OK, so there are plenty of disadvantages to being stuck in a cave and guarded by foul-smelling monsters.  The rotten food is one, Joe’s snoring is another – but I’ve recently discovered a plus point, too…

As authors, we’re still writing and, as our books come close to release, our various publishers produce something called uncorrected proofs of our books.  Basically a ‘proof’ is the story in basic book form so that readers and reviewers can enjoy the story before it hits the shelves.  That’s why new book releases already have glowing reviews by the time they hit the shelves.

I’ve been honoured to read two of these proofs over this last week, and will blog about them separately – starting with Dark Summer by Ali Sparkes…

What can I say?  I went to bed last night with the intention of reading a chapter or two but literally could not put the book down.  I finished at 3.10am knowing that I had read possibly the best children’s book, ever.  That might sound like a cliche but, trust me, it’s not.  This is a GREAT book!

Without giving too much away, Dark Summer tells the tale of Eddie – an intelligent if slightly sensitive boy who is forced to spend the summer with his aunt and cousins near the Wooky Hole caves.  But, what begins as a bog-standard family day out to the tourist attraction, turns into so much more and changes not only Eddie’s life, but that of an arthritic distant uncle and several never-seen-before characters.

Dark Summer isn’t out until July, but I urge you to go out and pre-order a copy.  Books rarely get better than this.

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