What can I say, I adored this book.  It brought out so many emotions in me – sorrow, joy and shock to name but a few.  The story itself is based on a Russian folk tale.  It draws you in right away.  Why does the house have chicken legs?  Why does it move? Who is Marinka and why is she building a fence made of bones when we first meet her?  Lots of questions and as we find out the answers there are lots of twists and turns along the way. 

Marinka is an incredibly relatable heroine who makes many mistakes but ultimately just wants a friend and the opportunity to follow her own path in life, not what others had decided for her, something I am sure we can all empathise with.  She is brave and kind and very caring, while also being stubborn and rash at times – strengths and flaws that make her someone we could be friends with in real life.  The supporting characters are all also strong and well written, all having an influence on Marinka as she goes on her journey through the course of the book.   

I really loved this story, the ending was incredibly satisfying and well earned.  Well worth a read for S1/S2 level! 

What a lovely book this is.  Although it is probably more suitable for our younger readers, it is still a book that can teach us all so much about empathy and understanding and kindness.  Our narrator befriends the new boy in school, a refugee who has had to make a perilous journey to escape the bombs and the war in his own country.  Slowly we learn more and more about both Ahmet, the new boy, and Alexa, the narrator culminating in a dangerous plan to reunite Ahmet with his family.

The standout feature of this book for me is Alexa – kind and brave and constantly showing concern for other people’s situations.   Everything we know about our narrator is only is slowly revealed to us throughout the book but ultimately these things (age, gender, ethnicity, social status etc,) don’t matter.   It is her unselfish actions and how she treats others that define her and show us what can be achieved through kindness and empathy.  I’ll be honest, I may have shed a wee tear at the end!

One of Us is Lying has been one of the most sought after books in our library so does the sequel live up to expectations?  Of course it doesn’t disappoint – there is more drama, more gossip, more murder and more twists and turns right to the very end. The school kids of Bayview are challenged to a game of Truth or Dare, something that never turns out well in these situations.  As secrets are revealed and challenges get more dangerous, life in Bayview will never be the same again. This time we focus on Maeve, younger sister of Bronwyn from the first story.  Maeve shines as the main character, we see her insecurities and fears as she faces old enemies and new threats.  The other characters are generally likeable as well, with realistic strengths and flaws.  I read it in a a day as it was such a page turner and I was desperate to find out who was behind everything!

If, like me, you like these books and you love a good whodunnit,  try A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson for some more twisty, turney murder mystery.