Title: Out of time
Author: Donna Marie Oldfield
Genre: Dystopian/ YA/ Superhero
Pages: 268
Series: There is a sequel called Heroes and Villains
Publisher: unknown
Rating: 5 stars
Scarlett Shortt is just an average 16 year old until she wakes up in a dark new world. As she tries to make sense of what’s happened to the London she knew, she meets a group of strange teenagers who insist she’s part of their team of superheroes.
She’s sceptical at first, but after run-ins with weird robots, superpowered villains and corrupt cops, she decides that trusting her new friends is her best option. And so the reluctant hero joins their fight to overthrow the evil Prime Minister Goulden, who is determined to shape the world in his own warped image.
Can Scarlett learn to use her powers of telekinesis in time to overcome their many foes and will she ever find out where she is and how she got there?
I can safely say after putting this book down I had a serious book hangover and a desperate craving for more of Scarlett and the team's adventures. Thank Goodness Donna Oldfield was kind enough to send me the sequel or I would be... well...we've all been there!
I've read quite a few books featuring teen superheroes but none quite like this. Its originality was great: Not only was it set in England, unlike many other books of this genre (due to the fact that I'm English this makes it a whole lot easier to understand and relate to.) But the plot was something else! It was totally credible and left lots of work for your own brain to do but not too much so that I couldn't enjoy the read pondering over every issue raised.
It was well thought out, exciting and fast paced, which made the book whiz by and left you thinking 'Oh! I seem to have run out of book!'
The next thing I loved about the book was the characters. I think this book is most suitable for preteens and young teens (although I still enjoyed it at the grand old age of 15) and every character had different traits that younger boys and girls can look up to and idolise. Having connections with characters is vital in all books, and I had empathy for every single one and liked them all (Particularly Neelam) for very different reasons.
Another thing I liked was the touch of romance. I'm a sucker for romance, but the romance here didn't overpower or dominate the story line. It was just a nice flourish to a fantastic story. I thought the chemistry between characters was portrayed excellently and relationships under the circumstances were realistic.
I liked the writing style and thought it was strategically simplistic in some places. I think this was a great element of the book as it makes it more attractive for the audience it is aimed at.
My only criticism would be that I thought the characters didn't develop much. You seemed to start with a character and end with the same person. I believe that experiences such as this one do change people (for better or worse). And although Scarlett and Dylan gain confidence, I felt a bit like none of the characters were built up enough.
Having said this, I think that all in all this book is a triumph. It leaves your head racing, heart pounding and fingers itching to turn the next page.
Happy Reading
Hebe x
Title: Nero's Fiddle
Author: Pen
Genre: Fantasy/ survival / military
Pages: 640
Series: stand alone
Publisher: Unknown
Rating: 4 stars
Every day millions of people use their cars, cell phones, and computers.
They commute to work by bus or train.
Hospitals run efficiently. Food is delivered round the clock.
Imagine all of that . . . gone.
June 23, 2017: The United States is crippled by an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) attack, leaving every citizen in the dark, helpless and alone. It will happen again. Every thirty days another country will be attacked until the entire world is plunged into darkness.
Captain Beverly Mossberg is assigned the task of reaching Washington, DC to assassinate the terrorist before he strikes again. She doesn’t count on being accompanied by her two children, Michael, age 9 and Jazmine, age 12. Not to mention Sedona Armstrong, a complete stranger, is determined to join the party.
They traverse a now lawless land, scrounging for food and water, blowing up propane gas tanks, narrowly avoiding being raped and being held prisoners in a cannibal commune – a possible side-effect of massive disaster-related incidents.
Upon arriving in DC, Bev learns that she has been misled – again. Only this time, she has the weight of saving the world on her shoulders.
Well, when I first picked up Nero's Fiddle, I didn't totally know what to expect. I don't often find myself reading stories featuring a heavy military influence, especially not feminine military influence but I found that I really enjoyed it, possibly even more so for this recognition of female soldiers.
I really liked the characters, particularly Bev. I thought all the characters had traits and struggles that could be relatable to a large range of different people, making the book more welcoming and helping one get attached to the characters.
A character I found harder to empathise with and who confused my brain somewhat was Michael. I myself have an 8 year old brother who is fairly sophisticated for his age, yet to me, I thought Michael seemed at times a little advanced for a 9 year old. This made it a little confusing and harder to grasp. Don't get me wrong, I believe that an experience such as one that Michael goes through of course ages a person, but from the beginning he seemed to use vocabulary and express ideas more suitable for a teenager.
I thought Jaz was expressed extraordinarily well. I was only 12 myself 3 years ago now and I have to say, the representation of a 12 year olds relationship with her family, particularly her mother was spot on and really showed how under all the attitude and bravado, at 12 we are all still children.
There were lots of good plot hooks and twists which really kept me gripped. I kept pondering over what would happen next and I sped my way through! I loved how there was plenty of action at just the right times. As soon as you began to recover from the last event, you were shocked back into the situation by another occurrence. This kept you guessing and this is a feature I find vital for the success of any book.
I enjoyed the writing style. I thought it was fitting for the genre and there was a good balance of description and dialogue, which was a feature that made reading easier.
I really liked the recognition of female soldiers and military figures in the book, as well as the power and strength in the female characters. The foreword was excellent and I thought that there needs to be more writing like this in literature (although it's becoming more common, which is a delight!) I realise that I'm saying this as a feminist and not everyone shares these views but for me it made the book the true gem that it is.
My criticism would be that I didn't enjoy the introduction. I thought it wasn't very gripping and the beginning is a crucial hook point. I thought although it related to the story that it wasn't apparent how until so far on in the book that I'd forgotten about it, making it slightly irrelevant. However, this element of history was interesting.
Overall, I thought this book was really great and a good steady read. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys dystopian writing and military books!
Happy reading,
Hebe x
