Matt McAvoy Book Review

What starts as something of a children’s story evolves as it progresses, into something altogether more suitable for older kids – that said, it does feature a talking cat.  A bit of a book of two halves, I found the first part promising, the second more formulaic in fantasy sci-fi.  I should say, all in all, this is probably a book for the younger teen, though some of the battle scenes (some of which are quite epic), may be slightly less suitable for that particular audience.

Generally p...

This book is better when you think back on it in hindsight, and I have to say that even during writing this review I have improved my rating of it slightly, as I think over the quality of its workmanship and its writer.  I like the premise, of an unassuming, modern-day teenage girl chosen to be the mother of the second coming of God’s son.  It is a book which doesn’t delve too deeply into either the goodness or the darkness of the bible – though there is a fair bit more of the latter th...

One is left with very mixed feelings after reading this epic journey of a book.  The best way I can describe it would be melodrama turned literary fiction by design, rather than default – or is it the other way round?  I’m not sure.  But the simple fact is, to put it into very basic terms, it is very long and very descriptive, in the same way that most classic literary fiction is; indeed, Watson seems the sort of author who won’t use ten words when he can use a hundred.  That in itself ...

I always enjoy poetry, and I hugely enjoy Louise’s very dark and brooding, melancholy style of writing, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of her latest collection – and it didn’t disappoint.  But be warned, this is no horror or fantasy fiction; this is, sadly and devastatingly, very real.  The theme of the collection is domestic abuse and violence against women, or more specifically women who snap and the consequences they face.  The pieces therein are about true-life cases, and furth...

This is a really good book, but I have to be honest and say it was another which left me feeling a little hard done by.  I hate to spoil books, but occasionally I feel an ounce of civic duty is required to warn readers in advance; this is one of those books.  So, be advised: after nearly 400 pages you will find that this is the open-ended first instalment in an ongoing series, which promises to be a long and sprawling saga.

Owen is a very good author, with wonderful language, vivid descripti...

If you like something different, hard to categorize, genre-crossing and interesting, this is definitely one for you, but be advised, it is one for the more broad-minded reader, and despite its high-fantasy elements (goblins, sluagh, shapeshifters, etc.), it definitely falls into the more gritty, adult mould.  I had a few issues getting along with the book myself, and some of it was a touch crude for my tastes, but from a creative point of view I won’t suggest that it doesn’t hit some real...

If you’re a fan of orthodox action thrillers this is going to be right up your street.  Think Robert Ludlum writing Lethal Weapon and you’ve got a pretty good idea what to expect.  All the standard ingredients are here, in the formula three acts, as two shadowy field agents team up to foil an international terrorist organization carrying out atrocities on American soil.  But, in true formula-action style, the baddies are happy to divert from their masterplan long enough to get personal wi...

Not usually a great fan of fantasy, but this book was a neat little surprise.  Four decent, entertaining and pretty unique tales, each individually penned by a different contributor, set one Halloween in the moody, fictional melting pot of Argent City, a town populated by supernatural beings and mythical shapeshifters living unnoticed alongside us.  Though generally pretty easy reading, brooding but not dark, these are more pure stories than snippets of tales, yet still there is an air of pul...

I wasn’t fortunate enough to read the first of Cathy’s semi-biographical “Destiny” trilogy, but with no idea to support my belief, I can’t help thinking that I really got lucky with Book Two – it is wonderful, just a lovely book, on so many levels.  Telling the story of four generations of Cathy’s (“Cassie’s”) family following their emigration from Armenia to the United States at the dawn of the twentieth century, with a part fictionalized slant, there is a fair amount of ...

I commented, in my previous reviews of books in this series, on my assumption that the Pirate books were a trilogy, because the author sent me three.  In fact, Prine appears to be creating something of a whole universe regarding the series.  There is so much ground left, clearly, and indeed in the back matter of Pirate Penance it is revealed there is much more to come from this bickering, bed-hopping band of 80s rock stars.  In fact, a whole third of this particular instalment is actually a s...

Before I begin, I should disclose that I assisted Lance in the production of this book.  However, rest assured that this has no bearing whatsoever on my review.  I have been fortunate enough now to read a couple from this author, and I can say with all sincerity that he is a cut above the rest.  His quality is from the top drawer, and whilst his books might not be the most eventful or action packed, they are as poignant, as profound and as thought-provoking as you are ever likely to read.  Al...

Perhaps the best thing about being a book reviewer is that you are fortunate to learn so much, and that is particularly so when reading books set in a specific period of history, and certainly true of this poignant and touching emotional fiction.  Set in a perhaps under-represented time and place in recent events, that of the post-war coalition fight against the brutal communist wannabe regime in Malaya, this lovely book, by the wonderfully named author Apple Gidley, definitely falls into the...

It’s fair to say that my review of this book’s predecessor was not overly glowing, and unfortunately when reviewing Pirate Booty I am inclined to be even less so, for which I am genuinely sorry; I like this author, and we have engaged in a fair amount of correspondence of late (I have been sent the three books in the trilogy for my unbiased review).  Not that Prine’s writing is in any way not good – far from it, the books have a wonderful style and voice, which for an ensemble cast wi...

Insightful and good fun, this is first in a trilogy (I assume) that I have been given by the author to carry out my unbiased and impartial review.  It’s a good start, and I look forward to reading the next books in the series, but be warned, without wishing to spoil this book in any way, it is not a self-contained, standalone title; you are required to keep reading.  Telling the story, behind the scenes, of a superstar British rock band as they tour the U.S. in the 80s, whose record company...

If you were to read this book from cover to cover, as I did, it would likely take you less than an hour in one sitting.  But there would be little point in doing so.  This is, in fact, a very handy little coffee table read, for you to pick up and practice as and when the mood takes you.  The whole premise is that you can literally physically manifest events, outcomes and even objects, just by training yourself to change your outlook and attitude.  Whilst the latter of those three seems somewh...

This is about as contemporary Young Adult as it gets.  Smith’s book very nicely encapsulates the standard elements of a group of high school friends who encounter a mystical force which gives them enhanced powers, then have to protect their hometown against a mysterious and malevolent villain.  Whilst there is, in fairness, nothing particularly outstanding about Discovery of the Five Senses, it isn’t a bad book, either.  The author K.N. Smith, however, seems something of a rough gem of a ...

As an unwavering atheist, who believes wholeheartedly in the existence of Jesus, I was very much looking forward to reading this book, and its evaluation of the authenticity of his divinity, from the point of view of an author immeasurably more knowledgeable on the subject than I.  Whilst Jonathan Dean certainly doesn’t disappoint – he is an extremely high quality author, who has undeniably studied, researched and analysed his subject comprehensively – I will admit that it was a slightl...

Gary McAvoy is back, again doing what he does best.  Now half a dozen or so books into the series, all of which I believe I’ve had the good fortune to read and review, a very clear pattern and formula is well established: Gary’s obviously beloved group of characters tick all the boxes to be just in the right place and time to deal with another theology-based threat to the religious order, and maybe much more besides.  The formula is much the same in all of these books, and The Avignon Aff...

I really enjoyed The Reaper’s Quota, so when this one appeared in my bookshelf I was very keen to get stuck into it.  And Sarah McKnight has delivered another great book.  Entertaining, thought provoking and creative, this direct sequel takes a slightly different tone to the first, opting for a more down to earth drama narrative, and perhaps shedding a little of the crackling wit of the first.  I won’t say anything to spoil this or the book it follows, but suffice to say that it does end ...

A very holistic, though perhaps what might be considered entry level overview of child developmental psychology, with a very strong leaning toward the behavioural approach.  Christine clearly knows her stuff, both as a parent and an obvious academic in the subject – added to that, she is a tremendous writer, personable, smart and articulate.  The book itself is nothing groundbreaking, but a great concise reference guide covering in every key area the best way to bring up your child for thei...

Right off the bat, I feel I should make a couple of points clear about this book.  Firstly, I loved it!  I enjoyed every fantastic moment, and was poised very quickly and throughout to award it a well-deserved five stars.  This didn’t change for the duration – until I finished, that is.  Then I very quickly took one of the stars off – and that was a calm reaction; I considered removing more.  In fact, I was actually so annoyed that my tablet nearly went flying through my open second-flo...

A very tough read – for lots of reasons – but a very good one.  I have to give you the forewarning I wasn’t: this is an incredibly harrowing book, with graphic, detailed and repeated accounts of the internal and external injuries of a murdered two-year-old.  Written by an experienced crime scene investigator of many years, and very clearly outlining a case which elicited very intense emotions in him, Immunity for Murder describes the day-by-day, true-life investigation into the particul...

So, this book is technically flawed, ultimately unsatisfying and doesn’t really go in any direction near where you are hoping it will go – and you know what?  I loved every minute of it!  Tom’s book is great.  With its tangible air of menace permeating throughout, simmering below the surface from very early on, it is safe to say that you spend much of it in nailbiting suspense, just wondering where bullied Henry is taking all of this.  And the author knows this.  Furthermore, he fosters...

This is an interesting book, with a good storyline, and Avinash writes it well, articulately and professionally.  It does feel a bit too long, though, and is indeed a very wordy book, which is perhaps hindered a little by this fact.  The reason for this is that at times it is quite easy to lose focus, as many of the same points are revisited time and again, but take long word counts to reach the bullet points.  I do like the multi-person narrative viewpoints, but again, because you spend so l...

A darkly entertaining sci-fi fantasy horror, of which I should say I found the title a little misleading in a way.  Not that it is inaccurate in any way, but rather that the humorous and even tongue in cheek tone of it suggests some sort of dark comic satire, which it isn’t at all; Zoe Hearty and the Space Invaders – or Zoe Hearty and the Alien Scum, depending on which version you read – is pure thriller, from start to finish, containing disturbing themes of domestic abuse, rape and mur...

Nice easy reading, Siobhan’s emotional fantasy doesn’t really break any boundaries, but you can tell the author has put all of her heart and soul into it, which comes through on every page.  The premise is a compact and concise one, about a grieving young woman who discovers a fantastical realm of the afterlife.  Apart from this and the sad backstory, it doesn’t delve too deeply into a storyline, other than Annie planning to set out on a journey of spiritual discovery as a response.  Th...

I was once a big fan of true crime, which of course went with the vocation, but as I get a little older, not so much, as life becomes a little more serious and less fascinating generally.  That said, though, I really looked forward to reading Romeo Vitelli’s True Crime Stories You Won’t Believe for a change, and I have to say that I wasn’t disappointed.  Romeo is a very good non-fiction writer, and he has done a tremendous job of curating true crime stories over the last two centuries o...

To tell the truth, I was expecting something a little different from this book.  No particular reason, but from the title I had a hunch that An Independent Woman In Yugoslavia was going to be perhaps the travel memoir of a midlife divorcee ticking off a bucket list entry.  And if I’m being even more truthful, I’m very glad that it wasn’t.  Instead, what this book actually is is a memoir of a very normal life, if lived by an extraordinary woman.  Iris is an achiever, no doubt, and an inc...

Two major bullet points stood out about his epic book for me.  First, it is a top quality, immensely crafted piece of writing, the work which has gone into producing it undeniably vast and conscientious.  Second, it is an incredibly hard book to read, for several reasons.

To begin, I want to say that Frederick Reynolds is awe inspiring.  His work rate and attention to detail are second to very few authors I have read.  Not just a writer but a man and a professional to be taken very seriously...

I love short stories, especially when they’re well written, and this intriguing anthology is just that.  From what is clearly an interesting and creative mind, Stephen Murphy delivers a dozen and a half or so of what can only be really described as vignettes, and for the most part slice of life, even if some of those fictional lives are a good deal more interesting than others.  The tales are not action packed or exciting, but rather more anecdotal or perhaps suggestive.  They are more abou...