Alice's notes: 4 Carnegie 2013 longlist books

Our guest reviewer, Alice (12), has read four of the novels on the Carnegie longlist. She has considered some of the judging criteria (as interepreted by shadowing groups) and made a few notes on these books:

1. To Be a Cat by Matt Haig
2. Trouble in Toadpool by Anne Fine
3. Hitler's Angel by William Osborne
4. The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne



Note: this is a cover of a proof copy. The cover in the shops is different and red.

1. To Be a Cat by Matt Haig

Characters
The author made me believe in all of the characters and their personalities.

Style
The story builds up slowly and the language is easy to understand. The story is from the author's point-of-view.

Plot
The plot is easy to follow, there is no sub plot and you can sometimes guess what's going to happen next.

Overall
I enjoyed it; it was right for my age group. I felt as if I wanted to carry on reading. I would recommend it; it left me thinking a lot; it didn't remind me of anything.

2. Trouble in Toadpool by Anne Fine

Characters
The conversations the characters have use suitable language - no swearing.

Style
The language is easy to read and understand. The story builds up slowly; a lot of description.

Plot
The plot/story is easy to follow. You can't guess what's going to happen next. I did not expect the ending.

Overall
I enjoyed it. It was a bit young for me; probably more for 9-11 year olds. I wanted to carry on reading. I would recommend it. It left me laughing. It did not remind me of anything.

3. Hitler's Angel by William Osborne

Characters
A good first impression - Leni and Otto are brave German teenagers.

Style
It dives straight into the action; a lot of dialogue; not a lot of description.

Plot
Easy to follow; no sub-plot.

Overall
I enjoyed it; right for my age group; I wanted to carry on reading. I would recommend it. It left me feeling sad and happy. It didn't remind me of anything.

You can read Little M's review of Hitler's Angel.

4. The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne

Characters
A surprised first impression by how they wanted to be normal.

Style
Straightforward language and easy to follow.

Plot
I didn't expect the ending. It was surprising.

Overall
I enjoyed it. It was right for my age group, maybe a little bit young. I wanted to carry on reading. I would recommend it. It left me feeling happy. It didn't remind me of any experiences.

You can read M's review of The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket.

 

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Copies: all book copies received from the publishers for reviewing the CILIP Carnegie 2013 longlist.

The Quietness - M's review

The Quietness by Alison Rattle

The Quietness is an action-driven historical novel with the rights of women at its heart. In a Victorian setting, a story about unwanted pregnancies, babyfarming and belonging unfolds.

The Quietness by Alison Rattle

The Quietness is about fifteen year old Queenie and sixteen year old Ellen, two characters whose stories interweave to reveal a complex picture of what Victorian life for women and girls, both working and middle class, was like. Packed full of poverty, prostitution, pregnancy, abortion, rape, childbirth, adoption, death and body care, this story is shocking and sad (and worse, based on true events). This is not a rose-tinted novel but it is also a story full of hope. Above all, I think it tells an important historical story that is intended for a teen readership.

The idea for this novel came about after the author had done extensive research for a non-fiction title. While based on historical facts and events, the story is not packed with dull historical notes. It is an easy read with short chapters and quite a fast pace.

For me, some elements of the plot were plausible but a bit unlikely. Some other readers might love these aspects. The ending is very neatly drawn together.

I think this is a good teen read about an important story that’ll likely bring a tear to your eye. Written for the teen market, it’s still a bit of a shocker and doesn’t beat about the bush. It might make you want to ask questions. Publisher Sarah Odedina describes Rattle’s writing as being along the lines of Mary Hooper. I think she is right.

If you’ve ever read Malorie Blackman’s Noughts & Crosses or Ruta Sepetys’ Between Shades of Gray, or if you’ve ever watched Call the Midwife on television, you’re old enough and wise enough to read and enjoy The Quietness. More than anything, I’d like to see some boys reading this.

Historical notes and resource packs are available for this novel from the publisher.

Publication details: March 2013, Hot Key Books, London, paperback

This copy: review copy received from the publishers

The Treasure House - M's review

The Treasure House by Linda Newbury

The Treasure House has been nominated for the Carnegie 2013 medal. This review forms part of our longlist shadowing.

One Friday, Nina’s mother goes away. She leaves a note for Nina and her dad that doesn’t tell them very much at all. They’re confused, worried and concerned. Nina’s dad decides to go off and find her and Nina gets to stay with her great-aunts’ and piece together clues. The ‘clues’ seem to be falling out in every nook and cranny of her great-aunts’ charity shop where things that belong to Nina’s mum keep turning up.

The Treasure House by Linda Newbery

The tone of The Treasure House is gentle, warm and loving. Plotwise, not too much happens. Or rather, the ‘clues’ scenario becomes a bit repetitive (and dare I say boring) and is then interspersed with a few big changes in some of the subsidiary characters’ lives. But all of these changes are packed into a fairly short book with a simple plot.

Characterwise, I liked almost all of the characters. They were nice people. They were like thousands of people I have met or know. Yet, in my view, the main characters don’t seem to change that much at all in the novel. This is fine and quite realistic. Most people don’t change dramatically over a short space of time unless something terribly traumatic happens. Arguably, the disappearance of Nina’s mother was traumatic. And, you are given that impression. However, it just didn’t feel traumatic.

I also thought the pace was off. The cluehunting occupies much of the story and is slow. The pace escalates towards the end and is really tumbled into one single chapter. For me, the final resolution to the problem in the plot was a little bit unbelievable and very disappointing. I particularly felt that there was an about-change in the perspective on family units that was presented from the outset of the novel.

 

 

Publication details: Orion Children’s Books, 2012, London, paperback

This copy: received for reviewing the Carnegie 2013 longlist from the publisher.

 

 

This review also counts towards M's British Books Challenge 2013.

The Edible Woman - M's review

The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood

 

This review contributes towards M's Classics Club Challenge

The Edible Woman was Margaret Atwood’s first published novel. Published in 1969, Atwood says that it was written a few years before this and so was not a part of the feminist wave of the late 1960s/early 1970s. On reading it though, it certainly gives a very clear flavour of the momentum that was building for what has become an enduring social movement.

The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood

Gender identity and power dynamics in accepted social and economic relationships are central to this novel. While this novel is about relationships, what was more striking for me is its portrayal and exploration of inner psyches. This is especially evident in Marian’s case as she explores what it is that makes her and what it that is eating her up.

Marian leads a mundane, middle class life. She has a university degree, works in a market research office, has a gorgeous lawyering boyfriend, and shares a non-descript flat with Ainsley. Meanwhile, their mutual friend Clara seems to be lost in married life and pregnancies.

In Marian’s office, there are only women working on her floor. The floor above, with bosses and thinkers and so on, is full of men. As the novel moves along, Marian starts to consider who she is and who – or what – the women around her are. She wonders whether she will become like them. As her plain life moves on, she is asked to help out in some market research and she meets Duncan who is quite unlike anyone she seems to have known. The spoke in the wheel, Duncan’s presence in the novel really kickstarts her contemplations and everything and everyone starts to change, not least of which is her diet.

I stayed up until the early hours to finish this novel. Someone recently said that there are novels that grip you the whole way through while there are others that perhaps ebb and flow and it is only the end that brings it all together and offers up a profound reward. In The Edible Woman’s case, for me the end of part 2 is priceless.

The Edible Woman appears to be a consciously crafted novel. Atwood (I don’t know what hand the editor had in this) develops the conceit of the edible woman, becoming particularly strong in Part 2 when the narration and Marian’s diet change. The structure is important too. It’s written in three parts moving from first person narration, to third and back to first, although really it’s all in first person but told in third. Part 2 is Marian’s detached monologue. I loved the way a seeming shifting point-of-view was really a shift in expression and really enhanced that inner exploration that I mentioned.

Atwood uses a lot of imagery, something that is probably in her other books but that I have either never noticed or paid much attention to before.

Strong themes in the novel include gender, identity, homophobia, consumerism, marriage, femininity, normality. Interestingly, some of the other themes – food production, consuming and consumerism – and even hints of Duncan, can perhaps be found in her much more recent MaddAddam novels (Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood).

While the plot situations and the characters are all adult (i.e. over 20s), I’d also recommend this to interested teen readers.

Verdict: For me, this counts as classic. Written during my parents’ generation, it has stood the test of being read across generations. While being a testament to its time, it reads like a contemporary novel. For me, the writing is also well-crafted, a slow pace that flows easily and explores many aspects. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

 

Publication details: 2012, Virago Press, London, paperback. First published 1969.

This copy: mine.

 

Reminders for me in my old age about the plot:

BIG SPOILER! SPOILER:

 

* Marian’s body starts to reject food. At first, it seems she is becoming vegetarian. Then it starts rejecting vegetables too. A flash thought is that she is pregnant – and that would be ironic (seeing as Ainsley is deliberately pregnant, Clara seems to be lost in pregnancies and Marian thinks she’d be much better at organising married life). But then, it’s neither of these: it’s because the prospect of marriage to Peter is destroying her. So she bakes a cake and forms it into the edible woman.

Vortex (Tempest #2) - Little M's review

Vortex by Julie Cross

Vortex is the second book in Julie Cross’ time travel trilogy. Vortex is a continuation from Tempest, the first book in the series (if you haven't read it, you can read my Tempest review here; the Vortex review will give spoilers for Tempest).

 

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Vortex by Julie Cross

The story is still about Jackson who is nineteen and has joined Tempest, a section in the CIA that handles the EOTs (evil time travellers who want to run the world). Jackson put Holly, his girlfriend, out of his life for good (this was to save her) but she has somehow managed to get back into it. Is Holly as innocent as she seems and will Jackson escape the future?

The novel is told from Jackson’s point-of-view and there are quite a few logs that he’s written so his friend, Adam, can help him.

In Vortex there is less romance and more science than in Tempest, which I liked, so I preferred Vortex to Tempest. Vortex and Tempest are those kind of books that you read and go ‘I wish I could do that’ or ‘I wish I had those powers’. Vortex was definitely one of those types.

Tempest and Vortex are at the very top end of my favourite reads this year and last year. Action-packed on every page, I really couldn’t put this book down not even to eat/drink. This book includes action, lots of time travel, and a bit of romance (maybe a lot).

I think this book is aimed at slightly older teens than myself. I think this partly because of Jackson’s age (nineteen) and also some events (cringey bits) and language that are in the novel. But I loved it.

Publication details: Macmillan, January 2013, London, hardback

This copy: received for review from the publisher

 

 

 

A Month With April-May - joint review

A Month with April May by Edyth Bulbring

This is a joint review with separate thoughts from M and Little M.

M’s thoughts

April-May February is a Twilight addict and fancies herself as Bella – even though her skin will always be a couple of shades darker. Her parents have split up and she’s living with her dad who, in the current economic climate, works as a tow-away driver. She’s won a bursary and has just started at a posh new high school in Johannesburg. However....she just doesn’t connect with her new teacher, Mrs Ho. Of course, April-May is also a rebel and gets up to all sorts of ‘scrapes’ which she has designed - but she’d say this was due to “circumstances”. She’s the very clever practical joker, only she’s not joking.  A Month With April-May is about April-May desperately trying to get her life back into the order that she wants.

The novel starts off really well – and is quite addictive. Although it keeps up the pace (with April-May’s witty wisecracks, how could it not?) it quickly becomes a situation comedy. One that many young teen readers will probably find very funny.

A Month With April-May is written for young teens but I really wanted to read it because I enjoy a lot of South African adult fiction that has children or teens as its main characters. I’m thinking of adult novels like Barbara Trapido's Frankie & Stankie, Lauren Liebenberg's The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam, and Rachel Zadok's Gem Squash Tokoloshe. These are the books that sprang to mind when the publishers said that April-May had a “special charm”.

Yes, the character April-May February has a special charm as does the novel. The first chapter or so (for some reason) is reminiscent of recent Barbara Trapido. But, unlike the aforementioned adult novels which are retrospective stories, April-May takes a post-apartheid contemporary view of life in Gauteng's eastern suburbs from a mixed-race teen's perspective (with a dash of authorial presence sniping at current socio-economics and the high traffic incident casualties). I think it does it well. What is refreshing, is that race wasn't obviously relevant to this story and only casually pops up when that all-important activity of Johannesburg poolside tanning takes place.

A Month With April-May made me smile and I loved April-May's cold facts which she includes at the end of each chapter. The novels themes include typical school based ones as well as the changing structures of contemporary family units. I thought the last line of the novel was very meaningful and pulled the novel together well. Also, April-May should be applauded for reminding people that it does rain in Cape Town in winter.

This is a quick and light read with a very distinct South African flavour. There’s a glossary at the back – which might be useful for some readers in explaining some of the South African slang used in the novel.  Probably best suited to readers 11+ (plus older South Africans living abroad).

Little M’s thoughts

A Month With April-May didn’t really hook me. I am probably not used to how it’s written. I  got a bit confused and sometimes I didn't understand what April-May was talking about. It also jumped around a bit. I’m not used to books where it’s just about a person rather than an adventure. I haven’t  read any Louise Rennison books (the publishers compare April-May to books in Rennison’s style) but I like books by Judy Blume.

 

Publication details: Hot Key Books, February 2013, London, paperback

This copy: uncorrected proof received for review from the publisher

A Month With April May was originally published by Penguin South Africa under the title Melly, Mrs Ho and Me. Melly and Mrs Ho are key characters in the novel.

VIII - guest review by Kate

VIII by H.M. Castor

VIII has been nominated for the Carnegie 2013 longlist. This review takes into consideration some of the judging criteria as used by Shadowing groups.

 

This review has been written by Kate (Year 9).

 

VIII is H.M. Castor’s newest book. It is the story of Henry VIII from childhood to his death at 55. It is fiction but well written and thoroughly enjoyable.

At the beginning of the book the reader is introduced to a few main characters: Henry, his mother, his grandmother, his father and his siblings. All the characters are very believable and the dynamic between the members of this family is very true to how any family behaves with one another. This is particularly well written because while the reader gets this dynamic there is definitely the sense of them being royal and going through the struggles that present themselves.

 

VIII by H.M. Castor

Throughout the book Henry slowly turns into the character that he is stereotyped as today: brutal, unforgiving, fat and ruthless. However, the ghostly figure that he sees presents the reader with one thought as to why his behaviour changes as it does. I think the relationship between Henry and this mysterious figure is probably the most important in the whole book because it is something that affects Henry massively throughout his life and reign as King. The figure becomes something he uses to measure how well he’s doing at ruling and is vital to his reign. The relationship between Henry and this figure does change through the story because while throughout the story he is scared of it, towards the end there seems to be some sort of acceptance of how it is part of him and his life. He has grown up with this ‘ghost’ and becomes accustomed to it.

All the conversations and interactions of the characters are very realistic and suit the time period. The language and actions of the characters are true to the time and work well with the relationships between the characters.

Most of the characters are quite likeable but there are moments when each character is disliked. However, through most of VIII even if you don’t like Henry, you often feel sympathy towards him.

The style of writing is easy to understand for any reader whether the reader commonly reads historical novels/non-fiction or not. The timing and setting of this story is very important because of the main characters. The plot starts to build up from the beginning but that is to be expected, as it is the story of Henry’s life. The action is however quite stable throughout the latter part of the book.

There is quite a bit of dialogue, but it’s appropriate as the story is about a person’s life. The characters’ interaction and the story development depend on the dialogue quite a bit and it works very well with the style of writing. There is however, an equal amount of description that balances the speech out nicely and it really immerses the reader within the book and creates a very clear picture in their head.

Personally I really like the style of writing because I read a lot of historical fiction but it depends what books the reader normally reads. Historical fiction is written in a specific style and takes some getting used to so if this is the first historical novel the reader reads, it will take a little bit of time to get into the style.

The story is told through Henry’s perspective the whole way through and this creates a very nice diary feel, moving the story along. Using this perspective Castor creates very effective atmospheres and emotions’ depending on how Henry is feeling which, again, immerses the reader. Using language and sentence structure itself the story is well-constructed and creates an obvious mood of fear in the reader.

    
The plot is quite easy to follow because of the way it is set up. Castor explains what’s happening at each stage through Henry and the language used makes it easy to understand.

At some stages in the story the reader can guess what’s going to happen next but there are also some surprising twists that are not expected. Mostly it is a story about a famous historical figure but it has a dark edge, which the reader hasn’t come across before. The sub-plot which is the dark edge is very important and ties in well with the main plot of Henry’s life.

Castor puts equal emphasis on the plot and the characters because the characters are so essential to the plot in historical novels. The characters make the story and because of that both are equally important in the book.

The ending is the obvious one at the end of a life-story, a death, but the ending of the dark twist within the plot is not one I was expecting. The ending does tie up all loose ends and is effective because it makes the reader want to carry on.

I did really enjoy VIII and found it very riveting. I think anyone with an interest in historical fiction about the Tudors could read this book but probably over the age of 12. At the end of the book I did really want to keep reading but the end did tie everything up nicely so it didn’t feel like I lost anything at the end. I would definitely recommend this book to others who like historical novels as a genre.

Reviewed by Kate, Year 9

 

Publication details: 2011, Templar, Surrey UK

This copy: received from the publisher for shadowing the Carnegie longlist

 

The Beadle - M's review

The Beadle by Pauline Smith

When Little M and I first started blogging about books, I found that all my recommendations were from my own childhood, teenagehood and even early university years. I also kept referring to some of these books as must-reads and using them as benchmarks. But, it’s been years since I’d read them and I really didn’t have any idea of whether or not they would still stack up.

Since reviewing, I started noticing things about my own reading habits, and the sorts of themes or aspects of a novel that I would pick out in comparison to Little M and other book bloggers. It really hit home that context and life-stage affect my reading experience (not much a revelation in theory but it is in practice).

Then I came across the Classics Club where you have to read at least fifty classics in five years (the definition of classics is left up to each individual reader). That’s what gave me the final push to rereading. My first re-read and my first read for the Classics Club is The Beadle by Pauline Smith.

But my review of it has a long, contextual story.

The Beadle by Pauline Smith

I first read The Beadle at high school and my comment was that it was okay. But The Beadle is one of the few school texts that left a positive imprint in my mind. I was intrigued by why my memory of it and my comment at the time of reading should differ so much.

 

However, The Beadle is out of print and buying a secondhand copy of it in the UK was rather too pricey. Lo and behold, what do I find on holiday in the middle of South Africa’s Klein Karoo (Little Karoo)? Dustcovers, a secondhand, collectibles and antique bookshop in the middle of the now trendy but still rural karoo town of Nieu Bethesda. Yes, there it was. A copy of The Beadle.

So the scene for my re-read has been perfectly set. I’ve just stayed in the middle of the karoo on a farm. I’ve bought the book in the karoo too. And of course, The Beadle is set in a little karoo valley.

Review

The Beadle is set in the very rural karoo when carts were still the main means of travel and when the role and standing of the church was paramount. It is a poignant and softly biting portrayal of coming-of-age in rural South Africa The story is about Andrina who lives with her aunts and the surly old beadle, Aalst Vlokman, on the Harmonie farmland. Her mother, Klaartje, ran away for home and died in childbirth, and there are all sorts of family secrets lurking in the background. Andrina is sweet and seventeen and she’s just about to join the church. And then an Englishman arrives at the farm.

Published in 1926, the language as well as the story are almost of a completely bygone time but it is still an easy but evocative read. Having read a little of Olive Schreiner’s The Story of An African Farm, the vocabulary and language use is similar.

The Beadle's story, on one level, is a very simple one about sin, moralities, taboos, betrayals, love and religion.

I remember feeling terribly sorry for some of the characters when I first read this book. The kind of feeling that must be empathy because how they must have felt gets right into the pit of your stomach and refuses to leave you. The effect of the story this time around wasn’t as intense – I’m older and wiser and the story is nothing new. Not like it would have been when I was a teenager.

Second time around, yes, I enjoyed The Beadle. For anyone interested in South African literature (or young adult literature from another time and place), I’d definitely recommend this. As a novel, it has been heavily negatively criticised since the 1970s by the likes of Nadine Gordimer and JM Coetzee for its portrayal of the rural Afrikaner and promoting the need for nationalist ideology in South Africa (and this critique may have been vital at that time in Sputh Africa's history). Pauline Smith may well do that, and if you’re looking for this, you’ll find it – the Englishman certainly doesn’t come off well. However, that’s not how I saw The Beadle at all (but I wasn’t especially looking for it).

 

For me, The Beadle, as it was on my first reading, is Andrina and Klaartje’s story. And theirs is a story that we still find today in all sorts of settings.

 

Publication details:First published 1926.

This edition: 1990, David Philip, Cape Town, paperback, my own

 

The Double Shadow - M's review

The Double Shadow by Sally Gardner

The Double Shadow has been nominated for the Carnegie 2013 medal. This review forms part of our longlist shadowing and takes into consideration the judging criteria.

Sally Gardner has a second nomination for Maggot Moon which recently won the Costa Children’s Book of the Year 2012.

The Double Shadow starts off darkly and within pages sexual abuse is strongly suggested. At the same time, mystery and strange goings on are suggested too. Perhaps some secret histories and secret futures too....

The Double Shadow is a science fiction that is set just before World War II. It tells the story of Amaryllis whose father has built a memory machine encased in a picture palace for her seventeenth birthday present. It is built upon people’s memories and she will not age. Amaryllis is not sure she wants this, especially after she realises the significance of the double shadow which throws everything into a mindbending haze for her and the reader.

The Double Shadow by Sally Gardner

At first, I felt sorry for Amaryllis, the main character. Something awful has obviously happened to her – more than once. But then, she starts to grate on you. She’s not so nice – or dependable – and I’m not sure if her hidden traumas can justify her behaviour. Ezra, as he’s supposed to be, is the hero character – and I was holding my fingers crossed that he would stay this way. Also though, I was crossing my fingers twice for Amaryllis: once, hoping that what I think might have happened didn’t happen, and twice, hoping that she might actually be nice and forgivable for what she does to Ezra. Some have likened their relationship to that of Dicken’s Pip and Estella, and I think some of that is apparent. For me, the characters are slightly (and sometimes very) unbelievable. Why would Amaryllis be so mean to Ezra? Why would Ezra stand by her? Also, I didn’t quite get the point of Roach. However, there is character and relationship development as the novel nears its end.

The Double Shadow is a complex and challenging read. Plotwise and structurally, the novel dives straight into the action but then it winds in all sorts of ways, backwards, forwards and sometimes somewhere else. I often got confused about which character’s voice was telling the story. For me, the sub-plot of the war was superfluous. However, the language used is easy to follow.

I do wish the novel was a bit shorter. There was a little bit too much repetition going on. Also, three-quarters of the way through, the tone of the novel changes and the narrative style has become much more detached and matter-of-fact. A bit more like Lemony Snicket – because what is continually implied is dark. For me, this sits uncomfortably with the abuse that has taken place and with the tone that was originally set. However, the plot is intriguing. Although the mood is grim and confusing, I still wanted to know what happens/happened. I want to see the pieces all put together – indeed, whether they can be. Most of the loose ends are tied up sufficiently. However, the pace towards the end of the novel was accelerated and glossed over a fair few details.

This tale is a real cauldron pot with leaks. Each reader will have to decide for themselves whether the pot retains all the core ingredients to make something most delicious. For my reading palate, I think the balance of flavours wasn’t quite right....but I’m still not sure! Other readers may feel that this novel is a triumph.

Although very sensitively dealt with, I think that the themes of sexual abuse combined with the plot and structural complexity would make this a more satisfying read for older teens (although it is still a very uncomfortable read for anyone). This is definitely Young Adult rather than teen fiction.

 

Publication details:  2011, Indigo, London, hardback

This copy: received from the publisher for shadowing the Carnegie 2013 longlist

 

 

 

Tempest - Little M's review

Tempest by Julie Cross

Time travel, romance, action: if you like these Tempest will be right up your street.

Tempest by Julie Cross

Nineteen year old Jackson can time travel, but he can’t tell anyone, not even his girlfriend, Holly. When Jackson gets stuck in the year 2007 he can’t manage to get back to his home base, 2009. While trying to get to 2009 he finds he can only go backwards, not forwards which leads him to his sister, Courtney. Courtney died at the age of 14; she was Jackson’s twin sister. They were both without a mother because she died in childbirth. The novel is about whether Jackson can jump back into 2009 and whether he’ll choose to join the Tempest (part of the CIA) or the EOTs (time travellers who want to run the world but their time travelling will rip apart the universe).

This was the first time travel book I have ever read. Reading this made me think about the book called The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I haven’t read it but I wondered if the time travel thing was the same. I still don’t know.  :(

This book will definitely be up in my top books. I found I liked it as much as Insignia (by SJ Kincaid) and Divergent (by Veronica Roth), which are very high on my list (at the top). I am definitely going to recommend this book to people and I can’t wait for the next book Vortex which is coming soon. I am sad to say that Tempest has beaten most of the horse books I have ever read (I think some of the horse books get boring or are a bit young).

I definitely will say people who like action, romance and time travel should love it. I think 13+ for this book partly because of language and parts of the romance but other than that it’s a great book.

After reading this I thought more about how most of the books I read now are science fiction.

Publication details: 2012, Macmillan, London, paperback

This copy: received from the publishers for review