Barry Hutchison - Spectre Collectors: Too Ghoul for School (Nosy Crow) - Book Review (Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books)

Denzel is having no luck with his maths homework. First, it's too difficult, then there's a terrifying mess of smoky black tendrils that wants to kill him, then two teenagers explode through his window holding guns and throwing magic. They are the Spectre Collectors, and spooky is their speciality. Realising that Denzel has a special gift, they sweep him off to their headquarters for training. Tested with awesome weapons and ancient magic, Denzel realises just how little he knows. But there's a serious problem on its way from the Spectral Realm, so Denzel has a lot to learn. FAST.

Spectre Collectors: Too Ghoul for School is the first book in a supernatural adventure series from author, Barry Hutchison. Published 7th September 2017 by Nosy Crow 

This is a very funny book that even adults will find humorous. For me, it was like being transported back to my childhood. If only this type of book had been written when I was younger then what fun I would have had reading it. How fortunate we are now, having so much choice and with so many talented authors gracing our bookshelves. 

Denzel, the main character, is very endearing and might not be classed as your average hero character. However, Smithy (his sidekick) is my favourite character. He is full of sarcastic wit and is very laid back. They make a comedy pair like no other. "What would you rather fight?" Smithy began. 

"Go ON" said Denzel. "A zombie with the brain of an evil genius, or an evil genius with the brain of a zombie?" The questions and the replies will make you laugh and also make you think, this goes on all the way through the book and I really loved this. Interestingly, what would you choose? 

The story has a snappy narrative that will really help reluctant readers engage in the story. It is really easy to read. I found myself so engaged that I ended up reading it in just one sitting. It is written in an all-out action comic book style. Nosy Crow, yet again, have adapted this really well just as they have in so many of their previously published books. Some of the action sequences are 'too cool for school' but will certainly engage your magical socks right off your literal feet. 

The book is very imaginative and has a real punch of a twist later on. It is full of magical mayhem, fire power and some very nasty monsters. I particularly loved the RUBBISH-MONSTER classic caper narrative gold. However, I think I would have loved a little more detail weaved into some parts of the story, but this might be from an older readers perspective. It would also have been interesting to have included more of the amazingly detailed illustrations by Rob Biddulph, who also did My Evil Twin is a Supervillain by David Solomons. He really is a fantastic illustrator.

This is a great start to a new series. It is a gadget, supernatural, monster action-fest that has a fantastic immersive feel which 8-12-year-old readers will love to read, as well as big kids like me. I for one am certainly looking forward to the next book.

About the Author

Barry Hutchison, author of over eighty books for children and teenagers, and adults who never properly grew up. I live in Fort William in the Highlands of Scotland with my wife, two children, and very annoying dog.

As well as books, I also write comics like The Beano, DC Super Hero Girls, Angry Birds and Supermansion.

I also write animation, including all six episodes of Dreamworks TV’s upcoming ‘Kip Van Creepy: Delivery Boy’ and an episode of ‘Supermansion’ starring Bryan Cranston and Chris Pine.

Website:http://barryhutchison.com

Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Peter Jay Black - Shockwave (Urban Outlaws) - Book Review (Bloomsbury 2016)

The Urban Outlaws have been infected! Hector Del Sarto used them to spread the deadly Medusa virus and now the whole of London is in lockdown. Only Hector and his father have the antidote. Can Jack, Charlie, Obi, Slink and Wren work together to bring down the Del Sartos once and for all? The whole city depends on them!

One day, a team of super-skilled kids popped into Peter Jay Black's head; that was the day the URBAN OUTLAWS was born. The first book in this fantastic series was published back in March 2014, which only seems like yesterday. The authors love of gadgets and films have made a fantastic impact on the following series. The second book was entitled  "Black Out" and the third book "Lockdown". Both were published by Bloomsbury in 2015 with fantastically cool and vibrant book covers. Each book followed the characters through a series of impossible missions that left the reader hooked from the very first page.

The plot line in book four "Counterstrike" was extra special in many ways. It is definitely my personal favourite and was out early this year. I have loved every minute of this series and I hope that you do too, if you've not already done so. I have flexed my fantasy wings and flown higher than Mount Everest, even landing on the summit due to big action bangs in every book. I have really come to love the characters and their individual personalties as if they were old and new friends. Every adventure has stayed fresh in my mind until the next instalment is unleashed. 

We have now arrived at the latest book, SHOCKWAVE. As the book title might suggest, in more ways than one (giving nothing away), this could be the last pages that we read, but I really hope not! Jack, Charlie, Slink and Wren face their toughest challenge in a fantastic high-stakes battle to save their lives and everybody on the planet. The clock is ticking and so will your heartbeat as the action unfolds in this gripping and engaging mission to defeat Hector and the deadly virus. The story is told with heart and gusto; it has many chapters jammed packed with exhilarating action and adventure.   

The imaginative qualities found in all of the books will rival the dreams of kids. Any reluctant reader will drop into any of the stories and really enjoy them, as they are fun, fresh and totally cool. All of the characters are different and fantastically written, with brilliant personalties that any reader (regardless of age or gender) will relate to. There are characters who are creative with gadgets e.g. a techno geek who is good with computers and surveillance as well sporty and action seeking characters. Each person brings their skills  to make a great team as they all want to make a difference in the world in order to make it a better place for everybody. 

This is a fantastically feel good series for everyone; it is smart, funny and a bucketful of entertainment, but what will happen now? Have we seen the last of the Urban Outlaws? 

Book Review: Sophia McDougall - Mars Evacuees - Published by Egmont

I've been really looking forward to reading this book for a year or so now.  Now I have finally had the chance to read it, the question has to be . .  . . was it really worth the wait? It certainly wasn't what I was expecting, as I was anticipating something more serious and perhaps with a little bit more depth in the detail. However it is an adventure for the 9+ age group and what an adventure it turned out to be. The story rocketed from the very first page, and yes, I really enjoyed it, and so, I think, should you....

The plot for this story is brilliant. It is very imaginative - just imagine that earth has been invaded, in this case by a race called the Morror,  who fly around in invisible spacecrafts with invisible spacesuits. No-one can actually seen them, but earth needs to defend themselves from their attack. As a result, the government evacuates a group of children to Mars to train as cadets for the Exo-Defence Force. From this part on, the book should be entitled chaos in space as we read about laser shooting robot goldfish ingenious, earth eating flying worms, or something along those lines. Never mind the alien monsters and 300 crazy kids that have been left on Mars, with no adult supervision, after the adults mysteriously go missing. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? That's all I am going to say about the story, as I don't want to spoil your reading pleasure. I'm sure that you are starting to get the idea.

What you will find is a fresh, fast-paced space romp. A group of children fighting to save themselves from themselves in order to rescue the galaxy. This is science fiction where children rule. This book, in my opinion. is one of the best reads for me this year and one of the most exciting books that you will find for both boys and girls.

The story is both witty and smart. It is full of friendship and brilliant characters, good times and bad times as well as a few sad times. However these are all explored wonderfully by Sophia.  It's a joy to read; it has got all the ingredients required to pull off a magical space story. I particularly loved the craziness, playfulness and care free attitude that is evident through this book. This makes me, as on older reader, feel like a big kid and sometimes in this world this can be a wonderful feeling again.

I DON'T think that you can say that you've really lived until you have read this book. I am looking forward to the next book in the series which is, I think, out in August 2014.

Published by Egmont UK - 27, March 2014

Rachel Hawkins - Hex Hall - Book Review

Mr Ripley's Book Review

Are you a practicing Witch, Faerie or Vampire? Do you love a book that casts a spell on the reader? If you've answered yes to any of these questions, then this may well be the book for you. As a shapeshifter myself I like to morph into a good book and, I have to say I definitely found one here. The quicker I read a book, the greater the sign that I am enjoying it; this took less then five hours in one sitting! 

The magical experience of all the characters was a joy to read. I loved the story and was extremely surprised about it, to tell the truth. You' ve no idea where the book is going to take you but it definitely has a blockbuster feel, as well as a feeling of being fresh and not like a book you may have read before.

The plot was particularly good and the relationships between the characters worked well. The angst and romantic nature was not too over the top; making it more appealing to both boys and girls.

The story is set around the shabby outward looking school of Hecate Hall. The reform school is for wayward 'Prodigium,' who have been attracting too much human attention.

This is going to be a real hit next year with readers; it's fun, witty and very uber-cool. It has great twists and turns with a climatic ending which will enhance the enthusiasm for the next book in the series. This is currently known as 'Hexy Times' but could be subject to change prior to publication.

I am going to give four out of five, as I need to know more about the history and the events which connect the story. A fine debut book and a great new series - one which I believe will catch the eye of film makers. The only downside to the book is its front cover, which I feel is not appealing enough for boys. I'd be interested to know whether other people feel the same.

Book published by Hyperion Books in the U.S  March 2010 

Book Synopsis Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.
As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

Cathy Brett - Ember Fury Book Review

Mrs Ripley's Review

Ember Fury - a great character name and also symbolic of two strong themes that run throughout the book, fire and anger. This carefully constructed book engages the reader through its content and graphics. The word art and attention to detail, regarding the structure and layout , add extra layers to the story dimension.
The lifestyle of a celebrity (Ember’s Dad) is portrayed frankly through exploited friendships and indulgent motives. Interestingly the materialistic world, that many youngsters today aspire to live in, is shown to be a shallow and lonely world where trust and loyalty are not guaranteed qualities within people.
Ned, the character that no-one else but Ember can see, provides an interesting parallel through the role of his loving family unit and fire. Both of which, in the end, have a major influence on Ember’s life.
I thought this book was thought provoking and well constructed. It had many layers of understanding which could engage the reader at different levels. Although at times I felt the story swapped and changed into parallel worlds, a little too much


Synopsis

Pyromania: A mental derangement, excitement or excessive enthusiasm for fire.
Having celebrity parents isn’t as hot as it sounds. Yes, there’s money to burn, fame and some totally smoking guys...But when your dad’s more interested in blazing a trail to the top of the charts than why you got kicked out of school, again, it can make you seriously angry. And if there’s one thing Ember knows, it’s that the smallest spark of anger can ignite a whole heap of trouble...

Published by Headline 6 Aug 2009

About the Author

Cathy Brett has been scribbling stuff for more than twenty years - as a fashion illustrator, as a jet-setting spotter of global trends and as a consultant to the behemoths of the British high street.
She now lectures in design and unashamedly plunders her students' lives for sensational storylines and characters.

Tim Kehoe - The Unusual Mind of Vincent Shadow - book review

Mr Ripley's book review

I really liked the look of this book. I actually took it to work to read and some of my staff wanted to read it after me, which is something. It's a super cool book with a quirky style sketch on the front and even more super sketches, in the section marked this notebook belongs to: Vincent Shadow, showing all his mad toy inventions. I loved the simple story which had all the imagination of the 'great' Roald Dahl. It's about a boy extraordinaire, who has the creative mind of a genius misunderstood. When his dad re-marries (after his mum dies) he finds himself with three stepsisters and a stepmum, who is not the warmest person towards Vincent. So he finds himself leaving New York, his secret toy laboratory and his inventing days all behind him.
This is a good, refreshing story which leaves a great taste for the reader. I did find some characteristics similar to the Blue Balliett books. This book is aimed at 8-12 year olds but will appeal to everyone.
I give this book four out of five, only on the account that I wanted so many more pages to read. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next episode.

Book published By Little Brown and Company in November 2009 (U.S only)


Book synopsis

Eleven-year-old Vincent Shadow dreamed of being a toy inventor. He had notebooks full of ideas bubbles that carried sound, rockets that pop into kites, and a football that would rather bite than be caught.
Unfortunately, the secret attic lab where Vincent built his prototypes had seen more disasters than triumphs. But a chance encounter with eccentric toy inventor Howard G. Whiz, and the discovery of long-lost inventions by one of the world s greatest scientists would change Vincent s life forever.

Written by award-winning toy inventor Tim Kehoe, The Unusual Mind of Vincent Shadow is sure to delight young readers and send their imaginations soaring!

About the Author

Tim Kehoe is the inventor of numerous toys, including the world s first colored bubbles Zubbles, which won Popular Science magazine s Grand Prize for Innovation in 2005. Recently named one of America s 100 Best by Reader s Digest, Tim lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota with his wife and five children.

Marcus Alexander - Who Is Charlie Keeper? The Book Review

Mr Ripley's review

Who is Marcus Alexander? Having read this book it has resulted in me asking this question and also questions about the self-published route.
I have heard lots of good things about this book but I thought it may be the hype that was turning the wheels but infact this is not so. This fantasy epic has all the makings of a classic book which will go far indeed.
The hero of the book is one Charlie Keeper; boy in name but cool action girl in nature. The book reads like a fantasy dream with all the qualities of a great author. But interestingly it also has a dark side which has hints of Chris Wooding's The Ascendancy Veil trilogy through the visionary description of the dark Bane character. Having all these great ingredients makes this book a special read. A great page turner which should entice and captivate a wide audience. A well deserved five out of five - can't wait for the next installment.

Published by Marcus Alexander Publishing 11 Jul 2008


About the Book

'Who is Charlie Keeper?' is a shockingly fast paced fantasy novel that tells the tale of Charlie, an iron-willed, twelve year old girl suffering an unjust and unhappy fate. Forced to flee her home in the gloomy, rain-drenched landscape of London by a bloodthirsty and terrifying new foe, she escapes to the vibrant, parallel land of Bellania with nothing more than her common sense and razor-sharp wits to keep her safe. Bellania, a land of myth, magic and marauding giants with bad attitude and poor anger management. With the fate of a world resting squarely upon her shoulders Charlie must learn about her destiny in order to defeat Bane, the Stoman Lord.And even with all the unspeakable betrayals, vicious enemies and terrible odds that are stacked against her, Charlie could probably succeed... ...if only she could learn to keep her big mouth shut and her opinions to herself.