"Do fantasy and science fiction--or their cousins, paranormal and dystopian fiction--float your boat? Climb aboard a few of these books." Try this link:
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/lists/best-teen-books-2012-other-worlds/
Egham Reads
Friday, 14 December 2012
Monday, 5 November 2012
War Nurse
War Nurse
One War. One promise. One diary.
And death around every corner.
War Nurse by Sue Reid is a truly
amazing novel. Published by Scholastic Ltd, 2005 in the United Kingdom, this
book is all about a Second World War nurses’ diary. As soon as I picked this
book up, I found it so engaging, I was hooked from the first page, and I hardly
ever stopped to put the book down.
Set in the time of World War Two
England, this moving and gripping book tells the compelling story of Kitty
Langley and her struggle to survive as the War rages on. More wounded men are
arriving every day, and the little hospital on the coast can only hold and care
for so many. The nurses work for hours on end, and for many it’s the first glimpse
of the real horrors of war. Sadness is etched on to every nurse’s face, with so
many soldiers dying. But it’s not only the soldiers. Friends, family and
relatives are also being killed. Kitty often asks the question: When will this
bloodthirsty battle end? However, until it does, life must go on.
In the book, we follow the life
of Kitty Langley, and as a new nurse, she also is finding it difficult to cope
with the deaths, sadness and despair in her small hospital. She desperately
tries to manage and put on a good face for everyone else, but it is all too
much. When the air raid alarms sounded for the 100th time, Kitty was
sure that it was just another false alarm.
Rumour has it that an invasion is due any day now, but when planes
started droning overhead, Kitty realises that the hospital is very vulnerable.
Sue Reid has also written
several other books based on major historical events, but this one is the best
by far. She has also written Pompeii, a young Roman girl’s diary of the events
before and after the eruption of Vesuvius. I really enjoy her writing style as
her sentences are diverse and complex.
She writes in the first person, so we see events through the eyes of the
main character. Another aspect that
makes her writing different is that she seems to perfect in how to incorporate
real historical figures and statistics into the book in a relevant and
interesting way. So, I got my history lesson as well as a great read!
In conclusion, War Nurse’s
thrilling, sad and desperate plot makes it a remarkable novel based on an all
too real time in our history. Any girl looking for a thrilling novel with a
twist of history should look no further. This book is a great break from all
the vampire and romantic novels. I strongly suggest you read this book as it is
nothing short of astonishing. So, keep calm and carry on reading!
Lilly, MS
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
The Knights of the Cross
The Knights of the Cross
By Henryk Sienkiewicz
“The Knights of the Cross,” written by Henryk Sienkiewicz, is a historical fiction novel. The book focuses on the key events of one of the greatest conflicts of medieval Europe: The Battle of Grunwald between the Polish King and the Teutonic Order of Knights (The Holy German Order, which was asked by Christian Poland to help it fight against Pagan Lithuania). Henryk Sienkiewicz was a 19th century noble prize winner. He lived in the times of the partitions of Poland between the Russian, German and Austrian empires. It was written to strengthen the Polish patriotism as well as the determination and hope for regaining independence. The book that I have read is the 41st edition published in Warsaw, Poland in 1988. The reading was fascinating for me; it was characterized by well-built suspense, cunningly planned intrigues, as well as richly described close combat battles. This literally piece of art was translated into many languages including English.
The book is set in medieval Poland, which back then is a powerful European country both politically and militarily. It is a time of greatness after a Lithuanian Grand Prince Wladyslaw Jagiello has become the King of Poland by marrying Jadwiga - the Polish Queen. He agreed for the baptizing of Lithuania, changing it from Poland’s fiercest enemy to its greatest ally.
The book tells the story of two Polish knights: Zbyszko and his uncle, Macko. Both returning home from a war with Germany in Lithuania, on their way home, they meet a court of an aristocrat Lady from one of the Polish counties - Mazovia. Zbyszko falls in love with one of the ladies in waiting called Danuta, and proposes to her. The lady agrees. Danuta, appears to be a daughter of a famous Mazovian knight called Jurand, who is also known as the Vanquisher of the Germans. The knight is well known for his hatred of the nation after they killed his wife. Zbyszko, moved by the story, promises Danuta “three German helmets” and decides to travel with the court to the Polish Capital -Krakow. He notices a Teutonic knight on his way to the city. Zbyszko charges at the knight as he had promised his beloved Danuta. It then turnes out that the knight was a diplomat sent to Krakow to meet the King. Unfortunately, the penalty of assaulting a diplomat is death. While Zbyszko is awaiting his execution in the Krakow keep he is unaware that the Teutonic order will soon attempt to kidnap Danuta in order to capture her famous father Jurand. Will the story be finished by an executioner’s axe, will the Teutonic order manage to kidnap Danuta and capture Jurand? The book is definitely worth reading to find it all out.
Sienkiewicz’s work is based on true historical facts. The main characters’ adventures are a fiction, which mysterious plot, suspense as well as complicated intrigues seem to be timeless; it could happen at any time and place. “The Knights of the Cross” was a nice holiday break from the fast paced modern action or fantasy novels, which are my common reading.
Monday, 29 October 2012
Artemis Fowl
Artemis
Fowl
When I first
read Artemis Fowl, I knew that I
would be awake past my curfew, since I was hooked onto the book. Artemis Fowl was written by Eoin Colfer
and published by Hyperion Books in New York in 2002. Since then, Eoin Colfer
has added seven more books to the Artemis
Fowl series, with the eight and last book released only a few weeks ago. In
my opinion, I would definitely recommend this book to my friends, which I
already have (and coincidentally, it was a friend who introduced me to this
book).
In present
day Ireland, there is a 12-year-old millionaire child prodigy, named Artemis
Fowl. He has a devious plan to kidnap Captain Holly Short, the first female
LEPrecon unit officer. In order to avoid the fairy world being exposed,
Commander Julius Roots and co. must give Artemis Fowl one ton of 24 small
unmarked gold ingots. Only with eight hours to solve this crisis, thanks to a
fairy invention called time-stopping, can the LEPrecon unit get Captain Holly
Short back the fairy world or will Artemis Fowl out-smart the fairies?
Artemis
Fowl, a cold-hearted, evil genius executed his ingenious plan to kidnap a
fairy. In order for him to succeed with his plan, he must defeat the LEPrecon
with the help of his bulky bodyguard, Butler. The reason why Artemis needs the
gold is because he wants to find his assumedly-dead father, whose last known
position was in Russian seas. Artemis Fowl, having a persistent personality,
will do anything to find his father, even if it means harming other creatures.
Artemis Fowl is similar to many well-known teen
fiction books, such as Percy Jackson,
Hunger Games and Skulduggery Pleasant series (all of which I have read). Artemis Fowl, Percy Jackson and Skulduggery
Pleasant series all have that concept of inter-species war, which is
rapidly becoming incredibly popular nowadays. Even books like the Twilight
series (which I strongly dislike) have that idea. Although Hunger Games series
does not have the inter-species war topic, Artemis
Fowl and Hunger Games series both have a fast-paced and exhilarating
narrative. I have read a number of books (all of which are books that are
currently in trend), and I can easily say that Artemis Fowl cracks my top 10 favourite books list.
Artemis Fowl is an exceptional book with a great
assembled cast of characters and a fresh, new and original plot. I would recommend
for people to read this book if they love fantasy and are bored by long and
dull books (some examples being Harry Potter and Twilight series). Even if you
don’t adore the genre of fantasy, this book is still brilliant. I trust you
will take my advice to read Artemis Fowl.
As a wicked criminal mastermind once said, “Trust me, I haven’t been wrong
yet.”
Labels:
Adventure,
Artemis Fowl,
Colfer Eoin,
Eoin Colfer,
Fantasy
Class A
From the beginning of Class A, I could not put the book down. It is a great read, and I
thoroughly enjoyed it. Unlike many others, this book had an exciting beginning,
which I think is very good. This is the 2nd book in a series called
Cherub. There are 12 books in this series and Class A is one of the best, in my opinion. That said, they’re all
amazing.
So, you might be asking yourself, what is
Cherub, and what are the books about? Well, Cherub is a secret organization
like the CIA where kids aged 10-17 go on missions as undercover agents to take
down unsuspecting criminals. The main character in the series is a boy named
James Adams. His mom dies and he is sent to a foster home before being
recruited by Cherub. He is 12 at the time and the series ends when he is 17.
Class
A is about James and three of his friends as they
go undercover to try and shut down KMG (Keith Moore’s Gang). KMG is a gang that
deals drugs. Specifically, they deal cocaine, which is a class, A drug. James
gets involved in delivering drugs and gets extremely close to taking drugs.. He
makes rounds as a delivery boy earning extra money and working up the rank in
KMG. Other agents on the mission are Kerry who is one year younger than James,
Kyle who is the oldest and Nicole who is the same age as James. James gets
involved with Junior who is Keith’s son.
During the storyline secrets are spilled and friendships are tested.
What do I mean by this? Well, perhaps
you better read the book.
In conclusion, Class A is an amazing book just like the rest of the Cherub series.
I give the book 5 stars ★★★★★
along with the entire series. I would recommend the
series to any boy aged 12+ and no one below as it is not suitable for younger
readers. The series is action packed and a complete page-turner. As soon as you
finish the final book you will be sad because you will know that the adventures
of James Robert Anthony Adams are over.
Aidan, MS
Labels:
Action,
Adventure,
Class A,
Muchamore Robert,
Robert Muchamore
The Sleepwalkeer
The
Sleepwalker
Are you tired of the same old romance and spy
novels? Here is a very special one that might just get you back into a reading
groove. The Sleepwalker is a fiction
novel by Robert Muchamore. It was published by Hodder and Stoughton. It was
first published in London in 2004. This book is a compelling, page turning,
action book that is realistic and often writes about relatable topics. It is
generally suited for young adults from twelve onwards.
The main characters in The Sleepwalker are Jake, Lauren, James,
Fahim, and Kerry. James, Lauren, Kerry, and Jake are all CHERUB agents. CHERUB
agents are orphans who go on special missions to take down bad guys and fight
crime. Sounds cliché? It’s not. It’s set in England, but the missions differ in
location from Australia to Canada. CHERUB agents have to undergo a one hundred
day basic training, which prepares them for anything they might face on a
mission. They are used because villains of the world never suspect that
children could be spying on them.
Robert Muchamore is an English writer. He has not
written any pieces other than CHERUB related books, though that includes three
series, the last book of the third one coming out next September.
In The Sleepwalker, Jake and Lauren go on a mission to befriend Fahim;
a rich teen who thinks his father might have something to do with a plane
crash. Their mission becomes more when they find out more from Fahim’s dad.
Their problem? Fahim is an uncontrollable rich teen with psychological
problems. Meanwhile, James and Kerry are assigned work experience, but it takes
an unexpected turn when they make friends with fellow co-worker Gemma.
In conclusion, I think The Sleepwalker is a very good book. I loved the book, as I
found it quite personable and had little dragging on and really got to the
point, which is nice as it is a teen-suited book. Muchamore also found ways to
keep twisting the plot to make it seem more interesting and exiting. A
complaint that could be made about CHERUB is that a lot of the books can seem
generic or replicable, as there are a lot in the series and they can seem
similar. There are many better books in the series, but it is an
interesting one. Make sure you try out the rest of the CHERUB series; the first
book is The Recruit.
Liam, MS
Labels:
Action,
Adventure,
Cherub series,
Muchamore Robert,
Robert Muchamore,
Sleepwalker
Friday, 19 October 2012
Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer
Skulduggery
Pleasant: Death Bringer
Skulduggery Pleasant: Death
Bringer by Derek Landy is
a great book in my opinion. This book was published by Harper Collins Books in
Great Britain in the year 2011. I loved the book, but felt that you need to
read the series in order to understand a lot of the references in the
Skulduggery Pleasant series. Skulduggery
Pleasant: Death Bringer makes a fantastic mix of magic, adventure, and
mystery in present-day Ireland, so it is quite realistic (apart from the magic
use).
Set in present-day Dublin, a
reporter, Kenny Dunne, hears a rumor of magic being used, so he goes to see his
informant, a homeless man named Paul Lynch. When Kenny finds Paul, his throat
is slit, so Kenny is questioned by one Detective Inspector Me (Skulduggery
Pleasant) and his apprentice (Valkyrie). After learning they were not actually
detectives, Kenny goes on a quest to find what is really happening in Dublin,
but Skulduggery, Valkyrie, and their team is having problems of their own.
These problems include a crazy society of necromancers (Dark Magicians), a
super powerful girl with extreme necromancy talent who tries to kill them, and
a plot to kill nearly half the world’s population.
I must say, of
all the characters I enjoyed Skulduggery and Valkyrie the most. I like
Skulduggery because he always brings humor by stating any of the unusual things
that pop into his head, whether it’s calling a child ugly in front of his
father, or calling a deadly assassin cuddly, he’s always doing something funny.
I also liked Valkyrie because whenever she’s around, there is usually conflict
of some sort going on, whether it’s in her mind, or with magical powers; it
seems like whenever she’s around, fighting is sure to follow.
To reiterate, Skulduggery Pleasant: Death Bringer is
very funny, has a lot of conflicts, and definitely some emotional scenes from
time to time. I definitely enjoyed this book and series, and am currently
awaiting the seventh book. This
series is one of a kind, due to the amazing humor and great conflicts, and I
would definitely recommend this book to nearly all readers.
Jake, MS
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