THE RED NECKLACE BY SALLY GARDNER

It is 1789. The French revolution is in its early stages and Yann Margoza is living with the dwarf Tetu and a magician in Paris. After the magician is murdered by the evil Count Kalliovski while the entertainers are performing at the house of the selfish Marquis de Villeduval, the Marquis' unloved daughter Sido helps Yann to escape. Yann and Tetu must flee Kalliovski, but while they are fleeing, Tetu is shot. Yann goes to London and there he is educated over the next two years, but the Revolution is gathering steam and France is becoming increasingly dangerous. Sido is trapped and Count Kalliovski is scheming, and Yann must face danger and return to France to rescue Sido and discover the secrets of the Marquis and Kalliovski.

This book is historical, romantic and mysterious. The plot is complex but very clever and the characters are well-developed and realistic. The fantasy elements of the book make it appeal to a wide range of readers.

The history in the book is particularly intriguing, involving both the events surrounding the start of the French Revolution and the stories of the gypsies in France and England. A perspective on the Revolution is given from both sides of the Channel.

The romance in the novel is not overused but still touching. Yann and Sido share a fascinating bond - though they barely know each other they long for each other like well-acquainted lovers and their relationship is almost spiritual in the way it is described. This makes it a refreshing change from the overused, extreme passion often present in young adult books.

The mystery, however, is what makes this book. The backgrounds of the characters and Kalliovski's evil deeds are revealed as the book goes on, and although the reader can sometimes guess what is coming some plot twists are unexpected and fascinating.

The book does have a few flaws, however. Sometimes the plot is difficult to follow and some characters were confusing. I lost track of who everybody was, even though I only read the book over a few days. I found I could not remember some characters. The book was also fairly long for the story, and contains a lot of detail that, although it is interesting, is not necessarily relevant to the plot.

Overall, however, this was an enjoyable and exciting read and I am intrigued to read what happens in the sequel.

Butterflies: 8 out of 10
Recommended for: people over 11
Warnings: the book is set in the French Revolution and there is a fair amount of violence, particularly at the end of the book. There are also references to the occult and spirits, so that is also something to consider if you are an adult buying this book for a child.

MIRROR BY JEANNIE BAKER

They say a picture tells a thousand words, and in the case of Jeannie Baker, it is so true.

Mirror is Jeannie Baker's latest amazing collage picture book. The images in it are painstakingly prepared, with figures replicated many many times and diverse landscapes created using both natural and synthetic materials.

Two stories are told in the book of two journeys - one of a young Sydney boy and his father going to buy supplies to decorate their newly-renovated house, and one of a young Morrocan boy and his father going to market to tell handmade rugs. Both stories are different, but the amazing thing about the book is that it is really two books in one. When you open the cover, one story opens out conventionall from the back cover, to be read from left to right. This is the story of the young Australian boy. The other opens from the front cover, and reads from right to left, just like the language spoken in Morroco.

The stories are commonplace in their societies, but vibrantly different when compared. The book is designed so that both stories are read at once. I went to the exhibition of the artworks when they were displayed, but did not get to see both stories at once. It is not until you read them side by side that you realise how clever they are, and all the little motifs and similarities between the two stories.

I found myself amazed at the detail in the images and the beauty in the story. I particularly loved the places in Sydney I could recognise - driving through Balmain and Drummoyne near the Tiger's club, crossing the ANZAC bridge and many more. The Morrocan landscapes created were beautiful as well.

So although this was not a book with words, it was a story (really two stories!) that I really enjoyed. I love Jeannie Baker's work and this book was no exception. However, I do find that I enjoy the books that take place over a longer timeframe more, so that is why I am not giving it 9 or 10.

Butterflies: 8 out of 10
Recommended for: anyone! Can be read on many levels.
Warnings: nothing at all!

TOBY ALONE BY TIMOTHEE DE FOMBELLE

Toby Alone is a novel about a 13-year-old boy on the run from the law. The thing is, he's one and a half millimetres tall and lives in a tree.

When the novel opens the reader has no idea why Toby is on the run, but as the book progresses, through a series of flashbacks it is revealed why Toby is running. More and more information about Toby's childhood is also revealed, and characters are introduced both in the flashbacks and the story of Toby running.

The book was clever in it's descriptions of the tree and the author has created a whole world in the Tree. But there were so many characters I found it hard to keep track of them all, and so many of them were evil that I just got the bad guys all mixed up.

Toby's friend Elisha is one of the more interesting characters, as are his parents. There is a strong environmental/conservation theme in the book which both adds and detracts to the story - for older readers this adds interest but it could easily bore younger readers.

Overall the book was a good story but I thought it had too many characters and the plot was overly-complicated. I'm still really trying to figure out some aspects of it.

Butterflies: 6 out of 10

Recommended for: children over 11

Warnings: references to violence and death but nothing much really!

(apologies for lack of cover, I will upload it later but right now blogger is not letting me!)

with just days to go

Hello :)

I've been reading a bit more slowly now that I know I've caught up and will finish on time. So sorry if you liked the reviews every two days or so, that won't be happening any more.

I just wanted to let you know that I HAVE A PLAN for what to do after the project has finished.

So basically I want to study journalism at university, with a view to being a feature writer. My dream job is working for the Good Weekend and travelling the world, interviewing interesting people and writing about really fascinating topics. Because of that, I've decided to write a feature article about this project, from my point of view, as the final thing I do for this blog.

I'll probably post the article in a few weeks, so it is up for the presentation day (which is Tuesday November 16, if you are interested!) and I'd love to be able to include some quotes from my readers about what you thought of the blog. So, post in the comments what you thought! Did the blog recommend any new books to you? Did you follow my progress? Did you try and do anything like it?? I just want to know ANY thoughts you've had that involve the blog.

Anyway, reviews for Toby Alone and Mirror will be up within a day or two, and The Red Necklace (as suggested by Laura as the final book!) will be reviewed by Saturday or Sunday. Keep commenting and reading!

suggest the final book!

Hey there everyone. It's less than one week until the end of the project!

I'm currently reading Toby Alone by Timothee de Fombelle and next up is Mirror by Jeannie Baker, which is an AMAZING picture book, but... that only adds up to 25.

So, I need your help to suggest my final book! I will have about four or five days to read it so it can really be anything less than about 400 pages. And I don't care what genre, I just need to be able to get my hands on it soon, probably from a library.

So leave your suggestions in the comments! I would love to be able to read one of your favourite books :)

HALO BY ALEXANDRA ADORNETTO

This book was one I've wanted to read ever since I heard it was being published. Alexandra Adornetto was first published when she was 15, and now she is 18 and Halo is her fourth book, the first in her second series.

Halo is the story of an angel named Bethany, who, with her siblings Gabriel and Ivy, are sent to earth to combat evil forces in the town of Venus Cove. They have to hide their true identities, and their wings. But it isn't long before Bethany falls in love with the school captain, Xavier Woods. Xavier is perfect, and it isn't long from then until they are an item. Then Bethany reveals to him her secret. All is wonderful for the couple even though they know they have limited time together, until a new person arrives, and starts to shake things up.

I loved The Strangest Adventures series, and this book was good, but I have to say it didn't amaze me like those other ones. The character Xavier was a little TOO perfect to be believable, and it all felt a lot like Twilight because of the supernatural being falling in love with a human theme.

That said, it was still a good book, and much better paced than Twilight. Xavier and Bethany are super cute together, so if you like that kind of thing then it's a great read.

And the fantasy side of it was very interesting, as it was based on facts found in the Bible.

Butterflies: 7 out of 10

Recommended for: teenagers over 14 (particularly girls, but guys could learn something from Xavier!)

Warnings: a bit of language, drinking and sexual stuff

THE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD BY JK ROWLING

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a companion book the the immensely popular Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, that I happen to adore. The book is the very same one mentioned in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and is said to be translated by Hermione Granger from the original runes (Hermione being one of the three main characters in Harry Potter) and featuring comments from Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts.

The stories are reminiscent of the fairytales of the Grimm Brothers, in that they are fairly gruesome in their 'original form' and are apparently still told to wizarding children today. There are five short stories, each teaching a wizarding moral or lesson to wizarding children.

The highlight of the book for me was the notes, said to be written by Dumbledore. His notes are detailed and provide an excellent insight into the world of Harry Potter and the history of the wizarding world. Dumbledore is not writing for a Muggle audience, though, so JK Rowling has added her own notes to explain some things, like for example, the difference between a wizard and warlock.

I valued this book for it's contribution to Harry Potter, not for what it was alone. The stories themselves were good, but not amazing, but the book as a book was clever and an interesting read, particularly for a far of Harry Potter.

Butterflies: 7 out of 10

Recommended for: people who have read all 7 Harry Potter books. There are spoilers and it won't make sense otherwise!

Warnings: one of the stories is particularly gruesome, but it's meant to be a fairytale, so it's not very believable.

THE THIRD DAY THE FROST BY JOHN MARSDEN

Tomorrow When the War Began, the first book in this series, was made into a movie released a few months ago, and it's easy to see why when you're reading any of the books in this series. The action-packed story translates very well to the screen.

Ellie Linton and her friends Fi, Robyn, Lee, Homer, Kevin and Corrie were on a camping trip when Australia was invaded and they found themselves as some of the only free people in an occupied area. They started blowing up enemy camps and machinery, and throughout the first two books cause some major damage to enemy forces. But they also suffer lots of losses and their lives are constantly terrifying.

The Third Day, The Frost is the third novel in the series. It opens with the group with a very low morale after making a tragic discovery at the end of the second book. But they soon decide that they have to do something more to fight the enemy (which is a country that is never named in the novels). After being reunited with one of their friends, they plan a major attack on a port that has been taken over.

The book is fast-paced, at times heart-racing and terrifying, at other times very sad, and even sometimes funny. Although it sometimes seems very unrealistic the action elements and the well-developed characters make up for that. It's also a highly imaginative story, and because it was set in Australia I found myself able to relate to the characters' anger about their country being invaded and colonised.

This book was a quick, exciting read and I would really recommend the series. I don't normally read a lot of action but these books are different, possibly because of the interesting political aspects and the realistic aspects (ie this could actually happen, however unlikely!)

Butterflies: 7.5 out of 10

Recommended for: teenagers

Warnings: references to sex (though there isn't any actual sex in this book, there is in other books), swearing and lots of violence (including the main characters killing and injuring enemy soldiers)

exams again!

When I first started this project I was about to go into exams. Now, nearing the end, I'm going into them again!

Luckily I'm just about finished the project, however there is still some way to go. I'm going to try and finish two more books this week, and probably one or two next week... that way I can read longer books in the last week, the week after exams.

Have you ever had a really challenging deadline you've had to meet? Cause I feel this one will be hard, but I'm really looking forward to being able to get back to reading without all the pressure of trying to read quickly but still in enough depth to be able to write decent reviews! :)

THE WINDS OF HEAVEN BY JUDITH CLARKE

The Winds of Heaven is a story of two cousins, Clementine and Fan. They live a long way away from each other but they share a deep bond that stretches for many many years. Fan is beautiful, but her family is dysfunctional. Clementine can't decide if she envies or pities Fan, but over time as they grow older she realises that Fan's life is a lot more complicated than she first thought. And Fan realises that Clementine is one of the only people that ever understood her.

Both Clementine and Fan are very believable characters. Judith Clarke is a very talented writer, and both girls are distinct enough to not get them confused, but similar enough for the reader to understand why they are friends. As the book spans many years it could have failed in maintaining the personalities of the girls over the years, by making them change too much over time, but it didn't. The girls changed, but only as much as real people do.

I found the book to be a tragically beautiful read. It wasn't too full-on, but it really made me love the characters, especially Clementine and Fan. It's also historical, which I personally love. It was a bit slow at the beginning but I would recommend sticking with it because it turns out to be a really memorable and beautiful story.

Butterflies: 8 out of 10
Recommended for: people over 14
Warnings: a bit of language, references to sex (including teenage sex), domestic violence and a fairly disturbing ending.

THE SHORT SECOND LIFE OF BREE TANNER BY STEPHENIE MEYER

(Another surprise book! I got this out of the library yesterday and read it last night. It was a quick read!)

Some people say you have to either passionately love or hate the Twilight saga, but I am lukewarm. I got this book because it looked like an interesting new way to look at the story in Eclipse, and it didn't let me down, but it didn't shock me either.

Running off the success of the Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer released this book, marketed as an 'Eclipse novella' earlier this year. Although it did not have much publicity in Australia, the book has sold over 1.5 million copies. It is called a novella, however it's a long novella, almost the length of a novel. Though compared to the other Twilight books, which are roughly the same size as large bricks, I guess it is a novella!

The book is the story of Bree Tanner, a newborn vampire involved in the army of Riley, who is a slave of Victoria. Twilight readers (or movie-goers) will know Victoria as the redhead vampire who is out to get Bella, the narrator of all the other Twilight books. Bree is a young vampire, but she strangely has more control over her senses than the other vampires. She meets up with Diego, another newborn, who also has more control than the others, and they try and find out why Riley created them and what they are being kept for.

Overall, the book was... average. The story was, like the other Twilight books, could have been condensed into a much shorter format, and Bree was a lot like Bella. Diego was a lot like Edward. There wasn't much that was new, except that the violence was more graphically described, sometimes to the point of being actually quite disturbing.

I think next time Stephenie Meyer should try a new story. There are only so many spin-offs she can write and while this was good it also hinted at the fact that she was a bit over the characters. I could be wrong, though.

Butterflies: 6.5 out of 10 (sorry Twihards)
Recommended for: teenagers who have read the Twilight series. Or, if you want to just get a taste of Stephenie Meyer before plunging in to all the books, I guess you could read it, though you might get confused and it will spoil the story of Eclipse
Warnings: vampire violence (it's from Bree's perspective so it's a lot more graphic than the other Twilight novels)

A COMPANY OF SWANS BY EVA IBBOTSON

This book is about ballet, but it wasn't really what I expected with the cover featuring what appeared to be a fairly young girl and lots of shiny foil and floral designs.

I expected another, fairly cliched read about a young girl who overcomes poverty/oppression/injury to achieve her dreams but really, it was quite different to that.

Harriet is seventeen, older than the typical main character of these ballet novels. Her father is a professor who only allows her to dance for her health. She's a quiet character, described as quite plain but strangely beautiful when she dances. She is invited to join the Dubrov Ballet Company who are travelling to the Amazonian city of Manaus, but knows that her father will not let her go, partly because she is about to get engaged to Edward Finch-Dutton. She meets a young boy, Henry, at a large estate near her home, who, upon discovering her dream to travel to Manaus, asks that she search for a Boy who used to live at Stavely who he wants to meet. Harriet promises to do so.

She eventually decides to run away and she joins the ballet company. Once in Manaus she meets Rom, a wealthy Englishman, who she quickly realises is the Boy, and the two are instantly attracted to one another. When Harriet is pursued by Edward Rom rescues her, but their relationship is disrupted by a surprise arrival in Manaus.

I found that although some of the characters were well-developed and described (including Rom and Harriet's friend Marie-Claude), Harriet herself was not very well-developed. She had no interesting quirks that made her unique from any other girl, so it was hard, as the reader, to understand why Rom fell for her.

The book was also full of a lot of coincidences, so many so that it was slightly unbelievable. In a whole city, how likely is it that the director of the Opera House where Harriet and the ballet performs just happens to be the Boy who Harriet is searching for?

However I appreciated how ballet was not overused in the book. Harriet loves ballet, but the plot really isn't about her running away, it's about love and adventure. And a little bit about overcoming problems to follow your dreams, but not too much.

Butterflies: 7 out of 10

Recommended for: girls over 14. Boys can read it, but I really don't think they'll be that interested.

Warnings: unexpectedly, sex. It is treated very nicely (mostly), and not graphic in any way, but it's most definitely there, and any reader would be able to pick it up. Rom is widely regarded as a seductor who has had many partners, and the night they first meet Harriet believes he is going to rape her, though he does not. Also Harriet ends up involved in a seductive dance routine when she fills in for her friend (who cannot perform it because of a coincidental encounter) which is described in a fair amount of detail, though it's really not that bad.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS BY LEWIS CARROLL

(This one is a bit of a surprise but I remembered that I read this as a break from Wuthering Heights and never blogged about it!)

Through the Looking Glass is another story about Alice's adventures in Wonderland. I was surprised to discover that many of the events in the two movie adaptations of Alice in Wonderland I have seen were actually in Through the Looking Glass.

Basically Alice returns to Wonderland (although it is called Looking-Glass Land in this book), but this time through a mirror, not down the rabbit hole. It's a very complicated, whimsical plot based on a chess game, not on a deck of cards like the first book. Alice journeys through Wonderland along the chess board. I'm not going to try and explain the plot because it is just too complicated and the whole point of the book is for the reader to be surprised at every turn and very confused the whole way through. The book features many poems by Carroll, including the famous poem 'Jabberwocky'.

It is characteristically weird, just like Alice in Wonderland. Carroll was reportedly a highly interesting person and his books certainly reflect that.

This book makes you think a lot, but it was also an easy read, so it can be read on many levels.

Butterflies: 7 out of 10
Recommended for: people over 10
Warnings: nothing, except it is a bit confusing!

the home stretch

So, crazy times, hey people!

I have to read ten books in the next 25 days. For those of you who were wondering, that is a book every two and a half days. TEN BOOKS.

I am freaking out a little, you may have noticed. I wouldn't be, normally, but my yearly exams go from October 18-22, meaning that although I get to leave school when I don't have exams, I have a lot of studying to do particularly next week when I still won't get home till nearly four o'clock.

So I have decided that I need to read more often. Basically, no facebook for me until I've read a chapter of the book I'm reading. No YouTube until I've read a chapter. No replying to that text until I've read three pages (or finished the chapter if I'm reading at the time). For the next five books, this rule applys. Also, I'm blogging everyday (or at least trying to) until I finish. I want to try and get to MINIMUM sixty posts before I finish.

I know I haven't had the best time management during this project, but that is one of the things that has made it fun. I've loved reading so many new books, and not just reading them but thinking about them. I've discovered some new favourites and also some new... not-favourites (*cough cough* Lord of the Flies *cough cough*)

Anyway, I really must go. I am reading A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson at the moment (a suggestion by my lovely little sister, who adores ballet) and it is actually quite good. It's a historical romance, not just another book about a little girl who makes it to the top with her amazing dancing skills, overcoming challenges and wowing everyone on her way.

Well, so far it isn't. I haven't read that much yet.

Keep suggesting, particularly nice short, easy, but good-quality reads.

LIAR BY JUSTINE LARBALESTIER

This book is so hard to describe. It's probably one of the weirdest books I've ever read, but I can't help but be completely in awe of Justine Larbalestier.

Micah is a compulsive liar. She can't help but lie at every opportunity she gets. Some of the lies are small, but some are massive. Some have serious consequences. The book starts when Micah discovers her boyfriend Zach has been found dead. Nobody knows what has happened to him. Micah (a first person narrator) swears to tell the truth of the story to the reader, but it quickly becomes evident that she is not telling the whole truth at all, and that she has many secrets to hide.

And then, a shocking twist leaves the reader wondering can I trust her?

Larbalestier is exploring the fascinating concept of the unreliable narrator in this novel, and she does it fantastically. Every page turn revealed a new facet of Micah's personality, and simultaneously destroyed something I thought I knew about her. I found myself hating Micah and loving her at the same time. Whatever the truth is, her life has not been easy, but she kept lying to me throughout the novel and I found that infurating.

When I closed the book I felt very frustrated. What was the truth of Micah's story? What really happened to Zach? Is there any truth in the book at all? (I mean, I know it's a novel, but what did the author mean for me to think was the real story?)

Larbalestier definitely wrote this novel for the reader, not for herself. It is a novel that is meant to be discussed and theorised about, and all over the internet people have joined conversations about the book and what it means and how it has affected them.

But I must say: DO NOT LOOK UP SPOILERS OR FORUMS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT UNTIL AFTER YOU READ THE BOOK. You don't want to spoil any of the surprises.

So basically, this book drove me crazy. It messed with my head, it made me hate Micah then love Micah then nearly yell because the story was so unbelievable yet so logical at the same time. I can't say I enjoyed the book, but I think it's incredible. I've never read anything like it.

Butterflies: 8.5 out of 10

Recommended for: people over 15 who can bear it!

Warnings: sexual references, swearing and violence. This book is a book for mature readers. Read it, yes, but be warned it will mess with your head and leave you with so many questions you won't be able to sleep. It did that to me.

head-spinning stuff

I just finished reading Liar by Justine Larbalestier and my brain is reeling. It's nearly 11.30 and I have no idea how long it's going to be before I can sleep. Sometimes you just read books that leave you shocked and confused and amazed and scared and sad and overwhelmed and wondering so many things. Liar is one of those books. I am going to write the review in the morning but I needed to get my feelings down here as a proper record of my reaction.

seriously, I have no idea what to say about this book. This review is going to be so hard to write. But I can definitely say I won't forget it. I think it may be permanently in my brain now. This is going to drive me crazy for a long time yet.