More than this - by Patrick Ness

“A boy drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments. He dies.

Then he wakes ,naked, bruised and thirsty, but alive.

How can this be? And what is this strange, deserted place?”

I’m a big fan of Patrick Ness’ Chaos Walking trilogy, so I was keen to read his new novel. Like Chaos Walking, this story is fantasy / sci-fi, but this story is set on Earth with a strong hit of mystery thrown in. It tells the story of Seth, who impossibly wakes up - after having died in the United States - in his old English town. Yet this is not entirely the town Seth remembers. For a start where are all the people? Why is everything covered in dust and weeds? Why is the climate so different to the one Seth left behind? And most importantly, where are Seth’s parents and brother, and how did he get here after dying?

It’s hard to elaborate on more than this for fear of giving too much away. My only recommendation is to join Seth while he unravels the mystery of his life, his death and his life again.

Caitlin @ Balwyn Library.

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Post movie blues... Part 3

Have you seen Divergent yet? Whilst I loved reading the trilogy over many weeks, a movie only lasts for a couple of hours. How will we overcome the post movie blues?

Here's part 3 of a series of posts giving you some ideas to get you through this challenging time....

Idea no. 3: Read some other excellent series! What's that you say? Not interested in Dystopian novels? That's OK, how about some of these other excellent series, from sci-fi, to fantasy to everything in-between: 

• The Daughter of smoke and bone trilogy by Laini Taylor. An excellent fantasy series which is so well written, the third book in the trilogy will be published this year. We've reviewed the first book here !
• The Old Kingdom Chronicles by Garth Nix. Garth Nix is an absolutely amazing writer (did I mention he's Australian?) and this fantasy trilogy will never leave you. Join Sabriel as she journeys amongst the living and the dead in the Old Kingdom, whilst just over the border human life exists as normal. Brilliant! 
• The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. we'd be suprised if you hadn't already seen this series. It has been ridiculously popular. Fantasy. Addictive. Read it. Oh, and we've reviewed at least
  
  one of the books here.
• The Inheritance series by Christpher Paolini. High fantasy, dragons, elves, extremely long and compelling books. Pretty much everything you could want in this genre. Check out this review.
• The Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness. This series blew me away with its sheer originality and highly original prose. Why have I never reviewed it? I have no idea! Still, go on an adventure and read this futuristic, off-world, post-apocalyptic series.
• How about this one? The Diviners series by Libba Bray. Historical / paranormal / crime thriller / fantasy, super entertaining, set in 1920s New York. I CAN'T WAIT for book #2 to be released this year. Yep, I've reviewed this one here.
• Want some rollicking good fun, witty plot, excellent writing and a series that will keep you going for quite some time? Read the Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy. I'd love to meet this author in real life - even the dedications he writes at the start of each book are awesome! We've reviewed one book in this excellent series here.

Don't forget, if you can't get these titles off the shelf, check our ebook collection too!

Caitlin @ Balwyn Library.


What now?

• Add your thoughts about in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve it.
• Borrow it as an ebook.
• Review a book yourself.

A monster calls by Patrick Ness

"The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...

This monster, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth."

This is one of those books that you read in an afternoon and want to give to everyone you know when you're finished. Dark, painfully funny and heartbreakingly honest with cracker illustrations from Jim Kay.

Winner of the Carnegie medal for Children's Literature and the Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration.

Mehera @ Kew.

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• Add your thoughts about in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve it.
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The knife of never letting go, by Patrick Ness

Staff member Jasmin has given 4 stars to The knife of never letting go:

Set on a distant world populated by human colonists, this is the most original book you'll read all year. Todd lives in a little town, populated by men alone, men who cannot help but 'hear' each others thoughts. No one can keep secrets and no one can be private. There are no women, they died during the Spakle war, or so Todd has been told. Then one day Todd finds everything he believed is a lie - the Mayor of Prentiss town is pure evil and he must run for his life. This book doesn't let down the pace, you'll be reading well into the night trying to finish it. And it's a trilogy! Yay!

What now?

• Add your thoughts about in the comments below.
• Go to the catalogue and reserve it.
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