Private Peaceful

I begin my PGCE (teacher training) course in September and as part of my preparation is to read many different children’s books. I have just finished Private Peaceful and it is a truly remarkable, moving read that I had to post a review.

 

Private Peaceful

By Michael Morpurgo.

Pages: 192

Rating: 5/5

Age range: 10yrs +

From Amazon:

“Tommo” Peaceful is recalling his childhood from those terrible battlefields. He remembers his big brother Charlie taking him to his first day of school, the death of his father, his mum working hard to keep a roof over their heads and food on their table. He remembers his brother Joe, who some called simple, but who to Tommo was very special. He also recalls the only girl in his life, Molly, and how Charlie somehow took her away from him. But as the World turned to War, he had to grow up fast. Together Charlie and Tommo enlist and are sent to France, almost immediately, to what could only be described as pure hell on Earth. Bullets, bombs, death. Shells, noise, dirt. Disease, rats, stench. Charlie and Tommo fight for their lives and to stay together–facing certain death in the face every time they try to advance the British lines.”

Sinner

 

Sinner

By Maggie Stiefvater.

Pages: 387

Rating: 2.5 /5

From Amazon:

“SINNER is the book that every Maggie Stiefvater and paranormal romance fan has been waiting for! SINNER is a companion book to the #1 bestselling SHIVER, LINGER and FOREVER trilogy. You thought it ended with FOREVER, but there’s another story to tell – the one of Cole and Isabel…and this time they’re in LA. There will be wolves, and there will be yearning. But most importantly there will be love. And no one does love like Maggie.”

A short synopsis:

Cole and Isabel are both in L.A. Isabel is living with her Mum, Aunt and cousin and working in a stylish boutique whilst Cole is ‘back from the dead’ and promoting himself by doing a reality TV show. The show is to focus on the making of his new album, and be shown on a notorious web channel.

Love Letters to the Dead

 

Love Letters to the Dead.

By Ava Dellaria.

Pages: 323.

Rating: 3.5 /5.

From the back cover:

It begins as an assignment for English class: write a letter to a dead person – any dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain – he died young, and so did Laurel’s sister May – so maybe he’ll understand a bit of what Laurel is going through. Soon Laurel is writing letters to lots of dead people – Janis Joplin, Heath Ledger, River Phoenix, Amelia Earhart …it’s like she can’t stop…But much as Laurel might find writing the letters cathartic, she can’t keep real life out forever. The ghosts of her past won’t be contained between the lines of a page, and she will have to come to terms with growing up, the agony of losing a beloved sister, and the realisation that only you can shape your destiny.

A short synopsis:

Laurel is grieving for her sister, May, and blaming herself for her death. She writes letters to famous people that died young and were troubled whilst they were alive. In these letters she talks about her life without May and how much it hurts her to be in a world without her sister.

Spook’s: A New Darkness

 

Spook’s: A New Darkness

(Book One of The Starblade Chronicles)

By Joseph Delaney.

Pages: 278.

Rating: 4.5 /5

From the back cover:

“An Army of beasts is gathering in the north. They will invade our lands…Enslave our people…And spread their terror to the far corners of the earth.”

A short synopsis:

After the death of his master John Gregory, Tom Ward is no longer the apprentice, he is now the Chipenden Spook. After the battle with the Fiend the Dark is seeming very quiet but a new threat is coming. The Kobalos. Beasts from another land, determined to travel to The County, kill all of the males and enslave the females.

The Slated Trilogy

By Teri Terry.

 

Slated (Book 1)

Pages: 439

Rating: 3.5 /5

From the back cover: 

“Kyla’s memory has been erased, her personality wiped blank, her memories lost for ever. She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance – as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?”

How I Found You

 

How I Found You.

By Gabriella Lepore.

Pages: 286 (Kindle).

5/5.

From the back cover:

“Sixteen-year-old Rose arrives at sleepy, remote Millwood expecting to spend a quiet summer with her aunt and uncle on their estate. But after a series of dark and disturbing dreams, and the surprise arrival of charming brothers Oscar and Caicus Valero, her world is thrown upside-down. What are the brothers hiding? And what is it about Oscar that is so familiar? Before the summer is out, Rose will be forced to confront her destiny, even if it means facing the demon of her dreams.”

A short synopsis:

The summer is looking to be a dreary one with endless rain and not a lot going on, that is until handsome brothers Oscar and Caicus somehow manage to charm Rose’s Aunt and Uncle into letting them stay at their house. Rose is not happy with this arrangement, there is something about the brothers that sets her on edge; Caicus’ eyes seem to hypnotise her Aunt and Uncle and there is something strangely familiar about Oscar. Not to mention the fact that they are as insincere as two people can be and really grate on Rose.

Evanescent

 

Evanescent.

By Gabriella Lepore.

Pages: 232 (Kindle).

5/5

From the back cover:

“Then it is settled,” Felix declared. “Come hell or high water, when this is all over, at least one of us here will not make it out alive.” When Bronwen Snow is pulled from her cottage in the middle of the night, she finds herself seeking the help of three mysterious boys who reside in an abandoned castle deep in the hillside. With only a hasty handwritten note and a vague sense of dread to guide her, Bronwen is forced to put her trust in the eccentric and wilful Felix Cavara and his eternal curse – immortality.”

A short synopsis:

As Bronwen finds herself in a mysterious castle with three of the strangest guys she has ever met. Felix, Alistair and Loki share a bond of not only friendship and brotherhood, but sufferance. After being tricked into drinking dragon blood by an evil witch, they are cursed with immortality, a curse they are desperate to be freed from.

The Witches of the Glass Castle

 

The Witches of the Glass Castle.

By Gabriella Lepore.

Pages: 254 (Kindle)

5/5

From the back cover:

“Being a teenager can be hard: all those raging hormones, all those uncontrollable emotions – but when you add to this potent brew the discovery that you’re the heir to strange, magical powers, well, then you’re really in for trouble…”

A short synopsis:

At the Glass Castle, under the watchful eye of Wendolyn, Arcane and Hunters are taught to unlock their magical abilities and also how to control them. This is where Mia, along with her older brother, Dino have been sent. Dino’s powers have already began to manifest themselves strongly and he hates them. He resents the witchcrafting heritage that they have inherited and also Mia for uncovering it in the first place. Mia’s powers are yet to show themselves and she doubts that she is even a witch. That is until the mysterious Hunter Colt says that he knows what she is and what she is capable of.

The Naturals

The Naturals.

By Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

Pages: 308.

5/5

From the back cover:

“Name: Cassie Hobbes.

Age: 17

Skill: Profiler

Status: Recruited.

Cassie Hobbes is joining The Naturals: a secret FBI programme for exceptionally talented teenagers. But when a new serial killer strikes close to the Naturals HQ, Cassie starts to learn all about mortal danger – outside of the classroom. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse Cassie and her friends will have to use all of their skills just to stay alive.”

A short synopsis:

Cassie Hobbes reads people, without even realising what she is doing she picks up on the clues offered by the person’s behaviour, personality and environment, their BPEs. It is this innate ability that flags her in the FBI system and leads to a proposition that will change Cassie’s life for good.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

By Mark Haddon.

Pages:268.

2/5.

 

From the back cover:

Christopher is fifteen and has Asperger’s Syndrome. He knows a very great deal about maths and very little about human beings… when he finds a neighbour’s dog murdered he sets out on a terrifying journey which will turn his whole world upside down.

A brief synopsis:

Christopher finds Mrs Shears’ dog, Wellington, murdered in her front garden. Determined to uncover the identity of the murderer he begins to investigate. When his father realises what Christopher is doing he tells him he has to stop and that he should stay out of other people’s business. Christopher deduces that the murderer has to be Mrs Shears’ estranged husband, Mr Shears, and as his father didn’t specifically say that he can’t ask questions about Mr Shears he continues his investigation.