Book Review: Roger Davenport - Wanderer - Published by Sky Pony Press

The best introduction that I can come up with for this book is that it is a big time story with lots of heart and soul. It is published by Sky Pony Press in New York who sent me this review copy. I'd like to thank them for sending it over and giving me the opportunity to read it.

I was very keen to read this book when I found that the story portrayed a post-apocalyptic world. I have to say that this theme is difficult to get right when it is featured in books, but when it works it is amazing. So did this book and story live up to my expectations? Well, I have to say yes, in the main it did. This book has a great vision - the author paints the picture in full colour with some great fantasy elements that work particularly well. 

The story takes place in a lost valley in which society has been split into two: the Wanderers and the people who live in the pyramid city of Arcone. The Wanderes, by in large, have a very difficult and turbulent life - they have to battle against the elements, the arid desert landscape and each other. Whilst the people, who live in the pyramid city of Arcone, have a closed environment with a tightly controlled society which enables them to maintain a more civilized basic existence in the face of an environmentally devastated planet. I really did enjoy reading this book; it's highly imaginative and very well written. It is a fast-paced easy to follow story aimed at the 13-17 year old market but it also has a strong pull to older readers, just like myself!   

The characters are varied and very interesting; they are mostly likeable and take you along on a hair raising adventure. One of my favourite parts of the story involved the gas propelled balloon journey which took me on a breathtaking ride. It was really engrossing and set up the vision for the rest of the book. I loved the small attention to detail that you will find throughout this book - it really does make the story stand out from some of the other books within this genre.

The action intensifies the further that you travel into the story. However, it then very abruptly stops leaving the outcome, for me, to end too early. Perhaps the author took a little too long to set up the story for the next book and then made the story feel like two adventures in one book. That was my only gripe about this book really - I would have liked a stronger ending.

I really would like more people to find a copy of this book as it had a really good pace and rhythm to it. It has a gripping, fantastical world element that will have you engaged by following the characters' hardships, friendships and survival. There were some particularly great scenes and epic battles involving the survival of the main characters that will keep you immersed in the story. I really did enjoy reading this book as it was easy to follow, well written and really engaging from the start. The story included many great ideas which were well thought out and all told with a twist of mystery and a sense of adrenaline. I would recommend reading this book, so track down a copy if you can......

Andy Mulligan - Trash - Book Review

                                              
Andy Mulligan was brought up in the south of London. He worked as a theatre director for ten years, before his travels in Asia prompted him to re-train as a teacher. Since then he has taught English and drama in India, Brazil, The Philippines and the UK. He now divides his time between London and Manila.


After reading Andy's debut book Ribblestrop, which ranked highly in my favourite books last year, I heard about the release of his new book. I was hoping for book two in this series, but finding out that this book was going to published by David Fickling and not Simon & Schuster, I knew this was not going to be the case. Disappointed I was, but also intrigued. 


Raphael is a dumpsite boy. He spends his days wading through mountains of steaming trash, sifting it, sorting it, breathing it, sleeping next to it. Then one unlucky-lucky day, Raphael's world turns upside down. A small leather bag falls into his hands. It's a bag of clues. It's a bag of hope. It's a bag that will change everything. Soon Raphael and his friends Gardo and Rat are running for their lives. Wanted by the police, it takes all their quick-thinking, fast-talking to stay ahead. As the net tightens, they uncover a dead man's mission to put right a terrible wrong. It's three street-boys against the world...

This book, in my eyes, had so much to live up to. However it did match the quality of 'Ribblestrop' but in a different way. It is a great tale of poverty and hardship - children and families living on the edge of life, just about keeping their heads above the 'trash', so to speak.

The book starts with the two main characters of the book, Raphael and his best friend Gardo. Living in a slum, they work all hours sifting through rubbish - just to make a little money to get by. The fourteen year old boys have no hope for a better life, until one day they find a bag, which changes their lives forever. They embark on a heart-stopping adventure that leaves you clinging onto every word and action.

The book is told through the many encounters that the characters become wrapped up in within this mysterious adventure. The tension continuously builds, as the boys face more danger, and the ever pursuing police.

I really loved this book, as it had all the ingredients required to make a good read - a great original story fraught with danger and good central characters that you warm to, wanting to ensure the best for them through the story. The book also has a strong cultural element based upon the author's extensive travels - a hint of life in the Philippines that ensures its appeal and authenticity. This is a sure fire read and I certainly look forward to another book from Andy soon.
Thanks to Lauren for sending this book out to me for review - it's very much appreciated.

Book published by David Fickling Books September 2010

Other books readers might like are Steve Augarde - Xisle Book Review and Paolo Bacigalupi - Ship Breaker-Book Review