Book Review: Charm by Sarah Pinborough

We all know the story of Cinderella, but Charm turns the classic fairytale on this head. 

You may or may not be familiar with Poison, Sarah Pinborough’s first novel that twists Snow White into a dark, sexy fairytale for an older audience.

Pinborough, realizing there are more stones to be overturned and plenty more fairytales to be re-told, is back with a second novel, Charm; this time putting her own unique spin on Cinderella. 

It is a cold, relentless winter that seems to have gone on far too long in the town where Cinderella lives, in a cramped house in need of refurbishment. Money is short and Cinderella doubles as a housemaid for her stepmother, Esme, and stepsister, Rose. It is an unpleasant existence, getting up at dawn each morning, preparing the porridge, kneading the bread, stoking the fire and making the house comfortable for her family.

The first chapter sets a chilly winter scene in the heart of a far away land. A man goes around town putting up posters warning the townsfolk that a young child has gone missing in the woods. As so the fictional scene is set. It is when we meet Cinderella that Charm becomes more of a chore to read, than the initial enjoyment.

First of all, I would just like to point out I give all books a chance and this has to be the only book so far this year I have really disliked. Secondly, I haven’t read any other books by Pinborough, so can only judge her writing on this novel alone. The first problem was Cinderella, who is an annoying, selfish girl. It would be easier to sympathies with her having to do all the housework, cooking etcetera if she didn’t moan and whine about it so much. The fact that she feels she deserves better tells me that she probably doesn’t; you don’t get what you wish for, and thinking that she is a much better person that her stepsisters makes her the exact opposite.

Another reason my initial love of this book was spoilt was down to the, quite frankly, unnecessary sexual content that sprang out of nowhere. One minute Cinderella is having a conversation with a guy, the next things have moved on to another level entirely. I felt is it was rushed and out of place - there is no need to ‘sex-up’ a story that didn’t need it. The fact that these scenes were so irregular and rushed made them hard to connect with, from a reader’s perspective. These kind of scenes also cancel out a large proportion of the target audience. Because it is not a book suitable for children, it can only be read by adults. However it is a simply written book - perfect for children but too ‘easy’ and straightforward for a more mature audience.

It’s a shame I didn’t like it because Charm had all the right ingredients for a perfect fairytale novel, but they turned sour the more I read. I can’t fault the writing itself, it’s just written for the wrong audience. If this book was marketed at a young adult audience, it would have been ideal, but it just seems to have been handled all wrong. As an adult, this book does not appeal to me; including sex-scenes in a children’s book was never going to work on a classic such as Cinderella. 

I didn't like it, but that doesn't mean you won't. Pinborough has another book out later this year, Beauty, so clearly someone likes them enough to publish them. Give it a read and see what you think. 

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl Book Review

 Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl requires no prior information in regards to the plot and characters. We all know exactly who Anne Frank is, and the fate she and her family met at the hands of the Nazi’s. All because they were Jewish.

 The first entry in Anne Frank made in her diary was 12th of June 1942, and merely a month later, along with her father Otto, her mother, Edith and elder sister, Margot, she went into hiding. Anne kept writing in her diary throughout the next two years of her short life. The last entry was made on the 1^st of August, 1944. They were arrested three days later. 

 I view her diary as having two different sections; firstly, about Anne herself and life in the Annex, and secondly, the political side and life on the outside. As any young teenage girl would, Anne gives open and honest accounts her life during the war. Because she did not intend for her entries or ‘letters’ to be read by anyone other than herself, her honesty is refreshing and not masked by what she thinks others want to hear.  

Anne paints a humorous picture of the second family the Frank’s share the Annex with, the van Pels’, or as they are called in the diary, the van Daan’s. Anne sees Mrs van Daan as a flirt, and a woman in need of constant attention. But this brings some much needed laughter to Anne’s situation. She also writes about the arguments and harsh words said between Mr and Mrs van Daan. Due to the small space the seven residences are imprisoned in, it is only natural that tempers will run high. Little food is a constant source of tension which grows worse with the addition of another person to the Annex; Fritz Pfeffer (called Albert Dussel in Anne’s letters.) Anne is made to share a room with Dussel, which at first she doesn’t mind. However, he makes strange noises in the night, “like a fish gasping for air,” Anne writes, and she soon finds reason for disagreements with him.

 She writes truthful about the disagreements she has with her mother, and how she feels about love and life. Her relationship with Peter is one that is recorded most fully in her diary; from her first impressions of him, to her eventual desire for a friend and companion in the Annex.  I didn’t expect to enjoy Anne’s observations and thoughts as much as I did. She writes with the intelligence and manner of someone far older and wiser than she was.

 It is interesting to read about the month of Anne’s life at the beginning of the dairy, before they are confined to the Secret Annex. She notes down some of the restrictions placed upon Jews, and remarks about her life before the war. For example, Jews are unable to ride bicycles or travel on public transport.

 The only contact the residences of the Annex have with the outside world is via their wireless radio and through their contacts. It is through their helpers – namely Bep (Elizabeth and Miep) - that they survive; they supply essential food, company and information to keep them all sane. The radio is their key to keeping up to date with the war; they listen to the BBC, waiting to hear some good news. Anne talks of what she would like to do after the war; she looks forward to returning to school and decides that she will publish a book about being a Jew in the Secret Annex, for which her diary will be the foundation.

 There was a question as to whether the diary was genuine; and it is not hard to see why. The ability Anne has to express her ideas and feeling through putting a pen to paper is one that many an adult would struggle to do so fluently and in such a captivating and passionate voice, let alone a young, teenage girl. She truly has a gift for writing.

 The copy I have reviewed is the 70^th Century, definitive edition, which includes all the entries Anne made in her diary, including five or so pages discovered before the turn of the century, and with an Afterword to end the book. The Afterword states, rather matter-of-factly, the sad fate of each resident and their helpers. Reading it gave me goose bumps. But it is the pictures that make Anne’s tale all the more harrowing. There are twenty-two photographs of the residence of the Annex included in this copy; some of Anne and her family before the war, and a few - including a look at the bookcase that hid them from the world - taken shortly afterwards.  It is the context that goes with Anne’s story that makes the diary such a powerful piece of writing.

 The legacy of Anne Frank will always be available to captivate future generations, and remains a warning from the past. I feel I owe it to Anne to urge you to read this short account of her life; it is the least we owe her.

Book Review: Spook's: Alice by Joseph Delaney

Quick warning to those that aren’t up-to-date with the series, this review may contain a few spoilers…

Alice is not only book twelve in the Wardstone Chronicles but also the penultimate installment, which means only one thing; the series is almost coming to its long-awaited climax. Having followed the series for years, I am sad to be nearing the end. But the work doesn’t just stop in the County, so let’s get to the review.

Alice, perhaps not surprisingly, follows the character of Alice from the series; in the same way Delaney has previously written Slither’s Tale and Grimalkin.

Alice, loyal companion of Tom and the Spook, get’s straight down the business; travelling into the realm of ‘The Dark’ to find the third object needed by the Spook and his apprentice, Tom, in order to destroy their greatest enemy, The Fiend. The Dark is not a place anyone would want to go – a place where the non-human folk end up when they die on Earth. It just so happens that Alice has done her fair share of killing some on the more dangerous and evil creatures over the year – or at least been a helping hand – and by travelling into their realm, they finally have the chance to take their revenge.

This makes for a bad situation for Alice but a brilliant, action-packed story for the reader! Alice not only encounters past threats but also takes readers down memory lane by revisiting her childhood through an encounter with a particular enemy. Unlike the majority of the books in the series, Alice isn’t told through the viewpoint of our hero and protagonist, Thomas Ward, but, as the title suggests, is written in first person by Alice.

As always, Delaney is able to effortlessly create an atmospheric world fit for witches and other such unsavory creatures that I have grown to love so much. I feel that Alice is slightly more gruesome than previous installments, particularly the scenes in which Alice remembers magic she saw her mother, Boney Lizzie (my old favourite!), preforming when she was a child. It involves flies and rats, that’s all I’ll say!

The writing is easy enough for a younger audience to read by the content is gory enough for adults to enjoy just as much as children. It is vital – and enjoyable - to start at the beginning of the series and read the books in order to be able to fully appreciate this series as one of the best of the decade.

Another thing to touch upon before I finish is that this series is currently being turned into a film, called Seventh Son I believe, which is scheduled to be released towards the end of this year.

If anyone is interested in the order the Spooks series should be read in, I have complied a list below:

1)    The Spook’s Apprentice
2)    The Spook’s Curse

3)    The Spook’s Secret
4)    The Spook’ Battle

5)    The Spook’s Mistake

6)    The Spook’s Sacrifice

7)    The Spook’s Nightmare

8)    The Spook’s Destiny

9)    Spook’s: I am Grimalkin

10) The Spook’s Blood

11) Spook’s Slither’s Tale (reviewed here...)

12) Spook’s: Alice

Book Review: Spook’s: Slither’s Tale by Joseph Delaney

Slither is prematurely awakened from his winter hibernation by a disturbance in the area of land under his protection. A man with whom Slither has for many years traded with has been badly injured and is soon to die. Upon his untimely death, their long-standing trade is broken. But the dying man uses his last breath to make a new trade with Slither. He must travel with his youngest two daughters to their Aunt and Uncle’s house, where they will be taken care of. In return, Slither may have the man’s eldest daughter, Nessa, to sell at a slave auction; something that all of Slither’s species must do every-so-often to keep up their tough reputation. For Slither, this is an offer he can’t pass up and, after all, how hard would it be to accompany two young children on their travels for a few days? And so the trade is done and the adventure begins…

Joseph Delaney is – without a doubt – one of my favourite authors of children’s fiction, tying in top place with Derek Landy, and that is definitely saying something about my love of Delaney’s writing because I do consider Derek Landy to be a writing genius!

This newest instalment, Slither’s Tale – the eleventh in Delaney’s Wardstone Chronicles - is a far cry from Tom’s home in Chipenden and introduces the readers to a whole new country with plenty of new characters. This time our protagonist is not Tom, but a previously unheard of creature known as Slither; so named because of the sound his tail makes. Yes, he has a tail. Initially, the plot of the Wardstone Chronicles revolved around the Spook’s fighting against the dark, but Slither’s Tale marks the second book in the Spooks series which Delaney has dedicated to the viewpoint of a different character, showing the Spook’s world through the eyes of a creature of the dark. The first book Delany tried this with was the ninth book; I am Grimalkin, which was a major success.

Even Alice and the Spook himself, John Gregory, don’t get a mention in Slither’s Tale, but don’t let that put you off! There is a familiar character who has crossed over from the county into Slither’s country: Grimalkin, the witch assassin herself. It is strange at first to see the Spook’s world through the eyes of a typically ‘bad’ character. Both Grimalkin and Slither are evil and violent characters, but with morals and common sense. They are each, equally the strongest of their kind and this is apparent in Slither’s Tale, when their personalities clash. It is easy to see that Delaney enjoys writing scenes which feature Grimalkin just as much as the audience enjoys reading them. Her presence is felt by all the characters inSlither’s Tale; she is a fierce witch assassin with unmatched skill and a powerful reputation. She has become my favourite character and I eagerly look forward to any future books in which she will certainly feature.

In writing the Wardstone Chronicles, Joseph Delaney has set up a world that rivals even that of Harry Potter and Skulduggery Pleasant. Without doubt, this is a scary world, filled with witches, ghosts and other dangerous creatures that reside in the dark. But the element of fear only makes reading more exciting, and has the advantage of enticing young children into reading. The only complaint I have ever had with any of the Wardstone Chronicles is the new book covers (I say new, but they have been around for a while now). They were changed half-way through the series and the replacement illustrations on the new jackets not only have no likeness at all to the characters being described in the books, but they resemble every other child’s fiction book currently out on the market. The previous covers are now only released with the paperback version, months after the initial release date, as a collector’s edition – but they were unique and enhanced the story’s old world feel; it was like reading a book straight from the Spook’s Chipenden library and I really miss that!

Although the Spook’s series is marketed at older children (from about 11+), I am, at nineteen, proof that anyone can read and enjoy these books without feeling that they are being directed at a younger audience. Slither’s Tale was released after it was revealed that the Wardstone Chronicles is soon to be adapted for the silver screen, under the name The Seventh Son. I can only hope that the film, to be released in late 2013, will do this excellent series justice! This is your chance to enter the Spooks world now, before the country goes Spook-crazy with the release of the film later this year! But remember, these are not books to be read after dark…

Book Review: The Never Pages by Graham Thomas

There are two rules that the Dream Investigator must follow:

1. Document everything.

2. Keep moving forward.

The Never Pages is, quite simply, the journal of a Dream Investigator – a mysterious man known only to the audience as Master G_.  The Never Pages is the second novel by up-and-coming author Graham Thomas that I have read (so far!), the first being the excellent Maria and the Devil, released earlier this year. Having just finished The Never Pages, I am thrilled to say Thomas is now a writer I completely adore.

This unusual novel presents the reader with an entirely new world, where nothing is impossible and almost nothing makes complete sense (this is not as much of a negative as it sounds, I promise!). We find Master G_ in the NeverRealm, the world between here and the afterlife. It is something of a dreamland, and the theme of dreams and dreaming is carried on throughout. He starts out with two goals: 1. Find Brekker 2. Rescue Lucy – Master G_’s love. By completing the first goal, the second will also be completed; to rescue Lucy, Master G_ must find Brekker, the key to Lucy’s fate. But it soon transpires that things are not quite as they seem, and Master G_ learns of a betrayal of the worst kind that alters his entire purpose and throws him off kilter. I won’t go any further with explanations or plot details, as it is the kind of book that needs to be read in order to be understood, and spoilers without context wouldn’t make any sense anyway. 

A side effect of residing in this wasteland is that memories fade, and it is for this reason Master G_ comes to have this journal. He keeps track of his future goals and notes down things that have transpired since arriving in the NeverRealm so he can read back over his journey so far and remember the otherwise forgettable. There is the odd occasion when, due to Master G_’s inability to write at certain points another characters takes over and keeps the journal up-to-date. Thomas does an excellent job of writing from different viewpoints and ironing out any dislike you the reader may have harbored for the character; they are all easy to like and write in their own unique voice. Thomas has a good eye for characterisation and it shows. The elements of his writing I liked in Maria and the Devil, I loved in The Never Pages.

The Never Pages is presented in the journal form; diary-like entries make up a large percentage of the book, with a few handy illustrations added in. The illustrations present visual sketches of the minor characters, maps of places and other elements of the novel/journal that are harder to imagine. It is this rawness of the text and as-it–happens writing style that make The Never Pages such an amazing novel.

The particular edition that I reviewed has an additional two hundred pages of essential extra material, with new appendices that include extracts from Brekker’s own diary that take place before the events of The Never Pages,

They all really add to the initial story and put a new perspective on things.

The synopsis itself confesses to being a ‘difficult’ book, and there is no doubt that this is true, however, this will hopefully be an attraction for readers. If you are looking for a quick, straightforward read, this is absolutely not the read for you. But how many people want an easy book these days? Really?

I spent more time than I usually would to read a book, and with good reason; to enjoy and appreciate the complexity of The Never Pages you have to really immerse yourself in the NeverRealm. Also, before writing this review I consulted some already written reviews of The Never Pages to get a feel of how the wider audience found the book, and am pleased to report that everyone liked it a lot! So maybe, even if on the surface this doesn’t seem like the ideal book for you, pick it up and give it a read. You never know, it might just surprise you.

Once again, I would like to heartily thank Graham Thomas for the signed copy of The Never Pages I received, and for writing such a masterpiece, and to the amazing publishing house – theneverpress.com – for being such good sports as always! I’m off now to wait for Graham’s next novel, so until next time…