Tag Archives: book review

Asterix at the Olympic Games by René Goscinny My rating: 4 of 5 stars Oh I love Asterix. It’s been a constant in my life and along with Twinkle and Bunty was one of the first comics I read. In a fit of topicality, I picked up Asterix At The Olympic Games. And, very simply,Continue reading “Asterix at the Olympic Games : Goscinny & Uderzo”

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a very, very gorgeous book. It’s painful too, teary-eyed and clutching it in the middle of the night painful, and it’s very very life-affirming. I loved The Probability of Miracles. The UK edition (published July by Penguin) has a veryContinue reading “The Probability of Miracles : Wendy Wunder”

A Brighter Fear by Kerry Drewery My rating: 3 of 5 stars A Brighter Fear by Kerry Drewery is, I think, the first piece of British children’s literature to directly address the war in Iraq. (Please do correct me if I’m wrong!). A while back on my blog I wrote about the necessity of children’sContinue reading “A Brighter Fear : Kerry Drewery”

I’ve tried the Woman In White quite a few times. This is primarily due to a moment in the Chalet School books where Miss Annersley (IIRC)  chucks a white dress on for a literary themed fancy dress party and, when the prefects spend an entire evening saying, “Gosh Miss Annersley whoever could you be?”, herContinue reading “The Woman In White : Wilkie Collins (Real Reads adapted edition)”

Heart-Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne My rating: 4 of 5 stars Emily Koll is – well – she’s – she’s here. She’s brittle, broken. But she’s here. She’s here after – (well, after everything she did, after everything that’s been printed about her, after all the words that have been said) She’s telling her storyContinue reading “Heart-Shaped Bruise : Tanya Byrne”

A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean My rating: 5 of 5 stars Cally Louise Fisher has seen her mother. Her dead mother. She’s seen her as bright as day but nobody believes her. Callie’s also started to be followed by a huge grey Irish Wolfhound that seems to show up at the strangest ofContinue reading “A Dog Called Homeless : Sarah Lean”

The One Dollar Horse by Lauren St John My rating: 4 of 5 stars The One Dollar Horse provides a much needed twenty-first century spin to the horse story. Full of urban edge, and yet never quite losing that fairytale element all good horse stories have, The One Dollar Horse is a book that ponyContinue reading “The One Dollar Horse : Lauren St John”

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein My rating: 4 of 5 stars Before I discuss this book, I need to share a few things. Firstly – the Bechdel Test. The Bechdel Test (available here) is a test which assesses the representation of women in media. The test consists of three parts: : (a) there haveContinue reading “Code Name Verity : Elizabeth Wein”

Torn by Cat Clarke My rating: 5 of 5 stars Heart-stoppingly tense and palpably taut, “Torn” by Cat Clarke is outstanding. Told in a deceptively simple first person style, our narrator Alice recounts what led to the death of one of her schoolmates. The central event – the pivotal incident of “Torn” – turns outContinue reading “Torn : Cat Clarke”

ISBN: 9781906451325 As much as I grew up on the Girls’ Own genre, I also grew up on Boy’s Own books. H Rider Haggard … Jules Verne … Arthur Conan Doyle. You know the sort of thing – lots of Derring Do and Buckling Of Swashes and Stiff Upper Lips. It was because of this thatContinue reading “The Bother In Burmeon : SP Moss”

Martyn Pig by Kevin Brooks My rating: 4 of 5 stars Kevin Brooks stormed onto the scene right from day one. Martyn Pig, his debut novel, sparks with a gritty urgency and intense realism that proves Brooks is no one hit wonder. The eponymous Martyn Pig is a teenager caught in hideous circumstances. His fatherContinue reading “Martyn Pig : Kevin Brooks”

The Witching Hour by Elizabeth Laird My rating: 4 of 5 stars Elizabeth Laird is an author capable of very great things. The Garbage King is, quite frankly, superb and I picked up The Witching Hour on the strength of my experience of this book. The Witching Hour (also published in the US as TheContinue reading “The Witching Hour : Elizabeth Laird”

The Talent Thief by Alex Williams My rating: 3 of 5 stars I came across The Talent Thief in one of those random shelf-browsing moments and was massively pleased to discover it. I did a lot of work in the final year of my MA on gifted and talented characters in children’s literature and TheContinue reading “The Talent Thief : Alex Williams”

Artichoke Hearts by Sita Brahmachari My rating: 5 of 5 stars A beautiful, elegant tribute to love, difference and life; Artichoke Hearts is something really rather special. The debut novel of Sita Brahmachari, narrated by young Mira Levenson, is one of those quietly stunning books that sidles into your heart and won’t leave easily. ToldContinue reading “Artichoke Hearts : Sita Brahmachari”

Road to London by Barbara Mitchelhill My rating: 3 of 5 stars Barbara Mitchelhill is one of those authors I’ve suddenly become very aware of. I’ve heard great things about Run Rabbit Run so I was excited to pick up Road to London, her latest novel due out in April 2012. It’s a novel setContinue reading “Road to London : Barbara Mitchelhill”

The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson My rating: 5 of 5 stars Oh, oh, oh, my love for Eva Ibbotson utterly continues. The Secret of Platform 13 is furiously magical and madly inventive. It’s the story of a hidden island, wrapped away from the ‘everyday’ by magic and mists (mists made, fyi, byContinue reading “The Secret of Platform 13 : Eva Ibbotson”

Claude on Holiday by Alex T. Smith My rating: 5 of 5 stars I am very lucky in that I have access to a university library which has a genuinely superb children’s literature collection. I have got hundreds of books out of there and I am nowhere near reading them all. And sometimes, when you turnContinue reading “Claude on Holiday : Alex T Smith”

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness My rating: 5 of 5 stars A Monster Calls is, quite simply, extraordinary. The original idea came from Siobhan Dowd and following her untimely death was carried to fruition by Patrick Ness and Jim Kay. Ness is outstanding. It is so awfully beautifully written. A Monster Calls has anContinue reading “A Monster Calls : Patrick Ness”

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs My rating: 3 of 5 stars Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar children is, well, a most peculiar book. It’s an aesthetic stunner. Interwoven with some very beautiful and haunting photographs, it has a curiously pleasing visual quality. An aesthetically pleasing print novel. That’s a fairly interestingContinue reading “Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children : Ransom Riggs”

Laura Marlin Mysteries 2: Kidnap in the Caribbean by Lauren St. John My rating: 5 of 5 stars I have a little bit of a problem. I think I’m in love with this series. I thought Dead Man’s Cove was brilliant I’m genuinely pleased to report that Kidnap in the Caribbean is of a similarContinue reading “Kidnap in the Caribbean : Lauren St John”

Dead Man’s Cove by Lauren St. John My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’m going to be terribly unprofessional here for a moment so please do humour me. THIS IS BRILLIANT. *Puts Critic hat back on* THIS IS BRILLIANT Oh, this will never do. Okay, I’ll have to do my best to restore some sortContinue reading “Dead Man’s Cove : Lauren St John”

Boom! by Mark Haddon My rating: 2 of 5 stars Mark Haddon is good. He’s very good. Just not that good here. This is the story of two schoolboys who discover that aliens are real. And they actually know some of them. It’s a weird little book if I’m honest. There are some absolutely lovelyContinue reading “Boom! : Mark Haddon”

The Declaration by Gemma Malley My rating: 5 of 5 stars Reading like a dystopian hybrid of “Torchwood : Miracle Day” and “Annie”, the Declaration is solidly brilliant storytelling. It tells the story of Surplus Anna who was born. And that’s her crime right there. She shouldn’t have been. Her parents acted against ‘The Declaration’Continue reading “The Declaration : Gemma Malley”

Marco and the Blade of Night by Thom Madley My rating: 2 of 5 stars I read both ‘Marco’ books in swift succession (Pendulum & Blade of Night). And it was halfway through Marco and the Blade of Night that I realised something. There’s a lot of talking. I mean, there’s a LOT of talking.Continue reading “Marco and the Blade of Night : Thom Madley”

Opal Moonbaby by Maudie Smith My rating: 4 of 5 stars Opal Moonbaby reads a little like Pippi Longstocking meets Dodie Smith (I was very much reminded of I Capture the Castle and The Starlight Barking for example) with a sprinkle of Jacqueline Wilson-esque social commentary thrown in for good measure. I really enjoyed this. It’sContinue reading “Opal Moonbaby : Maudie Smith”

Gone by Michael Grant My rating: 3 of 5 stars Gone. That’s what happens to everybody over 14 years old. They just blink out and leave the kids of Perdido Beach by themselves. Heck of a hook. I’ve encountered the ‘absent parent’ trope before (The Time of the Reaper and The Enemy for example) and it’sContinue reading “Gone : Michael Grant”

Almost True by Keren David My rating: 5 of 5 stars ‘Almost True’ is the second story Keren David has written about Ty. Ty is a boy, an average boy, who was one day involved in a horrific event which came to change and define his life. David’s prose is solid, earthy and real. AndContinue reading “Almost True : Keren David”

The Cursed Ones by Nancy Holder My rating: 2 of 5 stars Vampires are taking over the world. They have quite literally come out of the shadows and are, nominally, living with humanity. But in truth, they’re taking over. And there’s only random pockets of resistance and Hunters who are trying to stop them. TheContinue reading “The Cursed Ones : Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie”

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld My rating: 4 of 5 stars Acting as the sequel to Leviathan, Behemoth tells the story of Deryn and Alek and their role in an alternative version of world history involving war, revolution and fantastical machines. Elements of their journey are joyous and the illustrations in this book are worth aContinue reading “Behemoth : Scott Westerfeld”

Fury by Elizabeth Miles My rating: 4 of 5 stars There’s some strange and awful goings on in Ascension. People keeping secrets. Lots and lots of secrets. And sometimes secrets get out whether you want them to or not. And sometimes people get hurt… Perhaps it’s just a reaction of reading too many YA paranomalContinue reading “Fury : Elizabeth Miles”

Neversuch House by Elliot Skell My rating: 2 of 5 stars Neversuch House. A curious location, home to the Halibut family who live in a cloistered existence from the world outside. Everyone’s pretty much fine with that until one day Omnia Halibut finds herself involved in a series of extraordinary events. Hear that? She’s involvedContinue reading “Neversuch House : Elliot Skell”

I’ve just finished The Lord of The Rings. Finishing my MA in Children’s Literature has dazzled me. I have so much free time now. It’s a little mindblowing. One of the first things I did was treat myself to a long lovely wallow in a book which has defined a lot of my life. AndContinue reading “The Lord of The Rings : Or, how to review a book when it’s all been said already”

The Traitor’s Gate: The Nowhere Chronicles Book Two by Sarah Silverwood My rating: 5 of 5 stars The Traitor’s Gate is the sequel to The Double-Edged Sword which I first reviewed here and the second book in the Nowhere Chronicles by Sarah Silverwood. Finmere Tingewick Smith is caught up in the events of his worldContinue reading “The Traitor’s Gate : Sarah Silverwood”

The Double-Edged Sword: The Nowhere Chronicles Book One by Sarah Silverwood My rating: 4 of 5 stars The Double-Edged Sword is the first of the Nowhere Chronicles, a new series by author Sarah Silverwood. Whilst I’m usually terribly cynical about series (seriously, if I read anymore tenuous trilogies I will weep), I found this wasContinue reading “The Double-Edged Sword : Sarah Silverwood”

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan My rating: 3 of 5 stars Gosh, reading this was very strange. The Red Pyramid is, to be blunt, Percy Jackson with Egyptian gods. I won’t fault Riordan on his use of mythology; strong, competent and solid. He weaves in a hell of a lot of stuff in thereContinue reading “The Red Pyramid : Rick Riordan”

Dear Fred by K.M. Peyton My rating: 5 of 5 stars I finished this and I realised that I don’t ever remember reading a bad book from KM Peyton. I genuinely feel that she is one of the most undersung authors in the world of children’s literature. Stylistically reminiscent of Antonia Forest (with the precisionContinue reading “Dear Fred : KM Peyton”

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O’Brien My rating: 2 of 5 stars Birthmarked tells the story of young midwife Gaia Stone who helps deliver babies to the Enclave – a walled, er, enclave who brings up the children inside of the, god this is going to kill me, Enclave and forget their previous lives in theContinue reading “Birthmarked : Caragh O’Brien”

Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson My rating: 4 of 5 stars Books like that one beginning with a T and the interminable recurrence of “kids with powers” has kind of put me off YA Fantasy recently. To be honest there’s only so much you can do with the format and a lot of it hasContinue reading “Hunting Lila : Sarah Alderson”

Unhooking the Moon by Gregory Hughes My rating: 5 of 5 stars Meet Marie Claire and Robert DeBillier. Aka Bob and his sister – The Rat. Following a tragic family incident, the two of them decide to seek out their long-lost Uncle who lives in New York. Trouble is – these kids currently live inContinue reading “Unhooking the moon : Gregory Hughes”

Dewey: The True Story of a World-Famous Library Cat by Vicki Myron My rating: 4 of 5 stars I found this a really charming little book and genuinely enjoyed reading it. The story of Dewey the Library cat, kitten rescued from a freezing alley and given home in a public library, has been adapted specificallyContinue reading “Dewey, the true story of a world-famous library cat : Vicki Myron”

Dear Patrick. I’d tried with The Knife Of Never Letting Go before. I’d tried and got stuck within a few pages. Didn’t really kick into gear for me. I struggled with the language and the sheer denseness of what I was reading. So I put it down. Stepped away. Put it back on the shelf.Continue reading “The Knife of Never Letting Go : In praise of the sneaky books”

Light by Alan Davidson My rating: 1 of 5 stars Light tells the story of a young boy who, through wince-worthy coincidence, finds himself caught up in a strange echo of events from World War Two. You can probably guess from that sentence alone, I didn’t get on with this book. It’s not say thatContinue reading “Light : Alan Davidson”

Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo My rating: 3 of 5 stars The day I discover a new Micheal Morpurgo is a very happy day. He’s one of the authors who constantly amaze and inspire me. Running Wild is the story of Will, caught up in terrifying events when a tsunami hits the village he andContinue reading “Running Wild – Michael Morpurgo”

An Act of Love by Alan Gibbons My rating: 5 of 5 stars Full disclosure part one – I received an advance copy of this from the publisher. Full disclosure part two – It’s really rather good. An Act of Love tells the story of two childhood friends forced down separate ideological paths – oneContinue reading “An Act of Love – Alan Gibbons”

King of Shadows by Susan Cooper My rating: 4 of 5 stars Oh this is good. The protagonist, Nat Field, is a young actor who has come over to play at the Globe with his company. Somehow he goes to bed feeling ill and then wakes up in Shakespearean England. With Shakespeare. The rest ofContinue reading “King of Shadows – Susan Cooper.”

Ice Lolly by Jean Ure My rating: 3 of 5 stars Beware, spoilers. I seem to be finding a lot of books these days with bereavement as their central issue. Ice Lolly is the story of Laurel and told primarily in the first person. It was a curiously unsatisfying book for me because the language,Continue reading “Ice Lolly – Jean Ure”

Zoe and Beans: Where is Binky Boo? by Chloe Inkpen My rating: 5 of 5 stars Picture books, regardless of reader-age, are able to give pleasure to pretty much everybody. As they’re often read by adults to children, there’s a subtle acknowledgement of this in the text and few small side-winks to the adult insideContinue reading “Where is Binky Boo”

Circus Shoes by Noel Streatfeild My rating: 4 of 5 stars Noel Streatfield had a handle on what made “working” children tick. Her sympathetic portrayal of characters who take to the stage, the circus, the ice-rink, is consistently smart and realistic. Circus Shoes is no exception. Peter and his rather splendidly named sister Santa faceContinue reading “Circus Shoes : Noel Streatfield”

I admit, I only picked this up because Dianna Agron stars in the film and I have a slight obsession with Glee. Now that that’s out of the way, it’s down to the book review. Fantasy / sci-fi are curious genres for the adolescent reader. It’s one which very distinctly bridges the divide between “adult”Continue reading “I Am Number Four”

The Tomorrow Code is a fairly solid environmental thriller based in New Zealand. Tane and Rebecca, two good friends, decipher messages sent to them from the future. Everything is about to go really rather horribly wrong – and they are the only people who know it. The story was good up to the point whenContinue reading “Book Review: The Tomorrow Code – Brian Falkner”

It’s taken me a while to get near a copy of this (sidebar : I love my university library at times) and finally I got my hot hands on a copy yesterday morning. And I’ve already finished it. First word: Wow. Second word: Wow. Third word: Cor (aka. wow). This book is brilliant. I genuinelyContinue reading “Book Review – Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief”