LT Scotland



A God in Ruins – Kate Atkinson (By Ellie Pearce)

This novel is a sequel to Atkinson’s previous novel 'Life after Life'.

'In Life After Life Ursula Todd lived through the turbulent events of the last century again and again. In A God in Ruins, Atkinson turns her focus on Ursula’s beloved younger brother Teddy – would-be poet, RAF bomber pilot, husband and father – as he navigates the perils and progress of the 20th century. For all Teddy endures in battle, his greatest challenge will be to face living in a future he never expected to have.'- Good reads

I have started to read this book as I think it looks really interesting. It takes a different view on war giving the reader a rare insight into the traumatic side effects of battle instead of focusing on life whilst in combat. It also portrays how the changes in the main character effect those close to him. So far I have really enjoyed this novel and after reading numerous reviews, look forward to the plot changing twist later on in the book. I would thoroughly recommend it, and hope to finish it myself soon.

'Atkinson’s book covers almost a century, tracks four generations, and is almost inexhaustibly rich in scenes and characters and incidents. It deploys the whole realist bag of tricks, and none of it feels fake or embarrassing. In fact, it’s a masterly and frequently exhilarating performance by a novelist who seems utterly undaunted by the imposing challenges she’s set for herself.' - The New York Times Book Review, Tom Perrotta.

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‘Clockwork Angel By Cassandra Clare (Lorna Bull)

‘Clockwork Angel’ is a spellbinding novel written by Cassandra Clare, set in the late nineteenth century. It follows a seemingly normal sixteen year old girl, Tessa Gray, as she arrives in England to rejoin her brother after the passing of her Aunty. She is pulled into a world of danger and death as she is introduced to a race of people called Shadowhunters. Drawn deep into the lives of these demon hunting warriors, she not only begins her journey into discovering her true heritage, but she also finds herself falling for two lethal demon hunters. Both madly in love with her and yet so different themselves, these young men get caught in a difficult and life threatening fight against the mysterious enemy, who seeks to steal Tessa away from them forever.

“One must always be careful of books," said Tessa, "and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.”

Cassandra Clare, ‘Clockwork Angel’

These wise words from Clare should be noted whilst reading this book. The relatable and unique characters combined with the magical world of demons, warlocks and vampires, makes for an intriguing story. The characterisation is so effective, that the reader feels the pain of their losses, the anger at their injustices and the earth moving love they have for each other. Once having entered the unforgettable realm contained in the paper pages of this book, it’s extremely hard to return to the mundanity of the real world knowing the beautiful characters will not be following you.

“Will smiled the way Lucifer might have smiled, moments before he fell from Heaven.”

Cassandra Clare, ‘Clockwork Angel’

“Clare’s atmospheric setting is spot-on… Werewolves, vampires, angels and fairies all flit in this ambitious milieu.”

Publishers Weekly

‘Dead Lagoon’ By Michael Dibdin (Laura Wilson)

The book I have decided to recommend is ‘Dead Lagoon’. Dead Lagoon is a novel by Michael Dibdin and was first published in 1994. I have never read this book but have heard many great reviews and good reports and I am very interested in getting started on reading this book.

Dead Lagoon has a bit of a Thriller/mystery genre. This novel is based on the disappearance of an American millionaire. It becomes a very intriguing novel when an investigation is carried out regarding the missing millionaire. It seems the investigation does not go to plan when things about an old childhood friend and his ‘supposedly’ dead father pop up along the way, leaving a typical cliff hanger for the audience, leaving them in a puzzle as to what the professionals might find out along the course of this investigation.

I am really interested in reading this book as it is a thriller/mystery novel and I really enjoy reading books with plenty cliff hangers as they keep me focused and the feeling that I cannot stop reading and I must read on. I look very forward to reading this book.

A view from ‘Marcel Berlin’, a writer for the telegraph states, “no writer of crime fiction has ever attracted as much praise and gave as much enjoyment as Michael Dibdin.

‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ By Norton Juster (Salome Joubert)

The Phantom Tollbooth is a great book written by Norton Juster. I highly recommend this book; it is completely different to the other books that I have read. The author is very creative which he clearly illustrated in his original and witty way of writing. The writer thinks completely out of the box, which he continuously proves throughout the book. This is one example of his great writing: ‘Whether or not you find your own way, you’re bound to find some way. If you happen to find my way, please return it, as it was lost years ago.’

Award-winning author Diana Wynne Jones has written a review on this book: ‘There is no rhyme or reason to being educated. But we have to discover both all the same, and most of us do. This is why the Phantom Tollbooth is such a good book’

‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’- Book Recommendation- Josephine Ward

The book I have chosen to write a recommendation on is ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ which was written by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll). Alice's adventures begin when she follows White Rabbit down a rabbit-hole and falls down, down, down. Alice is an ordinary little girl who lives an ordinary sort of life, until the day she finds herself in the most wonderful world of mad tea parties and remarkable characters like the Mad Hatter, the Duchess, the Cheshire Cat and the Mock Turtle. As everything grows 'curiouser and curiouser', Alice is delighted to find that nothing in Wonderland is the least bit ordinary. I decided to write a recommendation on this book because I loved this book as a child and just as much, if not more so now. I like this book and I recommend it because no matter what age you are to read this book, there can be many ways that a person would interpret its content. From an adult’s point of view it could be interpreted in such a way that there are many hidden meanings and from a child’s point of view they would just see it as an unusual and simple yet very complex all at once. Overall I enjoy this book for many reasons which include its multifaceted content and its peculiar storyline.

Critic’s review:

“Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll is a story about Alice who falls down a rabbit hole and lands into a fantasy world that is full of weird, wonderful people and animals. It is classic children's book that is also popular with adults. Personally, at 16, I found the book strange and uninteresting. However if I was 8-14 I would have loved the fantastic fantasy world Carroll creates. I never expected the events that happened because they were bizarre and unpredictable. I loved the Cheshire cat's wit and intelligence. I also love the hatter because his eccentric personality reminded me of the eccentric people I know. My favourite part was when Alice met the caterpillar; this was because of his ambiguous conversation with Alice. I believe that it is a clever book that I would have preferred when I was younger because now I have a different taste in books. Carroll has depicted a unique world that I hadn't seen before. This why I believe it is a book that I would recommend. ” –

‘The Lost Symbol’ By Dan Brown (Tom Meacher)

Dan Brown’s compelling novel, “The lost symbol” delves into the journey of Harvard symbologist, Robert Langdon and how he unveils the entrancing history of a masonic America. I absolutely adore “The lost symbol” as Brown cleverly entwines speculations about the world’s history in with true facts. This creates a sense of mystery and tension, yet, a satisfying feeling of enlightenment as I felt like I was uncovering a secret bit of undiscovered history. Although the book is a heavy read, I still much enjoy reading it and find it intriguing and captivating no matter how many times I read it.

A FASINATING PLEASURE…upends our usual assumptions about the world as we think we know. – Newsweek

‘The Book Thief’ By Markus Zusak (Ellie Hunter)

I chose to write a review on ‘The Book Thief’ by Markus Zusak. ‘The Book Thief’ is set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

I would really like to read this book because I love history and I love reading about wars, I find it extremely intriguing and impossible for it to be boring. My friends have also recommended this book, which makes it easier for me to want to read it. I think this would be a good book to get me back into reading more frequently.

Mr. Peter Steward gave a five star review on Amazon.co.uk. I have a kindle so this is where I purchase and read books. ‘The Book Thief is a beautiful book from start to finish. Indeed at times it is more of a scrapbook of a life than a novel. It has a strangeness that only enhances the subject matter. For a start it is narrated by death. But this never detracts from the shape or power of the novel as young lives are slowly ripped apart in a German Town where poverty is rife’.

The Secret Life of Bees By Sue Monk Kidd (Caitlin Souter)

The Secret Life of Bees is a book by the author Sue Monk Kidd. It's set in North Carolina in 1964 and it tells the story of a fourteen year old white girl named Lily Owens who's mother died unfortunately when she was only four years old. Lily grew up with her abusive father and their African/American maid, Rosaleen. Rosaleen was arrested for pouring juice over a couple of white men so Lily decided to run away from home, sneak Rosaleen from jail and run away. They soon reach Tiburon where Lily recognises a jar of honey and asks where it was originally made, which led them to the Boatwright residence where they hid. The Boatwright sisters who the made the honey were called August, May and June, who were all black. Lily and Rosaleen soon become extremely close to the Boatwright sisters to the point where they consider them as their family.

I would like to read this book this year as I've watched the film which I enjoyed and also I would like to start reading more books and I feel this would be a good book to start off with. The book has a touching and moving story line about the relationships between white and black people in the sixties and it also has a lot of joy and happiness in it along with some sadness and grief.

“This a wonderful book, by turns funny, sad, full of incident and shot through with grown-up magic reminiscent of Joanne Harris. But Lily, no angel, is prickly, difficult and sardonic: "In a weird way I must have loved my little collection of hurts and wounds. They provided me with some real nice sympathy, with the feeling I was exceptional. I was the girl abandoned by her mother What a special case I was." And a hard edge of reality - the tragic consequences of racial segregation in the Deep South - gives bite to what might otherwise have been just so much whimsy.” Rachel Simhon.

‘A Thousand Splendid by Khaled Hosseini (Neve Watchman)

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a thought provoking novel writing by Khaled Hosseini, published on the 22nd of May 2007.This novel is about a young girl named Mariam whom was brought up on a small village just on the outskirts of Herat in Afghanistan. Currently living with her mother and nana, she saw her terrible father once a week. On her 15th birthday her father promised to take her to the theatre he owned but failed to show up, Mariam decides to travel to Herat to find her father’s home which whom he lived with his wife and her children. The following day Mariam returned home to the heart breaking news of her mother took her own life in threat of thinking her daughter had left her. Mariam was forced to move with her father who didn’t want her and made to get married to an older man. Mariam resumed on having a baby with her new husband Rasheed and they sadly miss carried the baby. This lead to Rasheed becoming abusive, as this novel is filled with unbearable traumas the journey for Mariam has just begun of her live in the war zone.

‘5 stars is not enough for this book. Kite runner was good, this was even better. Brought to tears at numerous times throughout the book. Descriptions are brilliant and clever, you can really picture the places. The way life is described really pulls at your heart. Khaled Hosseini needs to write more, fantastic author.’ This review is from MichelleKT on Waterstone’s Book Store website.

The novel A Thousand Splendid Suns has been a book I’ve been dying to read. After reading the blurb I had to read the reviews, wow I’ve never seen so many positive and outstanding reviews on a book. Khaled Hossenini never really appealed to me until I found ‘A thousand Splendid Suns’ and thought it is a must read. The heart-warming journey is unimaginable which has a very strong story line embracing the reader to empathise with the character and what she is going through. This novel will be first of my list to read definitely and I cannot wait to get into it, I can already tell how fantastic it is going to be.

'Lolita' by Vladimir Nabokov (Alana Cummings)

'Lolita' is a famous novel written by Vladimir Nabokov and was first published in Paris in 1955 but was soon published in other cities such as New York and London a short time after. This novel is one of the best known and also one of the most controversial pieces produced in 20th century literature. The main character, Herbert Herbert is a 37 year old literature professor who becomes obsessed with his 12 year old step daughter Dolores Haze. Herbert soon becomes sexually involved with the young girl and his secret nickname for Dolores becomes 'Lolita'.

I would like to read this book as my older sister and brother have both read it and said it is very interesting and both recommended it to me. They said it was not only interesting but some parts were very humorous and an easy read. I think it seems very intriguing as the topic isn't really talked about and I have never really read a book like this.

John Updike, the famous author of Rabbit, Run stated “Redeeming, splendid, headlong, endlessly comic and evocative”

‘Fortress’ by Andy McNab

‘Fortress’ by Andy McNab is just one of the many really good novels that he has written. McNab takes stories from his time as an SAS/British soldier from when he was out on tour in the many countries he has been deployed to. He cleverly gives an image through the perspective of the main character tom who is serving SAS trooper at the time.

McNabs novel ‘Fortress’ starts off based in the setting of camp bastion where a horrific insurgent attack left one of his close mates dead. Tom decided to accuse and attack an Afghan soldier which would result in him being kicked out and sent home. When he returns home all hell is let loose as mass riots sweep across the south of England. Tom however is quickly singled out due to his skills and knowledge from his time in the SAS. Vernon Rolt, with high political ambitions and a well know billionaire wants tom to go undercover to find the source of the riots and to fish out any information about the alleged Police murder of a Muslim activist. Will Tom decide to help or will it be the end journey for him?

There are many reasons why I like this book. One would be the fact that I enjoy a wide range of crime/thriller novels. The idea of McNab using his own personal experiences and twisting them into a well thought out story through different characters eyes draws me even more. Another key aspect to why I like this novel is that the action never stops, McNab clearly illustrates the setting through word choice and sentence structure giving a real sense of atmosphere and adrenaline, this is what mainly keeps me engrossed in many novels.

John Crace from the Guardian said “Britain is under siege from fanatics, only one ex-SAS soldier – who’s a bit depressed- can save us a mere 700 words”. He writes under the digested reads section on The Guardian website. I recommend you have a look.

‘Be Careful What You Wish’ For By Jeffery Archer

Blurb

Be Careful What You Wish For opens with Harry Clifton and his wife Emma rushing to hospital to learn the fate of their son Sebastian, who has been involved in a fatal car accident. But who died, Sebastian or his best friend Bruno? When Ross Buchanan is forced to resign as chairman of the Barrington Shipping Company, Emma Clifton wants to replace him. But Don Pedro Martinez intends to install his puppet, the devious Major Alex Fisher, in order to destroy the Barrington family firm just as the company plans to build its new luxury liner, the MV Buckingham.

Back in London, Harry and Emma's adopted daughter wins a scholarship to the Slade Academy of Art where she falls in love with a fellow student, Clive Bingham, who asks her to marry him. Both families are delighted until Priscilla Bingham, Jessica's future mother-in-law, has a visit from an old friend, Lady Virginia Fenwick, who drops her particular brand of poison into the wedding chalice. Then, without warning, Cedric Hardcastle, a bluff Yorkshireman who no one has come across before, takes his place on the board of Barringtons.

This causes an upheaval that none of them could have anticipated, and will change the lives of every member of the Clifton and Barrington families. Hardcastle's first decision is who to support to become the next chairman of the board: Emma Clifton or Major Alex Fisher? And with that decision, the story takes yet another twist that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Why I would like to read this

This book looks intriguing to me because I like that maybe there is an exploration of different family relationships. It looks from the Blurb that there is two families that have joint together through a relationship. It could be a fud between the two families. On the front cover there is also a picture of a large old fashioned ship, this creates an interest to me because of the theme and the time period that it looks as though it is set in. You can also see in the blurb that the story and the relationships between the characters are well balanced.

Review by Samyukta Maindarkar

Be Careful What You Wish For is the fourth novel in the Clifton Chronicles, after Only Time Will Tell, The Sins of the Father, and Best Kept Secret. Set mostly in England and spanning the years 1957 to 1964, it follows the fortunes of the Clifton-Barrington family as they have a faceoff with Don Pedro Martinez, an Argentinean smuggler who becomes a sworn enemy after being thwarted — in the preceding book — in his bid to smuggle counterfeit currency into England. Like all of Archer's bestsellers, this one too plunges straight into the heart of the action-packed plot — though calling it a series of plots might be a better description. Martinez is hell-bent on destroying the Barringtons, and is prepared to use any means necessary to achieve his goal, regardless of who ends up hurt — or dead — in the process. A personal tragedy at the start of the book deepens Martinez's thirst for revenge. Thus begins a tale of ambition, betrayal and vengeance. When Martinez targets Emma Clifton's family firm, the prestigious Barrington Shipping Company, she has to fight tooth and nail to prevent a hostile takeover in the form of Major Alex Fisher, another old enemy who Martinez intends to install as a puppet chairman of the board. The future of the firm is at stake, especially with the board divided over the building of a new luxury liner, the MV Buckingham. The 1960s are a time when the shadows of WWII are receding and the world is moving into a new era. Archer captures the atmosphere perfectly by weaving the political climate into the backdrop of the storyline. When construction of the ship begins at a yard in Belfast in Northern Ireland, the Irish Republican Army, the IRA, enters the picture. Meanwhile, Yorkshireman Cedric Hardcastle, the chairman of the traditional bank Farthings, has to overcome prejudices that still linger from WWII in order to conduct business with a fast-growing Japanese firm. When the bank almost misses out on an important business contract, Hardcastle has to investigate and remove the threat to his company. What he discovers changes the lives of all the protagonists of the novel. Despite the fast-paced plot, Be Careful What You Wish For is simultaneously intriguing and frustrating. Since it is the fourth novel of the series, not many details of the plot background and the character histories are elaborated upon in this book. It is highly recommended that you read the first three books of the series before tackling this one, so that you have a complete idea of what the Clifton Chronicles are about. Other things about the book jar as well. There are many parallel events which come across as jumbled pieces that, at times, don't seem to fit together. This has resulted in some choppy narration, quite uncharacteristic coming from the bestseller author. Also, despite the action — be it murder, theft, or a corporate takeover — the narration is very matter-of-fact. The author seems strangely disconnected from the story rather than involved with his characters, and therefore, the reader is too. There are also some plot additions that were probably meant to insert a lighter vein in the story, but are entirely unnecessary and undermine the plot instead. That being said, it is not for no reason that Archer is one of the bestselling authors in the world. Once the reader gets caught up in the twists and turns of the story, there is no putting the book down. Then you reach the last pages and find that Archer has cleverly ended the book on a cliffhanger, ensuring his readers will be impatiently waiting for more.

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‘The Lovely Bones’ By Alice Sebold

The Lovely Bones is the book I chose to recommend. It was written by Alice Sebold, who is an American writer that had a bestselling book with the Lovely Bones.

The lovely Bones is about a girl called Susie Salmon who is raped and murdered by her next door neighbour Mr. Harvey. Mr. Harvey moves from town to town and kill young girls on his way. Susie was on her way home from school one night and she was walking through a cornfield when she met Mr. Harvey who invited her into his underground den he had built. That was where everything happened. The rest of the book is about Susie’s family trying to figure out who did it, Susie tries to leave signs for her family to be able to figure it out throughout the story.

The reason I like this book is because at first I seen the movie and thought the book would be much more intriguing which it was, it went into a lot more detail and described the storyline in more depth than the movie. It is an unusual story but it also has a meaning behind it to warn children not to go off with people they barely know. It is a very important story in letting people know what happens in the world which is why I was so desperate to read it. A critic of the book is by a woman named Ali Smith, who is a Scottish writer. She believes the book is based on Alice’s experience to much to prove she is a great writer. She thinks it relates too much to an average TV show because they have got a typical family before the murder happened.

‘The Da Vinci Code’ By Dan Brown

The book I am going to recommend is The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. “While in Paris Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. Solving the riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci…clues visible for all to see…and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter.”

The book has been sitting on the bookshelf at home for ages, I have never read it but my dad thought it was a decent enough book to read so he recommended it to me. The blurb makes the book sound very interesting and makes me want to read it.

“WOW…Blockbuster perfection. An exhilaratingly brainy thriller. Not since the advent of Harry Potter has an author so flagrantly delighted in leading readers on a breathless chase and coaxing them through hoops”.

– Janet Maslin, The New York Times

Lone Survivor’ By Marcus Luttrell

A challenge I set myself during the summer holidays is to read the action packed book Lone Survivor. The main reason I would like to read this book is because it is full of action packed scenes, as action is one of my favourite genres. Another reason I would set the challenge for myself to read this over the summer is that I have seen the movie and really enjoyed it. So I would like to see if the book has any differences to the film.

Lone Survivor is a true story based on a Navy Seal’s team out in Afghanistan. Marcus Luttrell and his team set out on a mission to capture and kill Taliban leader Ahmad Shah. In late June 2005, after running into mountain herders and capturing them. They were left with no choice but to follow their rules of engagement or be imprisoned. Now Marcus and his team are left to fight for their lives in one of the most valiant efforts of modern warfare.

“One of the most gripping and heartbreaking descriptions of heroism in combat to come out of the wars in Afganistan and Iraq…. An astonishing survival tale.” – Fritz Lanham, Houston Chronicle.

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‘Red Dragon’ by Thomas Harris

“The best popular book published since The Godfather “- Stephan King author of books such as “IT” and “Misery”

Sexual hunger; demonic violence; sinister logic - the lethal components of a deadly formula driving a psychopath in the grip of an unimagined-able delusion; a boastful killer who sends the police tormenting notes; a tortured, torturing monster who finds ultimate pleasure in viciously murdering happy families, and calls himself. . . The Red Dragon

With a blurb like that who wouldn’t want to read it? I had been recommended this by several people and I did pick it up. However I have not gotten round to actually reading it yet. The silence of the lambs movies always fascinated me on how someone could be so cruel and psychotic but still be a complete genius. I have been told that the books get further into the head of Hannibal Lecter.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the films as well as the recent TV series, and as this is the first in the series it would be a small taste of what Harris has to offer.

‘The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of the Ring ’By JRR Tolkien

Blurb: Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power - the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring- the ring that rules them all- which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.

In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

The Fellowship of the Ring is the first instalment in Tolkien's epic trilogy, ‘The Lord Of The Rings’. It follows the hobbit Frodo’s journey to the elves in Rivendell, while carrying the burden of the One Ring. It then explores the formation of the Fellowship of the ring, and the journey they partake in to destroy the One Ring. The fantasy then finally ends with the breaking of the Fellowship, hence Leading to the next book in the series (The Two Towers).

This book interested me due to the fact that it was action-packed and had a great storyline to go along with it. It’s plot quickly drew me in, and I found it extremely hard to put down as I wanted to know what was coming next. The descriptions of the action scenes are also incredible and not a single detail is missed. Also because it is set in such a surreal world the reader’s imagination is instantly caught.

‘Among the greatest works of imaginary fiction of the twentieth century’- the Sunday Telegraph

‘The Surgeon’ - Tess Gerritsen 

“Grabbed me by the throat and didn’t let go until its hair-raising finish. Deep dark and very disturbing.” - Tami Hoag - writer of ‘Deeper Than The Dead’ and other novels.

In the first of a series of entrancing crime thrillers, the reader follows a pair of homicide detectives, Jane Rizzoli and Thomas Moore, as they hunt a serial killer, believed to be a surgeon for his professional methods of torment, with a taste for ritualistically torturing and killing his exclusively female victims. As the story progresses, it grows more dark and hair-raising, and is sure to make you feel unsafe, even in your own home.

I’m enjoying reading this book because its keeps me in almost constant suspense and its hard to put down. I have a fascination for medicine so the -lets say- gore-y bits intrigue me greatly. My mother has read the whole series and has said many a good thing about the ‘Rizzoli and Isles thrillers’. The book series was adapted into a TV show called ‘Rizzoli and Isles’, which I proudly watch intently.

'Something Might Happen' by Julie Myerson

'Something Might Happen' is a a novel by Julie Myerson. It is a convincing story of a murder in a small friendly seaside town, the novel explores how the brutal death of a kind woman Lennie Daniels effects the people around her. The novel is written from the first person perspective of Lennie's best friend Tess, she has always been friends with Lennie and her now widowed husband Alex. Lennie Daniels brutal murder holds many questions. The novel explores the different people who loved Lennie and how they cope with her death. The book is an enthralling story of peoples everyday lives in a close community suffering after a death. There are many twists and changes in the storyline to keep the reader enticed and the mystery real.

'Something Might Happen' is an amazing novel with a great storyline which is gripping and enticing. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and would recommend that many other people should read this moving and shocking story which is interspersed with romance, friendship, love and care which helps to lighten the mood. I enjoyed reading the book and found it very eye opening and made me think about how awful death is and the major long term effects on everyone around them. I did get very emotional and attached to the characters involved, the emotive language used helps to convey the horrors her loved ones are facing.

The Daily Telegraph reviewed the novel “ this novel is easily her best...From the gruesome opening to its desolate end, the narrative drags the reader helplessly into its world”

The Observer also gave their opinion “A stunning frightener of a novel”

If you want a deeply thrilling and dark read, this may be what you have been waiting for.

“You're the new girl in school. You're just trying to fit in - and it's not working. Then someone accuses you of theft, and you think things can't get any worse. Until you get caught in a freak storm . . .

The next thing you know, you're in the future. Being shot at for being out after curfew. You don't even recognise your hometown. And you're heading for a confrontation from your worst nightmare.

What if you could change the past to save the future?”

‘Thief’ By Malorie Blackman

The novel ‘Thief’ written by Malorie Blackman is a fantasy story about a girl who runs away from her school after being bullied and is stuck in a freak storm which miraculously transports her to another world. A baron wasteland run by a musterious figure who keeps a tight schedule for all the citizens.

This book is very unique to me, not being a particularly consistent reader myself having a novel grip me like this one did was very unusual. The story was so good that I read it in a matter of days and then read another one of Blackman's equally excellent novels “Hacker”. I like this novel especially for its unusual plotline and intresting characters, with many clifhangers to keep you anticipating and shocking events, my mind never wandered from this novel.

"Impossible to put down" (Sunday Telegraph)

‘Lord of the Flies’ By William Golding

‘Lord of the Flies’ by Nobel Prize winning author William Golding has become a modern classic over the years, since its first publication in 1954. This dystopian novel concentrated on a group of British school boys, stranded on an uninhabited island, forced to try to govern themselves, with what can only be described as disastrous consequences.

Having never read ‘Lord of the Flies’, but would like to, thanks to its many accolades. ‘Lord of the Flies’ was chosen by TIME magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels, and more importantly, William Golding won a Nobel prize “for his novels which, with the perspicuity of realistic narrative art and the diversity and universality of myth, illuminate the human condition in the world of today”.

A review, from Time and Tide, states that ‘Lord of the Flies’ is “not only a first-rate adventure story but a parable of our times

Goodreads -

‘NYPD Red’ By James Patterson

James Patterson’s NYPD Red is a book which switches between the lives of two characters. Between Detective Zach Jordan and a Criminal who tries to kill famous celebrities.

This extract is from the blurb of the book, “It’s the start of Hollywood on Hudson, and New York City is swept up in the glamour. Every night, the red carpet rolls out for movie stars arriving at premieres in limos; the most exclusive restaurants close for private parties for wealthy producers and pre-eminent directors; and thousands of fans gather with the paparazzi, hoping to catch a glimpse of the most famous and beautiful faces in the world. With this many celebrities in town, special task force NYPD Red is on high alert-and they can't afford to make a single mistake.”

I enjoyed this book as I am a big fan of James Patterson and this is definitely one of the best books I have read by him. I like it as it gives the reader a good insight into how the criminal thinks and it goes into great detail with relationships and also with the crimes.

"The Man Who Can't Miss." (TIME)



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