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This was a really nice book to read since it is not something I’d normally read. It was interesting and captivating.
Hazel Hill is Gonna Win This One is about Hazel and her new friends standing up against harassment and bullying at their school when no one else could.
This was really engaging and nice to read. I would recommend it for people 9+.
This thrilling historical adventure story is set in Wren’s ancestral home in Anglesey, in North Wales in 1870.
Wren is not like other girls, she is adventurous and she likes taking risks. One day, Wren hears a strange noise coming from the walls of her house. A song or a call? Later at breakfast, her strict father tells her there was no sound and tells Wren that he is planning on sending her to Boarding school where she will learn how to behave like a proper ‘lady’.
“I loved this book as I never thought that it would have so much to the story…”
Aysha (11)
Wren notices a letter left on the table from a famous French inventor who built a flying bird and includes his plans. Deciding to escape from her home, Wren decides to build the flying bird in order to escape. Wren gathers the equipment, and with some help from her friend, they make it. However, the day she decides to use it, the weather is terrible and she lands in the cold sea, but when she was up in the sky, she spotted something…
What could it be?
I loved this book as I never thought that it would have so much to the story. I would recommend this book for 10-13 year olds but I think there should not be an age restriction on books so if you are an adult, go for it too!
(Cover illustration fan art by Aysha)
Great book. You should totally try it. Atlas and his family go and run an amazing hotel with gods as guests.
I’ll give this book hen out of ten!
Caitlin (7)
Quite funny and my favourite character is Maui (watch out though he is a trickster).
Atlas is a bit of a chicken – he is extremely chicken, hen out of ten.
I’ll give this book hen out of ten too.
🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓🐓
With its vivid setting, gripping plot-line, and both loveable and villainous characters alike, ‘The Agency for Scandal’ instantly became one of my top reads of the year 2022.
An expertly crafted combination of swoon-worthy romance and a spy-thriller, with the buzzing backdrop of London.
Farrah (16)
Following Isobel Stanhope, the eighteen-year-old member of The Aviary (an elusive society, aiming to protect women in a society where their rights are severely limited), we witness the unfolding of a mystery involving gaslighting, blackmailing, and some very special jewellery. Alongside her friends and fellow Aviary members, as well as a very dashing Duke, whom Isobel happens to be secretly besotted with, she sets out on an epic journey to untangle the cryptic web of lies, secrets and deceptions, and thus protect the innocent victims of these schemes.
As a main character, Isobel is resilient, inspirational and capable, juggling not only the mystery, and her job at The Aviary, but also dealing with the repercussions of her father’s death, and the fact that he has left the family penniless. ‘An Agency for Scandal’ discusses the struggles women face in this society (the novel is set at the beginning of the nineteenth century) and The Aviary is a fantastic addition to the story, as a society run by women, in order to aid other women, often by digging up scandal on powerful men.
Isobel forms meaningful relationships with those around her, and this book is an expertly crafted combination of swoon-worthy romance and a spy-thriller, with the buzzing backdrop of London.
Do yourself a favour and read this wonderful book.
Jess Choudhary is a pupil at Heybuckle, the most exclusive private school in England. Ex- Alumni have gone on to be significant politicians and journalists. Then a pupil is murdered, and Jess finds herself at the heart of the investigation.
The death of a pupil at such a well renowned school obviously has consequences; especially if, like Jess, your prestigious scholarship is threatened by a dangerously classist schoolboard. The stakes of the plot are ludicrously high because not only does Jess face the threat of an actual murder but everything she’s worked hard for could be taken away. At its core this is a YA mystery in the vein of “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” or “One of Us is Lying”, but author Ravena Guron injects it with the poignant themes of elitism and class.
A tone is set in the opening pages which is then twisted in a number of fun and interesting ways.
Torrin (16)
She successfully juggles these themes whilst also delivering a compelling murder mystery. I feared that the story might get bogged down in some of the more complex ideas, but the novel remains broad enough that teens aged 14 and up can comfortably enjoy it.
A tone is set in the opening pages which is then twisted in a number of fun and interesting ways. While I felt that some of the clues were a little heavy-handed, especially towards the end, the mystery is wrapped up nicely in the end with some genuine surprises.
At first glance the book may look daunting, 400 or so pages is a big ask for even the most hardy bookworm. But don’t be put off, I absolutely raced through it. In part due to the constantly mounting tension but also because the characters were likeable, and I wanted to see how it turned out for them.
A challenge when reading a murder mystery is keeping all the suspects in your head at once. A good author is able to keep each suspect distinct and memorable, Guron made this even more challenging for herself by setting the story in a school; she needs enough characters that the place feels alive and busy but not too many or the reader may lose track. I’m happy to report that she was successful. Not only does each and every character feel unique (even the side-characters are memorable) but they have goals and motivations outside of the main plot – they’re truly characters and not just plot devices.
The murder mystery genre seems to be having quite the resurgence in both books and film. And This Book Kills is a worthy addition to the pantheon of modern whodunnits.
The Octopus, Dadu and Me is the heart-warming debut book from Lucy Ann Unwin.
Sashi is left completely heartbroken when her parents tell her she can no longer visit her beloved grandfather, Dadu, because of his dementia. Instead of visiting Dadu in the care home, her parents start taking her to the local aquarium to take her mind off things and that’s when she meets Ian… an octopus who longs to escape.
I really like this book because it’s extremely unique and a great insight into octopuses and dementia.
Niamh (aged 10)
With the help of her friends, Darcie and Hassan, they come up with a plan to break Ian out of his aquarium prison.
It has loads of fascinating octopus facts and fun cartoon illustrations throughout the book, drawn by Lucy Mulligan. Did you know that octopuses can squeeze through spaces smaller than their eyeball?!
My favourite parts of the book were Sashi’s special memories with her Dadu and about what it’s like to have someone so close to you who doesn’t even remember you because of dementia.
I really like this book because it’s extremely unique and a great insight into octopuses and dementia. I found out lots of facts about both in a fun and engaging way, at the same time that Sashi and her friends are trying to work out how to sneak an octopus out of the aquarium without anyone noticing!
I would recommend this book especially to anyone whose families have experienced dementia, as there are not many books that deal with this subject well or even at all. It’s also perfect for people who like adventurous stories. I look forward to more books from Lucy!
Perfect for fans of: Keep Dancing, Lizzy Chu by Maisie Chan, and Me and My Dad at the End of the Rainbow.
Peanut Jones, her friend Rockwell, her sister Little Bit and the pencil that can make drawings come to life go on their second adventure. This time to try and stop Mr White (the baddie) from making the world and the illustrated city colourless and also to try and get famous paintings back after they had mysteriously disintegrated.
I loved this book because it had lots of beautiful illustrations on each page.
Aysha (11)
I loved this book because it had lots of beautiful illustrations on each page. It was exciting to read and nerve-wracking too! This would make a great gift to get with Christmas coming up!
This story has to be read aloud!
The story is all about a mouse who someone has stolen from a science lab and placed inside a mailbox.
This story is really good and will make you laugh out loud.
Aysha (11)
What makes this story brilliant is that it is told by Clementine the mouse, who smells of raspberries and is very bright.
Each chapter is a letter she is writing in her head to her friend back in the lab.
She meets wonderful new people and discovers her love for playing chess, while also trying not to get caught by the researchers from the lab.
This story is really good and will make you laugh out loud.
In a deeply patriarchal society, where young girls undergo a ‘purity ceremony’, our main character Deka is forced to lead a different life than the predetermined path set out for her, when her blood runs gold with deemed impurity.
I massively enjoyed the experience of living inside Deka’s brain as she undergoes all of these shocking and exciting new experiences.
Farrah (16)
Snatched from her village, she is thrust into a world of battle and demons and is forced to deconstruct the indoctrinated misogyny housed in her brain, as she enters the Emperor’s army, as a special sector of the legions. Along the way she makes alliances and bands together with others, in the kinship of sisterhood, whilst also blossoming as an individual, piecing together her past and fighting for her future.
As this is a book told in first-person, I massively enjoyed the experience of living inside Deka’s brain as she undergoes all of these shocking and exciting new experiences. The overall message and themes contained within the pages, such as the importance of friendship and defiance, with the feminist overtone make for an impactful fantasy. The world building is unique, and the characters feel fleshed out and multi-faceted. As a debut novel, this is certainly commendable.
If you are a lover of the fantasy genre, or if you are interested in trying fantasy, I would definitely recommend ‘The Gilded Ones’. The writing style is eloquent, but easy to read, and you will find yourself gripped in no time. It’s sequel, ‘The Merciless Ones’ has recently been released, and therefore if upon finishing, you are eager for more, there is a whole new novel for you to devour. If however, you would prefer to read it as a stand-alone, then ‘The Gilded Ones’ will not disappoint. The ending ties the tale together neatly, and you could leave the story there.
The epic final of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency was an amazing book, packed full of adventure, magic and courage. I really enjoyed reading this book and once I started I couldn’t stop reading it.
Flick is really powerful, strong and courageous.
Leontine (11)
The secrets of stormforest are all about Flick and her friends stopping an evil danger from stealing magic. Flick is really powerful, strong and courageous. Together Flick and her friends are unstoppable.
Tristyan is my favourite character because he’s really wise, brave and prepared to do anything to protect his friends and family.
I really liked this book and would recommend this book to all magic lovers.
