Undreamed by Paul Western-Pittard

***SBRs 9th Best Read for 2013***

Publication date: 5^th September 2012

Published by: Self-published

Genre: Psychological Thriller (Adult)

When I came across Undreamed and read the synopsis I knew instantly that I wanted to read and review it. As you can see, I certainly have a lot to say about it. (This may well be my longest review to date!)

The novel starts with a young woman in a New York night club. Her name is Alice and she has green eyes.  The first chapter gives you a real insight into Alice’s character.  She clearly likes to flirt with danger and she is reckless, to the point that putting herself in danger is not a major concern to her.  Events lead to an altercation with a couple that causes her to run out of the club into the street where it is snowing.  For reasons I won’t go into she has a deep cut on the palm of her hand.  By the end of the chapter Alice has gone to sleep.  

When Alice wakes up she is somewhere else.  It is morning and the sun is shining.  It is summer and there is a heat-wave.  She glances at herself in the mirror and her eyes are blue.  There is no cut on her hand.  None of this is a shock to her because Alice knows where she is; at home in Sydney, Australia, where she lives with her sister, Jen.  

When Alice is asleep in New York she is awake in Sydney living this other life, and vice-versa.  She knows one of her lives is real and the other is a dream.  What she does not know is which life is the dream …

This novel reads very well. The plot is well thought out with lots of twists and turns.  It really does keep you guessing and there was so much I liked about it. 

Each character seems to represent a different side to Alice.  It is clear that Real-Alice (whoever she may be) is traumatised and is suffering these dreams as a result. NY-Alice is her angry, frustrated, dark side and these characteristics manifest themselves through her reckless behaviour.  She is a borderline junkie who self-harms.  She is the unsympathetic side: ruthless in her treatment of those around her and showing little remorse for her behaviour.  She is a fighter and regards Sydney-Alice with contempt.  Sydney-Alice is her opposite.  She appears confused and, to some extent, helpless. She is a psychiatric patient who is trying to put her life back together but is haunted by her dreams.  She is the sympathetic side: although passive, she is also inquisitive and is determined to get to the bottom of things.  Although she does not like her, she seems to regard NY-Alice with awe.  

In NYC it is constantly snowing and in Sydney there is a constant sweltering heat-wave, creating opposing atmospheres that are symbolic to Alice's situation.  The contrast also helps to create tension and drama that enhances the plot as it unravels.  She has never known anything to cross-over in these parallel worlds - and then things start to.  (The Donald Duck t-shirt scene was quite dramatic and I felt a chill along with NY-Alice at that point.)

I liked the way surreal events would occur in both worlds (e.g. the random appearance of toys), which is part of the reason you are left guessing what is real.

The dramatic irony of Sydney-Alice’s situation is skillfully shown.  Her behaviour is strange and (for want of a better word) abnormal for those observing her, but from her POV you can see how normal it all seems.  You can see why she needs to see things through and take the risks she does, even though you can also see things are moving in a downward spiral.  

Sydney-Alice may be borderline crazy but NY-Alice is no better off.  She is estranged from her parents and the closest thing she has to a friend is her drug-dealer.  She has an on-off relationship with a guy called Gabe who is clearly devoted to her but she doesn’t feel the same way about him.  She sees him as her 'bit of rough’.  She likes ‘slumming it’ with him because she knows it is something that would piss her parents off severely, and she likes pissing her parents off.   When she has had enough of Gabe she swots him, and by extension his son, away like they are flies bugging her.  She knows she is using him but she doesn’t care.   Her description of Gabe is also telling of the kind of person she is.  We learn from her that Gabe is a single parent who is bringing his son, Jordie, up in a rough area in NY.  Her description of Gabe alludes to him being of African descent and, by NY-Alice's standards, poor.  The only other person connected to him (besides Jordie) is someone called Latisha who takes care of Jordie when required.  Alice looks down on Latisha, referring to her as a prostitute. I liked the way Gabe’s defense of Latisha read like a sarcastic retort at Alice’s small-minded stereotyping.   In fact, if you were to follow Alice’s rules of stereotyping and hazard a guess at what Gabe does for a living (assuming he has a job) it would be a pimp maybe, or a drug dealer.  But actually Gabe is an artist.  He is an artist who is successful enough to be able to put on exhibitions in NY, but not successful enough to live in a ‘nice’ residential area.  I take this to mean nice by Alice’s standards (and she’s filthy rich!). We know he is not poor (that much is clarified). This revealed to me that NY-Alice is basically a rich bitch with racist tendencies.  In contrast Sydney-Alice is outraged by NY-Alice’s treatment of Gabe.  She might even genuinely have a thing for him. The Jekyll & Hyde portrayal of Alice is well written.  Incidentally, it was the character development of NY-Alice and Sydney-Alice that brought me to my conclusion as to which life was real and which was not (I won’t tell you what conclusion that was).  

 The plot is not without clichés - such as the scene where Sydney-Alice visits a clairvoyant and the scene where NY-Alice is lying in the bath.  Even so, I didn't mind the clichés so much.

I did however have a problem with the scene when NY-Alice waltzes into Gabe’s apartment, lectures him about taking care of his son and hands him a shit load of money. (Thanks to NY-Alice, Gabe and Jordie can finally get out of that poor neighbourhood.)  Supposedly she was trying to redeem herself, and may have been convincing if she had not been quite so patronising.  

Gabe isn’t entirely American; he’s also a bit French, which presumably is why he keeps ending every sentence with ‘eh’ (Is that French??).  

Some events that occur read like a recurring dream – such as the scenes where Sydney-Alice chases the girl in the green dress and the events play out the same, over and over.  Problem is it did get a bit tedious.  Also, I found myself shouting at her, telling her who the girl was (I can’t believe neither of them could work it out). 

Crazy things happen that make no sense - but that’s what dreams are like, right?  The problem is when it becomes clear which is the ‘real world,’ the surreal stuff, such as the unexplained random appearance of toys, become flaws.   

The plot seemed to drag on a bit before it got to the climax, the revelation as to why this all happened in the first place, and the resolution. 

That said, I was actually blown away by the standard of writing for much of the novel and it seemed to me that it was better than some of the conventionally published books I have read. 

Is Undreamed a hidden treasure?  In truth, the jury is out.  But it certainly is well worth a read so I would highly recommend it.

My appeal to readers

Finding Summerland by Paige Bleu

Publication date: 1st January 2012
Published by: Self-published
Genre: Fantasy Romance (YA)

If you skipped the prologue of Finding Summerland and started at Chapter 1, you might not realise that it is a fantasy novel since there is very little to suggest that this is the case for the first half of the book. Of course, it is unlikely that the prologue would be skipped. It takes place one year ahead of the rest of the story and in contrast to the first half of the book is packed with paranormal activity. What I got from these two contrasting approaches was that it allowed me get a better understanding of what it would be like to be awakened to the existence of mystical beings. It made it more real. I’ve only come across this once before: when I read the beginning of Philip Pullman’s ‘The Subtle Knife’ - good company to be in ;)

The protagonist is Wesley Rochester, a 17 year old boy who doesn’t fit in - not at school or at home. He has learning difficulties, is an under-achiever and has trouble integrating at school. He has lived in the shadow of his older brother Channing, whom he loves. Channing is missing and presumed dead - although Wes does not believe this - and he is trying to come to terms with his disappearance. His life takes a turn for the better when he meets Olivia, a mystical girl who remains mysterious throughout (hence the cover). They fall in love. I would say the love story is Twilightesque with the roles reversed.

Wes is a nice guy but he isn’t perfect. He spends a lot of time observing what goes on in the lives of the popular teenage girls at his school and giving us an account of this. It is clear that he doesn’t like them and he is sometimes uncharitable in his opinion of them, while placing Olivia on a pedestal. On the plus side, he comes across as intelligent and wise and he is a likeable character. Some may say that there is too much of the daily routine of high school in the novel and one could argue that Wes’ fixation on the girls at his school is unrealistic (i.e. boys don’t care about that stuff). It would have been different if he were a girl.  It can be challenging for a writer of one gender to write from the POV of the opposite gender.  (I say this as a female writer well past her teens who often writes from a teenage male POV and has found it challenging.) I was thinking maybe Paige could have gotten a little more in touch with her masculine side.

Without giving too much away, the back story to how the Ameryn society came into existence (the paranormal stuff) comes in the form of documented information which Wes is able to read. The history is complex and there are a number of key players, each with a key part to play - so my advice is pay attention when you get to this part. I had to read it twice to get to grips with it and it maintains an air of mystery so you are still left with questions. The plot is well thought out and intriguing, with hints of good things to come in future books in the series.

I believe Paige Bleu has raw talent and is a storyteller with great promise. Finding Summerland is a really good read and I look forward to the next instalment.

The Discovery of Socket Greeny by Tony Bertauski

Publication date: 13th July 2010
Published by: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-fi (YA)

This is one of the first reviews I wrote and I'd like to think my skills have developed since - so apologies in advance.  I just had to include it because it's such a great book.

Sci-fi has been a favourite genre of mine since childhood (mostly TV and film). Where books are concerned until recently I'd not read that much, and mostly older stuff, such as Ray Bradbury (The Martian Chronicles & Fahrenheit 451) and Frank Herbert (Dune series). More recently I read Wool by Hugh Howey, a former self-published author.  It was great to discover another sci-fi story I could really enjoy in The Discovery of Socket Greeny. [NB: I should clarify that the only similarity between the above mentioned books and this one was my enjoyment of them.]

Socket is the 16 year old son of a hard-working lone parent.  His Mum is hardly ever around and he is pretty much left to fend for himself.  He has no idea what she does for a living, and he hasn't had much success getting her to tell him, so he has stopped asking.  He spends his leisure time playing virtual reality video games with his girlfriend Chute and best friend Streeter.  Streeter's gaming tactics take Socket and Chute into a virtual world that feels real to Socket.  While in the game he starts to demonstrate supernatural abilities and he meets a specter-like creature that appears to be his father, who died 11 years previously.  Later, his mother turns up and takes him to the place where she works, The Paladin Agency ...

The protagonist, Socket is a likeable guy and so are Chute and Streeter. I liked that the teen characters were portrayed realistically but also positively. I am interested in human relationships in stories and I liked that aspect, especially between Socket and his mother. It was nice to see a parent-teen relationship that didn't make the parent out to be the villain for a change - but instead an imperfect human being who clearly loved her son.

Okay, the villain, Broak, was a bit caricature in places - like a teenage Bond villain, or even an Austen Powers villain. I kept imagining him doing the laugh ... mwhaaa hha haa.

I found the futuristic story imaginative and intriguing (as sci-fi should be).  The Discovery of Socket Greeny is currently free to download on Amazon.  I already have the next instalment and I look forward to reading about what happens to Socket next.

This book has gone straight to my hidden treasure bookshelf.

Tony Bertauski is an author to look out for.  He has quite a few sci-fi novels under his belt and I would recommend you check them out if you like this genre.  As well as this one I've read The Annihilation of Foreverland and Halfskin which, I must admit I didn't enjoy as much, but they are imaginative and well written.

Nandana's Mark by Heidi Garrett

***SBRs 8th Best Read for 2013***

Publication date: 14^th August 2012

Published by:  Half-Faerie Publishing

Genre:  Fantasy (YA)

I was apprehensive about this one because of the cover.  I know I am probably alone in my view but to me covers like this say “frivolous and fluffy”.  For those drawn to covers with attractive-looking girls with pouty lips (the female equivalent to handsome naked-torso guys), it’s not an issue (for the record, I’m not judging – it’s a matter of personal taste).  My point is that if like me you aren’t, my advice is: don’t judge this book by its cover.

I would describe Nandana’s Mark as a new Fairy Tale (as opposed to the retelling of an old one).  It is the first instalment of a series called the ‘The Queen of the Realm of Faerie’, inspired by the story of Melusine, a creature of European folklore that dates as far back as the 13^th century.

Nandana’s Mark is about Melia, Melusine’s younger sister and the middle daughter of Elynus, a human, and Pressina, a faerie.  When mortals and faeries marry it is with the condition that the mortal make a solemn promise which, if broken, would permanently separate the couple.  Elynus broke his and so Pressina was forced to flee the human world and live in Illialei, part of the Realm of Faerie.  Elynus wants to reunite with the love of his life and seeks to do so by ‘incarnating Umbra’, which I have understood to mean bringing human form to a dark conscious force trapped in an alternate dimension (if I have understood correctly – see below).  Melia and her sisters are concerned about this as it could (or not) have devastating consequences for all who live in the Faerie Realm.  They join forces to try to stop their father with disastrous results …

As well as having rebooted elements of mythology, Nandana’s Mark is very much its own story and the combination of the two work very well.  This book isn’t just fantasy, it’s fantastic.  I really enjoyed it.  The plot is quite intricate and I was so intrigued.  A lot happens and I was never bored.  Garrett has clearly done her research.  It has all the elements of a traditional fairy tale but with 21^st century prose (there are no weak damsels in distress in this book).  At the same time, it draws in elements of a modern faerie tale as well (see my article Fantasy Fiction: Fairies vs Faeries for more info), in particular the lines between good and evil are blurred.  One can draw parallels with real life too (from the casualties of the dysfunctional family to the more serious topic of ethnic cleansing and the social displacement of people - which brings me back to my point about judging the book by its cover: fluffy and frivolous it is not.)  

My criticisms would be (1) a lack of clarity in parts, e.g. Elynus explains the backstory of Umbra to the reader in his notes in the Book of Umbra but I struggled to understand it (but perhaps it was just my inability to comprehend??).  (2) At the beginning I felt bombarded with a lot of terminology, names and places I struggled to pronounce or understand.  (There is a glossary but I didn’t realise that until later.)  I do think however, that a second read would introduce new insights, which is always a good thing.

I am so thrilled to have found this series.  For me it’s like finding hidden treasure.  Well done Heidi Garrett!

This book was perfect for bringing to a close my April theme "All about the Fey" while offering an introduction to the May theme "Indie Author Showcase: Hidden Treasure". 

My appeal to readers

 

Ironside by Holly Black

Publication date:  2008 Edition

Published by: Simon & Schuster

Genre: Fantasy (YA)

Ironside is the sequel to Tithe, the story of 16 year old Kaye Fierch, a girl who can see and talk to faeries.  In the first book Kaye was to be given up to the Queen of the Unseelie (Dark) Court as a ‘Tithe’ (a human sacrifice) in order to buy the solitary fey 7 more years of independence.  One night she encountered a faerie in trouble in the woods.  That faerie was Roiben, first knight of the Unseelie Court, and Kaye saves his life, leaving him in her debt.

In the second book Nicnaven, Queen of the Unseelie Court, has been defeated and Roiben has declared himself king.  Roiben once belonged to the Seelie (Bright) Court but was given up by his queen, Silarial, as a truce for peace between the rival courts.  Roiben had been forced to become cruel and commit countless murders under Nicnaven’s command, which has hardened him.  He has not forgiven Silarial, to whom he was once devoted, for her betrayal and they have become enemies.  As a result, war between the rival courts is eminent.  

Roiben is not only indebted to Kaye for saving his life, he is in awe of her for the part she played in the downfall of Nicnaven, and he has fallen in love with her.  His subjects are unsupportive of the match as Roiben is gentry (of the ruling class) and Kaye is considered to be beneath him.  They also think his affection for her is a weakness that could lead to his downfall.  Silarial is also aware of his affection for Kaye and hopes to use it against him…

If you were as much of a fan of Tithe as I was (click here for my review) then you will love Ironside too.  It is of the same standard of writing with great characters.  A sweet friendship develops between [the ridiculously named] Corny and Kaye.   They team up with Luis, a mortal guy who has ‘the sight’ (can see through a faery’s glamour) and can heal humans who have been inflicted with injuries/curses made by faeries.  The brave three are pretty defenceless against the fey but that doesn’t stop them from doing battle with the worst of them.  Kaye is the heroine of this novel.  She doesn’t have the strength or the power to fight the fey but she does have a weapon; the ability to outsmart them (an advantage which to some extent has been gained by being raised in 'Ironside') .  Spoiler alert: [It is how she was able to help defeat Nicnavin in book 1, how she manages to complete what is considered an impossible quest that, unless achieved, would force a separation between her and Roiben, and how she is able to unravel Silarial’s plot to defeat Roiben in battle.] 

Although it is clear that Roiben would never revert back to his former self, there was the potential to show how he was 'softening' as a result of Kaye's influence that wasn't demonstrated enough in my view. He tells her she is changing him but the examples were lacking. Also, the romance between Roiben and Kaye is very subtle, perhaps too subtle for some.  A lot is left unsaid, which could leave you unsatisfied.  However, the romance that blossoms for Corny and Luis is more focused on, and may fill the void if the former doesn’t measure up to one’s expectations (for the open-minded reader, that is). It was very nicely done in my view.

Only two of three in the Modern Faery Tale series is about these characters and I am left wanting more. I am yet to read Valiant which is a standalone story. I have no doubt I will enjoy that one too.

Tithe by Holly Black

Publication date: 2008 edition

Published by: Simon & Schuster

Genre: Fantasy (YA)

Attention! This is faerie folklore at its best

Tithe is the first in the Modern Faerie Tale series by Holly Black.  Kaye Fierch is a 16 year old teenager living a wayward life - that is wayward to most – because she is being raised by a mother, Ellen, who is very shall we say “unconventional” in her approach to motherhood.  Ellen is a rock singer and Kaye has moved from city to city with her.  Ellen is an alcoholic who has a string of boyfriends that don’t care half as much for her as she does for them.  The dynamic of Ellen and Kaye’s relationship is a role reversal, with Kaye acting more like the mother and Ellen the child who needs looking after.  

One night at a bar where Ellen and her boyfriend Lloyd are performing in their band, an event causes Lloyd to turn on Ellen and attempt to kill her.  This causes Ellen and Kaye to flee Philadelphia and move to Ellen’s mother’s house in New Jersey, where Kaye was raised.  

As a child growing up in NJ Kaye would see and communicate with faeries.  She would tell people about them but, of course, no one believed her.  Not even her best friend, Janet. On returning to NJ, Kaye makes contact with Janet, who lives in a trailer park with her mother and brother, Cornelius.  Kaye has always been considered strange and her friendship with Janet developed when they both became social outcasts – Janet because of her poor social status and Kaye because of her 'imaginary' friends.

For a while Kaye does not see any sign of supernatural activity on her return.  Even when she calls for her faerie friends she gets no response and could almost believe they were imaginary – except strange things begin to happen. After a night out with some teenagers that doesn’t end well, Kaye flees the group to return to her grandmother’s.  On route, she hears noises in the woods and goes to investigate.  There she encounters a faerie that doesn’t look that much older than her.  He appears to be in trouble and could use her help …

This is the first novel by Holly Black I have read and I must say I am happy to have discovered her because I think she is an excellent writer and I love her style. The writing is very clever, which suggests Black assumes her readers are, too.  A lot is left unsaid, which fuels the imagination in my view.  It does mean however, that you may have to use your grey matter a little. So for example, she does not go into detail about the awful things that happen in the Unseelie Court but you can very well imagine and get chills thinking about it. Black also demonstrates an in depth knowledge of faerie folklore where the lines between good and evil are truly blurred.  It was refreshing to read a novel where teenagers aren’t all portrayed as angelic creatures that never swear, never smoke, never drink alcohol etc., although I have no doubt there would have been a fair amount of objection to it. [Too many YA novels are sanitised to the extreme for my liking.  I understand why – the bad influence argument – but I strongly disagree with that. I believe teenagers are more likely to follow by the example of those around them (such as their parents or guardians - as clearly demonstrated in this novel) than the characters they read about in books.]  It's about context and appropriateness, and for a dark novel like this one it works perfectly well - the Faerie world and the real world complement each other.

Those who appreciate dark fantasy fiction, and don't expect every detail of a plot to be explained away, are likely to enjoy  Tithe, while those who have a problem with reading about teens who say and do stuff their parents won't approve of, and/or prefer their plots to be spoon-fed to them, won't.

I was tied to this book and found it hard to put down.  I have since moved on to the sequel, Ironside, and I have added a list of books by Holly Black to my ‘to read’ list.