Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Synopsis -

When an exotic stranger, Vianne Rocher, arrives in the French village of Lansquenet and opens a chocolate boutique directly opposite the church, Father Reynaud identifies her as a serious danger to his flock - especially as it is the beginning of Lent, the traditional season of self-denial. War is declared as the priest denounces the newcomer's wares as the ultimate sin.

Suddenly Vainne's shop-cum-cafe means that there is somewhere for secrets to be whispered, grievances to be aired, dreams to be tested. But Vianne's plans for an Easter Chocolate Festival divide the whole community in a conflict that escalates into a 'Church not Chocolate' battle. As mouths water in anticipation, can the solemnity of the Church compare with the pagan passion of a chocolate eclair?

Review -
I love this book! Its mouth-watering description of the chocolate treats are enough to give it full marks! The contrast between the strict Church during Easter and the seductive temptress Vianne who breaks the rules makes for a good battle. Harris's writing lures you into the small French village with her vivid words and makes you care about all the odd characters in the book even the strict Father Reynaud. An enjoyable read that you can will reality away easily. 5 out of 5.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Synopsis -

When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

Overnight he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.

Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.

Review -

A book filled with destiny, dragons, sword fighting and a hero faced with an impossible task should have been a good read but I found something lacking in the pages. It didn't have the the ability to draw you right into Eragon's world. Maybe because I was a little distracted from certain words being spelt the American way or that I could see a number of plot twists ahead of time. Nevertheless, it was enjoyable but it didn't pursue me to read the sequel. 3 out of 5.

The Escape by Robert Muchamore

Synopsis -
Summer, 1940.

Hitler’s army is advancing towards Paris, and millions of French civilians are on the run.

Amidst the chaos, two British children are being hunted by German agents.

British spy Charles Henderson tries to reach them first, but he can only do it with the help of a twelve-year-old French orphan.

The British secret service is about to discover that kids working undercover will help to win the war.

For official purposes, these children do not exist.

Review -
I thought this book was excellent. It had a great story line and if you are a Cherub fan then it will tell you how Cherub was made and answer a few questions bout how it was founded and why. It is a good book and I would highly recommend it. 5 out of 5.

Warriors into the Wild by Erin Hunter

Synopsis -
Fire alone can save our Clan...

For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by the powerful ancestors. But the warrior code is threatened, and the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger. The sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying -- and some deaths are more mysterious than others.

In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary housecat named Rusty . . . Who may yet turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.

Review -
This is a very exciting and awesome book about a domestic cat that wants to go further than his back garden and ends up joing the Thunderclan. 4 out of 5.

Skulduggery Pleasant: Playing with Fire by Derek Landy

Synopsis -

With Serpine dead, the world is safe once more. At least that's what Valkyrie amd Skulduggery think, until the notorious Baron Vengenous makes a bloody escape from prison, and dead bodies and vampires start showing up all over Ireland.

With Baron Vengeous after the deadly armour of Lord Vile, and pretty much everyone out to kill Valkyrie, the daring detective duo face their biggest challenge yet. But what if the greatest threat to Valkyrie is just a little closer to home...

Review -

I thought this book was exciting because it was adventurous and the nightmares came true. Ending was a bit stop and start. 4 out of 5.

Buster Bayliss: Custerfingers by Philip Reeve

Synopsis -
Buster Bayliss is not a keen on journalism. he never asked to be a fearless investigative reporter on the school newspaper - it was more that he got volunteered. Forcibly. Now his Fake Cousin Polly is going to make his life a misery until he turnes in a gripping article on the new school dinner ladies. And she's probably going to want is spelled right, as well. It's not even as though dinner ladies are interesting! Gingham overalls, harinets, mouthfuls of gold teeth and lots of stubble - all dinner ladies look the same, don't they?

Review -
I thought this book was quite good and very funny. Although it was a good book, I thought it could of been a bit longer. 3 out of 5.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Synopsis -
Clary Fray is seeing things: vampires in Brooklyn and werewolves in Manhattan. Irresistibly drawn towards a group of sexy demon hunters, Clary encounters the dark side of New York City - and the dangers of forbidden love.

Review -
I thought this book was interesting and very well written. 3 out of 5.

Ghost trouble by Pete Johnson

Synopsis -

THE GHOST DOG - Daniel's story about a bloodthirsty dog goes down well at a spooky party. But then somehow his imagination comes to life and the howling monster begins to haunt his dreams!

THE CREEPER - Lucy fins an old tape of the spine-chilling story of the Creepers - a horrific creature looking for revenge. Lucy knows she has just done something terrible - will the Creeper track her down?

Review -
I thought this book was a scary read. The second story easily frightened me. Quickly, the author placed me in the book, feeling the characters' emotions. I would recommend the book to a younger audience so the effect on them will be better. 4 out of 5

Artemis Fowl by Eion Colfer

Synopsis -
STAY BACK, HUMAN. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DEALING WITH.

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is a brilliant criminal mastermind. But even Artemis doesn't know what he's taken on when he kidanps a fairy, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon Unit. These aren't the fairies of bedtim stories. These fairies are armed and they're dangerous. Artemis thinks he's got them just where he wants them, but then they stop playing by the rules...


Review -
I like the fact that this book is different from the rest and it is mainly due to Artemis Fowl being the bad guy rather than the hero. It has a really good adventure plot which carries the story in a fast pace. Totally would recommend the book to friends. 5 out of 5.

The Secrets of the Dead (Lawless and Tilley) by Malcolm Rose

Synopsis -
Lawless: Brett. Detective Inspector with a lot to prove. Biochemical background. Hot on analysis but prone to wild theories. Dangerous.

Tilley: Clare. Detective Sergeant with her feet on the ground. Tough and intuitive. Completely sane. She needs to be.

The Case: Four bodies have been found in the Peak District. They're rotting fast and vital evidence needs to be taken from the corpses. You need a strong stomach to work in Forensics...

Brett's got a theory, but it could cost him his job. He's going to pursue it anyway...

Review -
I love Point Crime and Malcolm Rose is one of the best writers of crime for teenagers! You actually feel that you are right there following Lawless and Tilley through the investigation as well as feeling completely authentic police work. Plus there is some really gory bits too! This is the first book of the series and I am definitely going to read the rest of the them. Brilliant book! 5 out of 5.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Ric Riordan

Synopsis -
My name is Percy Jackson. Until a few months ago I was at a private school for troubled kids in New York. Am I troubled kid? You could say that...

Does six schools in six years count as troubled? Does finding out that the Greek gods are alive and living in America count as troubled? Does being no.1 on their hit list count as troubled? And does discovering that you're the only half-blood alive who can stop a war fo the gods count as troubled?

If Percy fails in his quest, forget trouble - there's going to be Hades to pay...

Review -
Totally a cool book! It's about an American boy that finds out that his father is a Greek god and that all the myths around the gods are true! I also liked that Percy's dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder were put down to his subconscious familiarity with ancient Greek and his need to be ever ready to fight off hoards of deadly monsters. Defintely going to read the rest of the series. 4 out of 5