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Book Reviews
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carole field16 May 2012
although a good easy book to read ...found that it finished all to quick ..its got quite a lot of steamy chapters but that being said it was still easy to read and understand ..my only down side is that the book left me wanting more ..so bought both second and third of the trilogy ...the second book was not as good as first but still easy to read ...the third was a dissapointment ..it finished too soon for the story line ...
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Dave Wallace01 May 2012
It isn't easy to pull off a good twist. When they're accomplished well, they feel unexpected yet completely natural, and cast the preceding story in a new light, often rendering it more satisfying and complex in retrospect (think The Usual Suspects or The Sixth Sense). However, when they're done badly, they can feel forced, illogical, and can often detract from the positive qualities of the story for which they provide the climax.
Unfortunately, Mark Millar and Steve McNiven's latest comicbook outing together, "Nemesis", falls into the latter camp. Without giving too much away, the closing pages of the book serve to heavily undermine the four issues that lead up to them, effectively destroying the book's core concept, its character relationships and its (already stretched) plausibility for the sake of a nonsensical epilogue that sacrifices many of the book's more enjoyable elements in a vain attempt to be ultra-cool and ultra-clever.
It's a bit of a shame, because up until that point, Nemesis is a diverting enough romp--even if it still isn't the most intellectually stimulating or imaginative read.
The basic concept (what if Batman was a super-villain?) is an enjoyable idea, and Millar has some fun inverting some of the conventions of Batman stories. I'm thinking particularly of the origin of Matthew Anderson, which hits all of the notes of the Bruce Wayne version but in an entirely different key. It's fun to see the writer imbue a character who has Batman's resources with the chaotic, psychotic spirit of the Joker, playing him off against straight-laced good-guy Blake Morrow over the course of four action-packed issues.
Talking of action, artist Steve McNiven turns in some pretty good blockbuster-movie-style action sequences involving big explosions, mass carnage, and planes, trains and automobiles. His work is as detailed as ever, and the book utilises a technique in which the final art seems to have been coloured directly from his pencils, giving him greater control over the finished product than he might have had when paired with an inker. His character design for Nemesis is also bold and distinctive, and again plays up the parallels with Batman by giving the character a striking white cape and cowl.
However, the flipside of these constant references to Batman is the sense that Millar and McNiven's book wears its influences a little too overtly on its sleeve. In particular, there's a strong sense that the book has been heavily influenced by Christopher Nolan's most recent Batman movie, The Dark Knight. Not only do we get a chaotic villain with an unclear past who revels in waging war on a city with his elaborate destructive schemes, but we also see specific moments from The Dark Knight recreated in the world of Nemesis.
For example, halfway through the book, the villain is unexpectedly captured by the police, only to break out of captivity in a bloody and meticulously-planned escape sequence--just like the Joker in that movie. At the beginning of the comic, we see Nemesis misdirect his opponents by leading them to a room full of explosives rather than the person that they're trying to save--just like the Joker in that movie. And at one point, Millar and McNiven even have the gall to stage a scene in which Nemesis's getaway car is destroyed in a highway chase sequence, only to have him "unexpectedly" burst out of it on a big-wheeled motorbike that's not unlike The Dark Knight's Batpod.
It's one thing to be inspired by or influenced by a particular movie, but including so many 'homages' begins to feel symptomatic of a lack of imagination by the time you're halfway through the story.
Another problem that I had with the book is one that seems to be common to a lot of Millar's titles, especially lately. Namely, the sense that certain plot points, scenes, or pieces of dialogue are included for pure shock value. Whether it's the extreme bloodiness of Nemesis killing 100 prison guards, the constant peppering of dialogue with swear-words, or over-the-top plot contrivances, there's often a sense that hollow shocks are substituted for genuine intrigue or imagination.
Finally, the book struggles to keep its action on the right side of plausible, with many of Nemesis's feats only feeling as though they could be achieved by a non-superpowered human being if the reader comes up with his or her own convoluted explanation for how he could pull them off. And, as mentioned earlier, the twist at the end of the story calls the advanced abilities of 'Matthew Anderson' even further into question. A shame, as up until that point, it was quite an enjoyable read.
Along with all four issues of the original series, this hardcover edition also contains a few extras. These include variant covers, script-to-pencil-to-page breakdowns, and an afterword by Mark Millar. -
Kevin R01 May 2012
Gabrielle Bell's 'Lucky' is less a graphic novel and more a collection of semi-autobiographical humorous comics about life as a twenty-something artist struggling to get by in New York. Divided into three sections it charts the mundane details, small anxieties and hassles of everyday life and also the development of Bell as an artist.
Lucky 1 began as a challenge Bell set herself to create a comic diary for one month. Each day's often trivial 'events' are detailed in simply drawn six panel comics. There is a lot of narration packed into the frames and the details are described from a sort of wide-eyed outsider perspective. We follow Bell through a succession of minimum-wage jobs - artist model, retail, tutoring - watch her deal with the stresses of searching for somewhere to live, and get a glimpse of her sometimes tetchy and fragile relationship with boyfriend Tom.
In Lucky 2 Bell becomes more selective about the events she includes in her comic. The work is less like a daily diary and more like short stories extending over several pages. The narrative is more crafted and the drawings are slightly more worked and detailed while still retaining the elegant clear line quality. Lucky 3 takes these development even further with stories that are more introspective, insightful and at times genuinely revealing about Bell. The work has progressed from detailed mundane naturalistic reporting to include extended inner dialogue, dream sequences and sometimes surreal fantasy. When Lucky 3 was self-published separately it received wide acclaim and was winner of a prestigious Ignatz award.
Throughout this volume the emphasis is on characterisation rather than action. Bell observes without judgement and her writing is sharply witty and intelligent. Much of the whimsical humour comes from her terrific ear for dialogue. Stories about how hard it is to be twenty-something in a big city can often be hard to like and seem self-indulgent to anyone not from that demographic but Bell's honest, self-deprecating (and just occasionally cynical) voice has created something fresh and insightful that will reward repeated readings. -
George Orton30 April 2012
The Smartest Giant in Town is another winning combination of the children's-book-writing talents of Julia Donaldson and the illustrating abilities of Axel Scheffler. Telling the tale of a scruffy giant who decides to smarten himself up with a new suit of clothes, the book teaches kids about sharing and selflessness through a story that sees the giant use each item of clothing to rescue or help a different animal in need.
As ever, there's plenty of Donaldson's trademark rhyming and poetry, this time taking the form of a song that details exactly how the giant has helped the animals he's met so far. As the book goes on, the song gets longer and longer before eventually being turned on its head by the animals as a celebration of the giant's kindness.
Whilst it's not quite as wildly imaginative as books like the Gruffalo, this is a sweet story that will expand the vocabulary of young children (especially when it comes to clothing!) and teach older ones about the value of altruism. The book also looks great, with some fun visual gags and an amusingly-realised world in which giants, humans, and anthropomorphic animals co-exist. Definitely a solid addition to any child's library. -
The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Trilogy)
Sam Osborne 22 April 2012
The Hunger Games Review- Book
The Hunger Games has recently launched itself into the public eye with it's high profile movie release which gained five star reviews from several critics. The film however was in fact based upon a book by Suzanne Collins, released in 2008, which tells the story of Katniss Everdeen and her involvement in the "Hunger Games."
The setting of the book is "Panem" a post apocalyptic country which rose out of the remains of North America and was divided into thirteen districts surrounding a central "Capitol" in which the leaders of the new country reside. Quickly the idea of a dictatorship is established and we meet our main character Katniss who is a resident of District 12, a poverty stricken area in which she has to hunt for her family to ensure their survival. We soon learn that the thirteenth district was destroyed 74 years ago after an attempted revolution which began there which in turn gave birth to the feared "Hunger Games." I personally find the idea intriguing and it is executed well providing an excellent setting for a thought-provoking and in points heart-twanging plot.
The novel follows Katniss Everdeen in her journey through the "Hunger Games," a yearly competition where two citizens, deemed tributes, from each District are chosen to compete in a battle to the death in an elaborately crafted arena; whilst being filmed the entire time. These games are all in remembrance of how the revolution was so brutally crushed and too discourage any further attempts at rebelling.
Tributes are drawn at a annual "reaping" by a "choosing a name out of a hat" method. At this years Reaping Katniss' sister is chosen and out of a passionate & desperate impulse she volunteers in her place and hence is picked for the Hunger Games. Her fellow tribute is Peeta and throughout the story an interesting relationship of fake/real love emerges that is an effort to play to the cameras for the "sponsors" who are rich betters who can send supplies to their favourites to help ensure their survival.
Peeta and Katniss are trained by Haymitch, a previously victorious tribute, who instructs them in strategy and appearance. Each tribute has their own stylist to make them appear dominant and striking. Each costume is meant to be representative of the District's main industry. District 12's is mining and so Katniss and Peeta's costumes are designed to make them appear on fire with synthetic flames, each detail of the plot is eloquently described with vivid descriptions that immerse you fully into the plot.
There are a range of characters and each is well developed with very few stereotypes. The aspects of what really is good and bad are constantly discussed and brought up through ever increasingly dramatic dilemmas. Katniss' surly demeanour is developed as we see her true caring side and how strong and detached she has had to become since her father's death and her mother's mental breakdown.
The plot arches perfectly with the survivalist nature of the Hunger Games drawing out man's basic instincts and then creating the ultimate oxymoron of the modernistic surrealist aspect of wealth and showing the books real allegorical message of the sins that wealth and greed can bring to modern society. A great read and well recommended, well written with an excellent story. -
Andrea Chettle01 April 2012
Before I start my review I would strongly recommend that you read the first two books in this trilogy (The Demons Lexicon and The Demons Covenant). Not just because there is no point reading the last book in a trilogy without reading the first two but because the whole series is an excellent read. The characters are sharply drawn, distinct people that I really felt could walk right off the page and the plots are smart, twisty and surprising with humour that made me laugh out loud.
Each book is told from the viewpoint of a different character and, for me, that works giving a rounded three-dimensional view of proceedings throughout. The third book (The Demon's Surrender) is told from the viewpoint of Sin a dancer in the Goblin Market. I had met Sin in the previous books but I always found her to be a secondary character, someone for the main characters to interact with while the story unfolded around them. To be honest, I never really felt much love towards Sin. She wasn't someone I thought I would be friends with if I met her in real life (something I don't think she'd have been too broken up about).
But then I read The Demons Surrender and got to know Sin and how she views the world/s she has to live in and what she has to do to survive and protect the things and people she cares about. By the time I reached the end of the book Sin had grown into one hell of a main character and someone whose place in the story could not be more obvious or more important. This book changed the way I thought about someone and it did it without me even noticing until I closed the book at the end.
As the last book in the trilogy this is necessarily a darker book with twists and turns throughout. Just when I thought I'd figured out what was going to happen everything changed again. I loved it. If you want a clever plot with sharp, spiky humour and characters that will surprise you then this could be the book/series for you. -
Sam Osborne31 March 2012
Twilight:
Since it's release Twilight has become an international phenomenon, hundreds of thousands have read the books and even more have gone to see the films. Spoofs have been released, worldwide debates concerning "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" have over-run teenage girls' lives. The original book was released in 2007, five years for it to become a international obsession, surely this book must be good?
The plot concerns a 17 year old girl: Isabella Swan (Bella) moving to her father's dreary village of Forks in Washington so her mother can travel with her new baseball-playing boyfriend. Whilst there she feels alienated and shows early signs of depression until she meets a mysterious stranger, Edward Cullen. Tall, handsome, mysterious and dangerously beautiful she of course begins to fall for him. However there is something strange about this boy, and the course of events show that he is a vampire. Not the traditional kind however, this vampire is a "vegetarian" i.e. he only drinks animal blood. Thus the mysterious romance between the Wolf and the Sheep comes about and the book concerns it's complexities and unique aspects. The main appeal for many of the more "hormonal" readers is the great level of romance between the couple, Edward is a very forward character who is very open and descriptive about his strong feelings for Bella. Hence the attraction for the afore mentioned readers.
The plot arch is intriguing to read and does keep the pages turning well, however it is quite shallow in it's form, there are few layers to it and its substance is purely on the surface. However this may also be part of it's appeal as not everyone likes to read a book of several layers of meaning, hence it appeals to a wide audience; also the surface material is so unique that it holds it's own appeal. On a personal note however I would have preferred a perhaps deeper plot for consideration and it is this shallowness that has led to it's own force of anti-fans: the "haters." From here is where the spoofs have risen and the mockery and unfortunately for the fans nearly every flaw they point out is true.
The characters themselves have depth but not in such a way that can be explored by the reader. Take Bella for instance, a character more complex than the stereotypically "emo" teenage girl she appears to be. However this is not found out through her actions, or even her thoughts, it is pointed out in Myer's narrative. We explore this character's development not through our minds but our eyes, there is not much more to see besides what is told and this I think is one of the major flaws of the book and the series.
This book has it's own unique take on vampires, in this book their skin shines in the light like a rough diamond (nicer than bursting into flames in the sun) hence why they cannot be seen in the day. They are incredibly strong and fast but have no fear of Garlic or any kind of cross. This new take on vampires is refreshing but may have possibly upset the more dedicated fantasy readers used to up-keeping the traditional fantasy elements; however in my opinion change and different interpretations can only be good.
What is pleasing to see in this book is that it is all written very well, flowing sentences that are a pleasure to read create some very well-written material. The language is sophisticated, as are most of the characters and this I think brings a sense of maturity to the book. The layout also is easy to navigate and overall the way it is written has no major problems, it doesn't feel like I'm reading a child's narrative, it feels like I'm reading a sophisticated novel.
Overall then this book is pleasing to read and the premise of it is intriguing: the romance between a vampire and a human is a relatively unexplored area of literature. However the lack of actual depth of the characters, the way everything is told to the reader and the shallowness of the entire plot let it down. The fresh take on vampires is interesting to read but may not please all. This book is for those who wish to experience Romance and Fantasy in what appears to be a sophisticated package but, with all it's criticisms and mockery, you can't help feeling like a 13 year old girl if you do read it. -
Dave Wallace23 March 2012
When All-Star Superman first appeared some years ago, I almost didn't pick up the first issue. Despite the obvious talents of writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely, I couldn't get past the preconceptions I had about the character. I had always found the concept of Superman to be dull, overly straightforward and dated, a character who was now more important for his iconic and historical qualities than because he was actually interesting for modern audiences to read about.
Many writers have tried to make Superman more relevant and appealing over the years, whether by rehashing his origin story to fit modern tastes, depowering him, or putting him in situations where he's forced to interact with more 'grounded', real-world problems. Some of these reinventions have been more successful than others, but none of them have quite managed to hit upon the simple notion that seems to have been Morrison's guiding principle in setting the tone of the All-Star series: You don't take Superman and make him fit the world. You take the world and make it fit Superman.
To whit, the book embarks upon a ground-up reinvention of the world of Superman, along with a complete overhaul of the hero as a character and a concept, throwing him into all manner of outlandish and fantastical stories whilst at the same time presenting unique, original versions all of the members of his supporting cast. Crucially, however, the title does all this without ever feeling as though it has to jettison anything that's gone before, incorporating many different ideas from Superman stories of the past into a single, definitive take on the character.
On some levels, the book feels like a mass of contradictions. There's a strong sci-fi vibe to many of the stories, with complex ideas and plot points that often take multiple reads to fully appreciate--yet they all deal with universal human emotions that can't fail to resonate on a very basic level from the first time you look at them.
The book boasts an aesthetic that feels at once retro and futuristic, with 1950s automobiles and architecture rubbing shoulders with 21st-century scientific ideas and cutting-edge technology, whilst garish Silver Age superhero costumes clash against more contemporary fashions. Most of the story ideas feel familiar and old-fashioned, but the book pushes Superman to places that have never been explored in his long publishing history. And the series manages to imbue Superman with a wholly relatable and sympathetic human quality whilst also emphasising his godlike powers and superhuman status.
Yet somehow, Morrison manages to pull all of these elements into an elegant, deceptively simple depiction of Superman as the ultimate force for good, embodying everything that's positive and admirable about the human spirit, even in the face of the most dire threats.
However, I won't spend too much time here picking out my favourite moments from the book (which, frankly, I could happily do at some length). If you haven't read it, I'd recommend you do so immediately--and if you have, then you already know how good the title is. Instead, I'll try and explain what makes this Absolute edition a particularly fine presentation of the title.
For starters, there's the increased size of the stories themselves. This might not sound like much--after all, they're the same comics, just bigger--but in the case of All-Star Superman, the larger pages make it possible to spot tiny details of Frank Quitely's peerless artwork that might have escaped you in the regular-sized issues.
Many seemingly straightforward scenes contain secondary mini-dramas that are conveyed entirely through Quitely's art, often featuring Superman secretly helping to save people from danger whilst he's disguised as Clark Kent and pretending to do something completely different--and the subtle background details that hint at these (or are simply entertaining in their own right) are a lot easier to make out in the Absolute edition. Elsewhere, it's subtle texturing effects or barely-perceptible facial expressions that benefit from the larger format. And sometimes, it's the delicate colouring work of Jamie Grant that shines on the glossy deluxe paper stock.
It's also a real benefit to have all twelve issues of the series collected in a single volume. That might sound like a minor reason to favour the Absolute edition when the same stories are available far more cheaply in two smaller six-issue volumes, but there's something very pleasing about seeing how various plot points from the separate issues connect (for example, the malfunctioning robot from issue #2 that becomes an important plot point of the final couple of issues) in a way that might not be so apparent when reading the stories in separate volumes or as single issues. Although it might not have seemed so when it was first released, All-Star Superman is a single 12-part story as much as it is a collection of linked one-shot adventures. And, of course, the Absolute volume also satisfies those completists who love to have definitive collected collections of their favourite comics.
Finally, and most significantly, the Absolute edition contains many pages of extras that help to add extra depth to the stories, whilst also serving as interesting glimpses behind-the-scenes in their own right.
Sketches from both Quitely and Morrison show how some of the book's ideas were born, with Morrison's notes dating all the way back to his pitch for the aborted "Superman Now" relaunch of 1999. There are discarded ideas for a reinvention of the iconic S-shield, a couple of intriguing character sketches from Quitely that demonstrate how the artist uses body language to enable Clark Kent and Superman to look completely different despite sharing an identical physique, and pages of copious notes from Morrison on how he views the characters that appear in the series, both pre-existing and newly-created.
There are also cover sketches, alternate versions of the book's logo, snippets of commentary on individual plot points, an enumerated list of Superman's "12 labors", a brand new cover from Quitely, and even a lengthy script extract that shows you just how detailed Morrison's vision for the book was: in this case, we can read his thoughts on Kandor and Kryptonian society, but I can only assume that every other aspect of the book received the same careful attention, too (especially the faultlessly-constructed issue #10, which still stands out as the series' high point).
In short, this is everything that you'd expect from an Absolute edition--and given that All-Star Superman is to my mind the best superhero comic of the century so far, I heartily recommend this book as one of the few recent deluxe oversized hardcover editions to really warrant the extra expense. -
George Orton22 March 2012
'Room on the Broom' is a fun little tale,
from the writer of 'Gruffalo', 'Snail and the Whale',
and 'The Gruffalo's Child' - and that should be enough
to convince you that your child will lap up this stuff.
All of Julia Donaldson's books (yeah, you know 'em)
take the form of an intricate narrative poem
(And it's reading this one every night of this week
that's inspired me to lay out this rhyming critique).
The story told here, which takes place one dark night,
tells the tale of a witch having trouble in flight.
As she drops her belongings, she's joined by a frog,
who accompanies her (with a cat, bird and dog)
on a quest to retrieve all the things that she drops
til catastrophe strikes, and the broom journey stops.
(And the details of all these trials and tribulations
are strengthened by Axel Scheffler's illustrations)
But much more than the plot, it's the way that it's written
that leaves all the children who read it so smitten
with a fun use of language and repeated phrases
that even outshine Scheffler's art (which amazes)
As the rhythms and motifs used in the book build
every child who reads it is amused and thrilled
and eager to reread the book countless times
(reinforcing their learning through wordplay and rhymes)
And it's here that the author succeeds in her mission
reaping comfort and joy from the book's repetition
(I've lost count of the times that my own kids request
to read this book especially - cos it's "the best")
With occasional bits that young kids might find frightening
(like the part with the dragon, the storm and the lightning)
this is nonetheless suited to all ages of child,
as even the scares are kept harmless and mild.
So if your kid's at quite a high reading age,
or perhaps if they've not yet quite got to that stage,
or if maybe you're just starting your baby boom,
you could do a lot worse than buy 'Room on the Broom'. -
The Woman who Went to Bed for a Year
Antwon Itsher15 March 2012
Having only known the work of Sue Townsend, one of Britain's most lauded and popular writers of the past few decades, through her series of books surrounding the exploits of the beloved Adrian Mole, I was both excited and cautious when coming to her latest novel, The Woman Who Went To Bed For a Year, released this month.
Adrian Mole had been such a staple part of my childhood reading lists. I found myself asking, 'Will Townsend have the same appeal for me in a world without him?' And upon reading her latest and truly brilliant novel, the answer is most certainly and assuredly a wholehearted, 'Yes!'
The Woman Who Went To Bed For A Year lures you in with its long but intriguing title. Immediately, before we even pick up the novel, we wonder what we would do with a year of our lives spent in bed. I tried to imagine what would drive a character to do such a thing, and Townsend details it perfectly for us, with the applaudable way she has of bringing out the comedy in all of life's moments.
On the surface, the novel does precisely what it says on the tin - our central character, Eva, decides to stay in bed when her children fly the nest. But of course, the wonder lies in discovering why it is that she chooses to do it, and how exactly one spends time in bed for a year.
For years and years, Eva has wanted a moment to herself, a moment of peace and quiet - and who among us can't say the same? - and as her twin children leave home for university, her chance has finally come.
One of things I was slightly anxious about before reading Townsend's latest novel was the stasis that is in some ways implied by the title - if this woman goes to bed for a year, surely there won't be much of a story to tell. But how wrong I was, and how glad I am that I trusted my instincts to pick up the novel.
Though Eva remains in the comfort of her own bed, away from her unappreciative husband Brian, we are nonetheless introduced to the slightly intruding outside world beyond her bedroom. A friendly window-cleaner and local handyman, Eva's adoring fans, and her entirely disapproving mother. And it is despite, and through, these intrusions that Eva finally gets those moments of rest she has so longed for.
Townsend presents us with a fantastic and fascinating deconstruction of the world in which we live today, a world in which Eva cannot be the person she truly wants to be, and thus decides to remove herself from the equation entirely. She is a character you'll readily fall in love with and vehemently defend against the other characters when they try to question her about what she is doing. 'She is having some time to herself,' you'll imagine yourself telling them, 'and I think after all these years, she has more than earned it.'
