5th September, 2008

The Rat-A-Tat Mystery by Enid Blyton

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Published in 1951
ISBN: 1-84135-172-5

Do I even need to review this book??? I mean, it’s an Enid Blyton book, for goodness’ sake! :D Well, I’ll write about it anyway.

This is the fifth book in the Barney mystery series. Barney, Diana, Roger, Snubby, and Snubby’s dog, Loony, appear in all the Barney books. Diana and Roger are sister and brother while Snubby’s their cousin. He has no parents so he’s always sent to live with relatives during his school holidays but he enjoys spending his holidays with Diana and Roger. Barney is their friend. He has a pet monkey called Miranda. Pretty name, huh?

By the way, it’s the winter holidays for the kids. Barney has finally found his father after an endless search for him and he’s spent Christmas time with his newfound family. After Christmas, Barney invites Roger, Diana, and Snubby to stay at a house owned by his grandmother by a lake and surrounded by hills. Of course, Roger and Diana’s parents agreed to let them have fun by themselves. A Mrs. Tickle will be cooking their meals, washing their stuff, and just basically looking after them.

So at the house, the children spent their time skating and tobogganing down the snowy hills and having the time of their lives. Meanwhile, at night, they hear mysterious knocking sounds like ‘rat-a-tat-tat, rat-a-tat-tat’. Haha! Can you imagine such sounds? To me, it sounds odd but there you go.

As usual, the children being their inquisitive selves and with a huge sense of adventure, they decide to investigate the sounds. They even found a large glove on the ground outside and Snubby thought he saw somebody standing outside looking at the house. Therefore, they found reason to suspect that something was wrong.

I’ve now read 4 of the books in the Barney mystery series. The other three are The Rockingdown Mystery, The Rilloby Fair Mystery, and The Ring O’ Bells Mystery. Being an Enid Blyton fan and one who has grown up reading her books, I find them enjoyable and a great way to ‘relive’ my childhood.

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Posted in Authors B, Children's Books, Titles R at 12:49 pm | Comments (8)



12th June, 2008

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

Wow! This is how I’d describe this book about a 9-year-old boy named Bruno. Bruno comes home one day to find the maid packing his clothes and things. He discovers that they have to move to a place he calls ‘Out-With’. It’s actually Auschwitz but Bruno’s too young and ignorant to know the real name of the place.

Anyway, the whole family, that is, Father, Mother, Gretel or The Hopeless Case, and Bruno have to move because Father has been given an important job by The Fury (Führer). Bruno is reluctant to leave his home in Berlin and also his 3 best friends for life, Karl, Daniel and Martin. He just doesn’t like the idea of moving to a whole new place at all.

When they arrive at their new 3-storey lifeless-looking house, Bruno feels that the place is devoid of any real joy and laughter. Then, in his own room, through his window, Bruno sees the concentration camp and its inhabitants. He sees only grown-up men and young boys but no women. He’s curious as to why they were all wearing the same grey striped pyjamas and were looking gloomy. Bruno’s only 9 and nobody will want to tell him who he’s really looking at. Even Gretel, his older sister, can’t think of anything suitable to explain the people they saw through the window.

Bruno wants to be an explorer when he grows up. He has always enjoyed exploring at his old 5-storey Berlin house and since the new house is not even worth exploring, he decides to take his exploration outdoors. Without anyone knowing, he walks towards the concentration camp and at a fence, he accidentally meets a small Jewish boy. Bruno’s pleasantly surprised to find out that both of them share the same birthday. The boy, who calls himself Shmuel, is just happy to sit and talk to Bruno. Bruno is delighted to have made a new friend.

Each day, they’ll sit and exchange stories about their different lives. Shmuel will tell Bruno about how he came to his ‘new home’ and how his mother had been taken away. Bruno listens but doesn’t really understand that his new friend is suffering. He assumes that there are vegetable and fruit stalls in the camp. He’s also jealous that Shmuel seems to have many friends to play with while he has nobody but Gretel and she was a Hopeless Case.

The friendship between the two lonely boys is endearing and it reminds me of the two boys from The Kite Runner. I finished this book in one day as it’s quite easy to read. It’s written like a book for children but I think that only older children should read it. Younger children might not really understand and also to handle the ‘heaviness’ of the story although it’s written in a light way! Parents may need to explain things to them though.

There’s no doubt that it’s an utterly good book which everyone should read. In a way, it’s about history but history only takes up a small portion of the book. It’s more about Bruno’s young life and his chance encounter with his new friend. Moreover, it’s a relatively sad story and I won’t be able to forget it for a long time.

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: Marg, nylusmilk, Papercuts, Steven, Carol, KittyCat, Natasha, Alice, Trish

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Posted in Authors B, Historical Fiction, Titles B, Young Adult Fiction at 7:37 am | Comments (17)



26th March, 2008

Sticky Fingers by Niki Burnham

The story starts with Jenna who is reluctant to open the letter from Harvard University. Would it be a rejection letter or an acceptance one? Well, she got accepted into Harvard anyway and she’s simply thrilled just thinking about it. She’s also 100% positive that her boyfriend, Scott, has been accepted too. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get into Harvard.

In Jenna’s eyes, Scott is the most perfect guy on earth. Everything about him is wonderful to her. The only imperfect thing would be him pressuring her to sleep with him. She’s not ready to take that step yet but he feels that she can’t relax.

Jenna’s best friend, Courtney, seems to be having problems of her own lately. She has to deal with her parents’ divorce and Jenna suspects her of being a shoplifter but she’s just not sure about it. When she saw Courtney knock a bottle of nail polish into her purse, she thought she must be hallucinating. Why would Courtney, who doesn’t seem to have financial problems, be stealing nail polish from a store?

One day, Jenna sees Scott arguing with Courtney. She asked Scott what was it all about but he wouldn’t tell her much. She also won’t ask Courtney because at that time, they weren’t really speaking to each other. That arguing part got me interested in reading more about what Scott is really up to. Why is he hiding things from his girlfriend? What is it that he doesn’t want Courtney to tell Jenna?

Later at a party, Scott does the unthinkable. He does something Jenna thought he’d never do to her but then, she’s just oblivious of his real character. He is nice to her, like trying to be the perfect boyfriend and all, but he just can’t wait for her to say yes.

This would be a good book for teenagers and also for those whose boyfriends keep asking them for sex although they have already said “NO!” many, many times. It’s time to think of whether he’s really sincere or not. Ask yourself if he’ll still be around after you get pregnant. He can tell you that he loves you a lot, promising this and that to you, but just think about it.

The thing about Jenna’s best friend, Courtney, is that why didn’t she just tell Jenna what Scott planned to do? Why did she just keep quiet about it? And also WHY is she still being friendly to Scott when she knows that he’s not a good guy after all? Courtney’s a mystery, that’s all.

Anyway, enjoy Sticky Fingers. It’s been a good and quick read. I’m going to check out other books by Niki Burnham. =)

Buy Sticky Fingers

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Posted in Authors B, Contemporary, Girls/Women, School Stories, Titles S, Young Adult Fiction at 8:21 am | Comment (0)



10th September, 2007

Doing It by Melvin Burgess

To be honest, I was pretty appalled when I began reading this book. Appalled by how three sexually-hungry teenage boys think about ‘it’ and girls. Perhaps that’s really the way they think?

Dino, Ben, and Jonathan are best friends and they are always talking about doing it. Dino is a good-looking boy and many girls are after him. He’s also known as a player. However, he is desperate to get it on with the prettiest girl in school, Jackie. But, she already has an older boyfriend and is always pushing Dino away. Anyway, later, she decides to just give Dino a ride and then chuck him away.

Ben, on the other hand, is having a secret affair with his teacher, Miss Young. They’ve been meeting each other discreetly and not even Ben’s friends suspect a thing. If they are found out, Miss Young could lose her job because dating a student is totally against the law! Miss Young is a woman who likes to take risks until Ben feels like ending the relationship. He’s not allowed to mix with other girls his age nor have other girlfriends. Miss Young watches him like a hawk.

Jonathan likes his good friend, Deborah. She’s smart, humorous, easy to talk to, and everything. There’s one big issue though. She’s considered fat by the other guys. Jonathan is shy to date her because of her weight. Behind her back, he talks bad about her with his friends, which isn’t very kind. When they kissed during Dino’s party, she’s always hanging on to him but he’s, like, brushing her off or simply ignoring her when she smiled at him.

This book is written from the characters’ points of view, which is what makes this book interesting. How guys think and how girls think, too. Besides that, this story is easy and fast to read. You could finish it in a day or two. It’s a fine book but not one that I’ll be reading again.

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: nylusmilk

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Posted in Authors B, School Stories, Titles D, Young Adult Fiction at 5:52 am | Comments (4)



7th May, 2007

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre is indubitably one of my favourite books! I first read it about a couple of years ago and thought it’s one of the finest books ever written. This is the second time I’m reading this amazing book by Charlotte Bronte.

The name Jane Eyre may sound simple and modest but somehow, I think it’s a lovely name. After reading the book, I admired the name even more! Jane Eyre is surely one cool character.

Jane is an orphan as her parents died when she was only a baby. She was then left to the care of her mother’s brother, Mr. Reed. But he died, too and made his wife promise him that she would look after Jane Eyre. Unfortunately, Mrs. Reed utterly dislikes Jane and therefore, Jane’s life at Gateshead was a living hell. Her cousins relentlessly bullied her and Mrs. Reed was anything but sympathetic. Only Bessie, the nurse, was kind to Jane.

When Jane was 10 years old, she was sent to an orphanage, Lowood Orphan Asylum. She was so glad to finally get away from her pitiless aunt and cousins. Jane then spent 8 years at Lowood, 6 years as a pupil and 2 years as a teacher. When she arrived there, she made friends with a sickly girl, Helen Burns. They got along well but their friendship could not last long because Helen died some time after.

After living at Lowood for so many years, Jane wished to get a new job somewhere else. She advertised in the newspaper and finally became a governess for Mr. Rochester’s ward, Adele. Soon, Jane finds herself falling in love with Mr. Rochester but assumed that he only had eyes for the more beautiful Miss Ingram.

So, what do you think will happen in the end? Do you think Jane has a chance with her employer? And what’s with that ever-mysterious servant, Grace Poole, whom Jane thought laughs mirthlessly, wanders around, and sets her master’s bed on fire in the middle of the night? There is certainly a good bunch of surprises in this well-loved story. If you’re willing to spend some time to sit down and really read this book, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: Arukiyomi, Amanda

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Posted in Authors B, Classics, Romance, Titles J at 4:20 am | Comments (15)



9th April, 2007

Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

You should read Rebel Angels after completing A Great and Terrible Beauty. Gemma, Felicity and Ann are back and Christmas is near. It is the holiday season so Gemma is about to experience life in London during the Christmas season.

There is also a new teacher at Spence Academy and she is Miss McCleethy. Gemma and her don’t really get along well. Gemma also finds Miss McCleethy a little bit suspicious and several incidents that occurred confirmed her suspicions even more.

Now, Gemma keeps having visions of three girls in white who are trying to tell her something. She is quite afraid of them since they looked pretty scary, judging from the descriptions about them. Well, they are ghosts anyway, so go figure.

On the day Gemma goes home, she meets the handsome Simon Middleton while waiting for her brother, Tom, at the train station. The meeting happened by chance because she was trying to lose someone whom she thought was following her. Simon shows interest in Gemma immediately and continues pursuing her. Soon, Gemma finds herself caught between Simon and Kartik.

Yes, Kartik from the Rakshana, is back too. His task is to help Gemma find the Temple before her enemy, Sarah or Circe finds it first, where she has to bind the magic, which has become loose since she destroyed the Runes of the Oracle in the realms. In fact, he has another crucial and difficult task, too but he’s not telling Gemma about it.

Gemma continues bringing Felicity and Ann to the realms where they are reunited with Pippa, who died in the first book. Pippa is obviously very happy to see and spend time with her friends again. Somehow, Gemma thinks that Pippa has changed and feels that she should not be trusted too much. Kartik did warn Gemma that nothing in the realms is to be trusted.

I was surfing the Internet for more information about the books by Libba Bray and stumbled upon the Wikipedia page. I couldn’t contain myself and went to the page with information on Rebel Angels. As I was reading about the summary of the book, my eyes caught the sentence that revealed Circe’s true identity! It was an accident but I was quite glad it happened. It made the reading a bit more fun.

It was hard to put down this book, as the story was so very interesting! I did not want the book to end at all. That’s the feeling I got while reading it. I’m utterly delighted that there is a 3rd book coming out in September 2007/Autumn 2007. Truly, both Bray’s books are among the best fantasy books I’ve ever read.

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: A High and Hidden Place, Becky

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Posted in Authors B, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, School Stories, Titles R, Young Adult Fiction at 2:47 am | Comments (11)



26th March, 2007

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

I finished this book last night and was a little freaked out after that. Well, I was already scared out of my wits many nights before too. I tend to be a little bit afraid and extra-imaginative when I read stories that involve ghosts or dead people coming back to haunt. Pretty creepy, if you ask me.

Anyway, this book was not so bad. It’s an interesting story and I even bought the book that follows it, Rebel Angels. The 3rd book in this trilogy will be released in autumn 2007.

Gemma Doyle is the main character. She’s just turned 16 and lived in India her whole life. On the day of her 16th birthday, her mother took her own life. Gemma saw this in a vision and was shocked to know that her vision came true. She was also shocked that she had such powers, too.

Then, she was sent to Spence Academy in London to learn to become a well-mannered, proper lady, ready to be married to some proper gentleman. At Spence, the new girl was not so welcomed at first. Gemma had to bear with the group of highly stuck-up girls, which included Felicity and Pippa.

But, as things turned out, Gemma finds herself always in the company of Felicity, Pippa, and Ann, her roommate. They also take turns to read the diary of Mary Dowd, a girl who used to be at Spence 20 years ago and who supposedly died in a fire with her best friend, Sarah. Gemma is also very curious to find out more about these two girls who also had the same powers like her.

There is also the mysterious Kartik, whose brother, Amar was killed by the ‘thing’, which was after Gemma. Gemma finds herself attracted to Kartik but is not sure if he feels the same way towards her too. All he ever does is warn her not to have any more visions. He also spies on her to see what she is up to.

Oh, this book is quite different, too because there is a Reader’s Guide. There are Questions For Discussion and also an interview with the author herself, Libba Bray! So, after reading the book, you can ponder over the questions asked.

All the same, I have to say that this book is a well-written one. It is the type of book that is difficult to put down. I can’t wait to get started on Rebel Angels!

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: A High and Hidden Place, Iliana

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Posted in Authors B, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller, School Stories, Titles G, Young Adult Fiction at 2:26 pm | Comments (12)



25th January, 2007

The School at the Chalet by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer

The School at the Chalet sounded interesting to me and I thought it would be a fun book to read. Little did I know that the beginning was so hopelessly boring! Therefore, it took me quite a long time to finish this book and unfortunately, I could not read other books yet. I tend to read one book at a time, so in order to read the next one, I have to finish the one I’m currently reading.

Nonetheless, the book got better after reading about ¾ of it. When I finished the book, I wanted to read more of it! I’m keen to read what adventures Joey, Madge, Grizel, Juliet, Simone, and the others will have in the books that follow The School At The Chalet. That would not be a problem because Elinor M. Brent-Dyer wrote over 60 books about the Chalet School.

Madge, Dick, and Joey are the Bettany siblings. They have no parents and struggling to support themselves. Then, Madge decided to start a school in the Austrian Tyrol. I did not know that it would be so frightfully easy to start a school but anyhow, Madge did it. Initially, the school had very few students but it grew as the time went by.

I found this school story somewhat familiar with Enid Blyton’s school stories. It was also amusing that the girls insisted on keeping up with what English schools in England did. Play pranks. The students at the Chalet School consisted of different nationalities. The German students were excited to play pranks because they wanted to feel being in an English school. The only thing they did not have was a midnight feast like how Enid Blyton’s schools had.

Of course there are tragedies, excitements, rows with various kinds of people, making new friends, silly students, etc. It was dull in the beginning because all everyone did was introduce themselves to each other. Things sped up when the girls began to play pranks on one another and there were the consequences.

I also learnt new German words too, for example, mittagessen or lunch.

I am looking forward to reading more Chalet School books.

Buy The School at the Chalet (The Chalet School Series)

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31st December, 2006

Forever by Judy Blume

Katherine met Michael Wagner at a New Year Eve’s party. It seemed like instant attraction between the both of them, I think. Katherine feels that she has never felt so strongly about any guy before. With Michael, she’s nervous yet happy to be with him.

Just like the title - Forever, Katherine and Michael thought that their love would remain forever. Both admitted that they really loved each other and Katherine decided to go all the way with Michael. And just like what Katherine’s mom told her, ‘once you start having sex, you can’t go back to holding hands’. It’s completely true. Katherine and Michael can’t keep their hands off each other and are always finding opportunities to be alone together.

Then came summer time. Katherine’s dad insisted that she accepts a job to teach tennis at a camp, which Jamie, Katherine’s younger sister, is going to. Initially, Katherine is reluctant to spend 7 whole weeks away from Michael. She would miss him soooooo much! But, her dad would not take no for an answer. So, she went to camp. She and Michael kept in touch by writing letters everyday.

At the camp, Katherine meets new friends and is attracted to another guy. She feels guilty at first because she thought she was betraying Michael. However, when Michael went to the camp to see her, she decided to be honest with him.

When I visited Amazon.com, many reviewers claimed that this book is a must-read for teenagers so they would know about sex and first love. To me, the story was going fine, but when it came to the part where she fell for another guy, I felt funny. I mean, if she was soooo much in love with Michael, how could she fall for another guy so quickly? It seems to me that Katherine is fickle-minded and doesn’t know what she wants.

Well, this book is okay. It’s easy to read, quick to finish, and Judy Blume is an excellent writer!

Buy Forever (Richard Jackson Books (Atheneum Paperback))

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Posted in Authors B, Romance, Titles F, Young Adult Fiction at 1:25 pm | Comments (16)



23rd December, 2006

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

An uplifting story of four good friends, Carmen, Lena, Tibby, and Bridget. This summer, they are turning sixteen. And this summer, they won’t be spending it together. Carmen is going to South Carolina to spend more time with her dad (her parents are divorced), Lena is going to Greece to visit her grandparents, Bridget will be going to soccer camp in Baja, California, and only Tibby will be staying home while working at Wallman’s.

The Pants. Carmen bought it at a thrift store and had not bothered to try it on. She did not think it will fit her at all and was planning to throw it away. But Bridget spotted it and asked Carmen to give it to her. Bridget tried it on and insists that her 3 friends try it too. Miraculously, the pants fit all of them comfortably and making them look really good in it. Thus, they believe it contains some unspeakable magic and decide to take turns in keeping it. On condition that they follow 10 rules, which they made together.

They vow to do something great in them. And when they are back together again, they would share with one another their stories of their achievements or downfalls during the summer.

This book has been made into a movie, and if I’m not mistaken, it was not shown in Malaysian cinemas although the VCD is on sale. The 4 best friends are played by Amber Tamblyn (Tibby), America Ferrera (Carmen), Blake Lively (Bridget), and Alexis Bledel (Lena).

I haven’t watched it yet but the book was quite okay. I don’t pretend to be over-enthusiastic about it but it’s a good read.

Buy Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Book 1)

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