The Cruel Prince

By Holly Black

400 Pages

Part of a Trilogy

Fantasy

5 stars!

This story is based in faerie world which lives adjacent with the human Earth. It follows a girl called Jude. Jude and her twin sister Taryn are human or mortal, but at a young age were taken into the faerie world. The plot explores Jude's adventure into the world of faerie and her fight to be equal with the immortals.

I absolutely loved this book, one of my favourite books ever! I would rate it 5/5 stars. First of all, this is a very popular book and I completely see why; The characters are well-developed and the story is easy enough to follow. I found it a relaxing read but it was still complex enough to engage me. I like how the faerie world is not stereotypical and instead is dark and wicked, the opposite of what you would expect. The concept is exciting and the faerie world is captivating! I would definitely recommend this book, but I think it is best suited to teens age 12+ because some parts are quite dark or could be confusing.

Jess Year 9

Beauty Sleep

By Kathryn Evans

336 Pages

Standalone novel

Science fiction/mystery

3 and a half stars - ☆☆☆1/2

This story follows a girl called Laura, who is told that she and her brother, Alfie, have a rare form of cancer and that their lives are going to come to an end. In an attempt to save their children, Laura’s parents put them down for a new treatment, where they will be frozen and woken up years later in the hope there will be a cure for their illness in the future. Laura is the only one to survive and wakes to start a new life 40 years later. She is very well known but has one desire, to solve the mystery of her old life.

I would give this book a 3.5/5. First of all, I really enjoyed this story and couldn’t put it down! The characters were realistic and relatable and the plot had a great sense of mystery, which kept me wanting to read more. In addition, there are plenty of plot twists at the end and they are all very good and come totally unexpected. The only reason I couldn’t give his book a 4 or 5, was because I think that when the mystery is unravelled at the end, there are some parts which are unbelievable and I think that the scientific side of the story could've done with a bit more development. However, it was still a good read and I would definitely recommend to those who are looking for a thrilling book to transport you into a new world! I think it is suited to teens age 13 and over because the ending is quite dark and the plot is complex. In my opinion, I loved the idea that Laura is to grow up in a completely different century than she is used to and she must adapt to the new trends and ways of society. Also, I think it is super cool that it is placed in the future so there were lots of new technology and gadgets for the characters to explore.

Jess Year 9

A Girl Named Justice

By Elly Griffiths

I recommend 'A Girl Called Justice' by Elly Griffiths, if you like mystery and murder. This book involves a girl going to a boarding school which has a massive secret behind it. She gets her friend to help as well to find the secret behind the school. She talks to a young maid who tells her a back story of some of the teachers there. So, if you like mystery and some plot twists this is the book for you!

Book recommended by Teigan Year 7

Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures

This book is on the three periods, the Triassic, Cretaceous and Jurassic. This book also sheds some light on archosaurs types of archosaurs, like today we have birds or crocodiles. The famous ones, dinosaurs, I will be talking about. The book explains diets, physical characteristics and habitat.

One of the dinosaurs is the T-Rex it evolved near the end of the Jurassic, the period before the end of the dinosaurs. Its sense of smell was so good ,like the Great White sharks of today, it could pin point prey, and it could see up to six kilometres away. Something you don't know is, its ankle bones were incredibly fragile (but not too weak).

Book recommended by Hayden Year 7

Future Friends

By David Baddiel

I recommend 'Future Friends' by David Baddiel to anyone who likes mystery and adventure books.

Pip is from 3020 and can't go outside so she sneaks into her parents laboratory and accidently falls in a time travel portal! Here she ends up in 2019 where she meets Rahul.

Book recommended by Alfie Year 7

This is Going to Hurt

By Adam Kay

This is a book written by a former Junior Doctor in the NHS, Adam Kay, using entries from his private diary. It is hilarious in places, yet touching in others. The book clearly shows how difficult it is for our front line workers in the National Health Service. I feel this is very poignant given the current situation. Kay retired from medicine and now works in television. He has been doing so for the past ten years. I believe that not only does the book make for a great read, it is also very important, not just for those who are willing to join Britain's healthcare industry, but also for the rest of the population, who rely on the service to help them and their fellow citizens stay alive and healthy.

This book is certainly a recommend for more mature readers and an absolute must-read for those seeking a career in this sector (myself NOT counted in that group).

Rating 5/5

Book reviewed by Christopher Year 9

The Enemy series (Book 2-The Dead)

By Charlie Higson

The Enemy series has seven books in total. The Dead is the second book in Charlie Higson’s jaw-dropping zombie horror series for teens.

Setting the scene from the first book (The Enemy)

Maxie, Blue and the rest of the Holloway crew aren’t the only kids trying to escape the ferocious adults who prey on the them.

Everyone over the age of 14 or 16 (I’m not sure as I have not completed the series yet) has become infected by the zombie virus and now all the kids must fight for survival. ‘Death walks the streets. Nowhere is safe.’

Book 2 The Dead

Jack and Ed are best friends, but their battle to stay alive tests their friendship to the limit as they go on the run with a mismatched group of other kids – nerds, fighters, misfits and one adult called Greg who claims he is immune to the disease. However later on in the depths of London Greg shows more signs of being infected: outer blisters appear and inner madness. Then he kills - (spoiler removed) -the only thing he cares about in the whole world. Thinking on their feet the bus crew decide to leave the enraged adult behind. As the fire sweeps through London the crew have to survive and think quickly on there feet. Eventually they end up at the tower of London ready for the next instalment of the series.

My thoughts on The Dead

At first, I thought I wouldn’t like this book however after reading a few pages I realised I loved it! The book goes over many children’s lives and we get to find out how different groups live together as a crew. I find the best bit about this book is how it all links together and how the children are so unaware of who or what they are dealing with. I can’t wait to finish all the books in the series as it always leaves you on a cliff-hanger. I rate this book 10/10!

Book reviewed by Oliver Year 7

The Kingdom

by Jess Rothenberg

Summary-This is about a theme park where they have created animals that went extinct and where seven half human half android princesses, also known as Fantasists, live however one of them, Ana, starts to have felling for people including a worker called Owen. This is not supposed to happen because they have been programmed not to have feeling like this. However, this leads to murder and an investigation into the Fantasist in court. Though out all this chaos other Fantasists start begin to have faults which leads to madness in the park.

Plot- In my opinion this book has a very unique and original plot, which included many intriguing twists that made the book interesting. Even though Jess, the author, added lots of twists it did not make the book confusing or hard to follow. This means you are not needing to force yourself to read it therefore I knew that I was enjoying the book. I also liked how the author switched between time periods of Ana being in the park as one of the twelve Fantasists and her being in court as she was a suspect for the murder. However, at some points in the book it became a bit boring because it was very repetitive at times with Ana’s emotions towards the park and Owen. Also, sometimes the author would build up lots of excitement and tension but nothing happened after the tension.

Characteristics- I loved how each character had a different personality and how each Fantasists had a different role in the theme park. This made it easy to follow because you did not get loaded with lots of information at a time but they slowly and discreetly give you information about their personality and uses like the one who performs in the water, so you remember all of the information.

Writing Style- The writing style at first seem very complicated because each chapter changes from the past when Ana was in the park and when she is in court for trial over the murder she is suspected to have committed .This is also written in different ways when Ana is in the court, the book is written in a script style but when she is still in the park, it is written in a narrative style.

Other Thoughts- I enjoyed this book because even though it is a fantasy, I would say it is also a mystery book because you also throughout the book our trying to work who was murdered how they were murdered and who murdered them. This was one of the main things that kept me hooked to the book. I would recommend this book for older children and maybe young adults.

Olivia Year 8

‘Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe’​

by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

‘Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe’ is a coming-of-age YA novel which was published on February 21st, 2012.

The story focuses on teenage Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza and his journey on discovering how he fits in inside the universe. Set in El Paso, Texas, the book begins in the summer of 1987 with friendless Ari reflecting on how his life has been so far. Before long, he meets the poetic and sweet Dante Quintana who teaches him how to swim. In the description of the book, it compares their differences, but they are a lot more similar than they seem. They both share a love for books and they feel very lost as to who they are. They are also both Mexican - which they frequently talk about as Ari is happy with his ethnicity, but Dante is shown to struggle with it.

This is definitely one of my favourite books because of how incredibly beautiful and real it is. It’s so breathtaking that every single line could belong in a museum. I believe that the reader will in at least one way relate to Ari as he has so much depth to his character that I loved watching him grow up and learn new things. He even felt so real that I felt completely immersed in the story, so when he was happy, sad or in pain, I was too. Additionally, Dante is the perfect companion to Ari (vice versa) because he helps him immensely and ‘with his open and unique perspective on life’ he ‘breaks down the walls that Ari has built around himself’. Sáenz also says that they both ‘redefine each other’s worlds’ and with lines like that, I understand why I immediately thought of this book when I saw this weeks task.

I tried to think of a flaw with this book, and to me, I could not find any sizeable ones. I might be biased because of my strong love for the characters and writing, but I don't seem to be alone, as this book has ‘near-universal critical acclaim and numerous accolades’ (which are displayed on the front cover). Overall, this books means a great deal to me, and when I have recommended it to friends, they’ve all loved it just as much as me. I feel like anybody who wants an amazing new view on adolescence would thoroughly enjoy this book. Sáenz labels it a tale of ‘loyalty and trust, friendship and love’, which, to me, is everything you need in a book and that is why it has cemented itself into being one of my favourites of all time.

A review by Julianna Year 8

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

By J K Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second novel out of seven stories. The author is J K Rowling!

• My recommended reading age: 10 - 17 years

• Plot: Harry Potter is in his second year of Hogwarts (1992 - 1993). Harry and his best friend Ron Weasley are searching the Chamber of Secrets, where the Basilisk lives.

• Length of book: The book has eighteen chapters and is four hundred pages long.

• Main characters: Harry Potter (12), Albus Dumbledore (150), Draco Malfoy (12), Ron Weasley (12), Severus Snape (60), Gildroy Lockheart (29), Hermione Grainger (12), Minerva McGonagell (8 year old professor)

Star rating *****

My thoughts:

• Once I started reading this story I could not put it down!

• It is my favourite book out of all the stories.

• The story is tense and exciting and keeps you in suspense!

• I felt like I was part of the story!

• My favourite chapter is chaper 5 'The Whomping Willow'. In this chapter, Harry and Ron miss the Hogwarts Express to go back to school, and end up using Ron's parents, Ford Anglia to ride through the air to get to school. When they arrive, the crash into the whomping willow tree! Awesome!

Summary

This book is an amazing read, which will make you smile from ear to ear. Once you have read this book, you can watch the film!

Issac Year 9