Wonder by R.J Palacio

 Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Published in 2012, when Wonder was first released it was very popular through all age groups. Since then it has been made into a film, which portrays the book perfectly, a rare occurrence in my opinion. Although I haven't seen Wonder on a reading list for a while, I think it is a really great book, that provides a more unusual take on the world, through the eyes of a young boy names Auggie Pullman.

Auggie has a serious medical condition, resulting in a disfigured face, and has therefore been homeschooled by his mother due to various hospital visits. The book begins with Auggie's mixed feelings about starting school for the first time, and what he believes the other kids will think of him. Following a tour of the school, he slowly gets used to the environment, even making a few friends. Unfortunately, he encounters some bullies, and struggles to overcome this challenge. Auggie also attends a school trip, on which he faces several more challenges, each more adverse.

The perspective of the book switches every few chapters, between Auggie's perspective, his sister Via's perspective, and occasionally that of his friends. This enables the reader to better understand the thoughts and emotions of each character, contributing to the compelling read that this is.

Auggie & Me, also by R.J. Palacio, provides insight on how Auggie has impacted the lives of bully Julian, oldest friend Christopher, and classmate Charlotte, and is also an amazing read. I would recommend though that you read Wonder first, otherwise Auggie & Me may either spoil Wonder or confuse you!

Wonder is probably one of my favourite books, and will always be one of the first books that comes to mind when someone asks me for a recommendation. The characterisation coupled with a unique view on the world, makes this book so exciting! I would definitely recommend to any 11 year old or older, but any adult would probably also enjoy it!

FictionFan1 Rating: 10/10

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

About the author: R.J. Palacio is an American writer, and has written several novels for children, the most famous of which being Wonder, which has been turned into a film.

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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

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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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