Seniors and Sixth Form Book of the Week: Blog

This is the first book in the Lunar Chronicles series, which has four books in total. The main genre in it is science-fiction. It is a futuristic retelling of the traditional fairy tale ‘Cinderella’. It is quite different from the fairy tale, the main difference being that the protagonist is instead called Cinder, and she is a cyborg. Her parents died in an accident when she was a toddler, and because of it she had to have body parts and organs replaced with synthetic versions. Also, she is a skilled mechanic who is the best in the city of New Beijing. Androids roam the city testing people for a plague which is killing off large amounts of people. Cyborgs like Cinder are considered second class and only they are allowed to volunteer to help with the research conducted to find an antidote for the disease. This is because the antidotes get tested on them and cyborgs are considered more expendable than humans. One of Cinder’s stepsisters, Peony, contracts the disease and her stepmother blames her for it, so she makes her volunteer for the research. Read to find out what happens next...

I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to finishing the series. It is a must read for lovers of science fiction, fantasy and possibly dystopia. I would say this book is for ages 12 and up.

Reviewed by C.King, 8JF

Once a year, Rising Stars gives a handful of students in one school the chance to change their lives. If they can beat their fellow students, prove they have the most potential, then the talent agency will make their wildest dreams come true. When a shy and talented young artist, Harley Matthews, gets selected his life could change forever, but the first problem? They’ve also chosen Annabella, Billie and Theo. Aka Year Eleven’s most popular and powerful pupils. Aka the Perfect Four. The second problem? They didn’t choose the last member of the Perfect Four: Oliver. The third problem? Harley must compete with them all to win.

When he finds a chalk outline of his body drawn at the bottom of the school stairs, Harley has the face the reality that someone wants him out the competition – permanently. But the underdog deserves to win, right? This Story is a Lie is one of the most amazing books I have read this year. With its fast moving, action packed and twists that kept me up at night, don’t miss out on this book. Plus, it's free if you have your World Book Day token! This Story is a Lie is recommended for Years 7 and above. People that like A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and Murder Most Unladylike series would love this book, but also people that have never really read this kind of book before would love it too.

Reviewed by C.McGuffin, 8JV

The Box of Delights was written by John Masefield in 1935. It is an exciting tale which includes tragedy, hope and rebellion.

The protagonist is a 12-year-old boy named Kay Harker who is determined and willing to help his own town succeed against a gang of evil robbers. Kay comes back from a boarding school and finds his money stolen when he is on the train. How did that happen? His money had been in his bag the whole time he had thought. As the story unravels itself Kay realizes that he must win against the evil robbers who do not just want money, but also the box of delights which contains a hidden power that allows you to go back in time. Kay must keep the box hidden to save his little Punch and Judy man and to save his town’s people's lives from the unknown evil that the robbers could cause.

I really like this book because it contains a lot of magical things that you might not expect. It is a great tale of exciting adventure. It is an enjoyable book to read at Christmas time because it is set at that time of year. I think this book is suitable to read if you are between 8 and 12 years old.

Reviewed by M.White, 7DL

What is the book about? The book is a fiction. It is about girls only school, it is a boarding school and school life. The characters are Darrell Rivers, Sally Alicia, Betty, Irene, Belinda, Gwen, Mavis, Morai and Catherine. They like playing tricks on Mlle. They make new friends; they are the year older and three new students. They play lots of sport games that they play in.       

Why did I enjoy it? It is a part of a series that I have read.  

What drew me to it in the first place?My mum recommended it to me so I read the series.  

Who else might like it? I think girls might and anyone in the juniors and year 7 and 8.

Reviewed by A.Wakelin, 7DL

What is the book about? The book is fiction, it is about boarding school life. The characters are Darrell Rivers, Sally, Alicia, Betty, Irene, Belinda, Gwen and Mavis. They love swimming in the rockpool, also like playing tricks on Mlle. They make lots of new friends. It is a girl only school so can be a lot of drama.

Why did I enjoy it? I absolutely loved it. It was very funny and enjoy able.

What drew me to it in the first place? I read the rest of the series and loved them so much so I decided to read the rest.  

Who else might like it? I think girls might and anyone in the juniors and year 7 and 8.

Reviewed by A.Wakelin, 7DL

The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins in 2008, is an action filled thriller including themes of social inequality, love and rebellion. It centers around Katniss Everdeen, a fiery independent sixteen-year-old girl and her time in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a punishment and forever reminder from the Capitol, the rulers of Panem, for the war during the dark days. The result being that every year, they reap one girl and one boy from each of the twelve districts to fight to the death for the entertainment of the Capitol. It shows the power of the Capitol and their reign over the districts.

Suzanne Collins shows social inequality in her book, by setting the home of the heroine Katniss Everdeen in District Twelve, the district of coal and the poorest of all the districts where people keel over every day from starvation. At the start, we see Katniss Everdeen as head of the family as she is forced to feed her mother and little sister, Prim, by hunting illegally in the woods to keep her family alive. This is where she learns her talent with the bow and arrow which saves her life many times. After her father’s tragic death in a mining accident the weight of head of the family falls upon Katniss’s fragile shoulders at the age of just eleven as her mother slips away into a state of sadness and mourning. When Primrose Everdeen’s name is called at the reaping, sixteen-year-old Katniss valiantly takes her sister’s place in the Hunger Games along with Peeta Mellark, the baker’s son, the other tribute from district twelve. During the Games, Katniss and all the other tributes are faced with social inequality as the Game makers of the Capitol, cruelly force them to fight to the death.

Suzanne Collins shows a theme of love in this book, as seen when Katniss volunteers for her sister in the Hunger Games. She can’t let her sister, only twelve years old, gentle and loving be brutally beat to death in the violent Hunger Games. Katniss enters the Hunger Games, determined to win for her sister she loves so much. Love is also presented between Peeta and Katniss, first seen in Peeta’s first interview before the games, when he openly declares his love for Katniss. Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta’s surly, drunk mentor tells Katniss that this love is all an act to get sponsors from the audience in the Capitol, but Peeta seems to actually be in love with Katniss. However, Katniss throws this comment away, as she thinks this is all an act to keep them alive. The Capitol audience is so believing of this act of love from the star-crossed lovers from District Twelve, that ... [Spoiler removed...read the book to find out!].

Finally, Suzanne Collins shows a key theme of rebellion in the Hunger Games. This is seen throughout the whole book, as Katniss enters illegally into the woods every day, to feed her family, but also defying the Capitol. Suzanne Collins shows a big moment of rebellion right at the end of the book, with the act with the berries... [Spoiler removed...read the book to find out!]... But Katniss is the spark of the rebellion. The girl on fire.

I think the Hunger Games is a really great book, as it is very gripping and keeps you turning the pages. Every chapter ends on a cliff hanger, keeping it tense and exciting. Suzanne Collins really makes the characters come alive as she writes in the first-person narrative, as if she really is Katniss. It has a good plot line which moves at a good pace to keep it gripping. I think a good age rating for this book is 11 and upwards as it does have a lot of violence in it, but it is also a good size book which you can read quickly, and it is easy to get into! I think the Hunger Games is a really good book, which is very enjoyable to read!

Reviewed by R.White, 9GR

The book Alice in Wonderland is based upon a young girl, following a small white rabbit with a pocket watch, who ends up being tossed into a world she would've least expected. Through a rabbit hole, and into a world of being too small, too tall, too small, and TOO small.  All because Alice let her curiosity get the best of her, oh and wasn't that the biggest mistake of her life, or.. so she thought.  

[Mrs Toerien adds: We have a fabulous illustrated version of this wonderful children's classic. This student remarked that, as a classic, sometimes passages need rereading to be fully understood but that it is really worth it for the fascinating story.]

Reviewed by P.Price, 8JF

The School of Good and Evil may be one of the best books I have EVER read. This book really lifts you off of your chair and into a whole new world of adventure. It is about two young girls, one with a brighter look, named Sophie and another very different character, Agatha.  Agatha lives next to a graveyard and is seen as the town's witch.  Sophie is seen as the town's ordinary, yet not ordinary girl, but she is one of the most kind hearted girls you can find.  These two girls build a weird yet unbreakable relationship.  One nobody would have expected.  Although, their perfect friendship is yet to ALL change. This is all because of Sophie's dream to leave the small town of Gavaldon and go for a new adventure, which drags poor old Agatha along. This ends up the biggest mistake of Sophie's, and Aggie's lives. 

Reviewed by P.Price, 8JF