Archive Young Adults : 2009
Tales of Terror from the Tunnel's Mouth by Chris Priestley
Chris Priestley certainly deserves his reputation as a masterful teller of chilling tales. His latest collection of stories, Tales of Terror from the Tunnel's Mouth is no disappointment for those who enjoyed his other books in the Tales of Terror series, Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror and Tales of Terror from the Black Ship.
Robert, a serious and proud boy, is travelling to school alone for the first time. Into his train carriage walks a lady in white, young and beautiful but unsettling and unusual. Their train is delayed at the mouth of a long, dark tunnel and to pass the time the woman in white begins to tell stories. Each one involves a supernatural element, a strange and spine chilling twist that often comes unexpectedly such as a governess finding that the problem child in her care may not exist or a travelling puppet master who is more than he seems. Many of the actors in these stories, who are more often than not children themselves, have character flaws that lead to their demise. This results in a moral message to many tales, which in the hands of any other author could easily be patronising. Priestly avoids this well which is testament to his skill.
The main narrative concerns Robert and the woman in white and this helps to connect the separate stories in a compelling way, giving the book structure. Each story seems to be set in the same turn of the century time period, although in many it is just implied, and this gives the book a consistent tone and feel that perfectly matches the eerie content of the book. This results in a book that is well organised, easy to read as a novel rather than a collection of short stories and distinctly unsettling in an enjoyable way. I would also mention the excellent illustrations, an unusual sight in a book aimed at older children, but absolutely vital in painting the brooding and malevolent atmosphere that is present throughout. We here at Kid's Compass thoroughly enjoyed this book, which was incredibly creepy, wonderfully unexpected and crafted in a superb way. This book would be a perfect pick for dark autumnal evenings when the supernatural is ever more believable.
There are some frightening stories that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers.
Our thanks to Bloomsbury for our review copy.
Review by Joanna@KidsCompass.
Robert, a serious and proud boy, is travelling to school alone for the first time. Into his train carriage walks a lady in white, young and beautiful but unsettling and unusual. Their train is delayed at the mouth of a long, dark tunnel and to pass the time the woman in white begins to tell stories. Each one involves a supernatural element, a strange and spine chilling twist that often comes unexpectedly such as a governess finding that the problem child in her care may not exist or a travelling puppet master who is more than he seems. Many of the actors in these stories, who are more often than not children themselves, have character flaws that lead to their demise. This results in a moral message to many tales, which in the hands of any other author could easily be patronising. Priestly avoids this well which is testament to his skill.
The main narrative concerns Robert and the woman in white and this helps to connect the separate stories in a compelling way, giving the book structure. Each story seems to be set in the same turn of the century time period, although in many it is just implied, and this gives the book a consistent tone and feel that perfectly matches the eerie content of the book. This results in a book that is well organised, easy to read as a novel rather than a collection of short stories and distinctly unsettling in an enjoyable way. I would also mention the excellent illustrations, an unusual sight in a book aimed at older children, but absolutely vital in painting the brooding and malevolent atmosphere that is present throughout. We here at Kid's Compass thoroughly enjoyed this book, which was incredibly creepy, wonderfully unexpected and crafted in a superb way. This book would be a perfect pick for dark autumnal evenings when the supernatural is ever more believable.
There are some frightening stories that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers.
Our thanks to Bloomsbury for our review copy.
Review by Joanna@KidsCompass.
Ostrich Boys by Keith Gray
Blake, Kenny, Sim and Ross are the best of friends. So when Ross is killed by a car while on his bike his friends are left grief stricken and angry. The funeral is a shambles, full of people who made the last few weeks of Ross’s life a nightmare. The three remaining friends decide that they are the only people who can properly honour their dead mate. So, stealing his ashes, they go on the run, heading to a village in Scotland with the same name, Ross. But it doesn’t take long for things to go wrong, and what should have been a simple jaunt turns into a full blown adventure involving bungee jumps, running from the police and meeting girls.
This isn’t just a simple tale of three boys’ journey however. As the story develops, it turns out that maybe Ross’s death wasn’t an accident, and that perhaps the three friends weren’t quite always there for him. Keith Gray has done an amazing job of portraying just how the friendships of teenage boys work. The plot is complex and seemingly unrelated details slot into place perfectly as the travellers’ plan unravels. Above all though, this is a story about growing up. At first, grief and anger makes the boys act in childish ways; they blame everybody else for the death of their friend. But as the journey unfolds they have to deal with some serious emotions which will give them a completely different view of what they have done and of life in general.
This is a really great book whose sensitive moments are brilliantly mingled with almost slapstick comedy and, while it contains some strong language, it should appeal to most teenagers - especially boys who will easily identify with the main characters.
Review by James@KidsCompass
This isn’t just a simple tale of three boys’ journey however. As the story develops, it turns out that maybe Ross’s death wasn’t an accident, and that perhaps the three friends weren’t quite always there for him. Keith Gray has done an amazing job of portraying just how the friendships of teenage boys work. The plot is complex and seemingly unrelated details slot into place perfectly as the travellers’ plan unravels. Above all though, this is a story about growing up. At first, grief and anger makes the boys act in childish ways; they blame everybody else for the death of their friend. But as the journey unfolds they have to deal with some serious emotions which will give them a completely different view of what they have done and of life in general.
This is a really great book whose sensitive moments are brilliantly mingled with almost slapstick comedy and, while it contains some strong language, it should appeal to most teenagers - especially boys who will easily identify with the main characters.
Review by James@KidsCompass
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Clay finds a package waiting on his doorstep. There is no return address and, excited, he quickly opens it. Inside are seven tapes, numbered on each side. Clay can't understand why anyone would send him these tapes until he plays side number one, and hears the voice of Hannah Baker, the girl he could have loved, the girl who killed herself two weeks ago.
The tapes are not a suicide note, nor a comprehensive account of why Hannah decided to commit suicide. Instead, Hannah dedicates one side of a tape to everyone in her life who gave her cause to hate the world she was in so badly that she took her own life. Their acts, which range from sexual harassment to bragging and spreading gossip, impacted on Hannah in ways that recipients of the tapes were not aware of, a theme which the author weaves strongly throughout the book. Over the course of one night, Clay listens to each tape and learns more about Hannah than he had ever learnt before she died, learns more about his friends and classmates than he could ever have known. Much of what he learns he wishes he could forget, but he must keep listening until Hannah has said all she wanted to say.
Suicide is a serious topic for a book aimed at young adults, but Asher has dealt with it in an honest and sensitive way. The reasons that Hannah cites in her tapes seem, at first, to be frivolous and petty, daily incidents that many people will be familiar with. Over the course of the book, each layer is added to by the next tape and finally a full picture of Hannah emerges that is neither frivolous nor petty and it becomes easier to understand how and why Hannah has reacted in such an extreme way. Clay is key to this understanding, providing the reader with an outsider's point of view to many of the incidents described in the tape which allows us to see that Hannah had become isolated and introverted. Clay also reacts well to her reasoning; that no one could see, no one would listen, and that people were unwilling to help. His slight irritation but more importantly his heartbreak over her actions brings the reader, who often finds sympathy with Hannah, to ground. Hannah's assumptions, which seem like fact to her by the end of the seventh tape, are countered by Clay and this adds to the main tragedy of the book; that Hannah could have found a way out for herself.
This book has strong adult elements to it, including strong language and sexual harassment and we would therefore not recommend it for readers under 16.
Review by Joanna@Kid's Compass
The tapes are not a suicide note, nor a comprehensive account of why Hannah decided to commit suicide. Instead, Hannah dedicates one side of a tape to everyone in her life who gave her cause to hate the world she was in so badly that she took her own life. Their acts, which range from sexual harassment to bragging and spreading gossip, impacted on Hannah in ways that recipients of the tapes were not aware of, a theme which the author weaves strongly throughout the book. Over the course of one night, Clay listens to each tape and learns more about Hannah than he had ever learnt before she died, learns more about his friends and classmates than he could ever have known. Much of what he learns he wishes he could forget, but he must keep listening until Hannah has said all she wanted to say.
Suicide is a serious topic for a book aimed at young adults, but Asher has dealt with it in an honest and sensitive way. The reasons that Hannah cites in her tapes seem, at first, to be frivolous and petty, daily incidents that many people will be familiar with. Over the course of the book, each layer is added to by the next tape and finally a full picture of Hannah emerges that is neither frivolous nor petty and it becomes easier to understand how and why Hannah has reacted in such an extreme way. Clay is key to this understanding, providing the reader with an outsider's point of view to many of the incidents described in the tape which allows us to see that Hannah had become isolated and introverted. Clay also reacts well to her reasoning; that no one could see, no one would listen, and that people were unwilling to help. His slight irritation but more importantly his heartbreak over her actions brings the reader, who often finds sympathy with Hannah, to ground. Hannah's assumptions, which seem like fact to her by the end of the seventh tape, are countered by Clay and this adds to the main tragedy of the book; that Hannah could have found a way out for herself.
This book has strong adult elements to it, including strong language and sexual harassment and we would therefore not recommend it for readers under 16.
Review by Joanna@Kid's Compass
Rowan the Strange by Julie Herne
This compelling tale is the story of a young teenager, Rowan, diagnosed with schizophrenia on the eve of the Second World War. His sudden and uncontrollable aggressive urges have forced his frightened family to send him to psychiatric hospital where he is subjected to the experimental treatment of electroconvulsive therapy. Julie Hearn’s raw descriptions of the process and Rowan’s illness chart his progress and contrast his experiences with those of companion and friend Dorothea, a feisty young girl who believes she sees fairies and whose time at the hospital is far from trouble free. The writer skilfully tells the story from Rowans perspective, giving you an insight into the emotions felt by the patients and the feelings of fear and confusion they deal with in a world where every small act of kindness is like a gift and highlights there terrible vulnerability. Small moments of pleasant normality such as tea and cake in the sun are blissful events and fill the reader with hope for the characters well being. But these isolated, everyday episodes act as short periods of calm that contrast starkly with the often shockingly sad and traumatic occurrences on the ward.
Additional themes are cleverly woven throughout the story, such as the exclusion felt by the inmates of the hospital caused by the feelings of fear, hatred and contempt directed at the patients by society and even the nurses and doctors. The overall sense of fear is increased by the approach of the war and grows to encompass the German doctor charged with the well being of the main characters who is constantly viewed with suspicion and dislike. It gives the story a tense and ugly undercurrent that runs throughout the plot and occasionally triggers some catastrophic event that will turn the story on its head once again. This is a truly heartfelt story that we feel deserves at least a nomination for a major award. Julie Hearn’s skill as a historical author has reached new heights as this novel outshines many of its contemporaries.
We also recommend you read the two previous books in the series, Ivy and Hazel, although Rowan the Strange can be easily read as a stand alone novel.
Reviewed by James@KidsCompass
Additional themes are cleverly woven throughout the story, such as the exclusion felt by the inmates of the hospital caused by the feelings of fear, hatred and contempt directed at the patients by society and even the nurses and doctors. The overall sense of fear is increased by the approach of the war and grows to encompass the German doctor charged with the well being of the main characters who is constantly viewed with suspicion and dislike. It gives the story a tense and ugly undercurrent that runs throughout the plot and occasionally triggers some catastrophic event that will turn the story on its head once again. This is a truly heartfelt story that we feel deserves at least a nomination for a major award. Julie Hearn’s skill as a historical author has reached new heights as this novel outshines many of its contemporaries.
We also recommend you read the two previous books in the series, Ivy and Hazel, although Rowan the Strange can be easily read as a stand alone novel.
Reviewed by James@KidsCompass
Genesis by Bernard Beckett by Bernard Beckett
Anax is fourteen and about to undertake the toughest examination of her life. She lives in the Republic, a post-apocalyptic island nation that arose from the ashes of the great plague of 2050, a nation that kept itself safe from infection by the great sea wall. While the residents are healthy, they are not free.
Anax is being examined by The Academy, the ruling body, the controllers of life in the nation. She is being examined on the subject closest to her heart, the life and times of Adam Forde. Adam was a rebellious young man in the earlier days of the Republic, a man punished for his rebellion by being shackled to a new form of artificial intelligence, the robot Art. Through Adam, Art must learn and progress. Through Art, Adam begins to question what life is, how to recognise a thought, what constitutes consciousness. Together they hatch a plan for their escape, an escape that is thwarted by betrayal.
The examiners of the Academy begin to show Anax events in the lives of Adam and Art that fundamentally restructure her views on her life, her home, her identity and her future, if indeed she still has a future at all.
This book is written in a startling style, that of question and answer with some straightforward prose. At first glance, it seems a lazy way of story telling and yet the rhythm of the story is driven greatly by Beckett’s writing style. It gives the story drive and drama and if the story doesn’t pull you in the flow of Beckett’s writing will. The book also has a strong philosophical element, and will encourage young adults to think about their being, their own consciousness is new ways. It is an excellent book for encouraging critical thought and a questioning way of looking at the world. In addition to that, it is a compelling story that is well written with twists in the tale.
Reviewed by Joanna@KidsCompass
Anax is being examined by The Academy, the ruling body, the controllers of life in the nation. She is being examined on the subject closest to her heart, the life and times of Adam Forde. Adam was a rebellious young man in the earlier days of the Republic, a man punished for his rebellion by being shackled to a new form of artificial intelligence, the robot Art. Through Adam, Art must learn and progress. Through Art, Adam begins to question what life is, how to recognise a thought, what constitutes consciousness. Together they hatch a plan for their escape, an escape that is thwarted by betrayal.
The examiners of the Academy begin to show Anax events in the lives of Adam and Art that fundamentally restructure her views on her life, her home, her identity and her future, if indeed she still has a future at all.
This book is written in a startling style, that of question and answer with some straightforward prose. At first glance, it seems a lazy way of story telling and yet the rhythm of the story is driven greatly by Beckett’s writing style. It gives the story drive and drama and if the story doesn’t pull you in the flow of Beckett’s writing will. The book also has a strong philosophical element, and will encourage young adults to think about their being, their own consciousness is new ways. It is an excellent book for encouraging critical thought and a questioning way of looking at the world. In addition to that, it is a compelling story that is well written with twists in the tale.
Reviewed by Joanna@KidsCompass
