I remember enjoying this book when I read it a decade ago and rating it a 4*. Unfortunately knocking it down to a 3* for this current read, as I find myself disliking the protagonist - she's constantly wailing and making smart remarks, it became quite tiring to read through. Also found the actions of the villains quite illogical, I don't see why or how

Nurse Hemingway moved into two locations, helped Freni so much even after they'd gotten the baby, made friends with Susannah, and basically seemed able to be everywhere doing everything except kidnapping babies

Beneath the humdrum reality of life as most know it, there lies a secret, intriguing world that only a privileged few can access. Willoughby, a lonely and bored young mathematician genius, is drawn into this world where he befriends a group of similarly gifted eccentrics, including the beautiful and mysterious violinist, Sydney Senoya, and their jolly but cryptic leader, H.S. But even as they seek out thrilling adventures and push the boundaries of the impossible, grotesquely terrifying enemies stalk their every step and threaten to take their secrets. Soon, Willoughby will see his friends fall into terrible danger. Soon, Willoughby will have to face that danger head-on. Such is the story of Deen Ferrell’s brilliantly-crafted novel Cryptic Spaces: Book One: Foresight, and oh, what a story it is.

I initially approached this book with pretty moderate expectations, as I’ve found most authors’ debut novels to be, no matter how promising, somewhat stiff and unpolished. What I got instead, however, was the best story that I have had the pleasure of reading in a long while. Cryptic Spaces has all the key components of a great novel - well-developed and consistent characters, richly descriptive settings, whimsical dialogues, a smooth pacing and an utterly gripping plot. I particularly enjoyed how Ferrell skilfully blends scientific truths into the fiction - concepts like circumpolar stars, Riemann’s hypothesis, Nostradamus’ predictions are tied neatly into the story. This is worth so much more than five stars; my only gripe is that I have to now wait for its sequels to know what happens next. So please, buy it. Read it. Love it. You will not regret that decision. 

Summer camp is for losers and nerds. Matt considers this a fact. That’s why he is none too pleased when his father decides to send him to Camp Friendship as a punishment for a prank gone terribly wrong. Resigning himself to a stultifying few weeks keeping his head down, Matt is first baffled, then thrilled, when the camp turns out to be more than it seems. In fact, Matt thinks that he may just be on the fast track to becoming a CIA spy! Sure, the land mines on the soccer field and the murderous bullies out for his blood are a little alarming, but that’s normal for a CIA training camp, isn’t it? No matter the truth, it’s clear that Matt will need all the luck and cunning that he has to navigate the treacherous politics of Camp Friendship in Disruption, Book One of Steven Whibley’s Cambridge Files.

If you enjoy young adult novels like Veronica Roth’s Divergent trilogy and Anthony Horowitz’s Alex Rider series, you’ll find Disruption absolutely, gloriously brilliant. Matt Cambridge is the perfect protagonist - naively bratty without being unlikable, unexpectedly remarkable without being unrealistic, full of guts and ambition and inventiveness. You can’t help but root for him, even as you howl in frustration when he bumbles into increasingly deadly encounters due to his ignorance. His interactions with the side characters are also incredibly entertaining; it’s hilarious to see how they are drawing wrong conclusions about Matt and are continuously impressed by his supposed brilliance, when in reality what Matt has going for him is sheer dumb luck. Whibley juggles all the mysteries surrounding Matt and Camp Friendship with deft ease; as I was reading, I kept on thinking, this is it, this is the moment when everything has to go belly up, but no, the story only reached and kept reaching thrilling new heights before tying up into a highly satisfying ending. In short, this is definitely one series I will be keeping my eye on! 

 Strange and sinister events have been threatening Jebediah’s peaceful Amish community. It is not their way for individuals to take unorthodox action to solve the problems, but for love of his wife and unborn child, Jebediah will willingly bear the condemnation of his peers to call for help. Strange truths come to light as the community receives a group of visitors from space. Their grudging acceptance of the aid offered will save their lives, but at a terrible cost; too late will they realize that they have escaped one danger only to meet a bigger one - vampires. Soon, a fight will be on and long-held principles will be abandoned as Jebediah and his people struggle to save their lives and souls from a terrible evil far beyond their ken. Such is the story of Kerry Nietz’s Amish Vampires in Space.

I have to confess, I had no idea of what to expect upon first picking up Kerry Nietz’s novel, as Amish Vampires in Space sounded like an incredibly bizarre mixing of usually unrelated genres. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised to find the book to be highly thought-provoking, with a solid plot and well-developed characters. Jebediah, in particular, is a highly likable protagonist with the courage to do what is right rather than what is easy. Themes of religion, pacifism, personal responsibility, etc are explored thoroughly; we are shown how difficult it is to maintain a black-and-white view of morality in times of difficulty. Nietz takes the time to build up the suspense; my only gripe is that sometimes the suspense is drawn out frustratingly long. All in all, however, I recommend this as an uniquely interesting read. 

At first glance, William Bradshaw is ordinary to the point of nondescript. At second glance, the view hasn't much improved - he’s just another badly-dressed bloke burdened by student loans and desperate to find a job. His very insignificance, however, makes him the perfect candidate for the one job he never knew existed and absolutely doesn’t want - to be the king of a motley rabble of goblins in a strange new world. In between exploring (and trying to escape) his lousy kingdom, Will has to contend with good-for-nothing vassals, malfunctioning magical treasures, and the pitying disdain of every non-goblin in his vicinity; he certainly doesn’t need an idiotic fellow king with his obnoxious wife-to-be complicating matters even further by threatening war! Can Will get rid of these pesky distractions long enough to find a loophole in his job contract and leave this dump? Will he even survive? Read Arthur Daigle’s William Bradshaw, King of the Goblins to find out!

William Bradshaw, King of the Goblins is a simple, yet classic tale of the underdog turned victorious. Readers are taken on a wild ride as Daigle flouts convention and stereotypes with mischievous glee - the supposedly repulsive goblins turn out to be quite endearing in their obnoxiousness, while the beautiful Princess Brandywine and the majestic King Kervol emerge as the true antagonists. Will is the perfect reluctant hero, who makes up for his straight man act and nonexistent talents with a good dose of cunning and common sense. All in all, I rate it a highly satisfying and heartwarming read.