Tagged ‘Reviews’
Reviews of The Comet’s Child by John Ward
The Bookbag- December 2009
“…what a pleasure to read such a well-crafted story…I chose to read this book because it’s advertised as ‘in the classic tradition of Susan Cooper and Lloyd Alexander’. Well I’m going to disagree because I think this book is more in the classic tradition of Philip Pullman, although I’m sure no publisher or author would dare stake that sort of claim for himself.”
To read the full review click here.
Reviews of Bree McCready and the Half-Heart Locket
“This exciting and magical adventure story is a real page turner from start to finish.” The Bookbag
“Good friends, action, and thrills, oh my! Bree had all of it.”
The Book Owl
Strident is delighted to announce
that ‘Spider’ has been shortlisted for Falkirk
Council’s RED Book Award
How did I get here?
Dreams..? Nightmares more like.
My life was sorted. Well, I thought so – I was pretty stupid. Ducking and diving here and there, thieving – just small things, twocking the odd car for a Run. A real peach of a girlfriend – rich too – and I had a reputation as a bit of a hard man.What more could I ask?
Some might say I got exactly what I was asking for and maybe they’re right.
I just don’t know or care anymore. Thought I was so clever; but you can’t hide from some things and when your nightmares come true….
I had one last night. A nightmare. I didn’t sleep much, so it must have been in one of those moments when you just drift off. But it was so bad I woke up screaming silently, shaking and sweating, tears streaming from my eyes, not sure where I was.
But that’s probably not surprising, is it?
It was shadowy and dark in my nightmare and I was looking at Deanna. She was crying and I couldn’t get her to stop. There was something in her arms but she wouldn’t let me see it. Her hand was covering it and when she lifted her hand for a moment it was dripping with dark red blood. She started yelling at me.
“See what you did, Spider!” I wanted to shout back that I didn’t do it; I didn’t mean it to happen.
I wanted to tell her that I was sorry, so sorry….
Reviews of Bad Faith
Catherine Czerkawska for Vulpes Libris Website
“By any standards whatsoever, this is a mature piece of work and whatever your age, you will not be able to put it down. From the first astonishing lines: Before I slipped on the mud and fell over the Bishop, our family didn’t have a lot to do with murder. A little, but not much’, to the unbearably poignant ending, the story fairly gallops along, polished, satisfying, all the time making the reader think…
Bad Faith is a murder mystery, but much, much more. Philip paints a vivid picture of three absolutely real young people: Cass (who narrates the tale) her boyfriend Ming and her brother Griff, all living in a dystopian future. It is realised with such a deft touch, with such self consistency that the reader is transported instantly into the completely credible world of the story Philip manages to combine lyrical writing about adult themes, absolutely believable characters and real dialogue, with a breathtaking switchback of a plot, by turns funny, moving and terrifying, that will have you reading on the edge of your seat. I was torn between envy of such style, and total involvement in the world of the story
But when you start it, remember to schedule in a good chunk of your time. Bad Faith will sweep you along and have you hoping for a sequel. I finished it in the early hours and spent the following day bleary eyed, and wondering exactly what had hit me.”
M.M. for crimesquad.com
“This book is a little different for CRIMESQUAD.COM given that it was originally intended for young adults. However, this is a mystery novel and its publishers are confident the story will cross over to the adult market. In the fantasy genre there are many examples of such a crossover; JK Rowling, Phillip Pullman and Stephanie Meyer to name but three. Perhaps Ms Philip will perform the same service for crime writing?
This is, dare we say it, an important book Bad Faith is a very clever satire, written with pace and humour and wholly deserving of a wider audience. My initial concern was that I would be able to identify with a narrator who was a teenage girl. But this notion was quickly dispelled as I was quickly caught up in the sinister dystopia that is Cass’s world.
Given the weight of her topic, Ms Philip wields her ‘pen’ with a deft and surprisingly light touch. Never preaching, allowing her characters to perform their roles within her themes and bound by the confines of a tightly constructed plot. All of life is here; family secrets and delusions, a state-sanctioned serial killer called Holy Joe and a disconcerting demonstration of what might happen if fundamentalism were ever to overtake these shores.”
Read more reviews at www.bookcrossing.com
