October '19 Reviews

The Binding by Bridget Collins, Review by Wei Li

When I picked it up I didn't read the blurb, afterwards I was glad that I hadn't. It's ambiguous at the start, the eldest son, Emmett has just survived an illness. They live in a small town and books are taboo. Emmett is weak from his illness and can't work the heavy farming equipment. He receives a letter inviting him to become an apprentice to a book binder. There is a real sense of foreboding because you don't know what binding is. When he finds out it really kicks off...

Rated: 5/5 Burning Houses "You are taken on this emotional journey of love mystery and familial relationships. I loved the drama." 

The Shining by Stephen King, Review by Ayden

This family move town after the dad loses his job as a teacher due to drunkenness.  He takes up a position of caretaker at the isolated Overlook Hotel. King paints really vivid and visceral images, like when Tony's soul leaves his body and walks around. All the characters are really engaging and real. They don't feel like caricatures at all, you really connect with them.

Rated: 4.5/5 Creepy Children "I thought it was going to be over-hyped. It was not. I am really enjoying it."



P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Hahn, review by Lara

At the start Lara Jean is in love with Peter, but she gets jealous of Peter's ex Genevieve. He says is going through some family issues and that's why he's hugging her and speaking with her all the time. Genevieve also made a tape of them in the hot tub and put it on the internet. So they're enemies. Then her childhood crush as a kid, John comes back to town and they start hanging out. They go to this 50's dance together and get all dressed up. John picks her up in a mustang and Peter gets jealous...

Rated: 4/5 Broken Hearts "I was really sad and angry when I finished this book because it didn't end the way I wanted it to"

Song for Ella Grey by David Almond, Review by Caitlyn

This is a modern retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice. It's not big on plot as it's a fairly short myth. It's set in norther England. A group of teenagers decide to go camping. This guys Orpheus comes and he is really engaging. He can play all these instruments and sing. Then he disappears. Ella couldn't go on the trip but she hears Orpheus over her the phone and they get to speak to each other. They fall in love and the following year they get to meet in person.

It's a bit unrealistic at the start, but the writing itself is quite good. The teenagers aren't that believable.

Rated: 3/5 Musical Instruments "A kind of cool retelling" 


Neuromancer by William Gibson, Review by Kalani

This book is set in cyber space. It's one of the first cyber punk books. The style of it gets compared to Phillip K Dick. It's starts during a war and the main character is basically a cyborg. He gets contracts to work for people and this extends his expiration date. There's also a girl cyborg who he gets involved with. The story is realluy linear, but it leaves lots of plot holes. There are really sporadic time jumps and the perspective is definitely reminiscent of Dick. There are graphic descriptions of violence.  It plays around with what cyborgs are. It's open-ended and let's you decide. Also comparable to Ghost in a Shell

Rated: 5/5 Deep Dives to Cyber Space "It's a super old school sci fi that is really into itself with lots of detail and world building. - A really good read."   

Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell, Review by Ciena

This is the sequel to Carry On. They go on a road trip around America. Agatha gets into trouble and they have to try and save her from a vampire cult.

This is easier to read than Carry On. It's easier to get into, is separated into different parts and still has illustrations.

Rated: 4/5 Reallys "Really good, immersive."




The Red Scrolls of Magic, by Cassandra Clare & Wesley Chu, Review by Emily

It's about this couple Magnus and Alec. Everyone who has read this book ships them. Alec is gay and Magnus is a freewheeling bisexual. They decide to go on holiday to Paris and see two shadowhunters getting attacked. They visit a friend and find out Magnus has been caught up in a demon cult.

Rated: 5/5 Shadowhunters "It's really good"




Medoran Chronicles by Lynette Noni, Review by Bella

The series is about a girl Alex who crosses over to a parallel world called Medora. She meets this disinherited Meyarin prince called Aven. Alex and her friends attend a school for the magically gifted called Akarnae. The first book is Arkanae, I'm up to Vardaesia.

Rated: 5/5 Shadow wolves. "This series is really, really, really good" 





Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider, Vol. 1 by Seanan McGuire, Review by Eva

Gwen gets out of prison and sees Spiderman. She runs after him and he takes her to another dimension. Her friends are also in danger. When she loses Spiderman she can't find her way back, so she has to find the Gwen of the current dimension, -unfortunately she's evil...

Rated: 4/5 Mini Spiders




Risk by Fleur Ferris, Review by Sasha

There are these two girls Sienna and Taylor. They are best friends. Sienna is banned from accessing the internet by her mum. So she's using Taylor's account instead, in order to talk to people online. She meets this guy online called Jacob. Later that day Taylor starts talking to him and practically falls in love with him. When school starts back up she finds out that Sienna has been talking to him ever since then too and is also in love. Sienna goes to meet him in the city, saying she's staying at Taylor's that night. She never shows up, and three days later Taylor calls the police. Taylor searches for the Jacob before he can claim another victim...

The author is an ex detective who has dealt with similar cases in real life.

Rated: 4/5 Catfishes