"Circling the Sun" Paula McLain

I read "The Paris Wife" a few years ago and it was one of those novels that quietly exceeded all my expectations, quickly becoming one of my favourite reads for that year and one I often recommend. I can still recall the main character of Hadley with ease and affection. I was keen to read the new McLain title; again it is also a fictionalised account of a real person, Beryl Markham, who grew up in Kenya becoming a pioneering horse race trainer and a record breaking pilot in the 1930s.

The book opens in Kenya, 1904, with Beryl's mother abandoning her and returning to England with her younger brother. The Kipsigis tribe that Beryl lives amongst, give her a cowie shell to ward off evil spirits. Even though she is "a white daughter of their white bwana - something unnatural has happened that need setting to rights....no African mother would ever have thought of abandoning a healthy child that is not maimed or weak...so they stamped out that start and gave me another." With this fresh new start bequeathed by the tribe, it seems Beryl becomes intrinsically linked with the Kipsigis people, learning how to throw spears, hunt warthogs and feel as if this is the place in which she truly belongs. A feeling which never leaves her.

The novel then continues to chart Beryl's childhood. She is a girl of strong character, refusing to be "straightened out" by the persevering, rule abiding housekeeper Mrs O, who tries to fulfil the role of wife and mother as well as managing the running the house. She is expelled from school but on her return to the Horse Farm run by her father, she finds it greatly changed by the outbreak of the First World War. The horses have been conscripted and race meetings suspended, the workforce depleted. I was fascinated by the historical detail and powerful image of the Kipsigis warriors going off to fight with their "spears held high, buffalo hide shields in the other..sent 100s of miles away, handed a rifle in place of a spear....come home with stories and enough gold to buy a wife." McLain's attention to detail and thorough research means the reader is effortlessly placed firmly within the historical context and location. Her description of Africa is evocative and convincing. It was easy to feel part of the landscape and visualise the setting.

Part Two takes us to 1919 and Beryl is now 16 years old. Despite her protestations, Beryl is persuaded to marry Jock, who is "alright" and "will make the farm work". Again, the reader is reminded of the historical context and restrictive role of women, perhaps emphasised within a colonial society. Beryl tries to "match" Jock and "be good at" the physical side of the relationship but she doesn't feel old enough or ready enough to really be a wife and she spends her wedding night feeling "lonely and numb as if some part of me had died".

Beryl is an interesting character. The novel feels very much a journey of emotional discovery as she strives to find her place in the world. She is a talented, bold, unintimidated woman who wishes for equality and to be given the same opportunities as men. In many respects she succeeds later on with her career but her late teenage years are spend trying to reconcile herself with the restrictive life of a female in a high profile marriage. Even her successes in training a winning horse are celebrated more fully by Jock, who stands to make more fame and financial gain then her. Jock changes too as the relationship continues to struggle and Beryl refuses to conform. He is worried about his name, his reputation, his family and is a proud, controlling man. Their marriage becomes a sad pretence.

The intriguing thing about Beryl is how connected she is to the Kipsigis tribe and the environment. She is quite spiritually connected to the land and to the rituals of the tribal people. As she struggles to make hard choice she loses herself within tribal songs and chants and throughout her whole life, whenever faced with a difficult decision or needs comfort, she always retreats to the African songs, stories and ways. One evening she steals away to watch a dance and to lose herself within the rhythms and movements. As she watches she reflects that "they know something I didn't and possibly never would......my heart seemed to leave my body as the verses and refrains gathered speed like a great wheel". Beryl's lifelong dilemma is how to offset her limited reprieves of freedom, love and career against the entrapment of the enduring conventions and expectations of propriety amongst society. It is no wonder that it is flying which really appeals to Beryl - to be able to move in a space where there are no barriers and nothing "to stop you from going on forever....it doesn't hold anything back or want to stop you."

McLain writes with vivid description and there are some beautiful phrases and imagery throughout the novel. I found Beryl an appealing, likeable character. Although fallible and not always reasonable, she had flair and individuality. There are some poignant moments within the story and ultimately Beryl completes her physical, spiritual and emotional journey and finds reconciliation. She makes bold decisions and often disastrous ones - either ill fated or selfishly- she makes some decisions which might not enamour her to the reader but it makes for a rich tapestry and fascinating tale. She is a woman of adventure and ambition who seeks to be unconventional. I enjoyed the story, the character and the setting. I did feel transported to another country and era and I thought the closing lines of the novel were very resonant.

McLain's novel has also made me consider reading "Out of Africa" and Markham's own book "West with the Night" to learn more about her life story and of Africa. I was interested to read in the Author's Notes that Beryl had met with Hemingway who admired her (there are rumours of an affair!) which must have intrigued McLain following her research and interest in Hemingway from "The Paris Wife".

I would recommend this book. It is an easy and interesting read and McLain's style is very accessible and enjoyable.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in return for a fair review.

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"The Lonely Life of Biddy Weir" Lesley Allen

Crime writer G J Minnet ("The Hidden Legacy") posted a picture of the cover of this book on his twitter feed in conversation with another author and then recommended it a few times. The power of Twitter is amazing - from just seeing this attractive cover pictured on my feed a dozen times and trusting in Minnet's judgement, I decided to read this novel. I am so glad I was successful in getting a copy! It has become one of my most favourite reads this year.

There are about three books this year for which I have been desperate to tell the world about but have dreaded writing a review, feeling decidedly inarticulate in comparison to the beautiful writing I've been wallowing in and a definite inability to fully express the effect the author's work has had on me. This is one of those books!

"The Lonely Life of Biddy Weir" is not an easy book to read at times. We first meet Biddy, aged 30, making a telephone call to a chat show running a phone in about bullying. The opening description is full of bird imagery - a theme which permeates the entire novel- and not only effectively captures Biddy's trepidation and emotion at this moment in the narrative, but is also used to illustrate her fragile yet unique and naively innocent personality as the book continues.

"Butterflies as big as bats flapped ferociously in her stomach, thrashing against her ribcage, soaring into her chest.....what if it all goes wrong? What if they catch you out?  ...She tried to ignore the cresecendo what ifs and focus on the dream instead...."

Biddy admits to the researcher, to whom she is first put in contact with, that she suffered psychological bullying for 7 years. When asked what the worst thing the girl did to Biddy was, she replied "I nearly died because of her."

So the stage is set, the reader hooked, the premise established. We then begin "Part One" which takes us back to the small seaside town of Ballybrock when Biddy was two months shy of her tenth birthday; to the moment when the bullying began and she discovered she was Biddy Weir the "Bloody Weirdo"- or simply B W for short. "From this day forward, her life was defined not by her religion, colour of her skin, her sex, the school she attended....but by her oddness.." Biddy is the only daughter of Howard, now retired, who was forced to marry Biddy's much younger mother following a "fumble" and discovering she was pregnant. Biddy's mother left them when Biddy was 6 months old and he has struggled to bring her up ever since. The conventional description of Biddy through her appearance ("curly, unruly red hair ") is helpful but what really captures the reader's imagination (and then their heart) is the description of her clothes and belongings. Her school uniform was either too big or too small. It's never quite right and her school bag is a string shopper with "broken handles packed together with sellotape." Everything is makeshift, broken, drab, brown, grey and old. Biddy is doomed. With a father who is much too old and clueless, her complete lack of self awareness or care for appearance and commodities and to really top it off - a fascination and love for bird poo! Yes, indeed, Biddy is an "individual".

But she is happy. Or has been. Until Alison Fleming arrives at the school. Alison is a "clever, accomplished and manipulative little bitch." What a brilliant line! So up front and so true! And I'm sure reminds us of the Alison Fleming's we've met in the past. Alison is as captivating a creation as Biddy. She will make your blood boil. I could hear her snarling over my shoulder as I read the book. I could see her lips curling unpleasantly at the corner as she glared derisively at the beautifully naive and utterly vulnerable Biddy.

It takes a little while to adapt to Allen's narrative style. She is a master of language and description but at first this is disguised through the simple, childlike manner of writing. However, this understated, innocent voice effectively reflects and mimics not only Biddy's character but I think also reduces some of the impact of the events of which we read. By keeping a more childlike perspective on events it helps to not overwhelm the reader or make it sensationalised or sentimental. It remains raw, real and authentic. It's been a while since I've become so entranced by characters that I feel my pulse rate increase as I read about them and find myself muttering responses under my breath as I see them acting out their role in the novel. I really lived and breathed this story.

Biddy has never been aware that she is different before. She has got to the age of 11 without ever crying. She's carefree. She looks to the sky and birds for meaning and company. She sketches. She's unaffected. As events progress, the depiction of the "halo of sunlight highlighting her wild copper curls....her pale eyes glistening like slivers of broken glass....looked like a miserable angel" is surely metaphorical of something more significant and special within Biddy. But this naivety and frankly, stunted emotional development, is what makes Alison's behaviour towards Biddy even more significant - threatening and dangerous; destructive and fundamentally damaging. All from a spoiled, indulged child with her own significant insecurities and a basic hatred for Biddy spurned merely out of the fact she will not "clamour to be part of Alison's gang of followers". She is an ugly character. Allen really exposes the real mechanics of a bully and the fears which push them to become bullies rather than risking a revelation of their own anxieties and rejection.

Allen's presentation of teachers is interesting. All but one are reluctant to probe in any depth into any nagging suspicion that something is amiss. They don't want to meddle, or open a can of worms. They don't really want to get involved with an oddball and her misfit of a father, especially if it means crossing a perfect student who has rather voluble, wealthy parents. Apart from Penny Jordan the PE Teacher. Penny is so affected by the "heavy mist of persecution" that clings to Biddy that she decides to take some control and help Biddy. It's a beautiful friendship. But, Allen hints that it cannot last and my heart was absolutely in my mouth throughout this whole section, the tension of waiting for Fleming - junior and senior- to destroy any happiness or healing was just so paramount. Oh, oh and oh. There was so much insight in these pages about care, compassion, love, jealously, hatred and downright sadness; I wept.

The novel continues, following a bit of an epiphany or more ethereal experience for Biddy on a school trip - exquisitely written, laden with metaphor and meaning. And then moves into "Part Two" where we meet Biddy as a woman in her mid 20s.

This section is as hauntingly tragic and as traumatic but then, with the introduction of the bright, warm, sensitive and intuitive friendship of Terri Drummond, becomes one of hope, resolution and rehabilitation. Biddy grows both emotionally and physically. "Part Two" is filled with warmth and optimism.

The final denouement is fantastic. I was air punching, high-fiving empty spaces, smiling and wriggling with satisfaction and glee. It is heartwarming, uplifting, with a clear message of healing and hope.

I am reluctant to say anything that isn't exceptionally effusive about this book (did you get that yet?!) but I guess, if forced to, I would say the ending was a little contrived and convenient. However, it was also immensely satisfying and added humour, lightness and resolution that the book needed to stop it from becoming a depressing and bleak tale of a damaged soul. It is in keeping with Biddy Weir's legacy.

I hope this has managed to convey how special this book is. It tackles a depressing topic but through it has created a character of stunning uniqueness. You will be enthralled. It is a captivating read and Allen's prose is impressive. This is her debut and I can't wait to read more of her writing - she is clearly talented and full of imagination and talent.

Finally, all I can say is read it. And may this book be dedicated to all Biddy Weirs. May all of them overcome their demons, survive and learn to live again.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of this book in return for a fair review. I have truly enjoyed it.

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"Fates & Furies" Lauren Groff

I was intrigued to read this book as the reviews used words such as enchanting, exhilarating, electric, complex and addictive. It follows the story of Lotto and Mathilde, married at 23 years old after a fleeting romance which is largely based on a deep sexual attraction. We meet them on the day of their secret marriage where Lotto is completely enamoured with this girl he has "magicked into his life". It is very different from the ceremony Lotto had in mind when he'd imagined his wedding, coming from a wealthy and privileged background but it was what Mathilde wanted and she was "always right... he would know this soon enough." There is a hint that this dream like love will be tested over time - the thought that "marriage meant forever" briefly runs through his thoughts but they are both so consumed with their obsession and hunger for each other that they try to ignore that "between his skin and hers, there was the smallest of spaces....a third person, their marriage, had slid in."

It is an inciting opening. The reader is intrigued; caught up in the fairy tale coupling and hoping for a fairy tale life. This relationship always appears nothing short of perfect in front of their friends  - Lotto is a charming, attractive man heralded as a genius by all around him (to such an extent it almost gives him a sense of entitlement). Then there's quiet Mathilde, siren like with her beauty and equally worthy of a great future. But what is really going on beneath the surface? What feelings do the couple really carry for each other and what secrets bubble away beneath this surface of perfection?

The story continues to chart the marriage over the following 24 years, reflecting on its triumphs and tribulations; the continuous ebb and flow, give and take, undulating rise and fall of patience, disappointment, failure, success, hope and love that a marriage journeys through. Their friends are disparaging about the future of the relationship and take bets on its future but the couple continue to survive. One of their friends comments that "Mathilde is a conundrum wrapped in a mystery, wrapped in bacon. She's so calm and quiet. And Lotto is the loudest. Opposites. First marriage. Guess who'll be there with casseroles when it all comes apart."

The early days of their marriage reminded me of accounts about Hemingway and Hadley (I highly recommend the "The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain). A couple that "have so little....still so happy". A couple full of artistic potential and talent and constantly floating between one party after another. Lotto and Mathilde seems to spend the early years of their marriage constantly entertaining with "Yuppies in embryo.....hurricanes of entitlement....nothing at the centre." Groff writes beautifully about Lotto's back story and this helps understand his present behaviour. I enjoyed reading about his parents and how Lotto learns to "live in this world". His first sighting of Mathilde reads like something from a halcyon place and Mathilde something more celestial. His happiness is constantly referred to and repeated and it does seem that he is bewitched by her and unknowingly being played. There are subtle hints that Mathilde is not so enamoured with her husband and marriage. There are insinuations that she is more frustrated and fed up; but then the animalistic attraction and lustful desire consumes her when there are times of success and celebration. The reader begins to realise that one of them is more powerful and controlling than the other.

Groff writes that up before Lotto rose a "vision of himself as if attached to a hundred shining strings by his fingers, eyelids, toes, the muscles of his mouth. All the strings led to Mathilde pointer finger and she moved it with the subtlest of twitches and made him dance." I though this was one of the most brilliant sentences in the whole book. It captures the essence of the relationship and actually as the book continues the reader becomes more and more aware that she "choose" him, she saw his genius as soon as she met him and has looked to release it and nurture it throughout his periods of apathy, inertia, depression and inactivity. With artfulness and a pretence of effortless coincidence, she skilfully manipulates him and directs him towards his artistic development and success. This reveals a more complex, perhaps even slightly unsettling, side to Mathilde's apparently shy exterior. It also reminded me of the phrase "Behind every great man is a great woman". Unsung. Out of the limelight. An ability to weather any storm. A resilience and patience that is not mirrored by her partner.

I also liked the description of the marriage "picking itself up off the ground, stretched, looked at them with its hands on its hips..." following one of their brief periods where they are a little lost to each other.

The prose captures the artistic nature of the couple. It is dreamlike and poetic. The phrases run on into each other, building images fused with contrasting half finished sentences and half formed suggestions. Metaphors are piled on top of each other and the cadence of the descriptions depicts both the carefree, unpredictable, disordered life of the couple. The dialogue is revealing and pertinent. Like the couple, Groff's writing appears effortless and smooth, masking the "sacrifices and machinations" and work that goes on to create this illusion. This novel is as much about language, metaphor and words as it is characters and marriage. It is intense and mediative. It is a style which takes some getting used to and does require quite a lot of investment and engagement from the reader. I did find that I needed to persist with my reading a little;  at times I found the way the passages drifted along in a fluent and unbroken manner made the passing of time difficult to track and differentiate between the changes. However, Groff's purpose must be to show how time aimlessly meanders from year to year and the changes in people, friendships and relationships are so slight and tiny they often go unnoticed or without immediate impact.

I would recommend this book to people who admire authors who explore language and who enjoy reflecting on the power of metaphors and poetic imagery. It is a literary novel. At 390 pages long it's not a quick read and actually the weighty dense prose does make it feel a little longer. However, there is some beautiful writing to enjoy and marvel!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

For more recommendations and reviews, follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or subscribe to receive future posts via email.

"Love Anthony" Lisa Genova

I have been saving this book to read on holiday as I absolutely loved "Still Alice". I had also convinced the Book Group I am part of to read this as our choice for April. Look out for a blog about our discussion - coming after our meeting!

The book opens with Olivia, recently separated from her husband and mother to Anthony, who was autistic and tragically died aged 8. She has returned to the holiday home they own in Nantucket that they stopped coming to once Anthony turned 3 as "pretty much everything stopped once Anthony turned three". Olivia is completely unable to move forward with any aspect of her life, so full of guilt and grief. She hasn't gone back to her job as an editor of Self Help books in five years as she has become so disillusioned with the genre. When Anthony received his diagnosis (aged 3) Olivia read everything, searching for someone to "transform their lives....somebody must have the key that would unlock her son." But now she says bitterly, "What do they know? What does it matter?" And this is really the fundamental question for which Olivia is searching answers. What does anything matter? What did Anthony's life matter? What was its reason and purpose? What is her reason and purpose now? As well as answers, she is also desperately seeking atonement and an acceptance of the past and the cards she has been dealt. She hopes to find some space to recover in Nantucket.

In contrast, we are then introduced to Beth who receives a card in the post from an anonymous sender claiming to be sleeping with her husband. Both women set out on a journey for closure, release, happiness and love. They are also both in need of new beginnings and a need to redefine themselves for who they are, not who they were responsible or accountable to.

Beth and Olivia meet by chance and a gentle friendship begins to form, Beth seeks Olivia's advice on a manuscript she has been compelled to write, rekindling a passion for writing from long ago while she finds herself at a crossroads. Through Beth's fictional narrative of a child who experiences the world more unconventionally, Olivia begins a journey of self discovery showing us that sometimes we receive help in the most unexpected places and from the most unexpected people.

Olivia's situation is sad. She doesn't really want to move on. She doesn't know how to live without Anthony, he so dominated and defined every waking moment of the last 8 years. She reminisces about Anthony's life, each new day reminding her of a past day and a past sadness -like Anthony's birthday and how this was always a day of dread and desperation when they were "forced to stare at the severity of Anthony's autism straight in the eye, to be fully cognisant of how much progress he hadn't made." Olivia presents the role of a parent of a child with autism as a very challenging one; one of relentlessly trying situations, one where you are unable to form the most simple of bonds with your child and the heartbreak that Anthony is unable to speak means that any communication of love or response is so limited and so rare, it is truly painful to keep going daily in a world where you feel so alone and isolated. Looking through forgotten belongings that have been stored in the house, she comes across her old journals and begins to read them again. They reflect some of her anger and frustration that became part of her mothering and accounts for the subsequent guilt she feels now her short time with Anthony is over. As the novel progresses it becomes clear that Olivia needs to see Anthony as Anthony the boy with autism, not autistic Anthony. She needs to understand him, his perspectives and the way he saw the world; his love. It's interesting that this understanding comes from Beth who has no direct experience of autism at all. Perhaps this is exactly why she is able to offer Olivia the perspective she needs?

I was slightly skeptical about the part of the story which showed a psychic link between Beth and Anthony but the characters definitely share an affinity of some kind. They also mirror each other in the sense they are both frustrated and angry and feel they are not being heard. Through her writing, Beth not only finds a voice for Anthony so he can at last be heard, but also is able to find a new voice for herself and see answers through her words that offer her closure. Also, on rereading the prologue once I had finished the book, I wondered if it was Olivia and Anthony that Beth meets and therefore deep in her subconscious is a striking memory of the child. She is reading "The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night Time" and another book about a mother of a child with autism so actually, her choice of subject and her engagement with Anthony's voice, is not totally out of the blue. They are subtly involved and there are several hints and suggestions at Beth's interest in this subject. In fact, on rereading, the prologue seemed laden with deeper symbolism now that I had experienced the characters.

There is a really interesting contrast between the two women's reactions to Anthony and how they describe that experience. In her journal, Olivia writes:
"How can I help you if you don't tell me what you want? We say all these words but we don't talk about anything.......We're the parents of a permanently disabled child and our marriage is crippled. I don't feel abused by Anthony but abused by this life. What happened to my life? ....all about autism....living it, reading it, talking about it...sick of it. Scared this is all it will ever be.... David and I are self trained therapists working on the same patient ....trying to fix him but failing." 

And then Beth, while she sleeps, dreams of a boy who "hears and feels the world in a unique and unimaginable way". ..."Detached from people. Bewildered by emotions. Enthralled by repetition. An uncelebrated intelligence. Persistent. Silent. Honest. Brave. Misunderstood." She is fascinated by the "neurological alchemy not described in any book" and then her own process of writing takes on a daily routine where she begins to obsess about order and ritual before she can work. Both the women's responses to Anthony are so different that this reveals much about their own internal conflict and how they need to heal themselves. Olivia is isolated, closed, "guarded and weary". Beth is tactile and more openly loving and giving - but her life has been upended by her husband's infidelity. She is perhaps more attuned to people's emotions and needs - but then, unlike Olivia, she hasn't been living with autism for 8 years so this may be the reason she is enabled to offer this insight. There are several examples of where the women react differently - one with fear, one with happiness. Olivia needs Beth. Beth needs Anthony.

I loved the chapter Beth wrote about Anthony's incident with the "french stick". The grammar, structure, pace, repetition and language made it feel so authentic and so effective. It must be as close as one can get to gaining insight to how the mind of someone with autism works.

It is a sad book but ultimately one of hope and love. It is heartwarming. The various different threads, stories and voices all become intrinsically linked by the end and there is a sense of the women having completed difficult journeys successfully. The last 40 pages gain pace and show a deepening relationship between the women. It is emotional and leaves us asking big questions like what is our purpose in this life?

I think there will be a lot to discuss at Book Group regarding this book and I am really looking forward to the opportunity to talk about it some more. I hope the rest of the group have enjoyed it as much as me! I am definitely going to get hold of Genova's other books as I like the way she writes about complex, difficult issues with a sensitive and considered manner. I did not feel I was reading a book about "autism" but a book about motherhood, marriage, love and friendship. I guess that's one of Genova's main messages about Anthony. You need to look beyond the label and see the person first. We all need to look beyond our labels and enjoy the world around us for what it is.

If you haven't already discovered Lisa Genova, then I highly recommend you seek out her books! My review of "Still Alice" is also available on this site (23/01/16)

For more reviews and recommendations, follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or subscribe to receive future posts by email.

Young Adult debut "Jarred Dreams" by Camilla Chester

 
The book opens with the chilling description of the Dream Thief. A creature with sickly yellow skin; deep set, hooded black eyes, a large hooked nose, a pointed chin, enlarged ears, gnarled feet and a melted skull. A hideous creature who prowls the streets of Stanbridge every night to "free the people from the torment of their dreams", to make them forget, to rob them of their joy and hope, to drain the world of colour. "To rid the world of dreams is his cause and there is nobody who has the power to stop him." He focusses into the tune of the dream, it will "beckon him to where a child must be having a vivid dream" and he'll catch it "before it changes to something mundane....he can enter at the tip of something and feel the energy of the child switch to one of fear." He stores the dreams in jars deep in his cellar. He fills the world with grey nothingness and mediocrity.

Twelve year old Sade arrives in Stanbridge with her father as it is near to the hospital where her mother lies in a coma, "sleeping". They visit her daily. Sade is brave, courageous, unafraid of anything. Immediately she is struck by the eeriness of the place; of the expressionless people that live here and don't engage. Something strange is going on and she refuses to become part of it. She wants to find out why the people and children are so odd, so forgetful, so subdued, so colourless and change it before both herself and her father end up succumbing to the same fate. Can she prevent the Dream Thief from his destructive agenda before he takes everything away from her?

This is a really unusual book which is a real fuse of several different genres. It is part ghost story, part thriller and mystery story, part supernatural and part magical. It has hints of dystopian novels and at times reminded me of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, Philip Pullman's "Northern Lights" trilogy, Frances Hardinge's novels, and possibly something more ancient like "Paradise Lost".

Although the opening sounds quite frightening, it is more ethereal than that and the Dream Thief's chapters are shorter so they do not become overwhelming. His chapters are alternated with those following Sade's narrative which is modern, contemporary and suitably contrasting. The Dream Thief's passages are aptly dreamlike and bewitching; a malevolent voice and ghostly predator. He is a menacing presence but only as unsettling as many other "dark forces" existing in current Young Adult fiction and Chester writes his voice in a more lyrical and surreal style which ensures it doesn't become too dark. Alternating the two voices also gives Chester a real opportunity to show her ability to create different voices and construct a more complex story structure which will pull the reader in and sweep them up in the journey alongside Sade.

Sade could be likened to other contemporary strong female protagonists like Catniss from "The Hunger Games". She shows a resilience and determination from the outset. She wants to go home to her old life, "one with colour and smiles and noises......she will make it happen." She meets Seb who is also able to see that something very strange is occurring in their town and is willing to help her solve the mystery. During an art lesson, they learn more of the town's history from Maggie Farrant, their art teacher, and with her information they begin their quest to seek out the Dream Thief.

Sade is a character full of hope and goodness. She herself is struggling to come to terms with her own grief and unhappiness but she is constantly described with colour and brightness. The Dream Thief identifies her as the "golden girl of light" who "emits such brightness and flair" when she's awake that he can't imagine the "vibrancy of her dreams". She is a girl who seeks out adventure and challenge. The Dream Thief is determined to capture her dreams. She is a real threat to him. He talks about her moving as if she is gliding and repeatedly comments on her dazzling, blonde hair which "bounces around her like a golden light...like a halo." Sade almost becomes something much more metaphorical. It feels as if there is something more saviour like and celestial about her and therefore there is a great sense of anticipation.

I enjoyed Chester's use of colour and her contrasting imagery between grey and brightness which was also echoed in more subtle references to winter and summer, death and rebirth. This book embraces lots of interesting themes like art, self expression, dreams, memories, hope and grief. On a deeper level, older readers might pick up on ideas about renewal, redemption and restoration. There are some interesting suggestions about the role of the subconscious and the way our mind reveals things to us.

It is ambitious for a debut novel to tackle such concepts but Chester does so effectively and actually the novel has a very positive and uplifting finale. Sade's energy and her strong belief in the "colour" of life ensures her spirit cannot be beaten and this is the final message of the book. Where the adults have failed, Sade triumphs and everyone can once again not only dream but also live in a world which is a kaleidoscope of colour. I would suggest this book is suitable for ages 10 upwards.

My thanks to Camilla Chester who gave me a copy of her paperback in return for a fair review.

You can find out more about Camilla at www.camillachester.com and her second book is due out shortly. Interestingly it sounds like something completely different from "Jarred Dreams" and is called "EATS". It is about two boys who win a competition to cook with celebrity chefs where everything comes to a boil- but can they stir up trouble to serve the just desserts in time?

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Children's Books to Celebrate Shakespeare

I really enjoyed this read which would suit 7-10 year olds (although I read it aloud to my 4 year old and he seemed to enjoy most of it - it certainly led to lots of questions and conversations about Shakespeare and theatres!) It's a well produced book of only 121 pages with clear text and plenty of illustrations similar to titles such as "Mr Gum" so it should appeal to reluctant readers and also those who think they don't really fancy a book about Shakespeare! It is a very pleasing easy read about Toby Cuffe, an orphan who seeks a better life, dreaming of one day having his own house and family. In order to get this he knows he needs to earn some money so he joins the team of Moll Cut-Purse, Queen of the Pickpockets and Thieves, and learns how to become a a dipper, nipper and cut-purse! The play houses offer the pickpockets a (excuse the pun) wealth of opportunity as the crowds stand huddled together in front of the stage and are so entranced by the magic of the theatre become oblivious to the robbing around them. Unfortunately for Toby, he also becomes so entranced by the play - something he has never seen or experienced before - he ends up getting caught and then being left alone with Shakespeare himself. Shakespeare is desperately under pressure; unable to think of a story for his next script and deeply aware of the financial need for another hit. Toby then discloses that The Globe will be affected by the reopening of The Rose theatre nearby. And so begins Toby's next job - a spy, an aide to Shakespeare, and an answer to the theatre's financial worries! Using his new contacts in the underworld, Toby instigates an adventurous and entertaining rescue of both the theatre and Shakespeare's muse. The ending and the way that Toby, Shakespeare and the events of the story fuse together and through a collaboration become the inspiration for Shakespeare's next play was very clever. It will definitely inspire young readers to turn their hand at play writing themselves and think about how stories come to exist.
This is a short book but full of lots of great ideas and themes. It is not educative but does promote reading, the theatre and Shakespeare through a fun and lively tale. Toby is such a likeable character and Shakespeare is equally authentic yet fallible.
"Act 2" is a selection of "Funne Activities for Boyes and Girls" including pictures with a list of things to spot, an activity on costumes and links for websites. I liked the page about insults - I remember my English Teacher managing to successfully engage a table of slightly rowdy boys by showing them how to '"swear like Shakespeare!"
I would recommend this book!


Personally I can't get enough of Marcia Williams and I have her books on "Greek Myths", "Canterbury Tales" and several others. Although perfect for ages 5 upwards, I used to use these Shakespeare books (there are about three I think) as my starting point with GCSE and A Level students as well as KS3 as they give such a good summary of the main points of often complex plots, so they are a valuable and worthwhile investment for any child. These editions are beautifully illustrated, bursting with humour and use real quotes from the original text as well as modern day language. My children read them now and find them very accessible in a way that other retellings of Shakespeare probably wouldn't be for their age range. Williams also wrote more lengthy versions for readers of 8 upwards which can often be bought via websites like thebookpeople.co.uk for a very reasonable price. We also have them and my 9 year old has really enjoyed reading them, and my 7 year old is beginning to explore them although we are mainly reading them together while her vocabulary continues to develop.





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Malorie Blackman is a hugely talented young adult writer with an enormous back catalogue of brilliant titles. This book is due out in April and is inspired by Othello. Here is the synopsis.

What happens when love brings loss? When love brings lies? When love brings hate? Olivia and her twin brother Aidan are heading alone back to Earth following the virus that wiped out the rest of their crew, and their family, in its entirety. Nathan is part of a community heading in the opposite direction. 
But on their journey, Nathan’s ship is attacked and most of the community killed.Only a few survive. Their lives unexpectedly collided, Nathan and Olivia are instantly attracted to each other, deeply, head-over-heels – like nothing they have ever experienced. But not everyone is pleased. Surrounded by rumours, deception, even murder, is it possible to live out a happy ever after . . . ?


These are a gorgeous collection of the plays recommended for readers age 6 and upwards. Usbourne is a very trusted children's publisher and these will be a great introduction to the tales. Several different selections and versions are available so check their website for more information.
 


Again from Usbourne and published especially for the anniversary, here are some sticker books which should appeal to any young reader. "The World of Shakespeare" is aimed at ages 7 upwards and I am buying for my 9 year old. There is also a "Shakespeare Sticker Dressing Up" book in the Usbourne "Dressing Up" series, so plenty of opportunities to use these activity books as a way of celebrating the playwright!





I have my eye on this and will probably treat myself when buying the sticker books for my children! I've had a look on Amazon and there is a great 5* review by "Starry Night" who has kindly posted photos of the pages - they look stunning and gorgeous!

I'm sure there are many many more novels using the stories from Shakespeare - as he was inspired by so many that preceded him! I hope this gives you a few suggestions about how to introduce the plays to your children and help celebrate 400 years of fantastic theatre!

For further recommendations follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or subscribe by email to receive future reviews and blog posts.

Mystery and Mayhem by Katherine Woodfine

This is a brilliant collection of mystery stories which are a perfect introduction to the explosion of fresh new voices writing detective fiction for young adults. It is also a great introduction both to the genre of mystery stories and short stories as well as a tantalising read for current fans of all these writers.

I was very keen to read this collection as I have been totally captivated by the recent publications by Woodfine and Stevens; enchanted by their stunning book covers, charmed by their historical settings and their clever embodiment of combining of all the wining ingredients for intriguing mystery stories inherited from the greats like Christie and Conan Doyle to write something fresh and full of modern appeal.  I am also a huge fan of Helen Moss and Sally Nicholls so I really had to read this book!

Woodfine says in the introduction that these new mysteries are a "nod to the much loved mysteries of the past but also bring detective fiction bang up to date." This collection is diverse and includes a range of different voices and character; from those of boys and girls, from modern day to the Victorian era to the Georgian period, from realism to the more surreal. What makes them all particularly appealing is that all the writers are clearly big fans of mystery writers and have a deep knowledge of the genre and the voices of previous authors famed for this style of writing. They all seek to have some fun with the traditions of crime fiction and all understand what makes a perfect young adult read. These are not simple, dumb downed pastiches but something more sophisticated, which embrace the legacy of previous crime writers and reinvent the genre. They are all highly skilled and very talented writers and it is a real treat to find them all inside the same covers!

Another great thing about this collection is that they all encourage the reader to solve the crime before the end of the story. Any young sleuth will rise to such a challenge! What will be equally appealing to the reader is that all the young detectives featured are smarter than the adults around them - as Woodfine points out, they are all "smarter, more sharp eyed, more sharp witted and courageous." Adults are not presented in a derogatory way at all, there is always a certain level of respect between the characters which I think is important having been subjected to so much of the more derisive and slightly unpleasant behaviour often portrayed in American programmes where teenagers are always trying to get the upper hand. These young people aren't smug or arrogant, just intelligent lovers of puzzles and mystery!

I enjoyed "Mel Foster and the Hound of the Baskervilles" by Julia Golding. It was lively, witty, modern and engaging. The story was well constructed with appealing characters who were easy to identify with. The adults were a little patronising and mocked gently with comic humour for their simplistic deductions. Some of the stories had hidden references to other detectives and villains from other canonical titles - many of which I probably missed! It was a treat to read a short story by prize winning author Hardinge whose story is set around the Great Exhibition in Victorian Crystal Palace. I really enjoyed Harriet Whitehorn's "Murder of Monsieur Pierre" which is set in 1782 before the protagonist grows up and becomes the "Crime Solver Extraordinaire" and the "cleverest woman in London", preceding Piorot and Holmes. Sally Nicholl's story featuring male characters from an office post room was really entertaining. It was vivid, fast paced, full of authentic dialogue and wry observations about the luck fictional detectives usually have handed to them on a plate compared to the real investigative work that an "ordinary" crime lover must undertake. The book ends with the current queens of the new murder, mystery and mayhem genre: Woodfine and Stevens.  The icing on the cake - or should I say "bun break"?!

I liked that the girl protagonists are all very positive and affirming role models who defy the conventions to which they are confined or dictated to by the historical setting of their story. They all have spirit and humour, they follow their instincts and question everything around them. They show initiative and imagination. I liked that the stories covered a real range of settings, contexts and situations. I think they all give a real flavour of the author's style and will certainly encourage readers to seek out other novels once they've had a taster here. It is a rather special and unique collection of stories that would make a perfect gift for anyone over the age of 9 or 10. I will certainly be making sure every young detective I know gets a copy! A hugely enjoyable read!

My thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in return for a fair and honest review. For more recommendations please follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK) or subscribe to my blog for email updates of future reviews.