THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Addition: Review e-book from Netgalley

Genre: Young adult, chick-lit, mystery

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it’s the one she’d do anything to forget.

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below—dead?

As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding?

The latest novel from the author of The Tension of Opposites, One Moment is a mysterious, searing look at how an instant can change everything you believe about the world around you.

I received this as an e-book from Netgalley. I haven’t read any other novels from Kristina McBride, however I read the synopsis and though it sounded liked a good book – and I was right!

The story is about one moment in time that changed everything. A group of six friends, who have been best friends since they were small, are hanging out at the creek by where they live at the beginning of the summer holidays before senior year. Maggie, Joey, Tanna, Pete, Shannon and Adam are drinking, messing around and just hanging out. Maggie is dared to jump from the the top of the creek into the water below with her boyfriend Joey. She is scared of heights and never done the jump before. Shannon is pushing her to do it – there is almost malice in her tone as she thinks Maggie won’t do it. Maggie does up to the top with Joey, but something isn’t right. She notices Joey is wearing a bracelet, something he has never done before. All of sudden, she is hiding and crying under a tree, Adam is looking for her and there is screaming all around. She didn’t make the jump – but it seems Joey did, and he is dead. What happened?

This is a well written, enjoyable book. I read it in the space of about 3 hours. I was hooked; the way McBride wrote the book made me want to know what happened. She jumps between past and present, telling the story about Maggie and Joey, and their group of friends, as Maggie desperately tries to get over Joey’s death, and remember what happened. The memories come back in flashes as we watch the group fall out, grieve and discover all of Joey’s secrets. It seems Joey was hiding a lot. I quickly worked out what his secret was – that he was dating  Shannon as well as Maggie – and then realised that Maggie worked that out when they were about to jump. However, I liked reading about the friendships they had, how the story fitted together and how Maggie worked through her pain. Working out the twist didn’t ruin the story at all.

I liked Maggie. I felt for her – her whole world was Joey, and losing him was awful. What made it worse was that she didn’t know what happened – did she kill him? I felt for her as she struggled through the grief, realised Joey wasn’t the person she thought he was and getting over the heartbreak her friends caused her. I liked Adam, Pete and Tanna too – Adam especially as Maggie was so important to her. Again, I wasn’t surprised when he revealed how he felt for her. The more the story went on, the angrier I got at Joey – he had seemed like a great guy to know, a great guy to date, but in fact he wasn’t at all, and right from the beginning Shannon seemed horrible. I like a book that makes me react to the characters and I wanted the best for Maggie and just felt anger towards Joey.

This was a really enjoyable book. The story had me hooked. The answers weren’t a surprise but this was written in a way that kept my interest. McBride writes great characters that I could dislike, cheer on and empathise with. This is a young adult book, but that didn’t stop the enjoyment. It wasn’t a tough book to read and I flew through the story – wanting to know every last detail. McBride portrays teenagers in an accurate way – hormonal, reckless and often doing what they shouldn’t – like getting drunk and throwing parties. She writes the parents well – protective, scared for their children and loving. The story was interesting and although the language and writing style didn’t test me, I was gripped from the beginning and read this very quickly. This is a great read.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
Addition: Paperback, borrowed

Genre: Young adult, history

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

Joey is a warhorse, but he wasn’t always. Once, he was a farm horse and a gentle boy named Albert was his master. Then World War I came storming through and everything changed. Albert’s father sells Joey to the army where the beautiful, red-bay horse is trained to charge the enemy, drag heavy artillery, and carry wounded soldiers not much older than Albert off of battlefields. Amongst the clamoring of guns and slogging through the cold mud, Joey wonders if the war will ever end. And if it does, will he ever find Albert again?

This is the first book by Michael Morpurgo that I have read. Ladies I work with have seen this at the theatre and loved it, and I thought before I watch the film I will read the book. I have to say, I don’t like horses – they scare me a little bit – but I did enjoy this book, despite that.

The story is narrated by the horse, Joey – which I wasn’t expecting. He tells the reader of his experience at the farm where he is raised by Albert, his experience in France during the war and of the friendships he makes along the way. He sees some awful things in France, a fair amount of death and hurt, but what shines through this book is love – he has people care for him and he develops lovely friendships with many people in the book. He has Albert, the boy who raised him and trained him on the farm; Topthorne, a fellow horse in war with him and Emilie, a little French girl who looks after both him and Topthorne whilst they are camped at her grandfather’s farm. Friendship is the key factor in this book, and it can clearly be seen throughout the book.

This wasn’t a difficult read as it is aimed for young teenagers. The language is simple and it is not a long book – only 182 pages. That said, I did enjoy it and wanted to know what was going happen. This is a good read – it has everything you would want in a book – love, friendship, adventure and gripping story. I don’t think Morpurgo hides the horrors of war. The quote on the back of the book is:

” I saw the grey soldiers ahead of us raise their rifles and heard the death rattle of a machine gun…”

This book does have death and hurt in it, and the effect and reason of war is considered by soldiers and civilians alike. I know this book is read in school and I think the chance to look at war and consider the effects of it is important.

There were some aspects of the books that amused me. I did chuckle about the fact that not only Joey understood English, he also understood German! What a clever horse! Just the fact the story was narrated by the horse entertained me as well!

There were some parts of the story that I didn’t believe. The fact Joey turns up in no-mans land and a German and a Welshman walk out to resolve who will take him I struggled to believe; and Albert finding Joey in France during the war also seemed unrealistic – however, both did make for good reading.

This was an enjoyable and quick read. This is a lovely story of friendship, which a hint of adventure. I’m looking forward to seeing what this is like as film. This book is well worth reading. The good outweighs the bad and I recommend this book.

Addition: Review e-book from Netgalley

Genre: Young adult, fantasy

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.
Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.
With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.
To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.
And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Review:

This is number four in the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa – and although perhaps not as good as the others, still a great read. I have been waiting what seems like an age for this book, and squealed when I received an email telling me it was available from Netgalley. This time the book is written from Ash’s point of view, not Meghan’s and we follow his story – barely getting a glance at what was happening in the Iron Realm. At the end of book three Meghan banishes Ash for his own safety – as fey he can’t survive in the Iron Realm. Yet he made her a promise: to be her knight. He loves her and is determined to keep this promise and the only way to do that is to become human. There is only one way to do this – go to the End of the World and complete the tasks. With the aid of Puck, Grim, the Big Bad Wolf and a seer, Ash sets off; but will he succeed? And if he does, will Meghan still love him?

I really enjoyed this book – although I missed Meghan. She does feature in the story, but not heavily. We walk with Ash and only glimpse Meghan and her world occasionally. I found this book to be more graphic and gory than the others – there seems to be more bloodshed in this adventure. Yet the book was exciting and fast paced. There doesn’t seem to be a dull moment in this story – once one foe is defeated, another seems to come along quite quickly. There is a lot of energy in this book which kept me hooked.

All the way through this series I have been Team Ash – and that didn’t change in this book either. It was nice to get a better look at Ash, although at times that was a touch heartbreaking. One trial he has to go through is examining his conscience and relieving everything he had ever done – all the hurt he had caused people. There were a few incidents described and it was sad that Ash is not the perfect prince I imagined him to be. This was an honest portrayal though and we saw his struggle with the anger and hate that come from being part of the Unseelie Court.

I loved Puck as well. Although I was always rooting from Ash, I loved that Puck stuck around and was there to help Ash because he loved Meghan so much. He is funny and kept me entertained throughout the book. There were other characters I liked too – Grim is fabulous. He is sarcastic, clever and I love how when trouble arises he vanishes! The Big Bad Wolf was entertaining too – I enjoyed the attitude between him and Grim.

There is a big surprise halfway through the book that I wasn’t expecting. It added to the book and Ash’s torment and made for some great reading! I won’t add in a spoiler but suffice to say – it was good and added another dimension to the story.

There were a couple of things I didn’t like about the book – I missed Meghan – she is a key character and we didn’t see a lot of her – and Kagawa’s writing seemed different – simple and sometimes not completely engaging. However, the good completely overthrows the bad, and this is a great read and a great instalment to this series.

Addition: Audiobook

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

In James Patterson’s blockbuster series, fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it’s like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the “flock”–Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel–are just like ordinary kids–only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time…like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the “School” where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare–this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf “Erasers” in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb–now her betrayed and greatest enemy–that her purpose is save the world–but can she?

This is the first James Patterson book I have read, and I really enjoyed it. I listened to it – and did not want to turn it off or for it to finish. The story follows Max, a girl who has the ability to fly. They have to lie-low as they are being chased by the Erasers – a group of people who want to see the end of the flying children. However, Max and her gang get caught hiding in a tree, and Angel, the youngest is taken. Now Max has to keep calm and rescue her. But what she uncovers on the way is shocking.

This book is full of imagination, adventure and excitement. I found the chases and the flying the best bit. I liked how Patterson used the time in the sky for the characters to sort their minds out – and sometimes the views were great to read about. Along with the ability to fly, they can also run exceptionally fast. One scene that stays with me is where Max takes on a couple of men who are attacking a girl. Because she can move much quicker than anyone else, she leads the men away from the girl – saving her. Max gets wounded but the girl and her mother are more than happy to look after her because of what she did, and a friendship is formed.

Max is like that through a lot of the book – caring, reckless and a great friend. I think that is why I liked her so much. She looks after Angel, who is only six, and when she is taken she does everything she can to rescue her. She is sensible and clever, and works so well in her gang. She lets everyone use their abilities the best they can and she was a delight to read.

This is a young adult book, although I really enjoyed it. This is the first in the series, and I hope to read them all. The story is exciting and fast-paced and I thoroughly recommend it.

Addition: Review e-book

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan’s own fey powers have been cut off. She’s alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can’t help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

This is number two in the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, and I loved it ♥ Meghan, half Summer court princess and half human is a prisoner in the Winter Court. Having made a deal with Prince Ash of the Winter Court to go there willingly if he helped her rescue her brother, she is now alone. She fell in love with Ash on her adventures, and thought he loved her. But instead, since arriving at Court he has shunned her. Then, at the party to celebrate the changing of seasons in Nevernever, the Seasons Sceptre is stolen. Meghan knows that the Iron Fey have stolen it, but no one believes her. Winter is blaming Summer and the two courts are about to go to war. Ash re-appears and tries to get Meghan to safety but his brother catches him in the act, and he is deemed a traitor. He decides to drop off Meghan and go find the sceptre. Meghan, now reunited with Puck also has the same idea. Through unforeseen events they find themselves reunited and fighting the Iron Fey.

I really enjoyed this book. The story flowed and I found myself engaging with the characters. When Ash shunned Meghan my heart broke with hers, but I was very pleased with the ending! And quite a cliff hanger I felt! Again, I loved how Kagawa wove the story, the events and what she is able to imagine.

My favourite character this time was probably the Iron Horse. He was noble and fought for what he believed in, and he was loyal to his causes. I was surprised with his story line but really enjoyed it. His character developed and changed in a great way. I loved Grim as well. That cat is so arrogant and blunt – just what I would expect a cat to be like if they could speak! I was pleased to see Puck back, I missed him Winter’s Passage, and of course I’m still in love with Ash!

The characters Kagawa has created are incredible. Her descriptions are often breath taking and the action is superb. There are many fight scenes, many fleeing scenes and great interactions between characters. There is nothing to dislike about this book. I was gripped from the beginning and hooked all the way through. This did not take long to read and it was exciting and full of fantasy. The love story isn’t overpowering. This is young adult fantasy at its best!

And yes, I am:

Synopsis:

High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness. Angry and alone, he takes refuge in his imagination and soon finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a world that is a strange reflection of his own — populated by heroes and monsters and ruled by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book, The Book of Lost Things

I didn’t know what to expect when I started this, but in truth: I loved it. John Connolly has played with the idea of fairy tales and children’s nightmares – he has taken them and made them into an adventure. The story centres around David, a boy whose life changes when his mother dies. His father re-marries and they move to the country. There David finds himself spending most of his time in the attic surrounded by old books. World War 2 is taking place, and one night, having thought he had heard his mother calling him David goes into the garden, just as a German bomber crash lands. David finds himself transported into another world. Here he faces wolves that have started to morph into men, monsters and Crooked Man.

I loved what Connolly did with this. The wolves, or Loups, came out of the story of Little Red Riding Hood, the monster which followed David came from his nightmares and the enchantress in the tower came from Rapunzel. Connolly has taken these childhood fairy tales and made them into violent, adult stories, and battles which David has to face. The worst for me was the Crooked Man, who steals children to expand his life. The descriptions of his actions and his torture chambers were horrific and not for the faint hearted.

I wouldn’t call this book scary but it is intense and some of the things David and his friends fight are quite chilling. This is quite violent and graphic, but so readable. I didn’t want to put this down, I was engrossed. I wanted to know what David would have to battle, what happened to the king and how the story would end. This book was exciting and full of adventure. There was not a dull moment in this book.

I loved the characters Connolly created and how they evolved. At first I felt empathy for David, then I was anxious for his welfare, and by the end I was confident in him and happily cheering him on. He matured and became fearless, and I liked how things worked out for him. The men who helped David were courageous and fun to read. I loved the dwarfs the most. They are not like they are in Snow White – and neither is she in this book. All I could do was laugh at the situation and their attitudes – they were very funny!

There was nothing to dislike about this book. I can easily give it 5/5. I loved it

Synopsis:

The Heroine: Tiffany Aching, incipient witch and cheese maker extraordinaire. Once saved world from Queen of the Elves. Is about to discover that battling evil monarchs is child’s play compared to mortal combat with a Hiver (see below). At eleven years old, is boldest heroine ever to have confronted the Forces of Darkness while armed with a frying pan.

The Threat: A Hiver, insidious disembodied presence drawn to powerful magic. highly dangerous, frequently lethal. Cannot be stopped with iron or fire. Its target: Tiffany Aching (see above).

The Nac Mac Feegle: A.k.a. the Wee Free Men. Height: six inches. Color: blue. Famed for drinking, stealing, and fighting. Will attack anything larger than themselves. Members include: Rob Anybody, Daft Wullie, and Awfully Wee Billy Bigchin. Allies to Tiffany Aching (see above).

The Book: Hilarious, breathtaking, spine-tingling sequel to the acclaimed Wee Free Men.

I am giggling even as I sit here and write this review – this is another genius book from Terry Pratchett. It is number 32 in the Discworld Series and the sequel to the Wee Free Men. The star of this story is Tiffany Aching, a very young yet powerful witch. She is fearless and happy to fight anyone. And who wouldn’t be, when your side-kicks are the Wee Free Men – angry, small, blue Nac Mac Feegle. They will fight anything – nothing holds them back. In this book the Hiver is trying to take over Tiffany, and she has to protect herself and others from it. The witch she is staying with can’t help her, so in comes Granny Weatherwax. Granny must teach Tiffany how to be a witch, and that way she will win.

This book is hilarious. I love Granny Weatherwax – especially when she is “borrowing” and has the sign “I aint’en dead!” She is clever and to the point, and very funny. Pratchett has started to show her frailness and age in these novels, which means sense as she is an old witch, but it would be a shame if she was to disappear from the Discworld. Tiffany is another fun character. Her focus on how she is good at making cheese is entertaining, and watching her discover herself is interesting. I like that even at 11 she is headstrong and determined, and so powerful! She is a good character. The best people in this book however were easily the Nac Mac Feegle. Rob Anybody is so funny! I love that they don’t need any encouragement, they just fight – it is genius! Their actions and words are hilarious. They are some of the best characters Pratchett has created I think.

Like all the other Discworld books, I was gripped from the start and thoroughly enjoyed myself as I was immersed in this world. There is adventure, fighting, magic, stuck-up little girls, drink, scary Nac Mac Feegle wives and Granny Weatherwax – everything a good book needs! Pratchett is not short of imagination, and this book is testament to that. He is descriptive so you feel like you are there watching the action and his humour is awesome. I laughed a lot during this novel. I always find it so easy to recommend his books because they are extraordinary in so many ways. Pratchett is intelligent, witty and a gripping writer. His books are never dull, there is always something funny going on and the characters are unique and often very special. I can easily give this 4/5. What would have made it better was Nanny Ogg alongside Granny Weatherwax, and maybe a larger role for Death!

Review Does Contain Spoilers!

Synopsis:

Lena has lived her whole life near the beach—walking for miles up and down the shore and breathing the salty air, swimming in the cold water, and watching the surfers rule the waves—the problem is, she’s spent her whole life just watching.

As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Lena vows she will no longer watch from the sand: she will learn to surf.

But her father – a former surfer himself – refuses to allow her to take lessons. After a near drowning in his past, he can’t bear to let Lena take up the risky sport.

Yet something lures Lena to the water … an ancient, powerful magic. One morning Lena catches sight of this magic: a beautiful woman—with a silvery tail.

Nothing will keep Lena from seeking the mermaid, not even the dangerous waves at Magic Crescent Cove.

And soon … what she sees in the mermaid’s mirror will change her life …

I had seen this book around and saw it had good reviews, so I was very pleased when I found I could review it! My copy comes from netGallery.

The star of the story is Selena, or Lena as she is known to her friends. She is an ordinary girl but seems to be experiencing weird goings-on. She often spaces out completely and regularly sleep-walks to the beach. She has always been drawn to the sea, and really wants to learn to surf. Her dad won’t let her though, so she learns in secret. But her reason for learning, and then taking on waves at one of the most dangerous coves is because she has seen a mermaid, and she wants to meet her properly. When the mermaid comes to her rescue she gives her a gold key. Lena finds the box it opens, and with it the discovery of the mirror and why she is drawn to the sea will change her life forever.

This book is written for young adults but will be enjoyable for adults too. The book contains adventure, sea, love, magic and fantasy. I would class this a woman’s read, but I really enjoyed it. The story was gripping from the start, and intriguing. I found myself wanting to know why she was sleep walking and about this mermaid. The identity of the mermaid was easy to guess, as was the ending, but that didn’t spoil the book for me.

There are two worlds explored in this book – land and sea. I liked how when Lena was on land we caught just a glimpse – the odd paragraph at the end of a chapter – about the sea world, and vis versa when she was in the sea. Both worlds were fascinating and full of characters you couldn’t help but like. I liked that Madigan didn’t create an underwater world similar to that in The Little Mermaid. She created a modest village made out of rocks – there were no castles or anything! I think I preferred the land world to the sea world because I didn’t like the cloak that Lena had to wear to survive. It took away her memories so she couldn’t remember her family or friends – it was quite manipulative, keeping her in the sea world, taking away the option of land.

The book was full of great characters. I loved Allie, Lena’s step-mum, because although she married Lena’s dad Brian when Lena was 9, she had slipped into such a good mother’s role that Lena called her Mum and they had a great mother-daughter relationship. I loved Nix, the merman.  He was very easy to fall for. I was gutted that he didn’t follow Lena to land. Their love had to end, and although him becoming human might have been too far-fetched and predictable, I would have really liked it. I did like Lena, although she could be stubborn sometimes, and I didn’t like how she sneaked around. My favourite character was easily her 6 year old brother Cole though. My heart melted for his character. He was so cute. He was eager about sports and adored Lena. I loved their relationship and I was glad it was Cole that Lena came home for.

I got very involved with this book and really enjoyed it. I laughed and at one point nearly cried. I was hooked and read this in under 24 hours. I would give this 4/5.

This will be book number 10 in the Romance Challenge for me:

Books Read:

1. Nicholas Sparks: The Wedding
2. Sarah Dessen: Lock and Key
3. Debbie Macomber: 44 Cranberry Point
4. Judy Blume: Forever
5. Rachel Hore: The Memory Garden
6. Elizabeth Noble: The Girl Next Door
7. Debbie Macomber: 50 Harbour Street
8. Allison van Diepen: The Oracle of Dating
9. Sarah Dessen: Along For the Ride
10. L. K. Madigan: The Mermaid’s Mirror
    

Waterstones Synopsis:

Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch had it all. But now he’s back in his own rough, tough past without even the clothes he was standing up in when the lightning struck…Living in the past is hard. Dying in the past is incredibly easy. But he must survive, because he has a job to do. He must track down a murderer, teach his younger self how to be a good copper and change the outcome of a bloody rebellion. There’s a problem: if he wins, he’s got no wife, no child, no future…It is a discworld tale of one city, with a full chorus of street urchins, ladies of negotiable affection, rebels, secret policemen and other children of the revolution. Truth! Justice! Freedom! And a Hard-boiled Egg!

This is number 29 in the Discworld novels and one of my favourites. In fact, I have just noticed that on the Terry Pratchett website, this is voted the number one book!

In this instalment we follow Sam Vimes as he travels back in time to help his younger self in the great battle. I loved this. I really enjoyed both Sam’s. The younger is naive and sweet, always thinking about what his Mum would say; and the older is much more cynical but we see a wonderful caring side as he looks out for his younger self.

I thought this was a great novel. It was full of excitement and action. And of course, all of Pratchett’s humour. I could only laugh at the way the old force thought. The picket line was a great example of how Pratchett’s mind works – pure genius. There is fighting and death and some great villans – and a young Fred Colon and Nobby Nobs. I laughed most of the way through this and was gripped. This is definitely one of the best in the series. Top notch!

Waterstones Synopsis:

From the famous episodes of the whitewashed fence and the ordeal in the cave to the trial of Injun Joe, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” is redolent of life in the Mississippi River towns in which Twain spent his own youth. A sombre undercurrent flows through the high humour and unabashed nostalgia of the novel, however, for beneath the innocence of childhood lie the inequities of adult reality – base emotions and superstitions, murder and revenge, starvation and slavery.

This is my first Mark Twain novel, which I read because it is on The List of Banned Books. I am really pleased I picked this book to read – it was full of life, adventure and mischief. Tom Sawyer is a boy out there looking for fun. He runs off to play pirates for a few days and conning other boys into doing jobs his Aunt has assigned him. Twain was a wonderful writer and took me into this world of boy’s play and games.

This book is not just about games Tom plays however. On his adventures he discovers a crime with Huckleberry Finn. This twist and the suspense surrounding the event added depth and flavour to his novel. I liked how it played out, the way it fitted into adventures that make this book special.

I enjoyed reading all the characters, and I loved Tom and his cheekiness. He made for an exciting read, and it was fascinating following his activities. I loved his Aunt and the way she wanted the best for him. And I liked Huck Finn too. He was fun but poor – a risk to be with but great fun.

This novel is full of life. It has mystery and adventure. It is fun to read and I felt like I was there and just wanted to know what was going to happen. There was a range of characters and some great mischief occurring. I will definitely be reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn very soon.

4.5/5