Allan Stratton

Leslie's Journal is the type of YA that I truly enjoy. It deals with social issues of our day, it takes a hard look at the realities of being a teenager and it is not afraid to portray scenes that are graphic if necessary.

Leslie is a miserable teenager. It seems as though she hates absolutely everybody, but especially her parents - who are divorced. Her father has the nerve to have a new girlfriend and he spends ALL of his time with her - and ignores Leslie. Leslie hates her mother, her show more school and her teachers. She is in a perfect mindset to be chosen by some of the worse kids in school to become part of their gang. So, Leslie starts smoking pot, making trouble, mouthing off at everyone and overall being a rebellious teenager. Then, she meets Jason - he is cute and is interested in her. She ends up going to a party with him, drinks too much passes out and finds out the next day, to her horror, that he had sex with her while she was passed out (nice guy!!!).

Still, this does not deter her and she continues to date him - as the relationship becomes more and more dysfunctional - he abuses her, forces sex on her and basically terrorizes her - Leslie finally tries to get away - only to discover that he is now stalking her and threatening to show pictures of Leslie passed out on the floor having sex with Jason.

This story is one of horror! which, unfortunately, so many teen girls find themselves in. Of course, we get to read every horrific moment as Leslie writes it in her journal. As an adult, part of me would want any child of mine to stay in her room until she is 30! but that is just not real life. Reading these entries was extremely difficult, I found myself shouting at Leslie to "smarten up" yet at the same time, feeling sympathy for her. She is obviously a mixed up girl with distracted parents and really does not deserve this.

My real horror is that, unfortunately, there are many, many Jasons in this world. While Leslie's Journal is a novel, I fear that, out there, the "real" Leslie is living this exact same nightmare!!!

This book is chilling, frustrating, sad, touching and every other emotion you can think of. The writing is quick and although it is not written in diary form (i.e. a date then an entry) it does read like a diary.

I think this is a book that every teen girl pass the age of 15 should read!!! and every parent should definitely read!!!!

I really, really recommend this novel. show less

The Dogs by Alan Stratton is a psychological/horror thriller about a boy and his mother who are on the run from the violent husband who has apparently been stalking them for some time. Aimed at a YA audience, the author does an excellent job of exploring the mindset of a young boy who is under a permanent state of dread and self-doubt.

Their latest move has brought Katherine and Cameron to the small rural town of Wolf Hollow. They are renting an isolated farm house that Cameron discovers has show more a number of strange stories attached to it. Cameron is tired of living in constant fear, and he’s never quite sure whether his father is the evil person his mother claims, or if his mother is paranoid. When he starts to feel watched and then comes into contact with a ghostly being, again we are not sure if this is really happening or if it’s all in Cameron’s head. As more strange things happen, Cameron is feeling desperate so he reaches out to his father, inadvertently letting his father know where they are.

The Dogs is a gripping and insightful story that is well written and builds to a dramatic climax. The horror isn’t overdone, yet there are chilling moments of both the supernatural and of domestic abuse. show less

A witch's curse, a kingdom in turmoil, an unhappy princess...and a talking mouse? Great YA adventure with imagination to spare and enough quirks to keep adult readers smiling (in lieu of a broom, the witch flies about on a meat cleaver). Liked it so much I went out and bought more of his books!

This is a strange book for me to review. I listened to the audiobook and it was brilliantly read by Penelope Rawlins. I listened to it in two days, in between other things that required greater attention, and I enjoyed it very much. From that kind of a quick go-through, it read flawlessly, except for certain old tropes that irked me as a child and that I am surprised to find intact in a novel written so recently.

SPOILERS:

Throughout most of the book it feels as though the main character is show more the young countess, even though we do switch back and forth between her POV and that of the grave robber’s apprentice. Even though the book is *named* after him, it still feels like it’s her story. And, being written in a time when girls are meant to be more important players in their own novels, the countess is very intelligent and active and bossy. Her quick thinking and skills in acting get them out of many scrapes. Nevertheless, there are comments throughout the book that depict her or females in general or the relationship of males to females in a stereotypical way that no longer should have a place in our novels or in our lives, and in the end, the boy and his powerful father rescue the girl and her parents. Despite all her cleverness and courage, like heroines of old, she still needed him to rescue her. Admittedly, everyone in the good guy camp contributed to the successful rescue of her parents and the dethroning and murder of the bad Archduke and his evil ally, but it was the boy and his dad who pulled it all together. Even the relationship between the countess and the apprentice, which starts off seeming radical because of the difference between their classes, turns out to be between two nobles, after all. He just didn’t know that he was the son of the real Archduke. So, in the end we are restored to the proper balance of unquestioned hierarchy, but with a good guy at the head instead of a bad guy.

I don’t even like hearing myself say these words because it annoys me to be giving attention to themes that were not intended to be important in the book and I don’t like to pick at the books like this. But I feel the need to say something. In a world where we are learning to change so many assumptions, we have to look at even these little, supposedly unimportant things and ask ourselves, collectively, what is the impression they are giving, and is this the impression we want to give? show less