R.S.
Lady Friday by Garth Nix
M.B. S2 (2008)
Bloody Tower: The diary of Tilly Middleton, London 1553 – 1559 by Valerie Wilding
“The historical diaries in this series are written by fictional characters set in real periods of history. This is the diary of Tilly Middleton, London, 1553-1559. She descibes watching an execution at the bloody Tower of London.”
I thought this book was very interesting and had a good storyline. ****C.C. S1
Hurricane Gold by Charlie Higson
“As the sun blazes over the Caribbean island of Lagrimas Negras, its bloodthirsty ruler is watching and waiting. Criminals come here to hide, with blood on their hands and escape on their minds. On the mainland, in the quiet town of Tres Hermanas, ex-flying ace Jack Stone leaves his son and daughter in the company of James Bond. But a gang of thieves lies in ambush – they want Stone’s precious safe, and will kill for its contents. James embarks on a deadly chase through the Mexican jungle. On this terrifying trail of greed and betrayal, only danger is guaranteed …Survival is not.”
The Robe of Skulls by Vivian French
“All is not well in the crumbling castle high above the mountain village of Fracture. The sorceress Lady Lamorna has her heart set on a new robe. It is a very expensive new robe. To get the cash she will stop at nothing, including kidnapping, blackmail and more than a little black magic. But she reckons without the heroic Gracie Gillypot, not to mention a gallant if rather scruffy prince, two chatty bats, the wickedest stepsister ever, a troll with a grudge – and some very Ancient crones.”
A great book with three very funny stories. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys books about witches. *****
Anon, S1 (2009)
Maximum Ride: School’s out, forever by James Patterson
“It’s 24 hours since Max Ride and her fellow bird-kids escaped the New York Institute, and they’re still on the run. But the six companions — 98% human, 2% bird — came away with some vital information. If they can decode the garbled words and numbers, perhaps they’ll find out where their parents are. There’s a lot of trouble ahead for Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman and Angel — not to mention Total, the talking dog. Their enemies, the fearsome Erasers, have acquired a new skill — they too can now fly. After an air-battle, the badly hurt Fang ends up in hospital. There the FBI track down the flock, who have even ended up going to school! But that doesn’t quite fit in with searching for parents, or with what the insistent Voice in Max’s head keeps reminding her – that her mission is ‘to save the world’.”
Quick, snappy narration & short chapters. A little simplistic in places but an enjoyable read. ***
Anon, (Staff, 2008)
Maximum Ride: The final warning by James Patterson
“Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy and Angel are six extraordinary kids created by the crazed Uber Director in a twisted laboratory experiment that left them with the ability to fly. They are back for another wild adventure as they try to save the world …and themselves. The Uber-Director sees the group of friends as his opportunity to become a billionaire: he seizes his chance to cash in that lucrative price tag by planning a worldwide auction with the children being offered to the highest bidder. But first his mutant army must track them down and capture them – which won’t be easy. Meanwhile, in hiding from their predators, all six of them wake one evening to find they are being given an important mission – to save the world from global warming. Led by heroine Max, their task takes them in a fast-paced, high-speed chase across the world to the South Pole but, as ever, danger is never far away …”
Quite a disappointing end to the series. Although it has a valuable message about global warming it isn’t what we’ve been led to expect. **
VB, (Staff, 2008)
Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
“All over the tri-state area, something strange is happening. Teenagers who die aren’t staying dead. They are coming back to life, but they come back different – they stutter and their reactions to everything are slower. Termed ‘living impaired’ or ‘differently biotic’, there are lots of conspiracy theories to explain this new phenomenon. But as their numbers keep on growing, so does the discomfort of the living people in the community. When Phoebe falls for Tommy Williams, her best friend and star of the football team, Adam, has conflicting emotions.And when Tommy decides to try out for the football team, it sets off a chain of events that escalates into deadly violence.”
This book fascinated me, it was so different to anything I’ve ever read. It was very enjoyable and I struggled to put it down. Can’t wait for the sequel! ****
Review by S.W. (S4, 2009)