BOOK REVIEW

Bloody Tower by Valerie Wilding is an informative and interesting novel that I enjoyed immensely. The story is situated from 1553–1559 and it is able to describe in detail what it would have been like to live in this era. So enough with the chatter and let me tell you what this little novel is about? A girl named Matilda Middleton is given a book by her father who says that she must grow up to be a smart young lady. One day when Tilly is writing in her journal, she notices a piece of paper that isn’t there before and to her surprise it is not a paper but an envelope. So who do you think this letter is for? Read and join Tilly in finding out who this letter belongs to and if she ever be able to deliver it?

Alright let’s get on with it… The pacing of this was good considering how short the book is and I really loved how Valerie Wilding added a timeline and primary sources at the end of the story. This helped me appreciate historical facts. I did feel as if at times the book became boring and I’m going to be honest I could’ve stopped reading it altogether, however, the real events that took place in the story intrigued me. I was motivated to read this novel because I don’t know much about history in general so I thought that this book was a great place to start.

I remember as a kid going to the school library, I would always want to read historical fiction books but I also thought that they might be boring so I didn’t read them. Now I can gladly tell my younger self (when time machines exist) that reading stuff about the past is an extremely great way to learn and be entertained as well.

Overall, I think that this book is very educational and although it has a bit of tiresome parts, it also has lots of interesting narration. This novel is a great start if you would like to begin the journey through humanity (also known as history).

I recommend this novel to those who enjoy being educated and informed. Also this is a great start to anyone who wants to read historical fiction. Note: There are scenes of torture. Storyline is an interpretation of what life was like in the era.

-K Randall, Year 9