This week we begin with a superb review by site member Ellathebookworm of The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black. Set in the mystical town of Fairfold, this fairytale follows two siblings who awake a sleeping horned boy in the woods, and discover the value of trust and friendship.
"This book is a must read for anyone who enjoys fantasy or twists of faery tales. I can guarantee that anyone will be surprised by its originality and strength, and I cannot wait to read more of Black's work."
Continuing the theme of magic, we move on to a terrific review by Infinity Scolopendra of Skulduggery Pleasant: The Faceless Ones by Derek Landy. In this book, 13-year-old Stephanie accompanies Skulduggery Pleasant, a detective skeleton, on his battle to defeat the "faceless ones".
"I would give this book 5 out of 5! This book includes humour, end-of-the-world-crisis and two characters fighting together. The world's fate is on the shoulders of a skeleton detective and a 13-year-old girl. Will Skullduggery and Valkyrie come through the battle of gods and sorcerers? Or will the world CRASH and BURN?"
Similarly mysterious, our next pick – narrated by death – is an extraordinarily good review by acornsized of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This tale follows 9-year-old Liesel Meminger as she finds her way through Nazi-Germany during the second world war.
"We all know the stories of the second world war but very few do we hear the depth of German life – which is one aspect of what makes this book so interesting and gripping. Another aspect is the fact that we see the world – and the war- from the point of view of Death which is something many of us, I can guarantee, had ever thought about to the detail Markus Zusak manages to convey in this masterpiece of a novel. The Book Thief is one of my favourite books ever and if I could give it higher than 5 stars I would!"
"I love Alex because he is just a teenager but gets to work for a government agency and go on secret missions which would be really exciting. I like how in the book there is so much suspense and you can never guess what is going to happen. I would recommend this to readers who like suspense books or just a great book which keeps you reading. 5/5!"
Another group reviewer, the BookMunchers, sent in some fantastic review this week. They were all amazing, but here's an extract from Poppy's review of The Famous Five and a Half Term Adventure by Enid Blyton.
"It was quite adventurous and I really liked it and enjoyed it. I want to read other ones in this series. I would definitely recommend it to people who like books about gangs, this book was very gang-y. I give it five out of five."
Finally, this week's roundup concludes with a wonderful review by Breakdancer of Striking Out by Tom Palmer. In this story, James wishes to leave his football club while his dad wants him to turn professional.
"The story is about a boy called James Cunningham. The other characters are his mum, his dad and some of his team members. He likes playing football but no longer wants to play football for Manchester United Junior football club. James's dad doesn't want James to leave the academy because his dad used to play as a professional footballer for England ... James said to his dad I want to try singing. His dad encouraged him to try his new hobby. I would give this book 10/10."
A big round of applause for our reviewers this week, it has been a delight to read your reviews. If your review has been picked for our roundup, be sure to email the Book Elves and we will send you a prize from our cupboards!
Happy reading!
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