Submerged Blog Tour: Guest Post By Nicole Sobon

Welcome to this stop on the Submerged Blog Tour hosted by Itching for Books. Today I have a guest post from the author of the novel. First of all I will introduce you to the novel, Submerged. 

Submerged

Series: Outbreak #1

Release Date: 14th February 2013

Format: Paperback / ebook

Pages: 384

Synopsis: After a mysterious virus makes its way into the United States, the government demands that states seal themselves off from one another and do their best to protect their surviving residents. When the state of Florida is bordered off from the surrounding states, Taylen Fincher, a seventeen-year-old girl with a yearning for her former life finds herself wondering how much of what they’ve been told is true.

When Troum took control of the state, he told the residents that the other states had fallen to the virus and that he wouldn’t allow the same thing to happen to them. But Taylen doesn’t believe it. She insists that there is still life outside of the state, and she is going to do whatever it takes to prove it… but her actions will cost her more than she ever expected.

Troum kidnaps Taylen’s sister, Penelope, in hopes of coaxing her into behaving – into being a submissive resident, much like the others. But Taylen isn’t one to give in that easily.

Eager to rescue her sister, Taylen will set out on an adventure that’ll force her to open her heart to the unexpected and to uncover secrets that will change everything.

Guest Post

My Writing Process By Nicole Sobon

Before I even start an outline, I usually start jotting down scenes/ideas as they come to me. I need to make sure that there is enough of a story behind the idea before I commit to it. Once I’m comfortable enough with continuing, I begin the dreaded outline process. (I don’t always outline, sometimes I just allow the story to tell itself.) 

This is also when I’d begin doing my research if the book requires it. 

Sometimes I can knock out an outline fairly quickly, other times, it can take weeks (which is usually the case with any outline I draft for the Emile Reed Chronicles). I’ll be honest, I don’t like outlining, at all. I only do it when I have to. With the Emile Reed Chronicles, I have to outline because I have to know where I’m going with the story in advance. I’m currently working on Deprogrammed, the second novel and fourth installment in this series, and I’m carefully following my outline. One little mistake could easily ruin the final outcome for Emile’s story, so I have to be incredibly careful. But with a book like Submerged, I didn’t outline. I tried, but the story kept moving away from where I intended it to go (the outline is a completely different book than the final product). Sometimes, I just have to allow the story to tell itself. 

If it is part of a series that I am working on, I keep a print out of the prior book next to me. I’ve read all of my books at least twenty times. Program 13 I have read close to fifty times. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to remember every single detail. So I try to jot down the basics (eye color, hair color, style, etc.) on a sheet of paper and attach it to my outline, if there is one. I also keep the print outs next to me in case I have to go back and re-read anything (when you’re connecting three novels and four novelettes together, you have to be incredibly careful that the story lines up correctly). 

Once I feel comfortable, I open up Word and start typing. 

I know people say not to edit while you write, but I do. I actually double check each chapter with the help of Grammarly after I have finished writing it. This is probably why it takes me so long to write a book, but I want the first draft to be as clean as possible. 

After I finish the first draft, which is usually around 60k words, I send it off the beta readers. I let them mark it up and tell me what needs to be changed while I take some time away from the story, this way, when I come back to it later on I have refreshed eyes. 

After I go through their edits, I let it sit again for a bit before I start my own edits. 

I usually send it off to the betas again at this point so that I can do one final round of edits. Once I receive it back from them, I go over it again with Grammarly and my red pen, and I clean it up as best as possible. This is usually when the manuscript goes from 60k words to 70k words. 

After I’m satisfied with the final product, I either prepare for the query process or I format the manuscript for publication. 

Random facts: 

· I listen to a lot of music while writing – mainly White Lies. 

· I usually go through an entire notebook per manuscript full of jumbled ideas. 

· Capture is the only book that I’ve written in parts, meaning that I jumped around while writing … it was also my first novel, so I wasn’t entirely sure how to go about writing it. 

· When I traveled to Seattle, I took a lot of photographs that later became my inspiration for the settings in Program 13. (I do try to familiarize myself with the setting if the story takes place in a real location.)

Thank you to Nicole for the great guest post! 

About the Author: 

Nicole Sobon is a YA author of several novels, including Program 13, The Emile Reed Chronicles, Capture, No Place Like Home, and the latest Submerged. This is the first in her dystopian duology. 

Find Nicole here: 

Website / Twitter / Goodreads

Giveaway: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you all for stopping by. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour, the schedule can be found here. Thank you Nicole for the awesome guest post! 

UK Cover Reveal: Siege and Storm By Leigh Bardugo

Hey, I'm still on hiatus right now but I had to break it to share the UK Siege and Storm cover with you all. I love all things Grisha and Shadow and Bone and I want to share the excitement. Yesterday the UK Cover for the second book in the Grisha series was revealed and here it is: 

Siege and Storm

Series: The Grisha #2

Release Date: 4th June 2013

Publisher: Henry Holt-US, Gollancz-UK

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 448 

Synopsis: Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can't outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling's game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

Ooh I really like the vividness of the blue and how it contrasts with the rest of the cover. I love it so much and I can't wait to get my hands on a finished copy! Well done Gollancz for topping the first cover. I have so much love for it, it really would make me pick it up in a bookstore! 

Here's the US Cover for Comparison:

 

What are your thoughts on the UK Cover? Which one do you prefer? Let me know in the comments! 

Blog Tour + Author Interview: The Last Academy By Anne Applegate

Welcome to this stop on The Last Academy Blog Tour! Today I have an interview with the author Anne Applegate and also a giveaway, so be sure to enter that. First here's some info about the book: 

The Last Academy

Release Date: 1st May 2013

Publisher: Point

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 320

Synopsis: Curtis Sittenfeld's PREP meets THE SIXTH SENSE in this spine-tingling, unforgettable debut. 

Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only . . . something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? The answer will leave Cam--and readers--stunned and breathless, in this thrilling debut novel.

Author Interview: 

First of all Welcome to Read Write and Read Some More, we are very pleased to host you!

Hi Annabelle, thanks for hosting! Great questions – I had fun answering them. 

First of all can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

Sure! I have a pretty good case of social dorkwardness in real life, so I’m well-suited to a job in which most of my coworkers are imaginary. 

When did you start writing and when did you begin to take writing seriously? 

I’ve always loved to write, but I’ve also had the writer’s equivalent of stage fright. Up until my thirties, being afraid was more important to me than being a writer. Finally, I realized I wasn’t a kid any more – if I kept putting off my dreams until I was braver, I might end up dead before I ended up a writer. There were lots of baby steps to getting here, and even now, my delete key takes a lot of abuse. 

The Last Academy is your debut novel, can you tell us a bit about how it started from an idea in your mind to becoming a published novel? What was the whole process like? 

I had an unusual path to publishing. As part of getting over my stage fright, I kept an anonymous blog (now defunct). It was a place where I could try any goofy thing without anyone I knew looking. That space felt like the very best possible version of being Tom Cruise circa RISKY BUSINESS in the underwear dancing scene. One day, a literary scout/ film producer named Cori Stern emailed me. She’d stumbled across my blog, liked my writing, and wanted to see more. It was one of those fluky, one-in-a-million kind of things. All I could do was laugh. That’s what you get for dancing around like no one’s watching, I guess. 

I’d just finished THE LAST ACADEMY and was getting up the nerve to send it out to agents, so I sent the manuscript to Cori too. She got it into the hands of the producer who optioned the movie rights. Shortly after, I lucked out again when Scholastic’s fantastic senior editor, Aimee Friedman, decided to take THE LAST ACADEMY on. She and the publication team at Scholastic have been incredible. Basically, it feels like this book fell out of the lucky tree and hit every branch. 

Where did the idea for The Last Academy come from? 

I met Barnaby Charon on an airplane when I was fifteen. You can read more about that on a hidden page on my website: anneapplegate.com/secret 

I’m really intrigued that the novel is set in a boarding school. What made you decide to choose this setting? 

I went to boarding school, so Lethe Academy felt familiar to me. Most of my high school memories are wrapped up with Pacific Ocean views, red tiled roofs, and an absence of family. 

What was your favourite part about writing The Last Academy? 

My favorite part was about three quarters through the rough draft, when I finally believed I’d finish a whole book. Up until that point, I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. Once I could see how the end would fall together, I knew I could keep revising until the story made some kind of sense. That transition from a place of insecurity to a place of surety? Amazing. 

You have one gorgeous cover! What were you first thoughts when viewing the final concept? How well does it fit the story? 

Thank you! I think so, too. I was completely in awe when I first saw the cover. Yaffa Jaskoll created an image that beautifully conveys the book’s emotional tenor and storyline. 

Which authors and novels have influenced you and your writing? 

Oh man, that is a tough question to answer, for fear of leaving out the dearly adored. Growing up, I loved THE YELLOW WALLPAPER, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS by Thomas Harris, and anything by Stephen King. 

As I’ve gotten older, I’m more influenced by bits and pieces of books. For example, in HOUSE OF LEAVES by Mark Z. Danielewski, the story included a coded note from one character to another. The reader was required to count lines and mark letters to reveal the true message. When I glanced at my transcription and saw this CREEPY letter, written in my own penmanship, I had to stop reading for a day or two while I got over my heebie-jeebies. That’s the sort of thing I love – when a story is so unnerving you throw the book across the room, but so intriguing you are forced to pick it up again, desperately curious to read a little further. 

Do you write your novels by hand or straight away on the computer? 

Computer! I’ve heard writing by hand is a good technique – it makes you slow down and think about what you’re saying. But for me, I like to fly via typing. Sometimes, I can go so fast, I am almost actually there, in the story. It’s like breaking the time-space continuum for make-believe. 

Thank you so much Anne for answering my questions! It's been great hosting you!

About the Author: 

Photo credit: Brittany App

Anne Applegate was born in Chico, California. Most of her childhood was spent moving across America with her family, nomad style. 

When Anne was fourteen, her parents sent her to boarding school so she could spend four years in a single educational system. As it turned out, her family then promptly settled into a small mid-western town and lived there for the next sixteen years. Anne still hasn’t figured out if this means something. 

After graduation, she went on to Tufts University in Medford, MA, where she had a wicked good time. Eventually, she wound up back on the west coast, where she married a fantastic Californian guy. Together, they have three children. 

For the last twelve years, Anne has lived in San Luis Obispo County. This is by far the longest time she has stayed in any one place her whole life. She immensely enjoys living where 1) the sun always shines and 2) she isn’t the weirdest person in town.

Find Anne here:

Website / Twitter

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Huge thanks to Anne Applegate for answering my questions and for stopping by. Also thanks to Shane at Itching for Books for hosting the tour. You can find the rest of the tour schedule here. 

Blog Tour + Author Interview: Zenn Scarlett By Christian Schoon

Hey guys, I'm super excited to host the sci-fi debut that is Zenn Scarlett and the great author Christian Schoon today! I have an interview with the author for you guys but first I'll let you know more about the book. 

Zenn Scarlett

Release Date: 7th May 2013

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Format: Paperback

Pages: 304

Synopsis: Zenn Scarlett is a bright and occasionally a-little-too-smart-for-her-own-good 17-year-old girl training hard to become an exoveterinarian. She specializes in the treatment of exotic alien life forms, mostly large and generally dangerous. Her novice year of training at the Ciscan Cloister Exovet Clinic on Mars was going well - until there are a series of inexplicable animal escapes from the school that Zenn finds herself blamed for. As if this isn't enough to be dealing with, her father vanishes under strange circumstances, and Zenn is worried that she has started hearing the thoughts of the creatures around her... 

With the help of Liam, a towner boy, and Hamish, an alien bug also training at the clinic, Zenn must try to find her father, rescue the animals and unravel the mystery of who is behind the attacks on the school. And all without failing her first year.

Author Interview: 

1. First of all can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

Let’s see…I was born in glamorous downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota. My first cat was a Siamese named Phurtadateedah. During junior high, I was shot at by the police (mistaken identity. Honest.). I spent my senior year of high school as an exchange student in Djursholm, Sweden. My four college minors were English, astronomy, anthropology and the Lakota Sioux language. (I cannot, however, speak this language now). I’m a major sci fi geek, a fanatical animal person and a Capricorn but seriously, Saturn or any other planet or star has absolutely no influence over my life. Other lives? That's anybody’s guess. Planetary influence over my fiction is another matter entirely. 

2. Before Zenn Scarlett you were a scriptwriter, what made you change

to writing novels and ultimately becoming an author? 

Yes, I wrote TV scripts for live and animated shows during my years in Los Angeles. But after we moved back to my Midwestern stomping grounds and bought a farm, my interests shifted, for several reasons. One: it’s tough to keep your oar in the water, scriptwriting-wise, when you don’t live in LA or New York. TV and film are collaborative enterprises, and the people running these things want your body and mind there to collaborate with. There are exceptions to this rule, but they’re rare and didn’t apply to me. Novels, on the other hand, are the ultimate one-person-show. I’m the writer, director, cinematographer, set designer, lighting director, best boy, gaffer and craft services person all in one. Plus, no commute. I kinda like that. 

3. Zenn Scarlett is your debut novel, where did the idea come from? 

After our move to the back of beyond in gorgeous rural America, my wife and I began accumulating animals on our farm and volunteering with animal welfare groups. Before long, I was hanging out with veterinarians who specialized in exotic animal medicine and found myself interacting with bears, cougars, big snakes, horses, etc. Along with my fondness for sci fi, this new arena of interest lead to the idea for a novice exovet working with alien animals. 

4. Can you tell us a bit about how it started from an idea in your

mind to becoming a published novel? What was the whole process like? 

The real lightbulb-popping-on-over-my-head moment was the simple concept of an alien animal vet. I couldn’t recall ever reading, or even hearing about, a similar character/situation in either books or films. From there, the rest of the story rapidly fell into place. Then, I worked and re-worked the story in my spare time over several years while I continued to work my day gig full time. I submitted to my list of chosen genre-specific agents. Got politely rejected. Main comment: “Awesome concept. Not ready for prime time.” And I quickly caught on to the fact this was all too true. So, I polished. Then, as I was about to submit to my next round of agents, an agent contacted me. He’d come across the manuscript at his former company and had pushed it, but his bosses passed. Now, he was at a new agency and wondered if I’d been signed. No, I had not. He signed me, we worked to streamline the story, split my one long book into two and a few months later he sold the books as a series to Strange Chemistry, who by the by are awesome as they come. The whole process was both educational for me as a noob novelist – I knew scriptwriting, but novels are a whole ‘nother animal… and it was angst-making during the submission process, but euphoric when the books sold. 

5. In the novel Zenn is training to become an exoveterinarian. How

much research did you have to do into the world of animal medicine and

animal welfare? As an animal management student myself, I’m very

intrigued. 

My research for the vet science part of Zenn Scarlett really grew out of my “on the job” experiences as a volunteer with several animal welfare groups. One is the Iowa Equine Rescue and Awareness League. This group works exclusively through law enforcement agencies and steps in after horses, donkeys or burros are confiscated due to neglect or abuse. The equines come to our farm, and other foster sites, where we tend to any outstanding medical issues, then get them back to a healthy, stable weight, work with them on handling issues, and adopt them out to qualified owners. Another group is called Witty Kitties, Inc., but the name is a little misguiding. In addition to providing housing and life-long care for felines with special medical needs (FIV, Feline leukemia, etc.) Witty Kitties is also licensed to rescue and rehab exotic animals like bears, cougars, coyotes, emus, Burmese pythons, American alligators, iguanas, tortoises and other critters. 

6. You have wide variety of pet’s yourself, did they inspire you in any way?

I’d say my affection and admiration for my horses, cats, dogs and ferrets is a direct inspiration for Zenn’s similar attachment to the unearthly animals residing at the Ciscan Cloister Exovet Clinic where she's undergoing her novice year of training. 

7. I’ve just got to throw this one in there, you have 30 cats? I love

the kitties but how do you have enough space for them all? Are they

generally outside cats?  

Good question! Most of them are outside barn cats. But we provide heat lamps and hay bales in the “cat barn” for these outdoor guests here on the farm, and they’re almost as pampered as the felines living indoors. More than a few of our barn cat contingent are now in their second decade, which as you probably know, is well beyond old age for a cat living outdoors. And, as outdoor cats show signs of being true “seniors,” we move them indoors to live. Iowa winters can be pretty gnarly. 

8. The main setting for Zenn Scarlett is Mars, what made you set the

novel in outer space? Did this entitle much research on your part?

The desire to incorporate a Martian setting probably arose from my early reading of the Edgar Rice Burrough’s Barsoom books. Plus, I’ve watched the various NASA Mars rovers with great interest; the reports on Mars’ environment seem to get more life-friendly all the time (even if that life turns out to be "simple" microbes and lived there long ago). And yes, I did need to brush up on my Mars facts as I wrote, so I now have a fairly full shelf of books on the subject. 

9. What was your favourite part about writing Zenn Scarlett? 

Some of the most fun scenes to write were Zenn’s interactions with her alien patients. She’s very good at what she does, and it’s always enjoyable to be around someone who’s competent at their job! 

10. What are your current writing projects and what can we expect from

you next? One of the most important questions, Will there be a sequel?

Next up from me is, in fact, the sequel to Zenn Scarlett, where we’ll follow Zenn off Mars and into thrilling encounters with outlandish new creatures, fascinating alien races and mind-boggling interplanetary intrigue! It’s due out about a year from now so… I’ll be in touch! 

11. Which authors and novels have influenced you and your writing? 

The above-noted Burroughs, as well as Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, William Gibson’s Neuromancer, T.H.White’s The Once and Future King, and too many more to even get into here! 

12. Describe Zenn Scarlett in 5 or less words? 

Compassionate, empathetic, fearless, determined, way-cool! 

13: What’s your favourite Animal? 

Rikkasets are pretty fabulous. But, here on earth, I really love the grace and inscrutability of cats.

Bonus Question: I’m guessing you’ve been bitten by an animal with all

the ones you have, what’s been the worst one though? I was bitten by a

ferret last week and damn it hurt!

Yeah, I’ve still got tiny teeth marks sprinkled across one arm from one of my own ferrets. Have been nipped by several kinds of snake (nothing serious), chomped pretty good by horses (leaves nasty teeth-mark-bruises) but I have to say the worst bites of all are from those graceful, inscrutable felines. Especially if they get you in a finger joint; almost certain to get infected. But, still not bad enough to dull my fondness for the little varmints. 

About the Author: 

Born in the American Midwest, Christian started his writing career in earnest as an in-house writer at the Walt Disney Company in Burbank, California. He then became a freelance writer working for various film, home video and animation studios in Los Angeles. After moving from LA to a farmstead in Iowa several years ago, he continues to freelance and also now helps re-hab wildlife and foster abused/neglected horses. He acquired his amateur-vet knowledge, and much of his inspiration for the Zenn Scarlett series of novels, as he learned about - and received an education from - these remarkable animals.

Pre-order Zenn Scarlett:

Amazon

Find Christian here: 

Goodreads / Blog / Twitter / Publisher

Huge thanks to Christian for answering my questions and thank you to Amanda at Strange Chemistry for allowing me to participate in the Zenn Scarlett Tour! Thank you for stopping by and Happy Reading! 

Blog Tour: The S-word By Chelsea Pitcher

Welcome to this stop on The S-word Blog Tour, today I was meant to have a review for you all but I haven't had time to read the book just yet, sincere apologies. You can see why on my brief hiatus post. Anyway onto the book, I have read the first few chapters though and you guys are in for an amazing debut. Without further ado lets hear about the book: 

The s-word

Release Date: 7th May 2013

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Format: Paperback

Pages: 320

Synopsis: First it was SLUT scribbled all over Lizzie Hart’s locker.

But one week after Lizzie kills herself, SUICIDE SLUT replaces it—in Lizzie's looping scrawl.

Lizzie’s reputation is destroyed when she's caught in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend on prom night. With the whole school turned against her, and Angie not speaking to her, Lizzie takes her own life. But someone isn’t letting her go quietly. As graffiti and photocopies of Lizzie’s diary plaster the school, Angie begins a relentless investigation into who, exactly, made Lizzie feel she didn’t deserve to keep living. And while she claims she simply wants to punish Lizzie’s tormentors, Angie's own anguish over abandoning her best friend will drive her deep into the dark, twisted side of Verity High—and she might not be able to pull herself back out.

Debut author Chelsea Pitcher daringly depicts the harsh reality of modern high schools, where one bad decision can ruin a reputation, and one cruel word can ruin a life. Angie’s quest for the truth behind Lizzie’s suicide is addictive and thrilling, and her razor-sharp wit and fierce sleuthing skills makes her impossible not to root for—even when it becomes clear that both avenging Lizzie and avoiding self-destruction might not be possible.

About the Author: 

Chelsea Pitcher is a native of Portland, OR where she received her BA in English Literature. Fascinated by all things literary, she began gobbling up stories as soon as she could read, and especially enjoys delving into the darker places to see if she can draw out some light.

Find her here: 

Website / Twitter

Giveaway: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for stopping by and thank you to Shane for hosting the whole blog tour. You can find the rest of the Tour schedule here. 

Brief Hiatus

Hello guys! After much thought the past week and today, I’ve decided to go on a brief hiatus. The past week I’ve been in a reading slump and haven’t read any new books and I’ve had no motivation or time to do blog posts. So it’s left me with a clouded mind and I’ve decided to take a step back and refresh for a while. Don’t get me wrong, I have so much love for blogging but there’s so much going on right now, from college work, to looking at university’s and planning my future, I kinda need to focus on that right now. I would like to get ahead with a few college things too and just generally start getting ready for the end of term and exams. This will also allow me to catch up on reading without demands on deadline and review dates. I hope you all understand and thank you all so much for sticking around. I’m planning to be gone for two weeks but if this changes I will let you all know. If you need me in the meantime I will still be on twitter all the time, so tweet me. Also a few planned blog tour posts will go up during the hiatus but they’re already planned and ready to go. Thank you again, I hope to see you all when I get back!

The Bone Dragon By Alexia Casale

The Bone Dragon

Release Date: 2nd May 2013

Publisher: Faber and Faber

Format: Paperback

Pages: 304

Source: From Publisher. 

Synopsis: Evie's shattered ribs have been a secret for the last four years. Now she has found the strength to tell her adoptive parents, and the physical traces of her past are fixed - the only remaining signs a scar on her side and a fragment of bone taken home from the hospital, which her uncle Ben helps her to carve into a dragon as a sign of her strength.

Soon this ivory talisman begins to come to life at night, offering wisdom and encouragement in roaming dreams of smoke and moonlight that come to feel ever more real.

As Evie grows stronger there remains one problem her new parents can't fix for her: a revenge that must be taken. And it seems that the Dragon is the one to take it.

This subtly unsettling novel is told from the viewpoint of a fourteen-year-old girl damaged by a past she can't talk about, in a hypnotic narrative that, while giving increasing insight, also becomes increasingly unreliable.

A blend of psychological thriller and fairytale, The Bone Dragon explores the fragile boundaries between real life and fantasy, and the darkest corners of the human mind.

Review: The Bone Dragon is such a powerful debut novel. I’ve wanted to read this novel for a while, the synopsis intrigued me straight away and then the cover fully hooked me, after all it’s gorgeous. To be honest I’m not really sure what I was expecting when I picked up this novel. I wasn’t expecting such a raw and powerful story with such a strong main character. Alexia Casale has shown that she is a talented writer who can pack such an emotional punch in her prose. The Bone Dragon left me wanting more, I couldn’t believe when it ended, I wanted the novel to continue so I could learn so much more about Evie. It’s an emotional ride that’s mixed with mystic and magic, set against the vivid backdrop of the fens. 

The novel begins when Evie wakes up in hospital after her operation. The only thing left over from the terrible past is a piece of rib bone that she carves into a dragon with her Uncle Ben. Evie is in a lot of pain after the operation and one night she wishes on this dragon. She soon begins to have dragon dreams where the dragon comes alive and helps Evie gain back her strength. It’s there to protect her and the dragon has a plan. In her dragon dreams, it takes her out into the fens to explore as he plots the steps of this plan, but he doesn’t let Evie know the ultimate goal. Evie’s life has been tough and things finally begin to look up, except there is one thing that will never go away and it’s that she’s most scared of. 

Poor Evie has been through a hell of a lot. She is a damaged child and that of course has affected her mind and well being. She’s very cautious about things and will never tell anyone the truth about her injuries, except her adoptive parents. She’s fragile but she has the life of a normal teenager. She still goes to school and has best friends who have girly days out together. She has some very caring protective parents and an awesome uncle. These people have welcomed her into their home and for once she feels like she belongs and can trust them with the harsh truth of her past. I loved the way Casale has dealt with such a troubled character and made her so interesting and engaging to the reader. She has many past problems and it was interesting to see how it was dealt with in the novel and seeing small snippets of her past coming back to her. Evie cannot remember everything from her past as it was so disturbing and even now she wishes she could forget. Despite this there is some strength to the character, she is determined to go on and fit in with her new family. The Dragon seems to symbolise the inner strength that Evie has even if it is buried deep inside under all the hurt and pain. It is and will always be there if you dig hard enough. In a way it shows hope too, hope that in the future things will get better. I am still surprised at the sheer depth to the character and how real she felt. It really feels like I know Evie after reading this book. She is an unforgettable character and one that will stay with me for a while yet. 

Weaving into Evie’s story is that of her adoptive parents and their dead son. I also found it really interesting learning about their loss and how Evie has helped them not to combat it, but to accept it. She isn’t a replacement; she’s another addition to the family. I liked the contrast between the two different types of pain and loss, with Evie’s past and Amy and Paul’s loss. Alexia has shown that there is a variety of pain in the world and neither will be the same. There’s this underlining hope that together they can heal, it’s touching and very emotional to watch. 

The Bone Dragon is… There are so many ways I can start this sentence but none of them seem to fully fit the emotion and power this novel has hidden in its pages. You have some incredible characters that are all so realistic, each with their own little flaw. I particularly liked how Evie could tell by certain things that her adoptive parents were lying. It’s these small details that add to the depth of the storytelling and make it even better. If you’re looking for a promising new writer, then Alexia Casale is the one you want. The Bone Dragon has the correct mix of mystery, pain, adventure, happiness and of course an enchanted dragon. It’s a book that, not only will you enjoy, but it will also stay with you for a long while. So there you have it, I don’t even want to say goodbye but this review is already long. The Bone Dragon is simply a book that you should all read.