Raewyn’s latest book review!
Devil’s Kiss, by Sarwat Chadda – A Knights Templar! Who would have guessed that she could be one of them? Billi had thought it was a wonderful thing to be chosen as one of this elite fighting group when she was only 10 but now at 15 she has bruises everywhere and her Ordeal is to kill a boy of 6! Well actually it is a demon inside the body of a 6 year old boy but you have to be up really close to tell that. Then her friend Kay returns from Jeruselem and she is having to learn a lot more about how much evil there is in the world. When Kay looks into the Cursed Mirror and opens a portal to the other side things start to get weird. But when she is asked out on a date with a handsome young man she starts to think about doing normal things for a change – or is this just the beginning of the end?
Two reviews from Raewyn!
Juno of Taris, by Fleur Beale – On an isolated, storm-buffeted island in the Southern Ocean lives Juno and 499 other survivors of the 21st Century world. Their island is covered by a dome which protects them from any outside influences, including disease and war. But Juno begins to question the authority of the council and so becomes a target herself. Is what they have always believed really just a lie? When her friend Vima finds 2 cellphones and Juno teaches her to read, they begin a secret mission to find out what is behind the troubles on Taris.
Good read.
The Last Free Cat, by Jon Blake – ALL FREE CATS CARRY DISEASE! This is what the population have been told and so only the Corporation’s specially bred cats are allowed to be owned by those who can afford them. So when Jade sees a cat walking across her back garden she is not sure what to do. The cat, Feela, doesn’t look dangerous and it feels so nice to stroke her, and amazing when she rubs around her legs. Her mum told her not to encourage it but in the end she too is won over by this furry bundle of fun.
But what will happen if the authorities find out that they have a cat? They soon find out when their house is invaded and it is disastrous for Jade’s mother’s health. Jade finds herself on the run with Kris, a street kid from her school. The chase is on! Will they escape to Ireland where the law regarding cats is different or will they be caught and thrown into prison, knowing that Feela will be put down?
A good adventure in a futuristic world.
A new review from Raewyn:
Weedflower, by Cynthia Kadohata.
Working on her family’s flower farm until she was old enough to own her own flower shop was Sumiko’s dream, but that all changed on December 6, 1941 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbour. Suddenly they had to burn all of their Japanese things in case they were thought of as “un-American” and then the trucks came and took them away to internment camps set on an Indian Reservation. How long would they be there in the dust and heat? What if the war lasted 10 years? Sumiko decides to create a garden with her neighbour and she uses the special seeds she brought with her from home to brighten the garden with “weedflowers”. This story helps us to see the world of the war through the eyes of Japanese living in the United States and how they were treated by the authorities and everyday people.
A book review from Raewyn!
Atherton: The House of Power, by Patrick Carman.
Atherton is a made up world, Edgar. A place created by men at a time when almost every part of the known world was used up. This was the first part of the book that Samuel read to Edgar and the beginning of their fight to help the people of their separate worlds, as they gradually came together. Atherton is made up of three tiers. The Highlands is where the water comes from and is the domain of Lord Phineus who controls all. Tabletop is ruled over by the cruel Mr Ratikan (a pawn of Lord Phineus), hard taskmaster to the people who tend the fig trees, which feed the Highlanders. And far below are the Flatlands, where horrible creatures dwell. What will happen when all the tiers become one? First in this new series by the author of “The Land of Elyon”.
Paper Towns by John Green
Quentin Jacobsen is a genius! He hangs out with geniuses and he has a perfect attendance record at high school! NERD you might say, but then one night, Margo Roth Spiegelman, the girl next door he has loved from afar all his life, climbs into his bedroom window dressed for stealth and wanting HIM! Well his driving skills actually, as she sets out on a night of revenge on her ex-boyfriend and others. Think photo of ex running down the street with items of his anatomy hanging out and dead fish under seats of cars! Then the next day she disappears, leaving him clues to follow as to where he might find her. His friends help to try and solve the puzzle but will it end with them finding her alive or dead?
~ Raewyn
(You can email us any reviews you write to teenblog@wcl.govt.nz!)
The Nostradamus Prophecy, by Anna Breslin (468 pages) ~
A prophecy of death, made in France in 1566 by Nostradamus, concerning the young King Charles, makes his mother nervous and she relies more and more on the soothsayer, believing he can truly see the future. Melisande with her sister Chantelle and their father are musicians attached to the court and when Chantelle becomes betrothed to the young man she is in love with, their lives seemed filled with happiness.
But the Angel of Death hangs over the court and, in the prophecy, its wings are outstretched over Chantelle. When she dies, Melisande is compelled to escape the royal court and with the help of Melchior and his leopard, Paladin, she makes her way to Nostradamus’ town to seek his help. While living under his roof she becomes adept at making medicines in his apothecary shop and finds she too has the gift of prophecy. Forces are at work within the kingdom which she cannot escape and once again Melisande finds herself having to rely on strangers to keep herself alive long enough to fulfil her destiny. Lots of history and intrigue. 5 stars
Shadow of the Mountain, by Anna Mackenzie (222 pages) ~
Geneva has climbed mountains before but almost a year ago her best friend Stephen fell and died. Since then life has been just a little different for her family, with her mother not getting up most days and not taking any interest in what is happening in her family. On an impulse Geneva decides to go for a climb at the local wall climbing venue and meets up with Simon, a real pain, and Angus, a bit of a nice guy really, and enjoys herself enough to agree to go on their weekend climb. She becomes hooked again and not only with the mountain climbing! Her aim is to climb Kaitiaki, the mountain she can see from her home but can she face her fears and scale the mountain where Stephen fell to his death?
Good NZ life adventure. Well worth the time.
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