Review: The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone by Jaclyn Moriarty

The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone by Jaclyn Moriarty

Published: Allen & Unwin
Released: November 1 2017 (in Australia)
ISBN: 9781760297176

Read: October 19 2017

At 109 chapters and over 500 pages, this story will challenge some young readers. But it is worth it because we are taken into a world that is fully realised, but never over-explained. We travel with Bronte to visit ten Aunts, and they are distinct individuals, and nothing feels repetitive or cliched. Each moment of revelation is seamlessly woven through the storyline, so that when its significance is inevitably realised, readers are not surprised or jolted out of the narrative.

The underlying sadness and pain take a while to leak through. Bronte is seemingly accommodating and well-mannered, so much of her point of view is coated with a stiff-upper-lip resolve. However, she also displays tremendously brave behaviour and very acute observations, and slowly we are given a glimpse into how she really feels about the disappearance and death of her parents. There is anger of course, and a longing that permeates her quest. It’s only late in the novel we are told that Bronte is reliving the story two years after her adventures. As a 12 year old, her perspective is wiser and gently scathing towards unkindness and narrow-mindedness. This is very subtle and is a further layer in a cleverly constructed story.

Moriarty incorporates humour to great effect. Each Aunt is accompanied by other characters who test Bronte’s mettle (ha. See what I did there?), and her ability to adapt and learn shows young readers about resilience and reward. Aunt Sue’s boisterous sons are delightful and generous, and Aunt Nancy’s clever daughters are wily and honest. Taylor’s no-nonsense offer of friendship arrives at exactly the right time, and the boy with no shoes is a mystery Bronte refuses to leave unsolved. I could go on listing other wonderful characters – the noisy librarian is particularly welcome, and the water sprites are effusive and jubilant—but to do that would spoil much of the wonder and delight of the novel. It’s best you discover them on your own.

The final quarter where all the clues fall together into the intricately woven climax keeps readers madly turning pages to watch Bronte stay one step ahead of the evil threatening her family and her identity. She needs all her skills and friends to triumph, and it’s an astonishing and wholly satisfying defeat. Then we have the final pages of reflection and quiet acceptance of her new reality. If I wanted more here, well, that’s ok. Those final poignant pages are all the more powerful for their low key and concise conclusion.

This ambitious and clever novel seems geared towards younger readers, but I believe anyone will love it. I think everyone should read it, actually.

Review: Wilder Country by Mark Smith

Wilder Country By Mark Smith

Published by: Text Publishing
Released: August 28 2017
ISBN: 9781925498530

Read: September 27 2017

Mark Smith’s debut novel The Road to Winter, was a breakout hit with Australian YA audiences last year. I bet more than a few adults also discovered it, because even though protagonist Finn is only 15, his wisdom, his careful strategising, and his determination to survive connects him to much older readers. As well, its tight structure and compelling plot are strong attractions for today’s time-poor, action-seeking audiences.

If you haven’t read it, I urge you to. It’s a post-apocalyptic story, set in the not-too-distance future, and many of its themes resonate in today’s society. The treatment of the asylum seekers, the grab for power, and the terrible reality for women and girls are depicted in chilling, factual tones. Thankfully a lot is left for us to read between the lines meaning, it never gets too graphic or disturbing.

It’s only been a year to wait for Wilder Country. Finn, Willow and Kas are back, and are on the search for Rose’s baby, Hope. We see Finn and Kas alternate the roles of leader and follower. Sometimes, Finn is gung-ho and springs to action, but mostly it’s Kas, fierce and undeterred, who takes up the fight against the Wilder gang. When we think about the ruin of civilisation, our immediate thoughts are of cruelty and fear. We automatically assume everyone will be out for him or herself, and survival is only for the strong and the selfish. It’s an idea that’s been present in literature like, Lord of the Flies, The Road, and The Handmaid’s Tale and many others, so it’s unsurprising that here, a group of men have all the power and any luxuries to be found.

Kas’s anger is just. She and sister Rose were treated very badly. While Finn struggles with his innate mercy and infinite compassion, Kas has no qualms at all to maim or kill people who try to control her. There is one scene very early one where someone has a clear intention to have his way with Kas, and readers see Kas has few options open to her to avoid being taken advantage of. Readers will wrestle too with their moral compass. Is Finn right to hesitate to take action? Or has he every right to put himself and his friends before these greedy men? It’s challenging stuff, but this never detracts from its goal of being an exciting and fast-paced read.

Wilder Country involves a lot of traveling, meeting up with friends and foes, and Finn confronting his own limits and pushing his boundaries. Smith does a great job of expanding the premise of Finn and his crew versus Ramage and his, by introducing another group of characters who have their own agenda. Clearly how this group impacts on Finn and the Wilders will be the foundation of the next book, Land of Fences. Our understanding of them is limited, and the mystery works to keep our interest in the series.

Wilder Country is out now, and is highly recommended. It is not a standalone, and the first one needs to be read before getting into this one.

 

Review: Traitor to the Throne

Traitor to the Throne (Rebel of the Sands Book 2) by Alwyn Hamilton

Published by: Faber & Faber (Allen & Unwin Australia)
Released on: February 2 2017
ISBN: 9780571325412

Read: December 23 2016

Trying to defeat your despotic father’s large and powerful army with your small but dedicated band of rebels is a big task. No sooner have you managed to triumph in one part of the country, then a protest in another part is soundly beaten, and you must re-group. This is what faces the Rebel Prince and his band of merry misfits, part-djinn children, and hopeless romantics. They carry a fire, that’s certain, but success is determined by choices, and their youth, inexperience and lack of resources means their task is overwhelming.

Which is why Traitor to the Throne works on many levels.

Amina has developed a lot over the course of the first book. Now aware of her Demdji powers, her confidence is growing. Assured of Jin’s love initially, she is now rethinking their relationship when he keeps his distance, both physically and emotionally. She has meet people who are now her family and her loyalty to them is unrivaled. But there are small disputes among the Rebel Prince’s cohorts. We see Amina and her friends defy his orders, mostly as a counterpoint to the Sultan himself.

For much of the book, Amina, captured and without magic, observes the way Ahmed’s father rules, and there are moments when she almost admires his actions, and herein lies the opportunity for Hamilton to open a conversation on leading and ruling, and the moral ambiguities faced by all people. It’s a little uncomfortable really. We want our villains to be evil, and to have our main character show sympathy for this treacherous man is confronting. During this part of the story, Hamilton dials back on the action, slows the pace, and takes the opportunity to fill the pages with myths and stories of the history of her world. Some readers will love these tangents, while others will rush through them, looking for the excitement and thrill of the inevitable clashes between the opposing forces. While I appreciated Amina’s downtime, I was always preparing myself for the bad times to come (They did. They were.)

There are many new characters introduced, and we lose some dear friends. We also meet up with some who had seemingly been lost to us in the first book. Structurally, Traitor to the Throne is tighter, cleverer, as it builds to its shattering climax. All the pieces seem to be in play now for the final and desperate conclusion to the series. While the first book played on a mash-up of the ‘Old West’ elements inserted into a magical Arabian setting, Traitor to the Throne focuses the tone on a political intrigue genre, with the two sparring armies trying to one-up the other in spying and counter-spying. The stakes are high, and Hamilton deftly highlights how much and how many innocents suffer in war-time.

This advanced copy was approved by Netgalley, via the publisher, and read with thanks. Released everywhere on February 2, 2017.

Recommended for readers who love their fantasy series twisty and complicated. For every one thing where the rebels succeed, there are four more where they don’t, ensuring the rebellion is hard fought. While there are some romantic moments, it’s isn’t a priority, given the characters are more focused on surviving battles and betrayals. The rebel group is diverse, have snarky conversations, and depict true loyalty to Ahmed and each other. The second book in what I believe is a trilogy.

 

The best of the rest 2016: mostly middle of a series

So I have eight (!) other books that I adored, and they are mostly books that sit comfortably into a popular series. Two are firsts in new series, and another is a contemporary romance that is a feel good story by a developing author. So happy new year! Here is my last best of list 2016 on the 1st day of 2017.

 

Night Study (Soulfinders #2) Maria V Snyder (January 2016)

I have read most of the books set in this universe (except the Glass series), and find them compelling and hopeful. Yelena and Valek are wonderful characters. I love that they could easily be given to adult readers, as they don’t talk down or pander to a young audience. Because I thankfully received it from Netgalley, my review at Goodreads is lengthy (& includes spoilers). I am currently waiting (not so patiently) to be approved for the next one (fingers crossed).

Marked in Flesh (The Others #4) Anne Bishop (March 2016)

I found these by accidentally, and slowly over the course of four novels, I have become very attached to Meg and Simon’s little crew. The pattern of each book is familiar–lots of scenes of domesticity in the compound, while outside narrative voices tell of impending doom. No matter how much the humans who know The Others, try to warn the aggressors, their calls go unheeded and everyone suffers. But mostly those ignorant greedy humans. It’s contemporary politics wrapped up in a carefully controlled, beautifully realised fantasy world.

Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) Cassandra Clare (March 2016)

The highly anticipated latest blockbuster from the City of Bones world did not disappoint. It’s epic, it’s detailed, and it’s great storytelling. As much as I liked it, Lady Midnight didn’t make my list of first in a series because secretly, for me, there was just a little bit too much pandering to ‘shippers of couples from previous series. I think we should focus on Emma and her LA posse, and their troubles. Because believe me, they have plenty!! And I just checked and she’s getting the next one out in May 2017. Awesome!

The Unexpected Everything Morgan Matson (May 2016)

This is messy, complicated, and full of tropes, but it’s done in a way that is thorough, warm, and witty, so it’s hard to find fault with it. Andie is the best kind of narrator–generally a nice person, who just has had it too good up till now, to realise her privilege and her self-absorption. When she loses (what she understands to be) everything, her growth is commensurate with her increase in humility, compassion, and generosity. The secondary characters are well developed, and the situations, experiences, and resolution all feel true. I loved this a lot.

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) Sarah J Maas (May 2016)

Probably the biggest hit of 2016. I actually read both books this year, which is always better with these epic fantasy novels, involving many characters and plot twists and cliffhanger endings. Sarah J Maas is alternating between two major series, and how she keeps them separate in her head astounds me. Lots of charting and timelines I suspect. Anyway, Feyre is another great character, and her involvement in this immortal war will hopefully mean the awful dudes get what’s coming to them. I am definitely all in for the ride.

The Call Peadar O’Guilin (August 2016)

I thought this was a standalone, but it’s apparently not. More horror than anything else I read, it felt astonishing fresh and incredibly exciting. Dealing with Celtic fey (here known as the Sidhe, pronounced ‘shee’), O’Guilin offers us Nessa, disabled yet stubborn, and full of pride. Her peers are living a nightmare. Any of them (including Nessa) could get ‘the call’ at any time. Disappearing into the world of the Sidhe, they have to survive 24 hours of torture, chasing, wickedness and whatever else these revenging immortals think up. For the people in the ‘real’ world, the whole experience lasts only 2 minutes. This tense taut tale is executed in brazen tones–snark into next week, drama between the teens, mostly useless adult mentors, most of them suffering PDST from their own horrifying encounters, and don’t even ask me how he pulls off that glorious resolution. It’s a killer!

A Torch against the night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) Sabaa Tahir (August 2016)

The importance of world building in paranormal action novels should never be downplayed. It’s crucial that the landscape could exist, and Tahir pulls off this dystopian Ancient Roman alternate history like a pro. There is much reliance on violence to try to curtail the actions of the resistance, but that just makes the story stronger. Our heroes, Laia and Elias, are pulled through some rough circumstances, requiring tough choices, and readers must be prepared for a long haul here, before we see some light. Gosh, it’s good.

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) Sarah J Maas (September 2016)

The other popular tome of the 2016 clocks in at nearly 700 pages, and to have made it all the way through to that ending requires not only persistence, but also patience with Maas, because I am certain our feisty queen, Aelin, DID NOT  deserve that. You can tell I remain riled up when I ‘caps lock’ text. Luckily we only have to wait a year… I still don’t know how she does it. Two blockbusters a year. Hope she’s getting some sleep.

That’s it for 2016. Hope you’ll join me again soon, for more reviewing, some useful lists, and my anticipated reads for 2017. Have a happy and safe New Year’s Eve. I am off to watch ‘Sing!’