Athena Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 Geronimo Stilton - Het Zwaard in de Steen (La Spada Nella Roccia) Genre: Literature Age-range: Children Format: Hardback (Library Loan) Pages: 224 Date read: 01-03-2015 ISBN: 9789085920861 Synopsis (me): A retelling by Geronimo Stilton of Arthurian legends. My thoughts: I saw this book at the library and thought it'd be an interesting read. I've read books before about these legends, several Dutch ones I believe, one at least, and I've also read more fantasy adapted works and seen films based on the legends and such. This book was very enjoyable. Of course I knew bits of the story based upon adaptations, but what I mainly knew was the characters and not really much that happened in the plot in this book. I liked the illustrations and the characters. It was really enjoyable to read this book, I've always quite enjoyed reading, or seeing things about these legends (is that how they should be called?). I find them interesting and would like to read more books about them (not sure which ones, I might not be interested in all of them of course). Overall then I quite enjoyed reading this book. I knew the characters but the story was new to me as I'd only read or heard adaptations based on this legend (minus one actual book, but that was just one story of Lancelot and didn't involve the other characters that much that I recall.). The story contained a lot of new things for me, though I recognised some elements from ie. film adaptations. Rating: (*****) (9/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 Geronimo Stilton - De Geheime Tuin (Il Giardino Segreto) Genre: Literature Age-range: Children Format: Hardback (Library Loan) Pages: 224 Date read: 01-03-2015 ISBN: 9789085922186 Synopsis (me): A retelling of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Mary has to go live with her uncle in England (she comes from India) and discovers some interesting things while living at his mansion. My thoughts: I own the original book but I haven't read it yet. When I saw this book at the library I thought I'd borrow it and read it, it's good for a read-a-thon read and I've liked other Stilton retellings. This was a very enjoyable story. I haven't read the original yet, so I don't know how it compares to that, but I quite liked the characters in this book and thought it was a very nice story. There were several nice plot twists and I quite enjoyed reading the story. The illustrations were really nice too. I'll definitely try to read the original story some time, I've got a copy of it. Overall then I quite enjoyed reading this book. Rating: (*****) (9/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 Geronimo Stilton - Heidi (Dutch) Genre: Literature Age-range: Children Format: Hardback (Library Loan) Pages: 224 Date read: 01-03-2015 ISBN: 9789085921493 Synopsis (me): A retelling by Geronimo Stilton of Heidi written by Johanna Spyri. My thoughts: I have heard of the original book vaguely but I didn't really know what it was about and haven't really heard much of it either. However because I liked other literary retellings by Stilton, I borrowed this one. I can't compare the book with the original book, but I quite enjoyed the story in this book. The illustrations were nice as always. I quite liked the characters. One thing I did notice, because I read this book straight after reading De Geheime Tuin by Geronimo Stilton, a retelling of The Secret Garden, is that there was one similar sort of element (or maybe multiple) in both books. It wasn't a big problem or anything, it was just something I noticed. I found the story of this book to be enjoyable. I liked the characters and it was nice to read a story that takes place in Swiss and Germany. I wonder what the original book is like, I might have to look up more about it some time. Overall I quite enjoyed reading this book. Rating: (*****) (9/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 Oscar Tortuga - Oscar Tortuga 5: Er Valt Niets te Lachen, Stilton! (C'è Poco Da Ridere, Stilton) Genre: Fantasy Age-range: Children Format: Hardback (Library Loan) Pages: 130 Date read: 01-03-2015 ISBN: 9789085921288 Synopsis (me): On the island where the cats live, a book has been going around that makes everyone laugh except the emperor. The book is said to be written by Geronimo Stilton (a mouse), except it's not written by him. The emperor imprisons Oscar as he thinks it was him distributing the book. Several cats and Stilton try to find out what is going on. My thoughts: I saw this book at the library and thought it sounded nice, I haven't read any of this series before but I've liked the Stilton books (this book was written by the same team of people who write the Stilton books.). It was interesting reading a book about the cat characters, where Geronimo as a mouse, when he visits to clear his name, is seen as a nice snack. I liked most of the characters, they were all new to me (except Geronimo Stilton of course). It was a nice and entertaining story. I liked some of the 'cat' jokes in the book, I thought it was nice they were included. Overall then I found it entertaining to read about these cat characters and to see the nice illustrations. It was an enjoyable story. Rating: (****) (8/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 3, 2015 Author Share Posted March 3, 2015 Thea Stilton - Het Leven op Topford 1: Liefde in de Schijnwerpers (L'Amore Va In Scena A Topford) Genre: Contemporary Fiction Age-range: Children Format: Hardback (Library Loan) Pages: 128 Date read: 01-03-2015 ISBN: 9789085921479 Synopsis (me): This is a story of five female students studying at Topford. Because of the 600th anniversary of the college, there will be a performance of a play of Romeo & Juliet. The students do auditions, who will get the lead roles? My thoughts: I saw this at the library and thought I'd give it a go, seeing as I've liked other books written by the same team of authors and illustrators. This was a somewhat enjoyable story but I had a lot of problems with it. I found most of the plot twists to be predictable and I found some of the characters in the book didn't really act their age. If they're meant to be students at a college I would've thought they'd be a bit more mature. I can see it might appeal to children though, as for children such behavious seem just normal. I liked the characters but I couldn't always remember who was who. I felt not all of them were that explored and I kind of had a hard time trying to remember who they were (in the beginning of the book for example there's a brief summary of the five students in the friends group, Stilton's books do that sometimes and I find it useful). They were too bland I guess, there wasn't enough depth for some of them. I did like the illustrations and I did find the story to be somewhat enjoyable. I have two other books in this series borrowed from the library, and I will be reading those seeing as they are short and I've borrowed them already. But if they aren't any better than this one I won't be rushing out to borrow any more books of this series. I do have books from another series borrowed too, from Thea Stilton, which are bigger and hopefully contain some more content. I also wasn't sure how Thea, who is Geronimo's sister, related to the five students in this book. Thea isn't in the book, except with one brief line at the beginning. Overall then I was disappointed with this book. I had several issues with it (see above). Rating: (**) (3/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Great reviews! Well done on getting through so many books during your (semi) read-a-thon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 Great reviews! Well done on getting through so many books during your (semi) read-a-thon. Thanks, Laura ! I had hoped to read more than I did, but several things happened so I couldn't. I'll be posting another review next. But most likely in the next few days I might not be doing a lot of reading because Michael is coming home today . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 4, 2015 Author Share Posted March 4, 2015 Jacqueline Wilson - Four Children and It (my cover actually looks more red / orange than the pink / purple on this picture and there's also a black bar at the bottom where the text is) Genre: Fantasy Age-range: Children Format: Hardback (Library Loan) Pages: 310 Date read: 02-03-2015 <-> 03-03-2015 ISBN: 9780141341446 Synopsis (GoodReads):Four Children and It is the number one bestseller from Jacqueline Wilson, the award-winning, bestselling creator of Tracy Beaker, Hetty Feather and The Illustrated Mum. A funny and heartwarming story of four children who discover an extraordinary way to make wishes come true, Four Children and It is inspired by E Nesbit's classic, Five Children and It. Jacqueline Wilson's millions of fans will be gripped by the relationship between step-sisters Rosalind and Smash, just as they love the story of sisters Jodie and Pearl in My Sister Jodie or Lily and Pixie in Lily Alone. 'Readers always ask who inspired me to be a writer. Well, I adored E Nesbit's books as a child - and I liked her lifestyle too. She liked Liberty clothes, silver jewellery and buns for tea, and so do I! My favourite E Nesbit story is Five Children and It - and this is my modern day tribute to her fantastic story' - Jacqueline Wilson. Jacqueline Wilson has won many awards for her writing, including the Guardian Children's Fiction Award and the Children's Book of the Year. She is one of the nation's favourite authors, and her books are loved by young readers not only in the UK but all over the world. My thoughts: I saw this book at the library and liked the pictures on the cover, so I decided to borrow it. This book draws a lot of parallels to the book Five Children and It by E. Nesbit. I haven't read that book, though maybe some day I will. Five Children and It is mentioned in this book and plays a role in it, the main character of the story is re-reading it. It's one of her favourite books. I quite enjoyed reading this book. The characters were interesting, though in the beginning I didn't really like Smash. There were quite a few plot twists and I enjoyed reading the story. I liked the writing style of the book. I also liked the descriptions of the food. There were quite a few magical things going on in the book, so if you don't like magical elements I wouldn't recommend this book. Personally I quite enjoyed reading this book. I can't say how it compares to the book it's based on and that it borrows elements of, though I definitely might have to read that original book in the future as I quite liked this book. I did find on occasion the children were a bit childish, but it makes a lot of sense for their age of course, I guess I was just feeling mine . Overall then I quite enjoyed this book. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from it, as there isn't a lot said on the back of the book about what happens in the plot. I suppose it might be more obvious if you know the famous Five Children and It it's based on, but I didn't know this when I picked up the book initially at the library. Anyway, I enjoyed reading this story. Rating: (****) (8/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I did find on occasion the children were a bit childish Nice review Gaia. I read quite a lot of Jacqueline Wilson books at one time (Double Act was one of my favourites, the Girls books too), and one of the problems I had with them was that the children were sometimes too grown-up (the opposite of in this book, I guess!). There would be characters who were supposedly only around 12 years old, yet they were referencing books like Tess of the D'Urbevilles and others. Also, there always seemed to be a lot of words and phrases used colloquially in the south of England but not up here in the north, and I would get confused as to their meaning. It just always annoyed me. I hope you have a lovely time with Michael! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted March 4, 2015 Share Posted March 4, 2015 I remember the Girls books! And the tv show that was briefly adapted from them. I loved Ellie. I never read much else by Wilson, though. I'm glad your reads are (mostly) enjoyable lately Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 5, 2015 Author Share Posted March 5, 2015 Nice review Gaia. I read quite a lot of Jacqueline Wilson books at one time (Double Act was one of my favourites, the Girls books too), and one of the problems I had with them was that the children were sometimes too grown-up (the opposite of in this book, I guess!). There would be characters who were supposedly only around 12 years old, yet they were referencing books like Tess of the D'Urbevilles and others. Also, there always seemed to be a lot of words and phrases used colloquially in the south of England but not up here in the north, and I would get confused as to their meaning. It just always annoyed me. I hope you have a lovely time with Michael! It's nice to hear you read a lot of them! I saw some of the Girls books at the library but they didn't have book one and I was hesistant to start the series in the middle (I'm unsure how many there are published). I might give it a go some time later though if I can find them again. I've got some more books by her loaned from the library so . The fact that I thought them childish could have something to do with me, I have no idea when children are meant to exhibit which behaviour, as my own development has been quite different from most people's in some areas (I'm still learning some things now). So it could just have been me, I don't know. It does seem strange if they're reading such old difficult classics! I probably would get confused with those phrases and words too. There were some words in Four Children and It that I didn't know but I wouldn't know if they were just English words that I didn't know or whether they were regional ones. Thanks ! I remember the Girls books! And the tv show that was briefly adapted from them. I loved Ellie. I never read much else by Wilson, though. I'm glad your reads are (mostly) enjoyable lately Oh I didn't know there was a TV show! Ellie was mentioned on the Girls books that I saw at the library, I'll have to see if I can find the first one there some time, or just get on with reading one of the later books and see if I understand it. Thanks ! I received a pre-order yesterday: Brandon Sanderson - The Stormlight Archive 2: Words of Radiance Unfortunately the cover doesn't match the cover of my book 1 in the series (split up into two books) nor of two other books I have by the author, but it does match the covers of my Mistborn trilogy box set, and I do like the cover on its own, so I guess I can't complain too much even if it wasn't how I thought it was going to look. So it could be worse, really . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 It's nice to hear you read a lot of them! I saw some of the Girls books at the library but they didn't have book one and I was hesistant to start the series in the middle (I'm unsure how many there are published). I might give it a go some time later though if I can find them again. I've got some more books by her loaned from the library so . The fact that I thought them childish could have something to do with me, I have no idea when children are meant to exhibit which behaviour, as my own development has been quite different from most people's in some areas (I'm still learning some things now). So it could just have been me, I don't know. It does seem strange if they're reading such old difficult classics! I probably would get confused with those phrases and words too. There were some words in Four Children and It that I didn't know but I wouldn't know if they were just English words that I didn't know or whether they were regional ones. I think you can probably read them in any order - I think I read Girls out Late first, which is the third book, before going back and reading the others. But I can totally understand you wanting to read them in the proper order! Girls Under Pressure (#2) was my favourite, I think. I received a pre-order yesterday: Brandon Sanderson - The Stormlight Archive 2: Words of Radiance Unfortunately the cover doesn't match the cover of my book 1 in the series (split up into two books) nor of two other books I have by the author, but it does match the covers of my Mistborn trilogy box set, and I do like the cover on its own, so I guess I can't complain too much even if it wasn't how I thought it was going to look. So it could be worse, really . Yay for the pre-order! But what a shame it doesn't match your others - the most annoying thing about ordering online, I suppose. Is it one of those pretty white and red covers? I think I might try Mistborn soon . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 I think you can probably read them in any order - I think I read Girls out Late first, which is the third book, before going back and reading the others. But I can totally understand you wanting to read them in the proper order! Girls Under Pressure (#2) was my favourite, I think. Ah that's good to know ! Yay for the pre-order! But what a shame it doesn't match your others - the most annoying thing about ordering online, I suppose. Is it one of those pretty white and red covers? I think I might try Mistborn soon . . . No , I have several books with the white covers but this one has quite a few different colours. I think it's the difference between the British and American releases though I'm not sure. The cover in itself is pretty though, so I'm not complaining too much because my Mistborn books are in a similar style. I might read the Mistborn series this year, though I might read Elantris first (by the same author) as it's a standalone. I hope you enjoy Mistborn when you read it . P.S. A review coming up now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 Jacqueline Wilson - Clean Break Genre: Contemporary Fiction Age-range: Children Format: Hardback (Library Loan) Pages: 305 Date read: 05-03-2015 ISBN: 9780440866435 Synopsis (GoodReads):Em adores her funny, glamorous dad - who cares if he's not her real father? He's wonderful to her, and to her little brother and sister. True to form at Christmas, Dad gives them fantastic presents, including a real emerald ring for his little Princess Em. Unfortunately he's got another surprise in store - he's leaving them. Will Dad's well-meaning but chaotic attempts to keep seeing Em and the other children help the family come to terms with this new crisis? Or would they be better off with a clean break - just like Em's arm? My thoughts: I saw this book at the library and the cute pitures on the cover drew me to it. This book tells the story of Em and her family. She has a half sister and half brother and a mother and stepdad. The mother's mother, Gran, also lives in the house. Em and her siblings love their dad, but one day he leaves. I quite liked most of the characters in this book, though there were a few characters that annoyed me from time to time (but it makes sense in the plot though). The book has several plot twists, some I saw coming and some I didn't. I quite enjoyed the parts with Dancer, the puppet. Those parts were quite enjoyable. My main problem with this book was that I found the middle section a bit hard to get through. I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue reading the book. It just dragged on a bit I guess and certain things happened which I thought were a bit silly, stupid or obvious. But I persisted and then it got more interesting again. Before each chapter there is an illustration, and I quite liked these illustrations. I also liked the mention of books in the story, the main character Em (Emily) likes to read. Though it does seem unlikely at her age to be reading some more difficult books (just like one of my friends from BCF said!). I enjoyed the character development of the main character. Overall then I enjoyed the beginning and the end of this book but the middle section not so much. It was a nice read, enjoyable enough for the most part, but for some reason I had trouble with the middle section. Rating: (***) (6/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 Have you read any other books by Jacqueline Wilson? Frankie has a read a couple, and someone else here has too (oops, can't remember who!) I've only read The Story of Tracy Beaker, which I thought was very good, but Frankie didn't like it as much as her others, as I recall. Would you try anything else by her (Jacqueline Wilson, I mean, not Frankie )? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 (edited) Very slowly catching up with all your reading ; sounds like you`ve had some nice reads. It reminded me that I want to try the Thingy & Baantjer books at some point. Edited March 6, 2015 by Little Pixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 7, 2015 Author Share Posted March 7, 2015 (edited) Have you read any other books by Jacqueline Wilson? Frankie has a read a couple, and someone else here has too (oops, can't remember who!) I've only read The Story of Tracy Beaker, which I thought was very good, but Frankie didn't like it as much as her others, as I recall. Would you try anything else by her (Jacqueline Wilson, I mean, not Frankie )?x (curse you Chrome, for removing this line if I don't type anything there) At the moment I've read: Four Children and It (8 / 10) Clean Break (6 / 10) The Worst Thing About My Sister (review to be posted later) Little Darlings (review to be posted later) I've got a few more loaned from the library that I might read if I feel like it before they are due. I'd definitely try something else by her, but I didn't get on with Clean Break all that well, so it would really depend on whether the book grabs me or not. Very slowly catching up with all your reading ; sounds like you`ve had some nice reads. It reminded me that I want to try the Thingy & Baantjer books at some point. x Thanks, I did ! You should! But I don't know if they've been translated to be honest. I guess Appie Baantjer was like the Dutch Agatha Christie, in the sense of being its most famous detective author. Baantjer and De Waal wrote the first two books in the De Waal & Baantjer series together (in the first book called Baantjer & De Waal), but then Baantjer died , and Simon de Waal continued with the characters and stories they created together. They were really great friends. Edited March 9, 2015 by Athena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSchultz19 Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 It amazes me so much how quickly you read What are you planning on reading next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 8, 2015 Author Share Posted March 8, 2015 It amazes me so much how quickly you read What are you planning on reading next? x Thanks ! I've got these library loans to read: Thea Stilton - Thea Stilton 3: De Sprekende Berg (La Montagna Parlante) Thea Stilton - Thea Stilton 6: Het Ijzingwekkende Geheim (Il Tesoro Di Ghiaccio) Thea Stilton - Thea Stilton 7: Het Mysterie van de Zwarte Pop (Il Mistro Della Bamboola Nera) Thea Stilton - Thea Stilton 11: Op Zoek naar de Blauwe Scarabee (Caccia Allo Scarabeo Blu) Thea Stilton - Thea Stilton 12: Gekrakeel om een Schots Kasteel (Il Segreto Del Castello Scozzese) Francine Oomen - Hoe Overleef Ik... 12: Hoe Overleef Ik (Zonder) Dromen? Francine Oomen - Hoe Overleef Ik... 13: Hoe Oeverleef Ik Mijn Vader? (En Hij Mij!) Jacqueline Wilson - Kiss Jacqueline Wilson - Lily Alone Jacqueline Wilson - Candyfloss hopefully before they are due (or give up and hand them in unread), after that I hope to read some of my own books that I've been meaning to read for a while or that I pre-ordered and which arrived recently. I do really want to read them! So I plan to take a few weeks break from the library after finishing these loans to read some of my own books. After that I'll borrow some library books for the next read-a-thon in April and such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted March 8, 2015 Share Posted March 8, 2015 x (curse you Chrome, for removing this line if I don't type anything there) At the moment I've read: Four Children and It (8 / 10) Clean Break[/b] (6 / 10) The Worst Thing About My Sister (review to be posted later) Little Darlings (review to be posted later) I've got a few more loaned from the library that I might read if I feel like it before they are due. I'd definitely try something else by her, but I didn't get on with Clean Break all that well, so it would really depend on whether the book grabs me or not. There were a fair few Jacqueline Wilson books I didn't get on with either. They nearly always seem to focus on the 'broken home' theme, and sometimes it can get a bit depressing! I haven't heard of or read most of the ones you've got from the library - I'm guessing they're the more recent ones. My favourite books by Wilson were Double Act, Bad Girls, The Illustrated Mum, Vicky Angel, The Lottie Project, Lola Rose, and the Girls books. (I always wondered why you sometimes put the 'x' in your posts. Now I know! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 (edited) There were a fair few Jacqueline Wilson books I didn't get on with either. They nearly always seem to focus on the 'broken home' theme, and sometimes it can get a bit depressing! I haven't heard of or read most of the ones you've got from the library - I'm guessing they're the more recent ones. My favourite books by Wilson were Double Act, Bad Girls, The Illustrated Mum, Vicky Angel, The Lottie Project, Lola Rose, and the Girls books. (I always wondered why you sometimes put the 'x' in your posts. Now I know! ) Yeah, I've noticed that too. To be honest, I don't think I can read all the Wilson books left to read before they're due at the library (I'm not sure if I want to at the moment, either, as they're getting a bit samey). But I can always borrow them some other time if they're not loaned out. I'll have to look out for your favourite ones, see if they have them . For a long time I didn't need to use the 'x' anymore using Firefox, somehow that problem was solved, but Chrome seems to need it. I can't use Firefox at the moment so posting on the forum because of the stupid horizontal scrollbar issue, so when I'm on BCF I use Chrome (but for other sites, Firefox, as I don't like Chrome as much as Firefox and Chrome has its own annoying things). EDIT: I didn't need to use an 'x' in this post, hurrah! I don't know what's going on really. Edited March 9, 2015 by Athena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Jacqueline Wilson - The Worst Thing About My Sister Genre: Contemporary Fiction Age-range: Children Format: Hardback (Library Loan) Pages: 261 Date read: 06-03-2015 ISBN: 9780857531001 Synopsis (GoodReads): Marty and her sister Melissa couldn't be more different. Marty loves her Converse trainers, playing football, hiding in her secret den and helping her dad with his DIY. But Melissa loves Justin Bieber and all things pink, girly and pretty. The sisters can manage to live together, despite their occasional scraps but then Mum tells them they have to share a room. For Marty, having to share her bunk beds and lose her private sanctuary turns out to be the very worst thing about having a sister. But the girls soon discover that being too close for comfort can have unexpected consequences, and when an accident happens, the sisters realise they are closer than they thought. My thoughts: I saw this book at the library and I liked the cute illustrations on the cover. With the big letters and the many illustrations inside, I thought it'd make for a nice read-a-thon read. I quite liked the characters in this book. The two sisters are both very different. Marty is the main character and you see the story through her eyes. I could identify with both of the two sisters. There were several funny bits in the story. There were several nice plot twists and I liked the writing style. Overall I enjoyed reading this book. There were a few pacing issues but overall I found it to be an enjoyable read and I quite liked the characters in the story. I liked the illustrations in this book. Rating: (****) (8/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Jacqueline Wilson - Little Darlings (the library cover has a black edge around it, and some of the pink colours are actually more shiney and purple than the picture above depicts.) Genre: Contemporary Fiction Age-range: Children Format: Hardback (Library Loan) Pages: 378 Date read: 06-03-2015 <-> 07-03-2015 ISBN: 9780385614436 Synopsis (GoodReads): Sunset lives a life of luxury with her beautiful ex-model mum, her world-famous ex-rocker dad and two little celeb siblings. But life on the red carpet is no compensation for rowing parents, constant nagging, intensive media scrutiny and no real friends. Destiny, on the other hand, is an only child living on a rundown estate with a sickly but devoted mum who constantly tells her that she's really the daughter of a famous former rock star. When the two girls meet in unlikely circumstances, they are surprised to find in each other something they've been missing all their lives. My thoughts: I saw this book at the library and I liked the pictures on the cover (now where have I heard this before ..). You follow both Destiny and Sunset in this story, the chapters are alternating between the two viewpoints (I am unsure how to write this sentence properly, I hope you know what I mean though). I quite liked both of these characters, as well as the other characters in the story. There were several good plot twists and I liked the writing style. As with the other Wilson books I've read, sometimes there are words or expressions I don't know the meaning of, but generally I could get an impression of the meaning from the context. I quite enjoyed reading this story. There are illustrations at the start of each chapter, but not in between. Out of the Jacqueline Wilson books I've read so far, I liked this one the most. There were some funny bits in the story too. Overall then I'm glad I read this book. I found it to be quite enjoyable and I really liked the characters. I would've liked to read more, for the story to have gone on just past the ending, as I would've liked to read what happened past it. It's a good, conclusive ending, don't get me wrong, but I would've liked to read a little bit more to see what would happen further with the characters. Rating: (*****) (9/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Thea Stilton - Het Leven op Topford 7: Op Naar De Top (La Strada Del Successo) Genre: Contemporary Fiction Age-range: Children Format: Hardback (Library Loan) Pages: 128 Date read: 07-03-2015 ISBN: 9789085922094 Synopsis (me): A famous band is having a concert at the Topford College. The Thea Sisters are eager to be playing at the concert too before the showing of this band, but only one band can win.. My thoughts: I borrowed this book because I liked other books by this team of authors. I really didn't get on well with book one in this series, however I had also borrowed 7 (this one) and 12 (the library didn't have the ones in between). I decided to give book 7 a go, seeing as I had already borrowed it, and they are short reads. This book I actually enjoyed more than book 1 in this series. There were still some predictable things in it, but there were also some unpredictable twists in the story. I liked the characters and while some bits in the story were a bit annoying, I thought the second half of the book was quite enjoyable and nice to read. Some characters do a bit of the same things as in book 1, which was a bit of a shame. But I did enjoy the side story of Merel, the music teacher. Overall then I did enjoy reading this book and was pleasantly surprised it was better than book 1 in this series. Rating: (***) (5/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Thea Stilton - Het Leven op Topford 12: Het Spookhuis (Il Fantasma Di Castel Falco) Genre: Contemporary Fiction Age-range: Children Format: Hardback (Library Loan) Pages: 128 Date read: 07-03-2015 ISBN: 9789085922704 Synopsis (me): The Thea Sisters are being invited to have writing lessons by a horror author who's recently inherited an old castle. Strange things happen in the castle.. My thoughts: After reading book 1 and not liking it much, I wasn't sure if I'd read book 12 (I had borrowed books 1, 7 and 12 from the library. They didn't have the ones in between). I decided to give 7 a go and if it was better than 1, I'd read 12. If not, I'd not bother with 12. Book 7 though was much more enjoyable than book 1, enjoyable enough for me to also read book 12. This book mainly takes place in and around an old castle. I liked the characters in this book and was pleased that there were some different twists in the book compared with books 1 and 7. Some twists I guessed anyway, but I was pleased it wasn't as samey as the other two books. I liked the characters and I liked the illustrations of the castle and its rooms. There were less bits in this book that annoyed me, compared with books 1 and 7, and I found the story to be enjoyable. Out of the three, I think I enjoyed this one the most. Overall then I liked this book much better than book 1 and slightly better than book 7. I'm not liking this series as much as the Geronimo Stilton series for example, or the Fantasia series or the Thea Stilton series (see the next reviews for that), they are however short suitable-for-the-read-a-thon-reads, but if for the next read-a-thon any of the other books from these authors are available at the library (that I haven't read yet), then I'd rather take those instead. It was still enjoyable though to read this book. Rating: (***) (6/10) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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