reviews Dark Goddess HHHH


Sarwat Chadda, Penguin, 384pp, 978 0 14 132588 0, £6.99 pbk


This is a second outing for the characters from the previous mythic fantasy novel, Devil’s Kiss.


Billi Sangreal is a 15-year-old Knight Templar, pledged to fight in the Bataille Tenebreuse against the World’s forces of evil. In this case she is battling werewolves, the Russian Maffia and, most evil of all, Baba Yaga, Ear th Mother Russia, all-power ful witch. It is imperative that Billi and her friends rescue and protect a child who is an avatar, whose extraordinar y power will be used to create another ice age, Fimblewinter.


Reckless HHHHH


Cornelia Funke, trans. Oliver Latsch, Chicken House, 352pp, 978 1 905294 85 5, £12.99 hbk


For years Jacob Reckless has been stepping through the unusual mirror in his family apartment from the modern world to a place peopled by beings of many varieties – a place where strange and violent things can happen. Initially, Jacob is in search of his father who disappeared mysteriously, but gradually the intriguing Mirrorworld, strange but yet familiar, takes hold of him. Things change though when younger brother Will follows him through the mirror.


The land in which they find themselves is rent by war between the Goyle, human-like but made from stone, and the armies of Empress Therese of Austr y. Gradually the Goyle are winning because their King has the magic of his mistress, the Dark Fairy, on his side. The story unfolds as Jacob, shape-shifter Fox, and Clara, Will’s girlfriend who has also stepped into the mirror, frantically try to find the antidote needed to prevent Will from turning to stone; meanwhile they are pursued by Goyle forces that see Will as vital to their needs.


This is a magic land where they encounter familiar places and figures from Grimms’ fairytales. Sometimes they use their powers in an effor t to heal Will, and at other times they elude characters like the Tailor with the terrible scissor-hands. Funke has interwoven a fairy world with Gothic terrors leavened with a touch of European history as a site for the brave but scarifying quest to restore Will. It is no surprise to learn that Funke worked with a film-maker on the development of the story – it is an intensely visual narrative and ripe for transmission to screen. Funke writes with panache and verve, and it seems is once again well-served by her translator, all ensuring that readers will be glued to the pages of Reckless. VC


Kisses for Lula HHHH


Samantha Mackintosh, Egmont, 368pp, 978 1 4052 4962 1, £5.99 pbk


It takes more than a pink cover, Christina Aguilera references and a cast of eccentrically named girly mates to make a successful teen rom-com. Dialogue must sparkle as much as the jacket, situation and set-up should provide opportunities for warmth and sensitivity as well as for comedy. Queens of the genre Cathy Hopkins, Cathy Cassidy and Louise Rennison make it look easy, and that’s another prerequisite.


Congratulations to Samantha Mack- intosh for her debut novel in this genre is a witty and accomplished teen romp with a distinctive voice and hugely appealing central character.


Chadda cannot be faulted for thrilling, fast moving plotting and exciting, vivid descriptions. There are some engaging one-liners too, especially between the love interest couple, Billi and a Russian Prince. Where he also scores is that the main characters do have a moral compass to counterbalance all the brutal violence and treachery; they follow long-held values and rules of conduct; they acknowledge their profound responsibility for, and duty of care to others.


This should be ver y popular with fantasy and action junkies.


DB


15-year-old Tallulah Bird, aka Lula, Lu, Tatty or T-Bird, is in a desperate state: it’s less than a week until her 16th bir thday and she’s never been kissed. It’s not for want of trying but rumour has got round that she’s jinxed, a threat to any boy whose lips come anywhere near her. With most likely candidates and her best friends out of town on holiday, the scene is set for a desperate race against time.


This is no slapstick comedy however, instead the humour derives from Lula’s idiosyncratic take on the situation and quick-fire banter with friends and family. Mackintosh handles a number of sub-plots deftly too, and isn’t afraid to touch on a darker issue as we realise that Lula’s father is struggling with addiction.


This is clever, assured and most impor tantly fun. Mackintosh is an author to watch.


Reducing the Carbon Footprint Anne Rooney, 978 0 7496 8809 7


Waste Disposal Andrew Solway, 978 0 7496 8810 3


Climate Change Andrew Solway, 978 0 7496 8811 0


Water Geoff Barker, 978 0 7496 8812 7


Resources Andrew Solway, 978 0 7496 8813 4


Feeding the World Anne Rooney, 978 0 7496 8814 1 NON-FICTION


HHH


Franklin Watts ‘World at Risk’, 48pp, £12.99 each hbk


Each book in this series treats the problems suggested by its title in 16 illustrated spreads, followed by a spread of ‘Facts and records’ (in one case ‘Facts and figures’), a Glossary, suggestions for Further Reading, an Index and a Webfinder. Each chapter opens with a box of ‘Earth data’, and par ticular points are elaborated in boxes entitled ‘Planet Watch’.


In each case, the main issues are carefully and clearly laid out at the star t of the book and then developed in greater detail. Contrasts between more-developed and less-developed countries are frequently drawn, and the unfairness to the latter of inequalities in production, consumption and destruction pointed out.


The responsibilities of rich countries or of businesses in rich countries are not always criticised as firmly as this reviewer would have liked – for example the appalling position of the Bush administration on the Kyoto treaty is handled too gently. Possible solutions to the problems of a world at risk are outlined, sometimes with suggestions about what ‘we’ can do. The books vary concerning this: one final picture caption preaches that ‘The future of our planet is in our hands. We all need to act together before it is too late.’ Feeding the World is more realistic: the final chapter is headlined ‘Science may


AR


help to solve the problem of world hunger, but politics has an important role to play, and could provide solutions to the current crisis more quickly.’ In some cases where time or place seems relevant, the captions to the illustrations are too vague to explain where the illustrated scene is to be found, or where and when it took place.


The level of accuracy is only fair to middling. In the Chapter 1 Earth Data of Resources, world production of natural gas is understated by a factor of 1,000; in a Facts and Figures table of the same book the factor is corrected, but the relevant column is headed ‘billion square metres’ instead of billion cubic metres. A graph on page 10 of Carbon Footprint appears to understate carbon dioxide emissions by a factor of 1,000. The opposite page gives the molecular formulae for three greenhouse gases correctly, but drops the subscript 6 from sulphur hexafluoride. The Facts and Records page of Climate Change tabulates the ‘Top ten carbon dioxide (CO2


emissions. These figures appear to be the figures for carbon, not for carbon dioxide, and to be understated by a factor of 1,000. A separate table showing CO2


appears to list the figures for carbon, not for carbon dioxide. There appears to be an inconsistency between figures given for all water and fresh water on Earth in Chapter 1 of Water. A paragraph on page 18 of Waste Disposal could be taken to mean that carbon dioxide can be burned.


FP


Me, Myself and I: All about sex and puberty NON-FICTION


HHH


Louise Spilsbury, ill. Mike Gordon, Wayland, 64pp, 978 0 7502 5898 2, £13.99 hbk


This is a straightforward guide to the rollercoaster ride of physical and emotional changes that herald puber ty. Information and advice is presented in a clear and direct tone, with any risk of earnestness punctured by regular injections of humour through the cartoon illustrations. The text is broken up by fact boxes (Check it out), question and answer sections (Top Tips), Blogs (supposedly by real teenagers but sounding more like the Editor) , and Quizzes. Separate chapters focus on the changes that affect girls and boys, before tackling the subjects of sex, contraception and STIs. There are plenty of positive messages about keeping healthy, both physically and mentally, but the tone occasionally becomes hectoring, although it never falls into the trap of trying too hard to be cool. A useful end section includes a glossary and list of websites that can provide fur ther information. Accessible and uncontentious, this would prove a useful resource for use in schools and for parents of teenagers.


SU (tonnes per head) also ) producers’ by tonnes of annual


Books for Keeps No.184 September 2010 29


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