Isobelle Carmody - The Gathering

I really LOATHE this book.

Did the author REALLY need to BURN A DOG TO DEATH to enhance the story line? NO!

That was just sick. Having kids burn another child's dog to death. Disgusting.

Absolutely avoid this author. No-one who can do something so awful should be writing books for children.

I cannot believe she's in the top 50 Australian authors & this book is in the high school curriculum. What were they thinking???

I've had nightmares about this book. It was beyond appalling. I'm almost speechless at the horror it left in my mind. I know I'll never forget it & I really would like to.

Sick. Just sick. It was a recipient of the Children's Peace Literature Award too. That's just nuts. It's like giving America the Nobel Peace Prize for dropping bombs on Hiroshima. How much bullying & animal cruelty has this book inspired??!

The author should be ashamed of herself. No children's book should contain anything like this.

Agatha Christie - The Pale Horse

I recently watched the BBC Marple adaption of The Pale Horse and I was confused by the storyline, things were so convoluted! So I went to the library and borrowed the book. Firstly, no Marple in the story! Ariadne Oliver makes brief appearances, but the main character is Mark Easterbrook, a historian. I found his bungling manner quite endearing, although I did think he was never going to solve the mystery.

It wasn't my favourite Christie, I understand why the adaption was so convoluted, the book itself seems to go in so many different directions before it wraps up into the solution. A bit like real life really, although a tad hard to follow - also like real life. I don't think the adaption needed Marple - Easterbrook and Ginger, his co-opted sleuth, were quite capable of getting themselves into mischief without her guidance.

Still, it was a Christie and that automatically makes it better than most of the other mystery books out there. I was disappointed that Ariadne wasn't eating apples continuously  - but if this came after Hallowe'en Party I forgive her.

One last thing, a white cockerel is killed during a magic ritual in the story. I found it uncomfortable and skipped those pages, so just be warned if you don't like animal abuse - and who does, honestly?