Busy Busy Busy

Phew!  With the Carnegie shortlist reading well underway, saying goodbye to Year 12 and Year 11 as they go on study leave, preparing to wave farewell to Year 13 next week, it’s all been a bit of a whirlwind!  But I am determined to take a few minutes of quiet and calm to talk about Monsters of Men, part three of Patrick Ness’s Chaos Walking trilogy.

Any discussion about this book usually begins with ‘ZOMG it’s sooo good, what about that bit where…. ARG! I can’t tell you, you haven’t read it yet!’ and there’s really no way to remedy this situation but to encourage everyone to read it.  As soon as possible.  I was worried when I first snatched it from the hands of the postman first received my copy (several days early – oh yes) that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations, that at some point over the course of the novel it would suddenly drop the tension and explain too much, or get too silly, or loose its confidence in presenting such complex characters.  I’m pleased to say that it didn’t at all.  I’ve never read a conclusion to a series that stayed so true to itself, that did all of its characters such justice or rattled along with such gripping pace.  At the same time, the writing was so stunningly suited, flawlessly absorbed into the narrative in such a way that I really couldn’t appreciate at the time just how good it is; I was too wrapped up and involved with the action to really take stock of just how darned good these books are.  There’s a lot more I’d like to day, but I won’t be able to put it as eloquently as Nymeth over at Things Mean A Lot, so scoot over there and read her review!

Having said goodbye to the upper years, the library seems strangely quiet – tumble weeds are blowing their way across the carpet…  Hopefully the rest of the school will fill in the gaps. I miss them all already!  *sob*