Crash by Nicole Williams

About the book

Crash is the first book in the new adult series of the same name by Nicole Williams. It was published by Simon & Schuster on 6^th June and the book is 384 pages long.

Plot Synopsis

After leaving her private school, Southpointe High is the last place Lucy Larson expected to be… or even wanted to be. Well, that was until she meets Jude Ryder, a guy known by everyone but not necessarily for the right reasons. Lucy has planned her whole life around ballet and Jude’s long list of indiscretions doesn’t work very well with that. With a pretty normal and disciplined upbringing, Lucy has no idea what she’s getting into with Jude. She’s about to learn what it means to want something so badly even if she knows she shouldn’t.  

What I thought

I had heard so many good things about this series on Twitter so I was so happy when I finally got the chance to read it.

Lucy and her dysfunctional family have just moved back to where they used to spend the summers and while it isn’t that far away from home, it is still a big adjustment. Her mum is a work-a-holic, her dad a recluse and her being determined to become a dancer. I really loved Lucy from the get go. In the very first pages, she goes to some great lengths to get the attention of a guy and isn’t afraid to go for what she wants. She’s also the good girl of the story but with a bit of an edge. She’s very outspoken when it comes to saying what she thinks or feels and she doesn’t let anyone walk all over her.

When Lucy meets Jude, her heart instantly beats incredibly fast… and why the hell wouldn’t it?! Jude is the perfect bad boy and someone I couldn’t help but love completely. He has a very sketchy past (and present) and everyone in town knows his name, calls his name, curses his name. The boy has a reputation. He doesn’t do girlfriends, dates or romance… until Lucy. Honestly, there have been a few fantastic bad boys in young adult/ new adult books but Jude has quickly become one of my favourites. Jude has a really bad past and he knows his life is terrible. He never tries to deny that and in fact, he tries to warn Lucy to stay away from him because of who he is and how his life is. It was extremely sad to hear Jude put himself down so much but I liked beginning to see changes in him as he spent more time with Lucy.

Both characters on their own were amazing. They had so much going for them and so much that was interesting. However, together they were so much more. Jude and Lucy have a rollercoaster of a relationship due to the problems in their lives. With Lucy, Jude becomes so caring and compassionate and really looks out for her. Lucy tries to keep Jude in line and to keep him out of trouble. Each character totally has the other’s back and really wants the best for them, even when that might not necessarily be each other. Lucy and Jude’s relationship was a really special one for me and I really enjoyed watching it progress and change as the book went on.

While the plot of Crash does revolve mostly around the relationship of Lucy and Jude, there is also a lot more to it than that. This is a book about families and how people get over their problems. It is about accepting who you are and embracing that, good and bad parts included. It is about first loves and doing everything for that one special person in your life. Crash is also about the complexity of relationships and the things that can end up going wrong. Due to both Lucy and Jude’s personalities, they do clash numerous times on many different things. The fights and disagreements were what made this book so exciting. I never knew what was coming next in the story and Nicole Williams had me reading as fast as I could to find out how things would end up between Lucy and Jude.

While the arguments and disagreements made the book exciting, it also made me slightly annoyed with some of the characters. Both Lucy and Jude were both extremely quick to judge the other without hearing the reasons behind certain actions. For two people who are supposed to love each other, there was an extreme lack of trust from both sides. From Jude, I could maybe understand his actions a little more. He hadn’t ever been in a relationship and probably didn’t really know how to react to being in one. Lucy on the other hand, should have known better than to listen to rumours and other people’s opinions.

Overall though, Crash has been one of my favourite new adult books so far. Luckily, I had the sequel ready and waiting to be read and I picked it up immediately after finishing this one. 

Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald

About the book

Getting Over Garrett Delaney is a stand-alone young adult novel by Abby McDonald. It was published by Walker on 2^nd May and the book is 320 pages long. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.

Plot Synopsis

Since the day they met two years ago, Sadie has been hopelessly in love with her best friend Garrett Delaney. However, Garrett doesn’t look at Sadie in that way and has had other girlfriends over time. When he goes away to a writing camp for the summer, Sadie hopes that Garrett will finally see what he has been missing all of this time. When he rings to tell Sadie he’s in love, she cannot believe what she’s hearing – until he tells her it’s with someone else. Finally realising he’s never going to return her feelings, Sadie decides it is time to get over Garrett once and for all.

What I thought

Before reading this one, I absolutely loved the idea for it. As a teenager, there were plenty of times I really liked a guy I was good friends with but he didn’t the feel the same way. Before even reading a page, I could understand what protagonist Sadie was going through. She pours her heart out in the beginning of the book, explaining how completely in love with Garrett she is and how they have never been anything more than best friends. They share so many of the same interests, have deep discussions about literature and writing and she cannot imagine her life without him. When Garrett gets into a writing camp for the summer that they both applied to, she’s devastated. How is Sadie supposed to cope for 6 weeks without her best friend?

Sadie was a fantastic character. She’s full of teen angst, unrequited love and she has an awesomely witty and honest personality. Unlike some female characters in young adult books who I wanted to smack because they’re so whiney about a guy, I didn’t feel this way at all about Sadie. Instead of being incredibly annoyed with Sadie, I was cheering her on the whole way through. I wanted her to get over the guy who didn’t pay her the right kind of attention. I wanted her to get a life of her own without having to rely on him and I wanted her to get out and have fun. The thing about Sadie that I loved so much was the fact that she realised her faults and wanted to do something positive about them. Like all teens, she isn’t perfect and she knows it. She knows she makes mistakes and says the wrong thing quite a lot but these things were what I liked about her.

While I didn’t like Garrett as a character, or a guy in general, I could totally see Sadie’s attraction to him. He talks like he knows what is best about everything, he introduces Sadie to a whole range of new and exciting things, he loves poetry and she feels comfortable with him. However, he was also a humongous arse. Sadie thinks he’s the coolest guy around though (and so do loads of other girls) and she loves that he’s different to most of the other guys at school. Garrett was so up himself it was unbelievable and I couldn’t wait for the moment when Sadie realised this and that he wasn’t exactly the best match for her.

With Garrett going away for 6 weeks to a writing camp, Sadie is left to her own devices. She gets herself a job in the local coffee shop and after a call from Garrett telling her she’s in love with someone else, she knows that it is time to get over him once and for all. Help comes in the form of the fabulous range of secondary characters. Without Garrett, Sadie is free to make friends of her own, to discover what she really enjoys doing and to actually have a life. New friends come in the form of co-workers at the coffee shop and older friend Kayla who she had lost touch with. Between Kayla, Aiko, LuAnn, Dominique and Josh, there is a fantastic range of personalities and a great group of people. They all rally round to help Sadie get over Garrett and to help her realise who she really is.

The plot is extremely fun, although pretty predictable. Sadie’s whole life changes over the course of this book and it sees her doing things she never would have before. I really loved Sadie making new friends and getting to know one another. Although a great mix of personalities, each of the characters brings out something different and exciting in Sadie, due to their own interests. This creates some really fun scenes with Sadie trying new things, going shopping and changing her look, going to a hockey game etc. There is loads going on for Sadie and her new life while Garrett is away.

Overall, Getting Over Garrett Delaney is a wonderful contemporary read and I loved it completely. 

Book to Film Review: The Host

About the film

The Host is a science fiction/ romance film that was released at the cinema on 29^th March. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephanie Meyer. The Host has a rating of 12A and a run time of 125 minutes.

Plot

Set in the future, an alien species called ‘Souls’ are taking over the human race. Once entered inside a human body, their memories are erased completely and they become part of a society who trusts each other and does not believe in murder. However, some humans still survive and Melanie Stryder is on the run with her boyfriend and younger brother. When Melanie is taken by a Seeker, and overtaken by a ‘Soul’, she fights to keep her place in her own body. As a new member of her society, the ‘Soul’ inhabiting Melanie’s body (called Wanderer) is supposed to give information about Melanie’s human friends. As there are two voices inside her head, Wanderer fights to decide on what is right. While she knows she has a job to do, Melanie fights hard to save the ones she loves.

What I thought

Stephanie Meyer is so well known for having written the Twilight Saga and for those having become very popular films. The Host is Meyer’s book for adults although not one I have read myself even though I bought it the day of release.

The Host is set in the future where the world is no longer our own. Human bodies are overtaken by parasitic aliens against their will. Not all humans have been overtaken though and some run for their lives, determined to keep control of their own bodies and minds. I absolutely loved the idea behind this film. Very early on, we are introduced to the alien species of ‘Souls’ in human form. Although a species believing in calm and trust, they go to great lengths to find any remaining humans and do anything possible to capture the bodies. The thing that distinguishes the ‘Souls’ from humans is their metallic silver looking eyes, which was both beautiful and creepy at the same time.

Playing protagonist Melanie/ Wanderer is Saoirse Ronan, an unknown actress to me. I thoroughly enjoyed Ronan’s performance throughout this film and I thought she did a wonderful job considering it being quite a tricky role to play. Throughout the film, Wanderer has to deal with Melanie’s voice in her head, which obviously wouldn’t have really been there. Never did it look like Ronan was thinking too much about who or what she was replying to and it all looked as natural as it should have. Ronan also plays both characters with conviction and she was very believable as each. What I really enjoyed about her performance was that she was able to make both characters very different.

As the plot follows Wanderer carrying out Melanie’s wishes of finding her boyfriend and little brother, the setting changes from the city and the ‘Souls’ headquarters to remote desert land. The difference in settings was really interesting as they contrasted so much. Within the city, everything is very regimented and formal whereas in the outback, it is so beautiful and remote, without the stress of anything else going on. When Wanderer does find who she is looking for, they do not treat her like she is Melanie but instead as a prisoner where again, the stunning setting is used. Wanderer is kept underground, hidden away in a place where people are self-sufficient. I enjoyed how this setting also went with the ‘Souls’ ideas of peace and tranquillity, even when the humans didn’t agree.

The plot isn’t really all that exciting apart from a couple of moments so secondary characters are what help to make this film good. Other ‘Souls’ such as the Seeker played by Diane Kruger give the plot a good chase, with her trying to track down Wanderer and more humans. The Seeker was an interesting character because you can tell something is not quite right with her. She isn’t the same as the other ‘Souls’ and has a lot more fire inside of her. While others say to let Wanderer be, she cannot let it go and goes to great lengths to find her again.

Then there are the love interests. Melanie has a boyfriend called Jared but Wanderer becomes attracted to another boy, Ian. While I think love triangles are somewhat overdone now, I loved this one although I’m not sure it is technically a triangle. Melanie gets mad at Wanderer for liking someone else other than her own boyfriend but Wanderer wants to treat the body as her own while respecting Melanie’s wishes at the same time. Explaining it is a little confusing but not when you are watching the film. The romance aspect of this film was completely new, unique and different and definitely better than other romance stories out there at the minute.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Host as it was different from everything else out there at the minute. It also made me want to pick up the copy of the book that I have had sitting on the shelf for years. 

The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton

About the book

The Blood Keeper is the second book in The Blood Journals series by Tessa Gratton. The book was published by Corgi Children’s on 4^th April and the book is 432 pages long. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.

Plot Synopsis

On a secluded farm in Kansas lives Mab Prowd, a witch who practises blood magic. It is everything she knows and everything she is. She spends her days perfecting healing spells and understanding the world but when one big spell goes extremely wrong, Mab doesn’t know what to do.

Will Sanger collides with Mab’s spell gone wrong and immediately he is immersed into her life, whether he likes it or not. He’s the kind of guy who has always relied on things that can be explained, logic and rules but Mab’s presence and what she does draws him in, even when he tries to ignore it. The curse running through his body grows stronger day by day, slowly talking over Will’s body. Mab knows she has to destroy the curse, and what is behind it, but is her magic strong enough to save everything she loves?

What I thought

The first book in this series was released just over a year ago, so going into this one meant barely being able to remember what had happened. The main thing I did remember though was that I loved it completely.

The Blood Keeper does not follow on exactly from that of Blood Magic, the first book. Instead of following previous characters, we get to see what life is like for Mab, The Deacon (sort of like the head) of the Blood Magic community. For those who have not read the first book, and do not know what blood magic is, Gratton goes over this in brief detail. As the magic is such a big part of Mab’s life, she explains every now and again what it is and what it means. Blood Magic is using blood as part of spells, giving a sacrifice and feeling pain in order to achieve results. Now, while this sounds a bit gross, it is not written that way at all. The way that the magic works sounds beautiful and meaningful in the descriptions of its use.

As I can’t really remember the protagonists too well from the first book, I didn’t mind this one being about someone else. For those who have read Blood Magic though, Silla and Nick do turn up again in this one which was a nice touch. Mab was a fantastic protagonist though and this book is partly told through her narrative. The way in which she describes what she does is both moving and stunning. Blood magic is Mab’s whole life and she has never known anything else. She lives to help others around her and make her world a better place. Mab has a heart of gold and it was obvious the whole way through this book that she was trying to do the right thing. She was also such a strong character, having complete command of her own life and she was confident in every decision she made.

Telling another part of the story is Will, the boy who lives in town and soon becomes a big part of Mab’s life. In her attempt to create a body, raising a curse from the ground, something goes incredibly wrong and the mud monster collides with Will. This event sets the scene for the plot of this book and also the relationship that grows between the characters. Will on his own was very different from Mab, coming from a completely different kind of life. His family are in the forces, or have been, and the strict, regimented life is all he has ever known. Never did he think that magic would or could be real. I loved the contrast between the protagonists but they also managed to complement each other well.

Mab and Will’s meeting happens quite early on in the book, making sure there is lots of time for exciting things to happen. Due to his collision with Mab’s mud monster, something strange begins to happen to Will. His body begins to change, he gets sick a lot and he has no idea what is going on. Only Mab knows and she is the only one who can fix him. The whole plot concerning the mud monster, the curse within him and blood magic was wonderfully woven together. Each thing was exciting on its own but together, it provided dramatic scenes between Mab and Will, mystery and the unravelling of past secrets.

What I liked most about the plot was that it wasn’t completely about romance. While there are moments between Mab and Will, their friendship/ relationship does not overpower the importance of the rest of the plot. The blood magic and the curse take precedence which was a great thing to see. Mab and Will having anything more between them was just an added bonus for me. I could have easily done without any romance but it was also a nice touch at the same time. I loved watching Mab and Will getting to know one another, to understand about a completely different way of life and opening up to things outside of their comfort zones.

The Blood Keeper was just as good as Blood Magic and I hope Tessa Gratton brings us more from this exciting and different world. 

Film Review: Evil Dead (2013)

About the film

Evil Dead is a 2013 horror film and the fourth film in the Evil Dead franchise. This film is a both a remake and also a continuation of the series. Evil Dead has a run time of 91 minutes and is rated 18.

Plot

A group of five friends set out to spend some time in a cabin deep within the woods. One of the girls, Mia, is a drug addict and the trip is supposed to help her with her problem and get her clean. There to help out is Mia’s brother David, his girlfriend Natalie and other friends Olivia and Eric. It quickly becomes clear that Mia will go to any lengths to get away from the cabin and back to her bad habit. However, while in the house, the gang come across the Book of the Dead and unknowingly summon a demon which takes over Mia’s body. The demon will stop through each person, one by one, until there is only one left to fight for their life.

What I thought

It has been such a long time since I saw a horror film at the cinema. This one instantly jumped out to me and my flatmate and we were determined to go and scare ourselves before the end of uni. Even the tagline for this film told us it would be ‘the most terrifying film you will ever experience.’ I love it when films say things like this because I always wonder whether or not they’re going to be right.

Evil Dead started off extremely well. Before we meet the main characters, we are shown a lost and hurt girl in the middle of the woods. She’s obviously being followed and is then captured. What I wasn’t expecting was for them to tie her to a pillar of wood and for her own father to set her on fire. It is explained that she is possessed by a demon and must be killed to free the poor girl’s soul. The opening for this film was most definitely shocking and well filmed at the same time. At this point, I thought I was going to be in for a great film and one that I would really enjoy.  

Unfortunately, it all goes downhill from here. Mia, her brother and friends are spending time in the same cabin where the other girl was burned to death in order to sort out her drug addiction. Save for maybe Mia, the whole cast come across as inexperienced and did not make me think they were going to give anywhere near good performances. The cast are all young, mostly very good looking but are given jobs etc which make them appear to be really intelligent. It’s not a good thing for a film though when most of the characters are annoying and unlikeable to begin with.

While in the cabin, Eric, the geeky/ slightly less cool guy comes across the Book of the Dead while trying to find where the gross smell is coming from. As seemingly intelligent people, you would have thought a book covered in some kind of paper and bound with barbed wire would scream out ‘Do not open’. But no, he stupidly (and surprisingly) manages to find some pliers and opens up the crazy book. Obviously, from here, all hell breaks loose and the film really begins.

Mia goes a bit out of control, running away when things get rough and while out in the woods, the demon possesses her. From here, I began to see this as a comedy film rather than a horror. The demon comes in the form of a black, slimy vine and possesses this poor girl through her lady parts. This part of the film was so funny and I couldn’t help but laugh. My flatmate was sat cringing next to me and hiding behind her cardigan. After seeing something like that, how could I possibly take any of the rest of this film seriously? Mia quickly becomes even crazier once back at the cabin in both her mind and her looks.

As I explained in the synopsis, the demon starts with Mia and goes on to each of the other characters. As it possesses their bodies, it finds new and extremely gruesome ways for them to destroy their own body and also for them to die. Although this was not scary… at all, it was particularly disgusting to watch. At one point, a girl hacks away her own face starting from her mouth with a rusty looking knife. While some of this was good in regards to gore etc, some of it was still extremely funny. What was nice to see though was that no CGI was used. It was nice to go back to old school horror film effects.

While the effects were the best part of the film, the dialogue and plot were incredibly bad. Throughout, the dialogue is extremely cheesy and quite cringe worthy at times. The plot, although a remake, was weak and just did not make sense for the whole part. As the demon gets through the characters, more is revealed about how and why it was even possible for it to possess Mia. The background and history of the demon was weak and unmemorable, with new things being thrown in all over the place without much of an explanation. I would have loved for the demon’s background to have been better described, rather than it basically just being there.

Evil Dead was so laughable and one of the funniest films I have seen in ages. That really is no good thing considering the tag line and that it is supposed to be a horror film. Unless you want a good laugh, I cannot recommend this film at all. 

Diary of a Crush: French Kiss by Sarra Manning

About the book

Diary of a Crush: French Kiss was first serialised in teen magazine J17. It was first published as a book in 2004 and then repackaged on 30^th May 2013 by Atom. The book is 240 pages long and is the first in a trilogy.

Plot Synopsis

Edie has just moved to a new town, started at a new college and has to deal with a whole range of new people. Her first few weeks don’t go very well at all as she makes no friends and feels like a complete loner. Then Edie spots messy haired but extremely gorgeous Dylan and he changes her life. He becomes the hot topic in her diary even if she hasn’t actually gotten the courage to speak to him.

Things take an interesting turn when Edie ends up in Dylan’s photography class and then on a college trip to Paris. Dylan has a reputation for being a player and a heartbreaker but Edie is determined to get him anyway. Will the romantic setting of Paris be just what he needs to snag the guy of her dreams?

What I thought

After absolutely loving other Sarra Manning books such as Adorkable and Nobody’s Girl, I will read anything she has published now. Whilst I never read this series when it was in J17 magazine, I had heard nothing but good things about it and was dying to read it. Manning has slightly updated this series from when it was first published to make some pop culture references more up to date and current.

As this was something that was first in a magazine, the diary format works really well. I can see how well this would have worked in each issue and as the diary entries all vary in length, it would have made for easy and quick reading. This also works in a book format as well because it means you’re never having to wait ages for the end of a chapter if you need to put it down. Instead, you can stop at the end of a diary entry and pick it up again easily. I also found the diary format to give the writing an edge as it was fast paced and punchy.

Diary of a Crush: French Kiss follows Edie and her move to a new home. She finds it difficult at first to fit in at college and seriously misses her old friends back home. Edie is one of those characters who I fell in love with straight away. She’s quirky, different and has a fabulous dress sense. She wears what she wants, even if it means a posh looking dress with her favourite converse. At 16, I definitely wasn’t that sure about what I wanted to wear and how I wanted to be portrayed. I think 16 is also a scary age to move and to have to start over again but I think Edie coped pretty well.

The friends she does make at college though are older than her. At 19, they have more life experience, have had more relationships etc and have more maturity (at times anyway). Dylan is the brooding bad boy who everyone seems to love. Dylan’s behaviour gave Edie every single reason to be angsty over him. One minute he seems to want her, the next he doesn’t and then he does again. What a way to mess with a girl’s head, especially one three years younger and with very little experience. This book gets the idea of mixed signals spot on and I was thinking does he/ doesn’t he the whole way through. As annoying as Dylan was though, I did love him a little bit. It was clear did he did like Edie but was just torn about what the best thing to do was.  

Secondary characters also help to show the kinds of relationships and friendships teenagers have. Some of the funniest moments were between Edie, Mia and Shona. I remember having bitchy fights with my friends as a teenager and these scenes made me think back to these times. These characters also made me think about the boyfriend swapping, boy drama and going behind other people’s backs in order to get what you wanted. Being a teenager was so dramatic. Manning gets the voice of a teenager perfectly right too, honing in on all of the emotions that can be felt and the mood swings which are inevitable.

The additional setting of Paris made this book even more perfect for me. I remember going away on both a school trip to Germany and then a college trip to Prague and this book brought back so many memories. The trip is what helped to really explore the relationship between Edie and Dylan. Before the trip, the pair had been having a very informal kind of fling, with random kissing going on. Edie wants more but Dylan seems quite happy with what they have. There isn’t much actual talking before the trip to Paris so it was nice to see the pair on a deeper level.

Diary of a Crush: French Kiss is a wonderful book about teenagers and one that is very entertaining. I can’t wait to read the other two books in the trilogy.  

Between the Lines by Tammara Webber

About the book

Between the Lines is the first book in the New Adult series of the same name by Tammara Webber. It was published by Penguin on 14^th February and the book is 384 pages long.

Plot Synopsis

Seventeen year old Emma is about to star in her first big film, after plenty of indie roles and commercials and the role is opposite Hollywood It Boy Reid. Even before going on location, Emma feels out of her depth but Reid is right at home. He’s used to the all night parties, girls throwing themselves at him and being followed by fans is all a part of everyday life for him. Luckily, the rest of the cast befriend Emma quickly and fellow actor Graham makes her life a whole lot easier. While Reid may be the obvious choice, Emma thinks Graham could be interested until she sees him coming out of another girl’s room.

On the other hand, Reid is extremely interested in Emma and cannot get her out of his head. With Emma, he’s experiencing something he never has before… genuine feelings and not just a one night stand. Is it possible for the player to win the girl?

What I thought

I absolutely loved Tammara Webber’s other book, Easy and was looking forward to read more of her New Adult titles.

Between the Lines is a bit different from the other New Adult books I have read so far, mainly due to the setting. This book is set within the film industry and more importantly, on location in Texas. Most of the other books in this genre that I have read have been set in college so it made a change to read about characters in a completely new and different setting. It was also interesting to see the characters reacting to such a different situation than we are used to in this genre. The book also takes on a modern day story of Pride and Prejudice, which is the film Emma and Reid are filming. It really reminded me of something along the lines of 10 Things I Hate About You.

This is a book that is told through the dual narrative of both Emma and Reid. I do like dual narratives due to really being able to get to know both of the main characters. Emma I really liked while Reid I wasn’t so hot about though. Emma is quite naive when it comes to the film industry due to her lack of major experience but Reid is completely the opposite. He knows exactly what he’s doing and how to play the people around him. He thinks he’s a big hot shot and can do whatever he wants while Emma is trying to get her head around everything that is happening and how it’s changing her life.

The romance in this book wasn’t at all what I was expecting it to be. I was expecting for this to be quite straight forward and for it to be a bit of a chase between Reid and Emma and while it was, there was so much more going on at the same time. Fellow cast member Graham is a large part of the story but one who is never quite in the forefront of what is going on. I can’t say that I was the biggest fan of Reid and Emma and their relationship. I always felt as though Emma was getting the rough end of the deal and Reid still did whatever the hell he wanted. There are also smaller plot lines regarding the romances of some of the other cast members which spiced things up a bit and broke up what was going on with Emma and Reid.

As a New Adult book, this one is extremely tame in the ways of sex scenes, which some readers will be happy to know. I, however, was quite disappointed. With this genre, I expect to get some of the stuff that isn’t included in Young Adult books and considering the majority of that characters are young and pretty much living in hotel rooms without supervision, I would have thought there would be some more crazy antics and fun going on.

Although not the best New Adult book I have read, it was certainly enjoyable and the ending was fantastic. I’m glad I have the second book waiting as I think it will be a much better book than the first.