November reviews from St Kilda

The fault in our stars by John Green - reviewed by Louise

It’s about a girl called Hazel who has cancer. She goes to a support group with other people who have pretty bad diseases. The group is run by a twenty-one year old guy. In the group Hazel meets Augustus Waters. He has a fake leg because of his cancer. Hazel’s favourite book is called An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten. Van Houten moved to Amsterdam so no one could contact him. Imperial Affliction doesn’t really have a proper ending. Hazel wants to find out the real ending, but Van Houten doesn’t respond to any letters or emails. All the children with cancer get one wish - Hazel had already used hers - to go to Disneyland. Augustus still has his wish so he uses it for himself and Hazel to go to Amsterdam so she can meet Van Houten and hopefully get some answers. 

It’s a romantic drama. 

Rated:  5 Reallys - "Amazing, best book ever!"

 

Maze Runner by James Dashner - reviewed by Lola

Thomas wakes up in The Glade with no memories except for his name. All these guys called Gladers live there, some of them are cool. They are all teenage boys, there aren’t any girls in The Glade. Thomas befriends a guy called Church. He works out that they are surrounded by a giant maze. Huge ivy doors lead into the maze. During the day the doors stay open, but at night they close. Giant slugs with poisonous spikes called grievers live in the maze. If you’re poisoned by one, you go through “the changing”, where you remember things from the past. Ben goes through the changing and says that he knows Thomas and that he’s evil. He bites him and ends up getting banished. 

Thomas and the Gladers hear the alarm go off for the lift where they get supplies and new arrivals. It normally only goes off once a month and their last delivery was two days ago. They rush over to find a girl who looks dead but is actually in a coma. She is clutching a note which says she’s the last one ever. 

Thomas wants to be a runner. Runners go into the maze during the day. Gladers Minho and Alby get stuck in the maze, and Thomas runs after them, breaking the number one rule of The Glade. He manages to get them out, but Alby has been stung by a griever. He goes through the changing and becomes insane and says he saw Thomas in his flashbacks. Then the girl, Teresa, begins talking to Thomas - In his mind!

Rated:  5 Reallys - “Action, adventure, mystery!” 

Alice in Zombieland, & Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter - reviewed by Olivia

The first book is about Alice and her sister who really wants her to go to her ballet recital. They go the quickest route in the car – past the cemetery. Their dad has the ability to see zombies and other monsters. Their mum, who is driving, says they will go past the cemetery but really quickly and not to look. But as they pass he gets very scared and takes the wheel of the car, yelling that they have to go back. They end up crashing. Her dad was bitten by a zombie and it takes over his body like a parasite. Now she can see the zombies too!

After recovering in hospital she goes to live with her grandparents and attends a new school. At school she finds out a lot of the boys can see zombies as well. They begin fighting zombies together.

In the second book Alice tries to save a guy called Justin, but he ends up getting bitten by a zombie. Then he bites her and she begins to feel all evil. Justin seems fine. First she starts trying to kill people. Then she tries to kill the demon part of her instead. When she looks in the mirror she sees black smudges all over her face and under her eyes. She writes WHO ARE YOU? On the mirror, then turns to leave, but glances back and reads YOUR DOOM. 

Rated:  5/5 Reallys - “a little bit of romance, kinda scary”.

White Fox by Gary Paulsen - reviewed by Jack

It’s about two Americans who get kidnapped by the evil CCR, the Confederation of Consolidated Republics. One day the two of them manage to escape via the sewer system. One of the guards knows and tries to stop them but he gets shot. They just make it, running full speed ahead. They end up going through a desert and get really, really thirsty. They find a plane and fly it for a bit but find out it has a leak! They crash on a farm. The farmer sees them and wants to kill them. He starts yelling about reporting them to the CCR. They manage to barricade themselves in a barn for a while, then Cody manages to kill the farmer with a pitchfork. Then they get into a buggy and go to the American Utility Base where all the weapons and American military are. With supplies Cody goes back to the CCR to plant a bomb that will flatten the whole compound.

It made me feel grossed out.

Rated:  4¾ Reallys - “not a romance, which was good!”

Once by Morris Gleitzman - reviewed by Rosa

It’s about a Jewish boy called Felix. His parents are book sellers. One day they take him to a Catholic school to hide him from the Nazis. He escapes and in order to find them.

It is set during World War II. 

Along the way he meets meets Zelda who he rescues from a burning building. Zelda’s parents are Nazis but Zelda doesn’t like this. She runs away with Felix. Felix looks after her. He’s ten and she’s 6. They have to dodge lots of the Nazi army. 

Rated:  4 Reallys