics. While other bad guys are also brought in, they never seemed very evil or original. The film does try to be interesting though but it fails miserably. One character, Storm Shadow is given quite a large background story but it is skimmed over quite quickly and not used as well as it could have been.

As an action film, you can expect plenty of fight scenes and explosions. However, these were also not all that impressive. Instead of having some really great gadgets like in the first film, this one is more military based so it relies on big tanks and big guns and this was not nearly exciting enough for me. Also, I have to say that I didn’t watch this in 3D or IMAX and I am bloody glad I didn’t. What a waste of money that would have been. There is one really nice fight scene though, which takes place on the side of a mountain. This was really well choreographed and looked great on the big screen but a large part of that was due to the location of the shoot.

With weak characters, a weak plot and weak action scenes, I could not recommend this film at all. I was highly disappointed with it and wish I hadn’t bothered going to see it. 

Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones

About the book

Wild Boy is a debut novel by Rob Lloyd Jones. It was published by Walker on 3th April and the book is 312 pages long. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC for review.

Plot Synopsis

In Victorian London, a young boy covered in hair is recruited for a travelling freak show to be known as Wild Boy. He has nothing else to do apart from be tormented by the other boys he lives with but he also has no choice but to go with the man who come to collect him. Other people see the young  boy as a freak due to his physical appearance but he sees more than they do. He sees everything.

When a murder happens, all fingers are pointing to Wild Boy and along with a red-haired acrobat, Clarissa, he ends up on the run from the authorities. The only way to prove his innocence and to solve the mystery of the murderer using his very unique skill set.

What I thought

Wild Boy isn’t something I would have normally taken for review, as it is aimed at a slightly younger audience than what I normally read. However, after loving books such as Pantomime and The Night Circus, I decided that I love these kinds of settings so figured I would give this one a go.

Wild Boy is set in Victorian London, with the young boy covered in hair living in a place where he is constantly belittled and bullied because of how he looks. Instead of rising to the other boys around him, Wild Boy spends his time watching people, learning more about them. One day though, a strange man comes to take him away to a travelling freak show and circus and he has no option but to go with him. He believes it cannot be any worse than what he already has to deal with.

Wild Boy was such a wonderful character. First off, he was abandoned in a London work house and teased beyond belief, then he’s shipped off to a freak show. I couldn’t have felt more sorry for him. It wasn’t his fault he looked the way he did, nor did he have any say over what happened to him. It doesn’t get any better for him either once is he a part of the freak show. He’s alone all of the time, is forced to perform and has no friends which is something he wants more than anything.

It doesn’t take long for the mystery and action to begin in this book, which was a really good thing. Wild Boy manages to stumble across a very important letter which warns of extremely bad things. He, along with acrobat Clarissa, are brought right into the middle of a strange murder mystery and they must both fight to clear their names. I loved the aspects of the circus people, the involvement of an outside organisation and Wild Boy being able to use his special ability to find sets of clues about the murder. This also sparks a strange friendship between Wild Boy and Clarissa as they are forced to work together, even though they dislike one another.  

The travelling freak show setting was fantastic, especially when contrasted with the dark, seedy streets of Victorian London.  While one setting is colourful, busy and exciting, the other is creepy, dark and quite disgusting. I especially liked Wild Boy and Clarissa’s adventures on the streets of London and where else it led them to. There are dark, damp sewers along with a mansion hiding secret rooms which are filled with bodies and bones. Rob Lloyd Jones certainly makes his world a place to chill you to the bones, and to never want to go there yourself.

Overall, Wild Boy is a fantastic read filled with interesting characters and a great mystery to solve. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. 

Sever by Lauren DeStefano

About the book

Sever is the third and final book in The Chemical Garden trilogy by Lauren DeStefano. It was published by Harper Voyager on 14^th February and the book is 320 pages long.

Plot Synopsis

Time is running short for Rhine. The virus running through her body means that she doesn’t have long left to live and there are no signs of a cure. After enduring everything that her husband’s father, Vaughn, has put her through, she finds peace within the home of his brother, Reed. Reed is somewhat of a crazy inventor but understands Rhine’s need for answers and the need to find her own brother, Rowan. While Rowan has a high level of involvement in an underground resistance, destroying everything their parents built, Rhine wants to preserve their ideas.

Rhine is determined to leave her home, husband and sister wife Cecily behind, they all want to be there to support and help her. This final book reveals all the secrets that have been kept hidden and the trilogy comes to a shocking end.

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What I thought

The Chemical Garden series is one of the most original and exciting trilogies I have had the pleasure of reading each time a new book came out, I was dying to get my hands on it. As this is the last book in the trilogy, there may be minor spoilers for the previous books in the series.

Sever begins where Fever left off, with Rhine stuck back in her home with husband Linden and sister wife, Cecily after being subjected to Vaughn’s awful experiments. Rhine is still determined to go and find her brother, who has been a part of a range of bombings. He believes that Rhine is dead and she wants to prove him wrong. She also wants to get away from the marriage she was forced into and her terrible father in law who does things like stick needles into her eyes. Who wouldn’t want to get away from that.

In this book, both new and old characters play a big role in Rhine’s life and her decisions. Although not mentioned before now, we get to meet Linden’s uncle Reed, Vaughn’s brother. What I loved about this new character was that he was so different from Vaughn, who is terribly scary. Reed has been kind of outcast from the family, living in a run-down house with his inventions. Reed’s house becomes a safe haven for Rhine but through this, we get to learn more about both Vaughn and Linden, and their lives before Rhine.

Vaughn has to be one of the most well developed characters throughout this trilogy. To begin with, in the first and second books, we see him as only the villain. He does some terrible things in the first books and torture/ experimenting are two of his favourite pastimes. However, up until this point, we have never been able to understand his actions or the reasons behind them. In Sever, we get to see a completely different side to Vaughn which made me have a completely different opinion of him than I did before. I never thought Vaughn could be anything other than evil but there is a lot more to him than originally thought.

Another character I thoroughly enjoyed reading about in Sever was Cecily, Rhine’s sister wife. After Jenna died, Cecily became the ‘main’ wife as she ended up having a baby with Linden. Previously, she was an immature and naïve child who didn’t really know much about anything. In this book though, she has grown up to be a determined and strong minded young woman and also a caring wife and mother. The transformation and growth within this character was fantastic and it was great to see such strong development.

Sever’s plot spends most of its time answering mysteries that have previously been unanswered. We finally get to find out what the deal is with Vaughn, what Rhine’s brother is really up to and we get to find out what happened to Gabriel and also how everything ends. I found the plot to be fast paced and really exciting. The setting changed constantly, which made the story really interesting for me. I liked how there were so many places to see and how different each of them were to each other. Each different setting also gives up a variety of answers and it was like pieces of a puzzle finally fitting together.

One aspect lacking throughout the whole series, and especially in this book, is romance. There have been, and are, romantic aspects but none have ever been enough for me. To begin with, Rhine falls for Gabriel but the passion was never really strong enough. I never believed the feelings that were supposed to be there. Also, Linden is clearly torn between Cecily and his feelings for Rhine but again, they weren’t absolutely believable. I would have loved for there to be a lot more romance in this book, especially as everything was being wrapped up so nicely.

Sever is a fantastic end to a really good series. If you haven’t read any of these yet, I urge you to. The Chemical Garden world is beautifully created, written and explained. There is so much intrigue and mystery in this unique series.   

Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt

About the book

Skin Deep is a young adult book by Laura Jarratt. It was published by Electric Monkey on 5^th March and the book is 320 pages long.

Plot Synopsis

As a young teenager, Jenna was in a car crash that left two girls dead, one of them her best friend and her own face burned and permanently scarred. For nearly the past year, Jenna hasn’t wanted to leave the house or look in a mirror – she struggles to get her previous life back, especially when all people do is stare and call her names. Then she meets Ryan, a travelling boy stopping through town with his mother. He also has a hard time, as people don’t always give travellers the best reception. His mum tells him that this place will be different but he doesn’t believe her, until he meets Jenna.

Jenna and Ryan grow closer, building their friendship and beginning to believe life might not be as bad as they once thought. The aftermath of the car crash is still having an effect on the town though and when a body is found, it might just be the end for Jenna and Ryan.

What I thought

Within the first few pages of Skin Deep, I was hooked. Laura Jarratt has a way of drawing the reader in immediately and not letting them go. The book begins with scenes of the car crash that ruined Jenna’s life. Jarratt gives a hard-hitting and very emotional opening to the story which is why I wanted to read more. I had to know what happened to Jenna and what her life was like. She’s had to live with a mask on her face to help the burns for months and she doesn’t want to leave the house. What a hard thing that must be for anyone, let alone a 14 year old who will just becoming more aware of boys, her appearance and make-up etc. Jenna doesn’t want to leave the house due to people staring at her all of the time and calling her names like ‘Shrek’, which really hurts her. Jenna was a wonderful character and it hurt me to read about her experiences sometimes. I felt so sorry for a girl so young having to go through so much.

The book is written with a dual narrative from Jenna and also Ryan. He’s a travelling boy, moving from place to place on a boat with his mum. Although for different reasons, Ryan is also used to people staring at him a lot and calling him names. He was also a wonderful character. Whereas Jenna attempted to shy away from people who stared, Ryan was confrontational and stood up for himself. He hated the things people called him and wouldn’t just stand there and take it. This did get him into a bit of trouble a few times as he seemed unable to control his anger. I also loved that Ryan really wanted to settle down and live a ‘normal’ life. All of the moving around was hard for him and his mum didn’t really see that.

Jenna and Ryan’s friendship was a very beautiful thing. Unlike with other young adult novels, this one is not really based around romance, although it does have that too. Jarratt gives Jenna and Ryan a friendship to work on, one that revolves around spending time with each other and really getting to know more about their lives. It was great to see each character begin to change slightly due to the influence of the other. Not changing in a bad way either. Jenna came out of her shell more, become more confident in herself without caring too much about her face. Ryan realised what he really wanted in life and how protective he could be over someone he really cared about.

Skin Deep also has a deeper plot revolving around the car crash. The community are still reeling from the event and not everyone can forget about it. This aspect of the plot was a good contrast to the friendship between Jenna and Ryan although it still tied in with that too. It was interesting to see different people’s reactions to the crash and how it affected them. I was a little surprised to see so many people’s reactions to Jenna be so negative though. In what seems to be a small town where everyone knows what happened, I would have thought they would be more understanding about why her face was the way it was.

This was a really lovely read and one with a deep meaning. Highly recommended.