Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Book Details:

Author: Jay Asher
Ages: 13+
Rating: 6/10
Number of Pages: 288
Plot: Clay Jensen arrives home to find a package with his name on it; inside the box he discovers seven cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - a girl who committed suicide weeks earlier. Through the tapes Clay discovers that there are thirteen reasons, or people, as to why Hannah killed herself - and Clay is one of them. As Clay listens and learns about the girl he came to love he realises that his life, and the twelve other 'reasons' will change forever.

After seeing this book in a bookshop and then reading the reviews on Goodreads, I thought that this book would be one of the best books I have read but it wasn't. I liked the whole idea of the plot, but, in my opinion, I thought that in parts the book was somewhat scary and haunting.
I liked how the writer used Clay as the main character to contrast with Hannah's cassette tapes throughout as the reader gets a real indication into how he did love her. It would have been interesting, however, to have seen what the other characters reactions would have been to the tapes and how Clay reacted to them after finishing the tapes.

'I hope you're ready, because I'm about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. And if you're listening to these tapes, you're one of the reasons why.' - Hannah

I have never read a book about suicide so I tried to remain open minded, but, after finishing the book I felt as if the writer didn't let the reader get an emotional connection to Hannah, which would probably expect from a book like this. Despite this, because of the ongoing slow pace of the book, I thought the book was a real page turner and after every revelation I just wanted to know more about the journey Hannah and then Clay went on.
I also found it difficult at times to differentiate between the two characters (even though the cassette tape is in italics throughout) because I felt that in some parts Clay's opinions were flat and held little emotion towards Hannah.
Despite the flaws in the novel it was a very thrilling and engaging read which kept the reader in anticipation throughout. The writer, cleverly, doesn't make Hannah the victim and shows that she too has done bad things in the past. Also, in the end Hannah doesn't come across as being bitter (which some may have thought at the beginning of the novel). Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who likes gripping, page-turner novels.

Reviewed by Daisy Wallis

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Book Details

Author: Lois Lowry

Ages: 11+                                                 

Rating: 7/10

Number of Pages: 240

Plot: Set in the future, this novel at first appears to be set in a utopian society but as the book  progresses we learn that the environment in which humanity lives is of more of a dystopian nature. The novel follows a 12 year old boy, Jonas, who lives in a community where there is no war, no pain and no hunger. Everything in the community is controlled by the 'Elders', a group of highly respected councilmen and women; these 'Elders' have the power to decide what each citizen will do for an occupation for the rest of their lives. At the age of twelve, all citizens are told their occupation in a ceremony where the whole community gathers, it is here where Jonas learns that he has been chosen to become the Reciever of Memories. Through his new occupation and meeting The Giver he soon learns that the 'perfect' community he has lived in may not be so perfect after all and the mysterious method of 'release' is more deadly than described. 

          

I found this book after watching the trailer or the film adaptation, starring Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges; the whole idea of the book appealed to me as it was a unique twist on other dystopian novels that I have read in the past. I thought that this would be my next favourite dystopian novel but despite this there are aspects of the book that I think make the book less captivating. I found the first few chapters quite slow and somewhat repetitive but that was probably intentional (to show how controlled their lives are). I really liked the character of Jonas, as the clever description of Jonas contrasted with the other civilians and so highlighted the importance of the character. However I thought that the age of Jonas was unbelievable, he is portrayed as being twelve, I feel that because of the plot and the complexicity of the things Jonas says throughout the novel makes him seem a lot older and mature. 

" Now he became aware of an entirely new sensation: pinpricks? No, because they were soft and without pain. Tiny, cold, featherlike feelings peppered his body and face. He put out his tongue again, and caught one of the dots of cold upon it. It disappeared from his awareness instantly; but he caught another, and another. The sensation made him smile." - Jonas

My favourite part(s) of the book were the memories that The Giver gave to Jonas. The memories are described so beautifully and portrayed in a way that shows how this is Jonas' first experience of things that we take for granted in everyday life like snow and colour. Jonas' reaction to these new memories also highlights the idea of how controlled the community is even in the way they think. 

I felt as if the book could have been a lot longer and some of the relationships with other characters like his father could have been included. The ending, which I am not going to spoil for those who have not read the book, seemed to be quite abrupt and left me wanting to find out what happened to Jonas. 

Overall, the idea and concept really appealed to me, as I am a huge fan of dystopian novels, but some of the aspects of the novel really infuriated me because I wanted to know more. 

                            

Reviewed by Daisy Wallis 

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Book Details

Author: Rick Riordan
Ages: 10+
Rating: 8/10
Number of Pages: 375
Plot: This novel is the first in a series of five books which depicts the life of Percy Jackson, a twelve year old boy who suffers from dyslexia and ADHD and has been kicked out of multiple private schools. As Percy's life becomes more strange and peculiar he makes the amazing discovery that he is a demigod, half human half god, and the magical world of the Greek gods is real. With help from his satyr friend Grover Percy arrives at Camp Half Blood where he meets more demigods including Annabeth, one of the daughters of Athena, who he instantly becomes friends with. The novel follows the action packed and dangerous life Percy now faces as a demigod and how his life of being kicked out of schools and putting up with his smelly stepfather Smelly Gabe is over.
As Percy learns more skills and finds out who his father is his life gets a whole lot harder and he is put on a dangerous quest in order to prevent a war against the Gods.

I have recently read this book after my younger brother told me how interesting it was. I know very little about Greek mythology so, at first, I was unsure if I would enjoy it as much as other series I have read like Harry Potter and The Hunger Games. Despite this, I was pleasantly surprised. The characters all have well thought out back stories and the interesting mix of modern day and Greek mythology make the book interesting, unique and appealing to the target age group.

We first learn about Percy Jackson's life and his different school troubles; through humorous short sentences we immediately get the idea that Percy is a troubled yet charismatic character. As Percy's life becomes full of Furies, centaurs and magically enchanted pens Percy learns that his life is not what it seems and he soon learns that he is a demigod. After defeating a Minotaur Percy and Grover, his satyr friend, arrive at Camp Half Blood where demigods are safe to train and live without the fear of being killed by monsters. Percy meets many new characters who each have a difficult past and a range of skills, for example Annabeth and Luke. With the aid of Annabeth and Luke he learns how to fight and begins to fit in before his father,Poseidon, one of the three greatest Gods claims him as his son. From here, Percy's life is threatened by even more monsters and powerful Gods as he is accused of stealing Zeus' lighting bolt. In order to save his own life and prevent the outbreak of a war between the Gods Percy must find who stole the lightning bolt with the help of his friends Grover and Annabeth.

The quest in which Percy must take showcases the different powers and abilities that the Gods and monsters possess and how powerful Percy has actually become. As the book progresses the main trios friendship grows stronger making their unlikely friendship more relatable for the reader. Each character also has very different personalities, Percy becomes more brave and courageous as he faces more monsters and stands up to powerful Gods like Ares. Grover, my favourite character, at first appears to be quite timid and scared but as the quest continues and he tries to protect the innocent the reader can see that he too is brave and also a loyal and protective friend, at one point sacrificing his own safety for Percy's mothers freedom. Annabeth, much like her mother, is strong and intelligent and becomes a good friend to Percy, despite their parents rivalry.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is a great book for those who enjoyed Harry Potter and is very good for those who are interested in Greek mythology. Overall, I really liked the plot and the main characters but in some points I thought that Percy was older than twelve, taking on a giant Minotaur was one of them, and I think it would have been more 'believable' if he would have been an older teenager. Despite this, I believe that this book mixes education, humour and excitement to create a truly unique piece. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Reviewed by Daisy Wallis