The Obsidian Dagger by Catherine Webb

I was looking forward to this book and the back cover made me believe I was in for a rare old treat. The book is set in the Victorian era and the characters are battling dark inhuman forces. The lead Character Horatio Lyle is a mix of Sherlock Holmes and a slightly distracter professorial type. I was disappointed I have to admit though as I felt the book did at times lose the plot and the description of the characters was very in depth one minute and the next they were glossed over. there did not seem to be much consistency. The story was reasonable and the plot good however I felt the book lacked depth and I was never very sure about what the real issue was. This is the second installment of Horatio Lyle's adventures and I wish I had read the first book before this as I a sure it would have made more sense. I give this 6/10. I will not be rushing back to this series.

JB

The Obsidian Dagger was a really good book. It was about this detective who was looking after two children named Tess and Thomas. His boss, Lord Lincoln, then made him go onto a case where two people had been murdered on a boat by someone or something. The book is set in the Victorian age when the fist chemicals were being found so he used a lot of them in the story. The book at times did drift away from the plot and the description went into so much depth that it was hard to understand it all together. I think one problem was that I hadn't read the first book as this was the second book in the series. I give this book 7/10 as as I said it did get hard to understand at times although overall I thought it was quite a good book.

MB

The Boy in Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne

This is one of the most moving books that I have read this year. The story is set during the second World war in Germany and revolves around the life of a young boy Bruno. Bruno's father, an important man who is very close to a man called the Fury (or that is what Bruno calls him), gets a new job which means they all have to leave and move out of Berlin to the country. The child does not understand what is going on and what is happening. I found this to be a moving story and one where you can see the end coming from a long way off. I believe it has been released as a movie however the imagery given to me by the reading of the book will mean I will not probably go and see it. I know that MB found this book uncomfortable to read and did not understand all of the references made regarding the fathers job, however I am sure he and I learnt a lot from reading this book. If you read this with your son I recommend that you talk through the issues raised. I give this book a 10/10.

JB

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was a very moving book. It was set in the age of WWII in Berlin with this small boy who's dad was very important in the Nazi army. All of a sudden the small boy, called Bruno, was moved with his family to a house far away from any other houses except a fence. This book is very moving . When I read it I was in Germany on holiday and I didn't really take all of the information in until I got back home. I give this book 7/10 because I thought that though I am 12 years old I never want to read another book like that ever again. This book made me feel very sad because of what happened in the story and I learnt that it is important to talk to other people or your relatives about what could be happening in the future.

MB

The Recruit by Robert Muchamore

The Recruit by Robert Muchamore

A lot of my classmates have read The Recruit and I was looking forward to reading this book as all my friends who had read the book thoroughly enjoyed it and rated it highly!

It is a very fast-moving and cleverly written with an enthralling storyline. It is so fast-moving that throughout the 322 pages there is more than one major event happening.
The main character, James Choke, starts off the story as a rebellious schoolboy and soon gets expelled and sent to a children’s home where he has more than one meeting with the police! Soon CHERUB picks him up and he goes on training to become a top, young agent.

This book shows all the characters feelings very well and it also captures a lot about the way the author feels about modern school children, how they behave and how they feel about different occasions.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, just like my classmates, and look forward to reading the rest of the series. Fantastic! 10/10!!

By Charles Standen

The Recruit is the first in, what is currently, a nine volume series of books written by Robert Muchamore. The story follows the adventures of James Choke, a rather unfit and generally disinterested young man, who is performing indifferently at school and is in danger of sliding into a life of crime.

The tragic death of his mother sees James sent to a children’s home. This brings with it an unexpected opportunity to join a shadowy government organisation know as ‘Cherub’ that uses children as spies. The book follows James’ induction into the organisation and the very tough training that turns him from a teenage tearaway, to a responsible and focussed individual, capable of being a ‘teenage spy’.

The latter half of the book follows James on his first mission, in which he is required to team up with another member of ‘Cherub’ to join, and spy on, a commune of eco-protesters in the hope of identifying some eco-terrorists within the organisation. I will not spoil the story, suffice to say that James has a number of adventures and close calls before completing his mission.

The story is well written, realistic, fast paced, and an engaging tale. I know Charles enjoyed this book and has gone on to read other books in the series, and I can see why it appeals. It shows both the good and the bad aspects of a modern teenager’s life, as well as providing a good bit of adventure and escapism. I would recommend this to any teenage boy (or girl) particularly those who enjoy books of the same genre such as the Alex Rider series. Highly recommended 9/10.

Iain Standen

Antony Horowitz "Stormbreaker"

Stormbreaker is the first in series of books and I found it very interesting. It is about this boy who finds out his uncle had died in car crash because he wasn't wearing his seatbelt. But his uncle always wore a seat belt. He then gets a letter from MI6 to meet them at a secret location. He is then made a secret agent and finds out that his uncle was also working as a secret agent and that he is going to be doing the case that his uncle was doing when he was shot. Not killed in a car crash. I give this book 8/10 because it is a really good book. I now want to read all the rest of the books in the series.

MB 8D

This is an interesting book to read especially as we have read some of the young James Bond series by Charlie Higgson. I found this to be a good yarn however I thought the style was a little basic and I did not enjoy the story as much as I expected. The premise of the story is classic adventure about a boy who is orphaned and lives with his uncle who mysteriously dies. It turns out his uncle was a secret agent and he is recruited and trained to work for the secret services. I found the book enjoyable but wished for more depth in the story. I would not go out of my way to read one of these books again. I recommend you look to Charlie Higgson if you want a good secret agent yarn. 6/10

JB

Siobhan Dowd "The London Eye Mystery"

I really enjoyed this book, I literally couldn't take my eyes away from it. It is about this boy who goes up in the London Eye whilst his cousins are watching him but doesn't come back down again. Then his cousins Ted and Kat have to find him. The police can't find anything so it's up to them. They do everything possible: go back on the eye, go around London but they can't find him. I give this book 9/10 because evertime I had the chance I read it.

MB 8D

This was a fascinating book. The story is written from the point of view of a child who is from the description given autistic. It gives a clear view of how the child thinks and behaves differently from those around him and the communication struggles that he has. The story revolves around the disappearance of the lead characters cousin whilst riding the London Eye. It goes through the experience of trying to work out how this child managed to go missing from a sealed capsule. It was a very good book and the style is excellent especially in the description of the interations between the lead character and those around him who do not know how to respond to this child who in his own words is 'hard wired in a different way'. 9/10

JB

Charlie Higson 'Hurricane Gold'

Hurricane Gold was an excellent book. It is fourth in the series of young Bond books. The book is about James Bond as a boy who goes to Mexico whilst he recovers from his last adventure. His Aunt leaves him with some American friends that live in Mexico so that she can go on an expedition into the rainforest. Suddenly a storm comes and rips the house to pieces. Whilst the storm is happening a gang of criminals get into the house and threaten them with their lives. What will James do? What can he do at gun point? I give this book 8/10 because I really enjoyed reading it and also found it hard to put down.

MB 8D

I leapt into this fourth instalment with great relish and was not disappointed. Having read the three previous instalments it is obvious that Charlie Higson is getting more comfortable with this character and this style as the action certainly is described well and the cliff hangers that come along through the book are well structured and well thought out. There is of course a little bit of the fantastical about this story and some of the challenges that James and his friends and companions come up against are a little bit unbelievable however that does not detract and in one way makes it more enjoyable as it reminds you that this is just fantasy. I give this a 10/10.

JB

Joshua Doder "Grk and the Hot dog trail"

Grk is the name of a dog who manages to get himself and his owners into a lot of trouble. This is the second book in the grk series. I have to admit that I did quite enjoy this story. It is an easy read and does not take itself too seriously. The story is easy to follow although a bit far fetched at times. It is written for a childrens audience however it does not patronise and makes you think by questioning the reader on their knowledge from time to time. I would recommend this for kids who like a bit of action and adventure in theri lives especially when the story could have happened to anyone. I give this book a 7/10
JB

Grk and the hot dog trail is the second book in the series. I thought this book was really fun to read because it was for people a bit lower than my age group but still a really good book. It was about his boy called Tim and a dog called Grk that are in New York for a holiday. Suddenly a priceless golden statue of a Daschund is stolen from a museum they had gone to the day before. Tim has the vital clue to the whole case and jumps into action cycling from the Big Apple to Brooklyn just to follow a van that he knew would be the suspect. He finds out that the van is going to a sausage factory that is guarded like a fort. But why would a sausage factory be guarded like a fort? I give this book 7/10 because it was a book that kept you on your toes.
MB 8D

Charlie Higson 'Blood Fever'

Charlie Higson Blood Fever Young James Bond Book 2

I was looking forward to this story having read the first book and really enjoyed it. Charlie Higson did not disappoint and in the second book we meet the young James Bond again this time coming to the aid of a damsel in distress. The action centers around Eton where James is in his second term and then later moves to Sardinia when they go on a school holiday trip to do some archeology. The story again has an evil villain in true James Bond style who will stop at nothing to get his way. I have to admit that this was not as gripping as the first story and I did find the story was not as well constructed however it remains a good read and will not stop me moving on to the third and fourth books. I thoroughly recommend this book for all those budding James Bonds. This is how stories should be. 7 out of 10

JB

I thought Blood Fever was a really good book. It is the second book in the series of Young Bond books. It is about James Bond as a boy who goes to Italy on a school trip but then goes to cousins to stay. His cousin is around 21 and has some servants. There he finds a sinister count who has a mountain fortress and close to his own army. This book is good because the way the story goes along is brilliant: something amazing happens then it quietens down and then suddenly something else amazing happens. I give this book 7/10 because I have read better books but at the same time it is really good.

MB

Dick Francis "To The Hilt"

Dick Francis - To The Hilt

I enjoyed this book. Dick Francis delivers his usual blend of a mystery with connections to horse racing. This time the connection is not as strong as usual however the story goes along at a fair pace to keep you entertained. The main premise of the story is the relationship of the hero of the story and his step father who owns a brewery which on the face of it is doing well but has serious financial issues caused by an employee who manages to clear the firms bank account and disappear with all the money. There is however a deeper plot which involves people close to the hero and his family, and there is a twisting interrelated tale regarding a famous sword hilt in Scotland One does not read Dick Francis for a literary experience but for the simple escapism the story weaves. I give this story a 6 out of 10.

JB

I liked his book even though it took me over a month to get through. It was about this man who lived up in the Scottish mountains until he has to go down to London to help his step dad save his race horse, Goldenmalt, from being taken by his daughter, Patsy. He is then buffeted to and from London sometimes managing to get back to Scotland but only for few days. He is beaten up in this book twice and put on a barbecue but he survives and he keeps Goldenmalt and the hilt safe from prying eyes. I give this book about 5/10 because it was quite boring at the beginning but got better and better at the end.

MB (7D-8D)

Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams

Tunnels by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams, 2007

This book is an intriguing story which starts off with a normal family in a suburb of London. The hero of the story is a 14 year old Albino boy Will Burrows. The boy and his father share a delight in digging tunnels under London and share in the excitement of discovering archeological remains. The story though takes a dark twist as his father disappears one day and we witness the struggle of Will and his new friend from school as they dig deep under ground to find out what has happened to Dr Burrows.

This is the first book in a series and the book ends with a series of gruesome incidents which I feel will be explored in later books. I look forward to the further adventures of Will Burrows.
The book is an easy read and the style is clear and I did not get bored as I felt the story escalated with new twists and turns to keep the readers attention. I give this book an 8 out of 10.

JB


I thought this book was tremendously fun to read. The book starts off with the main character who lives with his family in London. He has a passion for digging which he shares with his dad (Doctor Burrows). When Dr Burrows suddenly goes missing then him and his best friend Chester search for clues in his dads cellar where they find a tunnel which leads them to a completely different Underworld called The Colony.

When the book eventually finished, leaving me on a cliff-hanger, I immediately wanted to read the next book in the series because this book is full of unknown surprises which creep up on you and really shock you when they do. I would give this book 8/10 because there were some bits they could improve on. Still, they had good twists and turns to keep the reader from stopping.

MB (7D)

Operation Typhoon Shore by Joshua Mowll

OPERATION: TYPHOON SHORE by Joshua Mowll

This being the second instalment of the Guild Trilogy, of which I have thoroughly enjoyed so far (in reading OPERATION: RED JERICHO) I was really looking forward to reading this book.

As with the first story it is full of action, adventure, mystery and is packed full of thrilling explosions and close encounters. TYPHOON SHORE follows on extremely well from RED JERICHO, so well it could be one book!
The vast number of pull-out sections and interactive pages makes it fun to find out more about important people and subjects.
As I said, it follows on extremely well from the previous story and it includes much of the detail explained in that book. This time a new enemy arises, Julius Pembelton-Crozier. As you delve further into the book Doug and Becca try to uncover the mystery of their parents’ disappearance and the mystery of the missing southern gyrolabe.

Overall, I enjoyed this book as much as its prequel and look forward to the final instalment of this fantastic trilogy. A read I would recommend to anyone! 10/10!!

By C.S.

Operation Typhoon Shore by Joshua Mowll

As both my son and I had thoroughly enjoyed the first book in Joshua Mowll’s Guild Trilogy, we were both eager to read Operation Typhoon Shore, the second in the series. The book starts where the first one finished and continues the exploits and adventures of brother and sister, Douglas and Rebecca Mackenzie.

The story opens in the Celebes Sea, south of the Philippines, where we find Douglas, Rebecca, their uncle Captain Fitzroy Mackenzie, the captain of the Oceanographic Research Ship Expedient, and its crew, caught up in a tropical typhoon. Damaged by the storm the Expedient is forced to find a safe harbour on one of the numerous islands in the region, in order to conduct repairs. From here the story rapidly unfolds and we again meet Julius Pembleton-Crozier, one of the villains from the first book, who, having enlisted the assistance of the fearsome Kalaxx, is now up to more evil deeds on an adjacent island. We also find out more about Douglas and Rebecca’s missing parents and more clues as to why they have embarked on an expedition to the Sinkiang region of China. Additionally the role and activities of the secretive Honourable Guide of Specialists start to become clear and we are further enlightened in the ways of the mysterious ancient fighting order of the Sujing Quantou.

The book moves at a good pace and the story kept my interest well. The characterisation is very good and there are some nice little touches of detail. As with Operation Red Jericho the book is wonderfully produced and similarly illustrated. The text is again interspersed with sketches and paintings ‘taken’ from Douglas’s sketch book. There are also photographs of places visited and some of the key characters, as well as another array of beautifully draw fold out colour illustrations.

Another excellent book that I would thoroughly recommended for fans of action and adventure. 9/10. I can’t wait for the final instalment!

I.S.

Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo

Alone on a Wide Wide Sea - Michael Morpurgo - 2006

I enjoyed this story that Matthew chose enormously and found it to be an emotional roller coaster. The story is based on a historical fact that after the second world war an enormous number of children were transported from the UK to the colonies. This story follows a fictitious character and the pain he went through being transported to another country as a young child and the treatment he received on arrival from a variety of adults. The second part of the book follows this character's daughter and her quest to find out more about her family. The daughter also has an emotional roller coater of her own and by the end I felt exhausted.

It is an easy read and I would recommend it to young and old alike however I did at times find the writing style difficult and I wished at times for more detail as I found the character would jump through some years that had the potential to be interesting. I give this book an 8/10.

JB

I really enjoyed reading this book because it had a lot of detail and was actually made of some history. This book had two stories in it. The one where a little boy gets moved to the Australia and has to make a life there, and the second one was his daughter going on a voyage back to the UK to find her long lost Aunt. I think that this book should be given 10/10 (Ten out of ten) because I really enjoyed reading it and tried to read it at every possibility.

MB (7D)

Operation: Red Jericho by Joshua Mowll

OPERATION: RED JERICHO by Joshua Mowll

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the rest of the trilogy!
The made-up background of the story in A NOTE TO THE READER sets the scene for the story as if being based on true fact.
The main characters, Rebecca and Doug Mackenzie, find themselves on their uncle’s, Fitzroy Mackenzie, ship the Expedient. Their parents left them with a message and leave to go on an expedition to the Sinkiang desert in China. Doug and Rebecca are puzzled by these happenings but soon they have a lot on their minds as they find out all about The Guild of Honourable Specialists and the evil pirate warlord, Sheng-Fat. It also provides a very good insight to Becca and Doug’s feelings by including pull-out sections and extracts from diaries and sketchbooks.
This book is a very adventurous and cleverly written book that makes you want to carry on reading until all the mysteries, many that there are, have been solved and you are thoroughly happy with what you have read.

I would greatly recommend this book to anyone as it is not focused generally on boys and it is not focused entirely on girls either. A really fantastic read, 10/10!!

By Charles S.

Operation Red Jericho by Joshua Mowll
Operation Red Jericho is the first book in what is, I understand, to be a trilogy of adventure stories following the exploits of brother and sister, Douglas and Rebecca Mackenzie. Cleverly conceived, the book purports to be their story as bequeathed to the author in an archive of letters, maps, sketches, photographs and a personal diary by his Aunt - Rebecca Mackenzie!

The story is set in 1922 in the area of the South China Sea and as the book starts we find Douglas and Rebecca in the city of Shanghai on their way to meet their uncle, Captain Fitzroy Mackenzie, the captain of the Oceanographic Research Ship Expedient. As the story progresses we quickly find out that Douglas and Rebecca’s parents are missing having embarked on an expedition to the Sinkiang region of China and the children are being put under the care of their uncle. Once on board the Expedient the adventures start as the children discover its secrets, meet its colourful crew and learn about the skills necessary to live on board.

The book proceeds at a pace as the story continues to unfold, and Douglas and Rebecca start to find that everything is not what it seems. They find out about the mysterious and secretive Honourable Guide of Specialists, the ancient fighting order of the Sujing Quantou and the thoroughly unpleasant pirate leader Sheng Fat who becomes their principal enemy through the book.

The book is beautifully produced with copious illustrations. The text is filled with sketches ‘taken’ from Douglas’s sketch book, photographs of places visited and some superb fold out colour illustrations. In short not only is the story a ripping good yarn but the book itself is a delight to hold.

A great book for all fans of action and adventure. Thoroughly recommended – 9/10.

By Iain S.

The Afghan by Fredrick Forsyth

THE AFGHAN by Fredrick Forsyth

From an early look at The Afghan it was supposedly my type of book, fast-moving with lots of action and adventure, but once I got past the first fifty pages I found it quite hard to keep up with the story.
It begins quickly and gets straight in to the main idea of the story but after that it goes on a lot about the general background of the Impersonator, Mike Martin, and the Afghan, Izmat Khan. It is quite a recently set story about the Al Qaeda and the recent attacks such as 9/11 and the Taliban rebellion.
Although I was looking forward to the best bits of the story it never really appealed to me as much as I thought it would

I would recommend this book to people who are looking for a gradually intensifying action and modern-warfare story but are willing to put up with a long and slow build up to reach the heart of the story and the more adventurous part. If I was to enjoy this book more I think it would have to be faster moving and it would have to get into the story more quickly to keep me satisfied. OK in places, 4/10.

By Charles S.

The Afghan by Frederick Forsyth


I chose this book because, when I was Charles’ age, I had been introduced to Frederick Forsyth through his first novel, ‘The Day of the Jackal’. I therefore reasoned that Charles (a fan of Anthony Horowitz’s ‘Alex Rider’ series of spy adventures) would find Forsyth’s fast paced and meticulously detailed thrillers appealing.

‘The Afghan’ is classic Forsyth. British and US security agencies become aware of an Al Qaeda plot to commit a huge attack against the West but are unable to discover the target. The only way to find this crucial information seems to be to get a human intelligence source into the heart of Al Qaeda – a task that seems impossible, until a chance conversation highlights Mike Martin, a retired British Army Officer of mixed parentage who had been born and brought up in the Middle East. He speaks the language like a local, understands the culture and by happy coincidence was a member of the SAS! Reluctantly Martin is persuaded out of retirement to track down the terrorists. The scene is now set for a rollercoaster ride in true Forsyth style as the hero sets out on his mission to discover the details of the plot and its perpetrators, and ultimately avert disaster.

As with most of his books, Forsyth has researched his subject extensively and filled ‘The Afghan’ with detail and realism that brings both the story and the characters to life. The narrative moves along at a slick pace and ends in a cliff-hanging climax that keeps the reader guessing to the last few pages of the book.

This is Frederick Forsyth at this best. I thoroughly enjoyed the book - it was entertaining and very readable. 9/10 – I would recommend it to anyone.

Iain S.

The Christmas Train by David Baldacci

THE CHRISTMAS TRAIN by David Baldacci

The Christmas Train is a funny, adventurous book that shows a lot of different feelings and emotions very well depending on the situation and the characters.
The main character, Tom Langdon, who is a reporter, departs on a train journey from the Washington to Los Angeles to meet his girlfriend Leila for Christmas. He was forced to take the train though after a certain misunderstanding with airport staff.
This book shows a lot of cleverly thought-about characters and all have small stories themselves which make it more interesting to read and find out more about all of the different characters.
On the train, the Capitol Limited, Tom meets his ex-girlfriend, Eleanor, who he’d shared many adventures with when he was younger. Some other characters include Max Powers, a famous film director, and young couple Steve and Julie, amongst many others. Another thing I enjoyed about this book was the unexpected twist at the end where all the mysterious happenings and coincidences are revealed!

I would recommend this book to people who are good at reading and want to read a book with a bit of romance, a bit of adventure and yet also a bit of mystery. It is a very gripping book to read and is written so that when you get to the end of one chapter you want to go on and read more! Thoroughly enjoyable, 8/10!

By Charles S. 7B

I have been a fan of the crime/thriller novels of author David Baldacci for some years, and was therefore intrigued to see how he would handle a subject that was not of his usual genre. It was therefore with interest that I picked up and read ‘The Christmas Train’ and I was not disappointed.

The book is a combination of a love story, a detective tale and an adventure. The main character in the story is a journalist called Tom Langdon who sets out to join his girlfriend Lelia for Christmas. Having been banned from travelling by air due to a previous ‘misunderstanding’ with airport security he joins a group of other travellers on a three thousand mile train journey across America from Washington DC to Los Angeles. He quickly meets up with his fellow travellers who range from a famous film director, a young eloping couple, a priest, the train’s colourful staff and a cast of other characters including, rather awkwardly, his ex-girlfriend Eleanor.

The story follows their rather eventful journey across America, first on the Capitol Limited to Chicago and then the Southwest Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles. The trip is interrupted by various incidents each of which cast light on the main characters and gradually weaves their individual fates together.

The story is well written with some good characterisation and a plot line which keeps the reader engaged right to the very end where (and without wishing to give too much away) an unseen twist is revealed!

In short an entertaining and heart-warming little story that will appeal to all ages. 8/10.

Iain S.

Silverfin by Charlie Higson

Silverfin - Young Bond - Author Charlie Higson 2005

I really enjoyed this story. It is a romp through the fields of Eton and the hills of Scotland with James Bond in his formative years showing us where the man we all know as a 007 came from and how he was shaped as a young man. The story does hold your interest. Charlie Higson has an easy reading style and he keeps the story moving so you never get bored. I learnt a lot about the customs of the public school Eton which was very interesting especially the dress code and the way the day was structured for the pupils. The villain in this story is a classic bond caricature and you can almost imagine him stroking a white cat (not that he does in the story as that would have been too corny).
I give this book an 8 out of 10 and I will certainly move on to the other stories in the series to see how the young bond continues to develop.

JB


I thought this book was amazing. The details that the Author put in it were really, really good and I managed to find out what they were talking about instantly. I found out that in the book there was somebody called Uncle Max who dies in the end. (He is James' Uncle.) Uncle Max was actually Charlie Higson's Uncle who died and he has made the book because of him. The Villian in this book was a crazy millionare and he was trying to make a super human but all he achieved was killing three people. Overall I shall give this book 8/10 (Eight out of ten) because this book is interesting, easy to read, and very well detailed.

MB