JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

When the California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, a group of teens is forced to make life and death decisions in this harrowing story of survival from New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman, and Jarrod Shusterman.

The drought – or the Tap-Out, as everyone calls it – has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s lives have become an endless list of don’ts: don’t water the lawn, don’t take long showers, don’t panic. Until the taps run dry.

Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a warzone of desperation; neighbours and families turned against each other on the hunt for water. And when her parents don’t return, she and her younger brother must team up with an unlikely group in search of water. Each of them will need to make impossible choices to survive.

Dry is a young adult novel that explores what would happen to civilisation if there was no water left. Written by father-son team Neal & Jarrod Shusterman, Dry is dedicated to those affected by climate change and this book does a fabulous job of showing us the harsh reality of climate change and our possible future with no clean drinking water.

Over time, water has become more and more limited until all of a sudden there’s just none left. The book may be set in Southern California, but readers all over the world will be able to recognise elements of their own town within the pages of this book.

Reading Dry can really cause the reader to feel hydrated and be thankful for any drop of water they have near them.

“We search the surrounding streets for the BMW, all the while my fever making me feel even more miserable. We pass vacant storefronts and small parking lots, and I’m pressing the panic button the keys, but with no luck.”

The book switches POV between quite a few people. We have 16 year old Alyssa, the main character, who is fair, trustworthy and moral. She’s in charge of her 10 year old brother Garret when their parents go missing.

They team up with their neighbour Kelton. He was one of my favourite characters. His dad is a really big ‘prepper’ for the end of the world and he’s unfair, selfish and when the taps run dry he doesn’t want to share any water with anyone else. As a result, catastrophic events ensue.

Along the way, the group also join forces with the brazen and terrifying Jacqui and the incredibly cunning and conniving Henry. Together, these teenagers embark on a road trip across Southern California in an attempt to find their family, food, water and a place to ride out the disaster until help arrives.

As you can imagine, things go wrong and tensions rise among the characters. Some of them bond over the course of the novel, but a couple of them are still very much flawed by the end.

“I grab Kelton under the shoulders and pick him up. I shoot a glance to Garrett, who’s been hiding, crouched by a sofa. We drag Kelton down the hall toward the front door, Alyssa leading the way. As we make our way there, I try to take stock of what’s actually happening around us, but it’s too dark — just shapes and outlines.”

Dry is a gripping read, with heightened stakes and a fast-paced plot, and an incredibly believable premise. The book shows us how desperate people can get when they think they might be dying, and how quickly members of the public can panic and turn on one another.

This may be promoted as dystopian fiction, but it could well be a prediction of the future.

I don’t think the multiple POVs were necessary to the book, and I would’ve been perfectly content if there were only a couple of character perspectives used.

Despite that, I highly recommend this novel, particularly for any readers who love near-future or apocalyptic-style plots.

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

Dry
Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman
October 2018
Walker Books Australia

Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks

There are times when destiny and love collide. This story is one of them.

From the number one bestselling author of The Notebook and Two by Two comes an unforgettable tale of enduring love . . . Hope Anderson is at a crossroads. After six years with her boyfriend, she is no longer sure what she wants, and when her father becomes ill she heads to her family’s cottage at Sunset Beach in North Carolina to make some difficult decisions.

Tru Walls has been summoned across an ocean from where he was born and raised in Zimbabwe by a letter from a man claiming to be his father. In journeying to Sunset Beach, Tru hopes to unravel the mystery surrounding his mother’s life, but the letter will lead him in an unexpected direction.

When these two strangers’ paths cross, their chance encounter sets in motion a heart-breaking story – one that will transcend decades, continents and the workings of fate.

Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks is a romantic novel spanning decades and generations of family. It’s about meeting the right person at the wrong time, and the impossibility of love.

Hope Anderson is thirty-six years old and her relationship with her boyfriend is something that I think a lot of readers will be able to recognise. They’ve been together for six years and it seems like they’re still together because it’s been so long; they’re not together because they’re actually still in love. The relationship has grown stale, and neither of them can see it.

It’s only when Hope meets Tru Walls that she comes to realise that things could be better for her.

Tru has spent most of his adult life as a safari guide in Zimbabwe. He’s split from his ex and they share custody of their child. He’s travelled to America to track down the father he’s never known, and find out why he left his mother.

There is a fair bit of info dumping at the beginning of this novel, but setting and tension are a couple of the Nicholas’ strengths. You can feel the beautiful, waterfront setting and the cool breeze and you can picture in your mind the wonderful letterbox where all of these notes are being deposited and then read by strangers.

“But what would happen when his father did show up? The man was a stranger; a single meeting wasn’t going to change that. Nonetheless, Tru hoped he’d be able to answer some questions, which was the only reason Tru had decided to come in the first place.”

Every Breath explores many things. It’s about love and the importance of timing. It’s also about family, bonds, relationships and expectations. It’s about purpose in life, and meeting your own expectations.

It’s also about tragedy and the heartbreak that can be present in so many lives, and the importance of acceptance and forgiveness.

“She interested him. That she was beautiful there was no doubt, but it wasn’t simply that. There was an air of vulnerability and loneliness behind her smile, as if she was wrestling with something troubling. Maybe even a few somethings.”

My biggest gripe with the development of the story was the lack of chemistry between Hope and Tru, mostly because their ‘connection’ and ‘love’ developed at a rapid pace, too fast to be believable. They fall in love rather quickly, and I think it’s a bit too much for the reader to really invest in.

The ending of the book, and Hope’s decision surrounding children, seems a little farfetched. Nicholas initially crafted Hope to seem courageous, brave, independent, career-driven. And then at the end of the novel, she seems to drop all that and deliberately enter into a relationship she knows to be doomed just so she can have babies. To be honest, I hated the ending. And the Author’s Note at the end was equally frustrating.

Fans of Nicholas Sparks will be able to suspend belief long enough to enjoy this book. Readers who don’t spend much time inside the pages of a romance novel will probably dislike this book.

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

Every Breath
Nicholas Sparks
October 2018
Hachette Publishers

Inheritance by Carole Wilkinson

Nic is left in the care of her grandfather at the remote family property that was once her mother’s childhood home; a place with thirty rooms, three dogs and no mobile reception.

Left to her own devices, she searches for clues about her mother – who died the day Nic was born. But when Nic learns how to slip through time, she discovers more than she could have imagined. The past holds a dark and shocking secret that haunts the land and the people who live there.

Historical fiction for middle grade readers at its compelling, shocking, fascinating best.

Inheritance by Carole Wilkinson is a historical fiction novel perfect for Australian readers aged approximately 10-12.

This book is not at all what I thought it was going to be, judging by the blurb above. Yes, it’s a novel about time travel. But it’s so much more than that. It’s about massacre and racism and understanding the mistakes of the past.

Inheritance sheds light on the shameful events in Australian history. This book would make a good classroom discussion for primary school children, using it to launch conversations around the history of Australia and the treatment of aboriginals by white people.

“My eyes were still adjusting to the sudden change from absolute darkness to brilliant daylight. In the distance, among all the yellow, I could see dark out-of-focus shapes. I blinked. One of the shapes changed. I heard a sound. It took me a while to realise it was a voice. The other shapes changed, becoming taller and thinner. They were people. Women.”

Teenager Nic Gervase lives in the present-day timeline and lives in regional Victoria. Her fathers on a cruise ship and has left her to live with her maternal grandfather. She stumbles upon a way to travel back in time, and discovers the shocking truth about what life was like back then.

Inheritance confronts the massacre of the local Gulidjan people in 1839. At times, the content in the book is a little shocking but it’s based on true events and it’s important for young readers to know the history of Australia.

“The men stared at me with curiosity, not fear. One of them spoke. The sounds made no sense to me. I couldn’t even recognise them as words. He seemed to be talking to the women. Then the men turned and ran off, their spears held high.”

At times, the vocabulary, sentence structure and prose felt a little too young for the audience but the concept of time travel is so interesting that I think it will entice and engage young readers’ minds.

I recommend this to young readers intrigued by historical fiction and Australian history.

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

Inheritance
Carole Wilkinson
September 2018
Walker Books Australia

The Ember Blade by Chris Wooding

Empires rise, civilisations fall and one culture comes to subsume another. It’s the way of the world . . . sometimes ways of life are improved, sometimes they are not. But the progression of change is huge and – usually – unstoppable.

In this story, the Ossian way of life is fading and the Dachen way is taking its place and Aren is comfortable with that. Even when his parents are accused of treason he supports the establishment and maintains there’s been some mistake . . . which is all it takes to get himself and his best friend arrested . . .

Thrown into a prison mine they plan their escape – only to be overtaken by events when they’re rescued, and promptly find themselves in the middle of an ambush. By the time they’ve escaped, they’re unavoidably linked to Garric – their unwelcome saviour – and his quest to overturn to Dachen way of life.

If they leave Garric now, they’ll be arrested or killed by their pursuers. If they turn him in, Garric will kill them. If they stay with him, they’ll be abetting a murderous quest they don’t believe in. There are no good options – but Aren will still have to choose a path . . .

Designed to return to classic fantasy adventures and values, from a modern perspective, this is a fast-moving coming-of-age trilogy featuring a strong cast of diverse characters, brilliant set-pieces and a strong character and plot driven story.

The Ember Blade by Chris Wooding is the first novel in an exciting new fantasy trilogy.

This is a huge book, clocking in at over 820 pages. But within the pages is a multi-layered, fascinating and magical world that I devoured. I loved all these characters and their personalities. I wanted them to achieve their missions and succeed in their endeavours, and I think Chris Wooding has done a great job of balancing an epic fantasy story with commercial, action-packed adventure.

There is much to love about the characters in The Ember Blade. Aren’s love for the wrong girl causes catastrophic consequences, and he’s thrust into a prison mine and must find a way to break out.

His best friend Cade sacrifices his freedom and ends up with Aren, and the two teenage friends must overcome their frustration to reclaim back their lives. They must team up with unlikely allies in order to do this, and Chris Wooding has created a dynamic, diverse group of characters to help Aren and Cade on their journey.

“When Aren looked up next, there were three of them on the far ledge: the monstrous armoured man with the hammer, the skeletal archer with the deadly bow, and the metal-masked man with the cowled cloak and paired blades. Three dread knights, heavy with threat, like predators thwarted of their prey.”

The Ember Blade maintains the reader’s interest with its gripping, unpredictability. There are also moments of humour and lightheartedness, and really clever, cunning plot points.

The action scenes are by far the biggest strength of the book. Every fight, betrayal, scheme or altercation is expertly described so as to increase tension and intrigue, but not explain so much that the reader feels bogged down by description.

Chris has also done a marvellous job with characterisation, making the reader really sympathise and empathise for the main characters in the book. Yes, most of them are flawed and their morals and judgements may be misguided at times, but they’re all fighting for something or someone and they all have something that they believe in.

This keeps the reader engaged in the story so that they’ll keep turning the page and hopefully pick up the sequel next year.

“Aren sensed the change in atmosphere as soon as they crossed the threshold. It was as if they’d walked through an invisible curtain. The corridors of Skavengard ached with emptiness, and the cold air felt thin and brittle like new frost; but here, the air was thick and oppressive.”

I imagine that the length of this novel is not too enticing for the average non-fantasy reader, and considering it’s the first in a fantasy series you can only assume the rest of the series will be as much of a time commitment as this first book.

The story is well-written and all events really important to the overall story and plot, but I think the pacing is quite slow and Chris overwrites his prose. This book could easily be 200 pages shorter without sacrificing any of the events in the story.

Despite this, I highly recommend this fantasy series to anyone interested in this genre.

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

The Ember Blade
Chris Wooding
October 2018
Hachette Publishers

I Am Out With Lanterns by Emily Gale

One of us is in the dark.
One of us is a bully.
One of us wants to be understood.
One of us loves a girl who loves another.
One of us remembers the past as if it just happened.
One of us believes they’ve drawn the future.
But we’re all on the same map, looking for the same thing.

Year Ten begins with a jolt for best friends and neighbours Wren and Milo. Along with Hari, Juliet, Ben and Adie, they tell a story of friendship, family, wild crushes, bitter feuds, and the power of a portrait.

As their lives intertwine, images could bring them together, and tear them apart.

I Am Out with Lanterns is the latest contemporary novel by Australian young adult author Emily Gale. It explores friendship, family, relationships and identity.

There are many characters to this novel, and many switching POV chapters. However, central characters include Wren, an artist who is stuck drawing portrait after portrait of her brother Floyd, who died a few years earlier. Milo is Wren’s next door neighbour. He’s sweet, kind-hearted and has a beautiful soul. But he’s often misunderstood and at school, he’s bullied really horribly.

Adie’s father is an artist, and she’s been his muse since she was little. But he’s a harmful character, and their relationship is not a healthy one. Juliet is really loved and supported at home, but she’s lonely and feels a little lost.

“This is it: my first party as a teenager. You could call that impressive, considering I’ve been a teenager for more than three years, or you might prefer to call it what it actually is.”

I Am Out with Lanterns is very much about self-discovery and self-awareness and that crucial time in a teenager’s life when they grow into themselves and must make choices that others may disapprove of. The title of the book was actually inspired by an Emily Dickinson quote, ‘I am out with lanterns, looking for myself’ and this does well to capture the feel and atmosphere of the novel.

The book explores themes of sexuality, friendship and identity, through the lens of six teenagers.

Emily brings all of these characters together, allowing us to witness their lives alter and change as their paths intersect. Some of these characters are incredibly flawed, but all their voices are incredibly unique and we come to understand each character in a different way.

“I hold the Nintendo high and watch him jump for it. Noah is smaller and skinnier than I was at his age. He’s always in his own little world or having secret chats with Mum, or climbing the tree down the back of our garden by himself and sitting there like some loner.”

Ben’s character is quite different from the others. He’s a bully, and he’s powerful and assertive. He seems to be following in the footsteps of his incredibly manipulative father, and even though he can see this, he doesn’t appear to want to change.

I appreciated his presence as one of the six characters. I think it’s important for authors to show readers a full range of people, and not just good-natured or nice people.

“Today after we’d sat in the chair on the street, as close as I’ve ever been to anyone, I said something funny. She looked at me and for a second we were locked in. Then she hit my arm and it was over. But that’s what I want to draw. Her face in that split second, a shot to the heart. The next time she looks at me like that, I think I’m going to kiss her.”

My only criticism is that I really struggled to keep track of the different characters and their relations to each other, because of how many POVs there are and how quickly they switch. Many of the characters weave in and out of other POVs, so sometimes I had to take a moment to remember their backstory before continuing.

I Am Out With Lanterns is an energetic, emotional story with a dynamic and diverse cast — it is both heartwarming and heartfelt.

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

I am Out With Lanterns
Emily Gale
August 2018
Penguin Random House