Last summer we ran a teen book review competition. Enjoy reading some of the reviews we received.
Leigh Bardugo
Reviewed by Mackenzie aged 12 years
5/5 Stars
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is one of my favourite books because of the adrenaline pumping scenes and intriguing characters. the book is so well written that I simply could not put it down, and when I did I wanted to pick it up and read it again. Leigh Bardugo is extremely talented in writing and I was absolutely blown away by the ability to have six different POVs at once because that takes skill. The plot of this book is so good that T couldn’t even think of what would happen next. All in all I loved this book so much.
I recommend this book for people ages 12+ who like a well written book full of mystery and plot twists. Some of my favourite authors are Holly Jackson, Tahereh Mafi and Suzanne Collins.
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James Dashner
Reviewed by Christopher aged 12 years
The Scorch Trials is a fiction novel written by James Dashner. In this book Thomas and his friends have been infected by a disease known as The Flare which comes from the sun flares. Thomas and his friends have to cross the Scorch to get to the safe haven 100 miles away for a cure. But it's not going to be easy. There will be cranks, storms and more along the way that will do anything to stop Thomas and his friends from crossing the scorch. I enjoyed this book because of all the cliff hangers that really kept me at the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the action and thought the descriptive language/words really had a big impact on the book and I thought they were strong. This book is definitely a real winner.
I recommend this book from ages 11-16 and people that love The Hunger Games. Also people who like action books.
Lynette Noni
Reviewed by Jemima aged 13 years
4/5 Stars
Akarnae by Lynette Noni is filled with magic and mystery, I found it to be a very engaging fantasy read. The main character, Alex Jennings, is both interesting and very important in the story. She has to navigate this new world and work through its mysteries, with the help of her friends. Lynette Noni painted a clear picture of Akarnae Academy with its portals, mythical creatures, and the many friendships. The characters, each had their own story and were very important in supporting the flow of the book. The story has a captivating mix of magic, mystery, and courage that makes it a great read.
I recommend this book for people aged 12 - 15 as it is for mature readers but is not too hardcore. There is some mild violence throughout the book but other than that it is fine. This book is the first of a series so is also a good one for people wanting to read about more of the characters and their journeys.
I love fantasy and some of my favourite authors are Shannon Messenger and Lynette Noni.
Neil Gaiman
Reviewed by Jessica aged 12
The Graveyard Book is a young adult novel by Neil Gaiman. The man Jack had only one job, kill the family. Simple. But when going about this at the dead of night, he encounters an unexpected problem, the youngest child, the baby of the family, has disappeared without a trace. That is even stranger considering the fact that the man Jack is a trained professional, no clue would escape from him, and where would a baby disappear to anyway? For Nobody Owens growing up in a graveyard is a perfectly normal part of growing up, definitely in no way related to the fact that many years ago, when his family was killed, Nobody crawled to the graveyard where he was adopted by a family of ghosts. But he is soon to learn otherwise, when the man Jack, is back. Written in Neil Gaiman's trademark style, this is another of his awesome books. With magic, ghosts and mythical creatures, this is an amazing read. I would rate this five out of five stars, again, an amazing read, with magic, ghosts and an epic plot with many twists and turns.
I recommend this book for 8–13-year-olds, and people who like Terry Pratchett's Discworld series.
Note: There is a murder scene in the beginning of the book that younger readers might find distressing.
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