Review: Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish

Author Cliff McNish is my Featured Author for April.

With its fabulous autumnal fantasy cover, what did I expect when Savannah Grey landed in my hands?

Well, to be honest, something of the standard fantasy fare of teen girl uses ‘powers’ to battle evil monster, with boy thrown in for that touch of romance teens girls seemingly always need, and no doubt including a rival, though being a McNish novel, there may be a plot twist or two.

What did I get?

A highly original, very different, urban horror fantasy.

Savannah is fifteen and an orphan. She is settled with her foster parents and has her best friend Nina life is fine except for a nagging sore throat and the feeling that things are changing. Persuaded to go to a party by Nina, she meets Reece, a boy with a scar on his neck, and there is an instant attraction. When she reacts badly at a hospital appointment, and a look at her throat shows something very wrong, Savannah is scared and worried. Whatever it is its not natural, she producing strange noises and energy and yet she is very protective of whatever it is. As other strange things happen, like birds and the winds behaving oddly, Savannah turns to Reece and we discover that he has the same affliction but the injury that left him scarred appears to have damaged whatever it is in his throat.

In the midst of this we meet the Ocrassa. Arriving on earth millions of years ago, the Ocrassa has survived using its unique abilities to adapt and assimilate; evolving over many millennia. The Ocrassa’s savage desire is to take and assimilate everything around it and use Savannah to achieve its aim; the teenager’s realisation that nature has chosen them for a purpose; and Savannah’s realisation that her throat is a weapon that she must control and master without knowing why. At the pint where you believe the story is heading towards the inevitable show-down between the two, McNish gives a monstrous twist to the tale.

In the best traditions of the horror genre, McNish takes the much used theme of good versus evil but he asked himself the question:

To kill a monster, do you have to become one?

There’s no make-up or clothes or drop dead gorgeous boys and bitchy girls to stress and angst over. Fascinating and intense, Savannah Grey mixes horror with elements of fantasy and science fiction to create a novel that is as darkly appealing as it is intelligent and sharply written. Brilliant!

Anonymous Chelsea Pensioner on War

I was privileged to talk with several Chelsea Pensioners at different times over three years. All were really interesting, their military service covering different periods including WW2, Korea, Palestine, and others, but the last time was the most memorable.
The old soldier had been a regular who had seen service in several campaigns as well as serving throughout the whole of World War 2. As I sat in the Mess chatting to him, several friends all male who were senior NCOs, asked to join us. After a few drinks everyone was relaxed and the stories started to flow. I let the guys ask the questions, happily sitting back and quietly taking my notes.
There were things he just wouldn't discuss, and very deftly changed the subject. Clearly an old hand at avoiding what was too painful, too horrific, or too private. 
One of the Seniors was waiting to be sent to the Gulf, and was quite keyed up about it. I don't need my notes to remember what our guest said before he finished his drink and left us for a nap.

'Don't be so eager to go and fight. There is nothing glorious waiting for you. Its bloody. scary and filthy. Anyone who says he's not scared is a liar or an idiot. War's all blood and piss. When the bullets start flying and men die, you'll see, all blood and piss.'

Col Tim Collins

Sarah Oliver of the Mail on Sunday:

"He delivered the speech completely off the cuff...He said to me, 'I'll have to say a few words to the men to explain to them why they should take their anthrax drugs and malaria pills, or they just won't bother'. It just grew and grew into something magnificent - it made you realise the true meaning of the term 'rallying cry' ...It was just after a standstorm and all the men were standing around him in a U-shape in the middle of a very dusty courtyard. A lot of the Irish Rangers are very young and he wanted to explain something of the history and culture of Iraq to them. They knew that the public at home had doubts about the rightness of the war, and he wanted to reassure them and tell them why they were there. He delivered the speech without a note and went on at length. By the end, everyone felt they were ready for whatever lay ahead."

We go to liberate, not to conquer.We will not fly our flags in their country. We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them.

There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly. Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send. As for the others, I expect you to rock their world. Wipe them out if that is what they choose. But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory. Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there.

You will see things that no man could pay to see and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis. You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing. Don't treat them as refugees for they are in their own country. Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.

If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day. Allow them dignity in death. Bury them properly and mark their graves. It is my foremost intention to bring every single one of you out alive. But there may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign. We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back. There will be no time for sorrow.

The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction. There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of hell for Saddam. He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done. As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity.

It is a big step to take another human life. It is not to be done lightly. I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts. I can assure you they live with the mark of Cain upon them. If someone surrenders to you then remember they have that right in international law and ensure that one day they go home to their family. The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please.

If you harm the regiment or its history by over-enthusiasm in killing or in cowardice, know it is your family who will suffer. You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest -- for your deeds will follow you down through history. We will bring shame on neither our uniform or our nation.
(On Saddam's chemical and biological weapons.)
It is not a question of if, it's a question of when. We know he has already devolved the decision to lower commanders, and that means he has already taken the decision himself. If we survive the first strike we will survive the attack. As for ourselves, let's bring everyone home and leave Iraq a better place for us having been there.
Our business now is north.

Shakespeare: Henry V

If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires:
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith, my coz, wish not a man from England:
God's peace! I would not lose so great an honour
As one man more, methinks, would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

We few.....we band of brothers

I've just watched episodes one and two of Band of Brothers, back to back. I happened upon the start of episode one while searching for something else, I cannot remember what now. 

When the fighting started, I was struck by the lack of that 'hoo-rah' extreme aggressive attitude that seems prevalent in modern American films about war, where, in order to 'win the day', the men (boys) are wound up into a state of  screaming, violent agitation. Band of Brothers  trying to keep a cool head under fire style of fighting was a startling contrast to the arrogant, macho-aggressive-gung-ho attitude depicted as modern warfare.

So many things jumped into my mind. Shakespeare's Henry V speech, where the series title comes from. Col. Tim Collins' 2003 eve-of-battle speeech to his men. The words of a Chelsea pensioner talking about war, forgetting I was there; the only woman and civilian at a table of half a dozen serving male soldiers.

None of them are about arrogance, superiority, or the glory of war. They are all about the ferocity of battle, the magnaminity of victory, the brotherhood of soldiering. As the body bags return from Iraq and Afghanistan, I feel these words are worth reading. So I'll post each of them.

David Almond Wins!

Twice winner of the Whitbread Children’s Book Award, author David Almond has been announced as the winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Describing Almond as “a creator of magical realism for children", the jury of children's literature experts praised his "unique voice" and said "his use of language is sophisticated and reaches across the ages." In a statement, the ten international members said that Almond "captures his young readers' imagination and motivates them to read, think and be critical".
When told, the author responded with astonishment at his win. "Good god, that's absolutely brilliant…It's amazing. I didn't think I'd win but you never know

The prize for illustrators was awarded to Jutta Bauer from Germany. The jury highlighted her "philosophical approach, originality, creativity as well as her ability to communicate with young readers", and described her as "a powerful narrator who blends real life with legend through her pictures".

Some of David Almond's books:

When a move to a new house coincides with his baby sister's illness, Michael's world seems suddenly lonely and uncertain. Then, one Sunday afternoon, he stumbles into the old, ramshackle garage of his new home, and finds something magical. A strange creature - part owl, part angel, a being who needs Michael's help if he is to survive. With his new friend Mina, Michael nourishes Skellig back to health, while his baby sister languishes in the hospital. But Skellig is far more than he at first appears, and as he helps Michael breathe life into his tiny sister, Michael's world changes forever . . .


Erin, January and Mouse live in a children's home, Whitegates. They often dream of escape, and frequently journey into the outside world. Running away is something they know all about. But this time January builds a raft, and the three of them head precariously down river. Towards the Black Middens. This time they might never come back. When they stumble across a disused factory and its strange inhabitants - Grampa and Heaven Eyes - they wonder if they'll even have the choice. Heaven Eyes is the girl who should have drowned at sea. The mysterious girl desperately searching for her family, hoping that these three might be the family she has lost. She has a secret history only Grampa knows. And does he trust these three invaders enough to tell them? Erin feels a sisterly responsibility for Heaven Eyes, Mouse longs to belong anywhere and anyhow, but January thinks Grampa's a murderer. Whatever happens, all three have a part to play. .


A long hot summer; a wild boy; an abandoned baby; an act of violence
Every summer Liam and Max roam the wild countryside of Northumberland – but this year things are different. One hot summer’s day a jackdaw leads the two boys into an ancient farm house where they find a baby, wrapped in a blanket, with a scribbled note pinned to it: PLESE LOOK AFTER HER RITE. THIS IS A CHILDE OF GOD, and so begins Jackdaw Summer. A summer when friendships are tested, a summer when lines between good and bad are blurred, and a summer that Liam will never forget ...


Kit has just moved to Stoneygate with his family, to live with his ageing grandfather who is gradually succumbing to Alzheimer's Disease. Stoneygate is an insular place, scarred by its mining history - by the danger and death it has brought them. Where the coal mine used to be there is now a wilderness.
Here Kit meets Askew, a surly and threatening figure who masterminds the game called Death, a frightening ritual of hypnotism; and Kit makes friends with Allie, the clever school troublemaker. As Kit struggles to adjust to his new life and the gradual failing of his beloved grandfather, these two friendships pull him towards a terrifying resolution. Haunted by ghosts of the past, Kit must confront death and - ultimately - life.

Some of Jutta Bauer's work:

This little boy's grandpa tells him stories whenever he visits. He tells how nothing ever seemed to hurt him. Every morning as a boy, he would run past the big statue of an angel on his way to school, and bullies, buses, high trees, deep lakes - none could touch him. Even through war, hunger and unemployment, and all the strange things life threw at him, Grandpa's angel - though never specifically mentioned - is always at his shoulder, looking out for him.



There is always a story in moving house and this family has several to tell. From Uncle's hat to Aunty's violin, follow our family as they embark on an incredible adventure to find that elusive place called home.

I'm A Photographer Not A Terrorist

I'm having a good search through is PhotoRights - it seems a good place, and certainly the place to ask questions about your rights. Last year I posted the following on Facebook. Sadly, it is just as relevant now as it was a year ago. These days I carry a Bust Card just in case the police or a PCSO stops me. You can download it from the I'm A Photographer Not A Terrorist website.

I also came across this film about the law, photographer's rights, what the polce can do, and so forth. Its on the NUJ website, and features photographer Peter Macdiarmid and solicitor Anna Mazzola, who works for one of the leading criminal justice and human rights law firms. Video


There appears to be some confusion regarding the info I posted about the Counter Terrorism Act and Section 76 - section 76 really does exist - it adds to section 58 of the act. Also about the police and PCSOs stopping people, deleting photos, and such like. Unless the rules and laws have been changed and no-one noticed, we have the right to film and take photographs in public places (private property is a different matter) without interference. The police cannot make you delete photographs, confiscate your camera, etc, without a court order. They actually have to have a really good reason to stop you in the first place. As for PCSOs - they have even less authority - read them here.

So at the risk of being boring, I'll post links to the info I have. They're offical websites such as the government OPSI (Office of Public Sector Information) and the PNLD (Police National Legal Database).

The following is the section in the act open to mis-use and mis-understanding (as we have seen) Please note, it says NOTHING about buildings, transport, children, the general public, etc etc. Scroll down to Section 76. Click here.

The following links to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 PACE Code A amended January 2009. There is a PDF to open and it is interesting reading.

The following are links to police stop and search procedures:

One Two Three Four Five Six Seven

If anything has changed with regards to the above information, please let me know, give me links to the info and so forth.
In the meantime, enjoy your photography and filming!

Books To Treasure

Don't you just LOVE picture books. Weird stories, peculiar artwork - some of the oddest books that have crossed our threshold have been in this section (more on those in another post), but equally some of the most beautiful and wonderful too.

This is new.
There Are Cats In This Book by Viviane Schwarz.

Quirky, fun and makes me laugh and smile every time I look at it. I love the bright colourful artwork, and the fun way it makes you turn the page to see whats next. The interaction between reader and book is engaging and stimulating. The cats inside are friendly and want to play, they talk directly to you....there is wool, and flaps and .....well its generally just wonderful. If it can make this bookseller go back to read it time and again, it has to be good. You'll have to go get one. and to see what I mean.

Sadly, many picture books come and go, and are barely noticed. Others stand the test of time and are read by several generations.




If you live in the UK then you'll probably know, have read, or own picture book classics such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Where The Wild Things Are, and The Gruffalo, as well as character books like Kipper and Spot. Surely, there can be few people who remain unaware of Thomas the Tank Engine and his various friends.
And talking of small, easy to carry around books, (for those all important moments when your child is building up to a full scale screaming fit and you want to distract them), who hasn't read at least one of the Mr Men or Little Miss series.



One of my all-time-favourite picture books to recommend is The Kissed That Missed by David Melling.
The King blows the little Prince a kiss goodnight, but the kiss misses and flies out the bedroom window. Prince cries, Queen calls King, King calls Knight. The clumsy knight is sent to track it down and after some mishaps and misadventures, catches the kiss, makes an unlikely new friend and as with all good stories, everything ends happily. In The Kiss That Missed every time you look at the pictures you will find something new. If you know anything about David's illustrations in other books, then you see what he has cleverly included! Published in 2002, I still read it occasionally, am still finding new things in the illustrations, and as you may have guessed, recommend it often. I adore it. I've been privileged to see the sketches he made for this and his Jack Frost book. David's artwork is beautiful, engaging and worth a book on its own.
Come back for more Books To Treasure, but in the meantime, what is your favourite picture book? Tell me below.

Favourite Books 3: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

I read this book back in 1970s, and it had the most profund effect on me. Part memoir, part philosophy, the story of a motorcycle trip drives the book forward, while its personal, emotional stamp gives us a helpful insight into practical application of what Pirsig is theorising.

I find it impossible to talk about this book without talking about the life of its author, Robert Pirsig. He was a child protégé, scoring an IQ of 170 at the age of 9 and studying chemistry at university at 15. He lost faith with science, served with the Army in Korea and afterwards studied philosophy. He constantly pursued truth and meaning but by his thirties he was falling apart. Pirsig spent three days sitting cross-legged in his room where he either achieved enlightenment or went insane, depending on your point of view. In an extremely rare interview some years ago, he suggests,


It was a contest, I believe, between these ideas I had and what I see as the cultural immune system. When somebody goes outside the cultural norms, the culture has to protect itself.


He was treated at a mental institution but after leaving things got worse. Eventually a court had him committed and he underwent comprehensive shock therapy. Despite the severity of this, he was able to keep some hold on his former self, and knowing he would be locked away if he told anyone he was an enlightened Zen disciple, he wrote a book about a motorcycle trip he made with his son, using that to get across his ideas. Although published in 1974, the narrative takes place in 1968, and Pirsig uses "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" to illustrate classical and romantic ways of thinking and that they can co-exist in harmony; a combination that can potentially bring a higher quality of life.

At one point he writes,

What I am is a heretic who's recanted and thereby in everyone's eyes saved his soul. Everyone's eyes but one, who knows deep down inside that all he has saved is his skin.”

It is an awe-inspiring examination on how we live and how we can live better. 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' is intensely thought provoking and insightful; it will change the way you think about yourself and your life. As Pirsig tells us, the motorcycle we’re working on is ourselves, so do yourself a favour get a copy of this book and read it. Buy it, borrow it, beg it but get one and read it.

On another note, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is (or was) in the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling book rejected by the largest number of publishers – one hundred and twenty one (121).

Review: Already Dead by Charlie Huston


I came across this in the search for 'something different' in vampire books, and boy, is this different, so if you want a traditional or even semi-traditional vampire story then find another book.

Huston blows away many of the ideas we hold about vampires and sets them up in clans, societies and hoods, with all the rivalries and turf wars seen in human society, but Joe belongs to none. Set in New York (Manhattan) where vampyres live and work, their secret known only to the select few in ‘normal’ society, the clans support and protect their members, and ensure that so vital blood supply.

Joe Pitt is a tough talking Private Investigator who has no loyalties to any clan but has a current problem with one, The Coalition. He’s also trying to find a carrier of the zombie bacteria, and is obsessing about whether or not to cure his girlfriend Evie who is HIV positive and terrified of passing it on. Joe isn’t sure the consequences for her are worth it.

When Joe is summoned by the Head of The Coalition, his life just gets worse. To put things right between them, he has to find the missing daughter of a prominent New York family who know about their vampyre existence. With rivals hampering him, the clans upset with him, Joe is in a very precarious position. Getting a rough ride on all fronts, he sets about his work in what is one of the most unusual vampyre books I’ve read to date.

There is a gritty realism to the characters and setting, and the hard-hitting, wise-cracking style gives more than a passing nod to the detective novels of Chandler, et al. except our 'hero' is infected by the Vyrus - Joe Pitt is a vampire. I was quite a few pages in before I realised there were no chapters which was a little disconcerting at first, as were the dialogue markers, but I was so absorbed by the story that eventually I didn’t notice.

Huston has produced a hard-edged story that is cleverly plotted, fast paced and tenacious. It is an almost perfect genre mix of Horror and Crime that kept me glued to every page as the plot twisted and turned, with the inevitable body count, through a dark-world of vampire and human politics and power-brokerage to an edge-of-your-seat climax.


A great read - and yes, I will read more in the series.

Shortlist for the Hans Christian Andersen Awards 2010

The shortlist for the 2010 awards have been announced by IBBY (the International Board on Books for Young People),

The authors are:

David Almond (UK)
Bartolomeu Campos de Queiros (Brazil)
Louis Jensen (Denmark)
Ahmad Reza Ahmadi (Iran)
Lennart Hellsing (Sweden)

The illustrators are:

Carll Cneut (Belgium)
Roger Mello (Brazil)
Svjetlan Junakovic (Croatia)
Jutta Bauer (Germany)
Etienne Delessert (Switzerland)

The Hans Christian Andersen Award is considered one of the most prestigious in international children’s literature and is given every two years to a living author and illustrator whose complete works have made lasting contributions to children's literature.

The 2008 Jurg Schubiger won the Author Award and Roberto Innocenti won the Illustrators Award. Previous winners have included authors Eleanor Farjeon, Astrid Lingren, Scott O'Dell and Aidan Chambers, and illustrators Maurice Sendak, Robert Ingpen, Anthony Browne, and Quentin Blake.

The 2010 winners will be announced on Tuesday 23rd March at the Bologna Children's Book Fair.

Shock and Awe? Or Shocking and Awful?

I have always been astounded at people who go to a foreign land and never learn anything about the place they're visiting. What better way of getting to know our fellow men than by looking at their history and culture. Like most families I'm sure, our holidays were fun to plan with the children as we negotiated 'days of culture' and 'days of lazing'. My children (now adults) aren't cultural philistines, nor I anti-seaside, it was just a question of balance; a morning in the museum, an afternoon at the beach, and so forth. So when I came across this short film, I was deeply shocked. The cultural rape of a nation is a loss to us all whatever our nationality. As one commenator says, if you want to destroy a people, destroy their history, their culture.


So it begs the question, why were the museums and archives of Iraq not protected against looters? Surely someone in authority must have at least thought about it? Looking at some of the scenes and listening to what has been destroyed - its heartbreaking.

During the Second World War, the Allies had the foresight to create a special group, attached to the British and American armies, to ensure the protection of cultural heritage (as much as war would allow). They were also to track down and restore stolen artworks. This was the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives Section, nicknamed the 'Monuments Men' . The group of about 350 (mostly men and some women) were museum directors, curators, art historians, and educators from thirteen countries, and their work was utterly remarkable.

Before everyone jumps up and starts talking about places like Monte Cassino, I know there were many places destroyed. My point is that at least there was thought given to the protection and reclamation of Europe's cultural heritage. Why not in Iraq?

If you are interested in reading more on either of these topics there are two books.






by Peter G Stone & Joanne Farchakh Bajjaly
(click above for an interesting Times Online article)