Are You Experienced? by William Sutcliffe

About the book

Are You Experienced? by William Sutcliffe is a travel novel. It was published by Penguin on 4^th June 1998.

Plot Synopsis

Nineteen year old Dave lives in London and is about to have a gap year before going away to university. He hasn’t ever really wanted to travel though, his plans being to go to a Swiss ski resort instead of doing what his friends are doing. However, when friend James taunts him about his plans, he decides maybe he should get out of Europe and do something more exciting. It helps, of course, that James’s girlfriend Liz also wants to travel so he wouldn’t be on his own.

Liz only wants to go to India though, and refuses to go anywhere else so Dave is pretty much stuck. Even though Dave and Liz hit it off before the trip, by the time they get on the plane, they’re at each other’s throats. Heading to a country he doesn’t want to go to and with a girl who hates him, Dave is about to have one unique experience.

What I thought

This is the last book I had to read for my Travel Writing class at university and I can’t say I was looking forward to it too much. Most of the other reading we had to do was extremely long and boring.

Are You Experienced? begins with Dave and Liz bickering on their flight. You can instantly tell that nothing is right between them and it made me wonder why they were even travelling together in the first place. Before explaining though, Sutcliffe drops the two characters in Delhi, where they are met with beggar children, the ridiculously hot weather and a world they are unaccustomed to.

Dave is quite the outspoken character, not caring what he says to other people or what they think of him. His narrative is funny, yet very truthful at the same time. His first ideas about India are not good; ‘Delhi airport was… it was just taking the piss.’ While the other books read for this class were written many years ago, this one is very current with a young and exciting narrative to match. Although Dave does come across as arrogant, mean and selfish, I didn’t care. He was travelling and wanted to do what he wanted to do. What’s wrong with that?

For roughly the first half of the book, Dave and Liz are stuck with each other and the bickering doesn’t stop. Each of them disagrees with the other and they clearly don’t want to do the same things while in India. Hell, Dave doesn’t even want to be in India. However, he is too scared of being on his own in a strange country so puts up with Liz and whatever she decides to do. While together, they meet an interesting range of people, including J, who because he has been in India for a while thinks he knows everything there is to know.

Sutcliffe makes Dave a very stereotypical teenager of the late ‘90s. He loves his Western lifestyle and is very quick to judge anything new and different. He would much rather be having a two week holiday on a beach somewhere. While in India, Dave doesn’t want to touch anyone because they seem dirty, he doesn’t want to talk with any locals and he doesn’t really care about seeing the ‘real’ India. Really, he just wanted to get into Liz’s pants.

While Are You Experienced? has its own plot, it can also be taken as a sort of travel guide. Kind of. Dave and Liz do see a fair bit of India and go to some well-known places, thanks to their use of the Lonely Planet guide they carry around with them. There are also parts about being ill due to the different kinds of food in India, how to travel, what the buses and trains are like, etc. Are You Experienced? is a really different way to read about taking a gap year and going somewhere you aren’t exactly sure of. It’s also about new experiences and making the most of what you have.

Are You Experienced? showcases what being a backpacker is about. Sutcliffe takes the very worst of experiences for Dave and puts a humorous twist on them. His writing is extremely witty and sharp and I couldn’t put this book down. Considering I wasn’t looking forward to reading it, I ended up loving it completely. My sister has actually applied to go to India for a while so I might give her this book to read beforehand. 

666 Park Avenue

About the show

666 Park Avenue was first aired on ABC in America from September 2012 and here in the UK on ITV2 from 19^th February. However, on 16^th November, the show had been cancelled meaning there is only one season.

Plot

A young couple (Jane and Henry) trying to make it in New York are hired as the new managers of The Drake, a luxurious apartment building on 666 Park Avenue. The Drake is owned by the mysterious Gavin Doran and his wide Olivia, who have more secrets than you can count on one hand. Each episode follows the lives of a different resident of The Drake, showing how just by living there, all of their dreams can come true. At the same time Jane and Henry are trying to sort their own lives out but Jane being the more active manager begins to notice that something is wrong. This is a show about mystery, secrets and desire.

Main Cast

Rachael Taylor as Jane Van Veen

Dave Annable as Henry Martin

Robert Buckley as Brian Leonard

Mercedes Masohn as Louise Leonard

Helena Mattsson as Alexis Blume

Erik Palladino as Tony DeMeo

Samantha Logan as Nona Clark

Vanessa Williams as Olivia Doran

Terry O'Quinn as Gavin Doran

What I thought

With many of the shows I usually watch having finished completely or the new season not being shown yet, I was desperate for something new and different. When I saw the advert for 666 Park Avenue, I was instantly intrigued. The adverts made it looks really creepy, which is something I love in a TV show so I began watching it right away.

Another thing that made me watch this was the cast. As owners of The Drake, Terry O’Quinn and Vanessa Williams star as Gavin and Olivia Doran. O’Quinn is probably best known for playing John Locke in Lost while Williams is known for her role in Ugly Betty. These are two actors who I have loved in other things and I was hoping for great things from them… and they didn’t disappoint. As characters, Gavin and Olivia don’t give much away at all over the course of the series with the exception of the last few episodes. They are very secretive which make them really interesting and mysterious at the same time. O’Quinn has a real knack for playing a character who isn’t at all what he seems and I think he shined in this role.

Rachael Taylor and Dave Annable play Jane and Henry, the new managers of The Drake. While I had not seen either in anything before, I liked them both. In comparison to Gavin and Olivia, these two are a lovely, likeable couple who the audience will be able to relate to. They’re just starting out in New York, with Henry wanting to work in politics and Jane being a qualified architect. What I really enjoyed about watching these two characters is the contrast between them and the Dorans. There is a lot of interaction between the two couples and I loved how different they were from one another. Although a large amount of plot focuses of Henry and his political career, it was Jane’s plot line which was the best for me. She is the one really running The Drake and is the one that really sees what things are like there.

The other residents of The Drake are the ones who show what really going on and really, are what the show is all about. As I said in the synopsis, dreams are granted at The Drake, courtesy of Gavin Doran. It is never clear how or why he is able to do these things but any character who accepts his help don’t really do so well. Yes, their dreams are fulfilled but there are also consequences that come with this kind of deal. I always had the idea of selling your soul to the Devil in mind with this show although that hasn’t been said in certain ways.

Unfortunately, this show got cancelled part way through its first and only season. Because of this, the last few episodes are yet to be aired but they will be during the summer. I read somewhere that as the show got cancelled, the last few episodes were being re-filmed so that everything would be wrapped up nicely and so that everything made sense. I’m really glad they did this as this has happened before with other shows such as Firefly, where the ending didn’t really work very well. Just as I was really getting into this series, I found out about the cancellation and was gutted.

666 Park Avenue was a show that was really different from anything on at the minute and one which was very entertaining. It had so many good things going for it and I cannot see why it got cancelled at all. I will be watching the final few episodes when they are finally aired because I’m dying to know what the real reasons are behind everything. 

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

About the book

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom is a stand-alone novel. It was published on 14^th March by Doubleday and the book is 400 pages long. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review. (A stunning hardback copy too!)

Plot Synopsis

Set in 1791, orphaned on her journey to America, seven year old Lavinia becomes a new member of the Tall Oaks household. However, as Tall Oaks is a tobacco planation, she is forced to live and work with the slaves in the kitchen house, no matter the fact that she is white. Lavinia is put under the care of young Belle, the master of the house’s illegitimate daughter and soon becomes to love everyone in the kitchen house as her own family.

After a few years, Lavinia makes it into the big house where the mistress becomes an opium addict after several traumatic experiences. Lavinia soon realises just how different the two worlds are and has trouble separating the two. Torn between her family of slaves and the family running the plantation, Lavinia has to make a decision about her life but it is far from an easy one.

What I thought

This is not my usual kind of read but I’m trying to branch out a little more and try something new so when I got a review request for this one, I decided to give it a go. Instantly, I enjoyed the setting of the novel. Going back over 200 years in Virginia, the setting of the plantation of the people who lived and worked there was described beautifully.

The story is told through a dual narrative from Lavinia and Belle, a worker in the kitchen house. I have to say, that while I enjoyed both narratives, it was Lavinia’s which I enjoyed more. As a young, orphaned white girl, Lavinia doesn’t really understand her place in her new home. She’s more than ok with living with the slaves of the house and soon comes to think of them as family, using names such as Mama and Papa. Lavinia’s upbringing was certainly different to that of a typical white person during the times of the novel but she doesn’t think anything differently of it. Lavinia was a sweet but naive character, not knowing her place in the world. However, the novel follows her through to her 20s so we get to see her grow and develop a lot as a character.

Where we see Lavinia growing up, Belle gives a different perspective on the story. As she is older, she is able to give insight into the events covered throughout the novel. Being a slave and the illegitimate daughter of the house puts Belle in a somewhat awkward situation at times but through her narrative, we are able to understand why certain things happen, especially things that Lavinia either doesn’t know about or doesn’t understand. Over the course of the novel, Belle’s voice gets stronger and stronger and she became a character I liked more towards the end.

The Kitchen House provides a wonderful view of what life could have been like during times of slavery in America. Kathleen Grissom manages to make her novel exciting, heart-felt and heart-breaking all at the same time. As this novel spans roughly thirteen years, a lot does happen. At times, I felt there was too much going on but then it was necessary in order to show character development and the change in lifestyles. The lives of the slaves and the family running the planation are intertwined throughout the novel, which is how it becomes possible for so much to happen. Although it seems that white slave traders and owners were very racist against the slaves at times, there was a hell of a lot of sleeping around going on and so many secrets. I was somewhat shocked to realise that there was so much going on behind closed doors.

Secondary characters come more and more into play throughout the novel. Young Marshall, the son of the owners of the plantation, grows into a man and a tyrant too. He had a pretty rough kind of life himself and it wasn’t easy at all for him during his earlier years. The Kitchen House shows how he progresses into such a devil of a man towards the end. He was certainly a character to be hated but Grissom makes sure to explain all aspects of this character. During the middle of the novel, Lavinia and Marshall become quite good friends and she is able to see him as a loving and caring man. Unfortunately he does not stay this way though and becomes mean, aggressive and violent – not to mention selfish and rude.

Overall, this story about slavery and the relationships forged in such a time is a beautiful read and one which was utterly captivating. 

The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

About the book

The Secret of Ella and Micha is the first in a new adult series by Jessica Sorensen. The book was published by Sphere on 11^th April and it is 320 pages long. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.  

Plot Synopsis (Taken from Goodreads.com)

Ella and Micha have been best friends since they were kids. But one tragic night shatters their friendship and their lives forever.

Ella used to be a rule-breaker with fiery attitude who wore her heart on her sleeve. But she left everything behind when she went to college and transformed into someone that follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. But now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home.

Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. If Micha tries to tempt the old her back, she knows that it will be hard to resist.

Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella’s skin like no one else can. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. And he’s determined to bring his best friend, and the girl he loves back, no matter what it takes.

What I thought

I read one of Sorensen’s other books not too long ago and absolutely loved it. I would go as far as saying that The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden has been my favourite new adult novel so far this year. Due to liking that one so much, I jumped at the chance to get this one for review. It didn’t take me long to start reading it and it only took me a few hours to finish it in one go.

The Secret of Ella and Micha quite obviously tells the story of Ella and Micha, two people who have been friends since as long as they remember. However, Ella has a pretty messed up past and doesn’t deal too well with certain things in her life. After one really bad night eight months ago, Ella ran away to college without saying a word to anyone, even Micha. The story is told from alternating narratives from both Ella and Micha which is always something I like. I like knowing how each of the main characters feels and how different events affect each of them. Not only do the narratives alternate, but Sorensen also goes back to eight months earlier a couple of times, so we are able to see what really happened on the night Ella ran away.

Even though Ella ran away, she is forced to go home for summer break, which also means having to see Micha again. Although Ella could be a little annoying at times, due to her changing who she really is to be someone she thinks is better, I did really like her. Yes, she has problems but she does really think that she’s doing the best thing for her to get over the bad things in her life. Ella has a sort of split personality throughout the book which I found quite funny, even though it probably shouldn’t have been. Away at school, Ella is a nice, quiet and polite girl but where she comes from she is known for being loud, brash and with a not give a shit attitude. The different sides of Ella couldn’t have been more different but I did enjoy seeing her realise who she really was and what was best for her in the end.

The plot follows Ella as she is forced back home for the summer and Micha’s reaction to this. Micha was utterly heartbroken and really hurt when Ella ran away and has been looking for her for the whole eight months. I cannot express just how much I loved Micha as a character. As soon as he sees Ella again, all of his feelings and emotions come rushing back to him but he knows something isn’t right. Gone is the girl he used to know and instead, a stepford wife stands in her place. Getting to know Micha was wonderful and even though he is slightly known as the bad boy, with his lip ring, loud parties and being a musician, he was really so much more than that. It was clear to see that he cared so much for Ella and would do anything to make things better for her again. He’s also a little bit full of himself but in a good way – he does it jokingly and doesn’t take himself too seriously.

The majority of this book is spent with Ella and Micha bantering back and forth. Micha wants his old girl back but Ella is reluctant to change anything or admit her feelings for him. However, although the plot is predictable, I enjoyed how everything turned out. Micha and Ella have sizzling chemistry and a hell of a lot of sexual tension between them. Unlike other new adult books, this one doesn’t revolve around sex as much but the scenes of this nature and wonderfully done. The passion between the two main characters was great to read about without it being vulgar or over the top.

Although the plot doesn’t sound very exciting, it is. Being from a broken town with a bad reputation, there is plenty going on. I wasn’t expecting the wild parties or the drag racing but I loved these little extra touches. Sorensen puts Ella into situations from her old life in order to make her realise who she truly is and for Micha to get to show off a little bit. This is really a book about soul mates and being there for one another no matter what but the added extras really made it that little bit more special.

Jessica Sorensen writes fantastic new adult novels and I will read anything with her name on it!

The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks

About the book

The Bunker Diary is a young adult novel by Kevin Brooks. The book was published by Penguin on 7^th March and it is 272 pages long. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.

Plot Synopsis (Taken from the back of the book)

I can’t believe I fell for it.

It was still dark when I woke up this morning. As soon as my eyes opened I knew where I was. A low-ceilinged rectangular building made entirely of whitewashed concrete. There are six little rooms along the main corridor. There are no windows. No doors. The lift is the only way in or out. What’s he going to do to me? What am I going to do?

If I’m right, the lift will come down in five minutes.

It did.

Only this time it wasn’t empty…

What I thought

I absolutely adore Kevin Brooks’ writing and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of his newest release. The synopsis is extremely intriguing and it barely gives anything away so I was excited to see what this book was all about.  

Linus was a fantastic protagonist and a wonderful narrator. His voice is very unique and his personality shines through. The Bunker Diary is told in diary form, as the title would suggest. Linus begins by telling the reader where he is, or where he thinks he is, and the events which led him to be there. Linus is from a semi-wealthy family but has been living rough on the streets of London. You don’t get to find out why until later in the book. He explains that he woke up somewhere that only has six rooms, that he was drugged and he has no idea why or who would want to do that to him.

Linus’ strong voice made it possible to really understand the situation he was in. The first few chapters were non-stop and very exciting. Linus panics a lot during the beginning of the book and rightly so. His fear and worries were what made everything so tense. Not only that though, Brooks’ descriptive writing helps the reader to picture the hell hole that Linus is stuck in. With the diary style narrative, Brooks gives short sentences, short paragraphs, bits that don’t really go with anything else and I loved his style of writing in this book. I found it to be different from his other books but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

As there are six rooms, it was inevitable that more people would be joining Linus. I wasn’t sure whether I was going to like this at first but when they started to arrive, I decided that I loved the mix of characters and personalities. Everyone stuck there with Linus was very different from the next person and all come from a variety of backgrounds. This worked well for a number of reasons but mainly the personalities clashing was what made this book even more exciting. This is where The Bunker Diary began to remind me of the Saw films. With someone watching above somewhere, people put together for some kind of reason and a whole range of other things happening instantly made me think of the film series.

The Bunker Diaries was scarier than I imagined it to be. I think the levels of scariness all depends on what scares you though. For me, there were a couple of parts in particular that I really couldn’t handle. I was reading this while on a train home and I had to shut it numerous times. If I had been at home, I would have put it in the freezer for a bit because some parts were just that scary for me. Kevin Brooks’ writing has the ability to make your heart pound, for you to be scared witless of what will happen next and for you to have hope for his characters.

The ending of this book was a complete shocker and it had me absolutely stunned. While the ending wasn’t expected, I’m still a little on the fence as to whether I liked it or not. So many things were left unanswered but it also left me thinking about what the outcome could have been for a long time after I finished reading the book.

Kevin Brooks has done it again. The Bunker Diary was a fantastic read and one which had me from the first page.  

Book to Film Review: Warm Bodies

About the film

Warm Bodies is a 2013 romantic zombie comedy film that is based on the book of the same name by Isaac Marion. The film was released at the cinema in the UK on 8^th February. Warm Bodies has a run time of 98 minutes and a rating of 12A.

Plot

R is a zombie. He doesn’t remember how he died, he doesn’t remember his name and he doesn’t really remember anything about his life. All he knows is, he lives in an airport with other zombies, eats brains and that he is different. On an outing with his fellow zombies to find something to eat, R runs into a girl called Julie, whose father runs the city close by which is surrounded by a massive wall. However, R eats Julie’s boyfriend’s brains and gets his memories at the same time. Not wanting to eat her too, he saves her, taking her back to the airport with him. Julie realises that R isn’t like the others, he can feel and talk and she doesn’t want him to die. The pair strikes up a strange kind of friendship and one which could change everything.

What I thought

I read Isaac Marion’s novel when it first came out and I absolutely loved it. Needless to say, I was desperate to see the movie version as soon as it came out so I went to the very first showing on opening day.

Nicholas Hoult stars as R, the zombie with a voice. I am a massive fan of Hoult, ever since his days in Skins and I have watched him in everything he has been in since. While I was a little unsure about him being cast as R to begin with, I ended up being really happy with the choice. Hoult narrates for the most part of the film, talking over what is actually happening. This, obviously, is because he is a zombie. Although he can talk, to begin with R can only grunt a few words and it isn’t until later in the film that he gets a wider vocabulary. I liked the narrative style though, as it gave R a very distinct voice, even if he could not use it himself. It must be hard to interact with other actors without actually talking for the most part. I think Hoult did a fantastic job as R, especially as he spends a lot of the time walking leaning to one side, looking extremely gross and grunting at everyone around him.

Teresa Palmer plays love interest Julie. The only thing I had seen her in previous to this was I am Number Four but she did impress me in that. I also think that when regarding the character from the book, she was a great choice for the role. Julie is a likeable character and in a world where everyone is out to just kill both the corpse zombies as well as the scary bones zombies, she is a bit different. Julie seems to understand that everything is not black and white and she is optimistic that things can change. This kind of attitude is also strengthened when Julie meets R. Although she is scared of him to begin with, it doesn’t take her long to see that he is unlike any of the other zombies.

Something that might not be apparent unless you know, is that Warm Bodies is a sort of retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Not only does R represent Romeo and Julie as Juliet but other characters have their parts as well. Julie’s best friend Nora represents the Nurse, zombie M represents Mercutio and Perry, Julie’s boyfriend represents Paris. I thought that this way of retelling such a classic and famous love story was incredibly clever. As I said, you might not pick up on these things unless you already know. The themes of forbidden love are extremely strong in Warm Bodies, with R, a zombie, falling in love with a human girl who is very much alive. However, the retelling is not overdone and this doesn’t take on every aspect of Romeo and Juliet, which was nice.   

As well as having great characters, Warm Bodies is also really well paced. The plot is extremely interesting, with us getting to know R and his way of life to begin with. It doesn’t take much time for him to run into Julie though and from there, the film only gets better. As the two characters get to know each other, their characters really come to life… literally in R’s case. It was lovely to see the character development here through two people getting to know each other and what they enjoy. However, among R and the normal zombies are the scary bones zombies. These are very skeletal are no longer resemble humans. Due to R taking Julie back to the airport, the bones get a whiff of her and want to eat her. The bones provide the excitement in Warm Bodies, with them chasing R and Julie in order to get what they want.

Overall, Warm Bodies is a fantastic movie adaptation of one of my favourite young adult books. 

Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan

About the book

Reason to Breathe is the first book in the Breathing series by Rebecca Donovan and it is a new adult novel. The book was published by Penguin on 17^th January and it is 544 pages long.

Plot Synopsis

All Emma Thomas wants is to be invisible. Unlike everyone else at her school, she only has one friend and doesn’t want any more. Emma buries herself in her school work, extracurricular activities and sports. It takes enough effort to hide the terrors she faces at home without having people asking a million questions about her.

New guy in school, Evan, is about to change all of that. He’s the first person in a long time to show any kind of attention towards Emma and she has no idea how to react to him – short of pushing him away and telling him she doesn’t want to know. However, she cannot keep herself to herself forever and as romance builds, she finds herself becoming more and more invisible every day, which is a prospect that terrifies her.

What I thought

This one has been sitting on my to be read pile for quite some time. University work had taken over my life and I just didn’t have time to read my own books. Once that had died down though, this was near enough at the top of the pile.

Protagonist Emma has a terrible family life, something that we learn about very early on in this book. Her one and only friend Sara knows some of what happens at home but Emma never lets her in on the complete truth. Living with her aunt and uncle, Emma does not have the most stable of lives. Her aunt is an evil bitch who physically abuses her and makes her life a misery. Reason to Breathe is very hard hitting from the beginning, as Emma’s secrets are revealed to the reader. Emma appears to just be the girl at school who wants to do well, the over achiever, but really she doesn’t want people to see what a complete mess her life is.

I haven’t read many books about violence and physical abuse and I found this one to be absolutely shocking. Rebecca Donovan does not shy away from the scenes where this is happening to Emma and instead, shows the horror of it completely. Certain scenes made me feel very uncomfortable and quite sick at times due to what was happening. Although this was shocking, it really made me realise just how bad Emma’s life was. I don’t think I would have understood as well without being shown in graphic detail. However, although her aunt is doing all kinds of horrible things to her, Emma never says anything to anyone. She tells Sara everything is ok and it’s not as bad as it seems, typical qualities for someone in Emma’s position I would say. While this I could understand, when some really bad things happen, Emma is too quick to say she is fine. She doesn’t want her little cousins being taken away from their family and this is what I couldn’t get my head around. If your aunt is beating the crap out of you, would you want two small children being around that environment with the possibility of it ever happening to them?

Although I had problems with the way Emma acted and reacted sometimes, I did like her as a character. I could understand the way she lived her life, with the sole purpose of getting through high school and away from her aunt. I do think she was a little too quick to push everyone away but I could also understand why she did it. It was nice to see Emma eventually come out of her shell though and little by little, she became a new character altogether. I also really loved her friendship with Sara. Although her only friend, Sara was someone that Emma could trust and someone who she had fun with – something very much needed in her life. I loved reading about the times where Sara and Emma were together because it made the book more light-hearted at times.

Love interest Evan was someone I absolutely loved. As the new guy in school, Emma hasn’t even noticed him until he speaks up in a class. From that moment, he doesn’t leave Emma alone – not in a weird, stalker way though. He likes Emma and he likes her outspoken, no bullshit attitude. The relationship between these two characters is a strange one because of Emma’s situation. She tells him from the beginning that she cannot and does not do relationships or friends but he keeps trying anyway. I liked that there were no games between these two and each of them were really upfront about what they wanted with each other. I was glad to see Emma finally begin to let Evan in though as I did begin to feel a bit sorry for him.

The two aspects of romance and abuse are interwoven wonderfully and are connected the whole way throughout the novel. Reason to Breathe is about Emma really becoming herself and dealing with the life she has at home, while trying to make things better for herself. This book is absolutely heart-breaking at times but there is so much beauty within some of the other relationships. The ending was completely shocking and not at all what I was expecting. I can’t wait to read the second book, Barely Breathing, to find out what happens next.