Genesis

Genesis by Bernard Beckett

Identity Shaped By History!

In 2075 one girls survival triggered events that were to change the course of history. But it is not the girl that history remembers, it is Adam Forde, the boy who defied society to save her. But there is more to this event then the famous actions of one afternoon in 2075, of the one life taken and another saved, it is the consequences of those actions and the choices made afterwards that have had the greatest impact on the world and on the future.

Anaximander has spent the last three years studying those events in 2075 and the consequences that followed. She has spent three years studying her hero Adam Forde, his life and the impact his actions have had to her present, in preparation for her exam into the Academy. But there is more to these events then history remembers and the impact this will have on Anaximander will change her life forever.

Genesis is a complex and thoughtful tale about how history shapes the future and about the changing face of society. A stimulating story on consciousness, identity and the individual. But more then this it is a story of how ethics and morals shape who we are and how technology and human evolution impact what we are meant to be. A simple yet brilliant science fiction story that is a powerful and deeply philosophical look at humanity and what it is to be human.

Bernard Beckett @ Text Publishing

On sale: 31 January 2011
Price (AU): $19.95
ISBN: 9781921758034
Recommended age: 16+
In a word: Thought
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide

The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide
by Stephenie Meyer

'It Started With A Dream'

From its first inception as a dream, expanded and plotted out into the now well known romance of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, there is no denying that their story has a little of everything, romance, action and the supernatural. More then a series on vampires and werewolves it is a story of love. A supernatural romance that has swept the world up in its embrace.

This is the guide that takes you behind the books and inside each character offering you more then you could ever have wanted to know about the Twilight series. Not just an offering on the influences and background of the series but also an in depth look at vampire covens, werewolf tribes and the humans that have played a part in this series, as each character mentioned whether they are human, vampire or werewolf are given a personal bio of their history and personality.

The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide is not just for the hardcore Twilight fans, but for anyone who has shared in the romance of Edward and Bella. It is surprising just how much detail and background information is offered on practically every aspect of this series. Not to mention a whole bunch of extras including a section on cars, listed play lists for each book and outtakes from the series. This guide has everything Twilight you could have ever wanted, and then some.

Stephanie Meyer Webpage

Stephanie Meyer @ Hachette
Twilight Sage

On sale: 13 April 2011
Price (AU): $32.99
ISBN: 9781905654437
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Twilight
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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Tantalize #1

TANTALIZE:
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Blood Suckers!

Quincie's family restaurant has become all the more important to her since her parents death, the restaurant is a second home, its staff a second family. So with the restaurant failing it is given a makeover, a vampire theme, but not everyone is happy with the theme nor the type of people a theme like that will attract. But Quincie has other worries, head chef and surrogate grandfather Vaggio has been murdered.

Kieren, Quincie's best and only friend, not to mention first love, is about to embark on a werewolf right of passage, the outcome of which being Keiren's absence from Quincie's life, forever. With so much loss in her life it is little wonder that Quincie soon makes friends with Henry, the newly hired head chef of her family restaurant.

Tantalize offers a smorgasbord of murder, mystery, unrequited love, vampires, wine and deliciously seductive food that will change the way you eat forever. An exciting story of a girl changed by her experiences, and yet still determined to hold on to who she is. A story where the good guys don't always win, the bad guys are able to destroy everything and sometimes not everyone gets a happily ever after. This is one supernatural series with bite.

Cynthia Leitich Smith Webpage
Cynthia Leitich Smith @ Walker Books

On sale: 01 April 2007
Price (US): $27.95
ISBN: 9780763627911
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Vampire Chief
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: yes
Star rating: three out of five
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The Body Finder #1

THE BODY FINDER:
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Warning Bells Are Ringing!

For Violet finding the dead was nothing new, however the dead bodies usually consist of murdered birds, rabbits and other small animals that had all been killed by other animals. So stumbling across the murdered body of a girl, a human, teenage girl was a shock for eight-year-old Violet. And when at sixteen Violet again discovers a murdered girl, things become very interesting and very dangerous very quickly.

But as much as Violet is consumed by thoughts of the dead, and murderers, she is also distracted by her best friend Jay. She and Jay have always been best friends, ever since they were six-years-old they had been inseparable, however over the summer something had changed, at least it had for Violet and now she finds herself wishing for something with Jay that is more then just friends.

The Body Finder is a new paranormal series that is funny, frightening and very sweet. Both a compelling thriller and a tender love story, these elements of a murder mystery and young love combine successfully to create an exciting paranormal story with a strong and likeable heroine. Violet's world may be one filled with the dead however it still manages to capture a heartfelt story of an, almost ordinary, sixteen year old girl.

Kimberly Derting Webpage
Kimberly Derting @ Hachette

On sale: 01 March 2011
Price (AU): $14.99
ISBN: 9780755378951
Recommended age: 14+
In a word: Murder
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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Yellowcake

Yellowcake by Margo Lanagan

Short And Sweet!

The smell of a rose brings back a lost past; golden strands lead a prince to rescue his lover; two sisters are given an icy reception; a mother ascends to angelic status in front of her sons eyes; a daughter takes over the family business; a boy will discover the brutally in the workplace. This is just a taste of some of the tales that are waiting to be consumed within this delicious book.

This offering of short stories is an interesting mix of something's sweet, something's sour and other things bittersweet. For within these ten stories are weaved a wide variety of ingredients including elements of fairy tales, Bible stories, myths, fantasy and science fiction. But while some stories may leave you felling unsatisfied, others are a delight to devour, standing out for their slices of originality, their quickly capturing taste and their shore fire recipes of timeless themes.

Yellowcake is a collection that clearly highlights the differing forms of a short story, accentuating a wide variety of themes, subjects and styles. Each story presented is as unique in its language as it is in its writing style and is recommended for more mature readers due to its complexity in both. With the nature and form of short stories being here expand there is plenty to contemplate, however there is work to be done in drawing out each stories meaning, but easily grasped in each story is the emotional reactions they evoke.

Margo Lanagan Webpage

Margo Lanagan @ Allen & Unwin

On sale: 01 March 2011
Price (AU): $19.99
ISBN: 9781742374789
Recommended age: 15+
In a word: Short Stories
Re-read it: possibly
Recommend: possibly
Star rating: three out of five
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Girlwood

Girlwood by Claire Dean

With Spring Comes New Life!

Bree and Polly had always felt at home in the woods playing at their games, Bree as the princess in need of rescuing and Polly as her woodland fairy always the one there for her, that is until Bree decided she was too old to play such childish games, too old to be running about the woods. But when Bree ran away to the woods leaving behind a broken family and a lost little sister, Polly was a little jealous that she had not thought to flee into the woods first.

With her sister missing, her parents separated and her best friend abandoning her when she needs a friend the most, Polly turns to the one person in her life who is always there for her, her grandmother Baba. It was Baba who first taught Polly about the woods and its magic, but it was not until Bree left that Polly discovered the secret hidden away at the heart of the woods, a place of enchantment and hope. Only in Girlwood could Polly hold onto her belief that things would work out. But then the chainsaws moved in...

Girlwood is a story of the woods; a story of family and friendships; a story of two sisters, the one who left to save herself and one who was left behind to save everyone else. Polly's world is full of the impossible, auras, faeries, wolves and an old witch whom she loves very much. But she is struggling to hold on to all the magic of childhood that she so strongly believes in in the face of cold reality that comes with growing up. A blend of fairytale, contemporary fiction, botany and magic, Girlwood has a unique charm that will pull at your heartstrings.

Claire Dean @ Peribo

On sale: 20 December 2010
Price (AU): $22.95
ISBN: 9780618883905
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Girlwood
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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Thyla #1

THYLA:
Thyla by Kate Gordon

Her Story Is Still Being Written!

When you place a girl, who only days earlier was found wild and battered in the bush, a girl who doesn't even know what waffles are and who is irrationally afraid of the television, amongst a group of spoiled and stuck up daughters of the wealthy in an exclusive all girls boarding school, is it really any wonder that she doesn't quite fit in?

The world has changed, what Tessa remembers does not match what is before her. How is it she is able to remember names and dates from the past but nothing from the present? But it is more then just facts she is remembering, it is memories of a life lived long ago. But what has any of that to do with where she came from and how she came to be alone in the bush with such injuries?

Thyla is about a girl desperate to remember who she is, but the more she remembers the harder she is finding it to not believe she is crazy. On the surface this is a mystery filled with lost memories, dark secrets, heartbreak and loss; a tale of Tasmania's unique fauna, Australia's convict history and the supernatural. But at its core this is the story of Tessa, a girl who is discovering her identity, forming friendships and falling in love. Definitely one to read.

Kate Gordon Webpage

Kate Gordon @ Random House

On sale: 01 April 2011
Price (AU): $17.95
ISBN: 9781864718812
Recommended age: 16+
In a word: Tasmania
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: four out of five
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the Waters & the Wild

the Waters & the Wild by Francesca Lia Block

'You Are Me'

Bee felt different from the others, out of place. Everyone felt that way at some time, she understood, but somehow this was different, she could feel it. She felt displaced in the world, but it wasn't until she saw herself standing at the end of her bed claiming that she was an impostor did she really start to believe that maybe she really didn't belong.

Hayze and Sarah were just as different as Bee, just as strange. Yet somehow they still belonged. One by one Hayze and Sarah are drawn to Bee and her acceptance of their differences; one by one Hayze then Sarah begin to find that their differences are what makes them unique. But in order to gain this wisdom something must be lost.

the Waters & the Wild brings together three outsiders forming a bond of friendship through understanding where magic is created. A girl who sings like and angel, a boy who quotes poetry and a doppelganger make up the heart of a story about fitting in, standing out and being who you were born to be. A story that will charm and enchant with a fairy hand in hand.

Francesca Lia Block Webpage
Francesca Lia Block @ Harper Collins

On sale: 01 August 2009
Price (AU): $29.99
ISBN: 9780061452444
Recommended age: 12+
In a word: Changeling
Re-read it: yes
Recommend: yes
Star rating: five out of five
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