Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo

Alone on a Wide Wide Sea by Michael Morpurgo

For a long time I would be recommended Michael Morpurgo books whenever I asked a friend or teacher for a suggestion. Although I never particularly disliked them, he would never have been my first choice of author when choosing a new book. After reading 'The Wreck of the Zanzibar' as a class read in Year 5, I decided to read 'Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea. 

Inspired by the English orphans transported to Australia after WWII, Michael Morpurgo tells the story of Arthur Hobhouse. Forced to leave his sister Kitty and the orphanage he grew up in, he is made to work at a farm called Cooper's Station, tyrannized by their cruel foster father. Eventually, Arthur and his friend Marty are able to escape, and taken by bushmen to Aunty Megs who looks after injured and orphaned animals. The boys attribute their luck to a key Kitty gave Arthur, and treasure it.

After becoming an apprentice at a boat-building business and developing a love of the sea, Arthur becomes ill, however meets his soon-to-be wife and has a beautiful daughter, Allie. Allie is determined to undertake a dangerous solo voyage to England to find Kitty and give her the key, on a boat she built with her father. 

The second half of the book is narrated by Allie, as she embarks on her trip following her father's death. She finds comfort in the presence of an albatross, believing it to be her father's spirit, and begins to interact with an astronaut on board the International Space Station.

Despite the complex story, the book is filled with beautiful imagery, mapping the changing nature of childhood time, and exploring what could have been the story of any one of the young children sent to Australia following the war. Although it deals with some difficult themes, I would recommend it to anyone upwards of 10, but I would expect it to be enjoyed best by an 11 or 12 year old.

FictionFan1 Rating: 9/10

If you liked this author you might like: Adam Silvera, E B White

About the author: Sir Michael Morpurgo has written over 100 books for various age groups, and also won several medals and awards. His works are often regarded as some of the best children's literature available, due to the constantly relevant and accessible themes.

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They Both Die at the End

 They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

They Both Die at the End has to be one of my favourite books. You don't have to read any further than the title to know exactly how it ends (SPOILER ALERT - THEY BOTH DIE!!), which is possibly what makes the book so enthralling. It is set in a alternate contemporary universe, which is almost the same as our world, except for a major technological advancement, known as 'Death-Cast'. 

'Death Cast' is a globally available service which alerts you with a phone call if you are going to die that day. The phone calls (identifiable by a famous ringtone) occurs between midnight and 3am, and Death Cast provides no information other than that you will die that day. If you ask how, why or when, they cannot answer, all they know is that you will die before the day is over. 

When teenager Mateo receives his call, his father in a coma and his mother dead, he only wants to say goodbye to his best friend and her young daughter, but struggling to convince himself to leave his apartment and faced with all the possible dangers and ways he could die, he turns to the 'Last Friend' app, designed to match Deckers, or simply well-wishing strangers with Deckers, who want to provide company to somebody on their last day alive.

Rufus, also a teenager, hears the Death Cast ringtone while beating up his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend. He only wants to spend the day with his foster parents and siblings, but when the police appear it is clear he must leave his home behind. He too turns to the Last Friend app, where he meets Mateo, and they spend their day making each other's last days a memorable one. 

The book does deal with some more difficult themes - violence and death - but it can be enjoyed by a wide audience, as long as you are aware of this. I would recommend it to anyone over 11, or possibly a mature 10 year old reader, but with this book it really depends on each person and how comfortable they are with loss. 

FictionFan1 Rating: 9/10

If you liked this author you might like: Rebecca Stead, Sharon Creech, E B White

About the author: Adam Silvera is an American author, who writes young adult fiction novels. He is best known for 'They Both Die at the End' and 'Infinity Son'.

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When You Reach Me

 When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

When You Reach Me tells the story of a young girl called Miranda, living in the Upper West Side of New York City, with her mum. When her best friend Sal is punched by a boy he doesn't know for no apparent reason, he starts to shut Miranda out of his life. Things start disappearing and all of a sudden Miranda starts receiving strange notes, that know things no person knows, and about things that have not happened yet, causing Miranda to believe that only she can prevent a tragic death.

The varying storyline of this book makes it so enjoyable to read, in particular the constant twists and turns. Through the book, three storylines are followed - the appearance of Miranda's mum on a game show, Sal not talking to Miranda, and the appearance of a laughing man. The book is action-packed, and constantly enthralling and it's also filled with cliffhangers, so once you start reading you won't be able to stop.

This book isn't actually that long (in comparison to some other books I have reviewed), but it is definitely as good! The only thing I would change would be to make it longer, but that's only because I love it so much! What is also really great is that it's suitable for a wide range of ages, I would say anyone older than 9 or 10 could read this and enjoy it, however the older you are the better you may understand the book so perhaps I would recommend it to 10 or 11 year old's and older.

FictionFan1 Rating: 9/10

If you liked this author you might like: Rebecca Stead, Sharon Creech, E B White

About the author: Rebecca Stead is an American writer, who writes fiction for children and teens. For When You Reach Me she won a prestigious award, and has won other prizes for her various other books.

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The Hunger Games

 The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Let's start with a book review - of one of my favourite series - The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games was originally written as a trilogy, but a fourth book centering around the antagonist from the trilogy (President Snow) has recently come out. I haven't yet had a chance to read it, but I can't wait!

Set in a futuristic North America known as Panem, the annual Hunger Games are a televised fight to the death of twelve boys and twelve girls, one of each randomly selected from each of twelve districts. When 12 year-old Prim is selected from District 12, her older sister Katniss volunteers to take her place, and along with her fellow tribute Peeta, they fight the odds to survive various obstacles thrown in their paths.

The structure of these novels - across three books - enables you to only read one at a time, however I really recommend reading them in order, so you can learn more about the characters and understand them better - there is a risk that you spoil certain things for yourself if you read these books in the wrong order!

The characters are very detailed, and over the series you eventually feel as if you know them yourselves, which is one of my favourite things about this series. Possibly the only thing I don't like is the violent nature of the books, so just be careful to read with an adult nearby if you are younger. It's hard not to love these dystopian novels, so get reading!

FictionFan1 Rating: 9/10

If you liked this author you might like: J.K Rowling, Rebecca Ross, Simon Mayo

About the author: Suzanne Collins is an American television writer and author. She is best known for her series The  Hunger Games, however her books have collectively sold over 100 million copies worldwide.

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The Queen’s Rising by Rebecca Ross

This book is brilliant. I recommend it to anyone looking for a thriller to take them into another world of magic. When I started ‘The Queen’s Rising’ I knew straight away that I wouldn’t be able to put it down. The plot is not just intriguing but also enjoyable.

The book is about a girl of 17 called Brienna approaching her last summer solstice at Magnolia House, Valenia. In Valenia, the education system is of patronship. There are five passions - knowledge, wit, music, art and dramatics - and you can be trained in any one of the passions. Magnolia House runs a seven year program, allowing girls to embrace any one of the five passions during their time.

However Brienna has a difficult past that she must accept; Valenia’s enemy is Maevena and Brienna holds a dual citizenship. To make it all worse, Brienna doesn’t have an obvious passion like most people, so after attempting one passion for each of her first five years, she settles with knowledge. At the summer solstice though, Brienna isn’t chosen by any of the patrons and is forced to stay on at Magnolia.

Eventually the Dowager finds Brienna a patron, but he is an undercover Lord of Maevena - which is split into 14 pieces. But he is also one of three lords that rebelled 25 years ago…

The book draws you in and I’m sure I could rave about it for hours but you won’t like that - because I think you have some serious reading to do! I can’t wait for ‘The Queen’s Resistance’!

FictionFan1 Rating: 10/10

If you liked this author you might like: J.K Rowling, SharonCreech

About the author: Rebecca Ross grew up in Georgia, USA where she still lives with her husband. She has had many jobs including a school librarian but ‘The Queen’s Rising’ was her debut novel which she published recently in 2018.

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Perijee and Me by Ross Montgomery

I heartily enjoyed Perijee and me. It is full of surprises and carries a strong theme throughout the book- it is never right to hate. This book is about a girl called Caitlin, 11, who is out for a walk on the beach after a meteor shower and discovers a small ‘shrimp-like’ creature, who has a tendency to grow and to eat. 

Caitlin must find him a home - somewhere where he can’t get away until her father, an expert on aliens, returns home from a tour. On meeting Caitlin’s father, Perijee grows and a monster emerges out of him. Soon enough, he runs away and Caitlin is forced to accept he is gone. But then, on the news a catastrophe occurs.

A monster is terrorising the city and the city is flooded. The country is camped and these camps are guarded heavily. Everyone wants to kill Perijee, and finally Caitlin escapes the camp.

She makes a friend, loses two friends and finds herself on a boat as a sacrifice, before she is saved.

This book is so engaging and emotional as well! I was laughing, crying and angry as I read Perijee and me and it reminded me that we can’t always be right and there is prejudice in the world, and we can’t make a huge change, but every small change helps.

FictionFan1 Rating: 9/10

If you liked this author you might like: Sally Nicholls, Katherine Rundall

About the author: Ross Montgomery tours the country as a children’s author, and writes wacky books for young teens and small children.

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for my next review of two books that I have received from Harper Collins. Thank you Harper Collins!

 The Double Life of Cassiel Roadnight by Jenny Valentine

What is the Double Life? That was the first thing that went through my head when I picked up this book. This story is about a boy, Chap, who runs away from foster care, ends up in a hostel and sees a missing boy poster of a boy called Cassiel Roadnight. Here’s the catch, Cassiel looks very similar to him. They could be twins.

If Chap says yes, then he will have a comforting family, a warm house. But he runs two risks. First, the real Cassiel could arrive home any minute and secondly, he might not be up to the acting, and might be seen through!

So far I have made this book sound absolutely brilliant, I bet you’re thinking, ‘why didn’t I make it a 10/10?’ Here’s why. The start of the book was action-packed. We find out a bit about Chap’s background but are still very slightly curious.

In my opinion, the middle is  v e r y   s l o w. I gave up a number of times, then persuaded myself to keep reading. But boy, it was worth it! The ending is fast and furious, a thriller and a chiller!

So I recommend this book to patient people, who will give this a go and keep trying and persevering because there’s a mighty surprise at the end!

FictionFan1 Rating: 8/10

If you liked this author you might like: Sally Nicholls, Katherine Rundall

About the author: Jenny Valentine is a British children’s novelist and has over 15 titles to her name.

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for my next review of ‘Perijee and Me by Ross Montgomery

Just a note: So sorry I haven’t blogged in a while- I’ve been very busy and have struggled to find time!

An Island of Our Own by Sally Nicholls

An Island Of Our Own is an absolutely amazing book and I recommend it to anyone aged roughly 11 who loves an emotional journey. It is about the rollercoaster life of siblings Jonathan, Holly and Davy.

The trio are orphans, and with brother Jonathan as the official foster parent, and a waiter in the week, money is low and they just about have enough to pay the rent for their flat- there is no dishwasher and everybody hates washing clothes.

When their Aunty Irene has a stroke, Holly should have inherited all of her jewellery, but there is no jewellery to be found. Aunty Irene’s daughter Jo reveals to the family that Irene kept all of her documents and jewellery in locked safes so when Holly is given a photo album by her aunt on her death-bed, she is determined to solve the mystery of her missing family inheritance.

Jonathan is not so sure but with the persuasion of his internet girlfriend added to the mix, things begin to run a bit more smoothly until…sorry but I’m not going to spoil it!

One of the settings in An Island of Our Own is ‘the Maker Space.’ There are Maker Spaces all over the UK in this fictional account, which provide a sense of safety and security and encourage new things. Just to give you an example, they provide lock-picking classes!

Sally Nicholls uses imagery to help us imagine the atmosphere in the Maker Space- warm, jolly, welcoming- but I think it also adds a sense of security to the book, it makes us feel like the characters have almost got a second home.

An Island of Our Own takes on the style of an autobiography, Holly is the narrator, but we as readers also get a sense of calmness. As mentioned, the great detail of the Maker Space adds immensely to the plot but there is a twist at the end- at first the plot seems to be rolling on oiled hinges, but soon things become slightly more fragile! This book is definitely one of my current favourites.

FictionFan1 Rating: 9.5/10

If you liked this author you might like: Laurel Remington,  Katherine Rundall

About the author: Sally Nicholls is a British author and has published over 10 books and 1 movie!

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for my next review of ‘The Double Life of Cassiel Roadnight’ by Jenny Valentine

A Message to the Sea by Alex Shearer

I picked up this book in the library wondering what sort of book it would be. The plot was both original and intriguing. It turned out it wasn’t quite what I expected, but in a good way. I think this book is very similar in style of writing to Michael Morpurgo.

‘A Message to the Sea’ kept me hooked, and I’m tempted to look for other Alex Shearer books in the future. The main protagonist in this book is a young boy, named Tom Pellow. A year prior to the beginning of the book, his dad died at sea, but as Tom lives with his mother and sister near the sea, instead of the sea making him sad, it almost reassures him, like a father.

Tom throws a bottle in to the sea, as a way of ‘unbottling’ his feelings - get it? - but doesn’t expect a reply. Soon Tom writes more and more letters, in the hope of discovering his father’s whereabouts as he starts to discover some interesting facts...

Tom’s uncle works on a ferry, back and forth, back and forth every day, but he never gets tired of it. Near where he works, cargo ships are moored, waiting for when they are needed. The book also picks up on some conversations between two men painting one of the two ships, and the end of the story comes as a surprise.

This is the sort of book where at the end you just think, I should have known that would happen, or other things along those lines. I for one got to the end and thought, that was so obvious, how could I have missed that connection. But that just makes it an even better book, so go on, give it a try, and please comment below and subscribe by email!

FictionFan1 Rating: 8.5/10

If you liked this author you might like: Rebbeca Stead, SimonMayo, Michael Morpurgo

About the author: Shearer is a British novelist who was recognised aged 29 as a television scenario writer after having produced 30 works.

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for next review of The Honeymoon Sisters by Gwyneth Rees

The 1000 year-old Boy by Ross Welford

Wow. Wow in capital letters. WOW WOW WOW WOW! There is no other way to describe this book. I want to congratulate Ross Welford on this amazing novel. Let me start this review with a bit of information about my connection to Ross Welford.

I was gifted a copy of ‘Time Travelling with a Hamster’ a few years ago and devoured it. About a year later, Ross Welford visited my school, and gave an interesting talk which I clearly remember featuring a write-a-story-in-less-than-5-minutes-without-pen-and-paper. During this visit, my family purchased a copy of his newest and second book ‘What Not to do if you Turn Invisible.’

This book came out today (thank you to my secret friend for the copy!) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is the tale of a young boy called Alfie Monk who remembers the last Viking invasion of Britain. He discovers there is more to life than age, and sets about trying to find the last life-pearl, the only way to reverse the Neverdead curse.

Along the way, Alfie learns what friends really are, and encounters somebody he recognises…but when his house in the forest where he lives with his Mam, burns down, he has nowhere left to go, but a children’s home. Mam may have perished in the fire, but Alfie’s spirit did not, and his ever-empowering spiritual journey is a real heart-string puller.

This is an original story full of wit and brains, but also a hint of history, as we learn about Alfie’s Neverdead life. Full of interesting characters, this book is one that certainly exceeded my expectations. The blurb fits the book, and the characters fit the story. Wow, Wow and Wow again!

FictionFan1 Rating: 9.5/10

If you liked this author you might like: Rebbeca Stead, Simon Mayo

About the author: Ross Welford used to be a journalist and television producer, but then became a full-time writer in order to pursue his dream. Ross visits schools and knows many book-themed magic tricks, and in his spare time, like me, he writes a blog!

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for next review of A Message to the Sea by Alex Shearer

Itch by Simon Mayo

As you may know, sci-fi books are not my thing. After reading the blurb however, I decided to give Itch a try. Itch is about a boy called Itchingham Lofte who is science-obsessed. He gets hold of some items he shouldn’t have, and things soon get messy. Itch, his sister Chloe, and his cousin Jack all experience arsenic poisoning and gain bodyguards - not a normal life for three teenagers!

Itch really struck me when I read it, because it is so moving, action-packed and thrilling that I didn’t want to put it down. I read this book in one sitting. There is sadly one negative to this, once I read it, it went back on the shelf. Life over. I still read this book occasionally but because it is so packed with events, it is an easy book to remember, therefore repeat reading is a challenge.

When I first read Itch, I didn’t expect there to be a sequel but when it was released, I was curious to know what the sequel would be about. You see, after reading Itch, I didn’t feel like there was anything left to cling on to, to make a sequel out of, but it turns out there was something. It was a very small and hidden link, but it was there alright. The sequel is called Itch Rocks.

Now, after reading Itch Rocks, I was pretty certain it would be a duology, but I was wrong again. The third book is called Itch Craft and makes this series a trilogy. Although the third book was unexpected, it has to be my favourite of the trilogy. It seems directly correlated to both the the first and second and I love it so much. One problem though, it doesn’t make sense unless you’ve read the others! So get reading!

FictionFan1 Rating: 8/10

If you liked this author you might like: Steve Backshall, Rebecca Stead

About the author: Simon Mayo is a famous BBC radio presenter, but also writes children’s and adults’ books. At first, Itch was meant to be the only book in the series, but it proved popular and so more were released.

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for my review of the Geek Girl series by Holly Smale.