Evolution by Teri Terry

review by Maryom

Here we are at last at the concluding part of Teri Terry's YA sci fi/conspiracy theory thriller trilogy, and there's been a lot of change and upheaval since Shay and Kai started looking for his missing sister Callie, back in book one, Contagion. In fact, normal life for most of the country has ceased as a flu-style epidemic spread rapidly causing unknown numbers of deaths. Very few survive, those who do are changed forever, and hunted down by the remaining authorities as a threat. The search for Callie has become part of the search to discover more about this dreadful disease, where it came from, and if there's any possibility of a cure, or at least for something to stop the virus's spread.
Shay and Kai have meanwhile become separated again; although sharing the same goals, they each believe their way is the best to proceed. In a normal world this would probably be little more than a lovers' tiff, but the world isn't normal any more, and the decisions they make could mean life or death.

These three books have definitely been a roller coaster of a read, with the tension constantly cranked high, and just when you think the story's moving towards a happy ending there are some nasty shocks to come. It's been absolutely brilliant though. The plotting is ingenious and devious. Conspiracy is hidden behind conspiracy. Whisk away a layer of secrets and lies, and there'll be more beneath, like peeling an onion, or opening a Russian doll. On those rare occasions when Shay, Kai and the reader thought they'd found the heart of the web of secrets, events would take an unexpected turn, and you'd realise nothing had been half as simple as you thought.
The author doesn't pull punches, or hold back on violence. The evil mastermind is unscrupulous, not held back by any normal human 'weaknesses' like fair play or sympathy for others, and, unsurprisingly perhaps, behaves as ruthlessly and single-mindedly as you would expect evil villains to.
An excellent series - but be prepared for your favourite characters to suffer.





Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - teen, sci fi/ conspiracy theory thriller

Deception by Teri Terry

An epidemic is sweeping the country.
You are among the infected. There is no cure, and you cannot be permitted to infect others. You are now under quarantine. 
The 5% of the infected who survive are dangerous and will be taken into the custody of the army.

As the epidemic spreads, survivors are being hunted like witches, for the authorities fear their strange new powers.

Kai is desperate to trace Shay, who tricked him and disappeared. Meanwhile, Shay is searching for the truth behind the origins of the epidemic ... but danger finds them wherever they go. Can they outrun the fire?

review by Maryom

It's always difficult to know where and how to start with a review for a second (or third) book of a series, so my first simple step is to just quote the synopsis above which appears on the book itself, adding that Kai and Shay have been on the trail of his missing sister, and uncovered far more than they'd expected, especially that her disappearance was somehow connected to the 'flu' epidemic sweeping the country.
The end of the first book of the series, Contagion, left them at a logical sort of place but with so many questions unanswered that I've been longing to read more. Deception is definitely the name of the game this time. Kai and Shay are trying to find answers - how did the epidemic begin?  is their ever likely to be a cure? what happened to family and/or friends? - but it's not easy to find any when so many people, at both a personal and official level, are covering up the truth. It seems at times that one layer of deceit is removed, only to find another hidden below. When I'm reading adult crime fiction, I always pride myself on guessing the villain and having an inkling of how the plot will pan out - here, I'm stumped. Although I feel I'm better than Kai and Shay at picking who to trust, or not (yes, I was mentally shouting 'Don't believe X. They're up to no good'), I still can't guess how the plot will develop or who, if anybody, could be the 'good guys' in this scenario.
Add in some fast paced action, secret hideouts and military bases, the possibility of some secret research lab experimenting without any official control, and a hint or perhaps more of a love triangle, and it's easy to see any reader would be hooked.
How would I describe it? Well, definitely a thriller, with a slightly sci-fi/conspriracy theory feel as it involves secret scientific research. Whatever you call it, Deception is an excellent, tense, thrill a minute, unputdownable read. The danger is real and ever-present, any moments of calm are short lived, and before long Kai and Shay are plunged back into action and life-threatening situations. With that in mind, I'd suggest that it might possibly be a little scary for readers at the younger end of its age range, especially if they're inclined to identify too much with characters; I can easily imagine them becoming so engrossed that it becomes 'real'.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - teen, sci fi/ conspiracy theory thriller

Contagion by Teri Terry

URGENT!
An epidemic is sweeping the country.
You are among the infected. There is no cure; and you cannot be permitted to infect others. You are now under quarantine. 
The very few of the infected who survive are dangerous and will be taken into the custody of the army.



review by Maryom

Kai's younger sister, Callie, has been missing without trace for a year, so when a girl called Shay contacts him with new information, he has no doubts about dashing up from Newcastle to the small village of Killin in Scotland to investigate the lead. Together they try to piece together Callie's last known movements but events in the wider world are working against them.
A secret scientific facility on Shetland has been conducting some very dodgy experiments, and when a supposed earthquake destroys it, a horrendous,highly-infectious, fast-acting flu virus is leaked into the world. Special army units are called in and quarantine zones are soon established across Scotland, making it difficult to travel, but even so the disease continues to claim victims at a dreadful rate. Very few survive, and those who do are considered too dangerous to be left at large.
Against this backdrop, Kai and Shay pursue the leads to uncover what exactly happened to Callie, and why ...

Anyone who's read this blog will know how much I love Teri Terry's teen/YA novels, whether set in the dystopian worlds of the Slated trilogy and Mind Games, or the urban fantasy of Book of Lies. This time the story is  a mix of dystopian horror as a mystery illness sweeps the country, thriller and conspiracy theory as Kai and Shay uncover far more than they'd expected in their search for Callie.
It's a great read, with characters to warm to, and a plot to entice you in - the sort of book you don't want to put down, but read in one sitting (no matter how late you have to stay up to do that!). You'll be left wanting more though, as this is the first book of a trilogy, and, although it ends at a logical point, a lot of questions have been raised and not answered yet. I can't wait to see how things develop in Book 2!

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - teen, dystopian thriller, conspiracy theory

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

review by Maryom

Mica high school has a new student with an unusual name, Stargirl. At first people think she's strange - she brings her pet rat along to school, wears odd clothes, plays her ukulele and sings Happy Birthday to people she doesn't know - but gradually they begin to fall for her charms, her bright outlook on life and her desire to make everyone happy. Stargirl though, instead of starting to fit in, keeps being her same irrepressible but odd self - no other cheerleader would feel happy when either team scores! The things people once liked about Stargirl are becoming the things they now dislike!
So, while the story's narrator, Leo, is falling in love with Stargirl, his fellow students are turning against her. She doesn't appear to notice but Leo gradually realises that she is being shunned by everyone - and so is he when he's with her. Once the crowd have decided you're not one of them there's no way back, and Leo soon finds himself caught between Stargirl and his old friends.

Stargirl is a story about being different, and daring to stand out from the crowd, about the struggle between conforming and being true to oneself. It's told from the perspective of Leo, a student in the year above Stargirl, who falls in love with this crazy girl and all the things that make her 'weird' but then finds himself torn between her and his 'normal' friends - which makes the reader understand that it's harder than you might realise to stand out from the crowd.

Stargirl herself is a little like the 'manic pixie dream girl' trope of films - a quirky individual whose main role is to bring about change in some emotionally-stunted guy, she's colourful, attractive in a slightly off-beat way and full of life. Stargirl certainly fits the bill! She's got the unusual clothes, weird pet, a special place out in the desert where she goes to think, and, like a fairy godmother, her day is spent in creating little moments of happiness for those around her - both the people she knows and complete strangers. But there's more to her than the standard two-dimensional character; she knows she isn't like other students, even when at her most popular, and tries to fit in - it's just that suddenly no one wants to know.

It's a story that will make you think - about how most of us try to fit in, don't want to do anything to make us 'different', and also about how anyone who chooses to not follow the unwritten rules is often marginalised - but above all it's an enjoyable and very readable book. The publishers suggest  9+ as its target readership but I think it will appeal to readers well into their teens (I certainly didn't feel I was being talked down to, and I'm MUCH older)

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - 9+, teen fiction, 

Book of Lies by Teri Terry

"They are trapped, frozen. Waiting. Straining against the wood that holds them. The unwary catch a glimpse now and then - feel their desperate hunger, see a glint of red eyes - and scurry out of the shadows of the wood, back to the light.
She's coming; it will be soon.
They will run free on the moors again. The Hunt will return. 
And the ground will run with blood."

review by Maryom

Quinn and Piper are identical twins - but neither knows the other exists. Fearing a family curse, their mother insisted on them growing up apart; Quinn living in a remote house on Dartmoor with her grandmother, almost cut off from the world, not attending school, rarely meeting anyone else, even her mother; Piper living in more 'normal' surroundings in Winchester, with her mother and father, going to school, having friends and a boyfriend like any average teenager.

 Their mother always believed that one twin was cursed, full of evil, and would let loose the forces of darkness, while the other was the opposite and may even be able to lift the curse which has plagued their family for generations - but which is which? Now, at their mother's funeral, they're about to meet for the first time... 

Teri Terry's previous YA Novels - the Slated trilogy and Mind Games - were set in some vague dystopian future but Book of Lies brings fantasy to a town like yours.The story's premise - twins, one good, one evil, kept apart since birth, haunted by a family curse - sounds like the stuff straight out of fairy tales, but the setting is far from the deep-in-the-ancient-forest style fantasy. Instead events take place on the streets of an average English town and the wilder but still vaguely familiar (camping holidays/DofE) setting of Dartmoor. 

Told from the alternating perspectives of Quinn and Piper, the story hooked me from the first page. Being 'in' on the twins' private thoughts while each only knows her side of the story, and being able to put together the pieces about their family curse quicker than they did, kept me reading, wondering what would happen as the story raced towards its climax. It's definitely one of those un-put-down-able YA novels that rival a lot of 'adult' fiction.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - teen/YA urban fantasy

Chosen by Lucy Coats

review by Maryom

Lucy Coats' Cleopatra, the Chosen one of the goddess Isis, is back - fleeing from the wrath of her sister Berenice, and filled with guilt that, through unforeseen circumstances, she has been the one to break 'ma'at', the balance of the universe as represented by the Double Throne of the Pharaohs. Now following the secret map which leads and physically tugs her towards Isis' sanctuary, Cleo hopes she can restore the Goddess to her rightful place and bring peace and prosperity back to Egypt.
First though, there are battles to be fought, the sand storms of the desert and the perils of a sea-crossing to be endured, her father to be brought back from Rome to take up his role as Pharaoh and the attractions of a young Roman decurion, Marcus Antonius, to be ignored.....

Chosen picks up minutes after the closing events of Cleo - and this is one occasion when it's best to read the books in order - as Cleo and her friends run for their lives, jolting away on the world's smelliest camels! Ever-faithful Charm is still by her side, with her wit and generous friendship, sharing the hardships of the journey while facing problems of her own. The interaction between Cleo and Charm is a delight to read - one a princess chosen by a goddess, the other a slave girl, but behaving as equals. This book introduces a third young woman, Iras, a trained warrior of the crocodile god, Sobek, now self-appointed body guard to Cleo, and a possible 'love-interest' for Charm. Cleo's romance with librarian Khai is moving into a different phase - he's long haunted her dreams but now he's here in flesh and blood, and will their love prove stronger than the pull Cleo feels towards Marcus Antonius.

I've always found it easier to come to grips with history when it's about personalities rather than dry facts and dates, and although neither Cleo nor Chosen are 'true' accounts of events, they still bring the times and people vividly to life. From the shifting sands of the desert to the luxury of a Roman villa, the discomfort of camel-riding or a cunning cure for sea sickness, the sights and sounds of the times fill every page. Hopefully, having read both books, readers will be intrigued enough to want to follow Cleopatra's life further as she moves from obscurity onto history's stage.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - historical adventure, teen/YA

The D'Evil Diaries by Tatum Flynn

Review by The Mole

Jinx D'Evil is Lucifer's son but he's not very good at being evil. In fact that's his problem he keeps being good and not evil. When he is given an instruction - by his dad or anyone else - he does it to the best of his abilities! His dad decides he will join the army but he cannot stand this idea so he runs away and discovers a plot to overthrow Lucifer and invade heaven. Inept and incapable as he is he has to stop this from happening but he has help in the form of a dead (although human) girl who shouldn't be in hell anyway because children aren't permitted.

Very funny but also very clever, this book had me thinking and I'm sure young readers will be laughing but also contemplating about the nature of evil at the same time.

Demons and monsters of every shade of colour and horror abound as Jinx blunders across hell, each new one encountered is a new opportunity for mayhem and laughs.

Easily read with a hero who is good at nothing and an unlikely heroine who saves his bacon time and time again this book has something for any child who enjoys a laugh.

Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - Children's humour, fantasy adventure

Cleo by Lucy Coats

review by Maryom 

When her beloved mother dies following a mysterious 'falling down the stairs' accident, Cleopatra find her place at the Egyptian court full of danger. With their father the Pharaoh away dancing attendance on Caesar in Rome, Cleo's half-sisters Tryphena and Berenice have their eyes on the throne ...so, fearing for her life, Cleo runs away and finds sanctuary at the temple of the goddess Isis in Philae. Here she lives in anonymity as just another acolyte training in the ways of the goddess and hoping to become a priestess one day, but Isis had marked Cleo out as someone special from her birth, and after four years she is Chosen by the goddess for a special task. Isis's power is failing and to restore it Cleo must find a secret map hidden in the Royal library in Alexandria. Going back there means Cleo risking the malice of her sisters but, on the plus side, maybe, just maybe, she can meet again with Khai, the boy-librarian who has haunted her dreams since she left.

Cleo is a thrilling tale full of danger, friendship and budding romance set against the backdrop of Ancient Egypt. Re-telling the story of Cleopatra before she burst onto history's stage, it may not be absolutely historically accurate - nothing is known at all of Cleopatra's early life - but it's an engaging, fun read which brings people and places vividly to life.
From the first page Cleo grabs the reader's sympathy and admiration. The story opens with her battling against her feelings  - full of grief, but trying to be brave and show no emotion as her mother dies watched over by the royal court. Not only is showing emotion frowned upon but at this perilous time, Cleo needs to keep her judgement clear and her wits about her to evade her sisters' machinations - and she does. These same qualities stand her in good stead when she's sent back to Alexandria on the goddess's mission. Her devotion to Charm, her slave-girl become friend, and the librarian-spy Khai again win the reader's approval and set her apart from her arrogant sisters with their careless attitude to the life of others. At the same time, she's very much a teenager, with teenage attitude - particularly towards her horrible sisters whom she labels the 'Evil Sow' sisters, but at times towards Isis who marks her out for a special task but then abandons her when godly intervention would be helpful.
This compelling story unfolds against a background of colour and life - I loved the details of foodstuffs, the bustling life of the marketplace, the clothing and jewels, that all helped bring history to life in a totally 'unstuffy' way.
Taken together Cleo is a great mix of history, friendship, adventure and romance that I just loved. So in a way I'm rather glad that her story isn't brought to a final conclusion in this book but carries on in Cleo Chosen.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - historical adventure, teen/YA

Mind Games by Teri Terry

review by Maryom

In a future dystopian world, everyone spends most of their time hooked up to Realtime - a virtual world created by PareCo. A special implant allows them 24/7 instant access, and it's not used just for game or role playing but for everyday life - everything from school lessons to hanging out with friends takes place there. Luna is one of the very few who react badly to the implant and, as such, she's excluded from a lot of things that her friends consider 'normal'. It's more than a little odd then that Luna is one of an elite group picked to join PareCo's think tank. What is so special about her that she'd be selected? Surely PareCo cannot see her as a threat?
At their top secret island base, Luna discovers the evil hiding behind the public face of PareCo - but can she, with her unusual abilities, expose the truth?

We've all heard of the dangers of spending too much time on games consoles or the internet - well, Teri Terry takes this a step further. The virtual Realtime world has almost replaced the physical world - certainly there are restrictions, with limited use for young children, and advised amount of 'downtime' - but, with life-support to take care of bodily functions, for most there's no need or desire to unplug; people make friends in Realtime, go on dates there, even have virtual sex rather than physical. Luna, as an outsider, notices the problems of such dependency - for instance, her dad's job means he spends more time away in the virtual world than present with his family - and there's a lot of food for thought among her observations, but it doesn't detract from the story-line.
The story falls into two sections - at first in the everyday world of home and school, setting the scene and building this dystopian society, then moving on to the behind-the-scenes insiders' view of PareCo's activities, discovering their shocking manipulation of both users and developers of the virtual world. The things Luna uncovers are chilling in the extreme!
 In Mind Games, Teri Terry has created another thought-provoking but gripping thriller - the world-building lured me in, the mystery surrounding PareCo's activities hooked me, and the threat from them to Luna and her friends kept me reading till late at night. Luna herself is a courageous young heroine, facing dangers in both the real and virtual worlds, but determined to set things right and expose evil; someone to sympathise with and root for.
It's very much a book that once started, you won't want to put down - a bit like the virtual world of Realtime!


Oh, and I loved how among PareCo's virtual gaming worlds the author built in a 'plug' for her previous series Slated!


Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - teen, dystopian thriller

If you're looking for more thrillers built around the world of gaming try, for teens, Erebos by Ursula Poznanski or, for adults, Game by Anders de la Motte

Shattered by Teri Terry

review by Maryom

Shattered is the last  instalment of Teri Terry's gripping dystopian trilogy set in a not too distant future, where the standard punishment for offending teenagers is to be given a new start with their minds wiped clean - Slated. This is what happened to Kyla, but for some reason some of her memories have leaked back, leaving her with broken, disjointed glimpses of her past. I don't want to say more for fear of plot spoilers - if you've read Slated and Fractured  you know what's happened so far, and if you haven't I'd just completely ruin them for you.
Now, with a new look and a new identity, Kyla is off to the Lake District trying to behave as anyone of her age would - and, in fact, must according to government regulations - staying in an approved girls' hostel and signing up for an apprenticeship scheme. She's also on a journey into her past - meeting her 'real' mother of whom she has no recollection - and discovering, as her memories return, that there are more surprises in her past than she'd ever imagined possible.
As the last in the trilogy, the plot is bound to head for a grand showdown between good and evil, exposing the bad guys and with everyone living happily ever after....isn't it? Well, some of those elements are there but maybe not in quite the way you'd expect. There are more twists and turns, more doubt about who's on the good side and who on the bad, and the tension doesn't let up until the very end. Kyla is still full of doubt about who to trust, reason pulls her one way, feelings another. I could see that the author had faced some hard choices about how Kyla's story should end and I'm glad she didn't go for the easy way out - even though I'm not sure all readers will agree with me.

Shattered, in fact the whole trilogy, is a fantastic thriller but also touches on some interesting ideas about punishment and rehabilitation, and how a person's character is formed - is it 'hard-wired' from birth or capable of being changed for good or bad through circumstances? - making it an excellent choice for readers looking for something entertaining but thought-provoking.

Maryom's review - 4.5 stars
Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - Teenage Dystopian Thriller

Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff

Review by The Mole

When his father is killed by the Program and the boy is left alone in the world he is befriended, homed and trained by the Program. He turns up in a new school, makes new friends and then assassinates one of their parents and disappears. This is what he does. He believes in the Program - the Program works for justice and national security.  He has almost forgotten who he was until this new case - to kill the mayor of New York. Something awakens in him and stirs - this case can't be right can it? These people cannot be any sort of risk can they? And the case becomes even more complicated when the target changes at the last minute. There is no way he can complete this mission. Is there?

Throughout the story I could not find it in myself to like the boy. There was no subterfuge being played against him, he knew exactly what he was doing and trusted others too much. His training in a few short years amounted to a lifetime in others and somehow it felt like a man's personality in the body of a child. The ending also disappointed me immensely - which I can't explain for obvious reasons.

Did  enjoy the book? Well.. yes I did - except for this age thing which irritated me throughout the story. If they had used some high tech training method, such as the Matrix or Joe 90, then I would have enjoyed this a great deal more but for me this felt like it should have been an adult of at least 20.

If you like thrillers then you will enjoy this and perhaps teens can see themselves in this role as a warrior of justice believing their own youth gives them the ability to put a lifetime's training into a few short years.

Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - Teen Thriller

Buy Boy Nobody from Amazon

Fractured by Teri Terry

review by Maryom

Kyla has been 'slated' - a punishment inflicted on the under-16s removing all their memories and supposedly giving them a fresh start. Kyla's problem though is that her memories haven't been quite erased; somehow they keep finding ways to leak through the block. When she recognises someone from her past she thinks he may be able to clear up some of the mysteries - but if anything he compounds them. Kyla finds herself pulled in different directions - should she go along with the suppressive Lorder regime to keep her family safe or commit herself fully to the freedom fighters who want to overthrow the regime? There aren't any easy answers.

Fractured is the continuation of Teri Terry's excellent teenage dystopian trilogy begun with Slated set in an oppressive not-too-distant future which I'd been waiting impatiently for since I finished the first book. As expected it is an engrossing unputdownable read - I picked it up one breakfast time and finished it the next! Whereas Slated was about discovering this unpleasant future England, Fractured is an uncovering of Kyla's past; following her attempts to recall who she was before slating and find out what makes her so special among the Slated in that she alone has memories from before. The reader sees things from Kyla's point of view and is caught up in her dilemma of how to act for the best; with a memory that's only reliable for the past couple of months, she doesn't know who to trust - or distrust - and I shared these doubts as I read.

Fractured is a compelling read whether taken at the surface level of non-stop thriller or the deeper, thought-provoking one, raising questions about punishment and opposing oppression with violence. The only downside is that it is necessary to have read Slated beforehand - and that, although brought to a nice rounding-off point, the story obviously hasn't reached its conclusion. I can't wait for Book 3!!

Maryom's review - 4.5 stars
Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - Teenage Dystopian Thriller

 The story continues with book three - Shattered

Slated by Teri Terry

 A Clean Slate
 review by Maryom

In the not-too-distant future, young terrorists and troublemakers are given a new start in life by having their minds wiped clean of everything, being 'slated'. This is what has happened to Kyla - although 16, she has no recollection of her life up to now. All her memories of family and home, even of why the government decided she needed this 'therapy', have gone - except maybe in her dreams. She has a new family - 'mum' and 'dad', a sister who has also been slated, a growing romantic relationship with fellow 'slated' boy Ben - but no one she feels she can trust and she soon discovers that a word in the wrong place can have devastating consequences. As her memories start to come back, Kyla has to decide who is safe to trust.

You know a book is good when you pick it up just to have a look and maybe a sneaky read of a few pages, and then find you can't put it down! That's what happened to me with Slated. Teri Terry's début novel is completely stunning. Set in a chilling dystopian world where anyone who questions the government's actions conveniently disappears, taken away by the 'men in grey', there are echoes of Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia throughout. Telling the story from the point of view of Kyla with her 'clean slate' memory enables the author to explain and experience this world through her main character's eyes. Kyla is wary, certainly more wary than the other 'slated' teens she meets, but still naive. The 'normal' kids at school understand the unwritten rules of society much better. As Kyla's doubts and fears grow, the reader shares them - though I sometimes felt one step ahead of her about who was or was not trustworthy.
My only possible criticism is with the ending which left me wanting more! Obviously there are backstories still be be explored - not only Kyla's but her parents' as well - and more story to come. Hopefully there's not too long to wait for it.

I suspect that Hunger Game fans will just love this new series by Teri Terry!

Maryom's review - 4.5 stars (but only because this is not the end of the story)
Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - Teenage Dystopian Thriller

Reviews for books two and three Fractured and Shattered

Grimm's Fairy Tales by Saviour Pirotta

The Return of an Old Favourite
review by Maryom

Much like a golden-oldie record this story collection is having a re-release. We bought it under its old title of The Sleeping Princess, many years ago when our youngest daughter was a toddler and it was in great demand as a bedtime storybook. It's now back in the shops with a new cover and title but the stories remain as enchanting - and frightening - as ever.
Saviour Pirotta retells ten of Grimm's well known folk tales, including favourites such as Rumplestiltskin, Rapunzel and Hansel and Gretel, all of which are vividly brought to life by Emma Chichester Clark's lively colourful illustrations. Fairy tales are always in fashion, remaining firm favourites with parents and children alike, despite passing trends.

Our copy was much loved and read, and hopefully this new edition will find loving homes with many more children.

Maryom's review - 5 stars
Publisher - Orchard Books
Genre - childrens, fairy stories

Buy The Orchard Book of Grimm's Fairy Tales from Amazon

Katie In Scotland by James Mayhew

A Scottish Treat
review by Maryom

We were wondering where to start our little series relating to the Edinburgh Book Festival - and decided on something that wasn't actually part of it! Although James Mayhew was appearing at the Book Festival, the event I wanted to catch was a story-telling session at the National Gallery, where he held the audience entranced and I bought myself this little souvenir afterwards.

Many of you may have encountered Katie on her adventures around - and through - famous paintings. This time though, Katie is off on a different sort of adventure - to Scotland where she encounters the country's most famous resident, Nessie! Along with Katie's brother Jack and Grandma, they journey round Scotland, seeing the sights and having lots of fun!

My special interest in this Katie adventure comes from having watched it develop on James Mayhew's Katiespictureshow blog - from preliminary pencil sketches, through roughed out paintings to finished article. I just wish Katie has been able to visit my favourite areas of Scotland - the West Coast and Hebridean Islands with their turquoise seas, white sands and Scotland other famous beast - the Highland Midge! Maybe another time she will.....

Publisher - Orchard
Genre - children, picture book

Buy Katie in Scotland from Amazon