Monster

An all-girls’ boarding school is a classic. It’s been done about a billion times, so the most important bit is taking a new spin on it, with magic, death plots or, in this case, a mystery. At first I wasn’t sure about it, because of the amount of times even this spin off has been done, and it was pretty slow, but Monster really surprised me. By half way though I was gripped, and by three quarters of the way through I was completely addicted.
Nash is the teacher’s pet, the sensible one, the favourite to win head girl. Everything at Bathory is how it should be – she’s even got a thing with the village shopkeeper’s son. It’s only when she gets the news that her adored brother is missing that it all starts to fall apart, and staying at Bathory School over Christmas with only Matron and five mismatched girls for company is only the beginning. Every moment that she spends there, a plot is unfolding, and all the threads are gathering up. I loved the story, and the different way of showing the boarding school scenario. It was focused in only a week or two, and so was vividly detailed and full of action and life, unlike other books which are similar.
The characters though, were my favourite bit. Each person was realistic and three dimensional, but also larger than life and fantastical. Maggie was my favourite, but there was one for every personality type; the cheat, the shallow one, the badass, and so on. Every character was perfectly portrayed and realised, which gave the story life and a sense of reality. The plot was amazing, and so, so clever. Every page held a new revelation, as Nash’s world is changed beyond anything she could imagined. I'd recommend this to anyone.

Fire Colour One by Jenny Valentine

This book is brilliant. Like lots of the books that come from Lovereading4kids, it’s not something I’d normally read, plus I don’t particularly like Jenny Valentine as an author, but I was gripped from the first page. It is unbelievably compelling as well as thought provoking and clever. It addresses problems that are very relevant to everyone, and interesting to read, things which are normally skirted around; death, lies, love. The characters are huge, and are people you love to love, and love to hate, from the despicable and shallow MOTHER to the remarkable and inspiring Thurston. They are what really drives the story; the depth of the characters draw you into the story, and keeps you glued to the page.

The story is about Iris, who is troubled, to say the least. Hannah is addicted to spending, Lowell is addicted to fame, and Iris is addicted to something quite different, not a thing, not a drug, but to burning. Her world is complicated, and difficult, with quite enough to deal with without an absentee father writing from his death bed to ask for one last thing: to see Iris again, before he dies. Leaving behind everything that you know is always hard, whether it means anything to you or not, and it’s especially hard when everything you know contains the enigmatic genius that is Thurston Shaw.

This book has endless layers that unravel as the story continues, leaving you guessing until the very end. It’s sweet and thought provoking, with an extremely satisfying ending, and I’d recommend it to absolutely anyone. 

Half a Creature from the Sea by David Almond

This powerful set of short stories is typical of David Almond. All set

in his childhood village; some are charming, some are dark, all are

thought provoking.

The stories are beautifully crafted, most with an edge. The descriptions are

captivating, spinning the place in which they're set in such vivid detail that you

can picture it perfectly. It makes everything else seem so real that you become

attached to the characters, you feel as if they are actual people - not fictitious at

all. In part this must be because they are inspired by people the author once

knew, as you learn from the start of each story.

The autobiographical introductions are very interesting, allowing you an

insight into the thought process of the author as he was writing. They also

provide a bit of background information for each story, which really makes

them come alive.

I particularly enjoyed 'May Malone'. The ending is particularly good- not

terribly satisfying, but it gave a promise that the future would be better for all

the characters.

Throughout the book there is an aspect that normally doesn't appear much in

modern books - religion. The emphasis on it, and the changing views, are all

shown within the stories. I found this very interesting, mainly because it is

about the changing of this deep rooted faith, about the traditions of it.

I really enjoyed this book; it's perfect to dip into, and read and re-read. There's

so much depth that you feel more and more involved with every page, until you

can see the streets as well as if it was your town, and all the people as if you knew

them well.

Messenger of Fear by Micheal Grant review

Drama, intrigue and unbearable tension - Mara's fractured story is the epitome of an incredible book. The enigmatic Messenger takes her on a gruesome journey, as she remembers her troubled past.

 

In our world, many people go unpunished. Many people get away with their crimes. These people are lucky; they've never met the Messenger. Mara wakes up in a place she's never seen before, with no knowledge of how she got there, no memories of anything. The Messenger takes her on a horrific journey, but why, Mara has no clue. The twists and turns of this incredible book are guaranteed to keep you glued to the pages until the very end. I was shocked at the resolution, and left wanting more. I very much hope that there will be a sequel, as the end leaves you desperate to follow Mara, and make sure she is safe

 

 

Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz

This is, in my opinion, the last proper Alex Rider book, as the last one doesn't feature him as the main narrator. As such it needs a dramatic ending, even more tension and to be a little darker; and it had all that in spades. Alex, the amazingly talented spy we've all come to love, is truly broken in this book. He has gone through things you’d never want to go through, and seen things you never need to see. Everything throughout the series so far has had its effect on him in one way or another, but the final events in this book are something else.

It’s far sadder than the other books, and more serious. It still has the awesome fight scenes, the vivid descriptions and a twisted villain, but everything is tenser, more climatic. The plot is deeply mysterious and quite complicated, but the book is fast moving and pacey so you never get bored. Hooking and original, Alex is still the character we all know and love, and is so real that you can empathise with anything he goes through, and as I've already said, he’s been through a lot.

Most of this book is set in Egypt, which is place that Alex (in the books) has never been. The descriptions are colourful and intricate, so you feel you are really there, from the hustle and bustle of the markets, to lounging in the luxurious rooms and pools. This makes everything that goes on seem much more real, and the devastating resolution much more painful.

Over all, this is exciting, gripping and action packed. I loved this book – I couldn't put it down - and would recommend it to anyone who has read the previous books.

Cinder, by Marrissa Meyer

I loved it. There is simply no more to say. Twists on fairy tales tend to be dull at best, and more often than not cringingly bad, but Meyer has made the improbable happen. I mean, cyborgs, Asian princes and people that live on the moon? Give me a break! But Meyer combines these unlikely elements flawlessly, creating a beautifully gripping story that holds you the whole way through.

Cinder, a mock up of Cinderella, is a cyborg, that much is made clear from the start. The concept of cyborgs is an interesting one - they are regarded with disdain, treated like outcasts, and, unlike with racism in todays society, this response to them is completely acceptable. More than that in fact, they are expected, so Cinder's experience seems more realistic.

The traditional story does make appearances, cleverly interwoven with the plot, noticeable but not clunky. Meyer has swapped little singing mice and sparkly shoes for mechanical limbs and snarky androids, but in such a way that light humour offsets the occasional dark moment.

Sixteen-year-old Cinder is considered a technological mistake by most of society, and a waste of space by her stepmother. Being cyborg does have its benefits, though: Cinder’s brain interface has given her an uncanny ability to fix thing, making her the best mechanic in New Beijing. This is a cool idea, but in my opinion there is far too little evidence of it- even in fixing Prince Kai's robot she only removes a plug. Still, you can't have everything. Her  (allegedly) excellent reputation brings Prince Kai himself to her weekly market booth, needing her to repair a broken android before the annual ball. The android is 'old', and 'precious' to him, so why, I wonder, does he come to a cyborgs stall, what with all the prejudices and misconceptions about them? Anyhow, he does, much to the delight of Cinder, and at a later date, her android. But her happiness is short-lived, for a terrible sickness is sweeping the city, and no one is safe. No one you love. When her stepmother volunteers her for a testing the scientists find something slightly odd-she survived...

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Artemis Fowl is a young-adult fantasy novel; the first book in a series of eight. It follows the escapades of Artemis, who is quite possibly the smartest person in Europe, if not the world.  It is commonly acknowledged that he is responsible for nearly all the major crimes in Europe - a true criminal mastermind. Oh yes, and he's only twelve. When the story starts Artemis Fowl Snr has vanished, Angeline Fowl has gone mad and Artemis is alone with a huge estate, a dwindling fortune and a huge man who goes only by the name of Butler. What could possibly go wrong? A lot - like discovering a secret world of fairies who are less than happy to be unearthed. These fairies, in case you hadn't guessed are not your average, tutu sporting, wand waving sweetie pies who live in rose buds. Oh no. These are fairies of limited magic, ultimate technology and a hardened view of the world. By no means are they a naive species. Which is why it's a bad idea to try to kidnap an elf in a bid for a fairy gold ransom. A very bad idea indeed.

Butler is deeply mysterious, more like a machine than a man; and yet there are hints that he is as human as the rest as us when he is out of his job. His relationship to Artemis is an interesting one - Artemis is in control, yet he still seeks confirmation from Butler for his misdemeanours. They are more friends than boss and employee, and Artemis speaks to him in a way he speaks to no other - with respect. Artemis is made interesting by his extreme selfishness, and lack of care for others. I have to say  I like that about him, and was slightly disappointed by him gradually becoming nicer; it dispels the allure of having a truly horrible main character. That's not to say he becomes soppy, as he really doesn't, it's just the nagging development of a conscience I'm talking about. Still, if that's the only thing I can find to complain about it really has to be good doesn't it?

Artemis Fowl is a fast paced, original and down right brilliant book. It combines fairies, action and super cool gadgets, which, as everyone knows, is always a winning combination. Colfer churns out witty jokes at an admirable rate, which, when partnered by the addictive character of Artemis, couple the action with a tasty sense of irony. It is in every way as good as the reviews suggest, and with a movie of it coming out soon it could well be the next Harry Potter, with laser guns and all!