The prince of mist - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I've read and thoroughly enjoyed both The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game by Zafon. This is his first book, written over 15 years ago for a teen audience. The subject matter is similar to his hugely successful adult titles - mystery, magic and the unexplained.

The prince of mist is set in run down mansion in an isolated coastal town. The lighthouse keeper and his grandson have a secret past and the garden of statues bear an unusual resemblance to a circus troupe that drowned on the beach 25 years ago.

When Max and his family move into the old homestead strange things begin to happen...

Quite a dark tale of broken promises and the inability to escape one's fate. Mature teen readers.

The hungry ghosts - Anne Berry

This unusual novel is set in Hong Kong during the 'hey day' of British rule and the handover to the Chinese in 1997. The 'hungry ghosts' of the title are the spirits of those who have died but do not want to move on into the next world. In this case, Alice's life is complicated by the 'hungry ghost' of a young girl murdered during the occupation of HK by Japan in WW2. The complications of this inhabitation form the basis of the novel. Other ghosts join her the course of her life, creating further issues.

The underlying themes of love and the lack of create a group of characters at times have few, if any redeeming features.

Interesting.

Ripples on the Lake - Dawn Rotarangi

This new, NZ fiction, I believe is a must for senior readers. The main character, Saffron Delaney is believable and very likeable. The cultural and spiritual aspects of the book are hugely engaging - What is tapu? How do non- Maori justify and qualify the notion of tapu? How does the past influence how we live now? 

All huge questions that need some thought if we are to really understand and accept the values of biculturalism.

Those of you that have the time check out the author's blog and website - http://www.dawnrotarangi.blogspot.com/

And isn't it a great cover.........