The story is very intriguing and once you start reading you can’t seem to put it down. I really enjoyed all the plot turns and how the author makes you read in-between the lines. It makes you think and then question what you think.

The book is mainly set at Cambridge University and follows the murders of a group of students there. One of the main characters seems to be linked to everything, and one by one the group of friends get killed off. It can be very graphic at times as the author describes the murders in great detail.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys quite gruesome books or anyone who likes a good old fashioned case to solve. I probably would say that this book is more suited to KS4 (because of the graphics that the author depicts). Over all this book is a must read in my opinion and is one that many people will enjoy, I would definitely recommend it.

A review on the short story: The Cone by H.G Wells

The book was first published in 1895, in the same year that the North British Aluminium Country built it’s first  Aluminium plant but still quite some time after the industrial revolution: this means that it is much more relevant and believable than it would be if it was a modern author representing the thoughts of people in that time.

Wells’ shows with his writing that he is against the spreading of industrialisation in Britain, we can see this from his archetype with Horrocks and those who lead the industries: ‘the fire of his eyes under the shadow of his brows’ this quote suggests that he has a burning passion, but it is shrouded with uncaringness for how his goals are achieved. Wells doesn’t think that these people are evil, only that they are blind to the damage they cause. This is further proved by, near the end of the novel; ‘”God have mercy upon me!” he cried. “O God! what have I done?”‘ This shows that Wells thinks that it will take a horrible tragedy for them to realise what they have done, and that they will only come to their senses when it is too late.

Wells uses strong foreshadowing throughout his tale, such as: ‘”Don’t go!” and “Beware of him!” struggled in her mind’ although in a story sense, this does give away the mystery it still creates an eerie atmosphere to the story. It could also be Wells displaying a deeper meaning that the evidence and warnings are all around them, they just won’t listen.

This trilogy is set in London, England 1878, a short time after the peace treaties between Shadowhunters and Downworlders have been signed. The first book in the series is called Clockwork Angel and it begins to follow the story of an orphaned teenager named Theresa (Tessa) Gray, who lives in New York, America with her Aunt.

It begins with Tessa arriving in London to live with her brother Nathaniel (Nate) Gray after the death of their Aunt Harriet.When she gets off the boat she is not met by her brother but two sisters named Mrs Black and Mrs Dark along a note signed by her brother confirming that he is acquainted with the sisters that he nicknames the ‘Dark sisters’. The Dark sisters turn out to have kidnapped Tessa in pursuit of awakening a power that lies within her and force her to cooperate by holding her brother hostage. Once her shape-shifting power has been awakened and perfected the sisters inform Tessa that she is to marry a man who goes by the name ‘The Magister’ (Latin for Master). At the last minute she is rescued by a man of around her age named William Herondale who claims to be a ‘Shadowhunter’, a being that hunts and kills demons to protect the mundane (human) world. He takes her to the London Institute (a safe haven for Shadowhunters to stay in), where she meets the small community of Shadowhunters that live there. Everything she knows is turned upside-down as she is introduced to this other world of demons, downworlders (vampires, werewolves, warlocks etc.) and Shadowhunters. What will happen when she falls for one, or two of them? Who will she choose? Will she ever find and reunite with her brother Nate?

I find the whole trilogy to be extremely hilarious and heart-warming yet serious and tragic at the same time. The characters that Clare creates are funny, strong and extremely adorable and easy to become attached to! When I read the book I physically couldn’t put it down! I have read the series many, many times after and each time it has been just as enticing. I have laughed, cried, worried and smiled along with these characters more times than I can count and I can never get bored, never mind prepare myself for all the shocks and laughs I continue to fall victim to each time I open the book. After reading both the Infernal Devices and the Mortal Instruments franchises you will find yourself squealing and giggling at all the similarities and references to the characters as the Mortal Instruments–follows the story of the distant ancestors of the Infernal Devices characters. I find my favorite to be the hatred of ducks that all of the Herondale line seem to contain.

If you like books like Harry Potter, Jackson and Narnia you will for sure love these books! But even if you enjoy romance stories that are like The Hunger Games or Divergent or any romance you will adore them! I recommend them along with all of the books that Cassandra Clare has written extremely highly!

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Urban Dictionary: a rabid breed of human female who is obsessed with either a fictional character or actor. Similar to the breed of fanboy. Fangirls congregate at animé conventions and livejournal. Have been know to glomp, grote and tackle said obsessions.

I must say, we have all been there. Loving a book to the point of spontanious combustion. Well in Fangirl, our main protagonist and the head we reside in, Cather is basically us. Unable to get a grip on human and actual life, she finds herself entrapped in the world of fanfiction and fanart. It starts with Cather going to university with her twin sister Wren, where it suddenly becomes obvious that she has better ideas that staying up late discussing/writing fanfiction about a vampire and its arch enemy wizard. She suddenly finds herself friendless, drowing in school work, and trying to impress the creative writing teacher. Sounds all fine and dandy, well the last point that is, except she just can’t stop writing two characters that just aren’t hers. Enter Levi, her roommates best friend and ex, who actually can kinda get her and her uncool obsessions. He teaches her that writing fanfiction is totally acceptable, yet being in the real world is just as great.

I love this book. How it teaches you to embrace your geeky side, and how that great. Its full of emotion with just the correct amount of funny. In a way, this is me fangirling over FANGIRL! I would rate this book 9/10 just because of how amazing it is and how it puts a different perspective on other people. This book is perfect for anyone and everyone!

Book Report on Look Behind You by Sibil Hodge

This book is full of mystery and suspicion. It captures the reader from the first page. You never know what is going to come next and what is and what is not going to happen. This is what makes the book so great.

Chloe Benson wakes up alone, in a dark confined space with a painful lump on her forehead. She finds her way out after finding human remains. She finds herself running through a forest in the middle of the night after coming up from a manhole cover. She ends up in her local hospital after collapsing on a road. The police arrive at the hospital and she tell them her misshapen story as she cannot remember everything.

Throughout the story there are many plot twists and unexpected turns leading the reader to confusion and leading them far away from a simple plot into a very complex one.

At the end of the story everything unravels perfectly simply. Explaining everything in the last two chapters, leaving every cliff-hanger chapter, resolved. At the end of the book, the reader realises how much foreshadowing goes on during the book, and that all becomes clear in the end.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This book is a story about a character called Katniss Everdeen participating in a competition. However the competition is not for fun; people from each district have to participate but by the end there is only one winner. The book shows the suspense Katniss goes through with her partner Peeta, the boy from her district also chosen as tribute. During her time in the arena she allies with Rue a small girl from district 11 that soon dies, Katniss realises she may have not long before she dies as well  when the head game maker Claudius Templesmith announces that there can be a dual winning team as long as the tributes are from the same district. With Katniss’ last hope of winning she rushes to find Peeta.

When finding Peeta she begins to treat his wounds and even puts her own life at serious risk to get him medicine while giving the audience the feel of the ‘star crossed lovers’. However when they’re the only ones left Claudius announces that the last rule doesn’t count, when both tributes ( Katniss and Peeta) realised one has to die Katniss pulls out poisonous berries. Giving some to Peeta she makes it clear that there is no chance that one of them will die, on the count of three they decide to eat it but millimetres before putting the berries in their mouths the shouts of Claudius sounds the arena; they are both winners but Katniss has disobeyed the capital and Snow the President of Panem and the Capitol believes its an act of rebellion.

I would recommend this book to people who would like an adventurous read that has life of action but the soft touch of romance. I think it suits teenagers and young adults as the plot is advanced but the reading is easy and simple.

The writer Suzanne Collins provides you with a way of writing someone’s emotion by picturing memories from the past and describing the expressions on the character’s faces, it gives you a true feeling of what they can feel and hooks you into the story as if your there watching.

By Emma Touraine 11B

If I Stay by Gayle Forman, is narrated by Mia, a young teenage girl. The reader follows her out of body experience in the 24 hours after a horrific car crash. Mia has to come to terms with what just happened, and who she has lost and also who will never leave her side.

The story takes us through not only what Mia is going through, but to flashbacks of her life before the accident. We get to know her Mum, Dad and little brother Teddy, as well as her best friend Kim, boyfriend Adam and family friends Henry and Willow.

Music is such a huge part of the story and is what bought Adam and Mia together and also what bought Mia’s parents together as well. Mia plays the cello and Adam plays in a rock band much like Mia’s father when she was little. Mia gets an audition to Jilliard, a fantastic music school, but in order to go will have to leave Adam behind and pursue her music in New York.

This is an incredibly emotional read. It makes you cry at times but can also be very uplifting. It is about love and friendship and although some of Mia’s family have gone she still has a family even if they aren’t related.

I would definitely recommend this book, and I think it is probably my favourite book I have ever read. Once I started reading it I couldn’t stop. I read it in a couple of days!

Picture Perfect is the third book (out of five) in the Geek Girl series by Holly Smale. The series is based on a girl, called Harriet Manners, who is unexpectedly spotted at a fashion show by a top modelling agency. She goes on to find herself on catwalks and with a boyfriend, but soon realises that she has no idea about modelling or boys.

In Picture Perfect Harriet’s dad finds a job in New York so her family has to move to America. Harriet leaves a lot behind; modelling, her best friends, her enemies, school, but not her boyfriend. He has got a modelling job in New York. As soon as they get to New York everything goes wrong. Harriet makes bad decisions, her dad makes bad decisions and her stepmother (Annabel) makes some even worse ones. Harriet thought she wouldn’t miss her friends; she thought Nat (her best friend) would make new friends at college and forget about her. She was also certain that Toby’s (her stalker) annoying ways would mean she wouldn’t ever long for his company, little did she know that she was so incredibly wrong.

I really enjoyed this book and the two previous books in the series, so I would highly recommend them. I would mainly recommend them to young teenage girls, but I think some slightly younger or older readers would also enjoy them.

The book I have chosen to review is Animal Farm by George Orwell. The story circles around a farm of animals that overthrow the humans and become in charge of it. They create their own anthem and commandments instructing what animals may or may not do. However, the longer the animals remain proprietors of Manor farm, also called Animal Farm by the animals, the more things turn to wreck and ruin. To start with, every animal is equal but as more time passes the more the pigs become dictators. Eventually the pigs, like Napoleon, seize control of the animals and force them to do work. They even scheme to build a wind mill to generate electricity.

My favourite character was Boxer, who was a cart horse on the farm. I admired his determination and found his stupidity funny. On a rainy day with nothing left to do, getting lost in this novel was the perfect way to go. I enjoyed journeying through the trials and tribulations of the animals, I laughed with Clover and wept over the demises of many animals. One of my favourite parts was when Napoleon dealt with the humans trying to take back Manor Farm.

I thought it was clever how George Orwell portrayed the Russian Revolution through this book and that it was insightful for someone like me, who is very interested in historical revolutions.

For any of you readers out there, who are in dire needs of a clever book that is relatively short and leaves you thinking long after you have finished; this is the book for you! I highly recommend this book as George Orwell has portrayed how revolutions can burn out and become disastrous through the metaphors of animals. It is a fantastic read for anyone look for a good book.