Cameron and his mum are on the run. Cameron's dad is a maniac, an abuser and all around psycho. That is, at least, what Cameron's been told since he was young. After five years of jumping around, they settle on an old farmhouse in a place called Wolf Hollow. Right away Cameron senses something's not right. He feels he's being watched from the cornfield, from the old disused barn, from the road, everywhere. He tells himself it's just his imagination, but with his mum filling his head with horror stories about his dad, he can't really be sure. Then there's the boys at school, and the stories about the farmhouse that he's just moved into. The former owner went nuts, murdered his family and was eventually torn to pieces by his own guard dogs. Cameron can't figure out if this is true or just small town gossip. It's when the voices come that Cameron starts to feel the ground cracking under his feet. They come at night, and they whisper of dark tales in the night. Is Cameron losing his mind? Or is he being sent a message from beyond? It all leads to a thrilling, Shining-esque finale. I really enjoyed this book, I felt the walls closing in on Cameron and couldn't wait to get to the end to find out what was real and what was in his imagination. I know fans of horror and mystery at my school will absolutely love this book. I recommend The Dogs to Years 8 and up!
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For most families, October brings sweaters, rubber boots, Halloween costumes and comforting soups to get you through the early dark that sets in mid month. For Cara's family, every October brings broken bones, burns, twisted ankles and close calls. No, they aren't a family of UFC fighters, Cara's family are victims of something they call The Accident Season. The Accident Season is a time when Cara and her loved ones are inexplicably beset by physical injuries. They try to take extra care by covering the floors in thick rugs and wrapping sharp edges in bubble wrap, but it never removes the threat completely. Haunting their every move is the fact that Cara's grandfather, father and uncle were all fatal victims of The Accident Season. It hangs like a thick black cloud over their heads every year. Running parallel to this story is the disturbing fact that one of Cara's classmates, Elsie, appears to have gone missing. Even more disturbing, nobody in Cara's school or neighbourhood seems to think it's very alarming that a young girl has seemingly been wiped from the face of the Earth. Like a fever dream that pulls you in and out of consciousness, The Accident Season is an eerie tale about love, loss, friendship and the ferocious power of family secrets. Fowley-Doyle's writing comes at you from a unique place, it's hard for me to put my finger on it but it's as if this novel could be read aloud in sections throughout a Pink Floyd album. I mean that in a good way. I recommend you pick up a copy and stick with it until the end, twists, turns and hauntingly cool writing. I'd suggest The Accident Season for Year 10 students and up! Swirling with the ghosts of Johnny Cash & the Deep South, The Serpent King chugs along like a good song that you never want to end. Dillard Early (Dill) has a lot of ghosts to wrestle with. His father is in prison for a horrible crime. His mother wants him to drop out of school and work to support the family. His life is miserable because he can't escape his family name. Music seems to be his only release from the torment. Travis' life is somehow even worse. His father is an abusive drunk, his mother is a wilted flower afraid to speak out of turn. Travis escapes his nightmare life through a gripping fantasy series he reads over and over again. Lydia has it all, a supportive family, a popular fashion blog, over 100,000 followers on Twitter and a good lead on a spot at NYU in the fall. Together, these three stick together as they feel the tight noose of small town life tighten around their necks. I loved The Serpent King because I grew up in a small town where giant religious signs could be found. We would sit and watch for trains, we would escape through music and fantasy novels and Dungeons & Dragons. We would be picked on for being nerds before being a nerd was commercially viable and suddenly everybody wanted to wear glasses and talk about how nerdy they were. This is a heart-wrenching story with real guts to it. Highly recommended for Years 10 and up. |
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