Divergent by Veronica Roth

Plot (taken from waterstones.com)

She turns to face the future in a world that's falling apart. For sixteen-year-old Tris, the world changes in a heartbeat when she is forced to make a terrible choice. Turning her back on her family, Tris ventures out, alone, determined to find out where she truly belongs. Shocked by the brutality of her new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her. The hardest choices may yet lie ahead...A debut novel that will leave you breathless.

Rating 5*- I do not think I will be able to express the amount of enjoyment and entertainment I had when I read this novel. I truly was breathless after finishing the first in the series. It has to be the best novel I have read (maybe excluding Harry Potter- but maybe that is overrated now). If you’re not one to read, the rights have been bought by Summit entertainment and will be released in 2014.

I cannot recommend this novel enough. The use of the different factions (Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, Candor and Erudite) shows the way in which the society is split. “Faction before blood”, that is the motto and without your complete loyalty you will end factionless.

Tris is a fantastic character, written in the 1^st person you see events from her point of view and her strength and willingness to fight is truly inspirational, in a society that may become reality.

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Plot (taken from waterstones.com)

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. She longs for the freedom to make her own choices, but when she breaks the 'no flying' rule, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki, a descendant of dragons whose greatest defence is her secret ability to shift into human form. And her rare ability to breathe fire makes her desirable, and important, to the survival of the draki. Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. There she meets gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: he and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slipping away, and if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Rating 5*- I treated myself to this novel when in London, Christmas shopping. This is one of the best novels I have read this year. The unique dragon mythical creatures are so different to every other supernatural story, which seems to mix between vampires and angels. I was totally gripped from the beginning and I have ordered the second instalment in the trilogy.

The main protagonist, Jacinda, is a fantastic and likeable character. Alongside Will, the two gel well together and creates a romantic side to what is perhaps quite a dark plot. Jacinda is being hunted for her special talent and being the only drake left in her family (her mother and sister cannot turn) it enables a very unique twist to what usually comes to mind when thinking of dragons.

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

Of course I have always been aware of Edgar Allan Poe, but I was never really interested in reading any of his works. That was until last year- when the film 'The Raven' hit cinema screens. Recently released on DVD, the Raven provoked me to read some of Poe's short stories.

The Pit and Pendulum (1843)

The pit and pendulum is one of Poe’s short stories.

An unnamed narrator opens the story by revealing that he has been sentenced to death during the time of the Inquisition (an institution of the Catholic government in the 15^th/16^th century Spain that persecuted all Protestants and heretical Catholics).

When the narrator reveals he has been sentenced to death he faints. When he wakes he faces complete darkness. The narrator is confused as the usual fate of the Inquisition normally takes the form of hanging.

Walking around the walls leads the narrator to think he has been captured and is being prisoned in Toledo, an Inquisition prison. When attempting to explore the tomb and see how wide it is the narrator stumbles and collapses to the ground.

Waking to water and bread the narrator continues his exploration of the tomb in complete darkness. He trips and falls again finding he is on the edge of, what he assumes, is a pit in the centre of the tomb. He finds a stone and throws it into the abyss, believing it to be quite deep- the narrator explains the pit is a function of surprise. After finding more water the narrator passes out again.

He wakes up to find the prison dimly lit, and remarks that he overestimated its size. The narrator finds he is now bound to a wooden board by a long strap wrapped around his body. Looking up the narrator sees the figure of time painted on the ceiling. Time has been made into a machine, a pendulum- which swings from the ceiling- however it is not like any ordinary pendulum. The pendulum is constructed with a razor-sharp crescent and is its descent towards him.

Rats begin to swarm up out of the pit and surround him and the food which was left out for the captive. The narrator remains hopeful as the pendulum is swinging and descending very slowly. The rats climb on top of the narrator and chew through the strap keeping him on the table. As the pendulum nears his heart and tears some of his clothing- the rats break through the strap. When he gets up the pendulum retracts the narrator is positive he is being watched…

…and that’s when the walls of the prison begin to move inwards. The narrator realises it will move him towards the pit in the centre. However, the walls stop moving inwards just as the narrator begins to fall- to his great surprise someone latches onto him and prevents him falling any further.

The French general Lasalle and his army have successfully taken over the prison in their effort to terminate the Inquisition.

The Masque of Red Death (1845)

A disease known as the Red Death plagues the fictional country where this story takes place. The Prince, Prospero, instead of mourning the plague – like many others, he instead feels hopeful. He decides to lock the gates of his palace in order to fend off the plague, ignoring the disease ravaging the land.

After several months he decides to throw a masquerade ball. For the celebration, he decorates seven rooms in his house, each having a different theme- Blue, purple, green, orange, white and violet with the final room being black. This room also contains an ebony clock, when is chimes each hour the sound is so loud that everyone stops talking and the orchestra stops playing. When the clock is not sounding the rooms are filled with people enjoying the masquerade, the black room is the only place not filled with people.

At midnight a new guest appears, dressed in a mask that looks like the face of a corpse and his garments covered in blood suggesting that he is a victim of the Red Death. The prince is angry at the guest and finally catches up to the guest in the black room. As soon as he confronts the figure the prince dies. As soon as rest of the party guests enter the room they find there is nobody underneath the costume. The entire party soon dies, for the Red Death has infiltrated the castle.

‘Darkness and decay and the Red Death’ have at last triumphed.

The Murders in the Rue Morgue

This is one of Poe’s detective fictions- the story centring on who killed Madame L’Espanaye and her daughter Mademoiselle Camille.

An unnamed narrator begins this tale of murder and criminal detection with discussion of the analytic mind. He describes the analyst as driven paradoxically by both intuition and the moral inclination to disentangle what confuses his peers. He adds that the analyst takes delight in mathematical study and in the game of checkers, which allows the calculating individual to practice the art of detection—not only of the moves integral to the game, but also the demeanor of his opponent. The narrator argues, however, that analysis is not merely ingenuity. He states that while the ingenious man may, at times, be analytic, the calculating man is, without fail, always imaginative.

The narrator describes how he met C. Auguste Dupin- both men were searching for the same book at an obscure library, in Paris. We soon see Dupin’s great understanding of the mind- as he describes what the narrator is pondering over in his mind.

Soon, thereafter the narrator and Dupin read the newspaper headlines about a horrible murder at the Rue Morgue. One night at three a.m the neighbours hear L’Espanaye and her daughter screaming from their apartment. The neighbours hear the voices of two people and then silence.

The story moves on from here, showing the newspapers witnesses and how they remember the scene of the crime. The narrator and Dupin then begin to take a look around the L’Espanaye’s apartment for clues as the police are at a loss. The two men that the witnesses heard were unable to hide the body of the daughter up the chimney as it impossible for only two men to perform such a physical task.

Dupin summarizes that no human could have performed these acts and upon summoning a sailor to the scene he learns he is right…

Learning that a sailor has lost an ape- it soon becomes clear who is responsible for the murders in the Rue Morgue.

The Oval Portrait

‘The Oval Portrait’ is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe involving the disturbing circumstances surrounding a portrait in a chateau. It is one of his shortest stories only filling two pages in its initial publication in 1842.

The tale begins with an injured narrator seeking refuge in an abandoned mansion in the Apennines- we have no explanation of his wounds. He spends his time admiring the works of art decorating the strangely- shaped room. He eventually discovers a painting which shocks him which he refers to as ‘absolute life-likeliness of expression’. He spends a moment in silent awe until he cannot bear to look at it anymore- then he consults a book which describes the paintings found in the house.

The reminder of the story is a selection from the book which discusses when it was created etc. The painting was by an eccentric artist depicting his young wife, but he grew more and more obsessed with the painting to the point he forgot about his wife’s personal needs. When he finishes the painting and looks up at his wife he discovers that she is dead and her spirit was transferred into the lifelike painting.

The Mist by Stephen King

‘Stephen King is one of the bestselling writers in the world. A master of the short narrative form, King knows how to write stories that draw you in and are impossible to put down. His story collections have been described in the Sunday Telegraph as mysterious, gripping and satisfyingly scary.’
‘A short story is a different thing altogether – a short story is like a quick kiss in the dark from a stranger. That is not, of course, the same thing as an affair or a marriage, but kisses can be sweet, and their brevity forms their own attraction’ Stephen King.

PLOT

‘The Mist’ is a horror novella and has recently been adapted into a major movie. Written in 1980, it was not until 2007 that his short story was turned into a film- however King’s short narratives have always proved to be best sellers!

‘The Mist’- like the majority of King’s novellas- is set in Maine. King introduces us to the landscape and beauty of Maine, first the lake house and setting is described following Billy, his father (David) and mother (Steffi).

The formidable first sentence sets the scene of horror that is to continue …

‘This is what happened. On the night that the worst heat wave in northern New England history finally broke- the night of July 19 – the entire western Maine region was lashed with the most vicious thunderstorms I have ever seen’.

King’s style and form never fails to hook his readers- directing his story from the first line he invites his audience to immerse themselves into his very realistic stories…

Rating 5* -King captured my attention from the very first line. Finishing the novella in a few short hours I could not put it down! I have never seen the film adaptation but I had a very realistic image of the white mist finding its way through my bedroom window…

n Stephen King’s words… ‘Welcome aboard. Enjoy the ride.’

The Running Man by Stephen King

As you can probably tell by now, I love Stephen King. Although I am trying to limit the amount I review in a short space of time, The Running Man is just too good to keep to myself!

PLOT

Written under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman, The Running Man is a science fiction novel set in dystopian America. During the year of 2025 the nation is in ruins, split between the rich and poor.

Ben Richards is a citizen of Co-op city, the poor side of the town. Richard’s is unemployed and he is in desperate need of money, his daughter Cathy, needs medicine for her illness. In his desperation Ben resorts to the Games Network. The network offers people money in exchange for their participation on one of their many popular reality TV shows.

After a rigorous health and mental examination Richards is accepting onto ‘The Running Man’, the most dangerous and popular programme on TV.

Richards must run for his life. The rich people of the cities in American watch out for Richards in their towns and neighbour hoods he must keep off the radar- and away from the hunters.

The aim of the game? To stay alive for 30 days. The purpose of the hunters? To kill.

 

RATING 5* - Stephen King really had me hooked from page one. The chapters start off a count down and even in the small 241 pages that this book holds, there is so many twists and unexpected plot divisions.

Stephen King is renowned for the suspense in his novels, but The Running Man takes this to another level. As the whole nation watches Richards on the run- the reality of 2025 in America is a possibility. King investigates the prospects of what life will really be like in future.

Night Shift by Stephen King

As it is Halloween, I thought another ‘Perilous Page’ would be appropriate. Stephen King is the most iconic horror writer in the 20^th century so here are a number of spooky stories from his collection Night Shift.

Night Shift contains a number of short stories by Stephen King. First published in 1978 it was nominated for the best collection for the Locus and the World Fantasy Award’s. ‘Night Shift’ was the first book written by King which included a foreword, he uses an informal and humorous style- where he also humbly introduces himself and his horror themed stories.

Jerusalem’s Lot

Previously unpublished, the first novella in ‘Night Shift’ was an unread and unseen text. Set in Maine the story begins on the 2^nd of October 1850, when Charles writes a number of letters to his friend Bones. The novella continues like this throughout, with journal and diary extracts from a close friend, Calvin and from a late ancestor- Robert Boone.

King launches into the story using the setting of an old and worn house- left by its previous inhabitants to collect dust. The clichéd beginning which uses the description of the house to set the theme of a horror story is expected… however what follows is not…

Once Charles and Calvin have moved into the house, they begin to realise what they assume to be rats moving about in the basement and behind the walls may be something more scary and sinister…

When Calvin finds Robert Boone’s diary, it gives the pair an insight into the village of Jerusalem’s Lot…however at a price. The book that Robert purchased for his brother, Phillip back in 1789, was also the day that Phillip and the entire village of Jerusalem disappeared. Will this book titled ‘De Vermis Mysteriss’ help Charles discover his ancestor’s secret?

And will the horror end as Charles remains the last in his bloodline?

Rating 4* - It is no wonder King is a best-selling author- ‘Jerusalem’s Lot’ is an unexpected chilling suspense story.

When Calvin discovers the map of a ghost town, Charles finds out more about his past history than he is expects. King really keeps the plot moving from scene to scene, the uncertainty of what lies in the unknown makes his writing even more spectacular.

 Graveyard Shift

The ‘Graveyard Shift’ was first published in 1970, in an issue of Cavalier magazine. In 1990 it was also adapted into a film of the same name.

A young worker named Hall lives in a small town in Maine. He is recruited by his boss to assist with a cleaning job over the 4^th of July weekend. Happy for the overtime Hall agrees to help his boss alongside his other workers.

The basement of the old mill has been abandoned for decades and is infested with a large colony of rats. Cut off from the rest of nature these rats are no ordinary colony, they are large, armoured and albino coloured. The bizarre creatures have evolved with bat-like features in pterodactyl sizes! They can climb the walls and burrow through the ground… and one by one worker’s begin to get bitten…

However- Hall and his fellow workers have not seen anything until they discover a cow sized queen rat lurking below the basement…

Rating 3* - This bizarre tale by Stephen King is totally unexpected! Many of his more popular titles follow similar cliqued horror plots- however King’s short stories take on a different twist! The ‘Graveyard Shift’ suggests something spookier than an invested basement of rats… and King never fails to disappoint!

Night Surf

First published in the spring of 1969, ‘Night Surf’ is a post-apocalyptic short story. It first appeared in an issue of Ubris magazine later published and heavily revised in ‘Night Shift’.

Warning: Includes spoilers!

The brief story follows a group of teens who have survived a deadly virus called ‘A6’, which has wiped out the entire population of the world. The teenagers prove that they have disturbing natures, as they reiterate a story of the group burning a man alive. They then believe this is the sacrifice that has given them protection against the virus.

The main character- Bernie, reflects on his life- including memories of a previous girlfriend he had taken to the very same beach.

Will the teenagers survive? Are they in fact immune from A6?

Rating 2*- Slightly more of a let-down in comparison to the previous short stories in ‘Night Shift’. This piece is one of the considerably shorter stories in King’s book- it keeps the reading guessing. You do not quite realise it is a post-apocalyptic style story until King reveals it! You can really appreciate Stephen’s style of writing in this novel- even though it is not one of his better pieces.

I Am the Doorway

First published in March 1971 in an issue of Cavalier magazine- the story follows an ex-astronaut’s experience of extra-terrestrial possession which occurs after his trip to Venus.

He begins the story with his hands in bandages whilst he tells his friend, Richard, of a boy who is buried nearby. He complains of a terrible itch that his hands started with once he had returned from space- however he refuses to show anyone.

His hands open a doorway that allows the extra-terrestrial presence to take over his body- which he is adamant killed and buried the boy.

Can the ex-astronaut close the doorway between the worlds?

Rating 4* - After reading the previous stories this space tale ticks all of boxes! King really delivers his stories on the last lines...where he flips the ending and leaves you thinking about what will happen next?!

 
The Mangler

First published in December 1972 in the cavalier magazine and then later joined the rest of the previous stories in ‘Night Shift’.

‘The Mangler’ is set in an American town; at the beginning of this novel we are introduced to an industrial laundrette- where we meet the Mangler. The police follow a series of gruesome deaths caused by an industrial laundry press machine that devours workers.

Will Detective Hunton get to the bottom of the mystery?

Rating 4* - Weirdly exciting! Although this has a strange plot it is well worth a read, King’s short stories are a hit! They are engaging and farfetched which makes his genre so exhilarating!

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

‘The boundaries of these books being read only by teenagers just isn’t there anymore’ says David Levithan (A young-adult Author and Editor of Schoolastic Press).

Between 2008 and 2010 the sales for young-adult books rose by 12%, where the sale for adult fiction only rose by 3.5%. In recent years authors like James Patterson and John Grisham have released their own young-adult fiction because of the popularity. Novels like the Harry Potter series and more recently Twilight and The Hunger Games have turned popular teenage fiction into box office hits. This leads to my review of Maureen Johnson’s young-adult novel: ‘The Name of the Star’.

PLOT

The Name of the Star has been sitting on my shelf after I bought it for a pound on world book day. Having failed to read the blurb (at a pound it was a bargain), the only thing I identified was the cover give away of ‘Jack the Ripper returns…’

Modern day London is plagued by its past, when a copycat killer begins a string a murders that mimic Jack the Ripper’s- from over a century ago. When American student Rory, arrives in London to start boarding school, she may be London’s only witness. When the school is on lockdown following the murders that the Ripper began, Rory finds that she is the only one that can see him...

Rating 4*- An unexpected chilling horror. The realistic sense of fear is developed through the first half of the book, as the copycat killer mimics the Ripper’s style right down to every detail… including not being caught by anyone or any CCTV camera around London.  I was really taken aback by this novel as it is relatively scary for a young-adult novel. However, the historical context makes it perfect for any audience as it delves into London’s past. 

Johnson really captures the audience with the unexpected. The Name of the Star is very clever and brings Jack the Ripper back to life. Using a modern context, it is easy to relate to the public’s terror-as it also conveys the dangers of modern society. Her series, The Shades of London, are sure to be a big hit as she unravels the mystery of the unknown… 

The Shades of London: The Madness Underneath is the sequel to this chilling atmospheric novel. Due to be released at the end of 2012, I will be hoping it is as impressive as it predecessor.

Velocity by Dean Koontz

‘If you don’t take this note to the police, I will KILL a lovely blonde school teacher somewhere in Napa County.

If you do take this not to the police, I will instead KILL an elderly woman.

You have SIX hours to decide. The choice is yours.’

PLOT

Billy finds this note on the windscreen of his SUV, he thinks it is a hoax- then a blonde school teacher is reported dead. Over the next 24 hours Billy is presented with another note- this time the situation reversed.

‘If you don’t go to the police and get them involved, I will kill an unmarried man who won’t much be missed by the world. If you do go to the police, I will kill a young mother of two. You have five hours to decide.’ As Billy’s deadlines become shorter he must decide the inevitable. By not going to the police he soon realises he has become the prime suspect and the killer begins to hide evidence in his house.

It is not until an ‘acquaintance’ of the killer comes to visit when Billy realises he must do what he can to stop the killers spree…

Rating 5*- This read is thoroughly engaging; from the very first note (on the front cover) this book had me hooked! Dean Koontz was recommended to me by a friend and his style never failed to entertain me!

Koontz’s writing style is a lot like Stephen King. His novels have the same sense of terror and haunting as King’s! ‘Velocity’ questions what is ultimately the humane thing to do- with the suspense and uncertainty of what happens next, Koontz presents an extraordinary read.

However, ‘the choice is yours…’