'Anatomy' is set in Edinburgh, 1817, a time of advancing medical knowledge, but also a time when the gentleman physician, learned in Latin, was highly esteemed, while the common surgeon was held in lower standing, mixing with the lower classes, and relying on the brute strength of his hands. Hazel is a young lady, destined to marry her cousin Bernard and become Lady Almont, but due to the quirks of her largely neglectful upbringing, is fascinated by the sciences of anatomy and medicine. An early scene sees her experiment on a dead frog, trying to reignite life, in the style of Frankenstein.
The early chapters set the scene for what follows. Hazel is determined to be her own self, and follow her dreams, at a time when women’s future security was dependent on securing an advantageous marriage. Austen’s Sense and sensibility was a novel of the times. Hazel, however, disguised as a man, determines to attend anatomy lectures and surgery demonstrations. Her path crosses with Jack, a resurrection man, who steals bodies from the graveyard for surgeons to dissect. This is the beginning of a romance. But the real love story in this novel is the love of anatomy, and the quest for female autonomy and independence.
This is an unusual novel combining romantic historical fiction with macabre mystery and horror. It is well written with interesting characters and keeps the reader enthralled until the last strange turn of events that suggest there may possibly be a sequel, something I think readers of this novel will no doubt welcome enthusiastically.
Dana Schwartz’s website provides discussion questions about the novel and links to interviews with the author.
Pan Macmillan, 2022. ISBN: 9781529095241. (Age:Adult) Recommended for adults.
The Atlas Six is advertised as 'The runaway Tiktok must-read fantasy novel of the year,' enough to make any fantasy fan want to pick it up. The Alexandrian Society is a secret society that preserves all the knowledge from ancient civilizations. It is an exclusive club that guarantees wealth and power to anyone who is invited to join it. Atlas Blakely approaches six young people to see if they are prepared to join. Even though they are warned that only five will survive, all agree to spend a year to try and quality for the honour of membership. All have different powers that are important to the Society:
Libby Rhodes and Nicolas Ferrer de Varona: inseparable enemies, cosmologists who can control matter with their minds. Reina Mori: a naturalist who can speak the language of life itself. Parisa Kamali: a mind reader whose powers of seduction are unmatched. Tristan Caine: the son of a crime kingpin who can see the secrets of the universe. Callum Nova: an insanely rich pretty boy who could bring about the end of the world. He need only ask. (Publisher).
As time passes for the characters, they are given instructions and dangerous quests that test their ability to problem solve and use their unique skills. The reader, knowing that only five of them will survive, is kept alert trying to work out which one could be eliminated and how this would be done. Each chapter is told in the voice of one of the characters, giving the reader one perspective on what is happening and insights into the feelings and beliefs of that person. Like Gallant by V.E. Schwab, the book is interspersed with illustrations, this time of each of the main protagonists. They are not labelled, and it is fun to try and work out who is portrayed.
This is a very dark story with some scenes of a sexual nature that make it unsuitable for a younger audience, but adults who like fantasy will find it very intriguing with a fascinating conclusion that leaves an opening for a sequel.
Pat Pledger
Good night to your fantastic elastic brain by JoAnn Deak and Terrence Deak. Illus. by Neely Daggett
This significant new non-fiction book, Good Night to Your Fantastic Elastic Brain, written by two psychologists has been released in picture book style and is easy to read and understand. The book explains the brain, in just enough detail for children, its function and how to care for it by getting enough sleep. This well written factual story follows the journey of the brain, described as a big pink walnut, from how it works during the day to what it achieves when we are asleep. Children are initially introduced to what the brain does and then it goes on to describe the parts of the brain and their special job. The authors have used correct scientific and medical terminology (with pronunciations of more difficult words in brackets) throughout the book when describing the brain and how it functions. Double page spreads cover topics such as how your brain develops, gains control, remembers, forgets, energizers, takes a bath and dreams. Each topic is complemented with large bright and colourful images and diagrams, as well as text boxes giving further information. New or important words are capitalized and highlighted in bold colours.
This is a valuable book to be shared between children and adults, especially the section on what happens if you are unable to sleep well and how to improve your sleep.
Themes Brains, Health, Children.
Kathryn Beilby
Rainbow Grey: Eye of the Storm by Laura Ellen Anderson
Farshore, 2022. ISBN: 9781405298704. (Age:7+)
Rainbow Grey: Eye of the Storm is the second in the Rainbow Grey series, which is British author and illustrator Laura Ellen Anderson's second series of books following the well-known Amelia Fang books.
Anderson is foremost an illustrator. She is the illustrator behind the relaunch of Enid Blyton's Famous Five series and Cornelia Funke's Dragon Rider series. She created the Evil Emperor Penguin series of graphic novels for Junior primary/primary children. She is passionate about illustration. This is obvious from a brief flip through Rainbow Grey Eye of the Storm. Illustrations border pages, fly across pages, burst from dark and light backgrounds and bleed across double spreads. The exuberance of the illustrations is mirrored in the stories that accompany them but somehow it seems that the story must fit the pictures; the pictures drive the text.
Notwithstanding this, the text is energetic, the adventures bounce along and there is magic. Anderson loves to play with words. There is plenty of rhyme and rhythm, much alliteration, much nonsensical amusement and entertainment, much repetition and bouncy repartee. The fantasy/adventure storyline is like others with which children would already be familiar. There is a map of a fantasy world and accompanying descriptions complete with imaginative place names. There is a cast of characters, with funny names and there is a central character Ray Grey with her friends and opponents. Like other fantasy stories, the hero and friends have to find their inner strengths/magical powers and save the world. The point of difference with the Rainbow Grey series is that the fantasy world is located in the earth's atmosphere - not in outer space or perhaps underground as is more usual. The characters channel the powers of the weather: wind, rain, sun and rainbows. Ray develops her secret weather powers and strives to save Earth and the "Weatherlands" from destruction by evil pent-up age old forces.
The style of the narration of Rainbow Grey: Eye of the Storm is an acquired taste. The uninitiated young reader may need support through read alouds in order to accustom themselves to the unusual vocabulary and idiomatic, pun style humour. They will need the ability to suspend disbelief and a level of concentration in order to follow the antics and understand the motivations and relationships of the multiple characters. Once accustomed to the style, the reader will begin to see the serious message in the book begin to emerge - that is that the earth needs weather and every type of weather influences the other.
A lot of warmth and heart emerges from Rainbow Grey: Eye of the Storm. After restoration of the Weatherlands and the gentle treatment of the death and afterlife of La Blaze, a sun weatherling, the united friends fly on the cloud cat to a vantage point on the dark side of the Earth where they can view the stars and muse on the fact that though their enemy is still out there, they can return, strengthened, to deal with her in the next book in the series...
Rainbow Grey: Eye of the Storm is a light, fun-filled book, second in a series, which may be enjoyed by younger primary children.
Mama and her crew sail the sadly depleted oceans of the near future witnessing the effects of climate change everywhere they go and they are committed to raising awareness of the damage mankind has done to our planet. Like Greenpeace before them they believe in actions rather than peaceful protest. But in their world where the damage is extreme, extreme measures are called for. They successfully carry out a raid in Tasmania to kidnap the ex-Prime Minister of Australia but in doing so one of their crew is killed. The ship escapes but the loss preys on the minds of the crew who each have their own reasons to be there. Sailing towards an undisclosed rendezvous they torpedo any fishing trawlers they find plundering the last resources of the damaged ocean. As they voyage they experience first-hand the consequences of warming ocean currents, rising sea levels, rafts of floating rubbish and weather pattern changes. The ship, which is part organic, copes with the extremes, guided by her captain Rena, herself shaped by the ocean. The various crew members bring eccentric skills to their mission, all in some way refugees from mainstream life.
This strange story details the many ways we have damaged our planet and particularly the ocean, always driven by self-interest. The hybrid ship with its gills and organic workings had potential until it got bogged down in meaningless words and the captain’s back story is interesting, but there is no hope for a future where we consider our friend’s life so precious while thoughtlessly killing others involved in actions we dislike. Whether for revenge or conservation, this is way beyond civil disobedience. The book is worth reading for the detailed climate change material and for generating discussion on climate change and the fundamental issue of killing for a cause.
Themes Climate change, Ocean pollution, Activism.
Sue Speck
Beak & Ally: Unlikely Friends by Norm Feuti
HarperCollins, 2021. ISBN: 9780063021587.
Ally the alligator is perfectly happy being alone . . . until one day a noisy bird named Beak lands on her snout.
Beak thinks Ally is lonely and needs a friend. He has all sorts of friendship goals in mind, like riding bikes together, going to the movies together, and even solving mysteries together! But when a Long-Billed Party Pooper crashes Beak's nest-warming party, Ally decides to show Beak something important to her: sticking up for what's right.
Newly independent readers will be thrilled to have a graphic novel series written for them with stories aimed at their interest level while not having to cope with too much text. Well titled Unlikely Friends this combination of an alligator and a bird as a team is hard to imagine but it does set the scene for some interesting adventures. So while the theme of the story is not new, its format that is so similar to that which older siblings are enjoying will appeal.
There is nothing straightforward about this dark story. It is both a science-fiction calamity story involving the malicious manipulation of humanity (the Mades) and an other-worldly story of witches, ghosts, the dead and the dark horrors of evil in many manifestations. This is a horror story that weaves the stories of Made twins - that should not be; three witches - with one that has gone missing, and an evil ‘Father’ - who has masterminded and modified many for his own purposes. In the years beyond the ‘Father’s’ scientific progenitural meddling, the creatures of his twisted mind are allowed to re-enter society, but never with full humanity or physical possibility. The redress scheme allows them a chance to work with their warped minds and be all that they can be. For Meera though, there is never really a possibility to be anything other than the lesser twin and the shadow of her ghost-sister Kai. (Kai+Meera = chimera!) She may yet be the one who can restore some peace to the world and discover the missing witch. But there are always twists in the tale.
I found this book very difficult to read, at times it felt like the ramblings of a psychotic writer lost in the recesses of a dark corridor of horror. Despite that, I can recognise the clever twisting and weaving of many threads of chronology, and darkly magical elements of the horror genre with extreme mastery of language, but there was nothing enjoyable in the exercise for me as a reader. The use of language had a powerful quality that demonstrated the skill of the author, and was perhaps the only reason why I was able to persist to the end of this book. There was extreme violence scattered through the story, and horror at every turn … and there were many twists to the narrative thread. The reproductive tortures on the Made creatures was awful and the lack of a common humanity and redemptive quality to the story was unpleasant. This could only be recommended to those who revel in the deep mire of the Horror genre and who recognise the power of language in the moulding hand of a skilled author and crafter of ideas.
Holkham Hall is a big house with lots of secrets hidden within.
The story begins with Lady Anne Coke on a business trip when she is called home due to a family emergency. When she arrives home, she finds her beloved grandfather is dead, having fallen down a flight of stairs. As she talks with her parents Anne starts to believe that things are not all as they seem, and when a childhood friend of Anne’s is also found dead, she starts to believe that there is more to it.
Anne has some happy memories of her childhood with her grandfather at Holkham Hall as well as some not so happy memories from that time, that still cause her fear. She finds an unlikely ally who helps her to unravel both the horrible memories of her childhood, that she has concealed for so long, and the fate of what really happened to her grandfather and childhood friend. As the memories slowly return Anne finds that they lead her to the discovery of the truth.
Anne finds out that not everyone is who they pretend to be, starting with her childhood governess.
'Such a lot goes on under one’s nose and we don’t even notice'.
The way the story is written with the present story woven through with the story of Anne’s 11 year old self makes for a great read. This story will keep you engaged till the very end as you try and work out who are friends and who can’t be trusted.
Themes Mystery.
Karen Colliver
The Incredibly Busy Mind of Bowen Bartholomew Crisp by Paul Russell Nicky Johnston
EK Books, 2021. ISBN: 9781925820881.
Bowen Bartholomew Crisp's mind doesn't work like that of most children - it's almost as big as his name! When he is asked about the colour of the ocean, his is not the first hand up to answer because he is thinking - he knows that the top can be green or blue depending on the sky, that the waves crash white but in the depths where no sunlight reaches it is black as the darkest night; he's heard of the Black Sea, the Red Sea and the Yellow river; he knows that algae can turn oceans green, brown, red or blue - but by the time he has decided on his answer the teacher has picked someone else.
The most ordinary, everyday things spark deep questions to ponder on and consider but while he is doing that, his teachers, his friends, his family have all moved on. Except his mother - she seems to have the patience to appreciate the moment, be in the here and now and understand her son's need to wonder and takes the time to let him have the time.
This is a unique story that follows Bowen as he grows up, always the outsider because of his propensity to look at all the angles, to see the world through a different lens. And it is not until he is grown up that his thought processes come into their own, and are at last appreciated. Bowen finds his place in the world.
There are many children like Bowen who don't "fit the mould". who take a different path to their peers and who often fall by the wayside, succumbing to all sorts of mental health issues as they struggle to be what other people expect rather than themselves, doubt their self-worth and underestimate their potential. The teachers' notes offer great insight into the story behind this story and suggest how we can put ourselves into Bowen's shoes by putting ourselves into one of the situations he finds himself him and using a variety of thinking tools such as De Bono's Six Hats to gain a new perspective. Instead of paying lip-service to diversity we can experience it and develop greater understanding and empathy.
Bowen Bartholomew Crisp's incredibly busy mind shows the need for us to open ours and even enables us to do so.
Barbara Braxton
I shot the devil by Ruth McIver
Hachette, 2021. ISBN: 9780733642760. (Age:Adult, Young adult)
Journalist Erin grew up with a detective father, R.P. Sloane, who was absent a lot, drank a lot and even though he is now in care with Alzheimers disease, influenced her life profoundly, especially since the death of her mother and sister. As a journalist she had been writing long form crime features so when her editor asks her to write about 'The Southport Three' she agrees. It was a thrill-kill murder in 1994 when five friends were found to be conducting satanic rituals in the woods resulting in one being murdered and another killed by investigating police. What her editor doesn’t know is that Erin knew those involved, she grew up in the area and while she says writing distanced her from emotion, this time it opens new wounds from an episode in her life she had managed to suppress. Going back she relives the teenage years, unhappy at home, hanging out with friends at the mall which was 'like an airport and a destination in its own right – a kind of small, insulated country, where kids of all races co-mingled.' p.18. As she starts to investigate, interviewing those involved she becomes more and more certain that the story told in 1994 was false on many levels.
This first person narrative is a gruelling journey back into dysfunctional lives. 'All the boys came from violence; they were violence. All the girls were victims’ p.230. Drug and alcohol abuse is commonplace, then and now and every family unhappy. The narration is augmented with emailed instalments from other participants, online forums and text messages but I found it hard to keep track of the many characters. As well as the violence, drug and alcohol abuse, there is child abuse, rape, abusive relationships, racism and self-harm. The story has been described as ‘gritty’ but I found it difficult to read and sad.
In times of difficulty the Skandian Brotherband work together like a well-oiled machine. They are accomplished and capable sailors, but also formidable adversaries in combat. When Erak’s Wolfship is stolen in a daring raid, and then gets used in piracy attacks against Skandian allies, the small band of sailors under the leadership of Hal, the master sailor and tactician, must use all of their skills to put a stop to the pirates. Will the small vessel, The Heron, be able to match the larger vessel in open waters? Can the sailors defeat their opponents despite being outnumbered? Can Hal come up with a plan to use his vessel to its full advantage? And can they restore the Skandian reputation to the wider world?
Set in a fictitious world, but reminiscent of the Vikings, this is book 9 in the Brotherband stories, and yet again it is a book to recommend to those who love action and adventure. With sailing terminology and tactics throughout, it is also a series for those who are inspired by the ocean and traditional nautical skills. But as for all of John Flanagan’s books, it is a delight as the band of ‘brothers’ work together and overcome difficulties in conflict settings. Both male and female readers will love this book, but because there is swashbuckling violence it will appeal to those who want more action in the stories they read, but there is also a gentle and sometimes amusing tenderness in the relationships between the odd collection of sailors. I have loved every story from this series, and Flanagan will yet again cause readers to be delighted.
10 May 2022 is the 50th anniversary of the murder of Dr Ian Duncan, drowned in the River Torrens that runs through Adelaide, an anniversary commemorated in 2022 with an oratorio ‘Watershed’ created for the Adelaide Festival. Reeves’ book details the events of the night, the investigations, and the aftermath, in a succinct retelling that reads like a detective story bringing all the pieces of evidence together. It soon becomes apparent that there was a gross failure of justice to apprehend and convict those guilty, a failing that was rooted in the homophobia of the time, and the corruption of the police force.
Nowadays, Duncan’s death is commemorated with memorials and a law scholarship, as his case is recognised as a turning point in attitudes towards homosexuality, capturing the attention of the general public, and raising awareness of issues of inequality and persecution. Three years after Duncan’s death, legislation was successfully passed to decriminalise homosexuality, in a first for South Australia and Australia, becoming ‘the first legislation in the English-speaking world to eliminate any distinction in the criminal law between heterosexual and homosexual, including an equal age of consent’.
With this publication, Reeves presents his research into Duncan’s life, the Duncan case (police investigation, coroner’s inquest, New Scotland Yard report, reopened case and trial), and subsequent gay law reform, and includes a pictorial record, a timeline of events, glossary and index. It is a compact volume that serves as memorial to the individual and a testament to the cruelty and corruption of a previous time, a historical record that is of value to students of law, and to the general public.
Themes LGBQTI+, Police corruption, Human rights, Law, Murder, Unsolved crime.
Helen Eddy
J. R. R. Tolkien by Maria Isabel and Sanchez Vegara
Little People, Big Dreams. Frances Lincoln Children's, 2022. ISBN: 9780711257856. (Age:4 - 7)
Ever since Sir Peter Jackson decided to turn the remarkable adventures of the fantastic people of Middle Earth into the most highly successful movie franchise, ordinary people have known the name of the original creator of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Even though John Ronald Reuel Tolkien wrote other stories in his lifetime, the creation of a whole new world united in either the quest for or the safety of the 'One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them' , remains his seminal work.
So for his story to be told in this popular series, recommended every time someone asks for biographies for young readers, will be a welcome addition.
John experienced lots of change in his life from a young age. Moving from South Africa to a big city in England, he longed for the nature he grew up around. After the death of both of his parents, John found comfort in telling stories and building imaginary worlds with his friends. And he continued to tell stories for the rest of his life, creating epic tales of hobbits, dwarves, elves and wizards as J. R. R. Tolkien. Featuring stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the writer's life, it is one that will be sought after as young readers clamour to know more about the man who is the epitome of this year's CBCA Book week theme, Dreaming with eyes open....
Themes Biographies.
Barbara Braxton
A clock of stars: Beyond the mountains by Francesca Gibbons
This is the second book in the Clock of Stars trilogy, and I haven’t read the first book which I feel put me at a disadvantage with some of the story, however I really enjoyed this book even though there were points where I knew that I was missing key information.
In Beyond the Mountains Imogen and Marie are in their world after returning from Yaroslav but they are struggling to get back to normal, Imogen is in therapy as she keeps insisting that she has had an unbelievable adventure while visiting a fantastical world, frustrated at not being believed and struggling with the addition of Mark, mum’s boyfriend she decides to take matters into her own hands and return to Yaroslav with Marie, except this time they also drag Mark along for the journey.
When they arrive, they find a whole new world, Anneshka is no longer queen and is very unhappy about it and Miro has taken the throne and is hating it. After hearing that Marie might be the key to Anneshka becoming the Queen of the Greatest Kingdom, she seizes her and heads over the mountains with Imogen and Miro in pursuit. What they find will change everything in ways they could never have imagined.
This is an enjoyable book that is enhanced by Chris Riddell’s illustrations that perfectly capture the mode and adventure of the story, although I would recommend that it is read after the first book so that some of the more subtle storylines make sense. I really appreciated how the author discusses Imogen’s mental health issues without ever laboring the point. The inclusion of therapy, ‘worry creatures’ and thoughts and feelings that Imogen struggles to give voice to really makes this book a great one to share with teenagers and those who might be stuck in feeling there is something wrong with them. The story is not a joyful one and even tends to lean a bit into the horror genre at times however as events unfold both good and bad the reader will want to keep turning pages to find out what happens. The story does end with the reader expecting to return to Yaroslav and Imogen and Marie’s story. This is a brilliant story and one that I highly recommend especially to readers who are fans of Narnia.
Jamie Russell's Skywake Battlefield follows hard on the heels of Skywake Invasion and readers will be sucked into the vortex of tense action packed futuristic, sci-fi adventure as surely as our gaming team protagonists (the Ghost Reapers) themselves. With no reduction of intensity, Casey Henderson and her team of Skywake gamers find themselves thrown into the middle of a frightening battle after their abduction and delivery to the planet Hosin. The battle that they and other top-level gamers from Earth have been thrown into is between the brutal alien Red Eyes (the Arcturians) and the Bactu (The squids). The Arcturians have developed mindcontrol devices that have caused the rest of the human gamers to attack Bactu defences. Casey and her team must use their skill and complementary abilities to rescue themselves and ultimately the planet Hosin and the inhabitants- the gentle, ancient and wise Bacturians.
A host of futuristic weapons and systems of destruction are deployed: fighting is brutal. Casey has to develop leadership skills based on the ability to make the right choice in ultra-difficult split-second commando-style situations. Skywake Battlefield, as second book in the series, further develops the depiction of Casey as a leader who is growing towards her full possibilities. Skilfully, Russell circles back to Casey's father who was a war hero, killed in action as he peformed the job that he was trained to do...disarming mines in Afghanistan. Casey's father taught her about Flow...the ability to be in the moment when needed. When faced with terrifying moments, Casey learns to develop flow. Gradually her powers increase. She is backed by her team using their skills including hacking enemy sci-fi military equipment and infrastructure. Trapped on Hosin, they discover an ex-soldier from Earth who was captured many years ago and left by his commander and battalion. Gradually the purpose behind the whole inter-galactic battle emerges. The evil Arcturians are searching for the ancient Bacturian artefact called the psionic array which will enable them to have total control over the universe. Elements of the source were buried long ago when they built the ancient structures on earth eg. the pyramids and the statues on Easter Island- but the key is somewhere else on Earth...
Casey and her team must fight not only to save Hosin; the battle grows to saving the whole universe. Harsh choices have to be made where potential losses have to be weighed against gains. Casey learns from Private Ross and Lieutenant Dreyfus, real human soldiers, about battle and the choices that have to be made - harsh decisions that only true leaders can and must take. Casey has to face betrayal, the oily grooming of her brother by her nemesis Xander and the power of steely decision making. She has to discover the flow that a leader must acquire in order to lead in a world of combat and the dire consequences of weakness and indecision.
How dire her decisions will be, how hard the choices she will be forced to make remain to be seen in the next story which the reader is promised with the TO BE CONTINUED at the end of Skywake Battlefield.
Jamie Russell is a screenwriter as well as an author. The vividness of the visuals of the action scenes in both Skywake Invasion and Skywake Battlefield lend themselves to the screen just as surely as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was very quickly adapted to screen. In acknowledgements in the endpapers, Russell thanks everyone who has picked up a copy of his books for their children and grandchildren. Anyone who does should be thanked. These books are not only electrifying - at a deeper level they deliver a very solid moral message re war and general decision making for young people to think about.
Recommended for those who love sci-fi and gaming and those who haven't discovered it yet!
