Black Spring by Alison Croggon

Synopsis

Inspired by Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, BLACK SPRING reimagines the passionate story in a fantasy 19th century society sustained by wizardry and the vengeance code of vendetta.

Anna spent her childhood with Damek and her volatile foster sister Lina, daughter of the Lord of the village. Lina has magical powers, and in this brutal patriarchal society women with magical powers are put to death as babies. Lina’s father, however, refuses to kill her but when vendetta explodes in their village and Lina’s father dies, their lives are changed forever. Their new guardian Masko sends Anna away and reduces Lina to the status of a servant. Damek—mad with love for Lina—attempts to murder Masko, then vanishes for several years. Anna comes home five years later to find Lina about to marry a pleasant young farmer, and witnesses Damek’s vengeful return and its catastrophic consequences.

Passionate, atmospheric and haunting, BLACK SPRING will stay with readers long after they turn the final page.

I'm a fan of Wuthering Heights, it's a wild and dangerous book so I wasn't sure how I would react to this retelling. However, I set all my preconceptions aside and got stuck in. Conceited Hammel heads north to take up residence as he's got himself into a spot of bother with a married lady in the south. Once there he sets off to greet his landlord Damek but finds himself caught in a storm, attacked by a dog and then treated awfully by Damek and his wife - before finally seeing a violet-eyed ghost in his bedroom mirror. When he returns the next day full of fever he finally listens to his housekeeper who tells him the full story of Damek, Lina and their tragic love.

The town of Elbasa is a tiny and harsh place. The world that Alison Croggon has created is ruled by wizards and who wield terrible powers and keep the peace. Able to turn a man to smoke or make him burn to death from within they are feared by everyone. What with that and the awful and complicated Vendetta which leads to male family members being extinguished in revenge killings it's clear that Elbasa has a lot going on. I quite liked this desperate background - it's a good backdrop to the intensity of Lina and Damek's relationship. Damek is brought into the house as a child and the two of them have a close friendship which gradually deepens into more as they get older. Circumstances pull them apart but when they meet again as adults they have the potential to destroy each other with their love. 

Wuthering Heights introduced the original toxic relationship and this is beautifully recreated in Black Spring with added magic and more death than you can shake a stick at. Magic and the Vendetta aside the story sticks quite close to the original so I think how you feel about this book depends upon your feelings about Wuthering Heights. If you adore the original then this won't supplant it by any means. If you've never read it and you enjoy Black Spring then possibly you'll read Wuthering Heights. If you hate the original then this may well remind you why. I find it an impressive modern retelling which captures something of the language, drama, madness, tortured love and agony of the original. Well worth reading.

MFB interviews Cassandra Clare on her UK Book Tour!

This interview has spoilers for City of Lost Souls!

As part of Cassandra's City of Lost Souls UK Book Tour MFB were invited to Theatre Royal, Stratford, London (Foyles organised this wonderful event) to ask questions about Magnus and Alec. To say that I was excited about getting the chance to interview one of my favourite authors is an understatement. So excited in fact that I charged my camera, put it in my bag but then forgot to use it. Even worse, I sit down, get my phone set to record and turn to Cassandra and say, "I've got loads of questions for you about Marcus." Marcus? Marcus? Oh, *headdesk.* Fortunately Cassandra was absolutely lovely and I soon got over my nerves and was able to get on with the questions.

It's lovely to meet you. My first question is about Alec. I was shocked by what he was prepared to do to keep Magnus – do you think it was out of character?

It would have been out of character for Alec to follow through but not out of his nature to think about it but then not let it go any further. Camile has a strange hold over Magnus and Alec is insecure and looks to Camille to give him some insight into the secretive person he is. Alec is worried that he might be disposable and thinks he can find a better understanding through Camille, that it might even the playing field. He's tempted by the idea but doesn’t go through with it. After seeing Magnus’s mortality on the battlefield at the end of City of Lost Souls, Alec would definitely not have gone through with it. In the end he made a moral decision (brought on by) the realization of what he could be bringing down on Magnus if he did follow through. The tragedy of the situation is that he lost Magnus for having considered it but it was understandable that Magnus did it.


Poor Alec! But when he goes home the house interior is different every time and he doesn’t have any say in his surroundings and no control. Isn’t Magnus being a little unfair?


Magnus has been alone for a long time, he controls his environment, he controls what he does - no one tells him. There’s an imbalance of power in their relationship and he wants to keep it that way.

Is it possible that Alec might find a way to level the playing field?


I definitely think so. Alec has grown up massively. I’ve watched him grow up through the books! He’s matured, he knows himself better, he can articulate his feelings better. At the beginning of the books he wasn’t able to talk to his parents about his sexuality but now he can speak openly about it. He talks about how hateful it is to be rejected, the pain of the unconsioucs pressure that your family puts on you. Alec needs to show how strong he really is and when he does I think Magnus will feel more able … Magnus needs someone to lean on and rely on and when he opens up and tells someone the truth about himself he needs to do it with someone who’s strong enough, with someone there who can be supportive and at the moment they’re not quite there. The breakup may be the thing that gets them there.

Is this partly Camille’s fault – did she cause Magnus to be so closed?


Camille’s definitely part of it. Magnus has watched a lot of people that he loves die. He a sucker for lost causes - that’s his love for Will right there. He loves to mend broken things. And then Camille comes along and she breaks his heart. We see him change from being this trusting guy who tries to fix things and invest in relationships to the man who isn’t willing to put himself out there, more secretive and less giving.


At this point we chat a bit about the fact that Magnus set his step father on fire and how it changed him.


The step father realised that Magnus wasn't his child. Magnus was defending himself, not really understanding what his magic could do and killed him.

No coming back from that then?

Not for the step father! It was a pretty bad experience for Magnus too.

Did you make a conscious effort to include characters that aren’t the stereotypical white and heterosexual?


I tried to represent New York in its diversity. A book about New York where everyone is straight and white would be very unrepresentative. So I tried to include Jewish characters, gay characters and different races. In Infernal Devices I had to try harder for it as Victorian London was very white. I brought Jem in because I really didn’t want to write a book with all white characters.


What would you say to aspiring writers who are scared about bringing characters into their books who have a different racial heritage or sexuality to their own?
It’s a moral value to strive for diversity and inclusivity. If you don’t include any gay characters or any non white characters or any non able-bodied characters you’re not going to hear anything about it. If you do, you may get criticism about the way you portray them but that’s okay – take the criticism and learn from it. Understand that you’ve chosen the slightly more difficult thing to do and criticism is part of that, don't be afraid. You’ll also get lots and lots of lovely letters too from people who say thank you - and that makes it worth it.


Why can’t Magnus go back to Peru?


It’s a secret! I can’t tell!


Will we find out?


I’m having a lot of fun with people hinting at it. You know like in Frasier when Niles was married to Maris and we never saw her? I kind of relate the Magnus thing to that because in each book it gets worse, “Did you hear the story about Magnus in Peru? It’s the worse thing I’ve ever heard!” It’s building up to something really bad.

Warning: We go totally off-topic here as I wanted to talk to Cassandra about her tumblr piece about rape. We talk about rape myths, how they harm and the experiences of victims.

I wanted to talk to you about Clary and the piece you wrote on your tumblr about Rape myths, rape culture, and the damage done - I thought it was brilliant. I don’t think anything has changed since I was a teenager, the way that girls speak about other girls, and I find that quite sad. In fact it’s worse now that there's the internet and mobile phones.


Thank you. It’s one of the things that does concern me. My mother has worked her whole life with rape victims and she runs a charity now for rape victims, I volunteer with them. After writing that piece I have lots and lots and lots of letters that I’m trying to respond to - I want to give each one an individual thoughtful response. Some of them say that when they were assaulted, or when there was an abuse situation the reaction of their peers was difficult and in a lot of cases it was other girls. Girls have told me that they were raped by their boyfriends and then they’d go to school and people would be muttering, ‘Slut, slut, slut” behind their back in the halls and that’s the exact thing that I’m talking about.


We get these messages that come out of a place of fear that if you behave properly, that if you’re a good girl then this won’t happen to you and when it does happen the urge is to other them and push them away and say that they’re a bad person and that’s why this happened to them.

In my experience people strive to find a reason, to pinpoint the mistake that you made.


I think you’re right, I think that people say that that person was bad, that they made a mistake. There was a lot of fault finding with Clary. What was the thing she did that was bad that made this bad thing happen to her? What I was trying to say was that she didn't do a bad thing, it was a bad thing that happened. The other person was bad.

I also found it sad that people were pointing the finger at Clary and her response – that her response was somehow wrong.


Yes, and that Clary is a girl who did nothing wrong, that someone did something bad but she has a good relationship with someone else. She feels safe with that person - to be able to separate an assault which was not her fault, which had nothing to do with what she did from Jace. She's in a healthy relationship with a person who loves her, who's invested in her consent.

Thank you so much, it was lovely to speak to you.


And it was – it was honestly such a pleasure to chat with Cassandra. She put up with my longwinded questions, didn't make me feel for one minute that there were hundreds of people downstairs waiting for her. So much so that we nearly ran over! I got my book signed too which made my day as I was working the last time she came to the UK.

The next stop on the tour is 30th May Wondrous Reads with Simon and Isabelle

Followed by: -

31st May The Zoë-Trope Jace and Clary

1st June Dark Readers Sebastian

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Spoilers for previous books in the series!

Synopsis

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

Well, that's quite a synopsis - and a lot of ground to cover. If you're reading this I'm going to presume you've read the previous books for the series but although I can't avoid spoilers for those I won't reveal the outcome of the plot for this book. Ready? Okay. So as you can see Jace is in a bit of a predicament: bound to Sebastian with no obvious way of splitting them up. Kill one and you kill the other. The greater demon Lillith is responsible for this bond and it appears that it's pretty much impossible to divide them again. All this, of course, suits Sebastian down to the ground and Jace also appears to be happy with the development. When Clary finally sees him he's both Jace and … not Jace. Fed up with being sidelined and babied, Clary makes a monumental decision and decides to join them to find out what Sebastian is up to.

I think the scenes with Clary and not-Jace are some of the most compelling of the series so far. We know Jace pretty well by now and his and Clary's dynamic is both touching and explosive. Not-Jace appears at first to be a more complete and happy person but the longer Clary spends with them the more she discovers. Also, this is the book where Clary kicks some serious ass. All those Shadowhunter fighting classes have paid off and she gets to explore her new talents. She proves that she's able to take care of herself although it seems at times that she may have got herself into more trouble than she anticipated.

I have a deep love for Mortal Instruments books not just because of Jace and Clary. For me, it's as much about the other characters. Simon it's just amazing in this book. I was cheering him on as he balances his (mostly) platonic love for Clary with his interest in Isabelle. God, I love them so much as a couple and was willing them together - grinding my teeth when I was scared they might near-miss. Then, of course, there's the wonderful Magnus and Alec - just the cutest couple ever. However, Alec is in danger of making a mess of things by worrying about his own immortality rather than enjoying the moment.

Another brilliant edition in the series. The world is a better place with the Mortal Instruments in it.

I'm meeting Cassandra Clare as part of her UK City of Lost Souls book tour. I'm going to be asking her questions about the wonderful Magnus and Alec so please, if you have a burning question pop it in the comments and I'll be sure to ask her.

The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones

Who is the uninvited? This new page-turner from a master of suspense plumbs the unsettling goings-on at a picture-perfect cottage in a Canadian backwater.

Mimi Shapiro had a disturbing freshman year at NYU, thanks to a foolish affair with a professor who still haunts her caller ID. So when her artist father Marc offers the use of his remote Canadian cottage, she's glad to hop in her Mini Cooper and drive up north. The little house on the snye is fairy-tale quaint, and the key is hidden right where her dad said it would be, so imagine her surprise when she finds someone living there - Jay, a young musician who doesn't even know Marc Shapiro. Jay is equally startled to meet Mimi, and immediately accuses her of leaving strange and threatening tokens inside: a dead bird, a snakeskin, a cricket soundtrack in his latest composition. But Mimi has just arrived, so who is responsible? And more alarmingly, what does the intruder want?

It was after the recent Walker blogger brunch that I hit Foyles with Darren from Bookzone and decided to pick up a copy of The Uninvited. It's been on my radar for some time now but after receiving a copy of Tim's newest novel - Blink & Caution - I wanted to see what he had been up to in the past.

We meet Mimi as she's zooming along in her little Mini Cooper, away from New York into Canada's wilds, to the house her father has there. She's a little bit over the top, a little bit selfish, a little bit manic pixie girl, but once she gets to the house and discovers someone else, Jackson, already living in the house her attitude changes perceptibly. Gone is the frivolity and we meet a more mature interesting girl who likes an ordered world, even if she doesn't really think she does.

In Jay we have a great male character. I genuinely liked him and thought that the author took great care to establish him as co-main character. He has depths and is as layered and lovely as Mimi.

Their first encounter of each other in the house is superbly written, with a lot of subtext and undercurrents and it is as their meeting continues and they put two and two together and get six, that I fell for Tim Wynne Jones' writing in a big way.

Before I go any further, I'd like to point out that this is not a contemporary romance, although it is very much about relationships and the shifting tides of relationships, family and friendship.

Jay shows Mimi his computers and set-up in the loft of the little house on the snye and has her listen to some of the music he's been recording. He explains to her how he thinks someone has been tinkering with the music, laying down tracks over it - crickets chirping and loud breathing. Not just that, but there have been weird "gifts" left for him too. They try and puzzle it out, blissfully unaware of the fact that they are being watched by the person who has been sneaking into the house.

Things worsen when they look at Mimi's video recorder and notice that someone had tampered with it, filming them as they were talking by the window of the house. The realisation that they were being watched so closely freaks them both out and they set about securing the house against intruders.

Mimi and Jay's relationship is so complex, within minutes of meeting and talking, that it forms the steady foundation of the novel. Mimi is invited to meet Jay's two mums and she gets along with them famously. They welcome her with open arms, accepting her into their small family. This too, I liked. The mums were equally well-written and the story of how they fit in with Jay and Mimi is done so well - just perfect. I did however think that I would have liked to spend more time with them as they formed such a dynamic couple.

I am obviously being very sketchy about the storyline because really, you want to read it and discover it for yourself. It does, with one of the last reveals, stretch the boundaries of belief quite a bit but in the end, because of the author being so good at what he does, you completely fall for it.

There are several elements of odd and creepy and there is a sense of the supernatural in several instances, but it is wholly a very contemporary story set within the here and now. There is enough shivery happenings though to keep thriller readers entertained.

There are so many components to this story and it so well plotted with rich storytelling and scene setting that The Uninvited has immediately become one of my favourite books of 2011 even though it's been published back in 2010.


I'd like to add that The Uninvited is aimed at the upper YA range. Both Mimi and Jay are out of high school and in university. Their story has a more mature tilt to the standard YA contemporary novels I've read but I hasten to add that it would be completely suitable for readers who are comfortable with bigger themes and concepts.

The Uninvited is out now and Blink & Caution by Tim Wynne Jones is out January 2012. Look out for online buzz about it and be sure to check out Tim's website here.

Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories edited by Gavin J. Grant

Synopsis

In the first major YA steampunk anthology, fourteen top storytellers push the genre's mix of sci-fi, fantasy, history, and adventure in fascinating new directions.
Imagine an alternate universe where romance and technology reign. Where tinkerers and dreamers craft and re-craft a world of automatons, clockworks, calculating machines, and other marvels that never were. Here, fourteen masters of speculative fiction, including two graphic storytellers, embrace the steampunk genre's established themes and refashion them in surprising ways and settings as diverse as Appalachia, Ancient Rome, future Australia, and alternate California. The result is an anthology that defies its genre even as it defines it.

I was drawn to this anthology by the array of authors listed, not just writers but graphic storytellers too. The first of these is by Shawn Cheng and is called Seven Days Beset by Demons. It follows our young nameless hero who makes clockwork musical toys. One catches the eye of a girl who he immediately falls for. The next seven days sees him experiencing the seven deadly sins as he hopes to catch her heart. I found it both touching and heartbreaking.

Cassandra Clare's story (Some Fortunate Future Day) also caught my eye. It tells the tale of Rose, stuck alone in her house. Her father has gone to war and her only companions are the automaton gardener and cook plus two talking dolls. The dolls, Ellen and Cordelia, have different characters and as the story progresses it appears that they have feelings too. Trust me, there's nothing more creepy than dolls who spy on you and whisper horrible things in your ears. Rose's solitary life comes to an end when an injured soldier called Jonah makes his way to the house. Rose and the dolls take him in, tend to his wounds and as he recovers Rose plans her future. The story's so bittersweet - I both loved it and felt a feeling of dread as I read on. Rose gets carried away and I found myself wondering whether the dolls had more heart and empathy than the only human in the piece.

I also want to mention Everything Amiable and Obliging by Holly Black. The setting is Victorian London and the story follows Sofia, an orphaned heiress living with her aunt in a luxurious setting. The house she lives in doesn't just contain automatons but is integrated with them; tables turn into parlour maids, the family is watched by the house allowing the butler to pre-empt their requirements. I felt as wary as Sophia as we discover the reason for her mistrust of automatons. The story is about acceptance, forbidden love and courtship - both thought provoking and enjoyable.

I know I'll keep saying this all month but I want to come back to this anthology too.

Scream Street Blog Tour

This will be MFB's last ever blog tour we are taking part in! And as we know Tommy and think he's a bit special, we are exceedingly pleased that we can feature him in a splash of horror and gore and ick.  This is also to celebrate the final Scream Street novel: Flame of the Dragon.

Chapter Six
The Phantom

Resus held a transparent hand up in front of his face. He could still make out the outline of his body, but he could see right through it, as though he was made of glass. “You are banned from doing anything with magic wands from now on!” he shouted at Cleo.
“But that was definitely the right spell,” Cleo insisted. “I checked.”
“Well, obviously not closely enough,” said Resus. “Not only am I not a vampire, I’m not even alive any more!”
“We can’t be dead,” said Luke. “I doubt Everwell’s Emporium would sell spells that could kill you.”
“He’s right,” said Cleo. “This must just be the way it works.”
“It feels weird,” said Luke, peering through his legs. “Do you think we can walk through walls and things like that now?”
“Of course we can,” said Resus. “Cleo’s turned us into ghosts – we’ll be able to do everything ghosts can do.” To illustrate his point, he turned, strode towards the lamppost he’d recently been talking to – and crashed straight into it. “Ow!” he cried, rubbing his nose.
“The spell doesn’t really turn you into a phantom,” said a mournful voice. “It just lets you talk to us. Not that anyone ever wants to for very long.”
The trio turned. Now clearly visible, the phantom from Luke’s bedroom stood behind them. He also appeared as though he was made of glass. And he looked utterly miserable.
“You sound like you’ve done this before,” said Luke.
The phantom shook his head. “I’m not important enough to be allowed to use magic,” he said. “But I did see my boss speak to someone using the spell years ago. It didn’t go very well, but then I didn’t expect it to, really.”
“What’s your name?” asked Cleo.
The phantom looked surprised. “You want to know my name?” he asked. “No one ever wants to know my name.”
“Well, we do,” said Luke.
The phantom removed his top hat and bowed his already stooped body. “Henry Horatio Harper,” he said. “Although I don’t expect you to remember it. No one ever does.”
“We remember you throwing things at us in Luke’s bedroom,” said Resus.
“I’m sorry,” said Henry. “I was just practising.”
“Practising?” asked Luke. “What for?”
“My exam,” Henry replied. “I don’t often get the chance to practise in front of people. And even if I do, they don’t really notice me.”
“Well, we did,” said Resus, rubbing the bruise on the back of his head. “Although I can’t imagine what sort of exam would need you to chuck stuff at kids.”
Suddenly a deep bell boomed out across the square. The ground shook, and Luke, Resus and Cleo were forced to clamp their hands over their ears. “What is that?” cried Cleo.
Henry sighed. “That’s the end of my lunch hour.”

 Be sure to check out the next chapter over at Spine Chills!

True Immortals by Zoe Marriott

Zoe Marriott is a reader's dream author. Funny, heartfelt and always happy to talk about writing and reading and geeky things like how hot Andy Lau was in House of Flying Daggers and other sundry topics, so when we were asked to do something with Zoe to celebrate her brand new novel: Shadows on the Moon, we were hesitant.

Yes, you read that correctly. We were hesitant. We were heading towards Under 14's Only Month in July and not thinking straight and we were so worried that we weren't going to be able to get Zoe to hold court on MFB at such short notice. And you know what? Sarah came through with this awesome review from earlier today and Walker put together some cool things for us to give away and Zoe came up with this awesome blogpost about fairy tales and fairy tale retellings and storytelling...and my heart soared. And to top it all off, later this afternoon, we are hosting an extract from Shadows on the Moon.  Sometimes you just have to close your eyes and believe in serendipity!

***

The first stories that the first people told each other were fantasy. We can see these stories in cave art, where human and animal spirits meld with each other and with features of the landscape, creating an astonishing picture of a world where men were part of nature, not separate from it. Despite the life or death struggle that must have formed their existence – or perhaps because of it – those first people took immense care to immortalise their stories. These extraordinary carvings and paintings can still be viewed today.
  

Art by Arthur Rackham

As time went on and humans divided the world to form countries, cities and civilisations, our stories gradually changed. Now, instead of seeing ourselves as part of the wonder and magic of nature, we began to believe that we were different – special – with a wonder and magic all our own. Our tales were more sophisticated fantasy, stories of human-like Gods and monsters who created and ruled the world, alternately tormenting and aiding humanity. These myths and legends still influence our society today.

Still later, when religion became even more formalised - and even more contentious - humans turned from tales of Gods in human form to tales of other immortals. We thrilled to stories of dragons, witches, fairies, pixies, wizards, elves, goblins, vampires and werewolves, and these creatures still show up in everything from children’s books to T-shirt slogans today.

The true immortals of our world are not Gods, monsters, fairies or even dragons (I know, I’m disappointed too) but stories. The human ability, and more than that, NEED to weave the gleaming gold thread of narrative in among the ragged and bloodstained tapestry of our day to day existence is the reason why (I think) we probably developed language, art, music – and the written word. In other words, without stories? We’re just apes with clever fingers.
 

Larry Elmore's Dragon Scout


Stories aren’t going anywhere.

Maybe that’s why today, books that draw on the rich tradition of inherited fairytales, myths and folklore from all cultures are some of the most popular in the YA market. I certainly pounce on new retellings or folklore inspired stories with wild enthusiasm whenever I find them. Here’s a list of some of my favourites, both new and old:

Eight Days of Luke by Diana Wynne Jones. This is a novel aimed at 8-12s but I recommend it to everyone – it’s based on Norse Myth and was actually the inspiration for Neil Gaiman’s very famous adult fantasy American Gods (told you, stories are immortal). It’s the darkly hilarious tale of a neglected young boy who accidentally manages to summon a certain mythological being into the modern day world, and isn’t sure if he’s made the best friend of his life or unleashed Ragnarok. Or both.

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini. This is probably my favourite retelling of Greek myth ever. I’ve been obsessed with the Illiad and Greek myths ever since I was a kid (you can ask my teachers – I got a gold star for my project on it in year five) so I went into this book feeling slightly hostile and sceptical about someone messing around in my territory. Four hours later I was sending the author tweets cursing her for leaving me hanging and begging her to write the sequel faster. This is a YA paranormal fantasy with a strong, principled heroine, a breathless romance and a cunning, multi-layered plot.

Beauty by Robin McKinley. Most fairytale enthusiasts will offer you this version of Beauty and the Beast as their very first recommendation if you ask for a great retelling. It has probably influenced my writing choices more than any other with its lushly romantic tone, hypnotic, lyrical prose and bookish, commonsensical heroine. It’s a classic.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. This book takes on Cinderella in much the same that my own Shadows on the Moon does, and attempts to explain just why any girl with an iota of spine or heart would allow herself to be made a drudge in her own family home. The sprightly heroine and humorous tone have made this a library favourite, and although I’d say it’s aimed at the younger end of YA, I still enjoy re-reading it very much.

The Perilous Guard by Elizabeth Marie Pope. What can I say about this brilliant, Elizabethan-themed Tam Lin story, except ‘Get it now’? If ever you longed for another heroine like Jane Eyre – strong, resolute, morally focused and pragmatic – then this is the book for you. In fact, just typing this gives me an intense urge to get it out and read it again!

The Iron Witch by Kaz Mahoney. This modern YA paranormal novel deals with the not-terribly-well-known Germanic folk tradition of the Maiden with Silver/Iron arms, and does so in a unique and beautifully written story that mixes alchemy, fairy-folk, and romance.

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale. A unique retelling that takes on the form of a journal written by one of the servants from the fairytale of Maid Maleen or the Maid in the Tower, this historical fantasy features a delightful, plump, food-loving heroine and a culture which I believe takes inspiration from the rise of Gengis Khan and the Mongolian steppes.

The Door in the Hedge and Other Tales by Robin McKinley. I didn’t want to repeat any authors on this list, but I simply couldn’t resist adding this collection of short stories. When I think about my childhood, the language of this anthology – rich and whimsical and magical – is what defines all my memories. I borrowed it from the library so many times that eventually the librarians gave it to me as a present! The story contains two original tales by Ms McKinley, which draw strongly on folklore, and two retellings of classic stories The Princess and the Frog and The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

***

Walker Books and Zoe have kindly offered the following items to be given away to one lucky competition entrant. Please note that the competition is open to UK entrants only and will run from today, the 30th June till July 7th when we'll be choosing random winner via Random.org. The goodies: scented fan (lovely!), magnet and also postcards.

Thank you to both Walker Books for letting me play with Zoe and thank you to Zoe for indulging us with this awesome blogpost.

Zoe Marriott's Shadows on the Moon - Extract 1

     “Sometimes I wonder…” she whispered.

     “Wonder what?”

     “Why I lived, when everyone – Mother and Father, even the baby – died of the fever. Why I lived to come here, and annoy Oba-san, and be a burden to Oji-san.”

     I pressed my lips together to hold in the angry denial that wanted to escape. Instead I put my arm around her, and hugged her fiercely.

     “Perhaps,” I said, when I had control of myself. “Perhaps the Moon took pity on me…”

     “What do you mean?” she asked, surprised.

     “I was so lonely before you came. I used to pray for a brother or sister – someone to talk to and play with. Most especially I prayed for a sister: a kind, beautiful sister. Perhaps the Moon heard my pleas and spared you when my aunt and uncle died, not for your own sake but for mine. If so, I cannot be sorry. Though you might be, to have such a sister forced on you, and such a mother as mine.”

     “Suzume!” she said, a little amused and a little shocked. “What would your father say?”

     “Oh, he never says anything. That is part of what makes Mother so cross all the time. Father knows that if he scolds me I argue, and arguments are so noisy, and—”

     “ ‘A quiet house is a happy house,’ ” she chorused with me.

     She was smiling now, the sweet, happy smile that I loved to see. I congratulated myself, though I had said nothing but the truth. I was about to suggest that we walk back to the house, when I heard hoof-beats on the road. Lots of them. Travelling at a gallop.

     We exchanged interested looks. Mother? No – why would she be in such a hurry so close to home? Besides, we could not afford so many outriders.

     As I leaned forward to look down at the road, the troop of riders broke out of the forest. Aimi made a sound of wonder. There were an even dozen of them, and they wore black lacquered armour and rode dark horses. The spring sunlight gleamed on the horses’ gear and on the silver edges of the armour. They made a glorious picture.

     I expected them to carry on along the road, but instead the leader, who had a crest of white feathers on his helmet, pointed, and they wheeled their horses and turned on to our little road. The thunder of hooves shook the ground as they rode under the ranks of blooming trees, and pink and white petals showered down, catching in the dark flowing manes and tails of the horses. They looked like an illustration from one of Father’s books.

     Yet, as the leader passed us in our hidden place, a cold finger touched my back and I shivered. I did not like the feeling. Sometimes it came when we were about to get bad news.

Shadows on the Moon by Zoë Marriott

Synopsis

Trained in the magical art of shadow-weaving, sixteen-year-old Suzume is able to recreate herself in any form – a fabulous gift for a girl desperate to escape her past. But who is she really? Is she a girl of noble birth living under the tyranny of her mother’s new husband, Lord Terayama, or a lowly drudge scraping a living in the ashes of Terayama’s kitchens, or Yue, the most beautiful courtesan in the Moonlit Lands? Whatever her true identity, Suzume is destined to capture the heart of a prince – and determined to use his power to destroy Terayama. And nothing will stop her, not even love.

I've been looking forward to getting stuck into Shadows on the Moon for ages so when I saw on Zoë's blog that it had been seen in the wild already I set aside the weekend to read it. Suzume is initially happy with her family and cousin Aimi at their home and her privileged lifestyle. Her mother has been long absent visiting a family member when soldiers come and kill her father and Aimi. Suzume manages to escape by accidentally using a skill she didn't even know she had - that of shadow-weaving. Alongside this and the help of an old man (and fellow shadow-weaver) called Youta she manages to escape them. When her mother finally reappears she is whisked off to live with her and an admirer of her mother, Terayama-San. From this point on the book takes a darker turn and Suzume starts a long journey that will test her to the very edge of her capabilities.

I loved Suzume, she's both brave and resilient. Within her core is an absolute desire to survive and this drives her along as her life takes various twists and turns. Although her mother is keen to forget their previous life and embrace her new marriage, Suzume is loyal to the memory of her father and wants nothing more than the truth. This truth takes her from her comfortable life to that of a kitchen drudge and then away to start over again as a courtesan. Along the way she meets the quite frankly awesome Otieno - a boy she meets on a boat to the Moonlit Lands. He can see through Suzume's shadow-weavings and through the wall she has put up to protect her soft interior. In her every reincarnation he recognises and supports her despite the fact that she doesn't always treat him fairly as she is so focussed on her quest. Another character who I loved was Akira who rescues Suzume from a tight spot. Akira is wonderful, strong yet caring and I absolutely adored her back story which I won't go into so as not to spoil the plot. Needless to say I was praying for a good outcome for her.

One of the themes of Shadows on the Moon is that of self-harm. At no point is this subject trivialised or glorified, in fact it's one of the most sensitive approaches to it that I've read. The origins of Suzume's self-harm is clear; her mother never lets Suzume speak about the death of her father which she witnessed. Instead, from the age of fourteen, she is urged to keep her memories inside. As the book unfolds Suzume remembers other things that her mother did: forcing her to keep her love of music to herself, constant criticism and a lack of warmth and support. Keeping all this within with only a desire for revenge for company affects Suzume deeply and her rage turns inwards. As the years roll by Suzume becomes stronger but at times still resorts to self-harm.

Everything about this book is beautiful from the passing seasons, the food (which had me starving as I read) to the clothes. Although the plot is fast-paced and exciting it was underlined with a gentle sort of rhythm as Suzume goes through her various reincarnations. I would highly recommend this book and it has convinced me to check out Zoë's other books too.

MFB hosts Stop #7 - A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

MFB is the seventh stop on the blog tour for A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, and you can read the seventh extract below. If you’ve missed the first one, visit The Mountains of Instead to start the tour.

A MONSTER CALLS BY PATRICK NESS


EXTRACT 7

LIFE WRITING

Stories, Conor thought with dread as he walked home.

It was after school, and he’d made his escape. He’d got through the rest of the day avoiding Harry and the others, though they probably knew better than to risk causing him another “accident” so soon after nearly getting caught by Miss Kwan. He’d also avoided Lily, who had returned to lessons with red, puffy eyes and a scowl you could hang meat from. When the final bell went, Conor had rushed out fast, feeling the burden of school and of Harry and of Lily drop from his shoulders as he put one street and then another between himself and all of that.

Stories, he thought again.

“Your stories,” Mrs Marl had said in their English lesson. “Don’t think you haven’t lived long enough to have a story to tell.”

Life writing, she’d called it, an assignment for them to write about themselves. Their family tree, where they’d lived, holiday trips and happy memories.

Important things that had happened.

Conor shifted his rucksack on his shoulder. He could think of a couple of important things that had happened. Nothing he wanted to write about, though. His father leaving. The cat -wandering off one day and never coming back.

The afternoon when his mother said they needed to have a little talk.

He frowned and kept walking.

But then again, he also remembered the day before that day. His mum had taken him to his favourite Indian restaurant and let him order as much vindaloo as he wanted. Then she’d laughed and said, “Why the hell not?” and ordered plates of it for herself, too. They’d started farting before they’d even got back in the car. On the drive home, they could hardly talk from laughing and farting so hard.

Conor smiled just thinking about it. Because it hadn’t been a drive home. It had been a surprise trip to the cinema on a school night, to a film Conor had already seen four times but knew his mum was sick to death of. There they were, though, sitting through it again, still giggling to themselves, eating buckets of popcorn and drinking buckets of Coke.

Conor wasn’t stupid. When they’d had the “little talk” the next day, he knew what his mum had done and why she had done it. But that didn’t take away from how much fun that night had been. How hard they’d laughed. How anything had seemed possible. How anything good could have happened to them right then and there and they wouldn’t have been surprised.

But he wasn’t going to be writing about that either.

“Hey!” A voice calling behind him made him groan. “Hey, Conor, wait!”

Lily.

The eighth and final extract of A Monster Calls will be posted on Patrick’s author page on Waterstone's, Thursday 12th May…

You can follow Patrick on twitter, become a fan on facebook, or visit his website.

City of Fallen Angels Bloghunt

Six questions.

Six blogs.

One chance for fans in the UK and Ireland to get their hands on the letter that Jace writes to Clary in City of Glass before he leaves on a life-threatening mission. I'm super excited about this as I heard that readers in the US who purchased their book from Barnes and Noble got a copy but we didn't. I needn't have worried - Walker Books have got it all under control and we can get a copy too.

Each question is on a different blog, and the answers lie in City of Fallen Angels, the latest in Cassandra Clare’s bestselling The Mortal Instruments series.

Once you’ve answered all the questions, put the first letter of each answer together to create a word. Email that word to Undercover Reads, and Walker Books will send you a beautiful print of Jace’s letter, complete with the Morgenstern Seal.

The fifth question is…

5. What is the title of chapter four of City of Fallen Angels?

Got the answer? Okay, make a note of it and then the sixth and final question will be unveiled on Serendipity, on Wednesday 11th May.

If you’ve missed any of the questions, start the hunt at The Crooked Shelf

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis

The Mortal War is over, and sixteen-year-old Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and – most importantly of all – she can finally call Jace her boyfriend. But nothing comes without a price. Someone is murdering the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine's Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second, bloody war. And when Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

I must start by saying that there will be spoilers for books one to three in the Mortal Instruments series in this review only because it's impossible not to do otherwise.

I unashamedly love this series. I remember walking into a bookshop one day desperate to find something to read as I'd left my book at home. I picked up City of Bones and was instantly transported to a queue outside a nightclub. Things have moved on for the Shadowhunters since that first book and the characters have been through a harrowing time. This book starts a few months after the events of City of Glass and everyone is adapting to the various changes in their circumstances. Alex is holidaying with Magnus (don't worry - they do appear later in the book), Clary and Jace are very much in love, Simon has become something of a babe magnet and is handling it with his usual lack of panache. I can't tell you how much I love Simon, although he's become a vampire he still struggles with the usual teenage insecurities. However, he's starting to face up to the fact that he can't continue as before and that he's going to have to embrace a new lifestyle sooner or later. The scenes with his mother are truly touching, so bittersweet.

However, the calm is short lived. Jace is having awful nightmares that are starting to affect his relationship with Clary. He starts to avoid her and even seeks out Simon who's having his own set of problems. Apart from his multiple girlfriend situation someone is hunting him down and eventually he's going to have to find out who wants him so desperately. The dialogue is as sharp and snappy as ever and there's a great new character in the form of Kyle who makes Simon a welcome offer in the form of a room in his apartment. For lovers of Clockwork Angel, one of the best characters from that book makes an appearance too.

Despite some genuinely funny and touching moments City of Fallen Angels also has its bleak and desperate passages. The stakes and tension are ramped up as Clary and Jace's initial happiness is short lived. The new troubles fit perfectly though into the larger series story arc and although Jace and Clary are really put through the ringer it's all entirely plausible. My only criticism would be that I would have loved more of Magnus and Simon. In all honestly though both of these characters could quite easily have their own series and I believe this is something that Cassandra Clare has considered. I hope it happens as Simon, the unwilling vampire, has so much to offer in my opinion. His struggle with his identity is perfect, if painful reading.

Cassandra Clare has a great Q & A article on her blog about CoFA. Don't go and check it out until you've finished the book! It's very interesting though and a must read for fans of the series.

Scorpia is here!

How pretty is this?

Today is the day Scorpia Rising is published by Walker Books. Now, I've personally seen 3 posters at Tottenham Court Road underground station and did a tiny squee of happiness when I did.

Having met Anthony Horowitz via an event that Bookzone (Darren) dragged me to, it would be REMISS of me not to add the photo of my signed copy to the blog. And yes, I am bragging.

Please do pop over to the official Alex Rider website and also check out the very cool range of movie-style trailers Walker had come up with for this, the final Alex Rider novel. The first chapter of Scorpia Rising will also soon be up to read on the official website.  What are you waiting for?  Go!

Oh, but wait - there is more.

Mr. Horowitz will be appearing to do signings for Scorpia Rising at:

Thursday 31st March, 5pm

WHSmith, The Mall, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol


Saturday 2nd April, 1pm
Waterstones Oxford, William Baker House, Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3AF


Saturday 9th April
11am, Muswell Hill Children’s Bookshop, 29 Fortis Green Road , Muswell Hill, London, N10 3HP
3pm, Lion and Unicorn Bookshop, 9 King Street, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1ND

Just seen that Bookzone has his review of Scorpia Rising up on the blog.  Okay, now go.

**Long Reach Winners**

Please accept my apologies for not getting a chance to do this yesterday - the day got away from me completely.

But, the winners are:

1.  Viv "Razor Tongue" Da Costa
2.  @Catrad as Mandy "McDagger"

Thanks so much to everyone who entered into the silliness f it all. 

Your friendly bookhound criminal on MFB:  "Machete" de Jager

Love London? Love this Book! Long Reach Giveaway!

Walker Books will go undercover on 2nd March in a bid to get London reading for World Book Day. Peter Cocks, author of the East-End gangland novel Long Reach, will assume the identity of Long Reach’s Godfather-esque gangster Tommy Kelly and drive a white van (what else?) through London’s East End distributing 2,000 exclusive Limited London Edition copies of his new novel.

The drop-offs will target teens and adults and include ten schools, fire stations, doctor’s surgeries, police stations and boxing clubs in Newham and Deptford; both key locations in the book, a drop off on the London Underground will also be included. The aim is to reach new readers and remind people that sometimes books can be the best way of discovering
what goes on in your neighbourhood!

This isn’t the first time author and actor Peter Cocks has slipped into character – he stars as Tommy Kelly in the movie-style trailer for the book as well, found at www.undercoverreads.com.

Long Reach is a gritty thriller set in London and Kent and introduces an electric new literary character in undercover teen agent Eddie Savage who girls will lust after and lads will want to be. It is the first title in Walker’s Undercover Campaign.

***

We are incredibly excited to be part of this fantastic giveaway from Walker. We have two copies of Long Reach to give away.

The competition will run FOR ONE DAY only, with the winners announced on Thursday morning before I head off to go and talk to groups of Year 6 students at my local primary school about books, reading and writing.  The competition is for UK entrants only, please.

So, for a bit of fun, to enter, you have to tell MFB and the World what your crime name would be?  Oh, and keep it clean.

I personally would love the be known as Liz "Machete" de Jager or even Liz "Knives" de Jager or something utterly ridiculous.  But in real life I know what I'll be called: Liz "the girl who will read you to death" de Jager.  Feel my pain!

Long Reach by Peter Cocks

Eddie Savage makes 2 shocking discoveries in quick succession.  One: his brother Steve has been working undercover for the police.  Two: Steve is dead. 


Eddie refuses to believe that his hero elder brother killed himself and there's only one way to find out the truth: follow in his footsteps.


There's a job: to infiltrate the notoriously violent Kelly family.  There's a girl: the boss's daughter: beautiful, sexy, dangerous. 


Before long, Eddie is up to his neck in Kelly business...and sinking fast. 

I went into reading Long Reach not quite expecting the brutality and in your face violence and matter-of-factness of it all.  It surprised me but it didn't put me off.

Far from it.  I couldn't wrap my mind around the maturity level of Long Reach.  I really couldn't believe what I was reading was aimed at teens.  It read on par with any mature thriller for adults and in some instances, it was even more in your face.  I was taken aback because even though I had been warned, I wouldn't let myself believe that someone had the guts and the brass monkeys to sit down and write something so in your face real for a younger audience.

The author pulls no punches.  Eddie comes from a rough place and the place he's going to is rougher still.  When he's recruited shortly after his brother Steve's funeral, he undergoes a rigorous bit of training that had me wincing.  He got the snot kicked out of him but he makes it and I cheered for him.  Eddie is a great character with tremendous instincts and a strong voice.  Reading his story had me so involved, I couldn't wait to absorb all of the book.

Once he got his training under the belt, his under cover operation gets underway.  It seems simple enough: make friends with Sophie Kelly.  The cops have set Eddie up in a nice enough place and they've given him his undercover story and set him on Sophie's trail.

Things go perhaps a bit too well.  Eddie has the courage to walk up to Sophie and actually talk to her.  There are rumours that the previous guy that she dated got himself tossed out of a parking lot for touching her bra.  He's on shaky ground but he's himself and Sophie likes what she sees and agrees to see him.  And so things continue until Sophie feels it's time to meet her parents.

The book moves rapidly but without once losing sight of Eddie's emotional state and the trouble he's in.  We get a full picture of who Sophie is, her mum and more importantly, her dad.  The Big Bad.  And what I liked is how I could understand Mr. Kelly's motivations in some instances and how easily it would be to be a young man in Eddie's situation falling for it all.

I loved Long Reach.  I loved the reality, the grittiness and Eddie above all is just such a believable character.  I never once doubted his honesty, integrity, his willingness to take one for the team.  When things start unravelling I had to walk away from the book because I just couldn't cope with the tension.  Then I couldn't bear not knowing what was going on.  Such powerful emotions can only mean that the author did what he set out to do: he hooked me 150%.  I was constantly emailing the poor publicity people who took it with good grace telling them how awesome the book is and how I want to build a shrine to Peter Cocks.  They took it all wonderfully well.  Thank heavens.

Long Reach really blurs the distinction between right and wrong and explores the darker uglier grey side of things where matters become so on the cusp of either side...it left me wondering how I would act in situations such as Eddie finds himself in.

This is a very short review for me - and honestly, I can go on for days about Long Reach.  Buy it, read it, love it.  It is fantastically good.  This is what Ales Rider and Young Bond was supposed to be like.  Dark, gritty, hyper-real with characters that feel like your best mates, even if you are a good guy / girl.

Long Reach is not recommended for the younger range in YA but rather for a more mature YA audience and will have great cross-over appeal for readers who like thrillers and crime novels by people like Mark Billingham and Marina Cole. There is sex (behind closed doors, but it's there), violence (quite nasty and real), drugs (implied and shown) and yet none of it feels gratuitous and I take my hat off to Mr. C's editors and the author himself for keeping a tight reign on the story as it so easily could have spilled out of control.  Instead we have a deeply thoughtful, action packed crime thriller with a new protagonist that will please both male and female readers as you would either want to date Eddie or be his best mate.

Listen to me: buy the book.

Find the excellent Mr. Peter Cocks's website here.  Long Reach is out now from Walker Books.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis

Magic is dangerous - but love is more dangerous still... When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray arrives in England during the reign of Queen Victoria, something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Friendless and hunted, Tessa seeks refuge with the Shadowhunters, a band of warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons. Drawn ever deeper into their world, she finds herself fascinated by - and torn between - two best friends, and quickly realizes that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

I was terrified for Tessa from almost the first page; arriving in London on the strength of a letter from her brother, she's met by a servant and ushered into a coach. Unfortunately for Tessa she's been abducted by the Dark Sisters who have great plans for her. They seem to know something about Tessa which she had no idea about. Once she discovers the truth and meets up with the Shadowhunters Tessa has to learn how to live a new life. Her new home is the London Institute, home of the Shadowhunters led by the fabulous Charlotte. Fortunately, the Institute doesn't mirror Victorian society - they have their own norms and values. As before, Shadowhunters inhabit a strange, shadowy world that lies hidden from humans (mundanes). It's made all the richer for the Victorian background which adds a foggy, mysterious, gaslit hue to the proceedings.

Shadowhunter Will saves Tessa from the Dark Sisters and so begins their tortuous relationship. It's very push-me, pull-me and Tessa is both attracted to him but held back by the norms of the era. He's an interesting hero and I found myself loving and hating him in the space of a couple of sentences. There's also tragic Jem who's sensitive and thoughtful where Will is infuriating and obnoxious. I found myself leaning towards Team Will though, and I feel there's a great deal more for the reader to discover about him in the next book. I even found myself adoring Jessamine the reluctant Shadowhunter. She was brought up to get married and have a secure family life but finds herself slaughtering demons in fantastic dresses. I'm looking forward to seeing how her character grows in the next instalment.

There's too much in this book to fit into one review. Magnus plays a big part and I loved meeting him in his earlier life. If you haven't read the Mortal Instruments trilogy it won't matter but for those who have, it adds a great deal to Magnus's character. He has a very one-sided relationship with the vampire Camille and I found myself feeling sorry for him. He lives on through generations, very much alone.

This book is a perfect example of how wonderful fantasy can be. I'm often hear people say that fantasy or horror are not genres to be taken seriously. However, I believe that Clockwork Angel perfectly illustrates the tricksy qualities of human nature; it just so happens that there are a few vampires and magicians thrown in. I can't argue that I read it to be reacquainted with the world that Cassandra Clare has created but I was touched by Tessa's story. She showed how it's possible to lose everything but gain in equal measure - a real gem of a book.

The Sky is Everywhere Extract - Jandy Nelson

I do not go to the altar of the desk to talk to Bailey on the mountaintop. I do not even turn on the light. I go straight into bed with all my clothes on and pray for sleep. It doesn’t come.

What comes is shame, weeks of it, waves of it, rushing through me in quick hot flashes like nausea, making me groan into my pillow. The lies and half-truths and abbreviations I told and didn’t tell Joe tackle and hold me down until I can hardly breathe. How could I have hurt him like this, done to him just what Genevieve did? All the love I have for him clobbers around in my body. My chest aches. All of me aches. He looked like a completely different person. He is a different person. Not the one who loved me.

I see Joe’s face, then Bailey’s, the two of them looming above me with only three words on their lips: How could you?

I have no answer.

I’m sorry, I write with my finger on the sheets over and over until I can’t stand it anymore and flip on the light.

But the light brings actual nausea and with it all the moments with my sister that will now remain unlived: holding her baby in my arms. Teaching her child to play the clarinet. Just getting older together day by day. All the future we will not have rips and retches out of me into the trash bin I am crouched over until there’s nothing left inside, nothing but me in this ghastly orange room.

And that’s when it hits.

Without the harbor and mayhem of Toby’s arms, the sublime distraction of Joe’s, there’s only me.

Me, like a small seashell with the loneliness of the whole ocean roaring invisibly within.

Me.

Without.

Bailey.

Always.

I throw my head into my pillow and scream into it as if my soul itself is being ripped in half, because it is.

For the next installment, pop by ChickLitReviews .