Grimoire Noir by Vera Greentea and illustrated by Yana Bogatch - Graphic Novel REVIEW

In a small town where all girls are Witches, Bucky and his best friend Cham (who can levitate) are on the case to find his missing sister. Which seems like a difficult task as everyone in this town has some kind of a secret to hide.

I am all for a story about small town witches to the point that I dedicated my person in memory animation project to Abigail from the Crucible. So, this book sounded right up my street! Specially that I heard about it a few years ago and I’ve been patiently waiting for tit o be realised.  

At first I was concerned about the story before purchasing the book as I had been sent a few negative reviews about the story not living up to the standard of the art. Wow was this wrong, I thought it was quite a perfect spellbinding book and wanted more. If anything, the only issue is the plot being slightly rushed, I want to see more of this gloomy town.

This graphic novel is gorgeous number to add to your shelf, perfect for fans of The Crucible, ParaNorman, Gotham Academy and Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

The story is about 15-year-old Bucky Orson who lives in the town Blackwell where all girls are witches. But this small town goes upside down as Bucky’s little sister (who is the only young witch known to have more than one power) has gone missing. Bucky has little time to figure out who could be the culprit as the town starts to flood with his mother’s tears.

This book reflects on the perspective of a boy who is surrounded by powerful women who seem to rule his small world. Bucky both wants to be like them but also doesn’t have to suffer the curse of being stuck in this small town with limited dreams.

Both Vera and Yana have done an amazing job on this book both with writing and art skill throughout. It would be a crime to let this book slip past your fingers, get your copy while you still can! I personally had to find alternative shops to get this book as it wasn’t stocked in my local bookstores here in London or on Amazon at the time.

I hope to see more of this world whether it be in flash backs, related around on characters or just short stories. There’s a lot of promise of this being a bigger story and not just a standalone. As an animation student I can’t help but see this working really well as a short-animated series following a similar style much like the old W.I.T.C.H adaptations from the long running comics.

This book was worth the wait.

Overall Rating: 5/5 *****

Story: 4/5 **** Just because some plot lines seemed like they had more to say, pretty sure if there’s a future edition it would conclude these bits.

Artwork: 5/5 ***** Art is perfection

The Last Human by Lee Bacon - BOOK REVIEW

Received this book to review from YALC this summer, which is due to be published in Early October this year.

The Last Human is a story from the point of view of a Robot raised 30 years after the elimination of all Humans on earth as technology decides that there is no way to correct their mistakes. Yet knowing this, XR_935 (a 12-year-old Robot, 9th Gen) is surprised to find a young human girl stuck in his work quarters. Deciding to help this human, he and his co workers travel to get this girl to the only place that will help her survive a world which is hell bent on making sure humans don’t exist.

This middle grade book has a new perspective and a message to tell with this story. Life is to dear to waste in a world overflowing with technology and hate. It is better to fix our mistakes instead of letting it go further downhill, an act of kindness may save humanity. This book is definitely one that should be introduced to the new generation to learn to help fix the mistakes that we may set before them. The book is told through out from XR’s perspective with a questioning narration and a range of Emojis, feels like a great book for an film adaptation and can’t wait to see the result of this.

The cover design in itself is quite striking but also misleading, if I were to pick this book up randomly, I would originally think it’s a pocket graphic novel. But the art design helps give a fixed aesthetic and idea of the world they live in. This lovely cover and character designs were illustrated by Karl Kwasny.

This was an extremely quick read which had a strong structure having me hooked from the first page. I would say this story is a combination of a reversed Iron Giant (1999), a kid friendly version of Paul (2011) and a cover that shouts Isle of Dogs (2018).  

Even though this is a book targeted for Middle grade readers I found this book to be an interesting perspective with a fresh look on society whilst having plot points that caught me off guard. A perfect addition for any library or bookstore.

Rating 4/5 **** 

Inchtinn: Island of Shadows by Danny Weston - BOOK REVIEW

I received this Proof in exchange for an honest review at YALC from uclan publishing, which will be published on the 17th of October this year.

“What if survival relied on facing your greatest fears?”

For fans of “Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children” and “Darkmere” comes a creepy new mystery from Danny Weston which follows a young boy’s fear on an island that might be haunted.

Inchtinn is about Noah a young 14-year-old boy who’s adopted mother is a famous author looking for new inspiration for her next book. They travel to stay on a small island for two weeks in hopes of her finding the perfect location for her next adventure book whilst Noah has to face his fear of water being stuck on a remote island with no easy way to get back to shore. The haunting whispers of the island slowly stick to Noah’s nerves as he fears he may be being watched from the shadows.

This is a very fast paced one siting read which is a mix of “Darkmere” by Helen Maslin and “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” by Ransom Riggs. It’s a period piece which channels energy from both books whilst having a spookier setting where we learn more about the haunting history of this island. Danny Weston has written a great story which had my attention from the very beginning till the last page. We have a story filled with myths and history that reflect a few elements of Cartoon Saloons animated feature “Song of the Sea” (2014).

If you’re looking for a fast paced read for a spooky night in October this would be a perfect read as it had me glancing at my own windows seeing if something might be watching me too. It’s not too scary but the perfect blend to keep you on your toes. If that doesn’t sell it for you, the final cover is so beautiful and the book itself has a few pages of illustration by Miranda Harris.

SPOILERS start here

So, as someone who has enjoyed both Darkmere and Peculiar Children I found myself racing through this read without even noticing that I had 10 pages left. At first I was concerned there wasn’t enough energy or hooking points to keep me interested in the story, but I more or less read it in one day. Weston has built a strong plot and world that could have been investigated further but still rounds off well for just over 200-page book, he ends chapters at the right moments to keep you flicking through the pages and saying “One more chapter won’t hurt”.

Noah’s fear ended up feeling so relatable, whether it was the fear of the water or denial of the haunting spirit. You feel his bravery towards the end when we reach the last big obstacle as he finally faces his fear of the water that had been haunting him for so long. Noah’s dream about the ghosts being just a reasonable explanation almost had me completely sold that it was in fact just a logical explanation and not ghosts at all. I think it perfectly portrayed the emotions of someone trying to believe and deny what they’ve seen all at the same time. It’s such a difficult thing to portray, as someone who’s reading you can be like well “clearly it’s a ghost” but facing the reality of how someone could react to this if it actually happened is a difficult one. I think the mum’s reaction was quite spot on considering how much it was brought up that she didn’t like fantasy writing and didn’t believe in all of that nonsense.

This book feels like it could be a simple series or short film, I could totally see a 3 part TV special dwelling deeper into the past more than our little ghost did. This book has made me realise how much I would love a good YA book on the myths of Selkies, It was so nice the way to story circled back to the seal at the end as it was one of the first big points at the start of the story. My only negative point for this book was maybe that is was a bit too short and needed to scare me a bit more. Though saying that, it did make me double check no ones looming over me before I sleep since completing this book.

SPOILERS end here. 

I haven’t previously read any of Weston’s book, but I found this a nice simple read which I would recommend to those looking for a little suspense and mystery for an evening. In addition, Miranda Harris illustrations are quite fitting for the mood of the book and are a nice surprise once you flip on to a full page of her art.

Rating 4/5 **** It was an overall good fast passed creepy read, I think there was room for it to be a bit more haunting with a bit more build up.

Top Girls - National Theatre - Review

This review is in response to National Theatre’s Entry Pass Scheme making discounted offers available for National Theatre performance every term to young people in the UK aged 16 - 25 with £7.50 priced tickets. This was my first time using my Entry Pass membership to purchase tickets for a NT performance. 

Disappointing, confusing and could have been so much better considering the humour and characters it starts with. 

After having such a great time watching Small Island last month and seeing how highly reviewed Top Girls was, I wanted to see another great performance. Sadly, this was a super disappointing one as it wasn’t anything that I was expecting, and Part 1 makes the rest of the performance’s plot super misleading. This has probably been the worst performance I’ve seen this year so far; Part 1 alone was great and a good sell but after that things became quite naff. Acting was great and emotional, but it felt like the whole thing was cut and snipped from a bigger story and wasn’t relevant to one another.

Top Girls is a story that follow’s a women in an agency who is working her way up the ladder when her niece (who is actually her daughter who she gave to her sister so she could pursue her career) comes to visit her because she want’s to be as successful as her aunt. We are introduced to the play with a group of women from different time periods which discuss all the suffering and judgement they face from their time which is actually very insightful, humours and entertaining until we are suddenly transported to the what the actual plot is which ends on an odd cliff hanger.

Top girls have totally put me off with trusting reviews for NT performances considering how many 5-star rating’s this production received. Maybe I’m missing something, whether I’m not in the targeted age group for this production or I had to have a better understanding of the plot before seeing this performance…all I know is I hardly connected to it.

Average stage set up, interesting format but a very sloppy story that didn’t connect together and was left with a very weak finishing line as it failed to make a final impact (may I add with a phrase that didn’t seem to relate to anything that had happened). As much as it covered good sections on employment in the 80’s and Women finding a step on the working class ladder it left nothing else for the audience to be entertained by. By far Part 1 was the best bit about the play, it was slow to start with but once we got into the humour it felt like we had a stable subject to discuss and learn from. But nope this was cut short and we are thrown into the actual plot of this play, the branding is misleading making it seem part 1 is the centric section and part of the narrative only to play no part to what’s happening.

So is you go in, be prepared to follow what is presented in front of you. I feel sorry for the production as I am not trying to be harsh as the acting wasn’t off, but the script didn’t do justice for the talent of the cast. There was great moments of humour and topics that are very relevant to today's standard in the employment ladder and relating to women’s rights. It just didn’t pull through to where it could have gone. 

If it weren’t for the fact that I went to different events later that day I felt like it was an utter waste to go and see this performance and I wouldn’t recommend it to other people unless the first act is extended to be a play within itself. Hopefully as I go to see NT’s Production Peter Gynt it doesn’t fuel me with the same disappointment.

If your looking for a play that focus on Women in the workplace in England in the 80′s whilst trying to explain a complicated cliff hanger story of a young girl who looks for her aunt to be a successful woman whilst dealing with somewhat dramatic themes then this could be your cup of tea.

Rating 2/5 ** This is being kind considering how disappointed I felt.

Rosmersholm - The Duke of York’s Theatre - Review

This review is in response to Mouse Trap’s £10 18-23 Scheme bringing discounted offers every month to young people in the UK. This was the Second of July’s Show offers.

Rosmersholm was a beautifully designed political piece of theatre and I was very grateful I got to see Hayley Atwell on stage and have some amazingly close seats to the stage that made the performance even deeper and impactful.

Rosmersholm is a period drama which starts on a ghostly suicide with a turn of mystery as this town is hit by the war on politics and fake news enforcing political views on to it’s people by men with power. Rebecca West (played by Hayley Atwell) tries to enforce her free spirited views onto Rosmer (played by Tom Burke) who is haunted by his history and the loss of his wife. Their electric energy brings this play forward into a time where whispers can end a man’s career and reputation as Rosmer faces comments for betraying his church as the men he calls men turn to taunt him. 

Sadly, though the performance wasn’t living up the 5-star critic it had received as I found myself a bit sidetracked and bored in sections and confused whether some of Atwell acting was line slip ups or on purpose. It didn’t stop the rest of the acting from being great but was confusing whether it was meant to be an additional attitude to her character or a cover up of a mistake.

There was a lot of build up to this play with lots of great effects and design throughout, but the heavy dialogue can be draining. Whilst watching the play I felt quite board with bits but once I walked away and processed all that happened, I decided in fact it was quite enjoyable. My issue was I didn’t process the information in the right way, so the ending completely stunned me.

The set design is in fact beautiful and all the effects make you believe you are in the setting, that close to the stage I don’t see how it couldn’t have. I thought there was no way there could be a set change, but they cleverly managed to make it work and it didn’t feel too out of place. All the characters were quite solid, and the personality was there, the twists and turns in the scripts with the secrets were the bits that keep you interested. I expected there to be a few ghosts looming around and I was a bit disappointed to see no such thing considering how heavily it was implied.

The finale by far, is the thing that moves you up to your feet to witness the impact of the emotional scene. So nicely placed and hinted through out the whole play I felt like I was going to drown with it all. Considering it’s plastered all over their branding I don’t know how it didn’t click in mind.

I wouldn’t suggest this to an immature or underage crowd, there’s politics and lots of dreaded secrets with a heavy script. You might find yourself emotional sucked into the play or falling back into your seat waiting for the dreaded rant of politics to end and to get straight into the drama of the story. As someone who doesn’t like politics, I can see your hesitation, but the final impact of this story is something is you might not want to miss. After watching this performance, I ended up liking this performance more the following day than I did when watching it, it was letting the final impact and secrets sink in to realise what the over affect of that knowledge had on the character’s in the play.

Again, Hayley Atwell is an amazing actress and I was glad to see her take on a theatre performance away from the screen and light of her Marvel role as Agent Carter. It took me a few days to fully process the twists of the story and the impact of the finale but it was definitely worth the watch and I would like to see more plays like this in the future.

Rating 3.5/5 ***.* Great aesthetic but boring in places plot wise. But amazing acting with such heavy dialogue.

School of Rock - Gillian Lynne Theatre - Review

This review is in response to Lottery Ticket winning for 2 A Brand seats for London’s Performance of School of Rocks with AGT Tickets.  

As someone who has seen the film at a young age, I decided to finally try my luck at getting tickets to the musical version. On my first times entering the lottery I got selected for discounted seats straight away and was excited to see how this film has been adapted for the stage. So, I went with my boyfriend who has never seen the movie, it was interesting to compare both our reactions to the musical at the end.

The musical follows the story of Dewey Finn who is kicked out of his band before Battle of the Bands. With his best friend’s girlfriend threatening to kick him out if he doesn’t pay the rent he has to find cash quickly. To earn extra money he poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There he see’s raw musical talent in the students and takes the opportunity to mould them into the band that can win him the contest. 

We have a stage adaption that almost runs exactly in line with the movie with a slightly modern spin on the technology and extra elements but sticks to the power and design of the message from the original film. The acting is fantastic and there are still a few surprising twists in there including the music, but you definitely leave wanting to hear those musical numbers again and again. I took me a few weeks to get “Stick it to the Man” out of my head.

For the most part this performance has it all, the humour, the talent and the energy but something was missing from the performance for me to give it a five out of five. The highlights of the musical is the fact that these children are really playing lives instruments on stage and they are all super talented but also the fact that as the audience you feel like you are actually live at the concert and part of the story which is a really nice touch and reflects on the original ending of the film. I love to give them credit for making the space have that concert aesthetic and also encourage people to take photos and stand which seals the deal.

This is a good family fun musical but also inspirational for young kids who will get inspired to learn music and play a new instrument. It will also remind parents to think what their kids want instead of dictating what they should do with their lives. As someone who has been playing the Keyboard since I was 8 years old, I think it’s great that there’s something like this inspiring child to take up music and also giving the platform for young performers every night to actually have their talent be heard.

School of rock is a family fun musical, inspirational and strong and perfect for both fans of the movie and for those who might never have heard anything about it before. Enjoy some classy rock music for the evening with The School of Rock!

Rating 4/5 **** Long Live Rock! 

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 3/4 - The Musical - The Ambassadors Theatre - Review

This review is in response to Mouse Trap’s £10 18-23 Scheme bringing discounted offers every month to young people in the UK. This was the First of July’s Show offers. 

“Powerful, Fun and perfect for the Summer. It would be amazing as it’s own long running performance in the West End”

Adrian Mole is a powerhouse musical reflecting on the energy and humour of one of London’s long running musicals: Matilda whilst playing a new unique twist based on the long running book series.

I’ve been to a range of theatre this year including some highly rated iconic musicals, but they have never left me feeling as great and energised as Adrian Mole limited season Musical did. 5/5 stars this has to be one of the greatest musicals I’ll ever see, the humour was amazing and so was the acting and singing. I was one my feet before the last number finished and never felt so star stuck by a performance as much as I did with this.

I took Mousetrap offer for this performance by chance just wanting to see a great musical and I have never been so glad about it as I was with this. I feel sorry for the people who might have turned their head from the wonderful performance offer, forget the 4-star rating given to this musical doesn’t face the reality of its outright 5-star performance I witnessed.

I never knew the original story of Adrian Mole but my parents both had watched the series and gave me a light breakdown about the plot before I went to see the show. The way the set design works for each scene and the how vivid and bright everything was just filled me up with Joy. It all worked smoothly, at points I got worried for the actors when ever a set piece didn’t seem to move a first push.

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 ¾ the Musical reflects on the life of Adrian Mole over the time of a year as he writes in his Diary about his life. He feels awkward and a bit down of his life until the new girl walks through the door and he tries to do everything to win her heart. The play reflects on a young teen’s journey through adolescence in the early 80′s as his parents separate and he tried his luck with the girl of his dreams.

The play has great numbers and chemistry with its cast, in the performance I saw had the part of Barry being played by Charlie Stripp at it was an amazing casting having the girl play the part of the boy bully in the playground and she did such a lovely job that it was one of the points of musical that stood out for me. It was great to see the adult actors play parts of the kids and it shocking when they first enter the stage in school uniform. One of the strongest highlights out of the cast had to be the performance of John Hopkins as he played both schoolgirl, headmaster and the sexy next-door neighbour. He even managed to make mistakes of dropping things and other small issues work to the humour on stage. The only thing I would have changed was adding more segments to the dog puppet they had as I feel it restricted the actor/actress from moving the puppet around.

Overall this Musical has gone above my expectations and if anyone is in London before the season ends, they must put Adrian Mole on their list! There are political numbers and jokes perfect for the adults in the audience over the kid’s heads. Enter the world of Adrian Mole with this limited season musical number playing at the Ambassadors Theatre until Sat 28 Sep 2019.

Rating 5/5 ***** Just Wonderful!

Beneath the Dead Oak Tree by Emily Carroll - Comic REVIEW

Loved Through the Woods and wanted another story to give your head a spin? We have wolves and foxy character all in elegant dress wear and to seal the deal a bloody torn up corpse in a Dead Oak Tree? I’ve definitely got the perfect comic for you!

So, following the utter love I had for Emily Carroll  graphic novel “Through the Woods” I decided to get my hands on this small comic/zine she released as I loved the art style and new character designs. Carroll has a strong sense of design, that cover caught my eye straight off the bat without me even knowing it was her work at first. Having a quick look at the preview, I just knew I needed my hand on this short comic! It has such bright colourful pages that reflect on the style of Carroll’s short story from the Through the Woods graphic novel “A Lady’s Hands are Cold” that I was like yes, I’m ready for another creepy story as long as it’s beautifully illustrated.

Fair warning from here this post will contain SPOILERS

I loved it! I had to re-read it like three times to get the full impact cause my mind was like gosh this is a reflection on inner jealously and out right crazy. We’ve got a young foxy character who torments herself on not being chosen to be eaten by her future husband. Girl you’re meant to be creeped out by the fact he ate someone else not be obsessed with the fact he didn’t decide to wait for you to walk up to the Dead Oak tree to eat you. Like seriously! Why would you focus on the very negative side instead of the fact he chose to be with you and not eat you.

It was so nicely planted; it reflects on the same torture the girl goes through when hearing the voice in the night in “A Lady’s Hands are Cold” yet the result of it is a lot more bloodshed. I feel sorry for the sorrow she keeps but not at the fact it’s from the pain of not being chosen, she didn’t matter to her that her  husband committed such a crime but for the fact he decided she wasn’t of the same value to kill and leave buried in the hollow of the Dead Oak Tree. At the end she lets that be the things to lash her anger out at him, he received the punishment he deserved.

If you don’t get your hands on this copy, please do yourself a favour and look at the beautiful pages of art Emily Carroll has created for this short story. I honestly would love to see a whole graphic novel which revolves around these character designs and style.

I’m in love with this short comic and I am so glad I made my purchase, to get your hands on your own copy or find something that might be more up your street go to ShortBox who have a great selection of short comics to purchase from.

Rating 5/5 ***** Story and Art because ah I loved it!

Through the Woods stories by Emily Carroll - Graphic Novel REVIEW

Mystery, blood and Little Riding Hood. This Graphic novel is a collection of short horror stories both illustrated and written by Emily Carroll. 

This book is so freaking beautiful! I hate horror but gosh Emily Carroll makes it look like freaking blood red is the new fashion. As an artist I can’t help but appreciate all the work that Carroll has placed in this book. It’s so bright and vivid that I feel immersed into the world she has painted. Carroll has created few short original horror stories focusing on mystery and suspense which all have their own distinct styles. My favourite story being “A Lady’s Hands are Cold” which left me stunned on how creepy it was as I tried to wrap my head around the story.

This graphic novel is definitely distinct from what you might consider your standard cup of tea and I struggle to think of a good comparison for this book, the closes example I can think of might be “Anya’s Ghost” by Vera Brosgol which wasn’t as creepy as this, but I think touches on similar themes.

Emily Carroll is on my list of favourite artists after reading this graphic novel which was gifted to me as a birthday present. I was completely blown away and wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did. It still has its issue, it felt like some stories were cut a bit short which I’m sure might have been done on purpose for overall effect, but I felt like wanting to know more. There were weak elements or just stuff I felt like I had to accept instead of questioning them for days trying to think what exactly has happened.

Even if Horror isn’t your first choice, you should just give this book a chance when the art is so eye catching, I would want just the intro and conclusion as prints alone. I can’t wait to get my hands-on Emily Carroll illustrated graphic novel of the book “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson which should be out towards the end of August. I got my hands on the proof copy for a few minutes at YALC this year only to be told they weren’t giving any proofs away. I was utterly devastated and couldn’t bring myself to let the book go once I got my hands on it.

I expect to see more great work from Emily Carroll and hope to see improvement in her writing as her latest release “When I Arrived at the Castle” hasn’t been reviewed as highly. I got my hands on it at a Foyles in Central London and found myself not hundred impressed by the plot outline but the art is utterly beautiful.

Speaking of beautiful art, you should make sure there’s a spot on your shelf for “Through the Woods” it would work great as a treat on Halloween or creepy Christmas Eve.

Story 3.5/5 ***.*  I think I’m new to horror and didn’t get the full impact of the story as I was left questioning things more. 

Artwork 5/5 ****** Emily Carroll is a freaking genius and creates beautiful art that is now plastered all over my mood boards for my art projects.  

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee -  BOOK REVIEW

LGBT Period Romance? Adventure, A trip gone wrong plus Pirates and Alchemy. Count me in!

WARNING: Slight Spoiler Warning 

For months I wanted to get my heads on Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue and finally I did, but it took me months to read it… but finally I have!

Monty if off for one big grand tour with his best friend and sister when he steals an object from a person of power leading to chaos as their tour around Europe is set off course, they are left with a mystery to solve what must be in this box that is worth all their lives.

So, this is a difficult review as I was both impressed by the writing but at the time a bit bored with the plot, it took me two attempts to get through the first few chapters of this book, but after that I was invested to get to the end. When I got there, I was left a bit empty…like something was missing? but the journey getting there was fun.

The book has great characters, a nice build and touches on subjects that I wouldn’t have even thought of the impact/representation would be during it’s time in the 17th century. You’ve got a strong confusing LGBT relationship to deal with once accepting the morals of the time period of this story how hush something like this would be. As someone who was watching Gentleman Jack alongside reading this book, I find that it’s a somewhat good comparison as breaking the rules of what society gives you and the LGBT are reflected in both even if they are a century apart.

We have Monty the slightly sexually confused and experienced disgraced son who feels cornered into the life he is meant to have whilst being beaten and threatened by his father. His best friend Percy, who Monty is head over heels in love with whilst Percy deals with issues and discrimination he faces because of the colour of his skin and the illness which labels him a demon by his own family. Finally, there is Felicity (Monty’s Sister) that rounds off this trio who is off to finishing school to be a proper lady but is obsessed with Science and learning medicine, she wants to be more than what people “allow” her to be.

Mackenzi Lee takes these characters on a great adventure around Europe which goes disastrously wrong and off course from their original journey. They fall into a mystery of finding something that might cure Percy of his illness with the magic of Alchemy. There’s a lot of heart in this story and quite a few humours bits, but the missing factor for me was not being able to picture the final goal. It felt like Lee stopped short, rushing the last few pages of the ending and leaving it on a slight cliff-hanger for the story to continue in the sequel. I wouldn’t have loved to hear more about the Alchemy in this book as it seemed to be this great big thing, the villain felt easily defeated and swashed aside like nothing happened. Maybe the sequel will give high hopes to a bigger story that we’ve seen in this first instalment.

After you get through the first few pages this becomes a nice fast read and if your looking for a complicated LGBT 17th Century based adventure whilst rebelling from Society standards then this is the book for you.  

Rating 4/5 **** Had room for a bit more improvement towards the end or else a pretty good read. 

The Loneliest Girl in the Universe by Lauren James - BOOK REVIEW

This book is not what I was expecting at all!

Last year I attended a Women in Sci-fi panel at YALC where Lauren James was promoting her next book and everyone in the room seemed to be a page ahead of me praising Lauren for her great work. After hearing what people had to say and how emotional they were over the last section of the book it caught my attention. Seeing the book advertised again to me on Amazon, I decided it was time to give some of Lauren’s work a read after seeing how intelligently she talked about science and applying possible future technology into her written work. As I type this, I have eyes on her latest book which will be discussed at this years YALC event in London.

I couldn’t put this book down, lately I’d been finding it difficult to read a book in one go and always having to leave it for a day or two before reading more, but I could not put this down! The first section is a bit slow; you start using your head trying to decipher what’s happen in the past and what’s going on in the present. You need to ask the right questions to know what the heck is going on as Lauren James puts on this charade that this book is a love story at first with the loneliest people in this universe… but something radically darker happens catching you off guard. Even knowing this fact from her panel, I couldn’t click on to exactly what was going on until a few pages before the snap to the juicy content of this book happened. After reading and relating to Romy’s innocent views where she has been isolated for so many years just wanting more, you start to feel the true panic of what she has been through.

Yet the innocents of Romy (the loneliest girl in the universe) can be a bit cringey at times, mainly because she sounds like any girl lonely reading fan fiction in her bed apart from the fact, she has to run a ship all by herself. This doesn’t stop the character from becoming a strong lead and I honestly couldn’t think what she was meant to do in her place at times. It makes you grateful for what you have and hope not to ever loose it.  

The last section of this book was without a doubt the highlight and I’m glad majority of what I had been asking myself had happened. Lauren hints at things all the right way that it’s hovering there in the back of your mind the whole time thinking oh does this play a part. If this is anything to go by, I’m sure Lauren will be creating a lot of great content in the future. Lauren’s newest release “The Quiet at the End of the World” is on my list of summer reads if it’s anything like this.

So, if you’re looking for a quick fast past intense read which goes against anything you might originally be expecting, this is the book for you.

Rating 5/5 ***** I was just so happy with this book even with a few issues here and there I can’t help but give it a 5 out of 5. 

A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer - BOOK REVIEW 

Beauty and the Beast with an even bigger twist.

A Curse so Dark and Lonely follows a similar formula to already existing Beauty and the Beast retellings but bringing something fresh to what seems to be a small story leading to an even bigger step up.

I’m a fan of retellings, it’s great when an author tries to give a fresh look to an already repeated iconic fairy tale that the world knows, but this leaves room for disaster as it isn’t easy to make a retelling successful or loved. After reading Sarah Mass’ “A Court of Thorns and Roses” I never expected a book to rise to the same level with the themes of Beauty breaking the curse of the Beast, but Brigid Kemmerer has taken the one element I hate in books and made it work amazingly.

What am I talking about you wonder? The trope I’m talking about is overused and thrown into almost every basic fan fiction you can find, the one of an ordinary girl being transported into a magical world. This trope is designed to make it relatable to the reader because what girl hasn’t at one point desired to be transported into the world they are reading/watching. Such as Anna Day’s “The Fandom” that I got an advance copy of at YALC, but still have to gather the strength to finish one day because of the “Normal girl being transported into their beloved book/show”. Yet Kemmerer made this completely work, I wasn’t sure about it during the first few chapters believing that this would come crashing down, instead I found myself happy with the set up even when the build-up was slow. Once you reach the halfway mark you find yourself lost in the story especially when you realise where it is heading.

Harper, Rhen and Grey are all strong characters in their own way. First you have a strong female who is set on getting back to her family whilst dealing with a disability you wouldn’t find in every YA and a Prince who might be cringey at times but dealing with dark horrors. Grey of course is the side character you learn to love but there is something clearly mysterious about his loyalty and strong survival instincts. After a slow build up which may put you off at first this book does end big leaving you wanting to get your hands on a sequel as soon as possible. I had questioned this very ending early on but expected it to be just a random idea of mine, Kemmerer has been very clever with how subtle she’s placed these hints to the big reveal at the end of the book.

Overall this book has the twists, the diversity in characters, a build up to a magical world, curses, dark witches and a whole load of bloodshed. I don’t think I have many negative comments on this book apart from some things could have been paced smoothly but must congratulate how it ties things between the two different worlds as it’s worked quite successfully.

If this is anything like Sarah J. Mass writing this is only a basic set up so if you feel a bit low in places do so, based on early ARC reading of “A Heart So Fierce and Broken” the sequel will surpass this first book without a second thought.

Rating 4.5 /5 ****   So difficult almost complete 5 stars for me  

To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo - BOOK REVIEW 

It’s been over a year since I’ve wanted to get my hands-on Alexandra’s debut novel. After finding out she would be having a signing and talk at Waterstones Piccadilly in June, I decided to get the title and see how this Little Mermaid retelling would go.

Alexandra Christo has created a dark retelling that would remind fans of Freeform’s “Sirens” mixed with “Pirates of the Caribbean” and Leigh Bardugo’s short stories in “The Language of Thorns” with her own retelling of the little mermaid “When water sang fire” which I loved. So, with the Siren/Mermaid genre being quite repetitive in YA books, Christo had a lot of competition with this but with the opening line “I have a heart for ever year I’ve been alive” I was hooked. The story does have moments when it suffered, she builds up this strong narrative that could be made into a trilogy and feels like it is going to be cut short to a cliff-hanger. Reaching the end to the last few pages I’m sure there has to be some cut off point where we won’t see a battle, but Christo manages to squeeze a big battle in and make it work last minute.

Lira (the siren) has strong character and is written quite deadly and soulless within the first few chapters before showing layers and layers of pain and sadness that has pushed her to be this killer. Once human she is given her humanity back as if getting a clear head to what is she has done and how she can stop herself from repeating the same mistakes. This stand-alone story could find its way to the big screen or as a mini TV series if adapted correctly avoiding some of the low points of the story and making earlier set ups to the plot clearer.

Yet this being one of the books I’ve read heavily based around the themes of Mermaids, I cannot say how this compares to other series such as “Daughter of a Pirate King” but if you are looking for a quick stand alone book for an evenings read this could be your perfect match with love, dark fantasy, princes and sirens on an adventure to fight for the one thing that could end an incoming war.

Alexandra Christo next book is a duology “Into the Crooked Place” that will be released in October, so keep an eye out for Christo first series.

Rating 4/5 ****

Small Island - National Theatre - Review 

This review is in response to Mouse Trap’s £10 18-23 Scheme bringing discounted offers every month to young people in the UK. This was the First of June’s Show offers.

Small Island is a stage adaption of the 2004 novel by Andrea Levy about three people’s lives connecting in different ways in the late 40’s, taking place before, during and after the Second World War. I cannot compare this performance to the original material as I have yet to still read this award-winning book, but the play has truly moved me. We follow the lives of Hortense, Queenie and Gilbert, all of which we are introduced in such clever and engaging manners as these actors in each of their parts face the audience and have us laughing as soon as the play starts. I prefer to see musicals but since this performance I am more open to watching more comedic and drama pieces as I found myself enjoying the whole thing.

Personally, for me Queenie’s script and acting was one of the best parts, her overall character and personality was humours and uplifting throughout, yet all of them bring their own quality and spin to the characters. The whole first part of the play was full of humour as we see these characters intertwine and how they are connected whilst learning their dreams, their wishes and thoughts when they break the 4th wall and talk to us directly. The transitions with lights and sets help break down the different times within flashbacks which seem seamless allowing them to show more of these characters’ stories that I’m sure were part of lines in the book.

The whole first act by itself felt like the play in one, once the second half began it starts strongly before bit by bit dipping down in quality. Because these characters are suddenly apart of each other’s lives instead of just interacting slightly (like in the first half). You loose which character is in lead as if the torch is being passed between them several times in a scene. But this doesn’t stop the play from ending strong, throughout addressing how people of colour were treated at this space of time in Britain whilst hitting all points at the end of the show. Treatment of people of colour were successful represented and well received with lots of cheers in response to any time the issue was argued on stage.

Regards to design and costume it felt and breathed life of the 40s with the mix of animation and video projection added more depth to the sets with the visuals of waves in the background making you feel like you’re by the sea. Transitions and quick changes making things smooth between scenes with lifts under the stage bringing characters out of nowhere help add more to the comedic factor.  

Overall a strong play that can connect with many people and is something that young people should be encouraged to see and learn from. Hope to attend more of National Theatre performances soon after the great success of the Small Island.

Again Thank you Mouse trap for such great offers!

Rating 4.5 / 5 ****

Hansel and Gretel - Regent Park Open Air Theatre - Review

This review is in response to Mouse Trap’s £10 18-23 Scheme bringing discounted offers every month to young people in the UK. This was the Second of June’s Show offers. In addition to discounted tickets to this opera they provided a Q&A session with the producer of the English National Opera before hand.

Hansel and Gretel opera in the park is a delightful and slightly creepy opera that catches you off guard. After settling in and adjusting to the sudden burst of sound whilst untangling the words that are sung, you find yourself sucked into the magic as the sun sets and the lights turn on. Even with a few rain showers you soon let the thought of down pour disappear as you get engrossed in the musical numbers. The experience of an open-air theatre with the cast disappearing into bushes and birds magically flying overhead as if on cue really sells the deal of the setting being in the forest. 

 Theatre design was quite simple set up and cleverly used with brooms becoming trees and houses simply being stripped back in seconds. For young people who haven’t previously watched opera this would be a good gateway without being stuck on the stereotypes of the genre. As someone who hasn’t necessarily had great experience with opera before I am now more open to the idea of using my all access areas membership to see opera in the near future.

 The Q&A before the show was interesting and most of the comments about the opera made beforehand I would totally agree with by the end of the performance. It also allowed us to ask questions we might never have had an insight to before. As an Animation student I found the chance to ask about how projections are planned and used in opera was quite beneficial. Overall this was a great performance and lovely venue, hope to return for another open-air performance next year.

 I want to thank Mousetrap again for the great opportunity making performances like these more accessible for students and young people in general. Specially after a season of exams and work it’s great getting the opportunity to spend an evening sitting down, relaxing and experiencing something new. Can’t wait to see what Mousetrap has in store in autumn.

Rating 4/5 ****