The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Title: The Maze Runner

Author: James Dashner

Series: The Maze Runner #1

Release Date: 6th October 2009

My Rating: 3/5

Blurb: 

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every thirty days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

In A Nutshell:

A promising beginning but it didn't follow through to an ending that interested me.

My Review:

The Maze Runner is sort of like a cross between The Hunger Games and the TV show Lost. A group of about fifty teenage boys have been placed in an unknown area with no escape. They are given certain supplies each week and once a month, another boy joins them with his memory wiped clean. With no way of leaving, the boys send groups into the maze which is connected to the area they have been remanded to, in the hope of finding an exit and the possibility of a normal life and finding the families they hope are looking for them on the outside. But the maze appears unsolvable and has Grievers, mechanical monsters that patrol, ready to kill any boy that comes into contact with them.

Despite their undesirable circumstances, the characters have managed to form their own working community with a type of government and jobs to keep them busy. Everyone has a job to do, whether it be maintaining the vegetable gardens and caring for the livestock, cleaning the living quarters, taking care of the sick and injured, preparing meals or entering the maze. With the arrival of Thomas, and then Teresa, things start to change and as people begin to remember snippets of their former lives, the maze and the community they have created may not be all that bad after all.

I enjoyed the story and the characters for a large portion of the novel and I was really intrigued as to which way the plot was going to go. However, the direction the author took wasn’t for me and I began to lose interest in the final chapters. The last pages introduced a whole new mystery which did not appeal to me so I won’t be continuing on with The Scorch Trials.

Psych Major Syndrome by Alicia Thompson

Title: Psych Major Syndrome

Author: Alicia Thompson

Release Date: 11th August 2009

My Rating: 5/5 

Blurb:

Using the skills you've learned so far in Introduction to Psychology, please write a brief self-assessment describing how things are going in your freshman year.

Presenting Concerns:

The Patient, Leigh Nolan (that would be me), has just started her first year at Stiles College. She has decided to major in psychology (even though her parents would rather she study Tarot cards, not Rorschach blots). 

Patient has always been very good at helping her friends with their problems, but when it comes to solving her own...not so much. 

Patient has a tendency to overanalyze things, particularly when the opposite sex is involved. Like why doesn't Andrew, her boyfriend of over a year, ever invite her to spend the night? Or why can't she commit to taking the next step in their relationship? And why does his roommate Nathan dislike her so much? More importantly, why did Nathan have a starring role in a much-more-than-friendly dream

Aggravating factors include hyper-competitive fellow psych majors, a professor who’s badly in need of her own psychoanalysis, and mentoring a middle-school-aged girl who thinks Patient is, in a word, naive.

Diagnosis:

Psych Major Syndrome

In A Nutshell:
Psych Major Syndrome was a light, unputdownable read that totally filled my quota of favourite things for the day: a college setting, swoon-worthy guy, spunky alternative best friend and a road trip.

My Review:

Psych Major Syndrome has all my favourite things: a college setting, cute guy, spunky alternative best friend, dorm rooms and a roadtrip. It also has all the things that can make life miserable (excluding death and illness): an academic rival, a bitchy girl who you just want to throw the best comebacks at but can never think of them at the right time, and an arsehat of a boyfriend. Throw in a troubled teen in need of someone to talk to, a hippy/new age family and a loveable but rundown old car and you have Leigh Nolan’s life.

It really was just one of those books that makes you feel happy and go ‘awww’. It was a light, unputdownable read that totally filled my quota of favourite things for the day.

Leigh is somewhat neurotic. It seems to be true what they say about psychologists having just as many problems as their patients (Leigh is studying psychology). She can be annoying because, like a lot of girls, she over analyses things and can’t see what is blaringly obvious to everyone around her. But, the whole book was endearing and a total comfort read for me.

Nathan pretty much ticks all the boxes for perfect swoon-worthy guy. He is sweet, pays attention, plays guitar, believes Leigh deserves better *cough* him *cough* and is guaranteed to melt the hearts of everyone who reads Psych Major Syndrome. Prepare for major swoon-age.

Loved it.

Big thanks to Nomes over at inkcrush for this recommendation.

The Times, They Are A Changing...

So, like everyone, I am somewhat confused about what is going to be happening with Blogger come July 1st.

I know that Google Reader is going bye-bye. I've had a look around at some of the other platforms we can use to follow our favourite blogs and after testing out Bloglovin over the last 2 weeks, I've decided that I'm really happy with it. So, now I am recommending it to all of you! You can really easily import all the blogs you currently follow on Google Reader into your (free) Bloglovin account. They have buttons that you can add to your blog for people to follow you and if someone doesn't have a button, you can still add the blog easily. And, they have a great phone app. I'm seriously loving it. So without further ado, please go and sign up for an account if you haven't already got one and sign up to follow my blog. Pretty please...

But if you don't want to, I have other options!

I haven't been able to figure out if Google Friend Connect is also disappearing or if it is staying (does anyone know for sure?) but I'm assuming it is also leaving us since it is connected to the Google Reader. For the time being I still have the option to follow via GFC (see the little blogger book button over on the sidebar?) but at the risk of it disappearing, I would appreciate it if you could now follow using a different method. I've got email subscription and RSS, plus of course Bloglovin, but if they really don't work for you, or if it's just easier, then I've got Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. Or you could just follow all the different ways (I often post extra stuff on Facebook)! See those nifty little follow buttons? Over there on the right? I'm really loving them right now too.

That's right, keep up. You don't wanna lose me

I hope everyone enjoyed my Aussie Author Month that I ran throughout March. I had some hilarious interviews and discovered some excellent Aussie YA fiction. And all the signed give-aways are still open internationally until the end of April so make sure you go and check out all the awesome.

The Mimosa Tree by Antonella Preto

Title: The Mimosa Tree
Author: Antonella Preto

Release Date: 1st April 2013

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:

It’s the summer of 1987 and Mira is beginning her first year at uni. She’s got a radical new haircut, and an all-black wardrobe — she should be having the time of her life.

But it’s hard to get excited about anything when you’re being smothered by your crazy Italian family, enrolled in a course you’re not interested in, and expecting nuclear warfare at any moment.

Even a new best friend and the magnetic boy from art class can’t wipe away the image of a looming mushroom cloud. And Mira’s right. Her world is about to explode, but it’s not the skies she should be checking.

In A Nutshell:

The Mimosa Tree is a story about grief, growing up and the importance of family. Cancer is a strong element of the novel but the story connects because it is surrounded by the everyday happenings of life. The novel will have you laughing, crying and seething in frustration but as you will see, it is how people react and cope in difficult situations that define who they are and who they will become.

My Review:
The Mimosa Tree is a snapshot of the life of seventeen year-old Mira who is an only child growing up in a traditional Italian family in Australia. It’s 1987 and Mira has finally left high school behind. Entering university, she hopes for bigger and better things, for real friends with the same passions and interests as her. But it’s hard to make friends when she dismisses those who don’t appear to be like her and with a stifling and bossy extended family who have an opinion on every facet of her life.

Adjusting to the university workload and an irritating but persistent new friend helps keep Mira somewhat sane from her meddling aunt Via. But, when her mother’s cancer returns, Mira’s life is turned further upside down. With the illness kept a secret from those not in the family, Mira takes her grief and frustrations out on unsuspecting people, such as her new friend Felicia. Mira keeps everything bottled up, becoming isolated because she only really has her exasperating aunts to talk to, which is not ideal.

Mira’s aunt Via angered me so much that I almost put the book down a few times. She was just so incredibly frustrating and pushy and I would go mad if someone like her was always meddling in my life. But, I do understand why she is the way she is and that it is just her way of showing she cares.

I loved Mira. I don’t think a lot of people would probably feel the same way. She’s negative, grumpy and judges people too quickly, but it’s all about protecting herself from getting hurt. It’s a coping mechanism and since she has never had any real friends, it’s hard for her to accept people, particularly when she has a particular image in her head of what new friends might be like. She is an honest character and I love Antonella Preto for writing her.

Mira really frustrated me at times because she doesn’t do anything around the house to help her mother out. This really bugged me because I viewed her as a selfish, spoilt child and couldn’t understand why she didn’t help out more. Then I realised that that isn’t the way the Italian home works. That is the wife’s job, to take care of everything around the house. At least, this is my impression of how it was 25 years ago.

People deal with grief in their own ways and existing relationships are often altered, some for better, some for worse. What Mira discovers is that while family is incredibly important, they are not always enough and sometimes you need the support of people outside the situation to help you cope.

The Mimosa Tree is a story about grief, growing up and the importance of family. Cancer is a strong element of the novel but the story connects because it is surrounded by the everyday happenings of life. For Mira, the difficult transition from high school to university, becoming an adult and learning how to cope with a very sick mother is different to the way in which her father and aunts react. The novel will have you laughing, crying and seething in frustration but as you will see, it is how people react and cope in difficult situations that define who they are and who they will become.

Aussie Author Month Giveaway: Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield

 The final give-away I have up for grabs for Aussie Author Month is the amazing Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield. And, like the others, it is signed!

 

‘They call me Friday. It has been foretold that on a Saturday I will drown…’

Seventeen-year-old Friday Brown is on the run, trying to escape memories of her mother and the family curse. She befriends Silence, a strange boy with a troubled past. But it is the charismatic Arden who will challenge Friday in more ways than she’d like. In Murungal Creek, a ghost town in the outback, Friday must face her own past. She learns that family, like fate, is more than what you’re born with—and that love is always worth fighting for.

 

What I said:

Friday Brown is "an exceptional Australian novel".

(Click to read the full review)

 

 To enter:

- Fill out the form below

- You must be a follower of this blog

- The give-away is international

- Entires close 30th April 2013

- Extra entires available for those who share the give-away on their blog, facebook and/or twitter

Author Interview: Jaclyn Moriarty

Jaclyn Moriarty wrote the popular Ashbury/ Brookfield High School series; Feeling Sorry for Celia, Finding Cassie Crazy, The Betrayal of Bindy Mackenzie and Dreaming of Amelia.

Her most recent novel, A Corner of White, was released in October 2012 and is the first in the Colours of Madeleine Trilogy.  

Feeling Sorry for Celia has been a favourite of mine since I first read it in 2000.

Please welcome Jaclyn Moriarty to The Tales Compendium!

I was the kind of kid who... got lost, tripped over, fell over, spilled paint on my clothes, got my arms stuck between fence posts, and was often essentially blind because my hat kept slipping forward over my face.

My mother always told me... that I had to learn to look after myself (emphasis in the original).

The biggest lesson I learnt at school was... to avoid eye contact with the Wells’ twins.

My first big crush was... on a leg. Someone came to school with a photo from a party, and you could see a boy’s leg in the corner: the lower part of his left leg (he must have been wearing shorts) and his foot. His calf muscles were beautifully toned (his left calf muscles, anyway); he had nice, fine, manly leg hair (again, going by the left leg); and his foot had a solid, good-natured, humorous, grounded look. I developed an instant crush. Nobody knew who owned the leg. A lot of people got involved in trying to find out for me, and at one point someone thought his name could be Peter. But that has never confirmed.

I earnt my first pay cheque... when I was seven and my dad paid me $1.50 to write a novel. After that I made a modest fortune polishing chandeliers for the lady who lived down the street. She had arthritis in her fingers, she said, and metal screws in all the joints, so she couldn’t do it herself.

I really hate it when... I get parking tickets, late fees, penalty notices, reprimands from the body corporate for hanging my laundry on the balcony, etc, etc. I’m a Good Girl but often absent-minded and I can’t stand getting into trouble.

I’m very good at... gazing out the window.

The hardest thing I’ve ever done is... read Cases and Materials on Administrative Law. Having a baby was not exactly a walk in the park either, but lord, those cases were boring.

I’m frightened of... snakes. I have a lot of nightmares about snakes.

When I’m in the shower I sing... No I don’t. When I’m driving, I sing.

My road to publication... probably had just the right number of rejection letters although it didn’t seem like it at the time.

The last book I read was... Sam the Sudden by P.G. Wodehouse.

I would love to meet... Thor, the god of thunder.

When I get the munchies I eat... chocolate.

I’m currently working on... the third book in my trilogy about the Kingdom of Cello. The first, A Corner of White, has just been released, and I just finished writing the second, Cracks in the Kingdom.

I hope I never... have to become an administrative lawyer.

Life is... not remotely like a box of chocolates, but is often blindingly brilliant anyway. 

Thankyou for being part of Aussie Author Month, Jaclyn!

Jaclyn on Goodreads

Jaclyn's website

Aussie Author Month Giveaway: Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry

As part of my Aussie Author Month, I have some signed books to give away! 

Up for grabs today is Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry!

Rosie is restless. She wants a nose-ring, and more... she wants to do something. Asher is the new boy in her class. He has dreadlocks, a guitar and a bad case of the gypsy blues. And he just wants to get away.

Sometimes we know we shouldn't and that's exactly why we do.

 

What I Said:

 A favourite of mine since 1999, "Guitar Highway Rose is a novel about growing up. It’s about the family dynamic, in a variety of forms such as mothers and daughters, husbands and wives. It’s about teenage acts of rebellion and the restlessness felt at being in that limbo age of adolescents. And it’s about hope."

(Click to read my full review)

To enter:

- Fill out the form below

- You must be a follower of this blog

- The giveaway is international

- Entires close 30th April 2013

- Extra entires available for those who share the giveaway on their blog, facebook and/or twitter

Author Interview: Margaret Clark

Margaret Clark is Aussie YA royalty and she has prolifically written stories for children and young adults for over 25 years. As one of the trailblazers of YA Aussie fiction, she wrote novels such as Care Factor Zero, Living With Leanne, Fat Chance, Famous for Five Minutes, and Back On Track - Diary of a Street Kid.

Her novels delve into all realms of teenage life including friendships, high-school, family life, self esteem and body image concerns, as well as teenage drug and alcohol issues which are based on her experiences when she worked in an alcohol and drug centre. These were the novels that really got me into reading in my early teenage years (roughly 15 years ago, gosh that makes me sound old!) and many of them still have pride of place on my bookshelves. It is an honour to feature Margaret on The Tales Compendium as part of Aussie Author Month.

Please welcome Margaret Clark!

I was the kind of kid who…was always reading books under the desk, in the playground, up a tree, under the house, in the chook shed. I didn't like sports, I loved reading. Due to this I had to get glasses in Grade 6 so I looked a complete nerd and boys called me Four Eyes and Teacher's Pet. My Nana said that 'Sticks and stones will break your bones but names will never hurt you' so I just told them 'Get a life' and kept reading.

My mother always told me… to stop reading or my eyes would fall out. She lied, I still have two eyes.

The biggest lesson I learnt at school was… that I was hopeless at maths and good at, no make that very good, at story writing which was called Composition. I was also very good at reading, spelling, art, history and geography. I learned that true friends never let you down. I dropped balls, I was awful at running, I seldom got sick at school and if I talked too much I got whacked with the blackboard ruler or a strap. That was a shame because I loved talking! I also learned that no one could ever bully me unless I let them, so I didn't. I just yelled loudly, 'You stink of cats wee' or 'You have holes in your knickers' or 'You have head lice' and they ran away. (That was the teachers, the kids were okay)

My first big crush was… Eric. I met him again two years ago and he is bald and has a fat tummy and bad breath so I now DON'T have a crush on him.

I earnt my first pay cheque… at age 16 working in a milk bar and it was one pound two shillings and six pence.

I really hate it when… people are cruel to animals and kids, when people don't stand up in buses and trains for old ladies (me), when the TV stations change the programs and my fav is gone. When people ring the doorbell and try to sell me electricity, when the cats scratch my furniture. When I buy a meat pie and it's cold in the middle, when people don't listen about the ozone layer, when people light fires on fireban days, when people indicate they are going to turn left in their cars then turn right, when the dentist says I have to have seven fillings ...

I’m very good at… griping about …people who are cruel to animals and kids, people who don't stand up in buses and trains for old ladies (me), TV stations changing the programs and my fav is gone. When people ring the bell and try to sell me electricity, when the cats scratch my furniture. etc same old, same old. I am also very good with dogs, the garden, and people older than me, and little kids and teenager/young adults. I am NOT good at being patient!

The hardest thing I’ve ever done… is have a baby, all that pushing and yelling but worth it in the end

I’m frightened of… having another baby but that's unlikely as I am age 60 plus plus plus.

When I’m in the shower I sing… 'I'm Singing in the Shower, I'm singing in the shower, what a glorious feeling I'm happy just right now,'

My road to publication was… bumpy cos I was on a bus talking to a lady and when I found out she was a publisher at Penguin books I said I wanted to write a book so she groaned then said, 'Send me the manuscript when you're done'. So I did and she published my first book 'Pugwall.'

The last book I read was…'Peeking Duck' by Krista Bell and Sally Rippin. I read it last night to my four year old grand daughter Bonnie.

I would love to meet…Steven Spielberg because he makes fantastic movies.

When I get the munchies I eat… everything except tripe, liver, chillis, hot spices and worms. I love chocolate, cashew nuts, cheese, jelly babies and teeth and milkbottle lollies, popcorn and grapes.

I’m currently working on… a book for adults because they need to laugh.

I hope I never… die

Life is… exciting if you look for interesting stuff and also give thanks for five things everyday, as simple as,'Thanks for not letting me run out of toilet paper' or 'Thanks for the sunrise today' and 'Thanks for my new rose' and 'Thanks for my computer working when it didn't yesterday.' and 'Thanks for me being healthy.' and 'Thanks for Jessica asking me to answer these questions.'

Thankyou for being part of Aussie Author Month, Margaret!

Margaret on Goodreads

Margaret's website

Guitar Highway Rose by Brigid Lowry

Title: Guitar Highway Rose

Author: Brigid Lowry

Release Date: September 1997.

Reprinted 2004, 2006

My Rating: 5/5

Blurb:

Rosie is restless. She wants a nose-ring, and more... she wants to do something. Asher is the new boy in her class. He has dreadlocks, a guitar and a bad case of the gypsy blues. And he just wants to get away.

Sometimes we know we shouldn't and that's exactly why we do.

In A Nutshell:

Guitar Highway Rose is a novel about growing up. It’s about the family dynamic, in a variety of forms such as mothers and daughters, husbands and wives. It’s about teenage acts of rebellion and the restlessness felt at being in that limbo age of adolescents. And it’s about hope.

My Review:

I thought I would finally attempt to review one of my all-time favourite novels, Guitar Highway Rose. Even though I have re-read it countless times, I’ve never written a review for it, preferring to take comfort in an old favourite and forget trying to put my feelings into words, something I often find harder to do with favourites.

So, how to sum up a book that pretty much made me the reader I am today? Without the likes of this, and Margaret Clark, John Marsden, Jaclyn Moriarty’s Feeling Sorry for Celia, and Glyn Parry’s Scooterboy, I don’t know where my reading abilities or habits would be.

Guitar Highway Rose is set in Western Australia (where I live), and more specifically, the beach suburb Swanbourne, and carefree, hippy Fremantle. And because this is also somewhat of a road trip book, some of the coastal towns north of Perth such as Kalbarri and Geraldton also feature.

Rosie is fifteen. She wants a nose-ring and dreadlocks and is somewhat of a hippy. She’s always fighting with her mum and feels stuck in her life, like she is just drifting through it. Asher has just moved to Perth and he couldn’t be feeling more stifled and annoyed if he tried. He misses Byron Bay (that’s near Sydney for those of you who don’t know – Perth is on the opposite side of Australia) and his friends. And his dad. After pairing up for a poetry assignment, in which Asher suggests studying Jim Morrison, the two find they are somewhat kindred spirits.

While Rosie and Asher are our main characters, the people they are closest to are also key players in telling the story. We get a complete picture of what is going on in everyone’s lives, and how they influence the decisions that Rosie and Asher make. It is uncommon to show multiple, unequal perspectives but Lowry manages to avoid confusing the reader. This is done by the whole story being told in pieces, with little subtitles so you know where and what everyone is thinking or doing when an event affects them, giving the reader a complete insight. Rosie and Asher’s families, Rosie’s best friend Pip, and their English teacher Mr E, help in representing the scattered lives of the everyday family. It also interestingly swaps between first person and third person narrative. Also, when Asher is thinking, the text is without any punctuation which represents the frantic, restlessness that he feels since his life got turned upside down.

Guitar Highway Rose (1997) Pg.20

There are favourite quotes and songs and little anecdotes included throughout the story to put the events in context and give insight into the personalities of each character.

Guitar Highway Rose (1997) Pg.41

Guitar Highway Rose (1997) Pg.24

Seeing as the novel was written 15 years ago, it’s fair to say there are some cultural references that might not be recognised by today’s readers. For instance, Rosie and Asher often refer to their ‘key cards’. This is what a debit card used to be called. There are cassette tapes rather than CDs and their music idols are Bob Marley, The Doors, and The Smashing Pumpkins. If you don’t know who any of them are, then I fear for the musical livelihood of future generations!

In short, Guitar Highway Rose is a novel about growing up. It’s about the family dynamic, in a variety of forms such as mothers and daughters, husbands and wives. It’s about teenage acts of rebellion and the restlessness felt at being in that limbo age of adolescents. And it’s about hope.

Every couple of years I re-read Guitar Highway Rose. I have a first edition copy (1997) that I bought, when I was 12 (1999) AND it is personally signed to me by Brigid Lowry herself. The cover has changed three times with new reprints and I have to say that even though I love the original cover, I really like the new covers too, and this is rare.

Author Interview: AJ Betts

Originally from Queensland, Aussie YA author Amanda (AJ) Betts has lived in Perth for the last eight years and is avid cyclist. She has written two novels which means I frequently bump into her at writers events around Perth. ShutterSpeed (2008), and Wavelength (2010), which was shortlisted for the West Australian Premier's Prize in 2011, are both published by Fremantle Press. Amanda won the Text Prize in 2012 for her new novel, Zac and Mia, which will be published August 2013.

Please welcome Amanda (AJ) Betts!

I was the kind of kid who... would spend hours in the garden looking for insects.  

My mother always told me... to wear undies.

The biggest lesson I learnt at school was... don't try to please everyone (actually, I'm still learning that one...)

My first big crush was... shame, I can't say! He was sweet and brought me unexpected gifts.  

I earnt my first pay cheque... waitressing at my parents' cafe on school holidays.

I really hate it when... a driver abuses while I'm cycling.

I’m very good at… coming up with excuses.  

I’m frightened of… regret.

When I’m in the shower I sing… loudly! And brilliantly. Apologies to the neighbours.  

My road to publication was… scenic and winding, with lots of interesting foliage. I enjoyed the ride.

The last book I read was… 'The Big Picture' by David Suzuki.

I would love to meet… someone from the future.  

When I get the munchies I eat… anything that makes a satisfying crunch sound.

I’m currently working on… a speculative fiction set 300 years in the future off the coast of Tasmania.

I hope I never… give up.

Life is… a comedy. A surprise. A joy. 

Thanks for being a part of Aussie Author Month, Amanda!

Amanda on Goodreads

Amanda's website

My review of ShutterSpeed

My review of Wavelength