Choose: A quick death or slow poison . . .

 

Poison Study

Maria V. Snyder

Recommended by several students I was curious as to what Poison Study was all about. The story has a great set up; Yelena has murdered the General’s son. Sentenced to execution she is given a choice. Yelena can agree to become the food taster for the Commander or hang from the gallows. This might sound like a no brainer but there is a catch. The food taster is needed to determine if the meal of the kingdom’s ruler has been poisoned. Yelena must decide between dying immediately or living in suspense and never knowing when her time might be up. She chooses the unknown.

There is a lot of action in this book, with the General plotting revenge on Yelena and political intrigues evolving. To-the-death struggles, vomiting and sword play are frequent. I felt the book tapered off a little towards the end but as this is the first in a trilogy (Magic Study and Fire Study follow), I assume that ideas and characters will continue to develop. For some reason Poison Study reminded me a little of Graceling by Kristin Cashore but that might be because I read that just recently.

“You both need saving.”

 

 

Stolen

Lucy Christopher

On the inside pages comes this message from Barry Cunningham the Publisher of Stolen:

“This book scares me. It’s threatening, challenging and controversial. And that’s just the kidnap. It’s a thriller, a survival story, and the ultimate expression of the relationship between a damaged boy and a girl, played out under the most extreme conditions. You must read it. It’s the most astonishing debut of the year.”

Ok, so of course the publisher is going to want to flog his own book but the comments do make you want to see what all the fuss is about. Stolen has been up for lots of awards and was shortlisted by the Children’s Book Council of Australia and rightly so. A scary situation, believably and sensitively handled. For mature readers.

Click on the link below to hear the author Lucy Christopher talk about the book.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp6VHn8OjtA&feature=related

Note:  The main character Ty is up for a “best villain” award.

Good company for Charlotte.

 

The Cabinet of Wonders

The Kronos Chronicles: Book 1.

Marie Rutkoski

Marie Rutkoski states that one of her inspirations for the writing of this book was a trip to Prague. A cousin took Marie to look at a famous clock that was in the town square. He repeated a legend in which the clockmaker was said to have had his eyes removed upon completion of his work. The theory was that this was to ensure the clockmaker would never be able to build another one.

Marie Rutoski has taken this idea and run with it. The Cabinet of Wonders is a wonderful story involving magic, metal and a tin spider. The main character is the smart and fiery Petra, who must travel to the castle, sneak in and retrieve what the prince took. This book reminded me of Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights and in a good way. If you enjoyed Lyra’s exploits in that classic series then I suspect you will love this story.

The ending indicates more fighting and battles to come. The next book in the series The Celestial Globe is out so you won’t have to wait long to find out what happens to Petra and her intelligent pet spider.

Climb a tree

 

So suggests John Marsden. Well he did on Monday night after a screening of  Tomorrow When the War Began movie. Audience members had the opportunity of a Q and A session with the author and tree climbing came up in a response as to why the books have been so popular. Marsden suggested that part of the appeal was probably because it showed teenagers being adventurous and resourceful. He was concerned that with the way society is at the moment, teenagers and kids sometimes miss out on the chance to experience life first hand. His tip –  get out there.

However, if you’re not in the mood for the great outdoors the movie is now showing and is doing well.

The link below has a few reviews and lots of comments if you are interested.

http://www.tomorrow-movies.com/

“He breaks me.”

 

 

The Stuff of Legend

Book 1: The Dark

Mike Raicht and Brian Smith

Illustrated by Charles Paul Wilson III

Loved it! Loved it! Loved It! Here is the blurb on the back that made me so keen to read this graphic novel:

The year is 1944. As Allied forces fight the enemy on Europe’s war-torn beaches another battle begins in a child’s bedroom in Brooklyn. When the nightmarish Boogeyman snatches a boy and takes him to the realm of the Dark, the child’s playthings, led by the toy soldier known as the Colonel, band together to stage a daring rescue. On the perilous mission they will confront the boy’s bitter and forgotten toys, as well as betrayal in their own ranks. Can they save the boy from the forces of evil, or will they all perish in the process? The Stuff of Legend is a haunting and ultimately redemptive tale of loyalty, camaraderie, and perseverance.

The Stuff of Legend is like a kid’s nightmare beautifully bought to life. It is made all the more frightening because the emotions and experiences are so real. In war the good guys don’t always make it and this is true for the toys as they battle to save the boy. Highly, highly recommended.

PS. I never thought I’d end up feeling sorry for a money box.