Book Recommendations – Books & Reading

The Final Gambit (Book 3, The Inheritance Games series) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Published on April 24, 2023April 24, 2023 by nancysylapranyLeave a comment

Reviewed by Deepana (Year 12)

The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the third book of the bestselling series ‘The Inheritance Games’, which follows 17 year old Avery Kylie Grambs, and her chilling mysteries with the Hawthorne brothers. This book series is one in which the previous instalments must be read. As I was transported to the chaotic world of the Hawthornes, the intricate puzzles that fill this novel are ones that entertain and mystify, with its plot line even more incredible than the sequel. As a hopeless fan of mystery and crime, this book left me enraptured in its world for days after I finished. The style of writing combined with the intricacy of its mystery, this novel is my favourite out of the series. The depth to the characters of this world makes this exceptional novel heartfelt and emotional. Overall, a wonderful book that I would recommend to all.

This book is recommended for ages 13 and above due to violent themes. I rate this book 5 stars.

The Killing Code by Ellie Marney

Published on October 11, 2022 by nancysylapranyLeave a comment

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 ★★★★★

The light in everything by Katya Balen

Published on August 8, 2022August 8, 2022 by nancysylapranyLeave a comment

Reviewed by Mr Llewellyn-Evans

“These are my friends, and this is my school and it’s my house and my dad and my dog and my life”

So says Zofia when she finds her life turned upside when her father announces he has found a partner and both she and her son Tom will be moving in with them.

This is a story about two children adjusting to a momentous change in their lives. Tom and his mother have escaped an abusive husband and father. Tom because of this is filled with neuroses including a fear of the dark. He is a lonely boy, with no friends, the outsider at school, the only stability in his life is his relationship with his mother.

Zofia is the opposite. Popular, boisterous, a leader among her peers and driven to achieve her dream of swimming to Fiji (a rocky outcrop close to where they live). She has been brought up by her father and like Tom has developed a special relationship.

This is a book about discovery. While seemingly so dissimilar they do share one characteristic – fear.

This is a beautifully written book. The language brings both Tom and Zofia alive and allows the reader to get into the skins of the protagonists. The short chapters allow the narrative to progress without being forced.

The ending is certainly special and moving – it was a delight to read.

This book would appeal from upper primary to geriatric.

4.5 stars out of 5

The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland

Published on August 8, 2022 by nancysylapranyLeave a comment

Reviewed by Mr Llewellyn-Evans

The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland — The Escape Artist
by Jonathan Freedland

There has been much written about the Holocaust (Shoah) both as fiction and non-fiction. So, it is surprising to come across a book which has something different to say about that terrible event.

Jonathon Freedland’s The Escape Artist, is about a story of endurance, escape and exposure. Walter Rosenberg (later to become Rudolf Vrba) is a young Slovak caught up by local authorities aged 16 and sent to Auschwitz who aged 19 along with Fred Wetzler became the first Jews to escape.

In the book Rosenberg reveals his experiences in Auschwitz and no matter how much one reads or sees, these accounts do not lose their power and potency.

“It was outside human experience and, perhaps outside human imagination.”

The power of this book is not just the conditions and escape but the fact that Rosenberg (Vrba) wanted his escape to mean something. Just before his escape and perhaps the motivation to go was when he heard that Hungarian Jews were next for extermination. Rosenberg hoped his escape would help reveal the truth of what was happening in Auschwitz and maybe prevent the forthcoming atrocity. Alas between May- July 1944 over 434,000 were sent to the camp with over 80% gassed. This fact would haunt Rosenberg through his life, even though the publishing of his testimony was instrumental in putting pressure on the Hungarian government to halt the transports and contributed to saving up to 200,000 lives.

The final part of the book follows Rosenberg’s life after his escape which sees him finally settle in Canada and find some peace and acceptance in his life.

As the generation that survived the Holocaust gets fewer and fewer, books like this serve to remind us of what happened, but more importantly, about the nobility of those who survived. Their story demands to be told again and again.

4.5 stars out of 5

I’II Keep You Close by Jeska Verstegen

Published on March 13, 2022March 13, 2022 by nancysylapranyLeave a comment

Reviewed by Mr Llewellyn-Evans

This is a delightfully written and simple story about memory told from the perspective of 11-year-old Jeska. As Jeska finds out through the course of this short novel not all memories are pleasant as her father explains:

“If you cut yourself badly, you can be left with a scar, even when the wounds healed. It can be the same when you experience terrible hardship: the memory of it becomes a scar”.

So, this is a story of Jeska’s discovery of her mother’s scar and an explanation of why her mother behaves the way she does. The dark room, the insistence on quiet in the house, the need to make yourself small and not draw attention to yourself.

Set in the Netherlands during the late 1960’s Jeska is a bright girl who sometimes takes to day dreaming, but during the course of the novel comes to realise a significant event impacted her mother, World War II and the treatment of the Jews in Holland. It is also a novel about guilt, the guilt her mother feels as being the only survivor of her family.

This is a different type of holocaust novel and one worth reading alongside say Morris Geitzman’s Once series.

4.5/5 stars

The Project by Courtney Summers

Published on March 13, 2022 by nancysylapranyLeave a comment

Reviewed by Mr Llewellyn-Evans

This book had great potential.

Two sisters who lose their parents in a car crash, a miraculous recovery, a search for identity, the sisters are separated by a cult (or is it), one sister leaves the cult while the other finds it, a daughter is born within the cult is she the ‘chosen one’, an unexplained death. This should be a page turner but alas in a novel which runs for 345 pages it only becomes this from about page 300!

At times I found the writing pedestrian and the twists which should have been the big revealed were not and in fact had been broadcast much earlier. The two sisters who acted as the narrators at times caused confusion in the narrative.

So, is this book worth reading? Probably yes for the last 50 pages when what you knew and suspected are confirmed. It does reveal how a cult can take over your life and, in the process, isolate and alienate you from those around you and as such is a salutary warning.

This is a book for the older student Year 10 and above as it does deal with some sensitive issues.

2.5/5 stars

Anything but fine by Tobias Madden

Published on March 6, 2022 by nancysylapranyLeave a comment

Reviewed by Gretel, Year 12, Cerdon College, Merrylands, NSW

Everyone should read this book. That could be the whole review. ‘Anything But Fine’ by Tobias Madden follows Luca, a Year 11 student from Ballarat. When a missed step leaves his foot broken, his dreams of a career in ballet crumble as well. As his life is flipped upside down he meets Jordan (who everyone says is straight) and Luca finds himself falling for a second time. Ultimately this book is about self-discovery and the things one loses and gains on that journey. I saw myself in Luca and his friends as they conquered high school. I laughed. I sobbed. I almost fell off of my bed. I love this book and I would recommend it to everyone, young and old, but most specifically to those who have yet to discover themselves in one way or another. This book is for you.

Rating: 5 stars

Girls in boys’ cars by Felicity Castagna

Published on March 6, 2022March 6, 2022 by nancysylapranyLeave a comment

Reviewed by Millen, Year 9, Cerdon College, Merrylands

Girls in boys' cars by Felicity Castagna — Girls in boys’ cars by Felicity Castagna

Girls in Boys’ Cars follows two high school students named Rosa and Asheeka who want to escape their homes because they want to have fun and adventure. They make a decision to go on a road trip. They have no money so they decide to break the law.

Askeeka and Rosa are having so much fun, they have forgotten about their families. During their time Rosa’s parents are worried and scared and something serious has been exposed on social media which will ruin Asheeka’s life.

The novel opened my eyes to the world of bullying, abuse and acceptance. It taught me how to face problems and how to resolve them.

I enjoyed reading this book but I believe the ending could have been more detailed. I would have liked for the characters’ journeys to have been more thoroughly described. I could connect with this novel because of the emotions and storyline. I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

I recommend this book for children who are 13 years and older due to the language and some of the situations.

‘Good for Book clubs’

Aurora’s End by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Published on March 6, 2022 by nancysylapranyLeave a comment

Review by Deepana, Year 11, Cerdon College Merrylands

Aurora’s End by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff is the fantastical end to the Aurora Cycle series, with exciting twists and turns in every chapter. It follows the intense cliffhanger that was presented to readers at the end of book two and answers the mysteries presented in the first and second book. The story is about Aurora and her crew attempting to fix everything that went wrong, and this book heavily focuses on multiple time travelling instances. The romance is alive and the action is never ending. This book was really well written as the two authors brought the series to a good ending. I enjoyed reading it and never once lost the magic that only science fiction can bring. I recommend Aurora’ End for ages 13+ as there are still many battles and deaths during the span of the book. This book would appeal to any person that enjoys science fiction, romance and fantasy, so it has wide appeal and is easy to enjoy.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone

Published on March 6, 2022 by nancysylapranyLeave a comment

Reviewed by Audrey, Cerdon College, Merrylands

Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone is a gothic dark fantasy novel with horror and romance coexisting together in a seamless storyline and plot. This novel includes monster boys, super old gardens that no one knows about, gods of darkness and death that speak to you at night, squeal-worthy almost kisses (at midnight too, for the aesthetic) and more. This book had me hooked by the end of the first chapter and intrigued as I kept reading. It’s a fun read overall and I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

A defining aspect of this story would be the relationships all the characters have with each other; especially the main character, Violeta, and her relationships with her love interest Rowan and her little brother Arien (the banter between her and Rowan is just adorable and almost makes you forget about the horror). The writing of this novel mixes romance and horror perfectly and I never wanted the story to end (especially with that cliffhanger!).

I do wish however, that there was more world-building in the story. The world in this novel is very interesting so I hope in the next book there’s more background description and explanations. The writing and the plot make up for this though!!

Overall, I give this book 4.5/5 stars!! It has great writing lush with gothic fantasy elements and an amazing storyline. I can’t wait for the next book!!