Book Review: POD ARC

ISBN 9781848773899  |  paperback  |  £8.99
304pp  |  216 x 135mm

I was fortunate enough to receive an arc of POD from Templar publishing. 

POD was an intense, roller-coaster ride of emotions and action.

The story splits between twelve-year-old Megs "Pirate" in Los Angeles and fifteen-year-old Josh in Washington. We follow the lives of the two as they cope with the sudden invasion of 'Pods' that take over their country. The morning of their arrival, anyone unlucky enough to be outside on the street disappears. Josh was inside his house with his father and dog, Dutch. Megs was alone in a parked car in a hotel parking garage.

The tension rises with every chapter, reaching new, unbearable heights. There were few chances to catch your breath with this book; and I savoured them when they did appear. Humanity is tested during the invasion, bringing people to their absolute worst and their absolute best. There is something for everyone in this book – younger readers can relate to Megs or to Josh and adults can equally enjoy this thrilling story.

I thought the book was very well written and easy to read - relaxed language from the pair leading us through the story at odds with the horror they were witnessing and how they try to find a little patch of normal in their topsy-turvy world.

As their situations worsen, Megs and Josh will bring many a tear to your eye. Your heart will be in your mouth at the danger, experience a rush of pride as they overcome unbelievable challenges and the small comforts that calm them as the fear closes in.

Heroes are found in the strangest of places, and this could not be truer than in POD. Some are the big, grand sort – others are the unsung sacrifices made because of the simple reason that you love someone.

POD makes it all too apparent how much we take for granted. Water, medicine…kindness.

And the question really does beg to be asked - what would YOU do to survive?

Read more...

Awesome contest for Twitter & Facebook friends of Jennifer Laurens!

Fans of the talented YA author, Jennifer Laurens, are in for a mega treat this week. All week long, Jennifer will be posting 'surprise' giveaways of her books A Season of Eden and Overprotected. The giveaways can last anything from five minutes or an hour, so keep your eyes peeled and stay on your toes!

More details on Jennifer's blog.

And, as if you needed any further encouragement, here are the trailers for the books:

A Season of Eden:





Overprotected:




I'll keep my fingers crossed for you all! Good luck!!!!

Read more...

Withdrawals

Finding the time to do everything you want to do can be hard. Actually accomplishing all the things you want…I don’t know about anyone else, but this is pretty much impossible for me.

Recently I went back to work. It’s been three years since I’ve been in a working environment, choosing to stay at home with my little boy than hand him over to someone else to raise him. But there comes a point in everyone’s life when a change is needed. That time came for me. While I adore every second I spend with my son, I got a shock when I realised I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been away from him, or my husband, at the same time.

The decision to return to work wasn’t hard, and neither was the initial change in my life. But when I noticed how long I’d had a particular book on the go, or how long it had been since I opened my WIP document, it became clear I was letting a lot of things fall to the wayside. And anyone who knows me, knows how unusual that is.

Not writing feels like drug withdrawal. My skin crawls and all I can think about is my keyboard beckoning me…whispering to me in my dreams about what I’m neglecting. So while I was prepared for the physical side of returning to work, I wasn’t prepared for the mental change. My brain was exhausted from remembering new facts and people, struggling to compete with someone who seems determined to see me fall, the guilt I ache with every time I leave my boy. Even though I work part time, I am exhausted and spent and finding zero time to do something that I used to make time for.

It’s all about finding the balance. But right now my scales must be wonky. It will take awhile for me to get the setting right, learn when to push through and when to relax and just be for a while. The one thing I am certain of is I cannot rush the return to my writing, especially when I feel like this. There are times when emotion turmoil in our personal lives can aid our writing, but this isn’t one of them. I need to save and reboot, and just hope and pray and everything else that it doesn’t take too long for my batteries to recharge. Like I said, my keyboard is beckoning me. 

Read more...