The Traitors

Product Information

Seemed like he wasn't the only traitor on planet Earth. The Dial was full of traitors, both young and old. With the evil warden Mr. Pitt who kept a close eye on the prisoners, it was virtually impossible to escape. Or was it really? Jonathan and Carnegie are aided by members of the Darkside's newspaper. There, Jonathan learns that his missing mother was a reporter for them, and disappeared around the same time as the infamous murder occurred. Jonathan is certain that the two events must be connected. If they can solve the latest crime, maybe he can discover what has happened to his mother. As soon as I read the blurb of this book, matched with the creepy cover, I was so eager to read it. I'm not a massive fan of horror, but I'm majorly intrigued by old sanatoriums and psychiatric hospitals, so the setting couldn't have been more perfect for me! The setting of a Victorian sanatorium filled with lots of troubled children was both captivating and slightly scary. I thought that the description of the sanatorium was brilliant, emphasising the eerie feel of the place. The book isn't laden with heavy historical facts and the writing isn't at all complicated, but the historical era that this story is set in undoubtedly allows a rather nightmarish atmosphere. I was hooked by this book as soon as I saw the cover. It's an eerie read, following 12 yr old Jamie and his older brother Liam and Dad (Sarge).

The straight-forward approach. In this book, there isn't any slow-paced story-telling - the approach is straight to the point and the author appeared to not have a liking in making long-winded, excruciatingly intricately detailed paragraphs that go on and on about a certain scenario that the reader gets all a. bored or b. muddled-up. So basically, the fast-paced action gets the story going in a more animated way. So you don't have to worry about falling asleep if slow, nostalgic atmospheres of story-telling (take for instance The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern) isn't your thing. There’s enough hellish mystery left at the end to have you drooling for the next in the series’ – Observer When they get word of a 'job' in a village called Alderston they head off in their removal van. When they arrive they have a cold draughty house to stay in. At least it's a break from sleeping in the van. When i read the blurb of this book and saw the creepy cover matching its blurb i was immediately intrigued. I have a secret thing for creepy stories, even though i can't watch a horror movie. Plus the fact that is was centerd in the 19th century and in a old sanatorium... it made me want to read it ASAP. The setting of a Victorian sanatorium filled with lots of troubled children was both captivating and slightly scary. It was written so captivating and creepy, it literally gave me a nightmare when i read the first few chapters (can't say it was really because of the book though). The fact that the book wasn't so much a historical fiction but rather a thriller/horror made it better in a way. You weren't distracted by al the historical facts and you were more focussed on the story.Alderston has secrets and Jamie learns a few of them from Keeley, a young, defiant, village goth girl. Grave robbers, ghosts and murder soon fill their lives and even try and take them.... Adam goes out to the beach for a walk and a group of people, he tries to run but someone hit on his head and he becomes unconscious. Adam here has betrayed his best friend Danny. And because of that, he was captured to the Dial, a no-time place through a warphole. Sentenced to imprisonment in the Dial for 274 years, Adam has all the time in the world to repent. While The Others Sleep is not a book that I had heard much about before I received it in the post, and I still haven't heard all that much about it now that it's been released, which is a real shame. This book is very different to most of the young adult literature which is offered today, and I mean that in a very positive way! Es ist schon etwas befremdlich, was den Darksidern so Vergnügen bereitet. Ein Menschenleben zählt hier nicht viel. Grundsätzlich geht es den Bewohnern einzig und allein ums Überleben, denn die Möglichkeiten, hier zu Tode zu kommen sind schier unerschöpflich.

This story involved plenty of red herrings so it was impossible to guess what was going to happen next and what the ending might be. And when it came, it was still delightfully unexpected. Also, Adam's 'relationship' with Jessica seemed rather pointless for me. Maybe there was some deeper meaning behind it which I would've seen once I had re-read it or something but, to be honest, the majority of us don't re-read most books. Him staying with her really ruined the book for me. It felt that the author was trying to put in romance within the book.This novel held many different, unique and interesting characters. They were all well-captured and really held my interest throughout the book. There were a few stereotypical types but it worked within the story because it wasn’t a stereotypical story. It needed those characters we know to look for to help make it appear more realistic. After all, what’s a prison without a few characters who are continuously trying to escape? Or the one that manages to get everything for everyone? What wasn’t stereotypical, were the personalities attached to the stereotypes. Everyone had their own thoughts, their own way of moving and even when they were a mass of characters; it was good to have a feel for each individual in the room. It was the characters who bled the story, without them, it wouldn’t have been as exciting or interesting, and I have a feeling that these characters will be wholly identifiable to younger audiences as well. I liked Alfie as a character, though I admit that I didn't love or connect with him. I did go through a range of feelings towards him as the story developed and changed. I am quite torn about the revelation towards the end of the book, the 'twist', which is why I haven't given this book a higher rating. Though it was a good idea and clever on the author's part, I think that it made the rest of the book feel a bit underwhelming and as though we didn't truly get a good idea of Alfie. The ending of the story offers more action and a faster pace than the rest of the book and I'm sure it will to appeal to many.

And while we're at it, the characters could have used a lot more depth. Oh, and SO MANY things didn't make sense, add up, and/or weren't explained. AND THERE ISN'T EVEN A SEQUEL! Next day Adam receives a letter from the DIAL but he ignores it not knowing that the letter is from the DIAL and does not read it. Adam was our protagonist and he was such an interesting character. He had betrayed his friend, so already the reader is not sure if they should like him but then you can feel his suffering, you can see he’s trying to reach out to his friend but it doesn’t go the way he planned. Sure, he made a mistake, but doesn’t everyone do that from time to time? Then, as the story progresses and we truly see the full side of Adam, it is hard not to admire him. He has his fears, his flaws and his worries but he is also a strong character, with motivation and a willingness to go that extra step. He cares for his new friends and even if he dies in the process, he will do anything he can to save them. It is clear that Adam is, essentially, a good guy who has just made mistakes that he feels guilty and shameful for but that doesn’t mean he should have been punished, does it?Jessica's character gives me chest pains! As the soppy person I am reading this book o thought there was going to be a love interest for Adam to gallantly save but there was just a traitor and a person who wasted his own time! It pains me to think that Adam may never get out after him being INNOCENT- or so we think! What if he did something massive!! Did we ever find out what Luca did to get into the Dial and Caiman got to get out after being a collaborator but ADAM didn't!! The radio message could have been a fluke, even the letter could be taken for a joke, but a giant zeppelin on an abandoned beach can not be ignored. When a stupid mistake, a thoughtless act breaks apart a friendship, the traitor must be punished, and the only way for a traitor to learn their lesson is imprisonment on the Dial. But then Adam stumbles across a mystery and he will need all his strength as well as Doughnut's skills to unravel it.