There’s a new drug on the streets for anyone who’s in the know. Glow appeared suddenly and, with the shortage of ecstasy, it is fast becoming popular. Raf and his friend, Isaac, have an interest in unusual narcotics and are both eager to try this elusive latest. Unfortunately, the real thing is not that easy to come by.

And, for Raf at least, Glow may soon be the last thing on his mind because, right now, so much other stuff is going down. Raf catches a glimpse of a stunning girl at a rave, his friend and landlord goes missing and, across London, Burmese men are being kidnapped off the streets.

As Raf begins to sort through the strange occurrences, he realises that they might all be tied to this new drug.

Glow is the third book from Man Booker Prize nominee, Ned Beauman. Not having read previous books by him, I was interested in Glow because of the attention it has garnered in bookstores and with its publishing reps. The scope of Glow is impressive. Set primarily in London, it nevertheless engages in the wider politics of Myanmar, China and, to a degree, the US.

The description of Glow’s London is superb. The eclectic mix of people and the wild, underground night-life brings the city to life. Beauman is also a master at deftly describing scenes, settings, and people.

The difficulty in novels like these is that they are exploring a world that most of their readers know nothing about, and the best way to do this is to introduce the main character to this world so that the readers can learn through him. The issue with this approach is that it plonks a privileged white guy right into the heart of an issue that he has no hope of understanding. And, because of who the main character is, a lot of the central cultural issues in the story are barely touched on, let alone given the depth of analysis needed.

Glow is a difficult book to review. On the one hand, Beauman’s technical talent in writing is evident. His research is also clearly extensive; Glow explores the science behind various drugs and delves into a reality-based sleep disorder that Raf has. On the other hand, half the time I’m not sure what story Beauman is trying to tell. Much of the writing – while lovely – runs off on unnecessary tangents. Where one sentence of description would suffice, we get five. When we need to know about the situation in Myanmar, we find out about Raf’s ex and Isaac’s latest drug experimentation.

Glow is an interesting read purely for its scientific analysis of the way humans work. It has a solid idea at its core and beautiful writing but the one does not necessarily support the other. The authorial voice is unique, though, and enough to make Glow an engaging read.

Glow – Ned Beauman

Sceptre (May 8, 2014)

ISBN: 9781444765526

Zoe has an unconventional pen pal–Mr. Stuart Harris, a Texas Death Row inmate and convicted murderer. But then again, Zoe has an unconventional story to tell. A story about how she fell for two boys, betrayed one of them, and killed the other.

Hidden away in her backyard shed in the middle of the night with a jam sandwich in one hand and a pen in the other, Zoe gives a voice to her heart and her fears after months of silence. Mr. Harris may never respond to Zoe’s letters, but at least somebody will know her story–somebody who knows what it’s like to kill a person you love. Only through her unusual confession can Zoe hope to atone for her mistakes that have torn lives apart, and work to put her own life back together again.

Rising literary star Annabel Pitcher pens a captivating second novel, rich with her distinctive balance between humor and heart. Annabel explores the themes of first love, guilt, and grief, introducing a character with a witty voice and true emotional resonance.

Hardcover, 261 pages

Published November 12th 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Going into this story after reading the blurb, I was excited to jump into a mystery. The letter writing format of the storytelling was just like a diary format; Zoe chooses to share her thoughts about her daily life, and things that led up to the event.

Not only do we get to know Zoe, we also get to know her family, friends and love interests. She has had terrible event happen in her life, but she was also going through some turmoil at home. She takes advantage of her home situation to break rules and be more adventurous in her own life, especially romantically.

This story is completely contemporary, dealing with love and family at its core. Zoe is carrying a lot of guilt and sadness. The fact that she decides to pick a murderer she heard about in the paper to write her story to, is interesting, and she sometimes tries to find connections to the murderer’s situation and her own guilty conscience.

There is something very compelling about this story, yet I didn’t completely feel that it was the story I wanted given the synopsis and introduction. I did like the way the romance and family situations were handled. Both were very real situations especially the confusion and frustrations that can come along with falling in love.

I thought the book was well written, yet not as dark as I was hoping it would be. I do recommend this book, those who enjoy contemporary stories with family issues and love triangles.

I devoured Undeadly, book one of the Reaper Diaries, and I was a fan of Michele’s books under the pen name Michele Bardsley. I needed a pick-me-up book and turned to book 2, Unchosen, to make me smile and giggle. Did it work?

Absolutely.

Molly Bartolucci, daughter of an Egyptian god, and student of Nekyia Academy, is in the cross-hairs again. Who is trying to stop her from locating the book she needs to answer her questions, and who dobbed her in for using illegal magic?

The cover art is still on point; the storyline hits all the right buttons. Each chapter starts with an entry from Molly’s Reaper Diary, and everything is going swimmingly with Rath. My only qualm is it just seems to stop at an odd point. It feels like it is perhaps 3 steps away from a nail biting cliff hanger.

I’m glad Michele found a way to have this book published; (through Freeman YA Publications) I just wish it didn’t take me two years to get my hands on a copy. Book 3, Unbroken, doesn’t seem to have a release date, and this makes me sad.

I want to find out how Molly evolves. I need to see the big fight scene. It HAS to happen, and hopefully it happens sooner rather than later.

Paperback, 194 pages

Published October 29th 2013 by Freeman Publishing Company (first published October 26th 2013)

ISBN 0615909094 (ISBN13: 9780615909097)

**Middle Grade Readers

As a mother of four who is keen to do everything within her most humble power to ensure that her children grow up with a love of reading, happening upon a book like Anyone But Ivy Pocket is something akin to discovering a jewel-filled treasure chest in the backyard.

It’s unexpected and, to borrow a phrase from Ivy Pocket herself, monstrously exciting.

Ivy is wrong in all the right kind of ways. A 12 year-old maid with next-to-no tact and a very big opinion of herself, she’s an unlikely heroine who you just know is going to get herself into lots of trouble.

And she does. When the dying Duchess of Trinity summons Ivy to her bedside and offers her 500 pounds if she will deliver the very rare and rather magical Clock Diamond to England and put it around the neck of the revolting Matilda Butterfield on her twelfth birthday, how can Ivy refuse?

From here Ivy is swept up into an adventure of mystery, intrigue and the odd raw potato. Her Clock Diamond quest involves funny little men in flowing brown cloaks and a shriveled up Governess who is not quite what she seems. Then there’s that revolting Matilda Butterfield…

There’s lots to love about Anyone But Ivy Pocket. For a start it’s enchantingly illustrated hard-back cover instantly makes you want to open it up and dive on in. Once you have, Ivy and her quirky narration of the story place you right in the centre of all the madcap mayhem.

I note comparisons are already being made between this and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, a series that stretched to 13 books. Indeed, at the end of Anyone But Ivy Pocket there is no doubt left in the reader’s mind that Ivy has many more adventures in her. My guess is she’s set to win a legion of dedicated fans.

Anyone But Ivy Pocket is recommended for ages 9-11. My 10 year-old began reading it last night and continued to do so over breakfast this morning. Just quietly, I think Ivy might already have won her.

Twelve-year-old Frankie is the youngest child in his family. He’s also the one who holds all of the pieces of it together. His anxiety makes him worry about the flat batteries in the fire-alarm, the lack of change for bus money, and the dwindling food supplies in the house. When the stress becomes too much – which is often – he consults his mother about the things that keep him up at night.

Every evening at 10pm, she is ready for the questions about his rash (is it cancer?), about the cat (might he give the family worms?) and about the health of the kids at school (could Frankie catch something off them?). Ma is the only comfort Frankie knows when life becomes too frightening.

But he is growing up and with Sydney, the new girl at school, asking all sorts of uncomfortable questions about Frankie’s family – and about his mother in particular – it might just be time for Frankie to face up to the reality of his family life. No matter how terrifying it might be.

The 10pm Question is a sweet novel that is aimed at middle grade students, but is relevant to a much wider age-group. Exploring themes of friendship, family and the uncertainty of growing up, this novel delves into difficult issues with warmth and care.

With anxiety being a huge problem for children – and for their parents – it’s good to see a novel acknowledge the matter in an engaging way that takes into account the complexities of the issue. This isn’t a social problem novel by any means. All of the characters in 10pm Question are multifaceted with their own thoughts and goals and ways of dealing with things. Frankie suffers from sometimes debilitating anxiety, but is no less human for that. He’s not a vehicle for a story about anxiety. He’s an intelligent child with a range of interests that include birds, drawing, language and sport. He has friends and can socialise with ease. He is also prone to blocking out things that he doesn’t want to see.

Frankie’s friends and family are just as well-rounded as he is. They have their own ways of dealing with the abnormalities in their families and lives – not all of them healthy. It’s in seeing how these flawed and complex characters interact with each other that 10pm Question really shines. By exploring the relationships Frankie has with the other characters, De Goldi emphasises that a person suffering anxiety is no more or less flawed than anyone else.

10pm Question is one of those books that is a good read for a myriad of reasons. It’s funny, has some amazing characters, and it follows the kinds of characters that chose their own path. Aside from that though, it’s the kind of book that will be a delight for readers who empathise with Frankie’s worries. It doesn’t promise miracle cures – but explores some valid issues in an understanding and positive way.

10pm Question – Kate De Goldi

Longacre Child (2008)

ISBN: 9781877460203