The Enemy, Charlie Higson

Synopsis: They'll chase you. They'll rip you open. They'll feed on you...

When the sickness came, every parent, policeman, politician - every adult - fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive.

Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide. And so a gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city - down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground - the grown-ups lie in wait. But can they make it there - alive?

My Thoughts: When I read the synopsis for this novel I was less than inspired by it. The idea is that every person over the age of fourteen has been struck down by a mystery virus that causes them to become wild, crazy and want to eat children. By the time the story starts, most of London is dead and only a few children survive, living in a Waitrose store, stalked and hunted by a group of feral grown-ups. A strange virus that has wiped out most of the population, leaving a few lone survivors to fight it out? Not the most original of ideas.

So, I started the novel with low expectations as I thought that it would be a mix of '28 Days Later', 'Survivors' and 'Gone'.

Oh how wrong I was.

Higson is a true genius, managing to take an horrific situation with a scattered group of children and turning it into a thrilling, terrifying story that drags the reader deep into the action and keeps the pages turning one after the other.

Each character - and there are a vast amount and array of them - has been carefully created and given time to establish themselves and their individual story. A particular favourite of mine - and I would think of many - is Small Sam as he battles to cross London to find his little sister. He is a brave and endearing character and the reader is anxious for him as his journey becomes more and more perilous.

There is no let up on the pace with this novel, Higson drags us along with his characters and moves the different story strands along quickly, never giving the reader a chance to get bored.

The real horror of this story comes from the simple idea at the heart of it. In our society, adults are there to protect, love and care for children. So what would happen if the adults were suddenly out for blood?

The ending is brilliant as it sets up the sequel but still leaves the reader feeling satisfied that the characters have reached a conclusion - of sorts.

I cannot WAIT for the second novel in this series - Higson has quickly become my new favourite author.

*****

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A VERY VIOLENT NOVEL AND IS NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 13.

*Cough, Splutter, Sneeze* Repeat until fade...(Two)

Once again I've got a lovely dose of the flu (next year, I'm getting the damn jab!) and so have paused somewhat in my blogging.

Feeling more like myself today so hopefully I'll get a decent blog up in the next couple of days!

*Sneeze!*

WG xxx

P.S. I'm reading 'The Enemy' by Charlie Higson, it's terrifying!

P.P.S How cute is that kitten?! Bless!

Same blog, different theme!

Hey bloggerverse!

I've started a second blog, all about my battle with the bulge! Don't worry, I won't be abandoning this one, I can write both!

So, take a look if you fancy it:

http://diaryofanexskinny.blogspot.com/

Stay happy!

WG x

The Lovely Bones, Alice Seabold

Synopsis: 'My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. My murderer was a man from our neighborhood. My mother liked his border flowers, and my father talked to him once about fertilizer.'

This is Susie Salmon. Watching from heaven, Susie sees her happy, suburban family devastated by her death, isolated even from one another as they each try to cope with their terrible loss alone. Over the years, her friends and siblings grow up, fall in love, do all the things she never had the chance to do herself. But life is not quite finished with Susie yet ...

My Thoughts: This is the second time that I’ve read Seabold’s beautiful and eloquent look at grief and death and is has only underlined what I believed the first time; this is a novel that is as close to perfect as you will ever find.

The prose is sparse but never lacking and flows in a way that makes the reader want to follow Susie as she guides the reader from one chapter to the next.

Susie herself is deliberately ‘the girl next door’ to drive home the horrible truth that the violence that she suffers could happen to everyone but she is never dull. The reader gets incredibly close-up to her and we experience her wants as she watches her family deal with the aftermath of her murder.

I particularly liked that Seabold has shied away from the stereotypical idea of Heaven being full of winged people and white lights, instead creating a Heaven in which each person can be as individual in death as they are in life.

Overall, Seabold’s novel is a sad but ultimately uplifting look at the darker side of life and how, with a little time and some patience, it is possible to see the light.

*****

Tumble with me!

No, not like that - get your mind out of the gutter!

I've got a Tumblr account which I use to post pictures that interest me, quotes that I like and any other random junk that I fancy!

If you want to take a look then head to: http://writergirluk.tumblr.com/

Stay happy!

Writer Girl xxx

Happy New Year!

Was it a good one?

Mine was brilliant, I barely stopped laughing all night and woke up with a sore tummy as a result! A group of my friends, plus Drummer Boy, all came round and we ate loads, drank loads, danced loads, played Wii loads and generally had heaps of fun until we all collapsed in the early hours!

The next day was a bit ropey but I managed to get up and make a cooked breakfast for everyone, no mean feat seeing as my kitchen expertise is limited at best! Then I took all the Bath people back into town before driving home and going straight back to bed!

Drummer Boy and I pulled ourselves together enough to curl up on the sofa and watch the Big Fat Quiz of the Year - with me kicking ass and winning by two points!

Today I've cleared the house up and I'm now sitting with Little Cat, drinking leftover red wine and writing a picture book text. Lush.

I just wanted to wish everyone in the bloggerverse a very happy 2010, I hope that it is good for everyone and that everyone gets what they wish for this year.

I'm starting work on Monday but I will get my backside into gear and post a proper blog towards the end of the week. I've half-written one about forming and shaping characters and will finish it pronto, promise!

So, here's to 2010 - it's going to be good one!

Writer Girl xxx

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Straw, Jeff Kinney

Synopsis:

Greg's dad, Frank, is on a mission - a mission to make this wimpy kid, well, less wimpy.

All manner of 'manly' physical activities are planned, but Greg just about manages to find a way out of them.

That is until military academy is mentioned and Greg realizes that he's going to have to come up with something very special to get out of this one...

My Thoughts:

This is the second book of this three book series that I’ve managed to get my hands on and I can’t wait to go back and read book two.

Kinney is a total genius who blends an intelligent and well-observed narrative with funny and precise cartoons that complement the text brilliantly.

This is the perfect series for children who have trouble with reading or who struggle with reading longer texts. It’s also perfect for adults who want an easy read and just about everyone in between!

New Years Resolutions For 2010

As 2009 draws to a close, I've been thinking back over this year and forward to the year ahead. There have been some massive highs and deep lows this year for me but there are several things I'm proud of and several things that are still left to accomplish...

Things I'm proud of from this year:

1. Finishing my Masters degree.
2. Moving into a place of my own and being strong enough to live by myself.
3. Being with my Drummer Boy for another year <3
4. Loosing a little over a stone in four months. I did it healthily through a controlled diet and exercise and feel amazing!
5. Finishing my first novel.
6. Adopting my little cat and turning her from a skinny, jumpy little thing into a relaxed and happy creature :)
7. Being strong enough to walk away from people who are negative or constantly full of drama.
8. Not letting all the drama that did happen bring me down.
9. Finding a new job and not giving up when the job hunt was tough.
10. Reading lots of new books and constantly updating my knowledge of the industry.

Things that I want to accomplish next year:

1. Get an agent.
2. Get my first novel published.
3. Save up enough money to go on holiday for at least ten days with my Drummer Boy.
4. Finish my new novel.
5. Loose the last half a stone and get back into my size eight jeans.
6. Learn to speak Spanish fluently.
7. Make more time for my family.
8. Work on strengthening friendships that have slipped away in recent years.
9. Learn to play the guitar, at last!
10. Find a way to be less stressed and to enjoy life more.

A Belated Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!

I'm well aware that this is a very late blog but - in my defence - I was at my Nan's for Christmas Eve/Day so couldn't get online and then went to Dads, followed by my boyfriends (we'll call him Drummer Boy) for further celebrations. I got home this afternoon and have finally had some time to sit down and write to you all!

So, did you have a good one?

Mine was fun, although it was the first year that I've felt like an 'adult' and therefore sat watching as my cousins ripped through a mountain of gifts whilst I opened numerous cards with cheques and cash in. Don't get me wrong, cash is great (and we all know I need the money at the moment!) but it was odd to be counted as an adult instead of a child.

I was thoroughly spoilt by my Drummer Boy yesterday and I'm currently writing from underneath a Snuggie!! It has swiftly become my favourite gift of all time, I'm never moving from this sofa!

My little cat was very happy to see me after five days apart and she is purring very loudly from the other side of the sofa. My neighbour (we'll call her Kitten Girl) and a friend from uni (we'll call her Blondie) very generously kept an eye on her whilst I was away but I still felt very guilty for leaving her! But I'm pretty sure that all the treats and the new collar that I brought her have made up for it...

In other news, I've finally found myself a job! After four months of hunting, I've found a job in a nursery over in Bristol and I start on the 4th of January. Phew! I'm very excited to start and will, of course, keep everyone updated on how I do!

This week will be mostly taken up with thank you card writing, buying new work clothes, going through the massive file of stuff that I have to read for my new job and, more importantly, preparing for New Years Eve. Usually I avoid it and just spend it curled up with my Drummer Boy but this year, as I have a place of my own now, we decided to have a small shindig. Some friends of ours are coming over for drinks, music and Wii and it should be a good laugh, I can't wait!

Anyway, that's enough for now, I hope you've all had a very merry Christmas and enjoy your New Year!

Stay happy,

Writer Girl xxx

Skullduggery Pleasant: The Faceless Ones, Derek Landy

Synopsis: The third bone-breaking, belly-busting adventure in the series that puts the funny back in...um...funny series.

That didn't really work, did it? If you've read the previous Skulduggery books then you know what the Faceless Ones are -- and if you know what the Faceless Ones are, then you can probably take a wild guess that things in this book are going to get AWFULLY sticky for our skeletal hero and his young sidekick.

If you haven't read the previous Skulduggery books then what are you doing reading this? Go and read them right now, so that you know what all that stuff in the previous paragraph was about.

Done? Good. So now you're on tenterhooks too,desperately awaiting the answers to all your questions, and instead you're going to have to wait to read the book. Sorry about that.

My Thoughts:

This is the second Skullduggery book that I've read and Landy hasn't disappointed. Once again, the action is slick and fast and the reader feels closer to Valkerie here than in the previous book. The threat of the Faceless Ones looms large and, unlike your typical action/adventure novel for kids, main and important characters are injured and even die. Landy has raised the stakes once again and I can't wait to read the next one!

*****