Chicklish

REVIEW: I, Coriander by Sally Gardner

Review by Sasha.

Coriander has a happy life living with her mother Eleanor and her father Thomas Hobie in their riverside house in Thames Street. Born in the year 1643, Coriander enjoys playing with the local children and helping her mother in their beautiful garden filled with all of her remedies and potions for curing the sick. All is well, until Coriander receives extraordinary, silver shoes outside of their home with the letter 'C' carved into the sole. She is overwhelmed with joy when seeing these treasures and lusts after them but her mother is suspicious and Coriander does not know why.

When an unexpected and tragic event occurs, Coriander is forced to live under the thumb of her new step-mother, evil Puritan Maud Leggs. The only good thing that enters her life is her new step-sister Hester who seems as fearsome of her mother as Coriander is. When her father is forced to leave their home, things turn from bad to worse and Coriander's fate is to be locked up in a chest and left to die.

I, Coriander is a magical and enchanting fairy tale. When I first picked it up and read the blurb I expected the exact opposite. I was sure I was going to read about a heavy, full on sob story about a poor defenceless girl who has to fight for her freedom or something similar to that. I suppose this book included the poor defenceless girl bit, but it was hardly a full on sob story, although in some parts you do feel very sorry for her and can't help but hate her evil step-mother Maud. You do really need to have quite a good understanding of that period to be able to acknowledge what is happening.

I was surprised at how much like Cinderella this story was. There's the evil step-mother, the silver shoes (glass slippers), there's a handsome prince and there's of course Coriander (Cinderella). By the time you've finished this book you feel really close to Coriander and there was a part of me that never wanted it to end. The negative I have on this book is purely the fact I'm not a big fantasy lover and I preferred the nitty gritty of the story more than the fairy tale side. I recommend this book for every girl out there who wants to escape from reality.

Review by Sasha, aged 12

REVIEW: Nathaniel Wolfe and the Bodysnatchers by Brian Keaney

Review by Alexandra.

This is the second of a series featuring Nathaniel Wolfe, a teenager who in his first novel meets a ghost and through this encounter solves a terrible crime.  People are now fascinated by Nathaniel and it's not long before someone comes to him for help. Simeon Makepeace is being haunted and is at his wits end. Having just seen his uncle shot, by a member of a ruthless gang of bodysnatchers, Nathaniel doesn't think he can go and help Simeon at first. Then his uncle sees the ghost himself and tells him to solve the mystery.

In London, Nathaniel catches up with old friends, Lily, Sophie and Miss Pemberton. Soon they are all trying to find out who the ghost is and what he wants. Along the way they meet some mysterious and dangerous characters, the bodysnatchers reappear, a lawyer may not be as honest as he should be and a former employee of the ghost is gravely troubled.

Will Nathaniel find out what is going on and what the ghost needs him to do? Will his friends end up in deep danger? Read to find out!

The tension is great, the plot is interesting and the setting perfect. This is set in Victorian England - and you do feel as if you are walking around experiencing old London with Nathaniel and his friends as they solve this dangerous mystery. The best thing about this book is that it combines adventure, mystery and a touch of the paranormal brilliantly, giving you a bit of everything.

Review by Alexandra

REVIEW: The Ashleys: Jealous? by Melissa de la Cruz

Review by Hannah

This is the second book in the Ashleys series. The first book is reviewed here. The latest fashions, the coolest parties, the hottest guys - the Ashleys are back, and this time they're on TV. Lauren has an idea to get back in with the Ashleys - give them something they want. What else could an Ashleys want, apart from their own reality TV show? The show (Preteen Queen) follows the girls' every move. The Ashleys are back and sassier than ever...

When I read the first in the series, it was everything I expected it to be. Fashionable, fresh and sassy. And I can't wait to read the third (Birthday Vicious) and fourth (Lipgloss Jungle) in the series. It gave you a look into the lives of the most popular girls at Miss Gamble's Preparatory - and they're all named Ashley. Even though they were best friends, they seemed more like frenemies. Ashley Spencer (the leader) and Lili (Ashley Li) were always competing, and Lili wanted nothing more to get out of Ashley's shadow. Lauren was a newcomer to the Ashleys, and it was only because of the luck of her dad's video sharing website YourTV.com. She wants to bring them down from inside, but it seems she is actually starting to like them. A fabulous book. I recommend it for anyone over the age of 9.

Review by Hannah, aged 13

REVIEW: Crossing the Line by Gillian Philip

Review by Aileen.

At first I was a little confused about what this book is actually about, especially because of the title and the cover picture. On the front there is a knife with smears of blood but also on the knife there is a picture of a railway line so I thought the book must either be about trains or about crossing the line between right and wrong. It turns out the book is actually about both.

The way the book is laid out is also interesting because even though it has normal chapters it is also split into sections - “back when”, “now” and “then” - and alternates between them. This kind of helps because the book has a lot of flashbacks but sometimes you forget and have to check if you are in the “now” or “then” section - well, I did anyway. =)

The book is about a boy called Nick Geddes and his sister Ally and I’m pretty sure it’s set somewhere in Scotland.

Nick has a lot more (and more unusual) problems to deal with than the average seventeen year old.  His dad drinks. His mum, while being quite nice, doesn’t really have time for the family because she is always busy working (not to mention that Nick gets teased mercilessly because of her radio programme, called “Words of Wisdom“ ).His beloved Grandmother, “Lola Nan”, has dementia and is slowly going mad and then there is the small issue of his (14 year old!) sister’s invisible/imaginary friend. Well, he’s not really invisible. He used to exist but Nick’s “friend” Kevin stabbed him. Not to mention that Nick is madly in love with the dead boy’s sister, Orla, who thinks it’s all Nick’s fault. . .

This isn’t the sort of book I would usually pick up but I’m glad I did because it’s a really good book! I really admire Nick because of the way he manages to overcome some of his problems and sort his life. He used to be friends with the school bullies but managed to distance himself from them; he stayed on at school (much to the surprise of his teachers) and tried to make something out of his life; he did his best to always look out for his sister ever since she was a toddler, because his dad - much as he loves her - was always too busy fetching more beer; he even tries to put up with the invisible Aidan for his sister’s sake, even though it really embarrasses him and upsets Aidan’s mother.

At first I didn’t think there would be that much to tell, except maybe for how Aidan died, but the plot has a lot of unexpected twists and turns so the book was never boring. This book is probably more for older readers, what with having knife attacks, not to mention Nick’s relationship with Orla.

Review by Aileen

Index of Author Interviews

A full list of authors interviews on Chicklish, in alphabetical order by surname.

Sophia Acheampong

Helen Bailey

Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Malorie Blackman

Sophia Bennett (Gimme Five)

Kevin Brooks

Meg Cabot 1

Meg Cabot 2

Meg Cabot 3

Kate Cann

REVIEW: My Sister Jodie by Jacqueline Wilson

Review by Sasha.

Pearl and Jodie are sisters. Pearl is the younger one, small, shy and anxious. Jodie is nearly three years older, bold and brash and bad - and Pearl adores her. When their parents get new jobs at Melchester College, a Victorian Gothic mansion, the girls spend a bizarre summer holiday in the boarding school with just a few leftover children for company. Things start to change now they are in their new home. Jodie has always been the leader - but now it's Pearl who's making new friends: tall, eccentric Harley and Mrs Wilberforce, the wife of the Head, with her library of wonderful books. Jodie just seems to be getting into more and more trouble - arguing with Mum, scaring the children, flirting with the young gardener . . .

When term begins, their strange summer is over. But things keep on changing for the sisters. Jodie really doesn't fit in with the posh teenagers in her class. Yet Pearl is blossoming. Maybe she doesn't need Jodie as much as she used to. But Jodie needs her. And when the school celebration of firework night comes around and a tragic event occurs, Pearl realizes quite how much she does need her big sister.

I don't usually cry at books, but this one was an exception. From the last chapter I was definitely on the brink of tears. This is a story of friendship and love and how easily it can all be taken from you. I will not tell you what happens, but what I will say about the last chapter is that it was full of emotion and possibly the saddest chapter I've read. I can imagine it must be really hard to touch people with a novel but this book did it without any trouble at all.

Basically this whole book was a rollercoaster of emotion. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it took me less than a week to read it. My favourite character was Pearl because she seemed to care about people and situations much more than her irresponsible, laid-back sister, Jodie. But I think there was also a part of me that couldn't help but love Jodie too. This book is a fantastic read for girls aged 12 and over.

Review by Sasha, aged 12

REVIEW: Blood Water by Dean Vincent Carter

Review by Carly Bennett.

Well, the story of a killer slug that wreaks havoc on a small town school one rainy night might not exactly sound gripping. But actually, it is. Blood Water was a complete surprise and exceeded my expectations, drawing me in from the mysterious prologue all the way to the extremely satisfying ending.

Blood Water is the story of an unnamed parasite that infects whichever body (or ‘host’) it inhabits. The creature was discovered by a scientist but escaped (or was it stolen…?) during a research process and proceeded to celebrate its new found freedom by setting its sights on possessing and killing every living human in existence. Dream big, eh?

One of the things that made this book so great was the fact it felt like a horror classic, like a Stephen King short story from the 80s. My favourite kind of horror. In a market that now seems to be dominated by Twilight rip-offs (yes, yes, I know Edward is positively dreamy but sometimes we all need a bit of gore) Blood Water is a refreshing change.

It is up to brothers James and Sean to save the day, along with a team of teachers who they manage to recruit along the way. Mr Waites is a joy to read about and only pages after meeting him I was rooting for him to survive. And don’t even get me started on how desperate I was for the dog to live until the end.

I think one of the most interesting elements of Blood Water is how intelligent the monster is. It feels and expresses human emotions and Carter allows us access to the parasite’s inner thoughts, which is brilliantly demonstrated on page 148 of the novel:

‘…suddenly the sense of familiarity was gone and it experienced an odd feeling of disassociation. Now it was actually questioning what it was doing, and what these creatures really were. Had it really been spending too long inside the minds of these human beings? Was its true identity becoming lost? It started to panic.’

There is plenty of gore in this novel, some younger teens may find the deaths a bit too hardcore but the violence is well written and doesn’t feel gratuitous, which is so important in horror. Each time the parasite finds a new host, the body it leaves behind is left to die a slow and painful death, including a lot of vomiting and bleeding from each and every orifice. Nice.

On a critical note, the point of view does jump around quite violently at points and hearing from the point of view of so many characters in a short space can get a little confusing. However, Carter may have been doing this on purpose to create a more chaotic atmosphere. If so, it worked.

Blood Water is a fast paced, exciting story that feels like an instant genre classic, even though it isn’t due to be released until June this year. I would recommend it to any horror buff and, even if you’re not a huge fan of gore, give it a go anyway, you won’t be disappointed.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending me this copy for review.

Review by Carly Bennett

REVIEW: Taking the Plunge (Electra Brown) by Helen Bailey

Review by Hannah.

This is the fourth book in the Electra Brown series. We've also reviewed the first, second and third.

In this book, Claudia bets Electra her Chloe bag that she won't go out with the first boy that asks her out. Will she, won't she? It seems silly that she'd bet on The Bling Bag, but what Electra is more worried about is whether her Prince Charming will turn out to be a frog. Sometimes she can be really shallow.

I've really become a fan of the Electra Brown series, ever since I read Life At The Shallow End. This book was no different. Electra's sarcastic, funny character makes me laugh. I really liked Maddie from the last book, and what she said about "swimming against the tide." I was glad to see the romance between FB and Electra grow (they always liked each other but never actually admitted it).The same funny, shallow characters with even more shallow scenarios. If you haven't read this book yet, I suggest that read the whole series. It's been fun watching Electra's character grow even more. I recommend it for readers over the age of 12.

Review by Hannah, aged 13

These are the books in "The Crazy World of Electra Brown" series so far: Life At the Shallow End, Out of My Depth, Swimming Against the Tide, Taking the Plunge

Falling Hook, Line and Sinker will be out in January 2010

REVIEW: Consequences... Runway Girl by Laurie Depp

This is the third book in the Consequences series about teenagers dealing with fame-filled and glamorous worlds. Each book overlaps with the next, but is a standalone story.

At the end of Book 2: The Camera Never Lies, we meet supermodel Jen Jones as she reaches a low point in her life. In Book 3: Runway Girl, we find out how she reaches this point.

For the whole of Jen Jones's life, everyone except her best friend Stevie has told Jen that she looks 'weird'. So she's understably surprised when she's spotted by a model scout in Topshop and launched into a modelling career most girls can only dream about. But things do not run entirely smoothly for Jen, and her friendship with Stevie is also soon under threat.

I found that this book was nothing like other books I've read about modelling. It focused less on the model's journey and more on her need to escape 'normal life' and unpleasant school experiences. I was impressed with the author's ability to put a completely new spin on a subject that has been covered to bits in so many teen novels. My favourite thing about this book was the main character's warmth - she was utterly likeable and I found myself rooting for her at every plot twist. I also admired the way she was given kind and loving - though quirky - true friends to steer her through her trials. As with all the Consequences novels, I can definitely recommend this book.

Read over the cut for a full list of the Consequences series.

REVIEW: Spylets are Forever by Jill Marshall

Review by Sasha.

The past is calling Jane Blonde and she must travel back in time for her final showdown with Copernicus. Everything works differently here, and she can't rely on her favourite gadgets because spylabs haven't even been invented yet! Her journey uncovers some shocking family truths that she should have left undiscovered. It is only then that she realises the danger of stirring with the past. So, it's back to the beginning for Blonde - but will it mean the end of SPI as we know it?

This book was an unputdownable final instalment for all Jane Blonde fans. It was bursting with action and mystery and was definitely worth reading. This was my favourite addition to the series - probably the best one in the series as well. I have read every other Jane Blonde book and was so excited when this was published. I am now sad that the series is over, but the finale made up for it.

Janey/Jane really matures and becomes more responsible in this book. She is forced to deal with many sticky situations and in the final twist, she also has to make a heart-breaking decision. I can't tell you any more, but the emotion in this book was also very strong - unlike the others. Jane is a sweet, strong heroine who I am sad to say goodbye to. This book deserves 5 stars!

Review by Sasha, aged 12