Books

I will admit, when Pan Macmillian asked me to review some books for them, I was a little excited. I like reading, a lot and I can be a voracious reader at times, especially when life gets stressful and I would like to hide in other people’s worlds.

I read a lot of genres of novel, flitting between fantasy/sci-fi, young adult, womens lit and anything else I get my hands on that looks interesting.

“The spaceships New Horizon and the Empryean are halfway through their intergalactic mission.

Fifteen-year-old Waverly was born on the Empryean, and is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space. Her concerns are those of any teenager, until Kieran Alden proposes to her. Everyone has always assumed they were destined for each other. Everyone except Waverly, who is beginning to think she may want more from life than marriage – and is intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

And out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the crew of the New Horizon and the women on the ship who have been unable to conceive. Children are essential to their survival.

When the Empyrean is attacked by the New Horizon, Waverly soon realises that enemies can come from the outside – and within.”

Taken from the publisher.

I enjoyed the book. It was an easy read and kept me entertained on the flight to Sydney.

The plot is well thought out, and moves quickly, without skipping over any major details. I liked how the plot twisted and turned, leaving me unsure of who I was meant to be cheering for, while not leaving me utterly confused.

That said, I wondered what the targeted age group was.

The writing itself would suggest that it was for younger tweens/teens, but some of the issues covered within it (infertility, marriage, sex, starvation, etc) would suggest that an older age group would be more suitable. But maybe I’m just turning into a prude as I get older and can’t remember what I was reading when I was 13 (I suspect it was soft porn “romance novels” though.)

I would have liked a little more “meat” to the story maybe, a little more depth, a little guts – as it was it felt like pure plot, from point A to B, with no side trips.

Those are minor details of course and if anything had annoyed me terribly I wouldn’t have finished the book as quickly as I did, wanting to know what happened next.

Conclusion:

It made me want to turn the pages and find out what happens next, which in a YA book is what I’m looking for. I wanted a good story and I got one – even if it is only the first book of the trilogy and now I have to wait for book two.

Will I read book two? Yes- I hate leaving a story unfinished, my brain worries at it and wants to know how it all concludes.

Glow will be realeased on the 29th of September, with a RRP of $19.95AU. OR, if you’re like me and prefer to buy online, it can be pre-ordered from the Book Depository for $10.

You can buy the Planning with Kids book here, at Nic’s blog of the same name. Highly recommended.

Kasey is thirty something when her doctor tells her that she is very unlikely to get pregnant the old fashioned way. This sets off a chain of events that she details in her book, Thirty Something and the Clock is Ticking.

The book is well written and easy to read, but I’m not sure I connected with Kasey in the way she would have liked. However, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not her ideal audience, having had my children at 17 and 20 respectively. Of course, I thank my lucky stars that I did, because PCOS and various reproductive issues mean that a third baby is very unlikely to happen naturally for us.

If we’d added age to the factors already stacked against us in my fertility lottery, I probably would have ended up in the same position Kasey was in, having to make the decision to try IVF or not.

Kasey explores what motherhood will mean to her identity and her career, among other things. This is where she lost me a little, because I decided I wanted a baby and went for it, figuring that I would work everything else out in the 9 months between conception and pushing a squalling monster out of my vagina (an adorable squalling monster I should add).

All in all, reading her book was an enjoyable few hours on the couch curled up with her story and a hot chocolate.

And if you’re in Kasey’s position, told ‘have children now, or not at all’ I thouroughly recommend the book – it should help clarify your thinking for you a bit.

You can read more about the book, or Kasey, at her website.