Monument 14 By Emmy Laybourne

Monument 14

On the way to school on the bus there is a sudden natural disaster involving massive hailstones that reek havoc on the buses and the world around them. Out of all the children on the bus only 14 make it out alive when the bus driver gets them to safety in the local food mega store. This book follows their struggle as they try to deal with what is going on in the real world and their fight to survive.

The book is written from Dean's point of view, who (a bit of a clique) likes to write and so records everything in his notebook. I thought his character was lovable and sincere which helped me to connect with him. Being the geeky one he didn't really have a special friend in the situation whereas the other characters were mostly popular and already in little groups.

I liked how everyone reacted differently to what was happening around them; including shell shock, taking control, ensuring structure, separating themselves, getting drunk, throwing away all cares and morals. I thought that it was a genuine portrayal of what would happen.
One thing that did get me a little bit was the fact that everyone seemed a lot older than they actually were, and i understand that in a situation without adults children would step up but I feel that some of it was a bit exaggerated and not realistic.

I thought the author kept me on my toes with the little twists and turns. When I was confident that I could predict what was going to happen I was pleasantly surprised when I was wrong!
I liked the way the author gave little bits of background on each character as it went along, rather than offload a lot of information all at once and then making myself try to remember as it went along. Although I would have appreciated maybe some flashbacks or something so that I could compare more clearly how the characters relationships have changed with what has happened, but then I suppose that can't be expected when it is written from one persons point of view in a notebook style.

The fact that the romantic story line was not too prominent was good. Because although it is written from a teenager point of view the disaster going on around them takes precedence. And I found myself not really caring for the romance anyway so it suited me.

I won't lie at the end of the book I was a bit frustrated to realize that it doesn't finish and is the first book. I was hoping it was a stand alone book but despite that I will be buying the sequel. I would recommend this book to someone who wants an easy read that keeps you on your toes without overpowering you with drama.

The Originals - Cat Patrick

The Originals - Cat Patrick

Lizzie, Betsy and Ella look like triplets, but they are in fact clones of the Original.
They live their lives as one person; Elizabeth Best.
They each get to live a third of a day in the real world. One does the morning, one the afternoon and one the evening. It's been that way for years. The girls have lived contently for years until one of them falls in love.

Their mother is a scientist who saved them from a life in a lab or death but the consequences are that the don't exist, hence the living as one person.

The book is written from Lizzies point of view and she tells the story in a clear way. At times it almost feels as if she is detached from the situation.

I really enjoyed this book, but it was a quick read and I really feel more could have been done with the 'clone' concept. Also it all seemed to solve itself a little too quickly and easily for me, making all the build up seem a bit pointless.

I did enjoy the love interest storyline and the way it was handled, showing how 'Elizabeth' was dating but really it was Ella, Lizzie and Betsy dating which kept it interesting. Also although we're clones of the same people I found it interesting that they all had different personalities and I appreciated that the author didn't go entirely over the top with that.

Overall I found this book quick, interesting and enjoyable but felt it could have gone a bit more in depth and explored the topic a bit more.

The Bunker Diary By Kevin Brooks

The Bunker Diary By Kevin Brooks

The book is written in diary form from Linus’s point of view. He is a 16 year old homeless boy who is abducted from the street when he is trying to help a stranger.

He wakes up in a bunker with only a blank notebook for company and no idea where he is or why he is there.

I liked the fact it was written in a diary form because it felt like Linus, himself was telling me what was going on rather than just reading a story. It also meant he could portray his feelings and thoughts in a more personal way that makes you feel more connected and understanding of him. Also it makes it easier to imagine yourself in that situation because you don’t know what the other people around you are thinking or going through and you only see their development through Linus’ writing, just as he would see it.

I like the fact that the book started and everything picked up straight away, with no long 100 page build up that wasn’t necessary. It just all happened and kept you hooked from the first page until the last. And the twists and turns kept me hooked all the way through.

The fact that it is quite a short book meant that I read it in one sitting, although it is written in short chapters so it’s easy to put down and pick up again, without having to keep checking how long before the end of the chapter.

The end of the book did however leave me wanting more, but it is obvious that was the intention. I did feel a bit numb at the end of the book but in a good way and I couldn’t help thinking about it for days afterwards.

I read this book because it is the May book for our book club. It isn’t something I would have picked up myself because it was quite a short story and I wasn’t sure how much you could do with it, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a fast paced, exciting book that they just can’t put down.

I give it 4 out of 5 stars, purely because I wish it was a bit longer.