A Monster Calls - Patrick Ness 16/09/2011
 Patrick Ness' latest book A Monster Calls is a beautifully written and moving tale about pain, loss and forgiveness. As with his fantastic Chaos Walking series, A Monster Calls sits in that middle ground somewhere between good and evil where the ambiguity of life resides. Although it's short, the fantastic writing combined with Jim Kay's amazing illustrations will leave you blubbering like a fool. Do not read this book in public it is ridiculously sad. A Monster Calls will stay with you for a long time. - Toby Add Comment Divergent by Veronica Roth 10/05/2011
 Despite the horrible cover art and even worse tag lines, Divergent is a fantastic read for teens and teen-like adults set in a dystopain Chicago. Divergent follows the story of young heroine Beatrice Prior as she makes a life altering decision that leads her into uncharted territories. This is Veronic Roth's first novel and she writes like a master, creating a fast paced, action thriller with more drama than you can poke a stick at. Best teen fiction I've read this year. - Toby Toby's Favourite Reads of 2010 06/02/2011
#3 Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness  The third and final installment in Patrick Ness' fantastic Chaos Walking series. As the three sides prepare for the impending war, Todd & Viola are once again separated and become pawns in a conflict they didn't initiate. The possibility of peace is slipping through their fingers as Mayor Prentis and Mistress Coyles true intents become clear. Monster of Men is full of heart racing suspense and examines the perils of war from multiple sides and the value of redemption. A great read for young adults and slightly older adults like me. #2 Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour by Bryan Lee O'Malley  The perfect ending to a phenomenal series. Scott Pilgrim, loveable slacker and bass player of garage band Sex Bohomb, faces his greatest challenge yet: Gideon Graves, Ramona's seventh and final evil ex-boyfriend. O'Malley effortlessly blends punk rock, video games, pop culture and and a beautiful love story full of dry humour and superb illustrations. If you haven't yet discovered Scott Pilgrim don't walk but run to your local Oscar & Friends and grab your copy. You won't be disappointed. #1 Windup Girl by Paola Bacigalupi  Set in post-apocalyptic Bangkok, where life is threatened on one side by the rising sea levels and on the other, rapidly mutating diseases and virus' created by genetic engineering. The Windup Girl follows a cast of complex and authentic characters as they battle to carve out their own place in a constantly shifting and ever shrinking world. Bacigalupi weaves a rich tale of power, corruption and greed with an original plot and a fantastic sense of place. My Favourite read of 2010! Gone by Michael Grant 29/11/2010
 In the blink of an eye everyone over the age of 14 suddenly disappears but what at first seems like every kids dream soon turns into a nightmare. Along with the dwindling food and medical supplies, bullies are starting to takeover and some kids are developing strange and dangerous powers not to mention the mutating animals. Suddenly Sam is thrown into a desperate race for survival with only a week before he turns 14 and 'poofs'. An engaging and exciting read for teens and young adults that explores ideas of responsibility, adolescents and violence. A must read for fans of teen fiction even if they're adults like me. - Toby Toby's Favourite Reads of 2009! 03/01/2010
#5 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins Sequel to The Hunger Games. Against all odds Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and its harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have secured, for themselves and their families, a life of safety and plenty. They will live in fancy houses in Victory Village, their families will never be hungry again, and the cruel games are behind them. But there are rumours of rebellion among the other districts, and to Katniss's horror, Katniss and Peeta are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. The Capitol will not be fooled again. Suzanne Collins continues the amazing story of Katniss Everdeen in this second novel of the phenomenal Hunger Games trilogy. Ages 12+ #4 The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness Sequel to The Knife of Never Letting Go. We were in the square, in the square where I’d run, holding her, carrying her, telling her to stay alive, stay alive till we got safe, till we got to Haven so I could save her - But there weren’t no safety, no safety at all, there was just him and his men… Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss. Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor's new order. But what secrets are hiding just outside of town? And where is Viola? Is she even still alive? And who are the mysterious Answer? And then, one day, the bombs begin to explode... The Ask and the Answer is a tense, shocking and deeply moving novel of resistance under the most extreme pressure. Ages 14+ #3 Y: The Last Man by Brian K Vaughan & Pia Guerra Y: THE LAST MAN, winner of three Eisner Awards and one of the most critically acclaimed, best-selling comic books series of the last decade, is that rare example of a page-turner that is at once humorous, socially relevant and endlessly surprising. Written by Brian K. Vaughan (Lost, PRIDE OF BAGHDAD, EX MACHINA) and with art by Pia Guerra, this is the saga of Yorick Brown—the only human survivor of a planet-wide plague that instantly kills every mammal possessing a Y chromosome. Accompanied by a mysterious government agent, a brilliant young geneticist and his pet monkey, Ampersand, Yorick travels the world in search of his lost love and the answer to why he'sthe last man on earth. #2 Transition by Iain Banks A world that hangs suspended between triumph and catastrophe, between the dismantling of the Wall and the fall of the Twin Towers, frozen in the shadow of suicide terrorism and global financial collapse, such a world requires a firm hand and a guiding light. But does it need the Concern: an all-powerful organisation with a malevolent presiding genius, pervasive influence and numberless invisible operatives in possession of extraordinary powers? On the Concern's books are Temudjin Oh, an un-killable assassin who journeys between the peaks of Nepal, a version of Victorian London and the dark palaces of Venice; and a nameless, faceless torturer known only as the Philosopher. And then there's the renegade Mrs Mulverhill, who recruits rebels to her side; and Patient 8262, hiding out from a dirty past in a forgotten hospital ward. As these vivid, strange and sensuous worlds circle and collide, the implications of turning traitor to the Concern become horribly apparent, and an unstable universe is set on a dizzying course. #1 Scott Pilgrim by Brian Lee O'Malley Scott Pilgrim is 23 years old, living in the big city with his gay roommate, just trying to get by in this crazy world. He's in a band. He's lazy. He likes video games. Scott Pilgrim likes the new girl in town, Ramona Flowers, but to win her heart, he has to defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends. Seven! Evil! Ex! Boyfriends! Lucas has muscles! Todd plays bass with his psychic powers! The Twins are twins! Matthew Patel is an Indian guy! AND MORE! Scott Pilgrim is a critically acclaimed, award-winning series of graphic novels by Canadian cartoonist Bryan Lee O'Malley. Boys and girls! Young and old! Come one, come all! Read Scott Pilgrim! Five volumes in stores now! One to go! 2010! Ages 14+ The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks 13/04/2009
 Equally disgusting and compelling, The Wasp Factory is a disturbing glimpse into the life and mind of 16 year old serial killer Frank. A perverse tale wrapped in cruelty, irony and complete disassociation in a world so repulsive Frank's insanity seems almost acceptable. Iain Banks' intricate descriptions of Frank's bizarre rituals and ultra graphic violence leave you feeling sick and intrigued. Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami 13/04/2009
 An extraordinary novel from one of Japan's leading contemporary writers, Dance Dance Dance is the unlikely tale of a 30ish beatnik grappling with a world becoming stranger by the minute while searching for his lost girlfriend and solving the murder of a call-girl. His quest for answers takes him through Tokyo, Osaka and Hawaii while meeting a collection of characters equally bizarre and undeniably human. |
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