Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books: Cathy MacPhail - Devil You Know - Book Review (Kelpiesteen)

Book Synopsis: "Baz was the kind of friend I wanted. Everyone seemed a bit afraid of him." Forced to move away from his dad in Aberdeen to a run-down Glasgow council estate, Logan thinks he's pretty lucky to have made any friends -- let alone Baz and the boys. Baz might have a bit of reputation, be a bit mouthy, but he's the kind of friend who'll stick up for you; who'll make life interesting -- or should that be dangerous? When Logan, Baz and the boys get caught up a local turf war Baz is the first to fight back. But the aftermath leads Logan and his friends deeper into a world of real-life gangs, threats and lethal revenge. How far will Baz go, and will Logan follow him?

Book Review: This is another interesting and challenging take on teenage life from the award winning author Cathy MacPhail. This is the second book that I have read written by Cathy. I really connected with this story. It brought back a flood of childhood memories; the feeling of freedom and the naive outlook on the world.   

I had a great time relating to the characters in this story as it really took me back to my own childhood. I was immediately immersed into the world of Logan and his friends. I felt every heartbeat of this story pulsating with the reality of human life. Set on a challenging Glasgow council estate, perhaps not the most exciting place you might be thinking, but it is certainly one that will get you thinking. The themes will have similarities to those that young people will be facing today as they try to navigate their teenage lives through these. 

The book creates a large imprint in the friendship department. It focuses on the daily outlook on life and families and the fact that they are never perfect. It depicts many social problems and fears that we may have about ourselves and the world around us. 

This book is an adventure full of thrills and spills where the characters get involved in the proper gang culture, and not just kid ones. This brings about some dark and deadly serious plot turns as threats and revenge have their price. How dangerous will it get for Logan, Baz, Mickey, Gary and Claude ( don't forget Ricky the dog) "just a bunch of boys" looking for something to do at night? 

I think teenage boys will love this book. The plot is very clever and well thought out. Towards the end of the story you will be faced with a killer twist. I did not see this coming, so I will not say anything else, but the clues are there. This story is fast paced and well plotted; full of action and equal amounts of tension that will have you gripped throughout. 

This is another book that I would not normally pick up but I really loved it. Mnay thanks to Floris Books for sending me a copy.  

Paperback: 240 Pages  - Publisher: Kelpies 6 Mar. 2015 - ISBN-13: 978-1782501794

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Mr Ripley's Book Review: Mind Blind by Lari Don - KelpiesTeen

Lari Don's Mind Blind is another offering from the newly formed  KelpiesTeen.  This is a brand new teen fiction imprint showcasing Scottish books with attitude. Launched this March, the publishing company has award-winning authors Roy Gill, Gill Arbuthnott and Lari Don discovering the dark side of Scottish fiction through their spectacular stories.

This is new territory for Lari with her first venture into teenage fiction. This story is told from the perspective of a teenage boy called Ciaran and has been particularly well achieved, in my opinion. The story unfolds inside Ciaran's head and/or when he's inside Lucy head, which might not make sense to you yet but it will once you have read the book.

The opening part of the story is immediately captivating with the opening lines ' I killed a girl today, just after the school bell.' This opener literally drags you into the story head first. Although, I did find the first part of the book a little slow going but it was still very intriguing - I really wanted to know more. After the first two chapters, I soon started to glide along once I had got to grips with the first person perspective of seeing the world through Ciaran's eyes, but also alternating between the two different voices of Lucy's feeling and emotions told through the eyes of Ciaran.

Ciaran Bain is a criminal with a special talent: he can read minds. This also comes at a price, emotionally and physically with gripping consequences that makes for brilliant reading. Ciaran's voice punched away in my head and fuelled  me with adrenalin all the way through this adventure. I felt like I was part of the world that Lari had written.

Lucy Kingston Shaw is another main character. However Lucy's sister is dead - she was killed for a secret that Ciaran's family want to bury.  Both characters are thrown together in an epic voyage of discovery as they journey to uncover the deadly secret between their families. They can run but they can't hide; not even from their own minds.

There is enough in this story to keep every reader hooked. It is told through a realistic setting with no magical scenario involved. It is just the pure concept of mind reading which, in this set of circumstances, is an hereditary skill. The deep family turmoil and unlikely friendship both feed off the strong themes of hate, fear and family loyalty which thread through this book. It is a story that will make you think more deeply than most - this is normally something that I might have run away from, but in this case I absolutely loved it. 

This is a great story that has been published by KelpiesTeen. It is a book with attitude, freshness and a story that teens will relate to very much. It has a memorable and fascinating theme that is unique to other current teen fiction that is around at the moment. There's nowhere to hide when your mind can be read. This is available to purchase  in bookshops now - go and grab yourself a copy now.

Mr Ripley's Book Review: Roy Gill - Werewolf Parallel - Published by KelpiesTeen (Plus Book Giveaway)

I first discovered Scotland's dark side when reading Roy Gill's Daemon Parallel about two years ago. This was a truly brilliant read that I thoroughly enjoyed. In fact, the book made my list of favourites back in 2012. Since that time I have been eagerly waiting for the sequel and finally it has arrived. 

With the recent launch of Kelpies Teen, this book is one of four due to be released in March. A revamped version of the cover of Daemon Parallel, with it's bright red glowing eyes beaming daemonically at you, is quite different to the original version. This is in-line with the current sequel, Werewolf Parallel, which has a very similar cover style but in green.  Now that the anticipation is over and the book has been read, the question has to be . . . .  was it worth the long wait?

The opportunity to run with the pack again in another heart pumping adventure has been fantastic. I raced through the Parallel world turning the pages like a Daemon riding the Janus express train. The imagination Roy has applied to this instalment left me running wild through the Scottish countryside. Although, the next time that I walk down Princess street or Leith walk, my fantasy side will turn to the adventures in this book. I know that I will be making connections with elements of the story which, to me, shows that the story has really engaged with me on many levels. 

I will be running away from the malevolent beast known as Mr Grey, who has arms that endlessly stretch, as if they are continually growing and not to tickle you with! His fingers are waiting to strike you down whilst his sidekick, Mr Black, watches over you.  They are planning to destroy the Parallel - the realm between worlds which is populated by daemons, dark fantastical creatures, old gods and werewolves - and everyone in it. The sinister plot that is afoot makes for a very interesting and imaginative story. The book definitely reads with a distinctive older feel, as it's now aimed at the teen market. However, I still feel that this book will be loved by younger people as well as the older population, like myself!

This book is action packed with a pulsating adventure. It has a big wolf heart at the very core. Flowing with Scottish charm, this story has everything from spine tingling moments to emotional character enlightenment. It is difficult not to become wrapped up in the whole essence of the story and, before you know it, to be wolfing down each word. 

This is definitely a recommended read. By the light of the full moon, this story is both captivating and thrilling. I am looking forward to reading, what I hope will be, another exciting encounter. 

I will be giving away a copy of the Daemon Parallel on Twitter/ Facebook. All that you need to do is like my new Facebook page and comment on this review post at https://www.facebook.com/MrRipleyspage or retweet and follow me on Twitter,  @Enchantedbooks. Apologies but this is only open to the UK due to postage costs. Closing date is Tuesday 1st April 2014. 

Exclusive Book Cover Reveal: Roy Gill's - Daemon Parallel and Werewolf Parallel Published by Kelpies Teen

                           

It is an absolute privilege for me to share with you, for the very first time, the new book covers for Roy Gill's spring book release. Indie based Edinburgh Floris Books are launching an exciting range of books for teenagers - these books will be published under the new imprint of Kelpies Teen. I'm sure that you'll agree that these covers are incredibly cool and will certainly captivate the teenage audience that they are intended for.

The two amazing covers that you can see are for Roy Gill's Daemon Parallel and Werewolf Parallel books. The second cover is for the new adventure which is part of the Parallel Series - personally, I just can't wait to read this once it has been published! 

In my opinion, these are absolutely fantastic book covers. They really are book covers with attitude - bright, bold and eye catching. However, they also ooze a hint of 'don't read this book before bedtime' message as something might just get you in the night when you least expect it! These amazing book cover illustrations are the work of the talented illustrator Adrian Stone. To find out more about him and his work click Here

I would like to take this opportunity to thank both the publisher and Roy for having faith in me and my blog to show these eye-catching beauties. It really is a privilege for me to share these covers with the digital world as well as being able to share a few of my thoughts with you. We would love to hear what you think so please get in touch. 

To find out more about these books and the publishing company keep an eye out on their new KelpiesTeen Facebook page Here