Struan Murray (Author), Manuel Šumberac (Illustrator) - Orphans of the Tide - Book Review - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books (#OrphansoftheTide)

Walking into a book shop this February, you'll find yourself both delighted and entertained by some of the best children's books that have been published this month. One of my personal favourite reads is this debut book by Struan Murray. Published by Puffin Books on the 20th February, it has a fantastic cover and brilliant illustrations that have been produced by Manuel Šumberac. You only need to look at the brilliant front cover to know that you are in for a real treat. And believe you me, you really are! 

This book is a fantastic slice of dark, magical fiction. You'll find the pages turning by themselves whilst your head spins into a wondrous world. The destination is The City which has been built precariously on a mountain, in fact, it's half-submerged into the sea. This is a brilliant place for the imagination to thrive on. It's a great rooftop escape full of drama, fireworks and some rather bizarrely odd moments. 

This great fantasy is gripped with fear. A malevolent enemy takes over the human mind, hoping to cause mischief and total destruction. The Enemy can take possession of any human body, however, the ruthless Inquisition are determined to destroy it forever. All except for one character, Ellie Lancaster, has another idea. She is a fantastic well-rounded and loveable character who is both heroically courageous and strong-minded. As a tinker and inventor, she lives in a workshop crammed with curiosities. 

This brilliant story is packed full of emotion and friendship. All the characters suffer from some kind of personal grief that most of us can relate to. A mysterious boy washes in with the tide, the citizens believe he's the Enemy that has come to cause untold chaos. This dark side of the story introduces some scary moments which dispense a little chill in the air and tug on the heartstrings. 

I loved the split narrative. As you read the layered diary entries from Claude Hestermeyer, the story connects together brilliantly and makes the reader stick (with fantasy superglue) to the ongoing events. This book is a creative and brilliantly imaginative story. 

This story is thoroughly enjoyable as there is so much in the plot to keep all readers entertained. The cauldron has been mixed with myths, chaos, and secrets that are all bubbling with intrigue, mystery and magic cinematic moments. This is a truly great book to escape into. You'll soon have the power to see and believe in the magic of reading when the story is this good - try it for yourself. 

Susie Day - Max Kowalski Didn't Mean It - Book Review (Puffin)

As I was delving further into the 'to be read' pile, I came across the latest book by Susie Day. Max Kowalski Didn't Mean It will be published in paperback this coming September (2019). The story idea was formed after the author attended a Mental Health First Aid course where a frightening statistic was shared revealing that suicide is the number one cause of death among men aged 20-49. This led to the author writing a middle-grade book that covers mental empathy with great skill. 

The book from the first page is very compelling to read. Max Kowalski is an 11-year old boy who is always in trouble. He wants to be just like his dad: fun, loud, strong and dependable. However, with three younger siblings and a family coping with the loss of their mother the story takes you on a turbulent path that will pull on the emotional heartstrings. Overnight, everything changes when mysterious boxes and even more mysterious bundles of cash start turning up at their house.  The story takes another twist when Max's dad goes missing and Max has to 'step up' and look after his three little sisters: Ripley (a great name!) and twins Thelma and Louise. 

The magic for me in this story starts when Max takes them away to hide in a remote village in Wales. Here they learn about the legend of the golden dragon who guards a hoard of gold on the top of Snowdonia. However, is the legend real? Max wants to be a big hero, so he sets off on a quest to 'do battle'. The story highlights the naivety of the children and the idyllic brilliant setting of the Welsh mountains. The plot breaths fresh air and a dash of fantasy magic throughout it. 

The book explores all of the different forms of masculinity whilst keeping the story upbeat and very uplifting. The three sisters will make you laugh and the interaction between them in this story feels whimsical - filling the story with moments of sorrow and laughter. The characters are brilliantly written and will help young readers relate to many of the situations they are also faced with. Hopefully, this should start to help start and open up conversations about grief and not being the stereotypical family in a world that is ever changing. 

This is a book that will be loved by all. It's a fast-paced family adventure filled with drama, heart, human magic and lots of emotion. Look out for this when it is published as you will not be disappointed.