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!

Girl, Aloud by Emily Gale

I pulled the proof out of the box and thought wearily, ‘Not another one.’ With its hot pink and shiny silver cover, clearly this was going to be another teen girl, boy trouble, best mates fall out, average book I’ve seen a hundred times before, full of nothing more than angst, lip gloss and lurve.

Who was it that said you should never judge a book by its cover?

I couldn’t put this down.

Kass Kennedy has much to contend with in her odd, slightly dysfunctional family. She has a father who suffers with a disorder akin to bipolar or manic-depression. He believes his daughter is highly talented, and is always pushing her into things she doesn’t want to do. Her mother and brother don’t seem to want to deal with the difficulties caused by her father’s mental health problems, so when her Dad breaks the news that he has entered Kass for an X Factor audition without her knowledge, her life feels like its gone into freefall.

So begins a desperate crisis for Kass who can’t sing but can’t persuade her father of the fact; is frantically trying to balance her own needs with those of her family and best friends with whom she has fallen out; has a real life boy-dilemma to deal with; and in the middle of it all has dreams about Simon Cowell!

Emily Gale deals with some very difficult and complex topics with a sparkling mix of wit, humour, and intelligence. The characters have real depth, and while the story themes may not be new, their telling is original, and the story is moving and hilarious in just the right quantities. Girl, Aloud gives far more than perhaps it's bright pink, shiny cover promises, delivering on all fronts. Fabulous!

I hope Emily thinks about a follow up, telling us what happens to Kass, her family and friends next. I'm sure Kass's Dad has an armoury of ideas to frustrate, irritate and annoy her.