Noll's 2015 Book Blog

[Nollaig]

Half Bad by Sally Green

 

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Nathan lives in a cage: beaten, shackled, trained to kill. In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world's most terrifying and violent witch, Marcus. Nathan's only hope for survival is to escape his captors, track down Marcus, and receive the three gifts that will bring him into his own magical powers—before it's too late. But how can Nathan find his father when there is no one safe to trust, not even family, not even the girl he loves?

***

Review: I have very mixed feelings about this book, so while it might deserve a little over 3.5 stars, I don't feel I can give them. It started out brilliantly - I love most of the writing style (although starting a sentence with something other than 'the' once in a while wouldn't go amiss) and I got relatively invested in a good few of the characters. I feel like there was a lot of potential here and as a result my impression kept changing throughout - I'd feel the potential and get psyched up and then feel let down by poor pacing or generally scattered aim.

There isn't a whole pile of plot. It starts out very character-centric, introducing us to Nathan, his family, and slowly uncovering the persecution he faces. It is easy to like him, despite his flaws, because he didn't ask for any of the awful things he is put through. It is even easier to like his loving half-brother Arran, and the steadfast determination of his gran to protect him through all his assessments, in the lead-up to his designation as, essentially, good or bad. With very little magic in the book, it's easy to draw parallels between Nathan and any kid who has ever been discriminated against for something beyond his or her control, and I think that's what a lot of people are latching onto about this book.

About halfway through the book, however, things start meandering and I genuinely found it very hard to care about any of the intermediary characters. Bob. Bob was cool. But he was only there for a minute. Gabriel is also cool, but I'm more interested in his affection for Nathan than for any role he plays in the story. Mercury was not frightening, Marcus was not charismatic or appealing, and the drive in Nathan to be either good or bad did not come much to the forefront - it seemed largely a by-product of whoever he had to involve himself with in order to become a witch, and by the end of the book, very little seems to have actually happened. I think the best way to express my view of the book is that I like the collection of small details Green illustrates - she does not shy away from describing pain and cruelty, and that certainly sets this book apart - but the details are incohesive and do not pull together into a grand larger picture.

All the same, I like Gabriel enough to want to read the second book, so I guess that's something.

Rating: 3.5/5

[Nollaig]

The Death House by Sarah Pinborough

 

Synopsis: Toby's life was perfectly normal... until it was unravelled by something as simple as a blood test. Taken from his family, Toby now lives in the Death House: an out-of-time existence far from the modern world, where he, and the others who live there, are studied by Matron and her team of nurses. They're looking for any sign of sickness. Any sign of their wards changing. Any sign that it's time to take them to the sanatorium. No one returns from the sanatorium. Withdrawn from his house-mates and living in his memories of the past, Toby spends his days fighting his fear. But then a new arrival in the house shatters the fragile peace, and everything changes. Because everybody dies. It's how you choose to live that counts.

 ***

Review: I want so badly to give this book five stars, but the ending left me a little dissatisfied. Everything else, however, was brilliant.

The biggest critique I have seen of this book is actually one of my favourite elements - it is utterly character-driven. I hesitate to call it a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel, because while elements of both genres are hinted at, they are utterly subverted by the character interaction and development. This seems to have a left a bad taste in the mouths of many reviewers used to detailed world-building and big reveals. Honestly, I think the way Pinborough conveys this house as the last refuge for the sickness of a recovering world, without ever explaining anything in detail, is ample demonstration of real skill as a writer. The earth seems to have heated up, people seem to have been afflicted by something will dominate their systems by age 18, and rare though those people are in the wake of the world's healing, they must be gathered together and ultimately destroyed for that healing to complete. Why this is not enough explanation, in the face of so much else that is beautifully written, I don't understand. There is no horror here, other than the horror of misfortune and fate. The fact that these kids are not oppressed by a big evil that they must attempt to overcome, the fact that it is just luck of the genetic draw that has brought them here to die, makes their hopeless situation all the more powerful to read about.

The characters. The complex, microcosmic society that has developed in the Death House, between individuals, between dorm groups. The push and pull of attempted survival in the context of guaranteed impending death. The ostracization of the sick. All of these things are impressed upon us with a stunning credibilty throughout this book. Told from the perspective of Toby, an angry teenager whose way of dealing with his inevitable fate is to withdraw into himself and try not to care about anything. Not necessarily likeable, but understandable. Over the course of the story, however, his hostility is challenged by the intervention of a girl. As she slowly softens his manner towards her, Pinborough impressively illustrates how he learns to live for the moment, and relate to the other characters around him - little Will, only 10 years old and gentle. Louis, a little older, a little braver, a lot wiser. Ashley, who injects a fantastic shot of religious contemplation and discussion of life after death into the story. Jake, the alpha male against whose bravado Toby comes up on more than one occasion. Little Georgie, a symbol of hope and inevitability. The overall picture, comprised of these characters trying to get by in a situation governed by tragic circumstance, is skillfully portrayed.

As I said, my one qualm with this near-perfect read is the ending. It was about five pages from perfect and it sucked some of the preceeding credibility out of Toby. Still, it didn't spoil the book for me; there is still so much to love about it. Dark and bleak, including one particular scene towards the end that actually caught me entirely by surprise (I'm far too innocent) which will haunt me for quite some time. But also, full of hope, and the freedom in choosing not to let death silently cart you away in the night, in reclaiming the right to live your life to the fullest - however numbered the days. Highly recommended read.

Rating: 4.5/5

[Athena]

Great reviews !

[chesilbeach]

Interesting to read your thoughts on Half Bad.  It's definitely a book of two halves, and the first half is incredibly strong.

 

 

With regards to Marcus, I think we've only just scratched the surface of him, and I think at this stage, he was really only there to complete that task, but I feel that we'll get to know him more in later books.  I also think Nathan is bound to be ambivalent to both good and bad … look how the "good" side have treated him.  Even when he's at home with his family, there's this constant threat of not talking to anyone about his father, and even his sister taunts him.  He's fed misinformation all the time, and there's no-one to completely trust.  I think he's meant to be showing that this is no such thing as good or evil, and that both exist in both the white and the black witches.

 

 

With regards to you other review, if I'd read just the title, let alone the synopsis, I would never consider reading The Death House, but now you're making me curious about it, and particularly the ending to see what was wrong with it.

[Kylie]

Great progress in your goals, Noll. I'm particularly impressed that you've managed to keep up with all of those reviews! I'm looking forward to seeing what the next quarter brings for you.

[Michelle]

Noll, I'm glad you enjoyed The Death House - I'm not sure if you saw my thoughts, but I had very different expectations, and so therefore was disappointed. I was expecting something scary and not a character driven book. And Claire, I think you'd be fine with it, all of that considered.

[Nollaig]

Interesting to read your thoughts on Half Bad.  It's definitely a book of two halves, and the first half is incredibly strong.

 

 

With regards to Marcus, I think we've only just scratched the surface of him, and I think at this stage, he was really only there to complete that task, but I feel that we'll get to know him more in later books.  I also think Nathan is bound to be ambivalent to both good and bad … look how the "good" side have treated him.  Even when he's at home with his family, there's this constant threat of not talking to anyone about his father, and even his sister taunts him.  He's fed misinformation all the time, and there's no-one to completely trust.  I think he's meant to be showing that this is no such thing as good or evil, and that both exist in both the white and the black witches.

 

 

With regards to you other review, if I'd read just the title, let alone the synopsis, I would never consider reading The Death House, but now you're making me curious about it, and particularly the ending to see what was wrong with it.

 

 

Yes, I agree that there will definitely be more to Marcus, but he was also a pivotal character throughout the book. From the get-go he was the cause of it all, his motives and relation to Nathan in constant question by Nathan, and in the end, it was just an underwhelming encounter. That to me should have felt like the big climax of the book, but it didn't. She managed to capture my attention with Gabriel and even Bob very easily, but not Marcus.

 

 

The Death House is great. If you go into it expecting a character-driven story with virtually no genre elements whatsoever (just a YA drama in a bleak setting), then you may well enjoy it. Given that you liked Only Ever Yours, I would recommend The Death House to you. Whereas OEY was a sort of social commentary, TDH is like a social observation, of a microcosmic society made up of teens adapting to deeply distressing circumstances. (<- I like that, where was that sentence when I was writing my review?! ) Anyway if you decide to give it a go, I'll be hugely looking forward to your review.

 

Great progress in your goals, Noll. I'm particularly impressed that you've managed to keep up with all of those reviews! I'm looking forward to seeing what the next quarter brings for you.

 

Thanks Kylie I'm impressed myself that I've kept up - it's tough at times and the quality of some reviews is definitely much lower than that of others, but I'm much more okay with that than I used to be, and I've found that even when I'm finding a book difficult to review initially, once I sit down and start typing, loads of thoughts start pouring out. So it's good, it's a nice way to reflect on what I've read and the more I write the better I'll get.

 

Noll, I'm glad you enjoyed The Death House - I'm not sure if you saw my thoughts, but I had very different expectations, and so therefore was disappointed. I was expecting something scary and not a character driven book. And Claire, I think you'd be fine with it, all of that considered.

 

I did go back and read your thoughts just now, Michelle. I totally missed that post when you originally posted it. I can definitely see how expectations would derail your enjoyment of the book, because you'd spend a lot of time waiting for stuff that just never came. I had zero expectations, fortunately, and I found the characters interesting enough that I didn't spend the whole time thinking

'but what about the sanatorium?' Actually while I'm in a spoiler tag - Claire, if you've opened this out of curiosity STOP, GO BACK! - The reason I didn't like the ending was that I didn't feel Toby's love was authentic enough to give up a second chance at life for a girl who was going to die anyway. I get that she made him super happy, but he also had a family who made him super happy - it's not like he had a life like Jake's before the Death House. Sure, he might not have been able to go back to his family, but he could have helped do all the things he told Louis to do. I'm delighted Louis escaped, but I just felt Toby dying too was a bit weak. I can't imagine being so sure I was going to die, only to be told I could live and choose to die anyway. Also I thought Will's death was superb. I'm a total eejit, I didn't cop it AT ALL, until they actually said how they took the stash of pills, and then I reread it and it was so obvious. Genuinely one of my favourite moments in a YA book, because it is so tragic but so understandable, and even kind in a really morbid way.

 

[Michelle]

Noll -

I know Sarah as a horror writer, and tweets about the book were about the number of deaths, or similar - so yes, I was expecting to find out more about the Sanatorium, what actually happens to them etc. 

 

I also thought Will's death was so well done. I kinda liked the end, because it wasn't the usual 'happy ever after' YA tends to go for. I guess to Toby it felt so strong because of the changes he'd been through since meeting her, and maybe he was actually too scared to carry on?

 

[Nollaig]

Michelle -

I definitely was at first, too. I don't know when it got sidelined, it just sort of did at some point and I went with it. I do absolutely understand how people could easily expect something else, though. As for Toby and Clara, I just feel like Clara would have wanted him to live, she was so all about making the most of every minute you've got left, that for her to be okay with him throwing away a whole lifetime of new minutes just sort of grated. It was a beautifully written ending, and in a sort of artsy romantic tragedy way I can even appreciate it. But it took the sense of realism to a level of surrealism, for me, that I wasn't expecting.

 

[Weave]

Fantastic review of 'The Death House' Noll, the ending wasn't what I expected either, I kept thinking that something would happen before the end.

[Nollaig]

Thanks Paula

[Nollaig]

My Heart & Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga

 

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.There’s only one problem: she’s not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel’s convinced she’s found her solution: a teen boy with the username FrozenRobot.

*** 

Review: My first impression of this book was that the title sounded a little bit emo, but once I read the book I found that the line which expands on the title to be one of the best quotes in the entire novel; when Aysel feels doubt caused by emotional attachment she says, "I wonder if my heart is like a black hole - it's so dense there's no room for light, but that doesn't mean it can't still suck me in." Honestly, this whole book is written with such capability and sensitivity - the author wrote it after the death of a friend, and as such the novel is saturated with the authenticity of life experience.

Warga portrays both depression and suicidal tendencies with great skill - some common misconceptions about both (such as the idea that people with depression can't laugh and have fun at times, and the idea that people too afraid to commit suicide are not *really* suicidal) are featured and handled brilliantly in this novel. Both main characters are likeable and the contrast between Aysel's growing doubt about suicide and Roman's continued drive to do it, despite the happier moments, fantastically illustrate both the complexities of these issues, and how all consuming they can be. I'm not talking too much about the plot, as I don't want to give anything away (avoid the Goodreads synopsis like the plague, it tells you about 60% of the story), but it's a great read, by the end of which you will be wholly invested in the characters.

I really liked the contrast between how the mother of each teen responded to their apparent distance, anti-social attitudes, or general indifference - one mother who backs away, apparently uncaring, and another who smothers. One of the biggest attributes of depression is the stigma around talking about it, which leads to people not knowing how to cope with it in others around them, something which is not deeply explored (as it's from the perspective of two sufferers) but definitely touched on here. It's not all sadness and despair, though, this story is at times darkly funny, and sure, at times deeply upsetting, but there are also uplifting moments of light, even if Aysel thinks there is no room in her heart for it. Definitely highly recommended, particularly if you want to better understand depression and suicide.

 

Rating: 4.5/5

[Nollaig]

The Art Of Being Normal - Lisa Williamson

 

Synopsis: David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl. On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal – to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year eleven is definitely not part of that plan. When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long…

***

Review: This was a 5 star read, through and through. The writing, the characters, the way the subject matter is handled, the plot, the settings, even the cover. Everything about this book is great.

The two main heroes of the story, David and Leo, are both extremely likeable characters who hail from opposite sides of the tracks. To Leo, David seems to have a perfect home life, a family that loves him, a well-stocked fridge and plenty of money. To David, Leo is compellingly self-assured and indifferent to what others at school think of him - something David can never be because of his secret. The novel is written from alternating perspectives, a couple of chapters from one boy, then a couple of chapters from the other - which is a perfect structure for the story, because it allows us a personal insight into the mindset of each character, contrasted with how they are perceived by the other. Each also has a distinct, unique voice that never leaves you confusing the two.

In a lot of ways, Leo actually goes through far more in this novel than David (certainly in the literal sense of facing up to life-altering events), and he kind of became the main character for me. I loved David too, but I found myself rooting for Leo as he faced a couple of huge challenges. On the flipside, David gave me a great insight into a type of character I've never read before. Although high-school bullying is not uncommon, even in modern society it's no secret that a secret like David's will not go down well with the average group of young people in a school canteen mob, be it because of ignorance, misunderstanding, fear, or anything else that unawareness and stigma inspire in crowds. There were moments in this story when I found myself holding my breath, fingers crossed, praying that David would not be outed for his own sake, and ultimately I rooted so hard for 'him' to find the confidence to be 'her'. Similarly, there were times my heart absolutely broke for Leo and honestly, I was so grateful that David and Leo had each other.

Despite the heavy subject matter, this is a compelling read with lots of little plot points, full of loveable characters like Essie and Felix who support David wholeheartedly, and great writing that makes it easy to tear through. Definitely a recommended read for all young adults.

Rating: 5/5

[Michelle]

This has been recommended to me a few times.

[chesilbeach]

Shall I just give you direct access to my wish list so that you can add books as you read them?  It would save me time

[Nollaig]

This has been recommended to me a few times.

 

I definitely think you'd enjoy it, Michelle.

 

Shall I just give you direct access to my wish list so that you can add books as you read them?  It would save me time

 

Hahaha! I feel much the same about yourself, Michelle and Weave a lot of the time, I can rarely go into your threads without finding a new title or two for my wishlist

[Athena]

The Art Of Being Normal sounds like a book I'd really enjoy, thanks Noll! I'm glad you're enjoying your reading this year so far .

[Nollaig]

I'll look forward to your thoughts if you do read it - it's really great

 

I finished Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano, review maybe tonight or tomorrow.

 

Started reading White Cat by Holly Black, first in a series that's meant to be good? I liked one book in her Modern Faerie Tale series, but swore off her because the other two were so bad. Decided to chance this anyway. So far it's really well-written, so that's an immediate improvement. I also need to start Yesterday's Gone Season 3, because someone 1.5 weeks has already passed since it was lent to me and it's gonna disappear off my tablet on Sunday! So I'll start that today too.

[Michelle]

I really liked the White Cat series Noll, but I did them all on audible. I also loved The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, but I didn't like Tithe. 

[Anna Begins]

 I also need to start Yesterday's Gone Season 3, because someone 1.5 weeks has already passed since it was lent to me and it's gonna disappear off my tablet on Sunday! So I'll start that today too.

   Hope you enjoy it!

[chesilbeach]

Started reading White Cat by Holly Black, first in a series that's meant to be good? I liked one book in her Modern Faerie Tale series, but swore off her because the other two were so bad. Decided to chance this anyway. So far it's really well-written, so that's an immediate improvement. I also need to start Yesterday's Gone Season 3, because someone 1.5 weeks has already passed since it was lent to me and it's gonna disappear off my tablet on Sunday! So I'll start that today too.

I remember that I quite enjoyed White Cat but I thought some of it felt very adult, while the rest of it was YA. Never picked up the sequel(s?) though.

[Nollaig]

I really liked the White Cat series Noll, but I did them all on audible. I also loved The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, but I didn't like Tithe. 

 

Always a good sign - Tithe was just a really bad book, and one of her earlier ones I think that wasn't for children. I'm not far into White Cat yet, but I love what I've read so far.

 

   Hope you enjoy it!

 

That should have said someHOW 1.5 weeks have passed, not someONE I'm sure I will, I'm dying for all these alleged answers! But I'm also glad I had a bit of a break after reading two seasons of it. Thanks again for the loan!

 

I remember that I quite enjoyed White Cat but I thought some of it felt very adult, while the rest of it was YA. Never picked up the sequel(s?) though.

 

That sounds great to me. I think she kind of did that in Valiant, too (the 'sequel' to Tithe, featuring none of the original cast). There's a girl dealing with addiction to a magical substance in it and that always felt incredibly dark and rather grown up to me - one of the reasons I loved it. I believe there's two sequels to it

[chesilbeach]

That sounds great to me. I think she kind of did that in Valiant, too (the 'sequel' to Tithe, featuring none of the original cast). There's a girl dealing with addiction to a magical substance in it and that always felt incredibly dark and rather grown up to me - one of the reasons I loved it. I believe there's two sequels to it

Yep, I've just looked it up … two sequels, Red Glove and Black Heart. I think I'll wait and see if you read them first!

[Michelle]

I think I listened to all 3 one after the other.

[Nollaig]

Hehe well I got my three-day reminder from Amazon today saying Yesterday's Gone Season 3 is disappearing soon, so I've dropped everything to tear through that. If you liked the Curse Workers series, Michelle, I probably will too. Definitely looking forward to getting back to White Cat anyway.

 

I don't know if I could listen to audiobooks - I did listen to one of Derren Brown's one time, but I found my attention kept drifting and I had to keep rewinding! It's so passive an activity to just listen, compared with reading a book, and I'm so easily distracted! I can see how it would be a relaxing way to get through a book too, though.