Tag: faber

BOOK BLOG: Alex Bell

3 Comments

Explorers on Black Ice Bridge: a rip-roaring adventure through icy cold depths!

explorers

“Ice princess Stella Starflake and her father Felix are in trouble: President Fogg has expelled them from the Polar Bear Explorers’ Club, and banned them from going on any further expeditions. Stella’s not going to be put off by rules and regulations though. She knows her friend Shay is in danger of turning into a witch wolf himself, since receiving a deadly bite on their last adventure. It’s vital that Stella and her friends set out to find the spellbook that could save his life, even if it means travelling over the cursed Black Ice Bridge.”

Anyone who has spent any time on this blog knows that I am a MASSIVE fan of the Polar Bear Explorers series. The first book absolutely blew me away. The second book (of which you can read my review here) was one of the best books I read last year. I had very high hopes for the third book in the series. I’d been sat around ever since last year waiting for this to come out… and my word. What a total winner! 

Explorers on Black Ice Bridge starts with a total bang. Pearl and her dad Felix are in a  LOT of trouble. They got up to a lot of mischief (although I would argue they were doing it for good) in book 2, so they are having to deal with their actions now. The council of the Polar Bear Explorers’ Club are NOT happy with Stella and Felix. Ultimately, Stella and Felix are expelled from the Polar Bear Explorers’ Club (more fool the club in my opinion tbh). This leaves them in a very tricky situation because they still have an exploration they need to go on to save Stella’s friend, but now that they don’t belong to a club, they’re not allowed to. 

Of course, Felix being Felix, he knows that there is no such thing as an explorer who isn’t allowed to explore. He knows that Stella and her friends need to be able to get their mission completed because when friends are in need, it’s down to them to stick together to help. Felix and Stella, with the use of Stella’s ice magic and her friends, make things happen. They get the exploring ball rolling again. What ensues is a complete adventure into frozen lands, a surprisingly charming and funny flamingo who dons a top hat and friendship that always wins. 

Something I loved most about this book was that I was CONSTANTLY surprised. There were things that I wasn’t expecting. Characters you thought were one thing, who ended up being another thing. Choices made which definitely were unexpected. Settings and places I wouldn’t have predicted visiting. Some tiny subtle things which made my heart explode (there’s a wonderful bit about bad memories and it almost made me cry!). There’s a wonderful setting at the end of the story and it just floored me because it was SO out there, but it worked so beautifully for the story. 

There’s some wonderful messages in this book about looking after each other, the importance of kindness, looking after the world and being responsible. We are all responsible for the world we live on – whether it’s Stella in her world, or us in our world. This was a lovely thing to read because it wasn’t preachy, but it was beautifully written. Something which would make children think without intimidating them. 

My Goodreads review:

A rip-roaring adventure through ice, self doubt and friendship. With a flamingo (who is rather fun) and a menacing villain, this book was surprise after surprise. I really enjoyed this! I’m hoping there’s more to come because that ending lends itself to more…

If you’re looking for an icy adventure, perfect for a winter’s day, look no further than Explorers on Black Ice Bridge (but remember to read the two previous books first… they are MOST binge worthy). If you don’t fall for Felix, then we can’t be friends. 

I don’t know if this review does the book ANY justice… so please go out and read it! Then we can talk about how bloody awesome it is. I can’t wait to give it to my own explorers! They’re going to love it! 

Have you read Explorers on Black Ice Bridge?
Do you think you’d make a good explorer?
Where would you explore to if you had the chance?

Explorers on Black Ice Bridge is out now! GO GO GO!

S x 

BOOK BLOG: Alex Bell

6 Comments

Explorers On Witch Mountain: bursting with new adventures and new friends

dntsnrbw0aejwuz

“Stella Starflake Pearl is eagerly anticipating her next expedition. Suddenly disaster strikes when Stella’s father, Felix, is snatched by a fearsome witch. Stella must bring her magic ice princess tiara to Witch Mountain or she will never see Felix again! But no one ever returns from Witch Mountain… 
Stella, Ethan, Shay, Beanie and reluctant Jungle Cat explorer, Percival, set off into the unknown. They will face terrifying bat caves, poisonous apple groves, outraged vultures, argumentative mushrooms and deranged broomsticks in their quest to rescue Felix.”

Explorers on Witch Mountain is one of my most highly anticipated books of this year. It’s the sequel to the incredible Polar Bear Explorer’s Club, which came out last year and blew me away. I have been sitting patiently waiting for this book to be released as I needed it in my life. I got a lovely surprise when the brilliant humans of Faber sent me a copy early and I quickly devoured it (because let’s be honest, it was of course jumping to the top of my TBR list… sorry not sorry to the rest of my books!)

Explorers takes us back into the world of Stella, Felix and their exploring. After my love for the first book, it was so amazing to be back in their world – despite the fact there’s somewhat of a foreboding witch puppet lurking in the attic! (I was not a fan of this witch who is watching Stella… spooky!) 

This new tale is full of adventure – there’s new friends, enemies, people who fall somewhere in the middle; new settings and new gadgets. You will never be bored reading this book because there is a fair share of new things to discover. I absolutely loved the fact that there’s so much adventure in this book. Stella and her friends meet a whole host of new creatures – fairies, witches, flying sharks, frogs and troublesome dinosaurs to name a few. Pair these great new characters with an interesting new setting for Stella to explore with her friends (because OBVIOUSLY Felix has told her she can’t) and you get an excellent story.

While we’re talking about Felix. Oh Felix. I do love him. (My book review notes say “Felix tho <3) He’s such a wise man. He’s just lush. I love reading him as a character. At the end of the book he has some wise, wise words for Stella and I love it. He’s not preachy, he talks to her like she’s someone he respects and I think that’s such a lush thing for kids to read. 

One of my kids has already nicked Explorers from me! I can’t wait for more of my kids to discover more of Alex Bell’s brilliant world. I can’t wait for book 3 – the ending of Explorers leaves the door wide open for a book 3 and I NEED IT. I think it’s going to be excellent.

Kids need to meet this world full of adventure. And they need to meet Stella, obviously. She’s badass, brave and bold – 3 things that kids should all aspire to be! 

My Goodreads review:

A brilliant adventure taking Stella to an island with terrifying teddy bears, witches and witch hunters, poisonous gingerbread houses, and of course, her trusty friends. I love this series. They’re so much more than just adventure stories – there’s a massive punch of meaning. Felix gives some bloody brilliant advice in these books. I utterly devoured this. It’s safe to say I can’t wait for book 3!

Explorers on Witch Mountain is out November 1st, published by Faber Children’s. It is available for preorder now!

Have you read Polar Bear Explorer’s Club?
Are you excited for Explorers on Witch Mountain?
Would you also love to have a pet polar bear?

A massive thank you to Faber for sending me this book! I loved it! 

S x

BOOK BLOG: Ross Montgomery

1 Comment

Max and the Millions: adventure filled and laughter a-plenty!

“Max is used to spending time alone – it’s difficult to make friends in a big, chaotic school when you’re deaf. He prefers to give his attention to the little things in life… like making awesome, detailed replica models.
Then Mr Darrow, the school caretaker and fellow modeller, goes missing. Max must follow his parting instruction: ‘Go to my room. You’ll know what to do.’
There on the floor he finds a pile of sand … and in the sand is Mr Darrow’s latest creation… a tiny boy, no bigger than a raisin, Luke, Prince of the Blues. And behind the tiny boy… millions of others – a thriving, bustling, sprawling civilization!”

Max and the Millions starts with one of the most intriguing first chapters I’ve read for a long while… I knew that I was in for something very fun and interesting from that opening chapter. Reading on did not disappoint!

Max tells the story of young Max, a boy who doesn’t have many friends, just trying to keep going at boarding school. This boarding school has possibly the world’s worst headteacher (genuinely despised the man… he bothered me a lot) and Max does not fit in. He wears hearing aids and his headteacher is not very subtle about it. He’s singled out a lot. He doesn’t feel included in school life at all. He has a friendship with the school janitor, they bonded over building miniature replica models. However, when the janitor disappears it is up to Max to try and save the world which has been built before it can be ruined. 

Max, having found a secret message in Mr Darrow’s room, has to leave school for the summer. This makes him worry. Will the janitor’s room and all of the things inside still be safe after the summer holiday? When Max arrives after the summer holidays, he is amazed to find that there are now millions of little people living in Mr Darrow’s room, in this little world which was created there. 

There’s some hilarious moments with the 3 warring camps which are living in the room – the Reds who are led by the Queen; the Blues, led by a pretty lazy son of the deceased king, and the Greens, ran by a pretty mean man. The descriptions of where they live within the room (under the bed, in the bin) made me chuckle. It amazes me that authors can see everyday things and come up with such extraordinary little worlds! 

Max knows he needs to get these 3 camps to agree and he needs to get them to safety. He eventually finds an ally in one of the boys at school. The friendship between Max and Sasha was brilliant to see. Max learns to trust people and, in time, builds a friend. 

I’m a massive Ross Montgomery fan – Perijee and Me is one of my favourite books. This one is a great book to read next. The kids at school are loving it! 

My goodreads review: A great book filled with adventure and laughter! Certainly made me laugh out loud more than once. Brave main characters, an excellent portrayal of disability and a mean head teacher. This is accessible and fun, kids will love it!

Have you read any Ross Montgomery books?
Would you like millions of little men and women living in your room?
Did you have any disastrous teachers growing up?

Let me know in the comments, or on twitter! I’d love to talk good/bad teachers!

S x

BOOK BLOG: Alwyn Hamilton

5 Comments

Hero at the Fall: a fitting end to a trilogy I adored

23466669-_sy540_

“When gunslinging Amani Al’Hiza escaped her dead-end town, she never imagined she’d join a revolution, let alone lead one. But after the bloodthirsty Sultan of Miraji imprisoned the Rebel Prince Ahmed in the mythical city of Eremot, she doesn’t have a choice. Armed with only her revolver, her wits, and her untameable Demdji powers, Amani must rally her skeleton crew of rebels for a rescue mission through the unforgiving desert to a place that, according to maps, doesn’t exist. As she watches those she loves most lay their lives on the line against ghouls and enemy soldiers, Amani questions whether she can be the leader they need or if she is leading them all to their deaths.”

Hello, my name is Steph and I ABSOLUTELY adore the Rebel of the Sands trilogy. If you are unware of this trilogy, it follows the incredible Amani (a gunslinging, sand–controller) who ends up part of an excellent army of rebels trying to overthrow the cruel Sultan. Over book 1 and 2, Amani ends up part of the incredible band of merry men (she’s like a modern day female, brilliant Robin Hood) and they’re just MAGNIFICENT. I’d totally recomment you read this trilogy – there’s sand, magic, brilliant friendships and peril. SO MUCH PERIL. (See my reviews: Rebel of the Sands review and Traitor to the Throne review)

Image result for rebel of the sands trilogy

Anyway, I’m here to talk you through my sheer joy and UTTER SADNESS that this trilogy is over. That’s how I feel: it’s a bittersweet time of my life. I have ADORED this trilogy and reading Hero just proved to me why this series is special. The storytelling, the characters, to magic, the mythical elements, Jin (be still my heart), the progression of the characters, the closure. It’s just wonderful. Alwyn is an incredible author and I’m excited to see what’s coming next!

One of the things that hit the hardest about this book was the sense of family and belonging that Amani gets throughout. The gang get back together and you see her in her element with all the people around her she loves. The characters, both new and old, blew me away at times. Their actions speak volumes. The new characters add a whole new level of brilliance for me. These books wouldn’t be as massive a hit for me if it weren’t for such an excellent bunch of characters. They balance each other out. They complement each other. There’s moments throughout of reminding me why I fell in love with them all individually, but collectively too. They fight for each other; the fight WITH each other but they stick together and fight for the same brilliant cause. 

Another of the things that’s been prevalent throughout the whole series is the myths and fairytales beautifully woven into the plot. I am a MASSIVE fan of this. I think it adds intrigue and interest to books, it gives them a history that you couldn’t have without them. Hero features, among others, 2 massive new myths which both are incredible. There’s a remarkable parallel between what the characters are going through now and what the story tells of. Amani and Jin have their own moment of life imitating art which absolutely BROKE MY HEART and put it back together again. (More on Jin later).

As I read through, there was an absolute need to read more and know how things were going to end. I wanted to see where these characters were going to end up, how their stories ended… and I was SO satisfied with the ending. The arcs and progressions of these characters is something I adore. Amani herself goes on quite an important journey of accepting herself, accepting her varying position in the group, and her battle with some tricky decisions was a brilliant plot line to watch unfold. 

You get the chance to revisit locations from book 1 and 2 in Hero and it made my heart so happy. Revisiting Dustwalk and the location of the camp in particular gave me flashbacks, reminding me of books 1 and 2. It was gorgeous to have those nods to the past 2 books, whilst still bringing in brand new locations, characters and plot. There’s a satisfying amount of loose ends tied up by the end of Hero, which for me makes me happy. There’s nothing worse than knowing a trilogy is ending and having a whole load of unanswered questions. 

Jin. Oh Jin. *heart eyes* I love him. I think all of my reviews of this trilogy have had their own Jin paragraphs. I’d like my own Jin. He’s such a brilliant human. I adore him. I adore his and Amani’s relationship. They’re just lovely. They balance each other out so much. He’s smooth and mellow, a total opposite to Amani, who can be like a tight knot at times. I’m glad they got the ending they did. They deserve it. I am all for a happy ending (it’s not without its rollercoaster though).

I need to take a moment here to mention my sheer appreciation for the cover (and the covers of the trilogy). They are EXCEPTIONAL and look brilliant together. I am a sucker for some gold.

Where does Hero stand on the crying front? (I know you all know I’m a crier) I CRIED SO MUCH. I reckon I cried for the last 100 pages or so. SO MANY TEARS WERE SHED. It’s SO SO SO WORTH IT THOUGH. There’s scenes that deserve the tears; some were heartbroken tears; some were disbelief tears; some of the tears were sadness at saying goodbye. 

So if you hadn’t guessed from this review… I really quite LOVED Hero at the Fall and would ABSOLUTELY recommend the whole trilogy. Please go out and buy them, if you haven’t already. SO WORTH IT.

Have you read Hero at the Fall?
Do you think you’d be as badass as Amani?
DO YOU LOVE JIN TOO OMG?

Talk to me about this book, this trilogy, Jin, magic, WHATEVER. Just talk to me. This book, this trilogy, these characters are EXCELLENT and deserve all of the praise they get. Just read them!

S x

BOOKBLOG: Ross Montgomery

1 Comment

Christmas Dinner of Souls: devilish, daring and delicious

img_0718-1(Thanks Waterstones Newcastle for once again providing an incredible background to a picture… I love this table!!)

“It’s a dark and lonely Christmas Eve in the dining room of ancient Soul’s College. The kitchen boy, 11-year-old Lewis, has helped prepare a highly unusual meal, made with unrecognisable ingredients, cooked by a mysterious chef. And then the guests arrive … and carnage ensues. They are ex-students of Soul’s College, and they are all completely demented. They demand bottle after bottle of wine, flinging their cutlery and howling like banshees until … silence. The Dean of Soul’s College has arrived, and the evening’s ceremonies must begin.

For this is the annual meeting of a secret club for those who despise children, warmth, happiness, and above all Christmas. Each member must try to outdo the others by telling the most terrible, disgusting story they know.

A spooky, shocking, bloodthirsty alternative to festive cheer that will appeal to, fascinate and delight young readers.”

The lovely Ross had hinted to me a while ago that he was writing a book of short stories so when I heard there was more coming from him, I was excited. For those who have been living under a rock over the past year, Ross is one of my favourite authors – I absolutely adore his books. If you want a good starting point, check out Perijee and Me. I truly believe Perijee was the reason some of my Y4s last year fell in love with reading. We used to read it at the end of every day I was teaching. Those kids ADORED that book and still talk about it now! But anyway… we’re here to talk Christmas Dinner of Souls.

Image result for perijee and me

Christmas Dinner of Souls is BRILLIANT. It’s the perfect balance of scary, sometimes teering on the edge of pretty scary, and fun. I loved the premise. I loved the way in which it was written – there are scary short stories interspersed into the overarching story. For me, who isn’t a massive short story lover, it worked perfectly. It was like having a whole host of fright within one pretty scary book.

I must also take a second here to appreciate the illustrations. The incredible David Litchfield (of The Bear and the Piano, and so many others, fame) did the illustrations for this book and he captures the characters so perfectly. (Montgomery and Litchfield is my absolute dream team!)

The main character, Lewis, has been thrust into this situation as he did something wrong, so the Dean of the College is punishing him by making him help at the dinner. I really liked Lewis and I think a lot of kids will like him too. He’s relatable. He wants to get out of there (I mean who wouldn’t?! I sure would!) and tries coming up with plans, but each time his plan is foiled. 

There’s this bunch of bonkers characters who get together for Christmas and try to outscare each other – they take turns telling scary stories to the others, accompanying these stories with foods. I properly loved this idea. Some of the foods are GRUESOME, I most certainly wouldn’t like to have to eat them! These characters come in all shapes and sizes, and they’re really likeable. Despite the fact they’re telling these stories (I’ll get on to the stories in a minute!), they’re hilarious and fun. There’s a pretty epic twist which I totally did not see coming at all. Well done Ross, I LOVED it.

Two of the short stories that stand out most to me are The Beast and The Kensington System. When making notes about these two stories the words horrifying and pretty scary were written down. The Kensington System, I think, might be my favourite, most scary short story. It’s pretty dark, but revenge filled: perfect. 

This book is on my Perfect MG Books to buy and I think it totally deserves its spot there. It’s so spot on for kids. It would also make a pretty incredible read aloud for class novel time. These short stories could also form the basis for some studies into writing scary stories. 

On top of all of this, Ross has created resources to accompany this book. You’ll find them here: clicky click. There’s a whole host of things to look at on Ross’ website, so I recommend going to check it out. While I’m at it, you should probably follow him on twitter too… @mossmontmomery.

Have you read Christmas Dinner of Souls?
Have you got a favourite scary kids book?

Talk to me! Tweet me! Comment me! Email me! 

S x

November books!

3 Comments

Well hello compadres. 
The year is almost coming to an end! What happened there? 

The day is December 1. I have read books. I have done things. November came and went. It was a pretty stressful month. My poor bullet journal was abandoned due to stresses. I bought a Fitbit and I am coming to terms with the fact I have VERY expressive hands! Also though, I didn’t realise just how many steps I did do in a day. Anyway. 

Books.
November.

I was poorly for most of November, and we had that lovely Ofsted thing come visit us, so I didn’t get as much read as I would like to BUT I did manage to read 5 books! Not bad going for a month filled with illness and winter SAD. 

34457212

Christmas Dinner of Souls – Ross Montgomery
The gorgeous author, Ross, sent me this book and it was a brilliant final book to read this month! It is dark and dastardly and delicious. There’s some brilliant short stories in this and my kids are already going mad for it! Plus there are some incredible illustrations by David Litchfield.

Goodreads
Rated: 5 stars
“Devilishly good. Fiendish and delicious. I really loved this. One story with mini scary tales in – Perfect! It would be INCREDIBLE to read aloud to kids too!”

34865995

The Extinction Trials – S.M.Wilson
(release date: Jan 1 2018)
I was very VERY lucky that the lovely humans over at Usborne sent me a copy of this and I just HAD to pick it up one day and I devoured it within a few days. I absolutely ADORED this book. Just exceptional. Storm and Milo are the best. 

Goodreads
Rated: 5 stars 
I absolutely adored this story, from the first page to the last. Dinosaurs, peril, dystopia… what else do you need? I can’t wait to read the second one!!

36472397(not the final cover, but the cover of the proof which I might actually be in love with!)

Sky Song – Abi Elphinstone
(release date: Jan 25 2018)
Again, the gorgeous humans over at Simon and Schuster sent me a proof copy of this about a month or so ago and I wanted to wait until it was cold enough for this. I am SO SO glad I read this. I just absolutely adored it. Abi continually amazes me. Her books are exceptional.

Goodreads
Rated: 5 stars
“This is a story filled with snow, magic, adventure, friendship, finding yourself, your clan and a whole load of hope and courage. I just adored this. Abi has an incredible way of ensuring you get lost in her world, but always feel looked after. I just adored it. 

Plus the acknowledgements had me BAWLING.”

36535699

The Light Jar – Lisa Thompson
(release date: Jan 4 2018)
This was another proof I got that I needed to get into QUICKLY. I love Lisa so much and she just writes so incredibly. This book very nearly broke my heart. I absolutely loved it. One of my boys has this at the minute and he is LOVING it. 

Goodreads
Rated: 5 stars
“An incredible tale about the strength of the human mind, friendship and imagination. I loved this book SO SO MUCH.”

36486650

How To Bewitch a Wolf – Abie Longstaff
Again, this was a book from the lovely people of Scholastic (thank you lovely humans!). I really love Abie Longstaff (as do my twiglets, so this book will be promoted to their shelves) so this was a great read. It’s one of those great books about magic and friendship and hope. 

Goodreads
Rated: 4 stars
“A great tale of friendship and magic. I know that 10 year old me would love this book. It’s got all the elements of a brilliant book: a great story, loveable characters, witches and magic, warmth and a bit of danger.”

So there we go! I got through some BRILLIANT books in November! It was a MG heavy month, but hey my mood will read what my mood wants to read! I am very much a mood reader. Reviews are to come for all of these books, but I would totally recommend ALL of them (once they’re released, obv)

I’m currently on 101 books read this year; I am DETERMINED to get to 104. I can’t wait for the Christmas break to get some proper reading in! I should be MUCH better by then (let’s forget all of the work I have to do…!)

What did you read in November?
What was your favourite November read?
Are you a mood reader? Or are you great at following your TBR pile?

Talk to me! Comments are lush, twitter chats are lush, emails are lush! 

S x

BOOKBLOG: KATE A BOORMAN

2 Comments

Winterkill: seductive, nervy and enthralling.IMG_4357

Friday saw the start of the #SundayYAthon… where we have to read as many books as we can in a weekend! I was travelling to London to meet a pocket friend of mine (see: amazing online friend) and was reading Orangeboy on the way down (as book 1 of #SundayYAthon) but finished it by the time I got to London so naturally I needed to buy a new book. When we were in Waterstones Piccadilly I was picking up books, obv this is me, and needed another book to read and had already picked up a book for BOGOHP so needed another! I couldn’t find one but having scoured I came across this one. It was the blurb that sold me.

IMG_4358

“Where Emmeline lives, you cannot love and you cannot leave…
The Council’s rules are strict, but they’re for the good of the settlement in which Emmeline lives. Everyone knows there is nothing but danger the other side of the Wall, and the community must prepare for the freezing winterkill that comes every year. But Emmeline struggles to be obedient under the Council’s suffocating embrace – especially when she discovers that a Council leader intends to snatch her hand in marriage. Then Emmeline begins to hear the call of the trees beyond the Wall”

I was initially intrigued by the settlement aspect of this book, that this girl lived in a settlement and was very segregated from the rest of the world – this kind of thing really appeals to me, not sure why! That was the thing that drew me to it. The disobedience of teenagedom. The Council, who I guessed were in charge. The council leader who wanted to marry her. I wanted to know more and I am so glad I picked it up because I was NOT disappointed.

IMG_4359

This book tells the tale of Emmeline (Em for short) and her life in the settlement. What she does, how she exists, what her life is like there. She’s different from the rest of her townsfolk though. She’s ‘Wayward’ – she breaks the rules, she questions the Council, she doesn’t follow their every saying. The people of the settlement are led to believe in the 3 virtues: Honesty, Courage and Discovery. The people have to do things which abide by these virtues, otherwise their actions are seen as ‘Wayward’ and are punished. Generally punished with doing the “Watch”. Obviously Em is a rule breaker, she makes mistakes and ends up being on “Watch” – she has to watch over the outskirts of the fortification and make sure the “malmaci” (the bad people) aren’t coming after her town. The story goes on from there and there are twists and turns aplenty. More people who seem to be following the way of the Council but who in their own ways aren’t. They don’t follow. They are Wayward but know how to get away with it. I loved the idea of this. The writing was brilliant too. I devoured it in about a day. The plot was so brilliant weaved, with some interesting turns and holes that I didn’t see coming but that when it got to the end I was like “WELL OBVIOUSLY”. Brilliance I say.

The characters of this book were the things I feel most in love with. Em, the main character, is a girl who is curious, she’s interested in knowing more, she wants to know more. She’s “Stained” because of something her grandmother allegedly did years before and she is defined in some ways by her stain – she thinks that’s all people see of her and in some respects, to some of the people in the settlement it is. Alongside Em you meet her lovely best friend Tom. He’s her calm, he is very much a rule abider, he doesn’t like that Em is so willing to be Wayward, to act in such meaningless ways. He likes to stay on the right side of the law. But he very much respects and sees Em for who she is, his best friend. He does things throughout the book that surprised me, but that made me like him even more. In contrast to Tom we meet Kane. Bold, shaved head, strong, works in the kitchens Kane. He’s a thinker, like Em. He’s not afraid to bend rules. There’s a spark between him and Em. Tom and Kane are like chalk and cheese but both have Em as their main thought. I liked Kane. I trusted him instantly. In this book trust is an important thing and he was definitely one I trusted straight away… not like Brother Stockham. I was NOT a fan. He’s smarmy, creepy and just a bit obscure. He grew on me at one point, I thought he was something that he really isn’t. There’s something misunderstood about him, there’s something redeeming to him but he’s not one I knew I liked, nor trusted. He’s a Council leader and I just didn’t like him. He has ulterior motives. There’s also Brother Jameson who I strongly disliked. He’s a man after power. There’s some brilliant characters like Andre, who had my heart. I loved him. He’s definitely one that I knew Em could trust for there aren’t many!

I loved the random interjections of French in this book too. They came very unexpectedly to but I ended up grasping and gripped and wanting more French. As a languages teacher it was lovely to see a language in a book! It kept my brain ticking over.

I can’t wait to read the next 2 now! I’ll definitely be getting them and reading them in the next few weeks!

Have you guys read this?
What do you think?
Have you any recommendations of books like this?
Cult/settlements with rebellious teens. I love them!

Let me know in the comments below or on twitter (@eenalol) I always want book recommendations!!

S x