JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney

It’s 1982, and the innovative FBI Behavioral Science section is breaking new ground. Emma Lewis and Travis Bell, two teenagers with valuable skills, are recruited to interview convicted juvenile killers for information on cold cases.

When they’re drawn into an active case targeting teenagers, everything starts to unravel. Over Travis’s objections, Emma becomes the conduit between the FBI and an incarcerated serial killer, nineteen-year-old Simon Gutmunsson, who is a super-intelligent sociopath. And although Simon seems to be giving them the information they need to save lives, he’s also an expert manipulator playing a very long game …

Can Emma and Travis stop a serial killer on the loose – or will they fall victim themselves?

In Ellie Marney’s latest YA crime None Shall Sleep, two 18-year-olds in the US find themselves interviewing juvenile killers for the FBI — soon, they’re on the hunt for a vicious and fast-moving serial killer, who targets teenagers.

I’ve read a few of Ellie’s books and this is by far my favourite, and the strongest writing I’ve seen from Ellie. The prose is sharp and blunt; Ellie only uses words she needs to, propelling us through the story with efficiency.

The premise is a little absurd, sure, but it’s easy to put that aside and just let yourself fall into this thriller. I’m a sucker for a good crime story and Ellie kept me guessing with each chapter. All my predictions were wrong — all my guesses were misguided. Readers will find themselves engrossed in the story, desperate to turn each page.

“The inside of Behavioural Science is all low ceilings, crummy carpet, and cubicle hallways. Not as impressive as he imagined. Bell hears the sound of someone hanging up a phone farther ahead, then a muffled question, answered by an unfamiliar voice.”

Both Emma and Travis have troubled pasts that they avoid speaking about. Emma was kidnapped two and a half years earlier by a serial killer, but managed to escape. She still carries the scars — physically and mentally. Travis’ dad was murdered by a serial killer, and when that same serial killer crosses their path, Travis struggles to process the events.

Somehow, just somehow, I managed to read this entire book without realising it was set in 1982. I’d read the blurb multiple times and somehow missed it, and then I read the book and assumed it was set in the present. And to be honest? It works in the present. I mean, the premise is all a little ridiculous and unbelievable, which is probably why it’s not set in the present, but there didn’t really feel like any key descriptors or atmospheric indication that this was the 80s.

I think it’s both a good and bad thing. Good, because if it was too heavily embedded in 80s culture/landscape, teenagers today might not have enough of an interest in that to keep reading. And perhaps bad because…isn’t it a little weird you can read a whole book set in the 1980s and not realise? Ellie probably could’ve captured the setting a little stronger, without alienating her young readers.

“Kristin Gutmunsson’s resemblance to her twin is striking. She has the same gifts of good breeding, the poise and length of bone. She’s barefoot, in a simple cream linen shift that likely cost about as much as a small car. Her hair is ice-white and hands down in long tassels that remind Emma of Spanish moss — which makes her thinks of chiggers.”

It’s clear that a lot of research has gone into the writing of this book — the technicalities around the cognitive behavioural strategies, the descriptions of the killings and the crime scenes, the PTSD that Emma suffers from. Ellie has crafted a multi-layered story that sucks you deep into its clutches with each passing chapter.

Notorious serial killer Simon Gutmunsson plays a large role in this book, which I loved. He’s a fearsome character — he terrifies the reader with his quiet demeanour, his careful and considered actions. His characterisation is flawless, his dialogue chilling. He is both charming and intimidating, you can’t help but fall in love with him even though he’s a cold-blooded and remorseless killer. Readers will sympathise with his one weak spot — his love and devotion to his sister. It’s important to give antagonists something in their personality that makes them relatable, it allows the reader to understand them a bit better and perhaps like them. Simon’s connection with his twin sister Kristin makes him relatable, well-rounded, three-dimensional, and even that bit more human. It also allows for a few tender moments within the story.

“Cooper navigates the roads towards the Capitol Building, and Bell’s eyes move over the scrawl of Emma’s handwriting. She’s taken the entire interview down like dictation, and Bell finds the part he’s reading disturbing.”

As a long-time fan of Criminal Minds, I absolutely loved this book. I was genuinely shocked at how obsessed I became with this novel — how quickly I ditched plans just so I could finish this. The chapters snap at your heels, demanding you to keep reading, daring you to venture further.

Chilling and disturbing, but also really fucking entertaining. Recommended for readers of all ages.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

None Shall Sleep
Ellie Marney
September 2020
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers

You Were Made For Me by Jenna Guillaume

The day I created a boy started out like any other.

Katie didn’t mean to create a boy. A boy like a long-lost Hemsworth brother: six-foot tall with floppy hair and eyes like the sky on a clear summer’s day; whose lips taste like cookie dough and whose skin smells like springtime.

A boy who is completely devoted to Katie. He was meant to be perfect. But he was never meant to exist.

You Were Made for Me is Jenna Guillaume’s second YA novel, another heartfelt rom-com for a teenage audience. I loved her first book, What I Like About Me, and so I was excited to pick up this next read.

Teenager Katie swoons over romance and wants her first kiss to be perfect, but she’s having trouble getting any guy to notice her. When she sculpts the ‘perfect guy’ and then wakes up to find him naked in her bed, she suddenly finds herself with not just a boyfriend, but the perfect boyfriend. He’s sweet, affectionate and absolutely adores her. He’s everything that she ever wanted — but now that she has the perfect man, she starts to doubt whether he is actually what she needs. Over the course of the novel, Katie learns what it means to have a meaningful connection with someone.

“I felt around on my bedside table for my glasses and slipped them on. They were still wonky, but they did their job. The room came into focus, and I got a proper look at the naked guy for the first time. He was scratching his head, his face placid, like he didn’t have a care in the world.”

You Were Made For Me explores themes of love, relationship and friendship, but also family, body image, grief, self-confidence and following your heart no matter where it leads you.

Young readers may recognise themselves in Katie — anyone who feels alone, perhaps lonely. Anyone who isn’t popular in school. Anyone who is craving the experience of a first kiss and feels like the perfect guy will never exist.

Jenna is skilled at crafting a premise that teenagers can relate to, and older readers can recognise and sympathise with. We were all teenagers once! Admittedly, the characters did seem younger than 16 at times. Katie and Libby are optimistic and positive, but perhaps a little naive. Katie’s reliable and dependent neighbour Theo seemed the most consistent in terms of age vs. personality. He was also one of the most likeable characters in the book.

“I don’t know why I was so shocked to see him there. I mean, he lived down the road, in one of the big houses by the beach. I’d seen him skateboarding past, usually with a package from the fish and chip shop next door tucked under one arm. But he’d never come in before.”

The chapters are short and the layout really accessible to young eyes. And inside this gorgeous front-cover design, Jenna’s latest read features a diverse cast of characters — culturally, physically and sexually — so young readers will be able to see themselves reflected in the pages.

“We were at the park down the road from Libby’s place to do our official Guy handover. I had to go to work, which meant Libby was on Guy duty for the day. I felt weird about leaving him and had been tempted to call in sick…”

Stylistically and structurally, the narration bothered me. It’s hard to explain, but the book is written in first person POV, as if telling a story to the reader, but every so often Katie’s best friend chimes in and the two start having a conversation. It feels very stilted and unnatural — a little awkward? I would’ve preferred the narration to stick to first person POV without the back-and-forth with the best friend.

Additionally, the girl-gets-a-boy-and-ignores-the-best-friend is a stereotypical trope I was a little sad to see in this book. And the fact that Katie’s boyfriend suddenly appears out of thin air and she’s able to hide this grown teenager from her family and her parents is a little comical.

I do think Jenna’s first book is a stronger read — the characters are a little more likeable and the book has a more seamless style and format. But young teenage girls will enjoy this story, the quirks of the characters, the quick dialogue and the absurdity of the premise. It reminds me a little of the Life-size film with Tyra Banks, which is showing my age.

Readership skews female, 12+

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

You Were Made For Me
Jenna Guillaume
August 2020
Pan Macmillan Publishers

Across the Risen Sea by Bren MacDibble

Neoma and Jag and their small community are ‘living gentle lives’ on high ground surrounded by the risen sea that has caused widespread devastation. When strangers from the Valley of the Sun arrive unannounced, the friends find themselves drawn into a web of secrecy and lies that endangers the way of life of their entire community.

Soon daring, loyal Neoma must set off on a solo mission across the risen sea, determined to rescue her best friend and find the truth that will save her village.

Across the Risen Sea is the latest middle grade adventure novel by Bren MacDibble, set within a small island community surrounded by a rising sea. Strangers arrive unannounced, carrying secrets with them, and then protagonist Neoma must embark on a solo mission across the ocean to rescue her best friend Jag.

In this somewhat dystopian setting, the rising sea has formed an inland sea with small islands. Communities on these islands do not deal with currency or money — they rely on fishing and growing their own food, and they use their boats to scrounge abandoned cities for materials.

Courage and determination are key themes explored in the book, as well as the power of family and friendship, and the importance of trusting your instincts. You do have to stretch your imagination for this one. A crocodile in the boat? A pirate who can out-swim a shark and fight them off when threatened? There are definitely a few moments of absurdity, but what children’s adventure novel doesn’t have these?

“I push through some big double doors and I’m in a room with everything built from shiny steel. There’s a rack with all kinds of glass jars with lots of different coloured herbs and spices and pots and pans on every shelf and giant spoons hanging from hooks, and knives, sharper than any Jag’s got on his belt.”

Across the Risen Sea is written in Neoma’s first person POV, allowing the reader to intimately follow Neoma’s journey across the ocean. Neoma is brave, curious and feisty — she’s got true grit, and she’s not afraid to venture into the unknown. She knows how to hold her own, and she’s got quick instincts that rival the adults around her. Additionally, her voice feels quite unique to the genre. It could be a little polarising with readers — some will love it, some might not — but overall, she drives the story forward with her inquisitive nature and her dogged determination.

One of my favourite parts of the book was when we arrive at the Valley of the Sun. No spoilers, but their home felt really unique and unexpected and I think Bren was really clever at crafting this setting. Children will no doubt find themselves enraptured by the homeland of the Valley of the Sun.

“The storm blows us on, throws waves at our backs, each wave sloshing a little more water and foam into the boat behind us, so I reckon whoever’s in there’s prolly gonna drown, if the boat don’t sink before we get to our bay. Soon the rain joins the waves sloshing at us and the lightning kicks and stomps all around the sea beside us.”

Okay, a couple of things I struggled with in the book. The plot does meander quite a bit — the journey feels quite slow and monotonous, the characters don’t seem overly engrossing for the long run . And I’m wondering — and this is more a ‘big picture’ thought — how fun is this book for kids to read? Much like Bren’s other books, there are messages and themes about climate change, environment and society’s treatment of others during a time of crisis. And whilst this is important to read, is it…fun?

I’ve read all of Bren’s books, and this one just didn’t feel as action-packed full of adventure as the others. An ocean journey to find a lost child means that there is quite a small cast of characters, and I wonder if it’s enough to enthral a young reader. Personally, I found my attention waning because the plot was a little same-same. Will this entice young teen readers? Will it keep their attention long enough to get them to the final page? You don’t have long to engage a young reader, and there’s so much competition out there. I just wonder if this story might perhaps be better suited for the older end of the age demographic, and those who are seasoned readers. I’m not entirely convinced that this book will appeal to reluctant readers.

For ages 9-13.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Across the Risen Sea
Bren MacDibble
August 2020
Allen & Unwin Book Publishers

Malorie by Josh Malerman

In the old world there were many rules. In the new world there is only one: don’t open your eyes.

In the seventeen years since the ‘creatures’ appeared, many people have broken that rule. Many have looked. Many have lost their minds, their lives, their loved ones.

In that time, Malorie has raised her two children – Olympia and Tom – on the run or in hiding. Now nearly teenagers, survival is no longer enough. They want freedom.

When a census-taker stops by their refuge, he is not welcome. But he leaves a list of names – of survivors building a future beyond the darkness – and on that list are two names Malorie knows.

Two names for whom she’ll break every rule, and take her children across the wilderness, in the hope of becoming a family again…

Josh Malerman’s Malorie is the sequel to the cultural sensation-turned-Netflix-movie Birdbox, starring Sandra Bullock.

In this follow up, Malorie is even more cautious and paranoid than when we last saw her. She’s had seventeen years to perfect her methods of survival. She’s got two teenage children now and even though they’re old enough to look after themselves, they’re teenagers and they don’t always obey the rules. They don’t remember the world before the creatures — sometimes they’re too trusting, and they don’t always understand why they can’t look outside at the real world.

Malorie needs to learn to trust her children. She needs to learn to loosen the reigns a little. She’s hyper-cautious and strict, and she doesn’t trust easily, and whilst it’s easy to understand her characterisation, her son Tom in particular grows quite resentful of her smothering nature over the course of the novel.

“Malorie thinks of Gary. It makes sense. A man arrives at the camp. He knocks. He speaks from the other side of the door. All good intentions, of course. Until you let him in, of course. Then he makes friends with the others, ingratiates himself to the point where your own kids turn on you, and presto, you’ve welcomed an old-world mad-man into your life.”

It’s fascinating reading this whilst living through a pandemic. You can suddenly relate to the characters’ fear of the unknown, the scepticism, the uncertainty and the doubt. The blindfolds feel strangely close to masks, and remembering myself watching the film — pre COVID-19 — with no idea of what was to come to the world, is a strange thought.

Malorie is a bit of a balancing act — road trip, survival story, family drama, teenage angst. There are so many different elements to the story and Josh does a really fantastic job of juggling them all and maintaining interest from the reader. There are lots of twists and turns, plot points I didn’t see coming. Although admittedly, there are some moments where Tom goes from being an understandably rebellious teenager, to being just that little bit too annoying and unlikable.

“Tom is stricken by how alive Malorie looks. Her eyes appear bright memories, realisations, decisions. The bag beside her is full. She wears a hoodie and long pants, gloves and boots. In one hand is the blindfold she just removed.”

Whilst you can read Malorie without having read or watched Birdbox, I’d advise you familiarise yourself with its predecessor. It would make for a richer and more enjoyable experience when reading Malorie. There are frequent mentions to events from the previous book, particularly surrounding the character Gary, and I do think readers who are unfamiliar with Birdbox will get confused easily.

“She thinks of Camp Yadin and how safe they were. She can almost feel the texture of the rope in her gloved hands, rope connecting each building, one of which housed canned goods, another with a garden beside it. She sees herself, waking there, walking there, living there, safe. She hears herself asking the teens what might be outside.”

Whilst the ending of the book is satisfactory and satisfying, I felt like the pacing was inconsistent. The book moves at a slow but tense pace, drawing the reader in and keeping them engaged throughout. But the ending is incredibly fast and rushed. I almost couldn’t believe Malerman was going to wrap up the story in such a short amount of pages, and yet, he did. I wish some more time had been spent on the ending.

Highly recommended, although do read or watch Birdbox first.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Malorie
Josh Malerman
August 2020
Hachette Book Publishers Australia

Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings

Bettina Scott lives a tidy, quiet life in Runagate, tending to her delicate mother and their well-kept garden after her father and brothers disappear – until a note arrives that sends Bettina into the scrublands beyond, searching for answers about what really happened to this town, and to her family.

For this is a land where superstitions hunt and folk tales dream – and power is there for the taking, for those willing to look.

19-year-old Bettina Scott lives with her mother; her father and two brothers disappeared three years earlier. Kathleen Jennings’ Flyaway is a gothic, mythical fantasy novella set within a Western Queensland town. Bettina has never found out what happened to them, and after a note implies one, or more, of her brothers is still alive, Bettina embarks on a journey to uncover the truth.

Flyaway is a blend of the real and the otherworldly — the book is underpinned by a subtle hint of unease and rising tension. At just 180 pages, Flyaway is a quick read.

“She made it to the trees. Later, they would find a thread of her coat caught on the bark of a dead silky oak, although they would not know whether she had left it coming or going.”

I feel like there’s two elements to this review — writing style, and the actual story itself.

Kathleen’s prose is lyrical and poetic, gorgeous. She evokes emotions and images with the quickest and brutal of sentences. Dialogue is brief and sparse, but welcome. Kathleen incorporates similes and metaphors that really sing off the page. Immediately, I felt completely enveloped by her writing and her prose. Kathleen has an incredible ability of weaving words together to create really evocative sentences.

“The triangle tangle of roads and tracks held the district of Inglewell: hills and scrub glittered in the power-white light, fading to chalk blue; sharp grasses fluttered pale in the paddocks, green and burgundy on the verge; grey huts subsided into themselves like memory.”

Okay, the actual story. Truthfully? I hate to say this because I really wanted to love this, but I was quite bored reading this. Not even exquisite prose can make me fall in love with cardboard cut-out characters. And sometimes, it really felt like these characters fell a bit flat. At times, the dialogue felt stilted and unnatural, particularly between Bettina and her mother. And none of the characters felt particularly fleshed out to me. It felt like Kathleen spent so much time perfecting each sentence, but she didn’t spend enough time on the story and characters as a whole.

Additionally, I just didn’t ‘feel’ the magic/folklore element that the blurb and cover promised. Moments of fantasy are peppered throughout, albeit randomly, and it did feel a little thin and disorienting. This felt like a stretched tale — could this have just been a short story? Browsing reviews of this novella make it clear that I’m definitely in the minority with these thoughts — there’s a lot of love out there for this book, so there’s obviously just something about this plot and this story that didn’t quite resonate with me like it did other readers.

“Then there were stories of those who had simply…gone. Walked into the trees or vanished from a tent in the night, been swallowed up in long-fingered leaves, waded into waterholes or fallen through cracks in the earth. Or those who had got into the car one night and driven off without saying goodbye.”

Recommended for fans of fantasy and the supernatural. Fans of literary fiction will welcome the writing style and poetic cohesion of Kathleen’s words.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Flyaway
Kathleen Jennings
August 2020
Pan Macmillan Publishers Australia