BLOG TOUR: PAYBACK

A PAYBACK SOUNDTRACK

by M. A. Griffin

As a young man I was inspired and energised by the razor-sharp protest-politics of Public Enemy. (“I got a letter from the government the other day…” begins Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos; “They wanted me for the army or whatever / Picture me giving a damn. I said never.”) I still listen to a lot of rap music in the course of my day-to-day, and much of PAYBACK’s revolutionary zeal comes in spirit from the kind of purposeful anger that can be heard there. I was delighted to get the chance to name-check a list of superstar rappers in the acknowledgments to the book. 

Here’s a weird thing though – despite always writing to music, once I’m sitting down at the keyboard I can’t listen to anything with lyrics. So PAYBACK, a story about an anti-capitalist group of teenage Robin Hoods stealing from the corrupt and wealthy, then redistributing ill-gotten profits to those in need, was written to movie soundtracks.

Perhaps understandably the scores that work best for me are ones for films I’ve never seen. Which means I often find myself watching a film for the first time having listened to its music on twenty or thirty previous occasions. This happened most recently with Frank Darabont’s wonderful adaptation of The Green Mile. I knew Thomas Newman’s score backwards. To see it with images was a strangely moving experience.

So here are four instrumental/orchestral soundtracks to put in your ears next time you’re plugging away at that novel…

1.       I can’t vouch for the quality of Nicholas Jericki’s thriller Arbitrage, but I can tell you Cliff Martinez’s moody, electronic score is great for conjuring nocturnal cityscapes and nefarious plots. Which is rocket-fuel when you’re writing a series of break-neck heists executed by a gang of teen thieves.

2.       Niki Caro does a wonderful job directing The Zookeeper’s Wife. Apparently. I’ve never seen it. But Harry Gregson Williams’ orchestral score soars. Put it on if you want to write a scene in which two teen gang members find themselves alone for the first time, and one feels a growing attraction to the other he can’t bring himself to express…

3.       My dad’s a big fan of Scott Frank’s neo-noir A Walk Among the Tombstones. Never seen it personally so I couldn’t possibly comment. But props to Carlos Rafael Rivera for a soundtrack rich in eerie strings which suggest suspicion, guilt, fear. Great if your protagonist has a growing sense of impending doom as the cops close in and relationships strain under pressure.

4.       I never caught Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals. It might be about badgers or bats? Probably not. Anyway, Abel Koreniowski’s highly-strung music is fragile and taut, borderline melodramatic. Great if you’re busy cornering your heroes in new and nasty ways. We readers know it’s a trap but they’re too blind to see it… 

PAYBACK by M. A. Griffin out now in paperback (£7.99, Chicken House)

#Payback

Follow M.A. Griffin on twitter @fletchermoss and find out more at www.chickenhousebooks.com

REVIEW: The Island

THE ISLAND

by M.A. Bennett

Pages: 304

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Publication Date: 9th August 2018 

Received From: Hot Key Books

Link is a fish out of water. Newly arrived from America, he is finding it hard to settle into the venerable and prestigious Osney School. Who knew there could be so many strange traditions to understand? And what kind of school ranks its students by how fast they can run round the school quad - however ancient that quad may be? When Link runs the slowest time in years, he immediately becomes the butt of every school joke. And some students are determined to make his life more miserable than others . . .

When a school summer trip is offered, Link can think of nothing worse than spending voluntary time with his worst tormentors. But when his parents say he can only leave Osney School - forever - if he goes on the trip, Link decides to endure it for the ultimate prize. But this particular trip will require a very special sort of endurance. The saying goes 'No man is an island' - but what if on that island is a group of teenagers, none of whom particularly like each other? When oppressive heat, hunger and thirst start to bite, everyone's true colours will be revealed. Let the battle commence . . .

S.T.A.G.S. was one of the most talked about YA's of 2017 and when it was announced that M.A. Bennett was releasing another book I was beyond excited! So, when I got the chance to read The Island I jumped at the chance. The Island has the same flare and sense of danger that Bennett's first book had which instantly lets you know you're in for one hell of a ride. 

The Island is a story about a boy named Link and how he goes from bottom of the pack to king of the island. Its a twist on the coming of age story, where Link and a group of people from his elite school end up on a desert island and the only thing that stands in the way of their survival is themselves. Throughout the book the characters have to find a strength within themselves, break away from high school stereotypes and become adults in the most unexpected ways. The question is, when the rules they have lived by for so many years are taken away, can this group of teenagers discover a way to survive? 

The saying goes 'power corrupts all' and this book shows just how true that can be when this misfit group of teenagers are forced into situations they never imagined possible. The thing I loved about Bennett's first book was it tapped into this old fashioned idea of hierarchy that we like to believe has been/is being abolished and it invites the readers into worlds were it is still very much an issue. It looks at the complexity of human behaviour and show the reader the extents people will go to achieve (and then keep) power. 

The book itself is constantly twisting and turning, creating situations these young protagonists will have to fight to survive through. It is an exciting new book and even though the feminist in me found some moments hard to stomach, I know that that's the point! Bennett does not shy away from the darker parts of human behaviour and that just makes this book all the more exciting. 

Overall, this is a really exciting new book that I think any YA enthusiast will devour in a matter of days. It is fast paced, exciting and pushes the reader into a world that sits so close to ours it's hard not to imagine this happening somewhere. If you haven't pre-ordered this one yet then I highly recommend that you do. 

**I received this book as an ARC from Hot Key Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

REVIEW: Carve The Mark

CARVE THE MARK

by Veronica Roth

Pages: 468

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

Publication Date: 18th January 2017

In a galaxy powered by the current, everyone has a gift.

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power — something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.

Akos is the son of a farmer and an oracle from the frozen nation-planet of Thuvhe. Protected by his unusual currentgift, Akos is generous in spirit, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get this brother out alive — no matter what the cost.
The Akos is thrust into Cyra's world, and the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. Will they help each other to survive, or will they destroy one another?

You know that feeling when your favourite author announces a new series and you just cannot wait to read it? This is how I felt when Carve The Mark was announced, as I've read the Divergent books more times than I care to mention. However, when it came around to it I just couldn't pick it up. What if its not as good? What if I end up being let down? Well over a year after it was first published I FINALLY got around to reading Carve the Mark and I am happy to say that I was not disappointed!

Carve The Mark is a story of two halves, told from two points of view. The first is Akos, a boy torn away from his family, who has to learn to survive in enemy territory and serve a family that threaten everything he holds dear. Second is Cyra, a girl fated to bring pain to anyone who touches her. As the book unfolds these two characters’ lives become intertwined as their fates are destined to play out but the path they find themselves on was nothing like they imagined. For you see, Akos may be the only relief from Cyra's current gift, a moment in time where she is able to breathe. With hostile relations between two races reaching its apex and a rebellion on the horizon, can our two main characters out run their destinies or were the fates sealed long ago? 

I'll be honest, to begin with I wasn't convinced. I don't know if it was the fact it wasn’t Tris and Four or if my expectations were just to high but I honestly thought I wasn't going to like this book. However, after a couple of chapters I found that I couldn't put this book down. I needed to know what happened next. The story line was exciting and constantly moving from one thing to the next and it kept me on my toes throughout. One of my favourite things with books like this is seeing how the author uses contemporary human behaviour to create worlds that parallel our own and the universe Roth describes is both otherworldly and relatable (which is a hard mix to pull off). 

The characters themselves are all completely and utterly imperfect, they make mistakes and fall down throughout the book, but they also find the strength within themselves and each other to fight. The growth of Cyra's character was probably one of my favourites as it shows not just the harshness of growing up and finding yourself but also the struggles of doing what's right when it's so much easier to do what's being asked of you. 

Overall, I fell in love with this story and the main characters. It was fasted paced and exhilarating, with plot twists around every corner. It was one of those books that makes me wish I hadn't waited so long to read it and I'm not making the same mistake with book 2 as I can't wait to find out what is in store for these characters next.

REVIEW: Things I'm Seeing Without You

THINGS I'M SEEING WITHOUT YOU

by Peter Bognanni

Pages: 336

Publisher: Chicken House

Publication Date: 1st Febuary 2018

Received From: Chicken House

Seventeen-year-old Tess talks to Jonah every day; through texts, tweets and emails.

So when she discovers Jonah has committed suicide, her world implodes. Feeling heartbroken and traumatized Tess unexpectedly finds herself at her estranged father’s house, wondering how well she really knew Jonah. Now, having dropped out of high school, struggling with questions about life and loss, Tess and her father come together to try and find the answers.

First things first, can I just say that Chicken House are smashing it out of the park with their YA's this year!! I mean seriously, I've not read a book that I've not wanted to immediately re-read and Things I'm Seeing Without You is no exception. I'll be honest I thought this book was going to be a little bit depressing when I first started reading it but as the story unfolded you notice the humour in it, the notes that make you smile and the moments that catch your breath. It delves into a situation no one wants to find themselves in and resolves itself in the most peculiar of manners, and I wouldn't change a single second of it. 

Things I'm Seeing Without You is the story of Tess, a girl who's life gets flipped on its head when the boy she's fallen in love with commits suicide. He said he loved her, but now he's gone, and Tess has to find a way to come to terms with what she's lost. Tess’s life feels like it's stopped with the boy’s, she lost as she drops out of school and moves in with her estranged father (who by the way just happens to be running a funeral business - of sorts). But life hasn't stopped and from this point on everything is going to be different, things Tess thought she knew will come unravelled as she discovers the truth about the boy she's been talking to everyday for months. 

Finding a balance between writing a good story and being respectful to the difficult issues you're writing about is not an easy task. In Things I'm Seeing Without You Bognanni tackles some hard subjects, but he manages to find a way to mix the difficult with the storytelling to produce a book that hits right in the feels. 

It is no secret that the way to a good review from me is to write a load of messed up characters and show me that they can find redemption and this book does exactly that! Okay, well... maybe not messed up as such but the characters in this book are falling apart. Unsure how to get through the day after the worst thing they could ever imagine happening happens. But as the story continues you find yourself wishing the characters forward, and somehow... in a way I did not see coming... they find their way to the end of the book. 

At first this seems like a book about death but in reality, it’s about living, celebrating life and finding a way to go on in the most unexpected of ways. Things I'm Seeing Without You is a story that will have you grabbing for the tissues at times but at it is also filled with small smiles, great storytelling and characters you can't help but care about. If you haven't had the chance to read this book yet, then I cannot recommend it enough! 

**I received this book as an ARC from Chicken House Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

REVIEW: The Apprentice Witch

THE APPRENTICE WITCH

by James Nicol

Pages: 324

Publisher: Chicken House

Publication Date: July 7th 2016

Arianwyn has fluffed her witch’s evaluation test.

Awarded the dull bronze disc and continuing as an apprentice – to the glee of her arch-rival, mean girl Gimma – she’s sent to protect the remote, dreary town of Lull. 

But her new life is far from boring. Turns out Gimma is the pompous mayor’s favourite niece – and worse, she opens a magical rift in the nearby Great Wood. As Arianwyn struggles with her spells, a mysterious darkness begins to haunt her – and it’s soon clear there’s much more than her pride at stake …

The Apprentice Witch is all kinds of amazing and no, my mum didn't just tell me to say that. I mean she did, but I wholeheartedly agree! I'm not normally a massive fan of middle grade books as I find it harder to connect with the main character, however, with The Apprentice Witch it only took a couple of chapters for me find common ground with our girl Arianwyn Gribble. The story is fast paced, full the brim of magical twists and dark turns that will leave you begging for more from the little town of Lull. 

The Apprentice Witch is the story of a young witch who's life never quite goes to plan and this is never more true than on the day of her evaluation when the mysterious glyph that she has seen all her life makes an unwelcome appearance. Due to the events of that day Arianwyn (Wyn) is sent to the town of Lull to finish off her Apprenticeship and become the town witch. Although Lull has been without a witch for some time and within a few days Wyn is up to her ears in witchly tasks and intriguing townspeople. It's not all work for Wyn though as she meets new friends, finds a place she can call hers and acquires a rather charming Moon Hare called Bob. But with dark spirits making more frequent appearances, a mysterious glyph following Wyn like a bad smell and the town of Lull sitting on the edge of the Great Wood it is only a matter of time before this Apprentice finds herself in more trouble that she could have ever imagined. 

I loved this book so much! I mean how could I not? James creates a world that is the literary equivalent to glitter and I couldn't put this book down. Every scene and setting was so well executed to the point that I felt like I was in the town of Lull right along side Wyn and the story itself didn't lull for one second - yes pun COMPLETELY intended. 

This book bought me back to my younger years and the days of The Worst Witch and our dear Mildred Hubble. The story is completely different but a young witch that can't quite get it right no matter her intentions? Arianwyn Gribble is this generations Mildred and I LOVE IT!!!

Overall this book is one of those I can't stop talking about. Yes its middle grade but there is something about it that I think appeals to a wider audience - after all Harry Potter is a MG book, just saying. The Apprentice Witch is fast paced, laugh out loud funny and full of little pockets of magic that will have you smiling from ear to ear.  If you haven't read this book yet I hope you do and for all of you who have... A Witch Alone is out this week! And guys... it's so good! 

REVIEW: Movie Night

MOVIE NIGHT

by Lucy Courtenay

Pages: 314

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Publication Date: January 11th 2018

Received From: Hodder Children's Books

One: I am hopelessly in love with Hanna Bergdahl. Two: for the first time since our recent reunion Hanna Bergdahl appears to be single. And three: I am in stuck in that inescapable netherworld of demons and acne - the Friend Zone.

Two best friends. One crush.

Sol and Hanna were best friends at primary school and after reuniting at college, they spend approximately seventy per cent of daylight hours together.

When disaster strikes at a New Year's Eve party and Hannah sees new boyfriend Danny Dukas kissing Lizzie Banks, a New Year's Resolution is formed. Sol and Hanna will watch one film a month for twelve months until the next New Year. After all, films hold answers to life's hardest questions. Maybe they'll figure out why they are both members of the dumpee club.

Only Sol Adams has a new year's resolution of his own: to kiss Hanna Bergdahl before the year is over.

When I read The Kiss I was completely enamoured with the way in which Lucy Courtenay constructs a contemporary romance. There was this added element of movie magic and I'm so happy that has carried on to her new book Movie Night. This book is unbelievably cute, laugh out loud funny at times and the quintessential YA will they, wont they romance that will turn your insides gooey. 

Movie Night is told from the perspective for our two main protagonists. First you have Hanna, the sixth form girl who fits in with the popular kids, changes boys like they're shoes and gets along with mostly everyone. Then there is Sol, Sol grew up with Hanna but moved away when he was younger. Now Sol is back he and Hanna are inseparable but he likes to keep things to himself, like the fact he has been in love with his best friend Hanna for longer than he can remember. Then one New Years Eve Hanna sees her boyfriend kissing someone else and on that night while comforting her Sol and Hanna make a pact. For the next year they are going to watch one movie a month together, because movies always have happily ever afters and maybe together they will find the answers they are looking for.  But with Sol trying to hold Hanna at arms length and Hanna slowly realising just how much he keeps from her their friendship is pushed to breaking point. It is a story about friendship, first love and learning to be who you want to be, not just who you are told to be. 

Throughout this book Sol and Hanna grow so much as characters, both together and apart that its hard not to love them. Movie Night is one of those coming of age stories that suck you in because you as a reader feel like you can connect with the characters. The book is written over the space of a year, a year that has our main protagonists applying for university and making big decisions about who they want to be. 

The characters melt your heart and the story keeps up pace throughout. The family dynamics are intriguing and if your favourite thing in this book isn't Nigel then I don't know what's wrong with you. There are moments in this book that show how hard it can be at that age and the pressure of some of the choices that need making but there is also a humour to it as well. It is the mix of depth and light heartedness that really elevated this book for me. 

Overall, Movie Night was one of those books I could read over and over again. It hit me right in the feels and from the very first chapter I needed to know if Sol got the girl. It is hard enough being a teenager but when you're in love with your best friend? Well that's when it gets complicated. 

**I received this book as an ARC from Hodder Children's Books to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

BLOG TOUR: Below Zero

I love being an author. Apart from being Han Solo, it’s pretty much the only thing I’ve ever wanted to be. And one of the really cool things about writing books for younger readers is that I spend a lot of time visiting schools, doing my best to inspire young readers. Reading is amazing; it opens up new worlds and new ways of thinking. Reading for pleasure makes people better people, (it’s true, I’ve seen science that says so) so I feel privileged to be able to play a small part in guiding young readers to stories.

Usually when I visit a school I talk to a large group. I’ll show them some embarrassing pictures of me growing up, tell them about why I write, why stories are important to me, that kind of thing. And I talk about reading for pleasure.

When I was at school, we would read a book in class. Every student had a copy of the book and we would take turns to read aloud. Paragraph by paragraph. Some students would read quickly, some would read slowly. Some had boring, monotonous voices. Some could barely read. I remember reading ‘Lord of the Flies’ that way, and what a bore it was.

When I tell students about this now, I see them nodding their heads. Yep, that’s still how they do it in some schools. In fact, some schools can’t even afford the books, so they only read photocopied extracts.

That’s not reading for pleasure. That’s reading because you have to. That’s reading for school. It’s work. It’s ‘Literacy’.

Reading for pleasure, I tell them, is when you read the first chapter of a book and decide it’s not the right book for you. Reading for pleasure is putting that book down and doing the same thing again until you find a book you DO want to read. Reading for pleasure is when you can’t wait to read the next page, you fall in love with the characters, hate the characters, cheer for the characters. Reading for pleasure is when a story stays with you forever, giving meaning to the things that happen to you. It’s that feeling you get when you think about the story. It’s when the smell of the pages lifts you to another place. Reading for pleasure is . . . pleasurable.

I sometimes worry that I may be speaking out of turn when I say these things at schools, but I often see the teachers nodding. They know it too. Where is the pleasure in stopping every few lines to discuss why this character said such-and-such, or that character did this-and-that?

I understand we need to read for school, for education, for all the boring reasons. But we also need to read for pleasure. That’s how we grow.

I LOVE it when a teacher tells me they’re reading a book in class just for the sake of reading it. No stopping, no analysis, just pure, unadulterated reading for pleasure. Hooray for those teachers! Hooray for school libraries! Hooray for school librarians!

Oh, and there’s one other thing; I have re-read Lord of the Flies, many times, and I now see it in a different light. It speaks to me in a way it didn’t speak to me when we read it and analysed it. What an amazing book.

BELOW ZERO

by Dan Smith

Twelve-year-old Zak, who has an inoperable brain tumour, is with his sister and parents when their private plane is disastrously diverted. Wrecked on a remote research outpost in the Antarctic, they find themselves in an abandoned base. Then Zak's parents disappear, and the base's equipment starts 3D-printing nightmarish spiderlike creatures. Zak's bizarre visions appear to suggest a link to something else - beneath the ice - which only he can understand...

BELOW ZERO by Dan Smith out now in paperback (£6.99, Chicken House). Find out more at chickenhousebooks.com and connect with Dan Smith @DanSmithAuthor

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Growing up, Dan Smith lived three lives: the day-to-day humdrum of boarding school, finding adventure in the padi fields of Asia and the jungles of Brazil, and in a world of his own, making up stories. 
Dan is the author of My Friend the Enemy, My Brother’s Secret,Big Game and Boy X. BELOW ZERO his fifth children’s book with Chicken House. He lives in Newcastle. 

Connect with him via twitter @dansmithauthor

In case you haven't yet had your fill of Dan and all things Below Zero check out some of the other posts he has done for the tour at the blogs below.