The Maze Runner by James Dashner

I have just finished reading The Maze Runner by James Dashner. It is a Sci-fi/action book. I would highly recommend it to fans of The Hunger Games The book has a great story-line and is written in great detail by the author. 

The book is based on a boy named Thomas who is sent into the glade. There are already roughly 50 boys in the glade trying to make a living from life stock sent up in a lift once every month.

When Thomas enters the glade things start to change... people start getting stung by grievers (creatures set up to kill the gladers), the maze doors don't close at night and the first girl is brought into the maze.

There is a lot of mystery since everyone's memory was erased before they were sent into the maze so everyone suspects that Thomas has something to do with all the new changes.

Thomas needs answers so he does whatever he can to find out information and breaks some rules.  

I enjoyed this book and i give it 8/10 stars

The Fault In Ours Stars review

I thought "The Fault In Our Stars" by John Greene was a fantastic novel. I really enjoyed the descriptions and metaphors that filled the novel, they were cleverly and made the book more interesting to read. Unfortunately the book had a few flaws, I found how we never were told how Hazels favourite ends both disappointing and annoying. The two main characters (Hazel and Augustus) are easy to imagine. They both have unique sets of characteristics which separates them apart.

I would rate it 8/10  stars ;) 

Taking Flight

This book is great if you are a young teenager that's into an action packed book with all the elements of emotion in it.Thew book hooks you in from the very start with it making you have empathy for Declan with all of his issues and then makes you hate Vicki because of all her luxuries in life. The story line was very believable and interesting and I would highly recommend all teenagers to have a read as it it for all ages and genders too.

I believe that the message in the book is that no matter what background you come from, either rough ( Declan ) or wealthy( Vicki ) and to get along with one and other. They both have a love for the horse and they are family even though it doesn't seem like it at he first.

Girl with a Pearl Earring – Tracy Chevalier

 

  Girl with a Pearl Earring, a fascinating historical novel set in 16^th  Century Holland, by Tracy Chevalier. This novel is the story of 16 year old Griet who is forced to leave her home and work as a maid for painter Johannes Vermeer. Griet struggles to cope with Vermeer’s growing family, jealous wife and stubborn servant.

   Griet finds release in helping Vermeer finish his paintings. She admires his work and even becomes a part of it, but this spreads tension into the household and leads the Greit losing her job.

   I think one of the main themes in the novel is of social inequality. After Griet's father is blinded by an explosion in a kiln factory, she is forced to work as a maid. As a maid she is treated very unfairly as she doesn’t have as much money as the Vermeers. This makes the Vermeer family think they have the right to boss Griet and the other servants around.

   My favourite line in the the book is "Only thieves and children run". This line was used twice in the novel, once at the start when Griet is 16 years old running home, and the second time when Griet is an adult running away from from Vermeer's house after being accused of stealing.  

   I thoroughly enjoyed this novel as I found it insightful into the lives of servants in 16th century Holland.

The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

What is the message of this book?

I think the theme of this book is friendship, how friendships can be unusual sometimes and how important they are. As Charlie’s, the main character of the book, friend Michael killed himself last year, Charlie begins to feel down but he doesn't understand why it won’t go away. Once he meets Sam and Patrick, a unique friendship is made and even though they are much older than Charlie, they help him become happy again and he learns the power of friends.

Write a brief review of this book for a teenager’s magazine.

This book is a story about friendship and love, how great these things can be but also how they can go wrong. It is the story of Charlie Kelmeckis, a boy who has just began high school and is struggling to make friends. Everyone is so different to him until he meets Sam and Patrick, a girl and boy who he really gets along with. He goes to parties with them and gets to know their friends. I really enjoyed this book because it was relatable and the main character, Charlie, is very funny. Its also easy to read and although its sad at parts, it is an enjoyable story overall. I would gibe this book 8/10.

The Mark- Rosemary Hayes

The Mark is a dark, thriller entwined with mystery, which follows 14 year old Rachel, a drug addict on the run from her abusive ex-boyfriend and Jack, a mysterious 16 year old with a dark past, who is enlisted to help her reach safety.

Rachel is Jack’s mark. He must help her evade her ex-boyfriend Adam and his dangerous gang, who desperately cross the English countryside in pursuit of the two teenagers. At the beginning the teens escape the city, to work on a fruit farm, but Adam’s relentless searching means that Jack and Rachel are forced to move on.  With the police on their tale looking for the runaways, outcasts Jack and Rachel must reach London, before time runs out.

The mark is a fast-paced, adrenaline filled novel by author Rosemary Hayes. This story deals with many sensitive issues suffered in modern day society including depression and drugs, which is why I would strongly recommend this book for older readers.  Through vivid flashbacks, the author creates a strong image of the difficult pasts of Jack and Rachel, whilst also depicting their present lives.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book because there was never a boring moment and it was extremely difficult to put down. I was left screaming for joy and recoiling in shock throughout and I would strongly recommend it to anybody who loves thrillers, mysteries or adventure novels.

Author: Rosemary Hayes

ISBN: 9781909991187

Publisher: Troika Books