Month: October 2022

The Killing Code by Ellie Marney

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The Killing Code by Ellie Marney

The Killing Code by Ellie Marney

Reviewed by Christina, Year 11

Whisking us back to 1943 and the middle of World War II, Ellie Marney’s The Killing Code plunges us into the lives of Kit, Dottie, Moya and Violet in her YA historical fiction, where four girls work as code breakers at Arlington Hall in Washington DC. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel as the mystery itself was compelling, adding complexities of security checks and curfews, as well as the racist policies and actions at the time. The tension I came across derived from several sources; Kit’s constant fear of being unmasked as an imposter, the stress and urgency of codebreaking and the war itself, and a string of gruesome murders perpetrated against young female government workers in DC. I adored the combining features of a murder on the loose, a sapphic romance, a deftly incorporation of historical prejudice at the time, and of course the emphasis on women involvement in war efforts. 

The sheer amount of research that Marney has done for this novel, shown from the way she describes the girl’s codebreaking, is amazingly well done. The attention to detail is phenomenal and I found myself amazed by this throughout the entire novel. Additionally, I loved the quotes at the top of each and every chapter, and upon reading the author’s note at the back of the book, seeing the effort that Marney went into to retrieve and gain permission for these quotes left me in utter awe.

The Killing Code is the first book I’ve ever read by Ellie Marney, and after reading it, I’ve decided that I definitely want to read more. The historical setting felt immersive without being distracting, and the murder mystery had me hooked from the very first chapter. 

Overall, highly recommended for those who enjoy a twisty, and bloody, historical YA thriller!

Recommended for 14+                                                                                                              

Rating: 5/5  ★★★★★

 

#37 Book Club meeting

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Hello everyone,

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

In meeting no. 37, we welcomed a few new members to Book Club – welcome to Arham and Desilee – and our regular Year 11 book club members were busy with exams so they could not join us for this particular meeting – we look forward to seeing you at our next meeting (as you missed this meeting, I have attached the link to the audio if you would like to listen to it when you have time). As with our past meetings, it was enjoyable to hear about what everyone has been reading and your experiences with your books – from biographies to contemporary, teen fiction to fantasy, classics, science fiction and graphic novels – it was a great mixture of books again. We had some discussion of the multiple perspectives books being read for book club, and we can continue this discussion at our next meeting in Week 3. 

For your reference, here’s a list of the books discussed that you might like to borrow some time:

  • Gretel started Will Grayson, Will Grayson but unfortunately, did not enjoy it. Mrs
    Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

    Hanratty encouraged Gretel to persevere and come back to it when she is ready. I think it is good to recognise when a book isn’t for you and that you might need to put it down for a period of time. Timing can be crucial with books and depending on your mood or what’s happening in your life at the time, this may influence whether you can enjoy a book or not, or whether it’s the right ‘fit’ for you. Gretel also shared some of her reading experience so far with Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo.

  • Deeya shared My forbidden face by Latifa; and a book related to some of the themes about limitations on women and their lives in Marrying Ameera by  Rosanne Hawke. Deeya also shared her thoughts about a book she has recently reviewed for SpineOut, When only one by Meg Gatland-Veness
  • Anastasia is continuing her exploration of the classics by reading Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. Great to hear that you are enjoying the experience and the writing style of this period.
  • Olivia shared her thoughts on one of our multiple perspectives novels, Words in deep blue by Cath Crowley. I have to completely agree with you that, apart from Rachel and Henry’s story, the side snippets of other people’s stories told through the messages left in the books in the book store, adds to the charm of this novel. Olivia has also been reading The summer I turned pretty by Jenny Han
  • Arham shared one of Colleen Hoover’s books and another series by Chris Colfer, A tale of witchcraft (the first book in this series is A tale of magic). A tale of magic sounds like a good series and one that might be worth adding to our fiction collection for adventure and fantasy buffs. 
  • Mrs Lacey mentioned she was going to read Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garums during the school holidays. I look forward to hearing more about this book at our next meeting.
  • Mrs Hanratty shared Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, The greatest thing by Sarah WinifredSearle and When I see blue by Lily Bailey. All available for loan from the library.
  • Ms McNamara is halfway through reading The uncaged sky by Kylie Moore-Gilbert.

    The Uncaged Sky by Kylie Moore-Gilbert
  • Mrs Sylaprany shared Let it snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green and Lauren Myracle; and Klara and the sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Also, thank you to the students who came along to listen in to our book discussion as well. I am glad that you were able to join us and listen to our conversation about what everyone has been reading.

For our next meeting, we will continue our discussion of books written with multiple perspectives. We can also commence our reading of fantasy novels this term. You can choose your own fantasy novel or we have a few small class sets that you could read together (including Cybele’s Secret by Juliet Marillier). If you would like a copy of this fantasy romance novel, see me and I will organise a copy for you. We also have multiple copies of The Cruel Prince and Wildwood Dancing if you’re interested in either of these. 

I look forward to our next Book Club meeting and hearing about what you have enjoyed reading during the school holidays.

Finally, farewell to Gretel! Gretel has been a long-time member of Book Club since Year 7! Thank you for your thoughtful contributions to our book club discussions over many years. Your presence and conversations about books and reading will be greatly missed. Good luck with your HSC exams over the next few weeks and all the very best for life beyond Cerdon! 

Happy reading everyone & all the best for Term 4!
Mrs Sylaprany