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 Honeymoon Sisters by Gwyneth Rees

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The Honeymoon Sisters was just what I wanted at the time I read it. I had recently tried a rather gory novel, and put it down again, and I was in the library trying to choose a book to read when its eye-catching yellow cover persuaded me to borrow it.

It certainly pulled my heartstrings, that’s for sure! This amazing book’s plot is so simple yet so astonishingly brilliant. Poppy lives with her mum most of the week, and she can’t remember a time when she didn’t have a younger foster brother or sister.

But when their most recent charge moves on, the last person Poppy expects to host is Sadie Shaw, the new girl in her class. Poppy just doesn’t understand why her mum has fallen for Sadie’s sweet-as-honey act.  Poppy knows just how horrid she can be. But the two sisters begin to bond, over their big secret, they’re cousins!

This amazing book has its fair share of negatives, but on balance it was great. When I saw the author’s name, I wasn’t so sure as I’d never heard of Gwyneth Rees before, but as soon as I read the first sentence, I knew I would enjoy this book.

FictionFan1 Rating: 8.5/10

If you liked this author you might like: Laurel Remington, Cathy Cassidy, Katherine Rundall, Holly Smale

About the author: Gwyneth Rees is a children’s author and her books have won several awards including the Carnegie Medal and the Red House Children’s Book Award For Younger Readers.

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for my next review.

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

This story is just so moving. It’s the only way I can describe it.  I don’t normally cry when I read a book, ok maybe inside, but I had to let my emotions flow after reading Rooftoppers.

As stories go, this is a pretty good one. I first read it quite a while ago, probably when I was about eight, but have re-read it since and enjoyed it more than I did previously. This may be to do with the fact that I knew of some of the content, but I think I also understand things like adoption and guardianship much better now, which both play key parts in this novel.

The novel begins with a flashback of sorts, informing the reader of how Charles became Sophie’s guardian. It is around one chapter long, but later on in the book, some of the information in it is referred back to so don’t skip it!

Sophie is one of the only known survivors of a shipwreck that took place on what was probably her first birthday. Charles Maxim found her, wrapped in a Beethoven symphony, floating inside a cello case. Everyone tells Sophie she was orphaned in the shipwreck, but she is convinced her mother also survived the ordeal.

On a midnight outing, Sophie encounters Matteo, a boy who lives in the sky and runs across rooftops. Soon Sophie joins him and some fellow rooftoppers to try and find Sophie’s mother, before it’s too late.

This story can be boiled down to one moral. Charles reiterates this to Sophie and she uses it to convince him to help her search. I bet you can’t guess? Never ignore a ’possible’.

This expression is very motivating and a beautiful story has been weaved around it. Filled with emotion, like the different colours of wool, this book is one I will never forget.

FictionFan1 Rating: 9.5/10

If you liked this author you might like: Rebeca Stead, E.BWhite 

About the author: Katherine Rundell writes teen and adult fiction and was inspired for this novel by summers spent working in Paris, where this story is set, but also her own experiences, trespassing on the roofs of Oxford university.

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for next review of The 1000 Year Old Boy by Ross Welford

The Secret Cooking Club by Laurel Remington

When I first read this book I absolutely loved cooking, it was my favourite hobby, and not to boast, I was pretty good at it too. Some things in life never change, but some do. I still have a passion for cooking but unfortunately it’s not the same urge it used to be. So I read this book, having chosen it for the title, not even having read the blurb, which for me is very rare, and really enjoyed it.

All this was nearly a year ago, but it still often visits my bedside table, something to pull me back in to the real world if I have read something too graphic, or even too boring. Now, these visits also make me realise how lucky I am.

We live in a world where, let’s face it, society is not always equal, and bullying is not just a story, but most of us have a chance to leave that world every now and again, through perhaps a book, a holiday, a friend, or even just a hug.  The Secret Cooking Club gives me a window in to that ideal world. All the events in it could easily be real and that just gives it an air of happiness, even understanding.

To give you a brief synopsis, The Secret Cooking Club gives you an insight into the life of a 12 year old named Scarlett. She is both the star and victim of her mum’s blog and wishes she could fall through a hole in the ground every Friday when her mum’s blog is published. Hopefully that is not the case for any of my lovely readers!

When her neighbour is taken to hospital and Scarlett visits to feed the cat, she discovers a huge kitchen, just on the other side of her living room wall. Scarlett finds herself returning, and soon forms a cooking club.

This book gives some reassurance that there is always good in the world, and you can always make the best of a difficult situation. I would tell you more but then I would have to have a big red sign saying !!!SPOILER ALERT!!! so I won’t, but once you’ve read it please comment below!

FictionFan1 Rating: 8.5/10

If you liked this author you might like: Rebecca Stead, Holly Smale, and Cathy Cassidy

About the author: Laurel Remington writes children’s and teen fiction and is also a mum to three girls. Her daughters love to cook and provided inspiration for this novel. She also visits schools to encourage children to read and write more.

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Coming up soon: Stay tuned for future reviews.