Withcraft Couture - Katarina West - Book review

I love reading and enjoy the pure escapism from the world. I love books that capture my imagination, that inspire and are a delight to read so when I spotted *Witchcraft Couture by the author Katarina West, I was intrigued to read more. 

"Oscar Pellegrini is a talented fashion designer with a deadly enemy: his own critical mind. He destroys much of what he designs and has been drifting for years, gradually retreating from the fashion business he loves but holding on to his dreams of success.

A chance meeting with a former girlfriend triggers a creative crisis so deep that Oscar escapes to Russia, where he drinks and despairs like never before. Just when he thinks he has lost everything he discovers a magical machine that turns ordinary outfits into irresistible sartorial triumphs. Oscar takes the machine back to Italy - and before he knows it, he has become famous for his designs, and celebrities and socialites are fighting to be first to wear his gorgeous garments.

But the happily-ever-after ending for the fashion messiah turns into a nightmare when his dresses acquire a life of their own, gaining energy and evil as time goes on. Haunted by his creations, a dark secret he is no longer able to hide, Oscar finds himself fighting for his life and sanity, and searching for the answer to a question he never knew existed. 

Is there such thing as stolen genius, and if there is, can it turn against the very person that stole it?"

I chose to read this book as I like anything to do with magic and this book encompassed fashion as well. The only other book that I can think of which is of similar connections is the 'Emperor's New Clothes,' which I read as a child and intertwined with the thinking of 'is it all in your head?' 

The author Katarina is an intelligent, well cultured and friendly person whose writing in this book is highly descriptive. The characters, places and events are described in great detail with an impressive array of vocabulary. 

It did take me quite a while to finish this book as different events took precedence in my life. I would say that the book was medium paced whereas I prefer a fast paced book that I can whip through easily. What kept me hooked was the wondering of what the magical machine was going to do and how it was going to end. 

The book gets you thinking at the end which is a favourite technique of mine. Is the Sampo (magic machine) real or was it actually Oscar's talent after all which created the garments? Can the belief

that you're not good enough at something be directed elsewhere so that it seems as though someone or some thing else has created the magic? The fact that Oscar's friend Ben writes a letter at the end which gives a contrasting point of view throws the whole of Oscar's mind set in doubt. 

Was it magic or talent? That is the question.

Love Laura xoxo 

*Item sent by the lovely author to review :)

Tape by Steven Camden - Book review

I love at times to go into my own world with a great book. I've always loved reading or being read to as a child before bedtime. I love the escapism and for books to grip me. The best ones are the books that you can't put down and I can get through them so quickly. That's a good indicator for me as to whether I'm enjoying a book as I will race through it if it's an un-put-downable one!

So for one of my New Years resolutions this year I am aiming to read more frequently. I love buying new books and reading the blurbs to see if the book seems interesting. I like reading a variety of books but am drawn more to ones that are aimed at teenagers/ young adults and would much rather read this targeted age group than ones meant for adults.

So here I have my review on the first novel written by Steven Camden named '*Tape.' The book is set for release on the 30th January for £9.99 or you can pre-order from Amazon here for a little cheaper. I was kindly sent this book to read and review. Steven Camden writes plays and teaches storytelling. He set up his own company last year called Bearheart which is a creative projects company based upon stories. He is also an acclaimed spoken- word artist.

Tape- Steven Camden book with chocolate as a treat to eat whilst you read. Also need a onesie which is not shown!

The story tells the tale of two thirteen year olds named Ryan and Amelia whose lives are inextricably linked through a tape recording. The book tells their stories when they are both the same age whilst set at different decades. Amelia's parents have both died and so she is living with her Nan. Through the school summer holidays she starts to sort through her parents' belonging which brings thoughts of wonder, memories and emotions.

 Ryan's story is told through his situation of his dad's new girlfriend and son moving into his family home and the feelings of still grieving for his own mum who has died and having to come to terms with his 'stepmum' being completely different and his 'stepbrother' not treating him kindly. The tape comes into play when Ryan's dad suggests recording his voice into the tape to talk to his mum and to let out his feelings.
The book is extremely relevant to a lot of peoples' situations in today's society with the different dynamics of family life, not getting along, teenagers' emotions and the grief that people go through and how they cope with this in their own ways.

The book is an easy read and I like how the two different characters' stories are set with different fonts to distinguish them. The book has humorous moments to keep the intended audience interested and rings true of what most thirteen year olds would act like both recently and in the past too.
The different chapters help to build up the clues slowly to ensure that by the final chapter all of the jigsaw pieces fall into place and you are left with that feel-good-factor. The feeling of 'Oh wow so that's why the two characters stories run parallel and that the universe has things mapped out for us that are just meant to be.'
The author writes in a way that gives you the clues piece by piece and at first you wonder who the characters could be and what the significance is of the tape recorder. By the end of the story it's like a penny drops and the realisation of the plot hits you. This is a cleverly written book and very imaginative.

Here you can see the two different fonts to show the different characters' stories. I like how the pause symbol has been used to move to the next character.

Overall I would recommend this book as it is unique, imaginative, clever and grips you.

Laura xoxo

*PR item kindly sent :)