By Zoe Sugg
Penny, the protagonist of Girl Online, is an 'every girl'. Elements of her personality are identifiable and accessible to most, if not all girls aged 15. She's clumsy, and gets embarrassed quickly, but she's also smart and knows the difference between right and wrong; she knows how to treat people. Silly things happen to her that most would dread, but also amazing things happen to her that one would be lucky to experience. She has friends, but not all of them are nice to her. Her parents are gentle, but they don't always get her.
Penny has a blog, and interspersed throughout Girl Online are blog entries Penny has written. These entries keep the pace of the book flowing, but don't add much - the fact that Penny is a blogger is important to the storyline, but the entries included weren't particularly interesting. Penny heads to New York and meets Noah. Noah is a rock star with the looks to match, quietly spoken and with interesting things to say. He's caring and polite and laughs when Penny spills food; he doesn't make her feel embarrassed for being her.
Girl Online is ultimately a love story, and who doesn't enjoy a love story between two well-crafted and developed characters?
Wednesday, 17 December 2014
Thursday, 11 December 2014
No Safe House
By Linwood Barclay
No Safe House follows Cynthia and her family, previously seen in No Time for Goodbye. This book is a fast-paced thriller, easily matching up to the success of its predecessor.
Terry Archer, Cynthia's husband, plays a bigger part in No Safe House alongside daughter Grace. Terry faces difficult decisions and threatening situatons, and does so with surprisingly little panic for someone whose previous experience in violent crime would have been little Jimmy hitting big Sam with a bendy ruler (he’s a teacher). Wherever he gets this strength from, he does, and is a calming influence on the family.
There’s a much bigger storyline in this book; this isn’t all about Cynthia anymore and some of the ‘baddies’ match up to blockbuster gangster types.
No Safe House tells an exciting story, keeps the pace and ends well.
No Safe House follows Cynthia and her family, previously seen in No Time for Goodbye. This book is a fast-paced thriller, easily matching up to the success of its predecessor.
Terry Archer, Cynthia's husband, plays a bigger part in No Safe House alongside daughter Grace. Terry faces difficult decisions and threatening situatons, and does so with surprisingly little panic for someone whose previous experience in violent crime would have been little Jimmy hitting big Sam with a bendy ruler (he’s a teacher). Wherever he gets this strength from, he does, and is a calming influence on the family.
There’s a much bigger storyline in this book; this isn’t all about Cynthia anymore and some of the ‘baddies’ match up to blockbuster gangster types.
No Safe House tells an exciting story, keeps the pace and ends well.
Wednesday, 15 January 2014
Book Group - Book 3
'Oh Dear Sylvia' by Dawn French
Sylvia is in a coma and her various friends, family and acquaintances come to visit her at the hospital. Speaking to someone in a coma allows the visitors to say things they might not normally and to embark on their own soliloquies; storytelling at its laziest. Sylvia, on the other hand, is never given the chance to talk back or stand up for herself and a whole side of the story is missing. This missing chunk of story is noticeable throughout Oh Dear Sylvia.
There is a vaguely interesting, but totally ridiculous, storyline between two of the main characters. The rest of the characters are caricatured stereotypes of themselves. The funny one isn't really that funny, either.
Nature is discussed, some trees are planted, some people sing and some animals get lost in a hospital.
In the end, it is difficult to care whether Sylvia wakes up or not.
Sylvia is in a coma and her various friends, family and acquaintances come to visit her at the hospital. Speaking to someone in a coma allows the visitors to say things they might not normally and to embark on their own soliloquies; storytelling at its laziest. Sylvia, on the other hand, is never given the chance to talk back or stand up for herself and a whole side of the story is missing. This missing chunk of story is noticeable throughout Oh Dear Sylvia.
There is a vaguely interesting, but totally ridiculous, storyline between two of the main characters. The rest of the characters are caricatured stereotypes of themselves. The funny one isn't really that funny, either.
Nature is discussed, some trees are planted, some people sing and some animals get lost in a hospital.
In the end, it is difficult to care whether Sylvia wakes up or not.
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