A list of all the books that will make your summer even greater:

Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid – a fabulous book with a twist of romance, the plot focuses on a hilarious attempt to break through high school cliches ; you will be re-reading this one for years to come.

Jasmine Skies by Sita Brahmarachi – a beautiful story of a girl who travels to India for the first time, finding romance; but also finding out the disturbing secrets of her family’s past.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman – this is both touching and tragic; a story of a girl who finds herself in a coma and has an out of body experience in which she decides whether to live or die. It sounds heavy but I promise that it’s not – only incredibly heart-warming.

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider – the gripping romance between two teenagers who are quarantined that shows you how to appreciate life; again, a book you will love and re-read more than a million times.

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern – another fabulously gripping book, this time set in a parallel society in which the faction of flawed exist; but the flawed are not criminals, only people who have done something morally or ethically wrong. This is the story of one girl’s struggle to challenge the status quo ina perfect society.

All these books are the ‘creme de la creme’ of my favorites and I highly recommend that you read each and every one of them!

 

A twisted, scarred neck. Rendered mute. There is no denying that Rosa has the Calm. This disease will manacle her in the grip of confinement – because every single person on the island of Mirasol sees her as a monster.

Rosa desperately spends all her time online – her only glimpse of the tempestuous outside world. She meets a boy. A boy who takes heart-stopping photos of the island. Photos that look like they have been taken from her window. Their friendship is precious and unique. But when the two meet in a world that is not computer generated – everything could fall to pieces.

Secrets are made to be found out. The past is doomed to haunt the present. And it seems that friendships are made to be broken.

This book has an eerie, mysterious quality that is captured inside the pages and draws you in until you can’t stop reading. Every character is an enigma who lies and sneaks yet knows gasp-worthy secrets. The writing describes a weird world that seems to be wavering in the haze of a boundary between reality and unreality. This is what makes the story so unique and original. Commencing as what seems a story set in our world; a mute girl who finds ways to communicate online, the book rapidly dissolves into a weirdly wonderful tale of ghosts and diseases, of secrets and lies.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

What would you do if I whipped you like an animal? Would you thrash and fight and kick – or would you stand and know you had no choice but to to take it. This is the story of the people who had to stand and take it. This is the story of the one boy who fought. He used to try to be good, at the orphanage. He used to look after his brother. He used to have more worth than a cigarette butt that has been ground into the street. As soon as they sent Samuel to be a slave it was as if they had shoved a coarse, brown sack onto his head that he couldn’t get out from. They changed his name. They forged his papers. They forbade him to read or write. And unless he could make them believe that his name wasn’t Friday – that he wasn’t a slave, they wouldn’t let him go. In the midst of a place where people are treated like animals, where the American Civil War rages, Samuel will learn how difficult it is to be a good man in a bad world.

The allure in this book is captured and harnessed in its language style and phraseology. Infused inside coarse manners and rough lives there is some indescribable, unique quality in the way the most heartfelt of emotions are conveyed in a few unsophisticated sentences. This modest, unpolished language portrays every sentiment as pure and rare, coming from the heart. But in addition to this, the language creates the setting of the story better than any description. Without elaboration, a world of dirty streets and basic food is created. Without mention of luxuries we know that in this world everything is sparse and meagre. Another engaging aspect is the conflict of character in the protagonist, Samuel. As the story opens he is depicted as an unusually pious character, always obedient and virtuous, and regarded highly at the orphanage.

It was long ago that Mia decided to keep it a secret. Nobody could ever know. It was integral that nobody ever knew her strange ability.

Mia saw colors at the slam of a door, the thud of a hammer, the whirr of a helicopter. Shapes and tones danced in front of her eyes as soon as she heard a sound. But her gift was abnormal. Mia knew that all too well. And anything abnormal must be quickly veiled from the eyes of scheming bullies.

When Mia’s colors begin to affect her life drastically – she knows that she is going to have to reveal her secret.

This is a story rich in the lush, vibrant description of colors and sounds that far exceed any other book – one of the things I loved most about ‘A Mango-Shaped Space’. In addition to the wonderful, unique language of the book, the writer adeptly adds the subtle touch of the conflicting emotions of growing up. The storyline itself is based on the intriguing, rare condition of synesthesia which, simply put, leaves the synesthete able to perceive colours when tasting or hearing. This is a story that I would definitely recommend to anyone who is interested.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Maya is a ‘Social Outcast’. She is at the bottom of her school’s hierarchy, awkward and shy. And then, one day, her father picks up a battered vintage book at a bookstore. Each chapter dictates a perfect way to pull off different aspects of being popular. Betty Cornell, the teenage author, has formed a guidebook that could save Maya’s life. The catch – it was written in the 1950s.

Maya decides to construct an experiment. For every month of the school year she will focus on the rules of each chapter and look at the reactions it will get. At the end of the year, Maya will decide if she has become popular. And hopefully, she will have found out its definition too.

The most striking and appealing thing about ‘Popular’ is that it is true; the plot is so clever and original that I wondered how it could be taken from life. Although the title suggests a perhaps shallow and boring book, the story was inspirational and brought a hidden meaning into the word popular. My only criticism would be the slightly irritating amount of Spanish translation. Other than that, I would recommend this book to any age.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Anna Grazinsky is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families of Russia. Respected and renowned, the Grazinskys have everything they could wish for. But the Russian Revolution catapults them into poverty. When they leave Russia, they entrust their collection of worldwide famous jewels to Anna’s old wet nurse – who runs away with them; the only thing that could give Anna’s family a life in England.

For now the Grazinskys are destitute.

Anna must go to work in the English household Mersham, where everything is new and strange, and where Anna, for the first time, will not be at the top of the house’s hierarchy. She will be at the bottom. And when you are a maid, you are not supposed to fall in love with you’re master. Especially if he is engaged already.

The Secret Countess is a rich, vibrant and original story. The change from Russia to England highlights the stereotypes of an olden day English household, through the eyes of a girl who knows what goes on above the servant’s quarters. Another aspect of the book that I admired was that every character was unique and had an intriguing background behind them, which kept the story interesting and not only focusing on the main characters. However, one criticism I had was that I thought more time could be spent on describing the Grazinsky family’s situation once they reached England. I was uncertain of exactly how they managed to obtain a residence and send Anna’s brother to school on their meagre amount of money. Apart from that, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the story.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Ellen Carr should have had at least a streak of feminism in her. Her mother and aunts were all strong suffragettes who had gone on hunger strikes, been in prison and had firm beliefs in freedom and education for women. But Ellen’s beliefs were in cooking and housekeeping.

When her grandmother and mentor passes away, Ellen goes to work in the land that her grandmother loved : Austria. Ellen will be the housekeeper of a ‘progressive’ boarding school, and she develops a bond with all the children as she brings to their sorrowful lives joy, and to their raw hearts love. But there is one person at the school whom Ellen cannot get to confide in her – and that is Marek, the gardener. Their lives become entangled as Ellen realizes that Marek is working in the resistance to help Jews – and the pair fall in love.

So why is there no happy ending for them?

A Song for Summer is an embroidery of places, people, secrets, mysteries, romances, music – every imaginable idea woven into this tapestry of words. The treasures of the book, though, are the characters. Eva Ibbotson has created unique characters, each one interesting and different. Ballerinas, musicians, opera singers, cooks, suffragettes, gardeners, lords, every type of person and profession features in the book, making it original, gripping, intriguing and vibrant. However, I felt that the ending of the book was very rushed and the plot became too fast-paced, with not enough time for the reader to process events. Aside from this, the book had no undesirable language and I would recommend it too anyone aged ten and up.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Malik is on the run in a country that has been torn apart. Together with his grandfather he has left his home and mother. The only way out of his desperate situation is by a boat on which tickets are few and far between. Malik’s grandfather has been able to get the two of them tickets. Malik is one of the lucky ones. But his ticket came at a huge cost.

The setting of this book was unique and original. The name of the country is not mentioned and few details are given about it. The names of the characters do not give many clues as to where the book is set, however, this adds an aura of mystery. Also, the book begins in the midst of a crisis, although it is not stated whether this crisis is a war, revolt or invasion. Another aspect of the book that was so original was the absoloute desperation of the people to get on that boat. It is not mentioned where the boat is taking them or why tickets are so coveted. This makes you keep on reading out of desire to know more details and is very cleverly done. These sort of omission techniques are not used very often but they are a skilful way to keep readers intrigued. However, my one criticism is that the book ended very abruptly and the resolution and ending did not seem to fit in with the plot and was not spent enough time upon. I would still highly recommend this to any eight year old and up.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!


 Hanna Michelson considers herself only a half-jew. Her father was not Jewish – but her mother is. And so, in the eyes of the Nazis that are storming Latvia – Hanna is Jewish. But how can this make so much difference? For all her life Hanna has mixed with people not of her religion. Her boyfriend, her friends at dance school. But, even though she protests that she is half Jewish, Hanna will have to watch everything slip away as she enters the concentration camp of Latvia.

A story of betrayal and trust, a story of death and disappearance.

The Earth is Singing provided the first detailed description of a concentration camp that I have ever read. The daily routine, food and work was described. I was thrust into a harsh world as I turned the pages. In most books about concentration camps, the protagonist  states that he/she is proud to be Jewish. However, in this story, Hanna proclaims that she does not want to be Jewish. In addition to the fact that Hanna was only half-Jewish, this provided an entirely new aspect to the story. The Earth is Singing is a book that tore through my heart, and although there is no inappropriate content, due to the sad and terrible subject matter, I would recommend this to any ten-year-old and up.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!


Ted has a mind that operates differently from everyone he knows. He has a syndrome that makes his brain work unusually. But it was his mind that solved the mystery. The mystery of the disppearance of Salim, his cousin. Salim had gone onto the London Eye alone. The glass pod he had been in had gone up with him in it- and gone down without him in it.

How is it possible for Ted and his sister, Kat, to solve a mystery that defies the most basic law of life – the law of gravity?

The London Eye Mystery is almost just a mystery. Without Ted’s syndrome, the book would have been a very interesting mystery –  but nothing else. However, the plot line accompanied by the aspect of Ted’s different thinking, completely changes the book. The story is told in first person narrative, from Ted’s point of view. This allows the reader to have an insight into his unusual mind and to solve the mystery following the logical steps that Ted’s brain took. This idea was both intriguing and inspired. The London Eye Mystery is a book that would appeal to anyone who enjoys solving complex problems that you just have to keep reading to find the answer to. There is nothing inappropriate and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the story.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Erin, January and Mouse all live in a home for ‘damaged’ children, whose parents cannot care for them. They are always trying to escape – and always being brought back. But this time, January manages to build a raft out of three old doors. Now the children have found a new way to escape – down the river. Yet now they must encounter the treacherous Black Middens, with its thick heavy mud that pulls you under the surface. But the children are lucky. They manage to drag themselves onto land. There, they take refuge in an old printing press – where they meet the two mysterious inhabitants of the building, Grampa and Heaven Eyes. And now they must all prepare to learn lessons they won’t forget, to find out the truth about themselves, and for the most abnormal experiences of their lives.

Heaven Eyes is a magical book – but it could not be called a fantasy. And this is the triumph of the writing. For the thing that thrilled me most was that whatever paranormal happenings occured, there was still a large element of real life. This made the reader feel that the story could have happened, that it might have been true. Another thing that I loved about ‘Heaven Eyes’ is the strangeness of the entire plot. A printing press next to a river that is filled with mud that can drown you. A girl named Heaven Eyes with webbed fingers that was supposedly found floating in the Black Middens. The story is original, creative but yet it does not seem that the happenings in the book were randomly chosen to give an air of strangeness and magic. I could not criticise anything, and I would highly recommend this story to anyone who is interested.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!


Tara leads a luxurious life in her large home in Iraq. She is a Kurd, and, although she is aware that there is some fighting going on, she does not realize the true enormity of the matter until she witnesses a shooting on her way home from school. Many members of Tara’s family are pesh murgas, Kurdish fighters. And now they are all in danger. They must flee across the border to Iran, leaving behind their home to live in grimy refuge camps. Now Tara truly appreciates her former life – but she will never get it back.

Kiss the Dust is an incredible story of a family forced to become refugees. One aspect of the book that I found particularly interesting was that the story began in a setting in which the family are living in comfort, wealth and luxury – and then they are rapidly catapulted into a completely different world. This allows the reader to appreciate more what the change must have been like for the characters. Also, it allows the reader to understand and connect more with the people in the book, only for the reason that they have a TV. My only criticism would be that more time could have been spent on describing the hard journey across the border to Iran, as I don’t think it is emphasised enough what an exhausting and terrible trip it would have been. However, other than this, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in its plot.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Parvana is in the midst of a Taliban ruled Aghanistan. Being a girl, she is confined to the strict rules of the Talib men. And so, when her father is taken away and imprisoned – Parvana must begin being a boy.

With no-one else to earn food and money, she is forced to disguise herself as a male to produce the bread that Parvana and her family will survive on.

The Breadwinner is an entirely new story of Taliban ruled life. The idea of a girl being turned into a boy to escape the Taliban restrictions is unused and adds originality and excitement to the book. As well as this, it emphasises the difference in the way boys and girls are treated and allows the reader to see it from a new perspective.


Tom Bomford is gripped by guilt. Wherever he goes he cannot escape. For it was he who killed his sister Jane. They said it was an accident, that it wasn’t his fault, but Tom does not believe them. When war breaks out, Tom joins the army in a desperate attempt to escape the clutches of his conscience. Before he leaves, he is given a Bible by his parents. Venturing into the blistering sun of the Middle East, Tom holds on to the Bible as he tries to hold on to his home. He will realise that the war will bring him only more regrets.

Although I have come across a wide range of books about war, Testament is unique in the fact that it is set in the Middle East. This provided a whole new side to the story. Also, the book begins in Tom’s home before moving on to the war. This created an intriguing background for the whole story.  This also diverted the plot from endlessly being about the war, which can be slightly monotonous in some circumstances. Testament is a very original tale of the war, with all the elements completely different to many other war stories. Although there was some swearing, characteristic to the young soldiers, the book had a very high level of vocabulary and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the plot.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

The community Beatrice lives in is divided up into five groups. Each group values a different quality. When every child turns sixteen, they may choose the group they wish to join. They can stay in the group they were born into – or they can leave their families forever. But if the person fails the gruelling tests that prove that they can join the group, which, in the group Beatrice joins, involve knife throwing, fighting and experiencing terrifying simulations, they are cast out onto the street, factionless. (Note: in the book, the ‘groups’ are referred to as factions.)

Beatrice must make the decision that will change her life forever, the decision that will change who she is. But Beatrice has a secret. She is a Divergent.

As she ventures into a different group, Beatrice has no idea what is in store for her. She has no idea what being a Divergent means – only that it is dangerous.

I read this book in a day. Gripped to the pages by its unique plot, I could not put it down. Although I found it a little lacking in high-quality description, it contained nothing inappropriate. I would strongly recommend it to any ten year old and up.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Josie is a girl who wishes she was a boy. That’s why she cuts her hair – to audition for more boy’s parts in plays. And that’s how she gets kidnapped under the wrong identity- she is mistaken for a boy called Larry Carpenter.

On the run from the kidnappers, Josie takes cover, with a new-found friend, in the Theatre Royal where the legendary Joan Littlewood produces her plays. This kind of acting Josie’s stage school does not approve of. This kind of acting thrills Josie to the very core.

But even as she dives into the world of performing, Josie is not safe. Even as she is watched and protected by police, she is not safe. These kidnappers are ruthless, reckless, and dangerous.

My main reason for reading this book was that Michelle Magorian wrote it. However, I found the story a let-down. The plot was drawn out for too long and seemed to be building up to nothing, to be going nowhere. Furthermore, even the thrilling escapes Josie made were dampened for me. So many times did the protagonist make a lucky escape that after a while these little adventures became monotonous and did not carry the same thrill and excitement as before.

Aside from this, however, the book was gripping most of the time and I found the incorporation of character’s from Magorian’s other book, ‘Just Henry’, clever and amusing.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Michael is a blind man with a guide dog. Now, they are walking down the steps of the twin towers, trying to escape the the burning building, that has been crashed into by a plane.

This story was a perfect mix of a factual recount of the 9/11 crash, the emotional side to Michael’s experience and Michael’s retelling of his life as a blind man. The book described many of the obstacles he had to overcome as well as, first-hand, how he managed to marry, work and go to school. However, my only criticism is that the book glossed over long periods of his life with just a few sentences to summarise them, whereas other years were recounted in much more detail. In my view, the book should be more balanced. On the other hand, I would definitely recommend this to anyone of any age who is interested. The retelling of the 9/11 crash from a blind man’s perspective is shocking, but gripping.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Harry is now 16.

He is preparing to face his enemy.

He is preparing to face the worst.

As Harry and Dumbledore divulge the secrets of Lord Voldemort’s past, Harry’s future seems to become more and more grim. The only way to truly kill Voldemort is to kill the pieces of soul Voldemort has hidden – Horcruxes. These Horcruxes are hidden in unimaginable places, protected by unimaginable enchantments – and Harry has no clue as to where they are.

His quest will be blotted by grief and filled with tragedy- the quest to kill Lord Voldemort.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is more of a part one to the last book, the Deathly Hallows, than a separate book. Loose ends are left untied, questions are left hanging in the air, and the character’s fates are left undecided. This book is similar to an introduction to the grand finale of the last book. However, it is important to read this book before reading the Deathly Hallows, as much information is contained in it.

On a more positive note, this story introduces droll new characters and there is a new surprise or shock at each chapter.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

---

Life: Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was born in Edinburgh in 1850. At 17 he enrolled at the Edinburgh University, studying engineering so that he might build lighthouses like his father. However, he abandoned this course and turned to studying law. Yet he did not practice law as he now knew that he wanted to be a writer. Stevenson died at 44 in 1894

---

Works: Robert Louis Stevenson’s most famous works would be ‘ The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’,’Treasure Island’ and ‘Kidnapped’. However, he also wrote many other short stories and books.

---

Illnesses: In his early childhood Stevenson suffered from tuberculosis. He was also prone to coughs and colds. This was enhanced when he and his family moved to a colder, damper house. Stevenson was away from school for long stretches of time due to his illnesses and was privately tutored during these periods. However, Robert Louis Stevenson was always optimistic and in fact wrote his most joyful book on a bed in a dark, dank room.

Arthur (or Boo) Radley never comes out of his house. Except at night. Scout, Jem and their friend Dill, find this an endless source of wonder. They poke notes on a stick through the window, climb onto window ledges and throw stones at the door.

Meanwhile, their father, Atticus, forbids them to try and make Boo Radley come out. But Scout and Jem are finding presents in a tree and one night Boo wraps a blanket around a freezing Scout. And when the time comes to defend a black man in court, Atticus puts himself and his family at risk against an opposing lawyer. And now there is only one person who can save his family.

To Kill A Mockingbird is simply the story of life where she lives, told from the perspective of Scout. But it is not only that. On the outer surface it may seem like she is just recounting events, but in my view, it seems as though the whole story is based on that single line ‘To kill a mockingbird’. For there are several mockingbirds in the story – the ones in the sky, and some of the characters.

Although the plot of To Kill A Mockingbird is not complex, to understand the full and true meaning of the book, I recommend this to readers who are eleven and over. Also, there are some innapropriate words used at the court scene. However, apart from this, I voraciously devoured this book in two days, being gripped to the pages.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Liv is a typical teenager. Until now. Until her mother contracts a terminal illness- and Liv doesn’t know how to deal with it.

The truth is unbearable and there is no way for Liv to escape from it. As well as dealing with her mum’s illness Liv must look after her older brother, who has Asperger’s Syndrome. She can only run and hide from life with photography. Because her mum won’t always be there for her to run to.

Liv must learn to accept the inevitable.

This book was heart-wrending. The language and description at the subject of Liv’s mother’s illness was so strong and powerful that I was almost in tears. However, disappointingly, this level of writing was not displayed through out the book, lowering the book’s quality whereas otherwise it would be such a high quality book. However, the subject of Liv’s photography was an interesting and original diversion from the morbid plot of the book and helped to characterise Liv more.

I was gripped by this story and would very highly recommend this to any eleven year old and up.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Izzy adores her rash, confident older sister Alex. But she doesn’t understand what’s happened to her idol.

Izzy knows that the only way that she can help her sister is if Alex confides in her, if Alex tells her the real truth, no matter how shocking it is, no matter how much it hurts.

As Alex starts a new life Izzy feels herself being ripped away from her close relationship with her sister.

This book has a theme of colours, hence the title ‘Violet Ink’. This theme is original and intriguing, and is an interesting subject for Izzy to base her life on. For instance, Izzy wants to have a ‘yellow’ new year, because yellow is the colour for happiness. High quality description and language is not displayed at all in this book, which is rather a let-down as the plot is original although with slightly more grown-up subjects. Also, the story would have benefited from more physical description of characters. However, I did really enjoy this book and would recommend it to any mature eleven year old and up.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

For years Queenie Hennessy has been hiding the truth from Harold Fry, a man she is desperately in love with. A man who has a wife and child. Queenie tried to pretend to herself that it was enough for her to love him – but really, it’s not. Now Queenie has cancer and is in a hospice. And Harold Fry is walking the length of England to save her. All she has to do is wait for him.

In the meantime, a nun who works at the hospice convinces Queenie to write a letter to Harold. A letter containing the truth that Queenie has hidden from Harold for all these years.

This novel is touching, gripping and simply unputdownable. Once I started it, I didn’t stop. The suspense was really built up throughout the story, and I felt that when I found out what the truth was, I think it could have been made clearer and I could have found out earlier on. However, I found all the characters well developed though I thought that the protagonist, Queenie, could have been characterised more. As some of the book’s concepts are challenging and more grown up, I would highly recommend this novel to any twelve-year-old and up.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Joey is bought when a young colt. Taken to an unknown farm, he develops under the care of a young boy called Albert. Albert’s father is often drunk and treats Joey harshly. But Albert and Joey thrive next to each other. Then war breaks out. And changes their lives forever.

Unable to pay the mortgage, Albert’s father sells Joey to the army. Albert, too young to enlist, is heartbroken, but vows that he and Joey will be reunited someday.

In the army, Joey befriends a black horse called Topthorn. Together they pull guns and ambulances. Two years pass. Albert is now old enough to enlist, in the hope that he and Joey will be reunited. Day after day in that terrible war, tragedies etched onto each one’s lives – will Albert and Joey ever see each other again?

This story reflects the deep friendship of a horse and his master, a friendship and bond that stays strong through the horrors of the war. The plot is beautiful and there is no bad language used. The real jewel of this book is the way the war is so cleverly linked to the plot. If the book was only about the friendship of Albert and Joey, it would become monotonous, however the introduction of the war is a change of setting, scene and characters. I would recommend this for a seven year old and up, as although the writing is not difficult to understand, it may be difficult for a young child to fully grasp the plot.

I  hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Elliot’s mum is a secretary. A boring, ordinary secretary. Or not. When she and Elliot’s uncle are arrested for breaking into another company’s laboratory, Elliot knows he has to save them. But the only proof he has is on his mum’s phone, in the files that need a password. A password that is almost impossible to crack.

Elliot is soon involved in an adventure he wish he’d never had. An adventure in which the real truth is uncovered.

This book has an original plot and incorporates technology to make the book even more interesting. However, I found that it could be improved by a higher level of and more description. As well as this, I thought that perhaps the activities of the two companies in the book could be explained in more detail, as I feel that the book was lacking information about some of the main factors of its plot. There is no bad language and I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about science and technology.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

When Casey Blue buys a mistreated, misbehaved horse with one American dollar, she doesn’t consider what she’s taking on. Casey’s ambition is to get to the Badminton competition with a winning horse. And that mistreated, misbehaved horse is it.

But Casey is in for a challenge. Because a love life, a criminal father and an abused horse don’t normally go together at the Badminton.

This story is touching, gripping and original. The bond between Casey and her horse is clearly emphasised and the activities of Casey’s criminal father provide a distraction from Casey’s life with her horse and trainer as well as making the book more interesting and unique. However, I found was that Casey’s competitions leading up to the Badminton could have been detailed more, as I thought that they were skimmed over a little bit. Furthermore, I thought that the description of the horses could have been better.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

When Sherlock’s best friend Matthew Arnatt is captured, Sherlock, determined to get him back, sets off with his friend Virginia. As the pair jump onto a train to Philadelphia, they don’t realise that they are entangling themselves in the web of a plot that stinks of trickery.

Sherlock, Matthew and Virginia must foil a plot to invade Canada. By themselves. And trapped in a room with three hostile, killer reptiles, foiling any sort of plan doesn’t seem like an option.

This book was made original through the incorporation of unique and unusual animals. However, as I have found in all the Young Sherlock Holmes books, politics was too much the cause of the problems. Although politics are a realistic and strong reason for problems, it makes the book confusing and convoluted. Yet once again, the originality of the book’s plot pleases and surprises me, as does the unique villains that Sherlock manages to escape from every time. I would highly recommend this book to any ten-year-old and up, as any younger child may not understand the plot well enough.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Kirsten’s parents are fighting. All the time. And she doesn’t know why.

Walk is African American. So he gets different treatment from teachers.

When Kirsten brings Walk home for her parents to meet, her parents act strangely. Her mum seems to dislike Walk, and persists in believing that Kirsten is dating him. Her Dad asks about his grades and scores, and seems as proud of Walk as of his own son.

Then Kirsten, sneaking upstairs with some crisps, hears her parents fighting. And she hears a secret about her and Walk. A secret that will change their life forever.

This book follows two teenage lives, and I found that Kirsten’s problem with eating (too much) was random and did not add anything to the book. However, the racism against Walk was cleverly insinuated, and the story twist was unsuspected and ended the book perfectly. There was mild bad language, and I would recommend this to any twelve-year-old and up.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Marriane and Elinor have been deprived of their fortune. Their money is left in the care of their step-brother; so they are forced to move out of their estate so that their step-brother and haughty wife can move in. They are invited to live in a cottage on the Barton estate. And they are falling in love.

Elinor, with their step-brothers wife’s brother, Mr Edward Ferrars, and Marriane, with a gallant stranger by the name of Willoughby, who rescues her from a fall on a hill. Willoughby is called away on urgent business, and Edward has business away from Elinor. The sisters pine for their loves, until the darkest secrets are revealed about both…

The title ‘Sense an Sensibility’ reflects on the qualities of both girls whilst in emotional turmoil. Towards the beginning of the book there is an explanation of which quality belongs to which girl, though I find it unnecessary as it becomes so apparent that the sensibility belongs to Elinor. However, I find that it is not so obvious that the sense belongs to Marriane, though this is stated. As well as this, although the book does not contain drama, the secrets of the two men suits the style of the book, and, the secrets being very dramatic, makes the book gripping and will appeal to readers who find that classics are boring.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Otis Gardiner and his simpleton son take illegitimate babies to the Coram Hospital – for money. But really, he takes the babies and buries them underground – alive or dead. His simpleton son has an angel, Melissa, yet Otis is evil.

Alexander Ashbrook is a singer in a choir, with his best friend Thomas Ledbury. When they grow up, Thomas is the music teacher at the Coram Hospital, and Alexander teaches a little boy from the Coram Hospital, named Aaron.

Melissa is Alexander’s governess’ daughter. She and Alexander have a child together. Melissa is told that it is a stillborn, and it is an illegitimate baby. So it goes to Otis Gardiner.

And it goes to Otis’s son as well, the son that worships Melissa – and her baby, the baby that he saves, the baby that he takes to the Coram Hospital…

The true gem of this book is the story twist. It involves all of the characters mentioned, of which there were so many and introduced so randomly that I began to feel that the book was beginning to get boring as none of the characters seemed related to each other. As well as this, it tied up all the loose ends. Also, before the twist was stated, you could work it out. As you did, your stomach would tighten, your insides scramble with excitement and you would sit up from your comfortable (but hunched) position on the sofa, and rapidly start to flip the pages with an eagerness never seen before (or, in my case, frantically press buttons on your kindle, willing it to react faster so that you can read on).

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

If you liked this, try the book ‘Garbage King’

Rachel and Eric. Two ordinary names. Two extraordinary kids. Snatched away from Earth to the planet of Ithrea, ruled by the witch Dragwena, Rachel is a spell maker and can imagine things so that they become real, and Eric destroys spells, forever. Dragwena wants Rachel to help increase her power, but Dragwena’s trapped slaves need Rachel to free them. She is the child-hope. Rachel and Eric must fight Dragwena – with spells.

Though the names in this book look awkwardly pronounced, they are not, as no spelling rules are involved. For example, the name Dragwena. It is simply pronounced as ‘Drag’ and ‘wena’. I find this very clever, as it produces the sense of difference to names on earth, thus creating the atmosphere of another, completely strange world, whilst not hindering the reader’s ease whilst reading. However, I found that though both Rachel and Eric have powers, it was suggested that Rachel’s was superior as it was introduced first, made her the revered child-hope and her power was used more. Though Eric’s was introduced and admired, I found it unnecessary that he should have a power as it did not play a major part in the book, though at one stage it protected Rachel.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

If you liked this book, try the more challenging read of ‘Eragon’.




Rachel’s spells are taking over. So Calen and Heebra, the family of the defeated Dragwena, can track her down – and avenge Dragwena. With the help of all the children in the world. Rachel is up against a huge force, with only her indignation against the children being used by the witches too support her. Now, only the wizards can save her.

I did not enjoy this as much as the first book in the trilogy, as it was too fantastical for my taste. The first book ventured on being too fantastical, yet I was intrigued by the discovery of Rachel’s magic and delighted in what she could do with it. As well as this, I found there was too much violence involved.

Jane Eyre is a dependant. An orphan, with not a shilling to her name, raised by the cruel Mrs Reed of Gateshead. Sent to the school of Lowood at a young age, she emerges into the world trained to be a governess. Trained to be neat, tidy, polite. Just not trained to fall in love with her employer – and to be loved back.

Their wedding is small and happy – but doesn’t succeed.

Now Jane must run away, away from her love, her home, her job. She must run to, beg to, people in an alien town, away from everything she knows. And all the while she yearns for family.

I found this to be, regardless of its genre of book, a creatively plotted story. The characters, though plenty, were moderately developed, the plight of Jane not impossible. The horrific truth about Jane’s master is shocking, and adds a story twist to the book that strongly entices you to read more. This tale is my most favoured classic, and very nearly entered my list of favourite book. The language and description, increasing the quality of the story, was of a very high standard. However, I found the build up to the climax rather long. Perhaps less time could be spent on Jane’s time at Gateshead.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Harriet Manners is back – in Tokyo and with more disasters than ever before. Covered with octopus ink, high heels in a sumo ring, Harriet is causing trouble everywhere. But is it Harriet who is really causing it?

The original setting of Tokyo was the gem of this book. The different clothes and colours were well described and added a tinge of vibrance to the book. Also the different photo shoots really interested me, for example, a game arcade, a fish market and a sumo ring. As well as this, the story twist was unexpected as the writer does not demonstrate this in her other books, and it tied up the loose ends as to why Harriet was causing so much trouble. However, this is a holiday read and not of high quality writing.

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Harriet has moved to New York – not the celebrity sprinkled city, but the dull Greenways suburbs. Her family are too busy to remember her sixteenth birthday, she discovers that her boyfriend doesn’t love her, so what else is a girl to do? Harriet Manners runs away. She runs back to modelling, back to photo shoots, and away from her family and her boyfriend. But those are the people she needs most…

I found that Harriet’s home life being incorporated into the book made it more interesting. Yet, this was incorporated so much that I began to feel that this was what the book was about rather than Harriet’s modelling career. However, the fact that that Harriet moved to New York was an interesting change of setting from the other books in the series, Geek Girl and Model Misfit.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!