Our Book Reviews

Our book reviews

Have you read a great book from the school library, the public library or your own personal library?

Review it by finding it on Accessit (our web app for all library things) and pressing 'Write A Review' to earn easy Arena Points, and for your review to join our Book Review Wall and page.

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Click the tabs to see the different reviews for each genre!

Our newest book reviews are at the top. (Last updated 26/01/2022)

Silence is Goldfish By Annabel Pitcher

Silence is Goldfish

By Annabel Pitcher

★★★★★

I already knew this book would be good once I saw the author. I know it’s biased, but I can’t help myself. This story was so good, and really relatable. It’s got so many values and messages to give and was woven in a delicate and beautiful way - like so many stories packed into one.

Who would you recommend this to?

"To all the “Plutos” in the world."

Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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The Apple Tart of Hope By Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

The Apple Tart of Hope

By Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

★★☆☆☆

My main gripes with the book are the fact that, in my opinion, the characters didn’t feel fully fleshed out and honestly felt quite flat. They all seemed to lack personality and, though the book is short, I feel as though the author could’ve taken more time to really develop the characters and give them actual personas. My second problem with the book is how it handled the topic of suicide. To not give too much away about the book, there’s a point quite early on where a character wants to commit suicide. The male protagonist takes it upon himself to try to talk this person out of committing. Instead of talking about the events and thought processes that led up to this moment, the male protagonist pulls an apple tart out of his bag and that suddenly turns the other character against the idea of committing. I understand that this book may have intended to be lighthearted, but I don’t believe you can have a lighthearted book with the mentions of suicide and then on top of that be incredibly tone deaf about the solution you give to said problem.

Also...

"Trigger warnings: mentions and implications of suicide."

Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid By Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

By Jeff Kinney

★★★☆☆

I liked that it has some pictures and its fun sometimes. I wish it had more jokes.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"To my friend Paul."

Review by Shamsul, Year 7 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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The Hate U Give By Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give

By Angie Thomas

★★★★★

The book has such a thick texture to it (metaphorically speaking) it is so full with so many life lessons to learn. Great lesson about battles that need to be fought not ignored.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"Anyone who thinks fight for racial equality is worth it."

Review by Blessing, Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid Double Down

Wonder

By R.J. Palacio

★★★★★

I liked that the main character was himself, and that's why people started wanting to be around him.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"My school friends."

Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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The Black Flamingo By Dean Atta

The 91-Storey Treehouse By Andy Griffiths and illustrated by Terry Denton

The 91-Storey Treehouse

By Andy Griffiths and illustrated by Terry Denton

★★★★★

The part where the baby clicks the button, and rainbows came out of their nose is crazy!

Who would you recommend this book to?

"Everyone."

Review by Paul, Year 7 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Beast Quest: Nixa the Death Bringer By Adam Blade

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X

By Elizabeth Acevedo

★★★★★

A story about a young strong passionate Dominican girl trying to find her voice through poetry.

Also...

"This book has won the "C.I.L.I.P Carnegie Medal," "The Great Reads Awards," "National Book Award," ''Boston Globe-Horn Book award" and many more. Totally recommended to all you poets out there."

Review by Blessing, Year 9 student at Oasis Academy Arena.

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Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep By Liz Kessler

The School for Good and Evil By Soman Chainani

The School for Good and Evil

By Soman Chainani

★★★★★

I really liked the fairytale aspect and the overall aesthetic of the book. I also really liked the book cover. I however extremely disliked some of the characters especially Sophie. She was so annoying, greedy and a little delusional.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"Anyone that I would recommend this book to have either already read it or they don’t read fantasy books."

Also...

"My favourite characters were definitely the witches coven they were iconic."

Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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The Bad Beginning By Lemony Snicket

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory By Roald Dahl

Harry Potter series By J.K. Rowling

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children By Ransom Riggs

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them By J. K. Rowling

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

By J. K. Rowling

★★★★★

I loved the story line and how it was the film script so you could get the exact story without watching the film.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"Everyone."

Also...

"This made me want to watch the film so I did!"

Review by Charlie, Year 7 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Smile

By Raina Telgemeier

★★★★☆

I like how she tried to fix her teeth many times and didn't stop until she found a way.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"Anyone."

Also...

"It was really fun to read"

Review by Amira, Year 8 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Roller girl By Victoria Jamieson

Roller girl

By Victoria Jamieson

★★★★★

I loved this book so much if finished it they day I got it, I related to the main character, and I have never wanted to roller derby so much in my life!! :D

Who would you recommend this book to?

"People who love roller skating!!"

Also...

"IT’S A COMIC!!!"

Review by an anonymous student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Good Girl, Bad Blood By Holly Jackson

Good Girl, Bad Blood

By Holly Jackson

★★★★☆

Book two picks up right where book one ended, and immediately, there is a change to the atmosphere and characters. Pip is not the same reckless girl that she is in book one, and the 'whodunit' mystery and investigation unfold in a much more natural way (this was one of my biggest gripes with book one), and with much higher stakes.

I...just could not put this book down; it was incredibly fast paced and engaging, and I was entirely enraptured. The last few chapters have sold me, and I'm eager to read the final book in the series: As Good As Dead.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"Murder mystery and mystery and thriller lovers!"

Review by Miss Le, Oasis Academy Arena's Librarian

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One of Us Is Lying By Karen M. McManus

One of Us Is Lying

By Karen M. McManus

★★★★★

I liked how each of the characters were described in depth.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"I would recommend this book to anyone who loves murder mysteries. It is a surprising and engaging book that is hard to put down."

Review by Roxanne, Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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One of Us Is Lying By Karen M. McManus

One of Us Is Lying

By Karen M. McManus

★★★★★

The ending is really good but for a mystery book I was kinda disappointed. Like generally mystery books focus on the mystery but personally I think this book focuses on the character developments and some of the characters relationships to others.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"I mean it's a really good book so I recommend it to anyone."

Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Bad Guys

By Linwood Barclay

★★★★☆

I love how the book followed the Chekhov's gun principle and never made any information said within the book redundant.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"Anyone who like fictional crime stories."

Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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One of Us Is Lying By Karen M. McManus

One of Us Is Lying

By Karen M. McManus

★★★★☆

I loved the main plot of the book and how the love side-plot doesn’t deviate/override the main storyline.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"Anyone who likes fictional crime, multiple POVs and young/new adult books."

Also...

"I just wanted to add how I really like how the author tells the story and keeps you on your toes until the last few pages where the truth is unfolded about who the real “murderer’ is."

Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Bad Move

By Linwood Barclay

★★★★☆

I like how this book discussed and dealt with adult problems in a serious and mature manner and handled it’s side-plots well without deviating from the main story.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"Anyone who likes books about crime and mystery."Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena.

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The Case of the Drowned Pearl By Robin Stevens

The Case of the Drowned Pearl

By Robin Stevens

★★★★★

Has a great plot and was quite interesting.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"People who love a good mystery book."

Also...

"Keeps you guessing all the way and it’s short."

Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena.

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Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer By John Grisham

Lying About Last Summer By Sue Wallman

Lying About Last Summer

By Sue Wallman

★★★★☆

The real villain was unknown till the very end. I liked that, but it could have been more exciting if they stayed with the main plot. However the ending was quite trepidatious.

Who would you recommend this book to?

Anyone who has just finished a series and has nothing to read.

Review by Blessing, Year 9 student at Oasis Academy Arena.

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Lying About Last Summer By Sue Wallman

Lying About Last Summer

By Sue Wallman

★★★★★

This has an excellent plot, Skye is such a relatable character!

Who would you recommend this book to?

Family

Also...

"There really should be a part two."

Review by Child, Year 8 student at Oasis Academy Arena.

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Not Here To Be Liked By Michelle Quach

Not Here To Be Liked

By Michelle Quach

★★★☆☆

[This review does contain slight spoilers]

Overall, Not Here To Be Liked is a good book, but it lacked a bit.

The main premise of the book surrounds feminism, and though that’s a great theme for a book, the theme falls short when not fully discussed in the book. Throughout the book, it felt as though people were just saying they were feminists without actually having conversations about it; they’d just talk about the patriarchy being bad, girls being able to do anything/be “girl bosses” and be fully independent without the need for codependency on men.

What would have been great would be to see the characters, especially Eliza (the female protagonist), really express how they felt about feminism, where they stood on the spectrum of feminism, what parts of general feminist ideologies they identified with or believed in and how they could educate themselves and others on feminism and what it could mean for other people. (Side note: the teenagers in this book literally grew up in the age of technology + the internet and yet Eliza didn’t do any research into feminism to expand her views or educate herself more on the matter, even though research is a large portion of the news reporting work she does in school..)

Another thing that would’ve been good for the story, would’ve been to see Len’s (the male love interest’s) POV. For the whole book, the reader only gets to see how Eliza feels about everything going on around her in regards to the feminist movement happening in her school and also her attraction towards Len. If Len’s POV was added to the book, we, as readers, would be able to see more than just one perspective on everything that happened within the story; it would be really interesting to see Len’s feelings/emotions/reactions to the events around him.

The romance aspect of the book felt like it was thrown in at such an awkward angle. In the early parts of the book, there seemed to be no progression in the attraction between Eliza and Len; Eliza didn’t really say much about Len (in regards to her attraction to him), she just frequently labelled him as “the patriarchy” and actively hated him for being voted into the position she believed she was more eligible for. Next thing you know, she’s randomly kissing him and it never seemed like there was any over-time progression in her thoughts/feelings/emotions towards him. It, again, would have been nice to see how Len felt or at least have the romance be introduced in a less awkward way; it just didn’t feel natural at all, it felt forced.

The writer seemed to have tried to fit two genres into a book (feminism and romance), but didn’t execute it properly. It was like someone trying to fit two separate jigsaw puzzles together; it’s just didn’t work. Writing romance into a book about the nuances of feminism, and vice versa, can definitely be done, but I believe would pose some challenges, especially in respect to trying not to contradict what characters say in comparison to their later actions, due to their views/beliefs on feminism or what feminism means to them. Blending feminism and romance into a novel can create great stories but just wasn’t done very well here, in my opinion.

Other than all that, it was still a good book, but not a book I’d recommend to people who want to broaden their minds to other (sociological) ideologies, e.g. feminism.

Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Everything, Everything By Nicola Yoon

Everything, Everything

By Nicola Yoon

★★★★★

So deep and complex.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"Everyone"

Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Always and Forever, Lara Jean By Jenny Han

When We Collided By Emery Lord

Endgame

By Malorie Blackman

★★★★★

The end of a good series but honestly, I’m not satisfied. It was a good book individually but as it has the role of The Last Book of The Series, it was slacking. As the series was so good, I thought it would have an amazing end, but I feel like the series is not over yet. The ending was adequate, it’s surpassed the expectation of a good book, but it didn’t surpass the expectations of a good Malorie Blackman book. Oh well, I was really looking forward to this one.

Also, in my opinion ending was a little bit rushed.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"People who have been waiting for the finale to the noughts and crosses series."

Review by Blessing, Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Scythe

By Neal Shusterman

★★★★★

It has an incredible look to the future and I am so glad it was recommended to me. Although I don’t believe humans will conquer death the year 2042 that is way too soon if you ask me. Wink wink.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"To people who always wondered what the future of the world will be like or if humans will ever overcome corruption."

Also...

"I love the plot to this book, and I never would have guessed that it's a series."

Review by Blessing, Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Brave New World By Aldous Huxley

Brave New World

By Aldous Huxley

★★★★☆

I liked the how the use of drugs was portrayed in the book.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"I would recommend this book to people that like the dystopian genre, and that like futuristic books."Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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United as One By Pittacus Lore

United as One

By Pittacus Lore

★★★★★

Finally the end of the series, and dang it was so good. There is something particularly special about this book, and about this whole series that I will never forget. I am getting so emotional because the Lorien legacy journey is over for me but not for you. This is a series that will help you get through tough times just like it helped nurture my personality and helped me realise so many thing I never thought about, and this final book was just the icing to a large, beautiful cake full of funny characters and great personalities.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"I recommend this series to anyone who’s going through a tough time and doesn’t know what to do (it helped me 😉)"

Review by Blessing, Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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The Time Machine By H. G. Wells

The Time Machine

By H. G. Wells

★★★★☆

The part that I liked was the notes in page xxvii , the part that I didn’t liked was the first page of the book and page 81. In reality I liked the whole book.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"I don’t know people that love reading, but I will recommend the movie to a friend."

Review by an anonymous Year 9 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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The Fate of Ten By Pittacus Lore

The Fate of Ten

By Pittacus Lore

★★★★★

Where do I start. In my opinion this is probably the most emotional book I’ve read because it has a beautiful and sad ending. This book is less sci-fi and more spiritual connections. It was really deep and this is the second to last book in the series and I am excited to read the last one. This book was not strong enough to make me cry but it really connected with my inner self. It gave me a emotion I’ve never felt before.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"I’m gonna be honest with you, if you really wanna read this book you’re going to have to read the first five books - the series is good though. This book is the type you read when you want to connect with not only the characters but the plot itself."

Also...

"If you really wanna feel this book you might wanna listen to soft music while reading the second half of the book (the ending.)"

Review by Blessing, Year 9 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Pet By Akwaeke Emezi

Pet

By Akwaeke Emezi

★★★★★

Pet delivers a powerful message that explores morality and justice in a utopian world where 'monsters' supposedly no longer exist, having being removed by 'angels'. But Jam, our main character, is spurred into a hunt for a 'monster' at her friend Redemption's house after she meets Pet.

It was incredibly refreshing to see LGBTQIA+ themes and diversity throughout.

Review by Miss Le, Oasis Academy Arena's Librarian.

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I Am Number Four By Pittacus Lore

I Am Number Four

By Pittacus Lore

★★★★★

Actually I give this book 6.2 stars. This book has the perfect sci-fiction recipe. It has: 2 cups of action, a teaspoon of horror, a dash of romance and a pinch of death. Oh and don't forget a cherry of outer space on top.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"All people looking for a decent book to read or love books with aliens or love sci-fiction books. This is a book to remember...forever!!!"

Also...

"This book might be better than the Maze Runner it self [no offence James Dashner]. The cover might be ugly but like my grandma always says never judge a book by it's cover."

Review by Blessing, Year 9 student at Oasis Academy Arena.

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Thief! By Malorie Blackman

Thief!

By Malorie Blackman

★★★★☆

A little stubborn girl who is peer pressured into stealing the school trophy cup only to be dragged to the future by a lighting bolt at full speed .

Also...

"A beautiful story about how a devastating future turns a girl from salty to sweet."

Review by Blessing, Year 9 student at Oasis Academy Arena.

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The Fever Code By James Dashner

The Fever Code

By James Dashner

★★★★★

WOW what an amazing way to see when, why and how the maze runner truly be came to be . It gave me great pleasure to see all my favourite characters again with more emotion and back story to their in a personality. All secrets and misunderstanding will be resolved in this book. The fever code really closes the book to the whole maze runner series in a satisfying, nerve racking emotional way.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"To all maze runner fans this is a book to remember. In fact to all sci-fiction lovers why not try the maze runner series. Just don't read it at 3 o'clock in the morning, a griever might sneak up on you."

Also...

"THE ENDING OF THIS BOOK MADE ME CRY"

Review by Blessing/Jasmin, Year 9 student at Oasis Academy Arena.

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Horror

Savage Island By Bryony Pearce

Savage Island

By Bryony Pearce

★★★★★

Who would you recommend this book to?

"I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery and a bit of gore. This book has a lot twists and turns and is very hard to put down."

Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Whiteout By Gabriel Dylan

Whiteout

By Gabriel Dylan

★★★☆☆

I liked some of the characters in the book and I really liked the beginning of it because the build up was very good and kept me very interested, however I didn’t like the middle all that much because it felt very repetitive, and it got really tiring and boring to read. I also think the author should have provided more information about the supernatural creatures that were trying to kill them because in the book it was suspected that they were vampires but it was never confirmed and the writer didn’t provide any history about them, their leader or how they came about in the first place.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"I would recommend this book to someone who loves this type of genre or has read similar books. I wouldn’t recommend this particular book to someone wanting to try something new for the first time because it’s not the greatest example to use for this particular genre."

Also...

"Also, [spoiler alert] I’m very annoyed that Tara lived because she was so useless, annoying and wouldn’t stop whining and it sucked that all the good characters died but then she lived to only then become possessed by a spirit."

Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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The Creeper Man By Dawn Kurtagich

The Creeper Man

By Dawn Kurtagich

★★★★★

I liked the twist and the whole plot of the book.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"I would recommend the book to anyone who likes surprises or horror."

Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Horrid Henry's Nightmare By Francesca Simon

The Haunting By Alex Bell

The Haunting

By Alex Bell

★★★☆☆

I liked that the inn played an important part to the story, and I enjoyed the background story of the inn, the shipwreck, the witch and the main characters themselves (Emma, Jen and Shelly).

Who would you recommend this book to?

"My friends."

Also...

"The book was very fun and easy to read. It wasn’t very long and complicated."

Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Adventure/Action

Adventure

Heads You Die By Steve Cole
Around the World in Eighty Days By Jules Verne

Heads You Die By Steve Cole

Around the World in Eighty Days By Jules Verne

Around the World in Eighty Days

By Jules Verne

★★★★☆

I really like the fact that the book focuses mainly on the mishaps that can occur on a journey and how those mishaps can be resolved either by luck/chance or the current circumstance.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"I’d recommend this to those who want to read a book with challenging/not so commonly used vocabulary."Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Humour

Grandpa's Great Escape By David Walliams

Grandpa's Great Escape By David Walliams

Grandpa's Great Escape

By David Walliams

★★★★★

I liked that the book was heart-warming and it showed the impacts that war can have on the ex-soldiers.

Who would you recommend this book to?

"People who like films or books about war."

Review by an anonymous Year 10 student at Oasis Academy Arena

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Non-Fiction

A Life in Football: My Autobiography By Ian Wright
Gunning for Greatness: My Life By Mesut Özil

A Life in Football: My Autobiography By Ian Wright

A Life in Football: My Autobiography

By Ian Wright

★★★★★

I liked that Ian Wright never gave up on his dream to become a pro footballer, and reading about all the hate he had to face on the way and the troubles he faced at home.