Tag: Book review

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller, reviewed by Tegan (16)

Alessandra is the second daughter of a wealthy man. This means that she has been overlooked her whole life. Her older sister has always been the one to go to balls and have boys fall in love with her. 

One day she convinces her father to let her attend the ball of the Shadow King. The King has never let anyone touch him however no one knows why. Alessandra is convinced she will be able to seduce and marry the king. Then, kill him in order to claim the kingdom. However, she does not take into consideration that her feelings might just get in the way. 

“I was hesitant at first when I read the blurb…however, Levenseller manages to hook the reader by keeping the suspense running all the way to the end. Overall, I loved this book.”

Tegan (16)

I was hesitant at first when I read the blurb, as it sounded like the average stereotypical enemies to lovers. However, Levenseller manages to hook the reader by keeping the suspense running all the way to the end. You learn to have mixed feelings about Alessandra but in the end, I just ended up feeling sorry for her. She thought the only way to gain her Father’s respect was to murder the king. And when she starts to develop feelings, she feels as though she cannot disclose this to him. 

Overall, I loved this book. The characters develop throughout the book in positive ways. The Shadow King learns that he can’t shut people out and Alessandra learns she can’t shut out her feelings. 

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a simple read and enjoys the stories of enemies to lovers. It is not for young readers however, as it does have graphic scenes and also sexual scenes. 

Friends And Traitors by Helen Peters, reviewed by Emily (13)

Helen Peter’s novel, Friends and Traitors, is a thrilling and fast-paced story which kept me turning the pages from start to finish.

“Who will listen to a servant and a schoolgirl with an overactive imagination?…I found this story incredibly engaging. The plot was full of twists and turns as their adventure develops.”

Emily (13)

Set during World War Two in the 1940s, the main character is a teenage evacuee called Sydney whose boarding school is evacuated to a large stately house in the countryside.  Sydney is a loner and makes friends with a maid called Nancy and together they unwittingly uncover a secret Nazi plan which would threaten the security of Britain and their chances of winning the war.  But who will listen to a servant and a schoolgirl with an overactive imagination?  And will the girls succeed in alerting the authorities to the revealed traitors top secret plot?

I found this story incredibly engaging. The plot was full of twists and turns as their adventure develops.  I would recommend this book for 10-year-olds and up particularly if you enjoy war and mystery stories.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, reviewed by Oliver (10)

The Hunger Games is a marvellous book written by Suzanne Collins.  This book is such a thrilling page turner  – I couldn’t put it down.  The intense storyline was so engaging I actually felt I was there with the main characters.

“I actually felt I was there with the main characters.”

Oliver, 10

Once a year the capital city of Panem holds a Hunger Games where 12 unfortunate boys and girls fight to their death.  Katniss Everdeen (a sixteen-year-old) steps forward to save her little sister from competing.  Not knowing what was coming, the selected warriors would have to survive in a created arena watched by millions until one survivor was left.  Will Katniss win, or die fighting? 

This book is full of pace and heart-stopping scenarios. Its futuristic theme keeps the reader on their toes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and feel that it is a suitable read for children aged 10 and up.*

*Book Nook note – The Hunger Games is generally recommended for children 14+

Dead Lock by Simon Fox, reviewed by Oliver (10)

Simon Fox has produced an outstanding book called Dead Lock.  After reading the first chapter, I was hooked or should I say “locked in!” 

Every chapter ended with a cliff hanger and I couldn’t put it down or wait to turn the next page.  Simon Fox’s storyline was so gripping – I felt I was with Archie on his thrilling adventure throughout the story.  If you are a fan of Alex Rider, then you are sure to love this!

“If you are a fan of Alex Rider, then you are sure to love this!”

Oliver (10)

Archie Blake and his dad share a useful skill – they can pick locks. After the loss of his mother, together he and his father have lock picking competitions to see who can pick a lock the fastest. His dad is a policeman and he works for the art crimes department.  Archie’s whole world falls apart when his dad is arrested for the theft of a diamond necklace. 

Archie decides to go on the run and to prove his father is innocent – but he only has 48 hours to do so. His only option is to go to the safe house where he meets a girl called Bunny who helps him with his quest. Together they fall deeper into the twists and turns of jewel heists and police corruption.  Maybe his dad wasn’t as innocent as he thought?

I think this book would be a great read for 9 to 12 year olds.  Packed with thrills and dangerous feats I guarantee you won’t be able to put it down!

Fablehouse by E.L.Norry, reviewed by Niamh (10)

Fablehouse is a brand-new gripping middle-grade series by E.L. Norry. She’s already known for writing fantastic stories that tell the untold tales of black children in history and her first book, Son of the Circus, was previously shortlisted for the Diverse Book Awards. 

Set in a children’s home for ‘Brown Babies’, mixed-race children born to black US army soldiers and white British mothers after the Second World War, the story follows Heather and her friends as they fight evil fae and stop everyone living in Fablehouse from being replaced by changelings.  

Fablehouse draws on E.L. Norry’s own personal experiences as a mixed-race child growing up in the care system in Cardiff, although we don’t know if she was battling fae during her childhood!

Niamh (10)

After they help injured Palamedes (also known as Pal), a black knight who served King Arthur, they are tasked with the quest to prevent his old friend, ‘The Champion’, from leading the fae to take control over the whole world!

I loved this book! It deals with real-life serious issues, while also telling a magical, exciting adventure story. I couldn’t put the book down after the changelings began to appear, which were fae left in the place of children living in the care home that talked in a low, threatening hissed voices.

Fablehouse draws on E.L. Norry’s own personal experiences as a mixed-race child growing up in the care system in Cardiff, although we don’t know if she was battling fae during her childhood! I was furious at the horrible way the local children treated Heather and friends in the book because they were mixed-race. 

I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, folklore, magic and wants to learn more about the experiences of mixed-race children born post-WW2. I’m delighted there will be more books in this series and I can’t wait to find out what happens Heather and her friends next. 

I’ve got tickets to see E.L. Norry, Lizzie Huxley-Jones and Ross Montgomery at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this summer and I can’t wait to tell them all in-person how much I love their books! 

Perfect for fans of: Vivi Conway & The Sword of Legend by Lizzie Huxley-Jones; and The Chime Seekers by Ross Montgomery 

The Magic Hour by David Wolstencroft, reviewed by Aysha (12)

It all starts with a girl called Ailsa Craig who was late for everything! She had very poor time management and was often caught daydreaming.

“I really loved the idea of the book. In fact, I’ve never read a book like it.”

Aysha (12)

Entirely different to Ailsa was a girl called Credenza who had everything prepared, it was almost like she had an extra hour. What would happen if she did?

Imagine being able to walk into your shed, a portal to Old Edinburgh and get an extra hour to complete tasks, yet arrive back in the real world at the time you left.

I really loved the idea of the book. In fact, I’ve never read a book like it. It kept me guessing about what would happen right until the very end which I really enjoyed. 

The Wishkeeper’s Apprentice and Honey’s Hive, reviewed by Caitlin (8)

The Wishkeeper’s Apprentice by Rachel Chivers Khoo

Can Felix Jones, along with the Wishkeeper, save Whittlestone?

An amazing story, filled to the brim with magic and adventure. I think it would be best for kids aged 6 to 9. 

Watch out for the evil wish snatcher. He is nasty.

Honey’s Hive by Mo O’Hara

A really fun story. 👍👍

It’s about a bee who doesn’t fit in. There are lots of fun facts about bees. And a few about wasps actually. 

Honey, along with her best friends Beanie and Hex, has to save the hive. Can she do it? ❤️❤️❤️

Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend by Lizzie Huxley-Jones, reviewed Niamh (10)

Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend is the first book in a new exciting, fantasy middle grade series by Lizzie Huxley-Jones. They most recently were a contributor to the Being an Ally World Book Day Title in 2023. The bright and beautiful cover is drawn by the award-winning author and illustrator Harry Woodgate.

The book follows Vivi Conway, an autistic girl with a passion for Welsh mythology. Not only does she have to deal with moving with her mums away from their rural home in Wales to loud, busy London, she’s got a magical destiny to fulfil, a cranky talking ghost dog that’s come into her life and a plague of mysterious creatures to battle! 

After having bullying problems in the past, she must learn to trust her newfound friends and work alongside them to defeat an evil threat to our world…

“It deals amazingly with how it feels to be autistic while still trying to save the world.”

Niamh (10)

Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend has all the ingredients for the perfect story. It has non-stop excitement, fascinating legends from Welsh mythology, warm and loveable characters that you’d love to know in real-life, and it ends on a cliff-hanger. It also features LGBTQ+ and disabled characters, and deals amazingly with how it feels to be autistic while still trying to save the world. 

Lizzie Huxley-Jones is non-binary and autistic and they draw from their own experiences in the book, including having been bullied. I really liked that the character Dara is introduced by their pronoun ‘they/them’ immediately without any explanation.  

I loved the part in the science museum because it was really exciting! After getting to know all the characters, I grew to love them all, especially the ghost dog Gelert! 

I couldn’t put the book down and read it all in one weekend! Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend is one of the best books I’ve ever read!!! I’m so glad it’s a series of books, as I can’t wait for the next one to come out! 

Perfect for fans of: Like a Charm by Elle McNicoll; Like a Curse by Elle McNicoll; and Jayben and the Golden Torch by Thomas Leeds. 

(Illustration above by Niamh)

What The World Doesn’t See by Mel Darbon, reviewed by Farrah (16) 

Maudie and Jake’s family is falling apart, with their mum struggling with her grief after the passing of their dad. One night she vanishes with only a note left behind, and no news of her whereabouts. When their aunt puts Jake in care, Maudie goes to desperate lengths to try to reunite her family, and she kidnaps Jake, taking him with her to Cornwall, hoping that when her Mum learns of the current situation, she will return.

“…a bond between brother and sister that is so beautiful and raw that it is almost tangible.”

Farrah (16)

What unfolds is a powerful and moving tale of grief, healing, finding oneself, first love and familial bonds. 

‘What The World Doesn’t See’ is a book that will stick with you long after you turn the last page, with very well written autism representation, and a bond between brother and sister that is so beautiful and raw that it is almost tangible.

The author Mel Darbon explains in the author’s note that she wrote from a very personal experience of having a sibling on the autism spectrum. Darbon highlights that whilst Jake’s experience (as well as that of her own brother’s) does not speak for the experience of everyone with autism, the novel clearly displays common obstacles faced by those like Jake, stemming predominately from people’s ignorance. Darbon’s writing, especially when we get to read from Jake’s point of view (since the story is told in dual narrative, allowing us to see life through the eyes of both Maudie and Jake) was very impactful. 

Ultimately, this book follows the physical and emotional journey of Maudie and Jake (and their mother), as they navigate their way through grief and towards healing, as well as the relationship between the siblings evolving as Maudie recognises what Jake is capable of, and allows him more freedom and opportunity to express his own independence. 

Villains Academy by Ryan Hammond, reviewed by Evie M. (10)

Dear Readers,

Read this book if you want to learn how to be a true villain! This story is about a bunch of mischievous misfits who dream of being a villainous villain!

My favourite character is…

Mona and Sheila, as they were both favourable characters; Sheila plays pranks and jokes on people and Mona wants to be the leader of the pack although in the end she becomes the truest friend.

My favourite part is when…

They all become besets of friends and Bram feels that he has a place there.

The illustrations were awesome!

Who will get villain of the week?