To kick off this week's roundup, site member Rosa.Reader wrote a spookily good review of the spine-chilling novel Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Rosa.Reader summed up the storyline so perfectly, we couldn't do it better ourselves: "Jacob journeys to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children."
"This book wrenched me out of my chaotic, stressy, unorganised life and into a whole new one; the life of Jacob … You could tell that every part of the book was thought out carefully, which resulted in a generally beautiful thing. The vintage photos, which must've taken so long to find, worked amazingly well with the original and gripping writing style … This mystery was tied up perfectly well for the first book in a series of two. The last 70 or so pages pretty much consisted of no breathing and jumping out of your skin when your cat leaps unexpectedly onto your lap."
Another spooky story – Halloween ain't over till we say it is – Mars Bar27 wrote a spectacular review of Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse by Chris Riddell. This story follows Ada Goth who befriends a ghostly mouse who helps her save whatever ghosts are lurking in her home.
"This book is fun, light-hearted and an easy read. The words themselves are quite simple but effective. With a beautiful hardback and a purple edge to each page, the book has a luxurious feel. This book is enchanting and a delightful read for ages 7 and older."
Our next pick begins on a Greek ghost island, but it's much more fantastical as the master of the ready read foundation wrote a superb review of Blood Of Olympus by Rick Riordan. As the fifth book in the Heroes of Olympus series, it follows Percy Jackson and the other Greek god descendants as they must journey to the Parthenon before Gaia's feast of Spes.
"I like the way Rick Riordan has made this a third person book, changing the view to a new person's perspective every few chapters. This is a thrilling finale to the wonderful series of Greek and Roman books. I recommend this book to people who like wild, witty stories, with a touch of romance and drama. Read this terrifyingly good book."
For those of us whose parents aren't descended from the Greek gods, have you ever wished you could swap them? Bookiecookie wrote an excellent review of a book taking on this very topic: The Parent Agency by David Baddiel. This light-hearted read follows Barry, who gets a new set of parents from the Parent Agency for his 10th Birthday. However, pretty soon he can't decide which parents he likes best!
"I enjoyed this book because it was imaginative and extremely funny, the illustrations added to the humour in the book. I think this book would appeal to girls and boys who like Diary of A Wimpy Kid and The World of Norm. If your teacher read it aloud, it would make the whole class laugh. I would recommend it for anyone of 7 years and above."
Moving on to more complex topics for our teen readers, orangutan36 wrote a brilliant review of the thought-provoking novel Zac and Mia by A J Betts. This book is a romance about two teenagers with cancer who fall in love – sound familiar? Well, as orangutan36 explains, "Before you compare it to The Fault in Our Stars, please don't. Yes, they both share the same premise but they are completely different."
"I found the book very interesting. It wasn't some big climax which kept you clinging on for the next page to reveal the outcome, but was just a very realistic cancer story which makes you read on because you care for the characters, not the action. Also, the attention to detail the author has paid is brilliant and makes the emotions the characters feel seem genuinely real. Overall, a fantastic book which made me laugh and cry! The writing style is great and the feelings that you develop towards the characters is spot on!"
Finally, we conclude our roundup this week with another challenging topic, as laura,thespecialone penned an outstanding review of The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson. This book follows two boys, David and Leo, who struggle to come to terms with their gender.
"I really enjoyed this book as I found it really interesting and eye opening on the subject of transsexual people. Overall, it was a really good story and even though it is narrated by both Leo and David, it isn't confusing nor do you feel like you only want to hear one person's story, more than the other's. The only problem I found with it, was that there were too many references to modern culture, going as far as listing song lyrics – of a pretty awful song as well. I would give this book a rating of 3 and a ½ out of 5."
A resounding round of applause to our site members for sending in such superb reviews! If your review has been featured in our roundup, be sure to email the Book Elves to claim your prize.
