Book Review: I'll Be Home for Christmas by Various

My recent interaction with the Homeless was two of men swearing people out. Ar...Scotland.

The UK’s top Young Adult authors join together in this collection of new stories and poems on the theme of home.

Contributors include: Tom Becker, Holly Bourne, Sita Brahmachari, Kevin Brooks, Melvin Burgess, Katy Cannon , Cat Clarke, Juno Dawson, Julie Mayhew, Non Pratt, Marcus Sedgwick, Lisa Williamson and Benjamin Zephaniah.

£1 from the sale of every book will be donated to Crisis, the national homelessness charity. To find out more about Crisis, see www.crisis.org.uk

Before reading this book I was concerned that this would be an anthology where the stories didn't match at all with each other. Christmas,  Home and Homeless are the themes I'm guessing the writer were given. This book does contains some writers I really like, one I studied in school and one I have yet to find anything likable about. I wasn't going to request this book, until I realise Cat Clarke was in it and I must read everything she ever published.

Home and Away by Benjamin Zephaniah: This a poem and despite being taught several times how to citizens and write poems I don't feel confident on the matter,  but I still have a  jotter full of Face's quote. It's about how you could become homeless.

Ghosts of Christmas Past by Non Pratt: There are no actual ghosts and this is just a standard contemporary Sam is dealing with now living with his Nan and being awkward with girls. 4/5 stars for Tree Cravings.

If Only in my Dreams by Marcus Sedgwick: returning to the tradition of horror at Christmas and Space. Bit of a cliché plot. Also Also the British don't care about American poems about Christmas. It's written well as always by Sedgwick. 4/5 stars for darkness dreams.

Family You Choose by Cat Clarke: Queer fun. With a character that doesn't speak.  Very nice. Unusual Christmas dinner. Hinting at bigger life. Birthday blues. 5/5 stars for silent cake.

 The Associates by Kevin Brooks: The day in the life of two Homeless men who mainly hassle people. I don't know if I'm missing the point or if Brooks is missing the mark in trying to humanise homelessness. I think this story needs to be fleshed out a bit more, especially as for a day in life, big gaps are hinting at being missing.  Also have no clue by what is meant by the title. 3/5 stars for cliché needles.

The Afterschool Club by Holly Bourne: Rich Boy, Poor Girl, spending time together to avoid going home and do their homework together. I liked the characters in this one and the writing, as well the hinting at the deep issues at play as well as the ones on the surface. 4/5 stars for Coat swapping.

Homo for Christmas by Juno Dawson: The lesson in this story is to use private mode. We also have another uni age character dealing with their sexuality similar to Cat Clarke's story. These two fit together at least, but these one did feel a little more mature than the ones before it.  5/5 stars for Skinful.

Amir and George by Sita Brahmachari: This story deals with the series and current topic of refugee. Its also write in the style of someone whose not good at English (as though it was foreign language to them) which was interesting stab at realism. 5/5 stars for found lemons.

The Letter by Tracy Darnton: Darnton won a contest to be included in this book.
This doesn’t feel like a short story and more like the start up of a novel as the eventful stuff has either happened or about to happen.There's interesting story there, but this glimpse into Amber's life is a small catalyst that hints at several possibility. Though, I can tell from this that Darnton is a skilled writer. 4/5 stars for Bowling shoes.

Claws by Tom Becker: Everything I have ever read before by Becker has been insultingly terrible, at least this was just insulting, but I feel like that Becker liked the title of Claws and was gonna force that to make sense. It was alright, its the "someone does something stupid" version of horror therefore you don't care about the main character which is unsuccessfully. 2/5 stars for fishhooks ribbons. 
 
Christmas, Take Two by Katy Cannon: Heather is being forced to spend Christmas with her Father's new shorty and her monstrous children. Its mostly be grateful and its Christmas so be happy that no one takes you into account when making important decisions, learned all from a romantic encounter. 3/5 stars for forced stockings.
 
When Daddy Comes Home by Melvin Burgess: Nothing says Christmas like a dystopia of Politic Corruption. Interesting in that it comes in the form of a monologue. 4/5 stars for Christmas Tricks.

The Bluebird by Julie Mayhew: A modern fairy tale told in the form of a fairy tale, but modern setting. I enjoy writing confusing sentences. Parents holding their kids captive and a romance that might be a lot more alarming than its meant to be. 3/5 stars for burning chips.
 
Routes and Wings by Lisa Williamson: I really liked this one and does a good job of humanizing Homelessness. 5/5 stars for Bus Fare.

Overall, I give this 4/5 stars for multiple themes. Okay, I get why this book was done and that it for a good cause, but in terms of a coherent anthology most of the stories don't go together. Some of them fit and there could all be sketched to have a theme of home, or at least have the setting of Christmas. I'm probably just way over thinking of this, especially as I'm someone who reads all these genres about the same (except Poetry) within YA. I would recommend this if you're a general YA lover. 

I got this book off Netgalley for review and it is published by Stripes Publishing.

Book Review: Dark Room by Tom Becker

The Sleepaway Camp Twist? Really?
 
The camera never lies…

Darla and her dad are looking for a fresh start. But when they wind up in affluent Saffron Hills, Darla stands no chance of fitting in with the beautiful, selfie-obsessed teens at her new school.

Just when she thinks things can’t get any worse, she starts having visions. The gruesome snapshots flashing into Darla’s mind seem to suggest she’s going crazy… until she realizes they’re actually a horrifying glimpse into the future. 

With a killer on the loose, can she make sense of what she’s seeing before it’s too late?

This is a horror where I did not guess the ending, mainly because it's not at all foreshadowed and is one of the worst twists to ever feature in horror. Part of the twist would have been okay, but the other part is just dumb and undermines the rest. Frankly, it was a twist that I didn't think anyone would be dumb enough to execute it in this decade. I won't say what the twist is and I can't at all talk about my main issue with it without spoilers but I feel I won't be the only who one to see fault with it. While being problematic, it's also lazy and unnecessary.

The summary of this book is misleading and left me disappointed a few chapters in. It is in third person and I felt detached from what was going on, so not at all scared. Though, there was only one scene I thought worked in terms of suppose terror.

The main character Daria is likeable and I felt for her. It still lack in the fear and tension, I think that does have something to do with the supporting characters. They all mostly distasteful, though I don't hate any of them.

The book is second of the Red Eye Books set in America. When someone writes a setting in another country from their own, I always questioned it, especially when that setting is the USA. The plot does involve a beauty pageant and underage drinking, which are both big deals in America. I guess it works but America is such a boring setting. But the setting is more about the town than the country so it doesn't matter where it was set globally.

Overall, I gave this book three out of three stars for Echoes. I enjoyed this book right till the climax. The twist was just kinda cheap and bad 80s horror film. The execution was decent with a likeable protagonist but that ending took too much away from it. I've read one other book by Tom Becker (While the others sleep which has a review). The ending and twists were what let down that book as well so maybe this is a pattern for him.

I got this for review off NetGalley and it is being publish by Stripes Publishing on 10 September 2015.

Book Review: While the Others Sleep by Tom Becker

I slept like a baby after reading thing. Though, a baby with insomnia, but that's normal.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Alfie can't sleep. He's been sent to the sanatorium to "get better".

And it's a terrifying place.

Especially at night...when everyone else is asleep.

Alfie soon discovers that being awake is the most dangerous condition of all.

You'll find out why. But don't expect to sleep afterwards.

I liked this book, right till the end because I really don't get what going on there. The conclusion of this book is unsatisfying and confusing. There were questions raised I don't think were answered. The twists were dumb.

The writing seems to be too modern. I can understand this with this being YA and aimed at inexperienced readers but this story doesn't fully work in it's time setting to begin with. Asylums are talked about as if they are a thing of the distant past but this is going on right now, in the hell day of them being terrible. 

 Overall,  I give this book 2 out of 5 stars for night walking. This story was okay, but in terms of horror, it's not scary and is very cliché in a nonsensical way.  There is some interesting imagery but that's about it. ALSO WHO THE HELL SET FIRE TO THE HOUSE?