Don’t forget to read my review here!

Title: Burnt Snow
Author: Van Badham
Series: The Book of the Witch (Book #1)
Genre: Fantasy
Age Group: Young Adult
Release Date:  1st September 2010 (Aus)

Author’s Website

My Review:  Burnt Snow is Van Badham’s first novel which tells the story of Sophie Morgan, a Year 11 student at yet another new school. She is tired of her over protective “hippie” mother and when she is invited to join the popular girls she seizes the opportunity to make some changes in her life. Little does she know that her life is going to change in a huge way and in just a short space of time.
Hiding her “nerd” past, keeping up with the popular crowd and negotiating her way around the politics of the “bitch patrol” are, as Sophie finds out, the least of her worries.

Brody Meine is a loner, has a bad reputation and is shrouded in mystery and naturally Sophie is drawn to him instantly. But when bizarre things, like savage storms, flocks of birds, smashing windows and destructive fires start to happen whenever they interact, Sophie is forced to keep her distance, something that she finds very hard to do.

Burnt Snow is an imaginative and exciting story which had me transfixed from the moment I picked it up. Van has created many wonderful characters that all work together perfectly to bring her story to life. Each character brings their own story which is interwoven throughout Sophie’s story.

Burnt Snow mixes the ups and downs of teenage life with paranormal and demonic occurrences perfectly which makes it and entertaining book that is difficult to put down. I can’t wait for White Rain, Van’s 2nd book in the Book of the Witch series which is due for release in 2011.

My Rating: (out of 5)

Get your copy from:

The Book Depository (free international shipping)
QBD
Dymocks 

About the Author: Van Badham is the award-winning writer of more than 30 internationally produced plays for stage, music theatre and radio. Her theatre plays have had seasons at the Sydney Opera House, the Wharf studio, the Seymour Centre, the Victorian Arts Centre, Perth’s Blue Room and the Adelaide Festival. She has had plays and musical theatre staged at seven Edinburgh Festivals, in London and on the UK touring circuit, in America, in Iceland, Switzerland, Slovenia, Austria and in Germany. MIT Press in the US published her 2003 Edinburgh hit Camarilla. Her scripts for radio have been broadcast by the BBC World Service, Radio 3 and Radio 4. In 2007, Van’s play The Gabriels became the first Australian play selected for New York’s Summer Play Festival. (Pan Macmillan Australia)

Thanks go to Eliza from Pan Macmillan Australia for sending me a copy to review :)

Have you read this book? What did you think? Leave your review or a comment below telling us what you thought :)

These were the facts:

I’d been in Yarrindi for six days.
In that time, I’d met a boy.
I didn’t know who he was, or why a shadow hung over him, but everywhere he went, there was trouble.

When I ignored him, everything was fine.
When I smiled at him, a girl had a violent seizure.
That girl had tried to warn me – she had tried to frighten me into listening, but I had let him breathe on my neck and brush against my hand and glass had shattered.

Sophie Morgan is the new girl at school. Brody Meine is the local loner with a dangerous reputation. The connection between them is intense – explosive. As darkness engulfs Sophie’s world, a fire is being lit within her. And when she and Brody are together, there’s no predicting who will be burned.

Van Badham is an award-winning playwright, critic and screenwriter. She has written more than 30 internationally produced plays and her theatre plays have had seasons at the Sydney Opera House, the Wharf studio, the Seymour Centre, the Victorian Arts Centre, Perth’s Blue Room and the Adelaide Festival. She has had plays or musical theatre staged at the last six Edinburgh Festivals as well as in London, the US, Iceland and in Germany. Her scripts for radio have been broadcast by the BBC World Service and Radio 4. In 2007 Van’s play The Gabriels became the first Australian play to be selected for New York’s Summer Play Festival.
Van is also a regular guest on 666 ABC Canberra.
Born in Sydney, Van lived in Wollongong for many years and now resides in London with her boyfriend, a spathiphyllum plant and an extensive collection of arty films on DVD.

You can find more on Van’s website or follow her on Twitter!

Burnt Snow is being published by Pan Macmillan and will be available 2 September, 2010