Tom Fletcher – The Leaping

Jack is fed up of his job in a Manchester call centre so when he meets Jennifer and has the opportunity to move away with her to Fell House in a remote part of the Lake District he jumps at the chance. He misses his friend though and feels that perhaps there is something not quite right about the house. When his friends arrange a huge birthday / housewarming party it seems like a great idea. However, as the night progresses and some uninvited guests turn up it seems that there may be something lurking in the fells that Jack and his friends really don’t want to meet.

After reading The Thing on the Shore earlier in the year I was keen to read Tom Fletcher’s first novel, The Leaping. The two books are apparently supposed to be a series but there are only minor links between the two so reading out of sequence didn’t matter.

Tom Fletcher has a very unique and distinctive writing style that I personally really like. I liked the characters and felt that the characterisation was one of the strongest elements of the book. I love the fact that they are just normal people like you or I that are put into a scary situation.

The story itself was good, slowly building throughout. The narration switches between Jack and Frances and it’s interesting to get the two different viewpoints. I should have read this book when I was on holiday in the Lake District in November, that would have been quite creepy.

I’m very much looking forward to the next book Ravenglass Eye. I’m not sure when it’s released but when it it it will be jumping up my to read pile!

David Wellington – Cursed

Chey is trekking alone in the Arctic woods when she is attacked by a strange looking wolf. She manages to escape but not before being bitten by the creature which she discovers is a werewolf which has passed the curse on to her. Chey must now come to terms with being a werewolf whilst avoiding being killed.

This is an interesting take on the Werewolf story. Wellington’s werewolves are ferocious creatures, hungry for blood, who turn whenever the moon is up, regardless of whether or not it’s full.

Chey is a mysterious character. We have no idea to begin with why she is trekking alone in the Arctic but her back story is gradually revealed. Powell and Dzo are also mysterious, we do learn some more details about them (more so Powell) but I would have liked more. There is a follow up book though so perhaps that will provide more.

I enjoyed the flow of the story, I thought the pacing was good and the author created suspense and atmosphere well.

I will be looking out for more David Wellington, in particular the follow up book, Ravaged.