Someone Is Watching You by Tess James-Mackey

Someone Is Watching You by Tess James-Mackey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 8 hours

Pages - 320

Publisher - Hodder Children's books

Source - Vine

Blurb from Goodreads

An abandoned prison. A deadly game. How far would you go for a dare?

Nia would do anything to win the approval of her boyfriend Scott and his friends, especially mean girl Olivia. When Olivia dares Nia to explore an abandoned prison, she sees it as the perfect opportunity to prove herself. Facing dark tunnels, distant noises and creepy mementoes left behind by incarcerated criminals will surely all be worth it.

But it isn't long before Nia and her little sister, Kayla, find themselves trapped inside. And then Kayla vanishes.

Suddenly, this feels like more than a game gone wrong. Someone is hellbent on making Nia and Kayla the prison's last inmates ...

An utterly compelling, terrifying thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat, from remarkable new author Tess James-Mackey.




My Review

This is my first time reading this author but when I seen abandoned prison I was in, I love abandoned buildings! This however is an abandoned prison now lightly converted into a kids soft play type area. Much of the prison is of course off limits and some of it in states of crumbling disrepair. Meet Nia, she has a new boyfriend and group of friends, they are the year above so Nia could not believe her luck when Scott not only noticed her but is now hers! Being a tiny bit older (Nia is fifteen) and they are all still in school so Nia is doubly desperate to be accepted. The gang is led by Olivia who is one of those mean popular girls the group all pander to and Nia is determined to keep her man. Ah to be fifteen again eh! Nia is raging at her wee sister Kayla as she got Nia busted for a home party & now she is at soft play in the prison keeping mum and little sister company and her friends are keeping tabs via messaging.

Oh I wouldn't want to be fifteen again and certainly no in this wee group of frenemies, they always play dares as per Olivia and Nia feels hers is always worse. Anyways back to the prison, it is run down and when she gets dared to check it out Nia will not back down. Of course the wean wants to follow her and then goes missing and that is when things really kick off. For being young adult and the main characters teens the author does a great job creating creepy and tense atmosphere. The Whatsapp messages and goading/clipped and nippy messages takes you right back to your younger years regardless of your age or your social circle at the age.

The characters aren't really likeable and I think that self centred manipulation was captured well and sets up for all that follows, I felt so sorry for the wee sister who just wants her older sister to like and be with her.

I loved the exploration of the prison, I was having flashes to The Walking Dead programme so built quite an effective picture. The book features some adult themes (not in large measures), manipulation, control, coercion, toxic relationships, peer pressure to name a few. I think the thing that really gave a kick was the author has actually went to a soft play that was in an old prison, I would LOVE to visit. This was my first dance with this author, it won't be my last 4/5 for me this time.




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Frankie Best Hates Quests by Chris Smith

Frankie Best Hates Quests by Chris Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 384

Publisher - Penguin

Source - Vine

Blurb from Goodreads

Frankie Best is not happy.

She's stuck at Grandad's with her annoyingly nerdy brother Joel for a whole week while her parents swan off to the Arctic.

Things take a turn for the worse when Grandad gets kidnapped by gnoblins (no, that is not spelt incorrectly) forcing Frankie to embark on a rescue mission across a magical realm filled with strange creatures, dangerous enemies and - worst of all - absolutely no WiFi.

Frankie did have big plans to watch YouTube and eat pot noodles that weekend but it looks like she'll just have to go on an epic mega-dangerous quest instead . . .



My Review

So I hadn't heard of this author before but a few of the books I have read recently have been quite dark plus just life in general so this was perfect book coming along at the perfect time. It is YA (young adult) but don't let anyone tell you these books can only be enjoyed by or purely for youngsters.

Frankie & her wee brother Joel are supposed to be going to their fun aunts whilst their parents go off on a research trip. Instead they end up at Grandad's house and Granda is a bit unique, they have been kept away for a while and can't really remember why. When their Granda is kidnapped by gnoblins they have to enter a magical realm to get him back embarking on a magical, dangerous and unbelievable tale like the games their parents created.

Frankie is twelve and all teen angst, glued to her phone, her brother is a geek and this cannot be happening. Think Lord of the rings meets bedknobs and broomsticks with a bit of harry potter, echoes of Labyrinth, adventure, creatures and a quest despite Frankie raging it is most assuredly NOT A QUEST.

It is light hearted, adventure, some humour, some things you need to take into account & remember the book is aimed at younger audiences so some things are juvenile(ish). The chapters are short, there are diary entries, view points change, overall it is a light hearted adventure read and if you need to drop out of our world for a little while this is a fab one to enter. 4/5 for me, I think this is a standalone, not sure if the author would revisit the world he created, I hope so. I will check out their other books and recommend this!

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Sonny and Me by Ross Sayers

Sonny and Me by Ross Sayers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 300

Publisher - Cranachan Publishing

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

FOURTH YEAR. TWO PALS. ONE MURDER. WELCOME TO BATTLEFIELD HIGH…

‘Whoever said yer school days are the best days ae yer life was at the absolute wind up. I hink maist adults dinnae mind whit it was really like. Wait til yeese hear whit Sonny and me got detention for…’

Daughter and Sonny are two best friends just trying to get through fourth year at high school. But when their favourite teacher leaves unexpectedly, and no one will say why, the boys decide to start their own investigation.

As they dig deeper into the staff at Battlefield High, they discover a dark secret which one person will kill to protect… Will they uncover the truth without being expelled? Can their friendship survive when personal secrets are revealed? And will they manage to skive off double English?


My Review

Daughter and Sonny are two Scottish teens trying to make it through fourth year and life in general. They have all the struggles teen face, family issues, fancying folk, school, local yobs and then one of their favourite teachers abruptly leaves. No one wants to answer their questions and the boys know something is right but digging will get them into trouble and some people will do anything to protect their secrets.

Aw guys I loved the amount of memories this wee book conjured up for me. The dialect is thick Scottish so if you aren't familiar with our slang, terms and local terminology you may struggle a wee bit. Sonny and Daughter have a tight friendship and that is pretty apparent from the get go, Sonny is a bit of a wee soul which brings out the protective side in Daughter. Daughters relationship with his family and sister mirror quite a few of our own but instead of being rivals they have a nice relationship.

There is a lot of humour laced into the book and I found myself laughing out loud a few times, this will always get you some looks when in public! The way Sayers writes absolutely transports you back to your own school days, the teacher you liked, the daft antics you found yourself getting caught up in.

There are some serious tones in the book but nothing to make it dark or unsettling, just makes it a good all rounder. Young adult isn't a genre I normally go to but I am so glad I read this, funny, sentimental, some good strong bonds of loyalty and family with a healthy dose of hilarious. This isn't my first book by this author and it won't be my last. Actively watching out for what Sayers will bring to the table next, 4.5/5 for me!

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Sonny and Me - Ross Sayers Book Launch

Today was the perfect day for my wee Cranachan totebag. I was meeting the girls for food then we headed to Waterstones for the book launch "Sonny and Me" by Ross Sayers, out to buy now, treebook and ebook format - Amazon link!




Blurb for the book

FOURTH YEAR. TWO PALS. ONE MURDER.WELCOME TO BATTLEFIELD HIGH...‘Whoever said yer school days are the best days ae yer life was at the absolute wind up. I hink maist adults dinnae mind whit it was really like. Wait til yeese hear whit Sonny and me got detention for...’Daughter and Sonny are two best friends just trying to get through fourth year at high school. But when their favourite teacher leaves unexpectedly, and no one will say why, the boys decide to start their own investigation. As they dig deeper into the staff at Battlefield High, they discover a dark secret which one person will kill to protect...Will they uncover the truth without being expelled? Can their friendship survive when personal secrets are revealed? And will they manage to skive off double English?"A unique blend of crime and comedy with an inclusive cast of characters, SONNY AND ME is brilliant: intriguing, heart-warming, and very funny." Sophie Cameron




The place was packed, every seat taken and folk standing.




Ross was interviewed by fellow author Caroline Logan whose book is coming out, by Cranachan, in October this year "The Stone of Destiny".




Ross read the first chapter of the book and we all laughed, I love Scottish humour/banter so I will be bumping the book up my TBRM.


His mum made wee biscuits with the book cover on it, I love this and just think it is such a lovely wee touch!








You can find Ross on Twitter and Facebook

The Treatment by C L Taylor

The Treatment by C.L. Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - approx 3 hours

Pages - 384

Publisher - HQ

Source - Netgalley

Blurb from Goodreads

“You have to help me. We’re not being reformed. We’re being brainwashed.”

All sixteen year old Drew Finch wants is to be left alone. She's not interested in spending time with her mum and stepdad and when her disruptive fifteen year old brother Mason is expelled from school for the third time and sent to a residential reform academy she's almost relieved.

Everything changes when she's followed home from school by the mysterious Dr Cobey, who claims to have a message from Mason. There is something sinister about the ‘treatment’ he is undergoing. The school is changing people.

Determined to help her brother, Drew must infiltrate the Academy and unearth its deepest, darkest secrets.

Before it’s too late.



My Review

When Drew's little brother gets shipped to the RRA (residential reform academy) she is a tad relieved. He is troublesome, irritating and all the things little brothers can be, more so since their father left/went missing/died? years ago. When a doctor warns Drew her brother is in danger and the academy isn't what it seems Drew embarks on a mission to save her brother but at what cost?

I read this in one sitting, whilst the book is YA (Young Adult) it absolutely can be enjoyed by adults, I sank it in about three hours. Drew starts digging into what the academy is but despite many successfully reformed kids there does not seem to be a lot of information, if any, on the social medias. When Drew sees "evidence" with her own eyes she knows she has to get into the academy. The story starts off giving us insight into Drew's life, her family home set up and her chain of thought on how to tackle the situation. It is a tense build up and split into two parts, the before and infiltration, the after and what life is like inside the academy. In some parts the hair starts to stand up on the back of your neck, things aren't right, the plot is teased out page by page to discover just what is happening.

I didn't want to put the book down as I had to know, where is this going, what is happening, who can I/she trust? Thankfully yesterday was a day off so I could zone out and devour the story. It is a steady paced read in that the reader is took on the journey with the main character, having to go through the plan stage by stage creating distrust and holding your breath at parts. There are themes that cater for the teen reader, childish bullying, friend turned enemy, bitching, who fancies who but it doesn't detract from the bulk of the thriller theme. It is enough for the aimed at audience and relevant whilst not detracting from the main story that will engage the adult reader. To be honest, I think even the themes for the younger readers will spark old memories within the mature reader and it wasn't so long ago that I couldn't empathise with Drew or the issues raised.

I have liked all of Taylor's books I have read, I was a bit apprehensive going into this one, when an author branches into new territory as a reader you do worry. Will they be able to capture the new voice and writing, can they engage the reader as they have done in previous genre? Absolutely unfounded worries, Taylor has shown she can turn her hand to YA as well as psychological thrillers, 4/5 for me this time. Now to wait *patiently* for her to get the next book out, be it YA or her normal genre I cannot wait. Thanks so much to Netgalley for providing a review copy, you can buy your own now from all good retailers from October this year.

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Zom-B by Darren Shan

Zom-B by Darren Shan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 217

Publisher - Simon & Schuster

Blurb from Goodreads

Zom-B is a radical new series about a zombie apocalypse, told in the first person by one of its victims. The series combines classic Shan action with a fiendishly twisting plot and hard-hitting and thought-provoking moral questions dealing with racism, abuse of power and more. This is challenging material, which will captivate existing Shan fans and bring in many new ones. As Darren says, "It's a big, sprawling, vicious tale...a grisly piece of escapism, and a barbed look at the world in which we live. Each book in the series is short, fast-paced and bloody. A high body-count is guaranteed!"



My Review

This is the first book in a zombie series, we open with B our main character, a teenager who is still at school when the first stirrings of a zombie outbreak starts. No one really believes it and thinks the videos & news are mock ups. We follow B through relatively mundane happenings, until over 100 pages in we finally get our first glimpse of the undead.

So, for me this was a bit more like Fear The Walking Dead rather than The Walking Dead, heavily focused on the pre and build up to the actual onslaught. B is not a likable main character, a lot of time is spent being a bully or just horrible selfish behaviour to assessing the behviour and not wanting to be like her very racist father. There are scenes of bullying, racism, violence and when the zombies finally show up, some gore. There are also some black and white illustration artwork scattered throughout the book which makes for a nice wee change I thought.

There is a lot focus on self exploration of B's attitude, family values (that of white extremist attitude of the father), pack mentality in schools and survival mode. There are quite a few books in this series, I have already bought them so will be reading them. I would advise this may not be for the die hard zombie fans as it is a slow burner and not quite as much focus on the outbreak and zombies as it is on the characters however it is still a decent read, 3/5 for me.

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Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets by J K Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 341

Blurb from Goodreads

All Harry Potter wants is to get away from the Dursleys and go back to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby - who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockheart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny.

But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone--or something--starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects... Harry Potter himself.


My Review

This is the second book in the series, I would recommend reading the first, whilst you can pick this up and read it by itself, you would enjoy it more knowing the 1st story. Harry can't wait to get back to Hogwarts, the Dursley's are being their usual horrible selves & a wee house Elf warns Harry he can't go back to Hogwart's. Lots of things seem to go wrong as Dobby predicted, Snape seems to really hate Harry, their new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher is fame loving nightmare and something horrendous is loose in Hogwarts. A monster that was once loose before & a student died is back, suspicion falls on Hagrid and Harry needs to find out who or what is responsible.

This year we also meet Ginny, Ron's little sister and her first year at Hogwart's, Malfoy's father features a bit more and we see where young Draco gets his attitude from. Another tale of friendship, boundaries, secrets, love & bravery as the youngsters try to piece together more of the history and happenings at the school.

I love these books, this is a re read for me, if I could shut off the adult world for a week I would read these back to back. If you haven't read Potter before I would certainly recommend, if you have I would tell you to re read it. A great story with ups and downs, as much for the mature reader as the young adult, 5/5 for me this time!

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Book Launch - Follow me by Victoria Gemmell

I accidentally stumbled along to this launch, I had booked tickets for another launch and was explaining to my friend the place looked set up for an event. A lady on the stairs said it is my book launch, feel free to come and join us which I thought was lovely. Turns out, I had actually been speaking to this author with another book lover on Instagram and hadn't recognised her or remembered the event I had commented on.







This was another book launch that was really busy for a debut. Victoria had clearly went to a lot of effort, little bottles of coke for people to take away with a wee tag, badge and straw. Cupcakes with personalised pictures of the books front cover (I absolutely love wee personal touches like this). She supplied wine, soft drinks and water which is always well appreciated by people who come out to these events. Something as little as water available is greatly appreciated, when authors go that bit further and bring their family and friends, it just makes the evening really special, well I think so anyway.







The author did a few small readings from the book, this is the first time I have experienced this, normally the author reads a chunk from one part of the book however it is always good to catch snippets and see different styles. I haven't read this book but I would be interested in hearing how it plays out.



I would certainly go to another event with this author and will keep an eye out for her book and wish her all the luck in the future.

ARR - A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan

A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Publisher - WYR WhereverYouRoam Publishing

Pages - 306

Blurb from Goodreads

Take a journey into Perfect, a town that is anything but...

Violet Brown didn’t want to live in a place that was perfect. How would she ever survive? She’d have to be neat and tidy, would definitely have to brush her hair. She’d have to be perfect and that was boring.

But when her dad is offered the best job an optician can get, to fix a strange problem in this odd little town, Violet has to obey. That’s the thing with parents, they only ever did what they wanted!

From the beginning Violet hates her new home, it’s too clean, the people are too friendly, everything is just too nice...

When her Mam begins to act a little strange, her Dad disappears on a mysterious business trip without telling a soul, she almost gets expelled from school for picking up a pencil without permission and starts hearing voices in her head, Violet thinks she’s going mad.

Until one day she meets BOY..



My Review


Violet is not happy, she is 10 years old and moving to a new town, a new home and new friends. Like any other young girl, she has decided she will hate it. However once she gets there the town is perfect, the people are perfect and soon she notices her parents are changing. Soon Violet is getting into trouble at school, her dad has mysteriously disappeared on a trip and something about this town is just too perfect. Violet meets a new friend called Boy who actually seems to understand Violet and together they are going to find out whats really happening in Perfect!

I wasn't too sure how I would feel about this story as the main character is a pre teen and it is seemingly at a younger audience. However there is much about this story adults can enjoy and although some of it is sweet and innocent there is some dark, scary moments dotted throughout. It is a nice read, goes at a good pace and as we are introduced to more of the characters and happenings of Perfect the adventure draws you in. There are moments of suspense, mild horror, and a few moments I actually held my breath and had to keep reading to find out what happens next.

I found it hard to put the book down, it reminded me of when I was a kid and discovering Roald Dahl and The BFG, not in content but in the way it is written and captures your imagination. Definitely a recommended read for those among us who are still kids at heart, likes fantasy, crime and adventure and just wanting to read something a bit different. 4/5 for me this time and I would definitely read this author again. Thank you so much to Helena for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. And for letting me enjoy a story in a way I haven't done since I was a youngster.

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Januarys Pre-Loved Giveaway is Rats by Paul Zindel

This book is in good condition - a few small wrinkles to the cover but otherwise great and the spine is unbroken. The print size is bigger than normal but not large print. I rated this book before I did reviews so it has a 4 star rating off me and I believe is listed between horror and young adult.


Synopsis from the back cover

Rats - Sarah lives on the edge of town, beside a huge garbage dump. Home to millions of rats, the dump is growing out of control. And as the dump grows, so do the rats..

No-one is prepared for the terrifying rat invasion, least of all Sarah. Who is alone with her little brother at the mercy of the rats..

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