The Fireman by Joe Hill

The Fireman
By Joe Hill
Published by Gollancz
Paperback - 19 January 2017

Publisher's description
Nobody knew where the virus came from. FOX News said it had been set loose by ISIS, using spores that had been invented by the Russians in the 1980s. MSNBC said sources indicated it might've been created by engineers at Halliburton and stolen by culty Christian types fixated on the Book of Revelation. CNN reported both sides. And while every TV station debated the cause, the world burnt.  Pregnant school nurse, HARPER GRAYSON, has seen lots of people burn on TV, but the first person she saw burn for real was in the playground behind her school. But when she realises she has become infected, she is determined to find a way to survive - at least long enough to see her child born. No matter what is left of the world for them to live in.

My verdict
Joe Hill is certainly a talented writer with plenty of imagination - not surprising when you realise his father is Stephen King.

The Fireman features great writing, sharp dialogue and a complex page-turning plot. A powerful fungal infection, causing people to burst into flames, is devastating the world. At the heart of the story is Harper Grayson, a pregnant nurse who is now infected and wants to keep living for the sake of her unborn child.

The book is a mix of horror, action, science fiction, dystopian thriller, mystery and romance, with more than a hint of zombie fiction (although the infected retain their sense of self). The author has put ordinary people in an extraordinary situation - and you, as the reader, see how they survive, cope and pull together as the world burns around them.

At 765 pages, The Fireman isn't a quick read - and it's also heavy in your hands. I did feel that there was some 'overwriting' here, slowing down the pace at times - some of the background narrative and irrelevant conversations could have been cut. I guessed certain twists too, although this didn't detract from my enjoyment.

Overall though, the book is emotionally charged, action-packed and filled with depth. There are many themes running through it, including hope, acceptance, fear, shame, love and a sense of belonging. Highly enjoyable - just make sure you give yourself plenty of reading time for this epic journey.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through Lovereading.

13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough

13 Minutes
By Sarah Pinborough
Published by Gollancz (18 February 2016)
ISBN: 978-1473214033

Publisher's description

I was dead for 13 minutes.

I don't remember how I ended up in the icy water but I do know this - it wasn't an accident and I wasn't suicidal.

They say you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but when you're a teenage girl, it's hard to tell them apart. My friends love me, I'm sure of it. But that doesn't mean they didn't try to kill me. Does it?

My verdict
13 Minutes is a Young Adult psychological thriller, but certainly doesn't read like a Young Adult book at all. Sarah Pinborough has a talent for getting right into the heart of her characters' emotions.

This is the story of a group of 16-year-old girls - their fickle and fragile friendships, their pent-up feelings and their need to fit in (or not fit in).

Tasha is found in water and then revived. She was clinically dead for 13 minutes. But she has no idea why or how she ended up there - or who can provide some answers. But as she delves into the past few weeks, she discovers that something was bubbling under the surface and her friends may not be as trustworthy as they seem.

This is a beautifully written book. It's impossible not to get engrossed into the girls' lives - it all seems very real and very vivid. The plot is intriguing, chilling and tragic, and will keep you guessing right until the last page.

I loved Sarah Pinborough's The Death House. 13 Minutes is sure to be another winner.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First encounters - Killing spree

Here is an article I wrote for another book blog last week - From First Page to Last - all about the enjoyment of starting a new crime series from the beginning.

As a book blogger, I often get asked to review a crime novel that's the latest in an established series. Not all book bloggers will do this. But I'm usually happy to read the book as a standalone, knowing nothing about the previous books' plots or characters. After all, this is how many new readers first encounter a crime series, picking up the latest novel on the 'Bestsellers' shelf.

Authors usually set out to make sure their new readers will enjoy the latest book as much as existing fans. Most of the time this works well for me, since the authors are able to provide enough background to keep me satisfied. I may even enjoy the latest book so much that I then buy the previous books too. But occasionally I am left with unanswered questions, which leaves me frustrated.

Sometimes it's good to set aside time to read an ongoing series from the beginning - and hope that I'll catch up before the next book is published.

Around 18 months ago, I downloaded Ben Aaronovitch's first Rivers of London novel onto my Kindle, with every intention of reading it straight away. Yet thanks to my book addiction, and also becoming a book blogger, it's been festering on my Kindle ever since. Until a few weeks ago, when I finally decided to take the plunge, ignoring my 'more urgent' TBR pile.

For anyone who doesn't know, the Rivers of London series was launched in 2011. It's published by Gollancz (an Orion imprint). The 5th book was published in paperback in July 2015. The next book - The Hanging Tree  - will be published in June 2016.

This is a crime series with a supernatural element. It follows the adventures of Peter Grant, a Detective Constable and new trainee wizard. So far in the first book, I've met lots of intriguing characters and visited some dark, mysterious places, as Peter Grant is being exposed to magic for the first time. I love the humour and also that the book is set in London, with its familiar landmarks (as this is where I live).

Since there are five published books in the Rivers of London series so far, I still have a long way to go before I catch up. With my current TBR pile of review books (both printed books and e-books), it's likely to take me a while. But I'm looking forward to enjoying the journey along the Rivers of London - and according to some of my blogger friends, I won't be disappointed.

Visit From First Page to Last by clicking here - it's a great book blog.

The Death House by Sarah Pinborough

The Death House
By Sarah Pinborough
Published by Gollancz (26 February 2015)
ISBN: 978-1473202320

Publisher's description
Toby's life was perfectly normal ... until it was unravelled by something as simple as a blood test.

Taken from his family, Toby now lives in the Death House, an out-of-time existence far from the modern world, where he, and the others who live there, are studied by Matron and her team of nurses. They're looking for any signs of sickness. Any signs of their wards changing. Any sign that it's time to take them to the sanitorium.

No one returns from the sanitorium.

Withdrawn from his house-mates and living in his memories of the past, Toby spends his days fighting his fear. But then a new arrival in the house shatters the fragile peace, and everything changes.

Because everybody dies. It's how you choose to live that counts.

My verdict
I couldn't wait to read this book, after reading the blurb on the back cover, and I was certainly not disappointed.

The Death House is set in the not-too-distant future, when blood tests determine whether or not children and teenagers are afflicted by an incurable disease. The disease has no name, no definitive symptoms. But if the children have markers of the disease in their blood, they are certain to die. The unknowns are when and what the symptoms will be.

As soon as a blood test is positive, all afflicted children are taken away from their families to a secluded house, which is nicknamed The Death House. The children there are monitored carefully by cold, emotionless nursing staff and teachers. When a child develops symptoms, they become an outcast and others distance themselves. Then when a child dies, they are taken in the dead of night to the sanatorium and the nursing staff remove all traces of the child's possessions, as if they were never there.

The Death House is a sensitive beautifully-written story. Whilst it focuses on relationships between teenagers, it's certainly no teen romance novel. It's a heartbreaking look at how children and teenagers cope when they know they have no future.

Most of the young occupants simply exist in the 'here and now', ignoring the past and what the future holds. Toby, however, finds it hard to let go. During the day, he tries to distance himself from the other occupants, whilst holding onto his memories of a normal adolescence. At night, he doesn't take his 'vitamins' from the nurses and, whilst everyone sleeps, he explores the house, in search of its secrets. When new girl Clara arrives, the dynamics within the house change. She shows Toby how to live life to the full while he still can, whatever the future holds.

The Death House is an amazing book, with a fascinating underlying story. And I was left thinking about it long after the final page.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.