Review & Kindle Giveaway ~ Ratgirl

Title: RATGIRL: Song of the Viper
Author: Gayle C. Krause
Publication date: January, 2014
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old streetwise orphan, Jax Stone is an expert at surviving in a dangerous city, where rats rival the homeless for food and shelter, but she’s an amateur at fighting the immoral mayor when he kidnaps her little brother. Desperation demands she quickly master the role of courageous opponent. She uses her hypnotic singing voice to lead rats to their death, and all the children to safety, in a dying city cursed by the deadly sun.

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~ Review ~

A dystopian re-telling of the pied piper, this book is definitely one that I will remember. I had only glanced at the blurb when looking at this book so had no idea what to expect, but the cover completely drew me in. The world depicted is destitute and deprived, with the poor barely surviving whilst the rich live a gluttonous life of luxury. There are rats everywhere, and slowly Jax realises that they stop and listen whenever she is singing. When the children are kidnapped and the mayor requests an exterminator to rid him of the rat problem, everyone comes together in an attepmt to escape to be better life.

I have no idea if the author is carrying on the story, or if this is a stand-alone novel but I would love to see more. All the characters have their place, and I became attached to them as the story unfolded. The sense of loyalty and family comes across strongly, and it really felt like they would do anything for each other in order to survive. I was completely captivated by this story, and stayed up way past my bedtime just to read another chapter or two. I would highly recommend this as one to read.

AUTHOR BIO 

Gayle C. Krause is a member of SCBWI, YALITCHAT and The Cliffhouse YA Wonderwriters.She writes across the genres. Her first publication credit was a short story in Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul 2 (2006). The Storyteller’s Daughter, her YA historical short story, was featured in Timeless, A YA Historical Romance anthology from Pugalicious Press (2012).Her new YA novel, RATGIRL: Song of the Viper was published in February 2013 (Noble Young Adult).

During the course of her writing career Ms. Krause has served as assistant editor for Underneath the Juniper Tree, a dark fantasy online magazine developed for young teens, a children’s book reviewer for Children’s Literature .com and she offers a critique service for children’s writers at First Peek Critique. (www.gayleckrause.com)

She also runs a blog that encourages new children’s writers through contests, book reviews and author interviews. http://thestorytellersscroll.blogspot.com.

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~ Giveaway (Open Intl) ~

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