Red Room Book Reviews

GENRE - GOTHIC FANTASY.  CHILDREN/YOUNG ADULTS FIRST  PUBLISHED - 2002 PUBLISHED BY - HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHERS  THEMES - HOME. FAMILY. SUPERNATURAL. CHILDHOOD. PARALLEL UNIVERSES. BUTTONS! READING TIME - APPROX 2 HOURS 30 MINUTES GIFTED PLOT -  Child protagonist, Corlaine has moved to a new home where she discovers a doorway to another world. At first, this other world seems wonderful; much better than her world back home, but Coraline soon finds herself fighting for herself, the souls of trapped children and her parents. She must outwit the 'other mother' to avoid buttons for eyes, and becoming stuck in a gruesome unreality.  MY REFLECTIONS - I have to mention the film first, because this book is very cinematic and because I watched the film when it was first released - I really enjoyed it. I always prefer to read a book before a film version, so that I can avoid what happened here - my own imagination fought for dominance over the movie imagery. There are dif...

GENRE - GOTHIC FANTASY FIRST PUBLISHED - JUNE 2022 PUBLISHED BY - TITAN BOOKS THEMES - FAMILY. BLINDNESS. ITALY. FRIENDSHIP. LOVE. COMING OF AGE. SUPERNATURAL. READING TIME - APPROX 9 HOURS 30 MINUTES PURCHASED FROM - WATERSTONES PLOT - The plot follows Luca Saracino, a teenager who is adjusting to becoming sightless, during his move to southern Italy with his family. His parents begin working on turning his deceased grandfather's old farmhouse into a hotel. Whilst they are occupied with their mission, Luca meets his new neighbour, Ada Guadalupi, and develops a close friendship with her. He discovers a troubled history between their families, and encounters 'the wanderer', whose hauntings, along with mysterious whispering winds, lead him deeper into dark and hidden truths.  MY REFLECTIONS -  Oliver K. Langmead calls this novel 'A sensory treat', which I completely agree with, since it left my senses exhilarated by the extraordinary experiences of the teen-aged and b...