‘M.L Stedman’s first novel is a heart-wrenching story of love and loss, and in my opinion, a total triumph! It questions our perceptions of morality and truth in what is a beautifully written and extremely involving novel.

Mrs Weatherall

I really enjoyed The Light Between Oceans. Every page grips you with new descriptions of Tom and Isabel’s life. Although the book seemed slow at first and took its time to set the scene, the characters were highly developed which helped to enhance the story overall. The Light Between Oceans is very good at involving the reader, making the you feel like you have to make the decisions along with Tom and Isabel. Overall, I enjoyed The Light Between Oceans. It was gripping and its metaphors were very deep. The book makes you think about life and moral decisions.

Jack Y9

I like the way The Light Between Oceans made me feel, like I had to make all the hard decisions along with Tom and Isabel. The story was written in such a realistic way. Hearing their story felt like becoming a part of their family and it was upsetting that someone’s happiness meant that someone else had to suffer. Overall, I really enjoyed reading the novel.

Alicja Y9

I personally think that Brave New World is well written, but I don’t like the idea of the new world order which Huxley creates. The new world involves everyone striving to be the same and consequently humanity loses individuality. I guess this shows a potential future completely shapes by the developed human knowledge, but still controlled by a form of government. I’m not really a fan of that, but nevertheless, an interesting read.

Alicja Y9

This is a famous dystopian fiction novel written by Aldous Huxley. I loved the book, with its undertone of social uniformity. It leaves the reader wondering if our society will lead down this path. It is an interesting idea to think of people not being born, but grown and conditioned. I enjoy reading dystopian fiction because of their intriguing plots and this book was no different.

Jack Y9

Brave New World reveals the controlling undertones of a post-reformation society with a grasp of social conformity. The book poses a thought provoking question of ethics versus progress as one cannot help but compare Huxley’s new world order with the potential of our own. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Scott Y9

This is a famous dystopian fiction which questions the value of an ‘ideal’ society. I generally enjoy dystopian fiction because of their interesting plot lines and I specifically enjoyed Brave New World because it warns us of what could happen in the future.

Ben Y9

In his book, Huxley asks us to question whether or not social stability is worth the loss of individuality. Brave New World follows the social outsider Bernard, who, dissatisfied with his own existence and never feeling like he truly belongs, visits a savage reservation and discovers what life used to be like before the new world order. Brave New World is a fascinating read and I would thoroughly recommend it to any dystopian fans.

Mrs Weatherall

I found this play slow moving and I didn’t enjoy it. The end scene was intense but that was the only part I found interesting. Overall I didn’t think that this play was well written.

Ben Y9

The Crucible is a frightening allegory of the McCarthy Communist Hunts of the 1950s. It demonstrates how fear can plague a community and turn families and friends against each other. Miller draws his characters with perfect precision in what is a beautifully written play.

Mrs Weatherall

I saw that this book was being made into a TV series and decided I had to give it a read before I sat down to watch it on T.V. I was not disappointed. A very funny and touching book with some incredibly likeable characters.

Miss Plackett

I was recommended this book by a student after I told them how much I had enjoyed reading The Color Purple by Alice Walker and I’m so glad they did. I couldn’t put it down! It is brutal and unrelenting, but a fantastic read which pays homage to the endurance of human spirit.

Mrs Weatherall

The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde tells the story of handsome and popular young man, Dorian Gray. Dorian’s life changes with the painting of his portrait by Basil Hallward, who refuses to exhibit or sell the painting and instead gives it to the young man. Dorian befriends the artist’s friend Lord Henry and his lifestyle and life choices worsen, shocking the society of the time; as did this book when it was first published.

Dorian remains as youthful as he ever was, despite the passing of years and his decadent way of life, but he has a dark secret. The book, Wilde’s only novel, is beautifully written and very visual as you would expect of the playwright and poet. Dorian’s rise and fall is a memorable read.

Mrs Willington

I had never heard of this book until I heard it was going to be made into a film. I starting reading it mainly down to the obscurity of the title. Although slow to begin with, this book is really charming and full of interesting characters.

Mrs Weatherall

I love a thriller with twists and turns and this one delivered. A fantastic book with a twist at the end, you are not expecting at all. Read it quick as the rights to the book have been bought to make it into a film and we all know that the books are always better.

Running on the Roof of the World, by Jess Butterworth is a moving story about two children Tash and Sam who flee from Tibet and journey over the Himalayas to India. The short chapters are fast moving and full of adventure as the children try to stay hidden from the soldiers and also survive the elements, wild animals and lack of food. They also have to decipher the code in Tash’s Dad’s Snow Lion leaflet. The two yaks who accompany the children are as important as the other characters. They provide comfort, companionship, warmth and protection throughout the journey.

Running on the Roof of the World, is an enjoyable book where we learn about a different culture, survival and the importance of friendship and hope.

Mrs Willington

I love The Girl on the Train so when Paula Hawkins released this psychological thriller I had to give it a go. I found the book very hard to put down and loved the storyline. If you like thrillers then give this a go.

Miss Plackett

A heart touching novel about the effects of mental illnesses on two teenagers, showing the harsh reality for both suicidal Finch and Violet, the latter who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. I really liked the way Niven wrote this story, with each chapter being written from alternating view points. It enabled me to understand two lives and backgrounds and helped me to them empathise with the characters. Personally, I could relate to Finch’s character because we both share a love for travelling to new places and experiencing the world, keeping in mind that there is an inevitable ending. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a contemporary romance and possibly tragedy.

Alicja Y9

A heart touching novel about the effects of mental illnesses on two teenagers, showing the harsh reality for both suicidal Finch and Violet, the latter who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. I really liked the way Niven wrote this story, with each chapter being written from alternating view points. It enabled me to understand two lives and backgrounds and helped me to them empathise with the characters. Personally, I could relate to Finch’s character because we both share a love for travelling to new places and experiencing the world, keeping in mind that there is an inevitable ending. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a contemporary romance and possibly tragedy.

Alicja Y9

In my studies in Literature, I have always been interested in how gender and race affect a person’s life. Before reading this, I knew very little about the history and struggles of people of colour in Britain. It is a fantastic text which talks through the history of race in Britain and then examines the social implications of this on the modern world. It is a must read for teachers and students alike who are interested in unconscious behaviours of exclusion, who wish to broaden their perspective of the world and those who wish to explore their own thoughts and feelings about race.

Miss Irwin

The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, is poignantly narrated by handmaid Offred, who has lost everything and everyone from her previous life and is now committed only to surviving the new Gileadean society at any length. The horrors of Offred’s existence as a handmaid and her innermost thoughts are revealed in minute detail, connecting us to the character.

The tale is made up of flashbacks of past and recent events, which the reader has to piece together, as the tale unfolds, to find out who Offred is and what happened to her and the world as she knew it. Of course, we want a happy ending for Offred, but you will have to read it to find out if The Handmaid’s Tale has a fairy tale ending.

Mrs Willington

The Bone Sparrow was a beautifully written story, that uses a new and vibrant setting of an Australian refugee camp, which I haven’t experienced much in my reading. I loved the emphasis on the camp and although the story may be slow at times, it was still a good read that keeps your interest until the end. I would recommend this book for teenagers because it has a grown-up setting.

Jack Y9

Frankenstein is quite a tense story because o f a chase between an inventor and his creation. I would recommend this to people who have patience, as despite being tense at times, it is quite a slowly paced book. Although it is classic horror and a ‘must read’ I found it has a slow build up. Overall though, I enjoyed it.

Ben Y9

Nick Hall, a teenage footballer defines how ‘hard’ life can be at this point. Especially before asking April out, playing the most important match so far and having to deal with the divorce of his parents. I found this book very interesting since it was written in second person and I became a 13 year old boy! I could still relate to the struggle of annoying parents, weird teachers and boring lessons. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an enjoyable easy read, but also something creative, since it was all written in verse.

Alicja Y9

Through The Woods is a really good book. The genre is horror and it has many stories in it. If you like horror I think you will like this book. The two things I really loved are the graphics of the drawings and the endings of each story. The drawings are fantastic. The ending of each story are amazing because they are mysterious and they make you wonder what happens next. The stories are so good because they are ununusal. My opinion of this book is that I enjoyed it very much and if you don’t speak English you can read it because it’s easy and the drawings help you understand the story. I liked it so much I read it twice!

Marcela 8A2

Book Title: Austere Academy

Author: Lemony Snicket

Review by Hannah Reilly, 7B2

I love ‘Austere Academy’! It’s number 5 of Lemony Snicket’s, ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’. New characters and villains are introduced. This time, Count Olaf is Coach Genghis. He wears a turban covering his devilish, one eyebrow and running shoes that cover the eye on his left ankle. The Baudelaires are trying to figure out his scheme, which ends badly…

5 star rating *****