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Savannah Grey
A monster's out there... Only one girl can stop it. But will love get in the way?
It's a difficult time for fifteen-year-old Savannah Grey - she's settled into her latest foster placement, but her body is acting oddly.
Then other strange things begin to happen. Birds behave erratically; gusts of wind blow leaves so fiercely they seem to lure people away.
And Savannah discovers she has supernatural powers.
Only new boy Reece Gandolfo thinks Savannah's powers are a special gift. No wonder she's attracted to him. But there's another force that wants to lure Savannah from safety into danger...
It's a difficult time for fifteen-year-old Savannah Grey - she's settled into her latest foster placement, but her body is acting oddly.
Then other strange things begin to happen. Birds behave erratically; gusts of wind blow leaves so fiercely they seem to lure people away.
And Savannah discovers she has supernatural powers.
Only new boy Reece Gandolfo thinks Savannah's powers are a special gift. No wonder she's attracted to him. But there's another force that wants to lure Savannah from safety into danger...
234 pages, Paperback
First published February 4, 2010
14 people are currently reading
608 people want to read
About the author
Cliff McNish
41 books252 followersI was born in Sunderland, a city in the north-east of England.
I don’t recall too much about my first 8 years of life other than I loved being outdoors especially in the woods near our house. I came home every night covered in scratches.
My first real book memory is being given C.S. Lewis’s The Magician’s Nephew by my English teacher, Mrs Baldwin. I loved that, and all the other Narnia books.
So how did I become an author?
As a parent I was used to making up short and funny stories for my daughter, Rachel. When she was about ten, however, she wanted a story about a really, really nasty witch. This time I put pen to paper and what started off as a tiny scrap of an idea got bigger and bigger and BIGGER. It became The Doomspell.
After I finished it, I continued my love affair with fantasy by creating The Silver Sequence which I still think is probably my best and definitely my most original work. Following that, I tried to scare everyone half to death with a couple of ghost novels – Breathe and The Hunting Ground.
I could tell you more about myself, but the truth is that perhaps the biggest gift we can give anyone is our imagination and everything important I have to offer you about that is in the novels.
I don’t recall too much about my first 8 years of life other than I loved being outdoors especially in the woods near our house. I came home every night covered in scratches.
My first real book memory is being given C.S. Lewis’s The Magician’s Nephew by my English teacher, Mrs Baldwin. I loved that, and all the other Narnia books.
So how did I become an author?
As a parent I was used to making up short and funny stories for my daughter, Rachel. When she was about ten, however, she wanted a story about a really, really nasty witch. This time I put pen to paper and what started off as a tiny scrap of an idea got bigger and bigger and BIGGER. It became The Doomspell.
After I finished it, I continued my love affair with fantasy by creating The Silver Sequence which I still think is probably my best and definitely my most original work. Following that, I tried to scare everyone half to death with a couple of ghost novels – Breathe and The Hunting Ground.
I could tell you more about myself, but the truth is that perhaps the biggest gift we can give anyone is our imagination and everything important I have to offer you about that is in the novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
March 26, 2011
Overall ★★★★★
Story ★★★★★
Characters ★★★★★
Writing ★★★★★
Ending ★★★★★
It’s incredibly rare that a book manages to vault itself onto my “favorite books ever” list within the first two paragraphs. Only one book comes to mind, at least within recent memory: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman captivated me by the first line. Now I’ve found a second: Cliff McNish’s Savannah Grey, and it did so with incredible force.
What did it? Paragraph number 2: “Reaching number thirty-three, Savannah Grey’s house, the Horror dropped its star-shaped head on one side, knotted its murderous claws behind its back, and tried to work out the most entertaining way to reach Savannah’s bedroom. There were many ways available, but the Horror was young and like all young things, it liked to use its teeth.”
How, I ask, can a book be dull with an opening like that? I was immediately captivated. Not even the change in narrative styles to first person once Savannah awoke diminished the storytelling. I was delighted when I saw that the original voice returned every few chapters to detail more of the Horror and the ancient Ocrassa that controlled it. Neither voice suffered, instead offering a depth to the already compelling story.
While the human characters were well crafted, the monsters came to life with a vibrancy that made me want to see the child-like Horror prance about in a stolen leotard and chasse and leap about while terrorizing humans. The way McNish tells of the Ocrassa’s history is as though he is telling of the Earth itself, incredibly powerful and moving. While explicitly evil, the Ocrassa is rendered in such a way that its actions seemed logical given what it was. I’ve never seen a writer make monsters feel so natural in our world. It’s incredible and not something I can accurately express in a brief review.
In addition to all this, the book ends exactly where and as it should. While there are some flaws (which I’d daresay are minor in comparison to its incredible strengths), I’ve read so few books that seemed nearly perfect in so many ways. This is one you have to read for yourself. Although many of you may disagree with my thoughts, you can’t read this and not wonder at the incredibly rich and original universe McNish created here. It’s astounding.
Story ★★★★★
Characters ★★★★★
Writing ★★★★★
Ending ★★★★★
It’s incredibly rare that a book manages to vault itself onto my “favorite books ever” list within the first two paragraphs. Only one book comes to mind, at least within recent memory: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman captivated me by the first line. Now I’ve found a second: Cliff McNish’s Savannah Grey, and it did so with incredible force.
What did it? Paragraph number 2: “Reaching number thirty-three, Savannah Grey’s house, the Horror dropped its star-shaped head on one side, knotted its murderous claws behind its back, and tried to work out the most entertaining way to reach Savannah’s bedroom. There were many ways available, but the Horror was young and like all young things, it liked to use its teeth.”
How, I ask, can a book be dull with an opening like that? I was immediately captivated. Not even the change in narrative styles to first person once Savannah awoke diminished the storytelling. I was delighted when I saw that the original voice returned every few chapters to detail more of the Horror and the ancient Ocrassa that controlled it. Neither voice suffered, instead offering a depth to the already compelling story.
While the human characters were well crafted, the monsters came to life with a vibrancy that made me want to see the child-like Horror prance about in a stolen leotard and chasse and leap about while terrorizing humans. The way McNish tells of the Ocrassa’s history is as though he is telling of the Earth itself, incredibly powerful and moving. While explicitly evil, the Ocrassa is rendered in such a way that its actions seemed logical given what it was. I’ve never seen a writer make monsters feel so natural in our world. It’s incredible and not something I can accurately express in a brief review.
In addition to all this, the book ends exactly where and as it should. While there are some flaws (which I’d daresay are minor in comparison to its incredible strengths), I’ve read so few books that seemed nearly perfect in so many ways. This is one you have to read for yourself. Although many of you may disagree with my thoughts, you can’t read this and not wonder at the incredibly rich and original universe McNish created here. It’s astounding.
March 17, 2011
I have read quite a few fantasy novels. And many of them have been set in alternate universes, and have had strange concepts, and have gone down entirely innovative philosophical paths before. However, this is the first book which has done something so completely different, followed our technological, scientific, and genetic evolution without any convolution, but provided a completely new outlook on life and natural progression! I did not find it to be part of the horror genre at all. It was fantasy at its best: A rare, completely new outlook that shocks the system and brings out a combination of unease and suspense in a reader, so much so that the pages keep turning, the momentum keeps up on its own. I am still not entirely sure whether I like it... I loved the concept, the strong foundations, the entirely believable way both the protagonist, her sidekicks, and the antagonist, and its sidekicks were portrayed. But, did I like the story, as in did it make me feel all happy and pull me in until I walked one of the character's shoes? Nope, not at all! But yet... there was something about it...
Savannah Grey is a 15 year old who has so far lived a normal human life, except for having been paranoid, and moving around a lot. Her best friend, a very colourful, emotional, and realistic character named Nina, is a huge part of her life. Nina introduces Savannah to a boy named Reece who, in the way of many teen YA books, seems to be the perfect match for our heroine. Through it all, there is a gradual introduction to the antagonist side of the book. This side is headed up by a character named the Orcrassa who is a textbook perfect villain, a psychopath with no understanding of humanity, an intelligent machine whose sole aim is destruction, survival, and self-propagation. Survival instinct causes the Orcrassa to experience its first emotion: fear. Throughout the book, it never feels anything but fear, and sometimes animosity, and frustration. It is only right at the end, that it seems to evolve a little, but that's for readers to discover on their own.
The best thing about this book was that I loved the Orcrassa. It was a brilliant portrayal, a wonderful way to create a villain so entirely inhuman, so completely free of gender restrictions, no moral dilemmas, and entirely focussed on only its own survival and propagation. It does not deal in any manner of growth - it is already the perfect genetic blueprint of a virus. However, it deals in aggregation of knowledge, a patient aggregation of knowledge which drives the human race to learn more for its own sake. This was a flabbergasting take on scientific research and development, and I was totally pulled in. There was just one paragraph on this, but it stuck with me.
The protagonist, in a lot of ways, is a typical YA heroine, who faces trials and tribulations, has the help of an overwhelming entity (in this book, Nature itself helps out), goes through love and loss, and finally has to save the entirety of the world from destruction from the Orcrassa. Nina was a wonderful best friend, always there even though she herself does not understand, even when she herself is so emotionally and psychologically terrified, even though she gets hurt and traumatized herself. All this is not portrayed in a sappy, sugary manner. It is written in a very matter of fact way, that did not make me gag very much at all!
The heroine's love interest Reece is very well written out too. His strange outburts, his emotional attachment, his help given to Savannah without any reservations... all of it, I thought, were typical YA traits. Oh, how gloriously wrong I was! The author, Cliff McNish, is twisted, I have to give him that! The story of Reece awed me, and brought the book to such a stunning conclusion!
The story of the Orcrassa versus Nature and natural progression and survival, which in essence is what this book is about, sucked me in and threw me out with very volatile feelings. Characters named "The Horror", the "Nyktomorph", and even "Orcrassa" did not appeal to me, not at the beginning and not even at the end. But even these unappealing traits aside, I could not help but get completely involved in the book. It's not that the writing style was not awesome. It was. But, it was not so completely overwhelmingly brilliant when compared to my other favoured authors. It was not that the heroine or the love interest was something totally absorbing. To be honest, both were quite plebeian. No, it was the plot, the growth of the antagonist, the portrayal of the stuggle between the Orcrassa and Nature over the centuries, and the final fight, the entirely new conceptualization stuck right within our non-magical, entirely solid universe: this blew me away!
I'm still not sure if I liked it, as I said before. I did not identify with any of the characters. I did not feel compassionate toward anyone but the Nyktomorph (which is a very strange experience for me). I found the heroine only adequate, the love interest not very interesting, and the best friend worthy but nothing new. But, I loved the story! Totally loved it. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a little bit of a jerk from the mostly monotonous flow of today's YA fantasies. And I would say this to you: do no give up on the book midway. Read it through to the end. It's a fast read and trust me, it's worth it! Just keep an open mind and keep the pages turning!
Savannah Grey is a 15 year old who has so far lived a normal human life, except for having been paranoid, and moving around a lot. Her best friend, a very colourful, emotional, and realistic character named Nina, is a huge part of her life. Nina introduces Savannah to a boy named Reece who, in the way of many teen YA books, seems to be the perfect match for our heroine. Through it all, there is a gradual introduction to the antagonist side of the book. This side is headed up by a character named the Orcrassa who is a textbook perfect villain, a psychopath with no understanding of humanity, an intelligent machine whose sole aim is destruction, survival, and self-propagation. Survival instinct causes the Orcrassa to experience its first emotion: fear. Throughout the book, it never feels anything but fear, and sometimes animosity, and frustration. It is only right at the end, that it seems to evolve a little, but that's for readers to discover on their own.
The best thing about this book was that I loved the Orcrassa. It was a brilliant portrayal, a wonderful way to create a villain so entirely inhuman, so completely free of gender restrictions, no moral dilemmas, and entirely focussed on only its own survival and propagation. It does not deal in any manner of growth - it is already the perfect genetic blueprint of a virus. However, it deals in aggregation of knowledge, a patient aggregation of knowledge which drives the human race to learn more for its own sake. This was a flabbergasting take on scientific research and development, and I was totally pulled in. There was just one paragraph on this, but it stuck with me.
The protagonist, in a lot of ways, is a typical YA heroine, who faces trials and tribulations, has the help of an overwhelming entity (in this book, Nature itself helps out), goes through love and loss, and finally has to save the entirety of the world from destruction from the Orcrassa. Nina was a wonderful best friend, always there even though she herself does not understand, even when she herself is so emotionally and psychologically terrified, even though she gets hurt and traumatized herself. All this is not portrayed in a sappy, sugary manner. It is written in a very matter of fact way, that did not make me gag very much at all!
The heroine's love interest Reece is very well written out too. His strange outburts, his emotional attachment, his help given to Savannah without any reservations... all of it, I thought, were typical YA traits. Oh, how gloriously wrong I was! The author, Cliff McNish, is twisted, I have to give him that! The story of Reece awed me, and brought the book to such a stunning conclusion!
The story of the Orcrassa versus Nature and natural progression and survival, which in essence is what this book is about, sucked me in and threw me out with very volatile feelings. Characters named "The Horror", the "Nyktomorph", and even "Orcrassa" did not appeal to me, not at the beginning and not even at the end. But even these unappealing traits aside, I could not help but get completely involved in the book. It's not that the writing style was not awesome. It was. But, it was not so completely overwhelmingly brilliant when compared to my other favoured authors. It was not that the heroine or the love interest was something totally absorbing. To be honest, both were quite plebeian. No, it was the plot, the growth of the antagonist, the portrayal of the stuggle between the Orcrassa and Nature over the centuries, and the final fight, the entirely new conceptualization stuck right within our non-magical, entirely solid universe: this blew me away!
I'm still not sure if I liked it, as I said before. I did not identify with any of the characters. I did not feel compassionate toward anyone but the Nyktomorph (which is a very strange experience for me). I found the heroine only adequate, the love interest not very interesting, and the best friend worthy but nothing new. But, I loved the story! Totally loved it. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a little bit of a jerk from the mostly monotonous flow of today's YA fantasies. And I would say this to you: do no give up on the book midway. Read it through to the end. It's a fast read and trust me, it's worth it! Just keep an open mind and keep the pages turning!
May 7, 2011
There are few well-written horror novels available for young adults, so it's great to have a new entry that's both intelligent and imaginative. With the visceral descriptiveness of Stephen King and a black humor all his own, Cliff McNish has created a darkly nightmarish novel with a heroine who possesses a fascinating paranormal ability. Savannah Grey doesn't understand the dreadful thing in her throat, but she knows that she must protect it at all costs.
The narration, most of which is from Savannah's point of view, is decisively British and strikes the appropriate tone for a teenage girl. It's also filled with horrifyingly enjoyable, twisted humor that pops up at the most unexpected times, often right in the middle of a massive fight scene with monstrous enemies. I liked Savannah and many of the smart choices she makes, as well as how the plot zips right along from one exciting sequence to another.
What knocks this book down a whole star for me, however, is the author's choice to leave Savannah's POV throughout so much of the book in order to bring us the back story of the monsters that are pursuing her. This book is sorely in need of a Wise and Experienced One who explains why things are happening and what they mean, something in the vein of a Yoda, Oracle, Magnus Bane, or Haymitch. The explanations are instead big info-dumps written in the third person, treating the creatures as remarkably sentient and reasoning beings. Since these sections are written in a way that's almost like a fairy tale, they completely interrupt the flow of the book and the urgency of action. Readers will also need to suspend their disbelief over aspects which don't quite make sense, such as why surgeons succumb to Savannah's demand for an operation so easily, and why she's lived in the same place all her life if she's really been with foster parents since she was a baby.
Still, this is overall a very enjoyable read and an author gifted with a gruesome touch. Cliff McNish is definitely one to watch.
This review is also posted in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
The narration, most of which is from Savannah's point of view, is decisively British and strikes the appropriate tone for a teenage girl. It's also filled with horrifyingly enjoyable, twisted humor that pops up at the most unexpected times, often right in the middle of a massive fight scene with monstrous enemies. I liked Savannah and many of the smart choices she makes, as well as how the plot zips right along from one exciting sequence to another.
What knocks this book down a whole star for me, however, is the author's choice to leave Savannah's POV throughout so much of the book in order to bring us the back story of the monsters that are pursuing her. This book is sorely in need of a Wise and Experienced One who explains why things are happening and what they mean, something in the vein of a Yoda, Oracle, Magnus Bane, or Haymitch. The explanations are instead big info-dumps written in the third person, treating the creatures as remarkably sentient and reasoning beings. Since these sections are written in a way that's almost like a fairy tale, they completely interrupt the flow of the book and the urgency of action. Readers will also need to suspend their disbelief over aspects which don't quite make sense, such as why surgeons succumb to Savannah's demand for an operation so easily, and why she's lived in the same place all her life if she's really been with foster parents since she was a baby.
Still, this is overall a very enjoyable read and an author gifted with a gruesome touch. Cliff McNish is definitely one to watch.
This review is also posted in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.
February 16, 2010
Savannah Grey isn't at all what I was expecting, but I loved it anyway. It's a perfect blend of mystery, horror and suspense, and even has a bit of romance thrown in too. It's wonderfully written, with a well-executed story that twists and turns like a winding road.
It's clear that McNish has a particular interest in the horror genre, and I like how he mixes things up and adds new elements, in turn making Savannah Grey a horror/sci-fi/romance that even the most reluctant reader will be hard pressed to ignore. Evolution plays a part in the proceedings, with a huge period of time revisited and woven into the story. It's fascinating stuff, with something new to discover on every page.
I'd really like to say that Savannah was my favourite character, but she wasn't. That particular accolade goes to the monsters of the book: Ocrassa, Nyktomorph and Horror. These monsters aren't your average creatures of the night; they're deformed, creepy, and downright weird. They have a fantastic story to tell, which makes their chapters enthralling, intriguing and the most enjoyable of the whole novel. Savannah and new friend Reece are brilliant too, and are harbouring a secret like no other I've encountered. To say this book is unusual is an understatement, but that's part of its charm and appeal.
At times lyrical and haunting, Savannah Grey is by far my favourite offering from Cliff McNish. The horror lover in me is happy, and I'm glad I've found a book that is both gruesome and romantic. It's a rare mash-up, but it works incredibly well. I hope more authors have the confidence to try something a little bit different, as it's like opening the door to a breath of fresh air.
It's clear that McNish has a particular interest in the horror genre, and I like how he mixes things up and adds new elements, in turn making Savannah Grey a horror/sci-fi/romance that even the most reluctant reader will be hard pressed to ignore. Evolution plays a part in the proceedings, with a huge period of time revisited and woven into the story. It's fascinating stuff, with something new to discover on every page.
I'd really like to say that Savannah was my favourite character, but she wasn't. That particular accolade goes to the monsters of the book: Ocrassa, Nyktomorph and Horror. These monsters aren't your average creatures of the night; they're deformed, creepy, and downright weird. They have a fantastic story to tell, which makes their chapters enthralling, intriguing and the most enjoyable of the whole novel. Savannah and new friend Reece are brilliant too, and are harbouring a secret like no other I've encountered. To say this book is unusual is an understatement, but that's part of its charm and appeal.
At times lyrical and haunting, Savannah Grey is by far my favourite offering from Cliff McNish. The horror lover in me is happy, and I'm glad I've found a book that is both gruesome and romantic. It's a rare mash-up, but it works incredibly well. I hope more authors have the confidence to try something a little bit different, as it's like opening the door to a breath of fresh air.
January 4, 2011
Everything that the male sex has been afraid of since the dawn of human civilization IS Savannah Grey. But instead of the vagina dentata, we have a throat weapon that can still kill just as easily. The scary legend passed down from generation to generation has been turned on its head.
And I LOVE IT. I literally could not put this book down after picking it up for the first time.
This author makes wonderful use of this image in the shared unconscious to create a pair of wonderful protagonists, as well as monsters that have always haunted the human psyche. These monsters are what Plato would have called the "shadows on the walls", and Savannah is the terrifying reverse - she's the sunlight that awaits quietly outside for those who dare come to her.
Considering the age group (and YA is a pretty big range in terms of age now - it seems to target not just teenagers but everyone under or maybe a bit over age 30), I don't expect everyone will find these psychological semiotic symbols too easily, if at all, within the text. But no matter. With its diverse use of horror and science fact blending with fiction, this book will most definitely appeal to the entire enormous age range that is the young adult genre. Without too much spoiling, the monsters in the book definitely pay tribute to Lovecraft in their appearance and movement, and with all of the above mentioned symbolism and science fact along with what's come to be the usual romance and horror, it stands out within the genre dazzlingly. It's immediately accessible to all, and that's what definitely drew me in from page one.
There's also, within the sub-arc of the Ocrassa's backstory, a bit of Le Petit Prince to things (how it came to Earth, how the other monsters were born, how they all interacted with each other). Turned on its head and looking more at the soul of evil rather than the soul of good, there's definitely hints of Saint-Exupery's master work within the bouts of question and answer between the Ocrassa and the Nyktomorph. As Le Petit Prince is one of my favorite books, this was like sinking down into a warm, comfortable bed with grooves your body's worn into, familiar and safe. There's the question of monsters and morals, and morals and monsters, and if one can actually possess the other, and it's refreshing to see this within a YA horr0r-scifi tale.
The only fault I found was with how long Savannah took to realize what was really going on. For nature's ultimate weapon, full of love or not, she's a bit slow on the uptake. Had that not happened, I would have given this five stars. Regardless, this is a really fabulous book, my nitpicking aside.
If you love horror, or science fiction, or science fact made into fiction; if you love young adult romance or paranormal romance, this book is most definitely for you. I really hope this book gets the recognition it deserves as it's the first new publication of 2011 that's earned my respect.
Four out of five stars.
Crossposted to librarything & witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com.
And I LOVE IT. I literally could not put this book down after picking it up for the first time.
This author makes wonderful use of this image in the shared unconscious to create a pair of wonderful protagonists, as well as monsters that have always haunted the human psyche. These monsters are what Plato would have called the "shadows on the walls", and Savannah is the terrifying reverse - she's the sunlight that awaits quietly outside for those who dare come to her.
Considering the age group (and YA is a pretty big range in terms of age now - it seems to target not just teenagers but everyone under or maybe a bit over age 30), I don't expect everyone will find these psychological semiotic symbols too easily, if at all, within the text. But no matter. With its diverse use of horror and science fact blending with fiction, this book will most definitely appeal to the entire enormous age range that is the young adult genre. Without too much spoiling, the monsters in the book definitely pay tribute to Lovecraft in their appearance and movement, and with all of the above mentioned symbolism and science fact along with what's come to be the usual romance and horror, it stands out within the genre dazzlingly. It's immediately accessible to all, and that's what definitely drew me in from page one.
There's also, within the sub-arc of the Ocrassa's backstory, a bit of Le Petit Prince to things (how it came to Earth, how the other monsters were born, how they all interacted with each other). Turned on its head and looking more at the soul of evil rather than the soul of good, there's definitely hints of Saint-Exupery's master work within the bouts of question and answer between the Ocrassa and the Nyktomorph. As Le Petit Prince is one of my favorite books, this was like sinking down into a warm, comfortable bed with grooves your body's worn into, familiar and safe. There's the question of monsters and morals, and morals and monsters, and if one can actually possess the other, and it's refreshing to see this within a YA horr0r-scifi tale.
The only fault I found was with how long Savannah took to realize what was really going on. For nature's ultimate weapon, full of love or not, she's a bit slow on the uptake. Had that not happened, I would have given this five stars. Regardless, this is a really fabulous book, my nitpicking aside.
If you love horror, or science fiction, or science fact made into fiction; if you love young adult romance or paranormal romance, this book is most definitely for you. I really hope this book gets the recognition it deserves as it's the first new publication of 2011 that's earned my respect.
Four out of five stars.
Crossposted to librarything & witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com.
April 21, 2010
Savannah Grey is a very good book & I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. It was very fast paced from word go ! On the cover it describes this book as a tale of love & horror! yes its full of love but to me I wouldn't class it as scary horror but maybe thats because im older and its meant for younger readers. It was however full of mystery & suspense which kept me turning the pages.
The books chapters are divided between Savannah's story & the Ocrassa monster's evolution.
I know it probably sounds abit confusing but when reading the book it all comes together nicely and at the end it becomes clear why the Ocrassa chapters were needed.
Savannah Grey is a very likable character. Her parents died when she was young and she has been in foster care ever since, always moving around a lot. But through everything she has always kept in contact with her best friend Nina. Savannah has been suffering with her throat for months thinking it was just sore from a virus but when her foster mum questions her about the noises coming from her throat in the night she begins to wonder if its something more serious!
Nina gets them an invite to a party and has set Savannah up with a boy she met in the street! When Reece turns up every girl in the room is hovering around him but he shows only interest in Savannah. They finally get talking and Savannah begins to feel comfortable around Reece as he shares his secret about the scar on his neck and the click,click sound his throat sometimes makes.
The next day Savannah sees a throat specialist and it becomes clear theres more going on in her throat than she first thought!
I would like to write alot more about this book but I don't want to spoil it as theres a few twists & turns! Definitely worth a read! :)
The books chapters are divided between Savannah's story & the Ocrassa monster's evolution.
I know it probably sounds abit confusing but when reading the book it all comes together nicely and at the end it becomes clear why the Ocrassa chapters were needed.
Savannah Grey is a very likable character. Her parents died when she was young and she has been in foster care ever since, always moving around a lot. But through everything she has always kept in contact with her best friend Nina. Savannah has been suffering with her throat for months thinking it was just sore from a virus but when her foster mum questions her about the noises coming from her throat in the night she begins to wonder if its something more serious!
Nina gets them an invite to a party and has set Savannah up with a boy she met in the street! When Reece turns up every girl in the room is hovering around him but he shows only interest in Savannah. They finally get talking and Savannah begins to feel comfortable around Reece as he shares his secret about the scar on his neck and the click,click sound his throat sometimes makes.
The next day Savannah sees a throat specialist and it becomes clear theres more going on in her throat than she first thought!
I would like to write alot more about this book but I don't want to spoil it as theres a few twists & turns! Definitely worth a read! :)
December 6, 2017
A very thoughtful and deep book that I originally was put off by the fact it was a romance, however that ended up not being the case. The relationship between the two main characters wasn't cheesy and no cringey clichés, it was a pure and heartwarming relationship that even a horror fanatic like me can enjoy. There wasn't as much horror as I was expecting, but I really liked the tension created throughout the book. Near the end I was quite surprised by the plot twist, although I did always think that character was a tad fishy. Overall, a reasonably short book packed with emotional and relatable content, with lots of supernatural goodies if you like that sort of thing. As well as a symbolic and somewhat sad ending that really made me appreciate "love" :o WORTH READING...
October 14, 2020
This is without question a new favourite book. I read it in an afternoon and the second I finished it, I was torn between immediately starting again or chucking it in the direction of everyone I know so they can read it. It's that good.
I went in not knowing much about it, only that it was meant to be creepy and it definitely was. It was completely and utterly unique, creepy, lyrical, beautiful, gothic and wonderful. I absolutely adored it and I want everyone to read it.
I went in not knowing much about it, only that it was meant to be creepy and it definitely was. It was completely and utterly unique, creepy, lyrical, beautiful, gothic and wonderful. I absolutely adored it and I want everyone to read it.
April 9, 2011
Savannah Grey is one of the most unique stories I have ever read. The main character, Savannah, has paranormal abilities unlike anything I have come across in other YA novels and I found it refreshing.
This is a very quick read and Savannah is only briefly introduced before the action starts. She is a foster child who never feels comfortable being in one place too long so she changes families frequently but she is well behaved, smart and gets good grades. She knows there is something different about her but not what it is. Savannah is a strong, likable character who is faithful to her foster family and friends. When she is fully realizes what nature has been preparing her for, she handles the situation with a lot of courage, but not with the most well thought out plans.
Reece is Savannah’s love interest and the first boy that Savannah has ever been interested in. Her feelings for him develop quickly, but everything happens very fast in this story. In addition to her emotions, her abilities develop rapidly and instinctively, she always knows exactly what is going on with her body and the situations around her. I would have liked for a bit more story development there and for the action to be shown more than told. On the bright side, there is a great plot twist in the story that I did not see coming.
I also thought he villains, the Orcrassa and its minions, were very interesting and the portions of the book told from their perspective to be quite fascinating.
The book ends rather abruptly and while there is a resolution, I would have liked another chapter or an epilogue to really be satisfied.
Content: Some violence
This is a very quick read and Savannah is only briefly introduced before the action starts. She is a foster child who never feels comfortable being in one place too long so she changes families frequently but she is well behaved, smart and gets good grades. She knows there is something different about her but not what it is. Savannah is a strong, likable character who is faithful to her foster family and friends. When she is fully realizes what nature has been preparing her for, she handles the situation with a lot of courage, but not with the most well thought out plans.
Reece is Savannah’s love interest and the first boy that Savannah has ever been interested in. Her feelings for him develop quickly, but everything happens very fast in this story. In addition to her emotions, her abilities develop rapidly and instinctively, she always knows exactly what is going on with her body and the situations around her. I would have liked for a bit more story development there and for the action to be shown more than told. On the bright side, there is a great plot twist in the story that I did not see coming.
I also thought he villains, the Orcrassa and its minions, were very interesting and the portions of the book told from their perspective to be quite fascinating.
The book ends rather abruptly and while there is a resolution, I would have liked another chapter or an epilogue to really be satisfied.
Content: Some violence
April 14, 2011
This was my first experience with author Cliff McNish, and I am a new fan. I LOVED this book. He is a great storyteller. In fact, I would call him a master of descriptive imagery and quirky characterization. It has one of the best creepy opening chapters I've read in a long time, and what's even cooler is that it was totally creepy, yet humorous at the same time. I even made my 14-year-old come and listen while I read parts of it to him--and it was only the first chapter!
I have read several reviews that do NOT rave about this book. Okay, fine, to each his own. I can tell you honestly though, that I disagree. While it has been criticized for moving too quickly and ending too abruptly, I think it was fluid and suspenseful and satisfying. I was hooked by page two and read straight through to the end. I could not put it down. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.
Read Savannah Grey. I'd love to hear what you think. As for me, I'll be ordering more Cliff McNish books. If they are as awesome as this one, you'll be hearing about them, too!!
I have read several reviews that do NOT rave about this book. Okay, fine, to each his own. I can tell you honestly though, that I disagree. While it has been criticized for moving too quickly and ending too abruptly, I think it was fluid and suspenseful and satisfying. I was hooked by page two and read straight through to the end. I could not put it down. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.
Read Savannah Grey. I'd love to hear what you think. As for me, I'll be ordering more Cliff McNish books. If they are as awesome as this one, you'll be hearing about them, too!!
January 11, 2011
I have absolutely ranked Cliff McNish as one of my favorite authors after reading this book. I immediatly went online and ordered all of his books, I was floored by his writing style. Every time I turned a page I had no idea what kind of turn this story would take. I was creeped out, intrigued and for some reason found myself holding my own throat during several pages at a time. It's amazing to come across a story that is so enthralling that you just want to read them for the next several weeks of your life, and he was that kind of author for me. My heart was beating fast, my throat was itchy and my eyes could not be taken off the page no matter how hard I tried. LOVED IT!
February 28, 2010
Wow! This is some book.
McNish writing is strong, potent and flawless.
The characters are fierce and horrific and this was probably one of the most original concepts in the elements of paranormal.
My throat felt like closing the entire time I was reading!
Savannah Grey is creepy, dark and an absolutely gripping read!
(Arc provided through Netgalley)
McNish writing is strong, potent and flawless.
The characters are fierce and horrific and this was probably one of the most original concepts in the elements of paranormal.
My throat felt like closing the entire time I was reading!
Savannah Grey is creepy, dark and an absolutely gripping read!
(Arc provided through Netgalley)
November 14, 2010
Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:
When I started reading Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish I didn't exactly know what to expect. Truly it was the synopsis that grabbed me as it sounded original and interesting, something filled with paranormal aspects and romance. Two of my favorite things. And yet, it was also so much more then just your average paranormal YA adventure instead leaning more towards horror and suspense.
The premise itself is unique, a girl who has some sort of living weapon in her throat. At first she is afraid of it, and who wouldn't be? It takes control of her mouth trying to protect itself and anyone who comes near is in danger. This terrifies Savannah more then anything, making her feel more alone then ever. At least until she finds Reece. Apparently he suffers from the same problems, only due to a past tragedy his weapon is rendered mostly useless. This doesn't alter the feeling of acceptance and togetherness that Savannah feels as she comes to find that there really are monsters in the world. Monsters that are hunting her and that she will have to defeat to save those she loves.
Really, the monsters of the story sort of stole the spotlight for me. At first we are introduced to the Horror. A childlike creature with a unfettered vicious glee. Everything is simply a gruesome game to it as it stalks Savannah, discovering the power she has concealed within her for it's master, the Ocrassa. But, for me the Nyktomorph-a creature created by the Ocrassa to serve as it's guardian and protector-was the most intriguing. While the most dangerous of the two, the Nyktomorph has a highly developed intelligence able of telling the difference between right-and-wrong and good-and-evil. It desperately wants to be free of the Ocrassa's vile ways and wants to help Savannah defeat it. However, it's conditioning to serve prevents it from outright betraying the Ocrassa. It's an interesting predicament and I loved the history given to illustrate the building hate it harbors for it's master. The Ocrassa itself is also quite interesting. An original monster that has lived on Earth for eons, ever evolving and killing. Seeing the world through its eyes shows why it is that nature would revolt against this creature, but the most interesting part of all is how it comes to battle Savannah. We are always given the impression that it is just a creature, not human, yet as the story progresses we come to find that it can inhabit a human making the danger to Savannah all the more dangerous as we discover that it's someone extremely close to her. The suspense here is masterfully used as it slowly becomes evident to the reader the true scope of the situation.
McNish has a real knack for developing the characters within the novel, especially considering how well he created the monsters and their histories, humanizing them for the reader. Likewise Savannah and Reece have a very fluid quality about them and the spark of romance between the two is nicely evoked. There's such a shy connection between them that I loved to watch develop from a sort of partnership and camaraderie into something more as the two try to protect one another from the dangers that surround them. It's so simple and sweet, giving a nice contrast to the suspense and horror of the novel and their situations. However, their romance is also quite sad in a way. With both of them housing these mysterious weapons they are unable to even kiss and share a true physical connection though they do find that they can hold hands etc., but it just makes this is bittersweet connection.
The only thing that I found truly odd was the lack of a parental figure to Savannah. While she is foster child, we only peripherally see her guardian. Given the obvious odd behavior and the dire discovery of her throat condition I would have expected a care giver to be more involved in her life. The only one with a true parent was Reece, but his relationship with his father was more reversed with him being the guardian of a ill parent. Even Nina's parent's are missing in action. I certainly would have expected Savannah to at least have fielded a call from the girl's mother after she disappears. This is something that I am not keen on in the YA genre and in this novel particularly I would have thought there would be more as it deals with surgery and a suppose health issue.
The overall style of the novel is quite lyrical with a steady rhythm to the writing that lulls the reader in. The voices of the characters are unique and likable and he has a masterful talent of building suspense. With lots of action and mystery the twists the author throws at the reader are well done. At the moment of these reveals, I could actually see the bigger picture coming together as little things snapped into place. Another aspect that I truly enjoyed was the great detail to which the author went to in his evolutionary tales of the Ocrassa's life. Every time he switched to the history of this monster and all the monsters for that matter, I was enthralled wanting to know more.
Savannah Grey is a wonderful breath of fresh air in a genre that is filled with repeating story lines. I was engrossed and thrilled throughout the novel and stayed up late into the night to finish it. With a wonderful writing style that at times bordered on creepy with it's lyrical depiction of horror and monsters, this tale is one to check out.
When I started reading Savannah Grey by Cliff McNish I didn't exactly know what to expect. Truly it was the synopsis that grabbed me as it sounded original and interesting, something filled with paranormal aspects and romance. Two of my favorite things. And yet, it was also so much more then just your average paranormal YA adventure instead leaning more towards horror and suspense.
The premise itself is unique, a girl who has some sort of living weapon in her throat. At first she is afraid of it, and who wouldn't be? It takes control of her mouth trying to protect itself and anyone who comes near is in danger. This terrifies Savannah more then anything, making her feel more alone then ever. At least until she finds Reece. Apparently he suffers from the same problems, only due to a past tragedy his weapon is rendered mostly useless. This doesn't alter the feeling of acceptance and togetherness that Savannah feels as she comes to find that there really are monsters in the world. Monsters that are hunting her and that she will have to defeat to save those she loves.
Really, the monsters of the story sort of stole the spotlight for me. At first we are introduced to the Horror. A childlike creature with a unfettered vicious glee. Everything is simply a gruesome game to it as it stalks Savannah, discovering the power she has concealed within her for it's master, the Ocrassa. But, for me the Nyktomorph-a creature created by the Ocrassa to serve as it's guardian and protector-was the most intriguing. While the most dangerous of the two, the Nyktomorph has a highly developed intelligence able of telling the difference between right-and-wrong and good-and-evil. It desperately wants to be free of the Ocrassa's vile ways and wants to help Savannah defeat it. However, it's conditioning to serve prevents it from outright betraying the Ocrassa. It's an interesting predicament and I loved the history given to illustrate the building hate it harbors for it's master. The Ocrassa itself is also quite interesting. An original monster that has lived on Earth for eons, ever evolving and killing. Seeing the world through its eyes shows why it is that nature would revolt against this creature, but the most interesting part of all is how it comes to battle Savannah. We are always given the impression that it is just a creature, not human, yet as the story progresses we come to find that it can inhabit a human making the danger to Savannah all the more dangerous as we discover that it's someone extremely close to her. The suspense here is masterfully used as it slowly becomes evident to the reader the true scope of the situation.
McNish has a real knack for developing the characters within the novel, especially considering how well he created the monsters and their histories, humanizing them for the reader. Likewise Savannah and Reece have a very fluid quality about them and the spark of romance between the two is nicely evoked. There's such a shy connection between them that I loved to watch develop from a sort of partnership and camaraderie into something more as the two try to protect one another from the dangers that surround them. It's so simple and sweet, giving a nice contrast to the suspense and horror of the novel and their situations. However, their romance is also quite sad in a way. With both of them housing these mysterious weapons they are unable to even kiss and share a true physical connection though they do find that they can hold hands etc., but it just makes this is bittersweet connection.
The only thing that I found truly odd was the lack of a parental figure to Savannah. While she is foster child, we only peripherally see her guardian. Given the obvious odd behavior and the dire discovery of her throat condition I would have expected a care giver to be more involved in her life. The only one with a true parent was Reece, but his relationship with his father was more reversed with him being the guardian of a ill parent. Even Nina's parent's are missing in action. I certainly would have expected Savannah to at least have fielded a call from the girl's mother after she disappears. This is something that I am not keen on in the YA genre and in this novel particularly I would have thought there would be more as it deals with surgery and a suppose health issue.
The overall style of the novel is quite lyrical with a steady rhythm to the writing that lulls the reader in. The voices of the characters are unique and likable and he has a masterful talent of building suspense. With lots of action and mystery the twists the author throws at the reader are well done. At the moment of these reveals, I could actually see the bigger picture coming together as little things snapped into place. Another aspect that I truly enjoyed was the great detail to which the author went to in his evolutionary tales of the Ocrassa's life. Every time he switched to the history of this monster and all the monsters for that matter, I was enthralled wanting to know more.
Savannah Grey is a wonderful breath of fresh air in a genre that is filled with repeating story lines. I was engrossed and thrilled throughout the novel and stayed up late into the night to finish it. With a wonderful writing style that at times bordered on creepy with it's lyrical depiction of horror and monsters, this tale is one to check out.
March 14, 2011
There is a monster lurking in the shadows...
Waiting for his chance to strike back. Slowly evolving since the dawn of time. While this creature takes on many forms, one thing is certain. It is at war. A constant battle is brewing between the monster, and nature itself....
Savannah Grey as always been a little different. Bouncing from foster home to foster home, always feeling restless. Then something begins to happen with her throat. That's when she meets Reece, who also has something strange going on with his throat. Little does she know that is not the only thing going on here. Savannah is more than a little different, more like supernatural. Nature's answer for taking down the monster for once and all.
Will she be able to accept her fate and BE the deadly weapon that she is destined to be?
Well that my friends you'll just have to read for yourself;)
My thoughts on this book are very torn. So lets start with the most important parts shall we? Yes we shall!
Cliff McNish is amazing. He has wowed me in his ability to paint a picture in such great detail. Leaving no stone unturned, he walks you through an amazing journey. The things he talks about in this story should leave you a little confused, but the DON'T. He just has a way of making you not only understand everything, but believe it to be real.
I fell in love with Savannah right from the start. I like how when she was faced with impossible choices, she did what any teenage girl would do, and made mistakes. It is the way that she handles those mistakes and learns from them that makes you admire her. As for Reece? What can I say he surprised me the most! I don't want to give anything away but by then end of this I was totally hearting him.
McNish has a talent for making you love a character one minute, and them hating them the next. Every time I thought "Oh I see. Now I know whats gonna happen," he pulled the rug out from under me. Keeping me on the edge of my seat, guessing what was going to happen next. It wasn't until the final pages that I finally was able to string it all together, and I assure that was only because McNish decided it was time. While there was some level of well played romance, he didn't flood the pages with it. This is definitely more of a hold on to the seat of your pants, action packed novel.
Now I'll go into why I was torn...I'll start by saying that I am a BIG wimp when it comes to all things creepy crawly. Both of the buggy and microscopic variety. I'm a big wuss. I get it I really do. That being said, there was a lot of that in this book. In such vivid detail that I literally had to take a few breaks/showers. Note that this is not a constant throughout the entire book. It's mostly just the parts from Ocrassa's point of view. Like I said McNish has a way with words that will leave you with a clear picture of every detail, including the evolution of the monster. Please don't let this keep you from reading this book. If me and my trusty bottle of hand sanitizer can make it through it, so can you.
All in all, no matter how much it gave me the hee-bee-gee-bee's, this book was worth all of it. I am so glad I found my "big girl" pants and kept going. The ending alone is an amazing twist that will make you squee!!
Waiting for his chance to strike back. Slowly evolving since the dawn of time. While this creature takes on many forms, one thing is certain. It is at war. A constant battle is brewing between the monster, and nature itself....
Savannah Grey as always been a little different. Bouncing from foster home to foster home, always feeling restless. Then something begins to happen with her throat. That's when she meets Reece, who also has something strange going on with his throat. Little does she know that is not the only thing going on here. Savannah is more than a little different, more like supernatural. Nature's answer for taking down the monster for once and all.
Will she be able to accept her fate and BE the deadly weapon that she is destined to be?
Well that my friends you'll just have to read for yourself;)
My thoughts on this book are very torn. So lets start with the most important parts shall we? Yes we shall!
Cliff McNish is amazing. He has wowed me in his ability to paint a picture in such great detail. Leaving no stone unturned, he walks you through an amazing journey. The things he talks about in this story should leave you a little confused, but the DON'T. He just has a way of making you not only understand everything, but believe it to be real.
I fell in love with Savannah right from the start. I like how when she was faced with impossible choices, she did what any teenage girl would do, and made mistakes. It is the way that she handles those mistakes and learns from them that makes you admire her. As for Reece? What can I say he surprised me the most! I don't want to give anything away but by then end of this I was totally hearting him.
McNish has a talent for making you love a character one minute, and them hating them the next. Every time I thought "Oh I see. Now I know whats gonna happen," he pulled the rug out from under me. Keeping me on the edge of my seat, guessing what was going to happen next. It wasn't until the final pages that I finally was able to string it all together, and I assure that was only because McNish decided it was time. While there was some level of well played romance, he didn't flood the pages with it. This is definitely more of a hold on to the seat of your pants, action packed novel.
Now I'll go into why I was torn...I'll start by saying that I am a BIG wimp when it comes to all things creepy crawly. Both of the buggy and microscopic variety. I'm a big wuss. I get it I really do. That being said, there was a lot of that in this book. In such vivid detail that I literally had to take a few breaks/showers. Note that this is not a constant throughout the entire book. It's mostly just the parts from Ocrassa's point of view. Like I said McNish has a way with words that will leave you with a clear picture of every detail, including the evolution of the monster. Please don't let this keep you from reading this book. If me and my trusty bottle of hand sanitizer can make it through it, so can you.
All in all, no matter how much it gave me the hee-bee-gee-bee's, this book was worth all of it. I am so glad I found my "big girl" pants and kept going. The ending alone is an amazing twist that will make you squee!!
February 15, 2011
First off, I've never read anything like this before. I'm on the fence about this one; I didn't dislike it, but I didn't love it either.
Savannah is this teenage girl with a strange throat affliction. It starts with a sore throat, then her foster mother informs her that there are strange sounds coming from her mouth when she sleeps. When she visits the hospital for blood test results, she unwillingly lashes out at an attendant trying to look down her throat. Whatever is in her throat, it makes her assault a nurse, almost kill her best friend, and prevents her from kissing anyone ever.
Savannah gets the feeling that the throat 'weapon' is there to protect her. Multiple times she comes to the conclusion that she's meant to fight a monster because she saw it in her dreams. Uh-huh. This was the major peeve for me. Savannah was surprisingly calm and majorly intuitive as to the strange ability of hers. She came to conclusions way too easily. Strange things in my throat? Must be to fight a monster. See a strange creature running out of your house in the middle of the night? Go after it of course!
With the disturbing imagery and the mystery surrounding what exactly is in Savannah's throat and its purpose, I thought she moved into her role as 'monster hunter' way too easily. It just didn't come off as very realistic to me. She's 15 yet transitions into something like a superhero in a very short amount of time.
Every few chapters or so, we go to the viewpoint of the Ocrassa, this being that has existed, well, since the beginnings of life. It goes from an organism and is able to actively evolve. It exists as an amoeba, lives with the dinosaurs, the plants, in the ocean, and its main goal of its existence is to be the ultimate creature. It dominates everything else and is seemingly indestructible until nature came along and made Savannah Grey. It has to kill her to regain its place at the top of the food chain.
It was interesting being in the Ocrassa's one track mind and even more interesting as it 'created' itself; molded legs and arms or extra eyes. It was creepy to witness its steely, emotionless demeanor.
Bottom Line
I'm not sure how to classify this book. It's sort of sci-fi but it also has some morbid undertones that made me cringe a bit to imagine. It was strange but held my attention long enough to wonder what was going to happen next, though it did end quite suddenly. If you're a fan of horror books or just want to read something completely different, you might like this.
Savannah is this teenage girl with a strange throat affliction. It starts with a sore throat, then her foster mother informs her that there are strange sounds coming from her mouth when she sleeps. When she visits the hospital for blood test results, she unwillingly lashes out at an attendant trying to look down her throat. Whatever is in her throat, it makes her assault a nurse, almost kill her best friend, and prevents her from kissing anyone ever.
Savannah gets the feeling that the throat 'weapon' is there to protect her. Multiple times she comes to the conclusion that she's meant to fight a monster because she saw it in her dreams. Uh-huh. This was the major peeve for me. Savannah was surprisingly calm and majorly intuitive as to the strange ability of hers. She came to conclusions way too easily. Strange things in my throat? Must be to fight a monster. See a strange creature running out of your house in the middle of the night? Go after it of course!
With the disturbing imagery and the mystery surrounding what exactly is in Savannah's throat and its purpose, I thought she moved into her role as 'monster hunter' way too easily. It just didn't come off as very realistic to me. She's 15 yet transitions into something like a superhero in a very short amount of time.
Every few chapters or so, we go to the viewpoint of the Ocrassa, this being that has existed, well, since the beginnings of life. It goes from an organism and is able to actively evolve. It exists as an amoeba, lives with the dinosaurs, the plants, in the ocean, and its main goal of its existence is to be the ultimate creature. It dominates everything else and is seemingly indestructible until nature came along and made Savannah Grey. It has to kill her to regain its place at the top of the food chain.
It was interesting being in the Ocrassa's one track mind and even more interesting as it 'created' itself; molded legs and arms or extra eyes. It was creepy to witness its steely, emotionless demeanor.
Bottom Line
I'm not sure how to classify this book. It's sort of sci-fi but it also has some morbid undertones that made me cringe a bit to imagine. It was strange but held my attention long enough to wonder what was going to happen next, though it did end quite suddenly. If you're a fan of horror books or just want to read something completely different, you might like this.
May 20, 2010
15 year old Savannah Grey is a weapon. But she doesn't know how deadly she is. Her throat seems to be connected to the mystery; strange noises are heard at night coming from her neck and she is overprotective of her throat. She can't get close to anyone without warning vibrations and becoming violent; so boys and a love life is out of the question, even when Reece appears in her life-cute geeky and totally Savannah's type. And he has the same odd behaviour and a curious scar on his throat. Both feel they were meatn to meet; both dream of a monster surrounded by leaves and they believe they are meant to stop it. But there are creatures who want to prevent Savannah's weaopin becoming fully operational. Teh Horror stalks Savannah at night, coming into her room whilst she's sleeping and evaluates her progress, reporting to his master - the creature known as the Ocrassa. Teh Ocrassa is waiting for the opportunity to kill her, to ensure its survival, and he has a plan, a plan that will have you guessing to the last second.
Cliff McNish has this canny ability to be intense when writing, but its very subtle. Similar to that of Angel. I was VERY unsure when I first started reading this book as it was obscure, confusing and a bit odd. I also felt a bit annoyed about the whole I love Reece, I .love Savannah after about two days of knowing each other, but when the stroy unfolds I realised it was a clever and integral part of the mystery that is Savannah Grey. But by the concluding chapters, when the story is coming together and the book reaching its climax I was on the edge of my seat eager to know the outcome. Cliff McNish throwa bits here and there to twist and confuse you making you try to grab onto something, and idea-plausible-that could explain what would happen next.
The characters were likeable, if not overly developed - except for the obivous main characters (Reece, Savannah and the creatures). I also liked the change of narrator - the Ocrassa had chapters dedicated to itself so the reader knew the origin of the creature and why Svannah Grey was what she was.
It was a very unique, well written story which showed me once again that Cliff McNish is a very creative andimpressive author.
Not to mention the moral of the story - love conquers all!?!? Read itm it might seem confusing and odd but it really does satiate the hunger for something unique.
Cliff McNish has this canny ability to be intense when writing, but its very subtle. Similar to that of Angel. I was VERY unsure when I first started reading this book as it was obscure, confusing and a bit odd. I also felt a bit annoyed about the whole I love Reece, I .love Savannah after about two days of knowing each other, but when the stroy unfolds I realised it was a clever and integral part of the mystery that is Savannah Grey. But by the concluding chapters, when the story is coming together and the book reaching its climax I was on the edge of my seat eager to know the outcome. Cliff McNish throwa bits here and there to twist and confuse you making you try to grab onto something, and idea-plausible-that could explain what would happen next.
The characters were likeable, if not overly developed - except for the obivous main characters (Reece, Savannah and the creatures). I also liked the change of narrator - the Ocrassa had chapters dedicated to itself so the reader knew the origin of the creature and why Svannah Grey was what she was.
It was a very unique, well written story which showed me once again that Cliff McNish is a very creative andimpressive author.
Not to mention the moral of the story - love conquers all!?!? Read itm it might seem confusing and odd but it really does satiate the hunger for something unique.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2011
15 year old Savannah Grey is just trying to find a place she belongs. She's moved from foster family to foster family, never really able to settle down and fit in. She doesn't know why she always has to be on the move or why she keeps her distance from everyone around her. But, when a strange attraction to the new boy, Reece brings her to realise that there's something growing in her throat that has great supernatural powers, she discovers that she has to protect it and learn how to harness it before the evil creature that's hunting her catches up and destroys her. When the time comes, will Savannah be able to harness the power within her to save herself and all the ones she cares about? Or will she do anything to give it up and just be normal?
Chris McNish has created a unique horror story in Savannah Grey. It started off slowly, but by the time the true evil had made itself known it was into a captivating story that was probably rushing a bit to much to reach the end.
Savannah Grey is a guarded character. She doesn't like anyone to get close to her, especially with the unconscious need to protect whatever it is that's growing inside of her throat. But she does have a big heart and care a lot about her best friend Nina and her foster mother, this is the character that I really loved. Too bad she was full of a lot of insecurities that nearly overshadowed the caring heroine.
I loved the monsters that McNish created. They were full of originality and personality (yes, even the monsters had personalities) and they were definitely what made this story interesting. Also I have to say that the romance created between Savannah and Reece was fantastic. He was a character created who gave her strength and also provided obstacles which gave the story plenty of twists and turns.
This doesn't mean that I didn't like Savannah Grey. It was an interesting story, and definitely an original take on the monster story. The one thing that I felt was a let down was the pace with it being either too slow or too quick, I found myself having to re-read parts to see if I missed parts. Besides from that, Savannah Grey is definitely a novel for anyone that loves horror and dark paranormal.
Chris McNish has created a unique horror story in Savannah Grey. It started off slowly, but by the time the true evil had made itself known it was into a captivating story that was probably rushing a bit to much to reach the end.
Savannah Grey is a guarded character. She doesn't like anyone to get close to her, especially with the unconscious need to protect whatever it is that's growing inside of her throat. But she does have a big heart and care a lot about her best friend Nina and her foster mother, this is the character that I really loved. Too bad she was full of a lot of insecurities that nearly overshadowed the caring heroine.
I loved the monsters that McNish created. They were full of originality and personality (yes, even the monsters had personalities) and they were definitely what made this story interesting. Also I have to say that the romance created between Savannah and Reece was fantastic. He was a character created who gave her strength and also provided obstacles which gave the story plenty of twists and turns.
This doesn't mean that I didn't like Savannah Grey. It was an interesting story, and definitely an original take on the monster story. The one thing that I felt was a let down was the pace with it being either too slow or too quick, I found myself having to re-read parts to see if I missed parts. Besides from that, Savannah Grey is definitely a novel for anyone that loves horror and dark paranormal.
February 24, 2011
*This ebook was provided to me at no cost by the publisher*
I wasn’t too fussed in this book. There was nothing exceptionally wrong with it, but little things here and there made me like it less than I expected too.
I feel like the story progressed at little to quickly at times and the characters reacted and began feeling certain ways too soon. I liked the plotline. The idea itself is compeletly unique and out of the ordinary; I've never seen or read something like this before.I feel like the author had a really great idea; and yet it fell a tad short. I think I was expecting something a bit better than what I got.
There was nothing all too great about Savannah. I was expecting a great character and while there was nothing wrong with her, I just didn’t feel one way or another about her. I felt the same way about Reece too and I honestly didn’t really buy their romance. It didn’t seem like they knew each other long enough to feel the way they did and while I really wanted to believe it at times, I just couldn’t.
Sometimes I just feel like some of the things Savannah did, didn’t make sense. Or weren’t quite right to me. Like when Nina was kidnapped. She didn’t act the way I’d expect someone who’s best friend has just been kidnapped by some evil monster would react. She acted a bit too so, so....as though there wasn’t anything all to wrong. Also the whole situation in fact seemed to be not such a big deal to her. She accepted monsters and stuff way to easily, and I would have liked to see her question things more and act more shocked and afraid.
I do however think the author threw a great twist in with Reece being possessed by the Ocrassa the entire time. It’s not something I’d have ever thought about and I liked that I was surprised by that.
All in all, not too great. I was bored at times and wanted things to be over sooner rather than later.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2011
First of all, Savannah Grey is not some weakling girl who needs to be saved by the brave, strong hero. She is her own heroin, and the world's. I loved that about this story. She, through evolution, gets to be strong and save humanity from the destruction the Ocrassa has been looking forward to inflicting since it was created.
That gets me to my next point. Evolution. Evolution ends up being a sort of character all in itself. Through it, the Ocrassa is able to learn and change so that it can defeat enemy after enemy. Evolution also gives us Savannah Grey and her powerful abilities. So, evolution has given the human race the battle of life and death. And, nature is helping the life side through its constant aiding of Savannah.
In the end, what really matters isn't super-human abilities, infiltration of every lifeform, or planning that took centuries or more. In the end, what matters is love. The love that Savannah has for her friend, Nina, and, even more so, the love she shares with Reece. It is this love that gives her the ability to overpower the Ocrassa and his lifetime without love seals her power.
I really enjoyed this book. I seriously hope that there is a second because I felt a little disappointed in the ending. Yes, she finally overpowered this great threat, but for what. What was the point of beating the Ocrassa if there isn't a single joyful moment seen in the aftermath. I am so glad that she found her strength, but she did so by finding what humanity is really great at: loving. I just want to see her love fulfilled in even a small way.
As a sidenote, I loved the section where Savannah arrives at Dulwich Wood. It reminded me of the scene in "Shrek 2" where Snow White uses her woodland friends and her voice to defeat the evil witch. It was great!
That gets me to my next point. Evolution. Evolution ends up being a sort of character all in itself. Through it, the Ocrassa is able to learn and change so that it can defeat enemy after enemy. Evolution also gives us Savannah Grey and her powerful abilities. So, evolution has given the human race the battle of life and death. And, nature is helping the life side through its constant aiding of Savannah.
In the end, what really matters isn't super-human abilities, infiltration of every lifeform, or planning that took centuries or more. In the end, what matters is love. The love that Savannah has for her friend, Nina, and, even more so, the love she shares with Reece. It is this love that gives her the ability to overpower the Ocrassa and his lifetime without love seals her power.
I really enjoyed this book. I seriously hope that there is a second because I felt a little disappointed in the ending. Yes, she finally overpowered this great threat, but for what. What was the point of beating the Ocrassa if there isn't a single joyful moment seen in the aftermath. I am so glad that she found her strength, but she did so by finding what humanity is really great at: loving. I just want to see her love fulfilled in even a small way.
As a sidenote, I loved the section where Savannah arrives at Dulwich Wood. It reminded me of the scene in "Shrek 2" where Snow White uses her woodland friends and her voice to defeat the evil witch. It was great!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2011
I found myself really excited to read this book. For one the synopsis really captured me. I really wanted to like this book, but alas I could not. I found that plot did not capture me at all. While the characters were great, the story was lacking.
Savannah though she was normal when all of sudden she made weird noises at night. She found herself wondering around, think she was dreaming but she was actually doing something else. She discovers something different or wrong with her throat. There is something in there that doesn't look right. And the Orcrassa wants her dead because of it.
First off, what gripe me about this book was how slow it took the plot to thicken. While I enjoyed meeting Savannah and learning about her, it took a while to see what is going on. Also it need a lot more explaining. I had a hard time grasping the plot and found myself re-reading parts just to understand. Finally after a good amount a pages in, I understood but I was still somewhat confused as to how Savannah got that way in the first place.
The love interest was surprisingly good. I like seeing Savannah have someone to lean on after what she found out. Reece is just like her. I like how the reader got to see them explore their findings as to what is going on. They were their for each other and didn't push each other into anything. I like seeing how easy it was to be with each other.
Savannah though she was normal when all of sudden she made weird noises at night. She found herself wondering around, think she was dreaming but she was actually doing something else. She discovers something different or wrong with her throat. There is something in there that doesn't look right. And the Orcrassa wants her dead because of it.
First off, what gripe me about this book was how slow it took the plot to thicken. While I enjoyed meeting Savannah and learning about her, it took a while to see what is going on. Also it need a lot more explaining. I had a hard time grasping the plot and found myself re-reading parts just to understand. Finally after a good amount a pages in, I understood but I was still somewhat confused as to how Savannah got that way in the first place.
The love interest was surprisingly good. I like seeing Savannah have someone to lean on after what she found out. Reece is just like her. I like how the reader got to see them explore their findings as to what is going on. They were their for each other and didn't push each other into anything. I like seeing how easy it was to be with each other.
November 2, 2010
This book has been my second foray into Carolrhoda Lab's library & I have to admit that I'm pretty impressed. These guys really do have a great eye for titles that are not only readable, but don't fall into the normal cliches of YA fiction. (As a heavy reader of YA, I can say that there's a lot of titles that tend to follow the same formulas.)
Readers who are looking for a little something above & beyond the usual "girl with powers" fare will rejoice in this book. Not only does McNish try to build a deliciously slow build up to a huge showdown, but he also gives us great character interactions & a twist that you'll enjoy. Also something to praise is the mixture of science & fantasy/horror- there's definite horror to this, but all of it can be seen through a scientific point of view. It's well mixed in to the point where many readers might not even notice it, which is the sign that it is also done well.
While I loved the slow buildup to the finale, people who are looking for nonstop action & huge fight scenes to be interspersed throughout the entire book might be a little disappointed. This isn't that type of book.
Overall, this is a great book & I'm pretty impressed by McNish's writing style. Want a sneak peek? You can read an excerpt of Savannah Grey at McNish's website!
(ARC provided by netgalley)
Readers who are looking for a little something above & beyond the usual "girl with powers" fare will rejoice in this book. Not only does McNish try to build a deliciously slow build up to a huge showdown, but he also gives us great character interactions & a twist that you'll enjoy. Also something to praise is the mixture of science & fantasy/horror- there's definite horror to this, but all of it can be seen through a scientific point of view. It's well mixed in to the point where many readers might not even notice it, which is the sign that it is also done well.
While I loved the slow buildup to the finale, people who are looking for nonstop action & huge fight scenes to be interspersed throughout the entire book might be a little disappointed. This isn't that type of book.
Overall, this is a great book & I'm pretty impressed by McNish's writing style. Want a sneak peek? You can read an excerpt of Savannah Grey at McNish's website!
(ARC provided by netgalley)
November 27, 2010
Well I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book. I have to say I was delightedly surprised. Savannah's tale was one that kept you wanting to turn the page to see what was going to happen next, to find out what the heck is in her throat and what it's use is. You find yourself pulling for her, hoping that she just might be able to defeat the evil and save her friends. I do have to say the one downside I found with this books is I feel the background on the evil monsters that Savannah is up against was a little too detailed. I feel the story would have flowed just a s well if not better with about half of what we were given. I did find it a bit hard to read at times with the chapters switching back and forth between Savannah's story and the history of the Orcassa (the main monster she has to defeat) and the ending leaves you going...wth what happened to everyone else...I would have liked to see one more small chapter telling us how things turned out after that final fight, a bit of closer as I am not much for cliffhangers. It does leave me wanting more and because of that if the author comes out with a sequel I will most definitely be reading it, if simply to find out who made it through! Over all I enjoyed the plot but found it a bit hard to sit and read in one shot. If I were to rate it on a 5 star rating I would give it a 3 1/2 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2011
While the concept of this book is original, the execution of the plot was spotty at best. Savannah, a British foster teen, has a problem with her throat. She knows something isn't right, but she feels protective of the odd thing growing there. She visits a doctor, but nearly kills the the doc when he approaches her mouth to diagnose her. It is revealed that she has supernatural powers manifested in her throat, which have also given her amazing speed, super strength and an odd connection with nature. Soon she meets a new boy in town who also has a similar throat problem, and both of them are stalked by the Ocrassa, a creature from outer space that seeks to use their powers for it's own gain. This was a fast moving horror/romance/sci-fi story, but the characters are one dimensional and the plot (particularly the conclusion) is weak. This book was similar in tone to Darren Shan's "Demonata" series, I would recommend it to fans of that series.
February 8, 2011
Weird. Very weird. I struggle with McNish because I've read a few of his books before and this has the same characteristics of the other novels: an exceptionally unique plotline that, while not precisely butchered, just isn't well done. I keep expecting more from this author but he fails to deliver. His pacing is uneven although, like I mentioned, his plot is a wild ride. The characters are flat and do not behave in any sort of logical manner. McNish gives them a path and then keeps yanking them off of it. Rather than demonstrating depth of character, it makes them seem like they all have multiple personality disorder and it's simply irritating. I'm frustrated because I feel it's too harsh to say the book was terrible but it falls far short of "good." It's an enigma. A weird, twisted, poorly characterized enigma.
January 18, 2011
I liked the idea of this book more than the actual book. It had the potential to be a really good and interesting book. I really liked the chapters that weren't in Savannah's point of view. Seeing the perspective of the Monster and the Ocrassa were really interesting and different. However the writing just seemed too rushed. The plot progression went too fast to let the reader understand things. The rushing of the plot also made some of the events in the story seem too unlikely. I think that this book could have been a really good read if the author just spent some more time adding to Savannah's chapters.
May 1, 2011
*Contains spoilers.*
I was really enjoying this book till the last page when the story ended very abruptly. Where was the tying up of the loose ends like Reese and his family and Nina was she ok. I feel very cheated after such a great story. It feels like the author just couldn't be bothered once the monster was dead. The ending puts a five star book in a three star placing, and it's a real shame as the story is worth the five stars but for the unfulfilling ending. Had the story concluded rather then just ended I would be raving about how wonderful this book was rather then ranting about the end.
I was really enjoying this book till the last page when the story ended very abruptly. Where was the tying up of the loose ends like Reese and his family and Nina was she ok. I feel very cheated after such a great story. It feels like the author just couldn't be bothered once the monster was dead. The ending puts a five star book in a three star placing, and it's a real shame as the story is worth the five stars but for the unfulfilling ending. Had the story concluded rather then just ended I would be raving about how wonderful this book was rather then ranting about the end.
February 3, 2010
The fourth star is for originality, the basic outline of the plot is very good indeed. The quality of writing is also good, and in all, I would recommend this book to fans of YA horror/paranormal fiction. I wasn't glued to this enough to merit a 5 star review, as I felt something was lacking - the premise was so promising that this could have been even better. The ending though is fantastic.
May 23, 2010
Savannah Grey... What an incredible girl!!
I guess I'm so used to reading Young Adult Series and Trilogies that I was somewhat unprepared and surprised with the pace of this novel. It's a true testament to Cliff McNish that he has written such an amazingly powerful and involved story in just 234 pages.
I guess I'm so used to reading Young Adult Series and Trilogies that I was somewhat unprepared and surprised with the pace of this novel. It's a true testament to Cliff McNish that he has written such an amazingly powerful and involved story in just 234 pages.
July 30, 2020
Savannah Grey is utterly bizarre to me. The concept seems to have stemmed from an author wanting desperately to have a completely fresh idea -- and fresh it was, although it was also kind of absurd. The characters are comically unrealistic, the pacing is rushed and left no space for suspense and my overall reaction to the majority of it was laughter. Was it meant to be funny? Probably not. But I found it hilarious. The technical aspect of the writing was very good, and I wanted very much to like the story, but I could not.
It was unbelievable to the point where I couldn't lose myself in it, and only finished it to find out whether or not the conclusion would redeem it. For me it did not, because in the end I just couldn't believe that the characters felt how they felt and would react the way they did. Would I dismiss this author? Never. There are points for potential, although in this instance, the idea was better in concept than in practice.
I give this book 2.25 out of 5.
It was unbelievable to the point where I couldn't lose myself in it, and only finished it to find out whether or not the conclusion would redeem it. For me it did not, because in the end I just couldn't believe that the characters felt how they felt and would react the way they did. Would I dismiss this author? Never. There are points for potential, although in this instance, the idea was better in concept than in practice.
I give this book 2.25 out of 5.
July 12, 2019
this book was so exciting. i was on the edge of my seat every time i picked this book up.it was so mysterious!
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