NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

A million souls exist in Range. Each year, these same souls are reborn into different bodies. Until the year Ana is born. No one knows Ana and she has never lived before. And her existence means someone has stopped existing: Ciana. The other souls resent Ana for taking the place of one of their friends, someone they’ve known for thousands of years, and they’re wary of Ana. Will she be reborn after this life? Is there any point in getting close to her without knowing for sure if she’ll remain a permanent fixture in their lives? Sam seems to think so, but in a world where every seems to hate her, Ana’s not sure she can trust Sam.

Incarnate is an incredibly interesting and unique idea. After reading it, I’m surprised reincarnation hasn’t been further explored. Meadows creates a fascinating world, but as fascinating as it is, I thought she could have taken it further. She raises so many questions throughout the novel and some of the big reveals feel kind of disappointing and rushed. Everything about Incarnate is so new and the entire world is especially new to Ana, making her a perfectly relatable protagonist. She’s insanely curious, which should be beneficial for the reader. But as Ana searches for answers she doesn’t find until the very end, the suspense and sense of mystery keep building and building, leading up to a huge revelation. While the revelation is unpredictable, I just expected more from it.

One thing I really appreciate about Incarnate is the way Meadows makes you question everything and everyone. Ana is a naturally distrustful character, for good reasons, so it takes a lot for her to open up to people. Sam and his friends work hard to really earn Ana’s and our trust. Then Meadows manages to sweep the carpet out from under all of us, making us doubt everything we learn about the characters. It’s so rare that I feel that unsure, that I have no idea where the plot is going, and I commend Meadows for being able to surprise me so much.

There’s a lot to like about Incarnate. Every aspect of the novel is refreshing. The world of Range, and specifically the city of Heart, is a breath of fresh air, with it’s new traditions, customs, and overall different way of life. The mystery surrounding sylph still plagues my mind and the small portion of science behind the reincarnation piques my curiosity. The story incorporates its own new religion and raises questions about faith and belief. Basically, its a book that really makes you think, even after you finish it. If you’re growing wearing of vampires, angels, and the typical paranormal romances, then don’t hesitate to pick up Incarnate, as it’ll offer something you probably haven’t seen before.

Pages: 384
Publication Date : January 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Challenge: Debut Author
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “I desperately wanted to be someone else for a while, and for no one to know who I was. What I was. Nosoul.”

“Katherine has moved away from her shattered family to start afresh in Sydney. There she keeps her head down until she is befriended by the charismatic, party-loving Alice, who brings her out of her shell. But there is a dark side to Alice, something seductive yet threatening. And as Katherine learns the truth about Alice, their tangled destinies spiral to an explosive and devastating finale.”

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If you have read the hype regarding this novel , you would believe that Rebecca James is going to be the next JK Rowling. That is a big call, and not really fair to the author. Flattering? Yes. Fair? No. I too, knew sketchily of the details surrounding ‘Beautiful Malice’ – a bidding war at a book fair in Germany – or somewhere. I wasn’t really paying attention because I was, as most wannabe writers often are, too busy being insanely jealous. So of course when I picked up the novel I was expecting to be blown away.

I wasn’t. But what I did get was a solid read that kept me interested, if not utterly engrossed and up reading past 2am. But I must stress, that even though I didn’t love and adore this book, I can see the appeal and why many others would rate it very, very highly.

In this part romance, part thriller, we are introduced to Katherine Patterson, an intelligent girl who is completing her high school career, away from her family and friends. But we don’t worry about why too much, as we are swept up with Katherine’s new friendship with Alice and Alice’s ‘kind of’ boyfriend, Robbie.  Beautiful, sexy, crazy Alice. It soon becomes clear that crazy is definitely a word used to describe her. Spiteful, cruel, arrogant and scary also come to mind. Although Katherine has been dealt some horrifying blows in her life, she still has her wits about her, and when Alice’s behaviour becomes truly inappropriate, Katherine cuts her loose. Doing her final exams, nurturing a new love and finally being happy – an unhinged bestie is the last thing Katherine needs. Of course, that is when the fun really begins. Katherine’s tragic past becomes a focus for Alice; a means to wreak havoc on Katherine and those she loves.

It has been claimed that the novel has a strong ‘international appeal’, which I think suggests that it isn’t noticeably ‘Australian’. I can’t figure out whether that is an insult or not. It is Catch-22 for me. I love teen stories set in America, with the school hallways indoors, the cafeterias, snow, no school uniform and ‘mom’. I suppose that with a tweak of mum to mom, the change a some place names and a bit of a flora readjustment, this story could be set anywhere. Does it matter? I guess not. I am just not sure if it is a sell-out when a story set in Sydney, by an Aussie author doesn’t feel Australian.

‘Neutral’ setting aside, I liked Katherine. She has a good head on her shoulders – she doesn’t fall prey to Alice’s manipulation and has the strength to end their friendship. Alice is just a nasty piece of work, all the things you expect a bunny-boiling villain to be, but you do wonder how she got so far hiding her crazy. That in itself is impressive, if not a plot hole. Robbie, who makes up the third member of the trio is sweet and gorgeous – you want to hate his weakness where Alice is concerned, but well, she’s gorgeous and seductive and fun, and he’s a boy. What can he do in the face of that? He is not totally clueless; he does realise the hold Alice has over him, and he does pull her up on her behaviour when necessary.

While I don’t want to give to much away regarding the plot – as a thriller, you need the surprises – I feel that Katherine went through a hell of a lot to achieve what happens at the end of most teen romance novels. I know this isn’t a teen romance, but if the murder, mayhem and Alice’s crazy was notched down a bit, it could be. With a bit more swearing. When you reach the end of this novel you will feel wrung out and maybe a little hopeful, that the good, decent characters will finally get what they deserve – peace and happiness. Early on in the novel, we know Alice got what she deserved. You just have to read on to find out how.

Pages: 283

Publication Date: June, 2010

Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Challenge: Debut Author

Rating: :

Teaser Quote: Robbie’s father puts his hand on Alice’s arm and pulls her in beside him. Alice’s face is absolutely inscrutable – and though she’d looked shocked when she’d first seen us, she now looks perfectly comfortable, slightly amused even, as if this whole situation is just a game, and we are the toys.

“When Aaron gets a job at a funeral home, he surprisingly takes to it. But there are dark secrets hidden in Aaron’s subconscious. He experiences dangerous bouts of sleepwalking and recurring dreams he can’t explain: a lifeless hand, a lipsticked mouth, a man, a gun… Can he piece the clues together and figure out the truth of his past?”

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When John Marsden proclaims, ‘I have never read a book more gripping, nor more triumphantly alive’ you would assume that Scot Gardner’s The Dead I Know is going to be something pretty special. Churning through the book in a couple of hours, I would have to say that John Marsden was on the money. Scot Gardner has created a story that is realistic, haunting, bone-chillingly scary and life-affirming.

Aaron Rowe is a sleep-walking teen who has left school for a job with a funeral director. In an occupation that would freak most people out, Aaron has found a sense of belonging. His boss, John Barton, and his wife, look out for him – no strings attached, even if their young daughter is bossy and interfering. While Aaron’s job is on the right track, his nightmares are getting worse and he is scared he is going to do something that he will regret, or worse – not remember.

When you first meet Aaron, you really wonder what you are in for. There is nothing about his life that you would want nor admire, except for the fact that after a much needed haircut he is considered to be very attractive. He has no friends, his new job is at a funeral home, he lives with someone whose mental health is rapidly degenerating and his personality isn’t exactly thrilling.

The Dead I Know is told from Aaron’s point of view. While it never feels like he is lying or manipulating the reader, there are some things he definitely isn’t telling us, either because he can’t remember, or doesn’t think it necessary for us to know.  This makes the reaction of other characters towards Aaron perplexing; they seem surprised and pleased when he shows normal behaviour. They know something we don’t. We are also left in the dark about Aaron’s ‘American’ accent and ‘Mam’. As some readers will know, Mam is the English version of ‘Mum’. This character, and the lack of details surrounding Aaron’s past, shroud him in mystery. However, it becomes clear that there are reasons why Aaron is so comfortable with his new job, so familiar with death – something to which his ever-increasing somnambulism and nightmares attest.

Despite this, we are drawn into Aaron’s world, perhaps because he seems so good. There is a dangerous moment where he could be seen as a loser loner, but we soon learn that he is just quiet, reserved, and a little damaged. He is respectful to his boss, loves Mam, and while his judgment regarding her is cloudy, he always seems to do the right thing. A different character in a YA novel might do the exact opposite, just to add drama. He respects his elders, he does his job well, is honest, and even though he may be one of the most traumatised fictional characters you might have met, he doesn’t take advantage of this by engaging in stupid behaviour.  Even in his darkest hour, where we aren’t sure what he has or hasn’t done – we fully sympathise with him.

It also doesn’t hurt that Aaron is hot. The imagery of him sleep-walking in his pyjamas is just too cute, and it is in his interactions with Skye Barton, his boss’ daughter, that I feel we have a new romantic hero in Aaron. Don’t get me wrong though, there is no romance with Skye – she is only 12! He is calm and gentlemanly when the most patient of us would have told her to rack off, and that was enough to make me like him. A lot.

The Dead I Know reminded me of Markus Zuzak’s The Book Thief and Philip Pullman’s The Amber Spyglass, in the way I reacted to certain scenes. Hair-on-the-back-of-the-neck-standing-up-and-really-needing-to-put-the-book-down-because-it-was-so-affecting type reaction. But I couldn’t. The difference with this book is that it was ‘real’ – no ghostly narrators or fantasy creatures. It was Aaron’s own thoughts and experiences regarding death that made me feel this way. It was confronting and refreshing to feel this way reading a YA book; I am used to them being unputdownable due to thrills and romance.

By the end of The Dead I Know, you will feel happy to be alive and realise how resilient the human spirit is. It is also heartening to read a YA novel where the adults are kind and nurturing, where the adults involved protect children, rather than just used in an ‘all grown ups are bad’ plot device that allows the protagonist to rebel and roam about, free of adult supervision.

Pages: 216

Publication Date: May 2011

Publisher: Allen and Unwin

Challenge: n/a

Rating: :

Teaser Quote:  By giving him grace, I found some of my own. The police protected the living, ambulance officers protected the injured and we protected the dead. All as it should be.