GoodRead - The Boy In The Smoke

It was World Book Day a few weeks back (6th March. I had to check this so I missed it! Oops!) and, due to stress and illness, I have discovered that I can't read when I am either one or both of these things. So, due to this, I decided to try and read something small to get back into my reading swing. Hopefully, this will get me ready to attack my big reads!

The Boy In The Smoke is a prequel to the Shades of London series where we meet Stephen Dene has a teenager. Something awful has happened to him in his life and just when Stephen thinks he's recovering, something is said which leads him into doing a desperate act. But will someone stop him when he realises that he's making a terrible mistake?

If you have read the series, or even the first book in the series, The Name of the Star (review for that is here as I haven't read the second book in the series, The Madness Underneath) but we know Stephen enough or have enough information about Stephen's past to make an educated guess, but here it is and it was good.

I was gripped in reading this for over an hour and it made me long to find my proof of The Madness Underneath and start reading that (but I might save that for nearer the The Shadow Cabinet release as there's someone in there, I think, who will appear in that book...)

And Peter. I want to know more about Peter! I love Peter! Another novella about him and how he came to be, please, Maureen...

But this is a must for fans of the series. Not as scary and unnerving as The Name of the Star but give real insight into one of the series's main characters and will tie everyone over till Shadow Cabinet...

Cover Reveal for THE MADNESS UNDERNEATH!

As you guys know, I loved THE NAME OF THE STAR by Maureen Johnson (here's my review!) as it was dark, twisted and utterly creepy. And earlier this evening, Maureen revealed (via her tumblr) the UK cover to the second book in her SHADES OF LONDON trilogy, THE MADNESS UNDERNEATH:



Do you guys like it? Surprisingly, I warm to this cover more than NAME OF THE STAR! I love the red. I love the creepiest of the shadowy model and the stairs. And, though I'm not 100% sure on the girl model, I prefer her in this. And, to most of you guys relief, there's no sign of butterflies & moths.

But do you guys like the UK cover? And are you guys excited over this book (rumoured to be out at the beginning of 2013 - SUCH A LONG WAIT!)

GoodRead - The Name Of The Star

I love Maureen Johnson on Twitter. I feel I have to say that. I have no idea how I started following Maureen on Twitter but her tweets always make me smile and laugh. So, when I found out that HarperCollins UK was going to publish The Name of The Star, the first book in a trilogy called Shades of London (just discovered this is a trilogy!) and, after begging and basically kicking up a huge fuss that other bloggers got their hands on this and I hadn't (basically, I wanted to read a Maureen Johnson book [my First, FYI!] and I was not going to wait!), but the lovely Tiffany from HarperCollins saw my begging and offered to send me a copy.

The Name of the Star is about Rory, an American teen who moves from Louisiana to a London boarding school (this is because her parents - two professors - are going to get settled in a Bristol university), only for a Jack The Ripper copycat-killer to start killing. "Rippermania" takes over the city as the people of London know the dates, places and times of the murders. And the Police has no leads, no witnesses... expect Rory saw someone that no-one else can see.

If the ghost of Jack the Ripper doing these murders? And how will he be stopped?

Now, this is my first Maureen Johnson book but I really liked it. Am quite close to loving it, actually. It was dark and twisted thriller, which took me into the midnight hour and then, scaring me a little so when I stopped and went to bed, it was kinda creepy when I had to rush for the bathroom. So, don't read this late in the night.

The only thing that bothered me was the first few chapters. After a chilling prologue and we are first Rory, the first few chapters just seem a bit slow. But after chapter 8 or 9, things really go up a gear and get quite creepy! So, with the first few chapters, STICK WITH IT! It explains everything when you get to the end and it's one of those "Oooh!" moments!

Now, this is a trilogy and I am quite pleased that there's more! I hope the next Shades of London is just as dark and creepy as Name of the Star! MORE, PLEASE!

Now, here's the book trailer, Maureen to explain the book more and some random songs that I listened to while reading...