Tomorrow When the War Began Set Pictures

Stuart Beattie's film Tomorrow, When the War Began is currently being filmed in the Hunter Valley for a 2010 release. Much beloved, this film adaptation of John Marsden's work will be under the spotlight of any kid that has ever read the tale of these Wirrawee teens. Here's some shots from the set thanks to the Sydney Telegraph.
Kevin and Corrie is a snugglefest. Kevin is played by Home and Away's Lincoln Lewis and Corrie's played by Peter Pan's Rachel Hurd-Wood. Rachel has the extra tough job of pulling off an Australian accent while being distinctly British. She definitely looks the part though.
Homer and Ellie checking the lay of the land. Homer played by Deniz Akdeniz and Ellie played by Caitlin Stasey. Caitlin is still the only cast member I don't see as the farm girl with gung-ho, I look forward to being surprised when I see the film in 2010.

Review - The Splendour Falls / Rosemary Clement-Moore

Summary - Sylvie Davis is a ballerina who can’t dance. A broken leg ended her career, but Sylvie’s pain runs deeper. What broke her heart was her father’s death, and what’s breaking her spirit is her mother’s remarriage—a union that’s only driven an even deeper wedge into their already tenuous relationship.

Uprooting her from her Manhattan apartment and shipping her to Alabama is her mother’s solution for Sylvie’s unhappiness. Her father’s cousin is restoring a family home in a town rich with her family’s history. And that’s where things start to get shady. As it turns out, her family has a lot more history than Sylvie ever knew. More unnerving, though, are the two guys that she can’t stop thinking about. Shawn Maddox, the resident golden boy, seems to be perfect in every way. But Rhys—a handsome, mysterious foreign guest of her cousin’s—has a hold on her that she doesn’t quite understand.

Then she starts seeing things. Sylvie’s lost nearly everything—is she starting to lose her mind as well?

Review - The Splendour Falls is another title that has dipped me into the murky and magical world of the South. Secrets, spells and family legacies are aspects that immediately capture my attention and this book was no different. However, at 512 pages, much of this intrigued was diluted and negatively impacted the pacing of the book. At times I was wondering how much more I could read about a dog barking or performing weird antics.

The strength of this novel is the mystery that swirls around Sylvie's family and how it plays into the current marina being proposed in the town. There's plenty to keep you interested between Sylvie's personal growth, the well being of her family's property to her interactions with two handsome guys. Characterisation is relatively strong though I do wish that the guys that are battling over her had been fleshed out more.

Rosemary Clement-Moore was an author who's work I was unfamiliar with prior to this book and I would definitely read more of her titles.

Published: September 8, 2009
Format: ARC, 518 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Source of Review Copy: publisher
Origin: USA

Review - Jekel Loves Hyde / Beth Fantaskey

Summary - Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents’ rules – especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father’s office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To better her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen’s sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill’s accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything – even Tristen’s love – just for the thrill of being… bad.

Review - Beth Fantaskey's debut, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, was a snarky and often amusing take on vampires. Fantaskey's sophomoric release, Jekel Loves Hyde, is a deeper exploration of a person's duality, familial and romantic love. Other than a mild supernatural theme and references to classic horror fiction, these titles are two different kinds of beasts. It's brave that the author has forgone the tone that saw her amass many fans and trying something different.

Jill is a loner, more interested in tolerating high school until she's finally out of there. She hasn't ever really experienced life due to her own hermit-ism and the sheltered existance of her parents. This all changes when her father is brutally murdered and Tristan offers some kind words when everyone else (including her depressed mother) switch off. While Jill ultimately undergoes the most change in this novel, it's Tristan who's the most interesting. Struggling with his own dual persona, a family legacy, he's struggling to grapple with an event in his past and a nightmare foretelling his future.

While the love story was an element of the story, it's the family element that is the strongest. How the sins of our forefathers can affect us generations later. How manipulative an obsessed individual can be against their own families. The nature of violence and how anger makes reason fly through the window. Jekel Loves Hyde is a completely different kettle of fish with it's dark introspection, heart pounding lust and mysterious overtones. It's a heavier read that really makes the reader take in the smaller details amidst the all encompassing emotions that swirl throughout.

I can't wait to see what Fantaskey comes out with next.

Published: May 3, 2010
Format: ARC, 288 pages
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Source of Review Copy: publisher
Origin: USA

http://www.bethfantaskey.com

Where is Adele?

Not to alarm any of you but I am currently in hospital. Why am I writing this instead of resting? Because I am incredibly bored and my eye sight is a little fuzzy from the drugs and reading isn't so much of an option.

I had some surgery that will make it possible for my oesphagus to function correctly again. Trust me to develop a condition that makes it nearly impossible to eat or drink and strikes mainly those people enjoying retirement. I am a complete medical mystery. (Plus side, I have lost a crapload of weight).

I have been cut, stitched and poked. I am sore but the drugs are lovely. This may explain why I haven't been around the blog or twitter traps the last few days. I am extremely happy because Christmas turkey is a possibility for my stomach on the 25th...it was a shallow goal, but one worth celebrating nevertheless!

Mwah to you all
Adele