Blacklands by Belinda Bauer

This is Belinda Bauer's debut novel, before which she worked as a journalist and screenwriter.

The novel is about a 12 year old boy who has grown up in the shadow of his Uncle Billy, murdered at the same age he is now, buried in the Blacklands and never found.

The child, Stephen Lamb sets out writing to Arnold Avery the paedophile serial killer, to find out where the body of his murdered uncle resides. This sets into motion a game of cat and mouse between the two correspondents.

It is not until Avery works out that Lamb is only a child that the book takes a chilling turn for the worst.

As Stephen relentlessly tries to gain approval from all those around him, he endures constant knock-backs and criticism, but he battles on bravely.

Second best to his mother, and resented by his sour grandmother Stephen has little in the way of family life, all of which he believes he can fix if only he could find the remains of his uncle, allowing his family the closure they crave. I felt so much sympathy for Stephen's character showing how well written the book was to allow the reader to feel so much pity for Stephen and so much repulsion for Avery.

A brave and harsh debut novel, I look forward to her next work.

8/10

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Breaking Dawn sold more that 1.3 million copies in its first 24 hours of release, smashing the sales records of the last book. It just proved to the public how popular these books had become! Anyone like myself who had never read anything of its kind before should really take the leap and read them as they are written beautifully and flow so well from one to the next.



Breaking Dawn is split into 3 parts. Part one and 3 from Bella's perspective and part two from Jacob's. The way the different perspectives are written capture the characters so well from the various viewpoints. I really enjoyed Jacob's section as he is less analytical then Bella and encompasses more of the qualities and feelings most of us can relate to.



The final book sees the honeymoon on Edward and Bella take a bizarre turn as Bella finds herself progressing rapidly through an unexpected pregnancy. It is clear to all that the baby is killing Bella until a rather disgusted Jacob suggests giving Bella human blood as they is what he thinks the baby (and Bella) need. It works and during the horrific birth Edward is forces, with Jacob's blessing as the new and rightful Alpha of his pack, Edward to have to bite Bella with his venom and change her for ever more.



After her agonizing change and adaptation to real life, Bella realises that the Volturi in Italy want to come and not only kill her child viewing her as dangerous, but have her and Edward among other talented vampires, come and work with Aro their leader.



The vampires and werewolves again join forces making an army of their own with other vampire friends and set out to make the volturi meet their match.



A fantastic crescendo to a superb saga!



10/10

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

The third book in the Twilight Saga sold more than 150,000 copies in the first 24 hours alone, and readers would not have been disappointed by the content!

The love triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob thicken in this book as the two men compete for her affection. After a string of murders in Seattle the vampire family soon work out that a Newborn vampire has been unleashed on the city and needs sorting out. It is not their business in their eyes until they realise that the person behind these newborns is Victoria. She is still after her revenge on Edward, to kill Bella.

In order to overcome the strength of the newborn army and Victoria the vampires have to reluctantly join forces with the werewolves. The pack is split because of Jacobs decision to join forces with the vampires but protecting Bella is his only priority.

After agreeing to marry Edward Bella kisses Jacob and makes everything more complicated. After the fight Jacob receives a wedding invitation from Edward and runs away ending the book not knowing if he will ever come back.

Eclipse was m favourite of the three so far. I loved the fact that despite the natural divide between vampire and werewolf, they were able to come together for someone they all loved.

10/10 Brilliant

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

Book two in the Twilight Series.



When Edward Cullen is forced to leave Forks after his brother tries to kill Bella after an innocent paper cut produces a drop of blood, Bella is left in pieces. Edward is her life and she feels she cannot function without him.



When she is left in bits she seeks solace with an old friend Jacob Black, who comforts her and occupies her mind. Slowly she begins to improve and although the pain has not decreased she is able to smile again.



However when Jacob falls into what she believes is a cult Bella is once again tormented by her old daemons and she realises that Jacob isn't what he seems.



It doesn't take the intuitive Bella long to realise her best friend is actually a werewolf and as if that is not enough, the werewolf is the vampire's only one true enemy. Phew!!



In danger again Bella finds herself in a tight spot of trouble, and maybe this time it won't be Edward who saves her but the other way around.



Another brilliant book which has left me wanting to read the next in the series.



9/10

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Following a discussion with a friend a week ago I revealed I had read little to no books about Vampires and such like, and was subsequently presented with the complete Twilight series to read! Yikes...these on top of the bulging box of books...I'm obviously a book magnet to those who know me!!

Despite my towering pile of books I thought I owed it to my friend to read these first on a promise of an early return of them.

Slightly sceptical I delved into the first page and came out gasping at the final page only to grab the next in the series New Moon and carrying on.....which is to follow this review as i finished it just ten minutes ago!!

After moving to the rainy, dull town of Forks, Bella Swan begins a new school only to meet the alluring and mysterious Edward Cullen and his family. Intrigued from the off she entwines herself deeper and deeper into their life finally revealing their dangerous secret. They are a family of Vampires. One drop of her fragrant blood could send any one of them into a frenzy to kill her. Still the bold and fearless Bella doesn't seem to mind and falls hopelessly in love with Edward.

A twisted love story and a must for anyone who thinks of Count Dracula when they think of Vampires. Give it a chance, I was pleasantly surprised....bring on the next one!!

9/10

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

After being given an unbelievably large box bulging to the brim with books of all different kinds of genre's I did what I always tell people not to do, and made my choice based solely on the front cover! The pixelated picture of a green eyed girl intrigued me and remembering Margaret Atwood featured in the BBC top 100 list, for Handmaid's Tale, my choice was made.

The story is narrated by a character calling himself Snowman. He lives alone in a tree, wrapped in a sheet, starving to death. Slowly the story reveals a past of dangerous levels of genetic engineering, public lack of boundaries and a shocking ideology from his friend Crake, who it seems is behind Snowman's current situation.

Alone with a green eyed tribe created by Crake, with few human instincts left, Snowman, formally known as Jimmy embarks on a dangerous journey not only to find food but to find answers. The world has come to grief and Snowman thinks he is alone...but is he?

A breath-taking in-depth read. Scarily poignant in today's genetically modified environment. Has Atwood predicted the future? I certainly hope not!

8/10 as the ending didn't do the book as much justice as it deserved.