T.I.G.E.R.S.
M.A. Bennett
Hot Key Books, September 2021
Paperback, £7.99
ISBN 9781471408687
T.I.G.E.R.S. is the fourth book in the S.T.A.G.S. series and the first one of the series I have read. This wasn’t a disadvantage as the book takes the reader back in time to Shafeen’s and Henry’s dads’ stories and gives us more background information about the world of the S.T.A.G.S. It was really interesting to learn about India’s history, and from the perspective of an Indian. The descriptions of India really made me feel the heat and smells of the country, made me realise the divides in society, and how they are still alive today.
This book helps to bring everything together in the series. We get to find out more about Rollo and what actually happened on his Justitium weekend with Shafeen’s father. The use of diary entries gave a more personal twist to the book, making Shafeen’s father more alive. Knowing Aadhish’s mindset was helpful in giving an insight into the thoughts and feelings of Rollo as a young man and how this might have influenced Henry.
The book flows really well and is nice and easy to read. It is written in such a way that adults can enjoy it too. The book has many twists and turns and it was certainly fun trying to work out what was going to happen next.
Clodagh Fogarty
There’s admirable beauty in the world-building of this book. Alongside the humorous tones, there’s an underlying deathly darkness all the same. Raveners, people who serve to protect the antagonists, are described as “omens of death, servants of death, so loyal their bodies don’t even decay.” The tie-in with death was a very interesting element
In her introduction, Crossan states that “poetry belongs to us all”, and the book is particularly aimed at readers who would not otherwise think poetry was for them. Crossan has provided light commentary before most poems: suggested interpretations, author bios, even personal anecdotes. These make the reading experience feel less isolated, gently guided without anything getting over-explained. I did, however, find the occasional footnotes (actually, more so the stars indicating them within the poems) a bit distracting.
The book also contains several new illustrations by Tom Percival, reference guides to characters and other bonus content. The book seems to have a dark story of its own, and features the work of four Archivists, all of whom mysteriously disappear over the course of the book. The Skulduggery Pleasant Grimoire was published on the 27th of May 2021.
The story was captivating. It made me feel as if I was there with these characters, experiencing their ups and downs, especially when Hollis had lost her husband and parents. Hollis stayed strong during the tough times which was something I admired about her. I was curious to know what would happen next to her and the book left me on a cliffhanger.
Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s sequel to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe brings you on a rollercoaster of emotions. Alire Sáenz writes in such a poetic way, every single page I read feels like a poem. When we get to read Ari’s letters to Dante, I feel so involved with the story and what is going on in Aristotle’s head. Learning about how difficult the lives were of the LGBTQ+ community in the 1980s was heartbreakingly sad.
