Monday 27 May 2013

Itch by Simon Mayo


Itch: The Explosive Adventures of an Element Hunter

Hi everyone!

So I mentioned in my last post that I may be doing this post about the book Itch by Simon Mayo, I also wrote that I say him at the Edinburgh Book Festival! I also got a signed copy which I was delighted about! I was going to include a picture in this post but unfortunately I lent it to a friend, if I get it back soon I will add it to this post! It was really good and he spoke really well, I was very doubtful at first because it kinda annoys me how celebrity's  suddenly decide that they are gonna become writers, but I thought he was really interesting, and also he came at it with the angle of science, which was quite clever and new. It is quite a funny yet scary book and I would recommend it for 11 plus right up to adults  to be honest.

So anyway, Itch is about a boy of about fourteen who is very into science and calls himself an 'element collector' because he collects things from the table of elements. Anyway one day he stumbles across a rock which turns out to be a brand new element... as you probably know I am really bad at describing books so I will let the blurb do the rest of the talking!!:

Thrills. Danger. And world domination. Itch is as action-packed and suspenseful as a middle-grade novel can get!

Fourteen-year-old Itchingham Lofte, nicknamed Itch, has an unusual passion: collecting specimens of every element in the periodic table. So what if that means he's had a few ... mishaps? But when he gets his hands on a suspiciously warm rock made of a new, previously unknown element, things really begin to explode. Soon, a malevolent teacher, an evil-doing corporation, and a top-secret government agency are all after Itch. Can his science know-how keep him one step ahead of everyone...and help him stay alive?

Ah! OMG, so anyway  now I am gonna do my review!

Appearance 10/10
Yeah, quite a high rating I know but it has one feature that made me give it this score-  augmented reality animations via a free downloadable Itch app!  It is pretty clever I think... you point your smart phone at it and then it starts to kinda smolder and sparkle... okay that sounds kinda weird but you will know what I'm talking about if you get it??

Blurb 6/10
Harsh, I know. But if you read the book I think that it doesn't make it sound nearly as exciting as it really is! It also makes it sound really childish and young if that makes sense and just doesn't include key info that would make it sound so much more interesting.

Chapter Hooks 8/10
The reason for my score isn't because it had loads or not many, it's just I can't remember there being that many? There must of been but I probably just can't remember? I would include some in here but I don't want to put you at risk of spoilers...!

Overall Value for Money 10/10
To be honest I don't think I'm being to generous, this was a really good book and if you read the reviews (I'll leave a link at the bottom) you'll see that a lot of people seem to think so too! It's a really good book for all the family I would say and it comes from a really interesting angle of science!

34/40 a very good score for a very good book!

 Anyway, I'll write soon, I hope you enjoyed this post! Please read, comment and follow my blog, I really love it when people comment as I need the advice! 

Keep Reading

BookWorm
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15843377-itch      = reviews on itch!!

PS if you want to see what I am talking about with the augmented reality thing check this out!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2LN_Q53mWQ


Sunday 26 May 2013

Hunger by Michael Grant


Hi everyone!

So I was really happy yesterday as I had just finished reading the next in the series after GONE,  which is HUNGER!
I was really busy during the last week and I had got this out from the library, I hadn't read it yet and it was about to expire so I decided to bite the bullet and make some free time for myself to read this! At first I found it really hard to get into, which was probably down to the fact that I could only find time to read it in little chunks before I had to go off and do something else but, oh well!

So this book is based in the FAYZ, which if you have read GONE you will know stands for the Fallout Alley Youth Zone. Food is fast running out and everyone is starving, anyway, I wont be able to describe it very well so here is the blurb!:

It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ.

Three months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.

Food ran out weeks ago. Everyone is starving, but no one wants to figure out a solution. And each day, more and more kids are evolving, developing supernatural abilities that set them apart from the kids without powers. Tension rises and chaos is descending upon the town. It's the normal kids against the mutants. Each kid is out for himself, and even the good ones turn murderous.

But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them.

The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.

Anyway, so my review, (yeah, I'm going to rate it now, it's my new thing....) here goes:

Appearance 8/10
Yeah, it's okay, not very exciting, although I loved the orange page appearance? If you've seen or read the book you'll know what I mean!

Blurb 9/10
I know, it is quite a high rating, and it doesn't give you a lot of info, but it covers the basics, which is what a good blurb should do. Plus this is a very complicated story line, so it's always gonna be hard to cover everything!

Chapter Hooks 7/10
Yeah, okay, okay! I know it's kinda harsh, but it's just my opinion, at the start it was very hard to get into because of  all the info he needed to tell us, so it was.... is it fair to say a tad boring at the start? But it got much better and by the end I loved it and it was really gripping! 

Overall Value for Money 9/10
So, there has been a lot of arguing over this book, some are saying it was better than Gone, some are saying it was really bad, my personal opinion is that at the start it was quite hard to get into but by the end, easily better than Gone. It is a really good book, and for the price of £7.99, not bad, Eh? 
Anyway, I'll  let you make your own mind up on this one, but I would say read Gone first, before this one, so you know whats going on!

33/40! A great book on the whole, please read this!

Keep Reading
BookWorm xx

PS. I was thinking of the next review? Maybe the book Itch by Simon Mayo? I had the pleasure of meeting him at last years Edinburgh Book Festival! Really loved it, although he had a slight cold so wasn't on top form, also got a signed copy of his book which was great!

Anyway let me know in the comments below! Do you want me to review any books? Love hearing from you! Bye!  








Monday 6 May 2013

Lemony Snicket's 'A Series of Unfortunate Events'

Dear Readers,
A few years ago I read all of the books from 'A Series Of Unfortunate Events'.


There is 13 books in the series written by Lemony Snicket.


'A Series of Unfortunate Events' follows the Baudelaire siblings  through their young lives after a fire that kills their parents and destroys their home. They are then forced to go and live with a distant relative called 'Count Olaf' , who is trying to steal the massive fortune that the children inherit, and  treats them horribly.As they go through life they realize that their parents were not what they thought they were, and they soon find themselves being dragged in to a horrible past with the treacherous Count following them wherever they go..... 

I would recommend these books for 9-13 year old's although anyone older or younger could read them as well.
These are a great set of books and Lemony Snicket is a fabulous writer. The only negative is that I would say it is slightly depressing! Also sometimes he goes of in a bit of a rambling speech.... but apart from that they are very entertaining with an occasional injection of humour into the books.


Over-all very good and entertaining books that will keep you turning the pages...!

Keep Reading,
BookWorm

PS. Sooo sorry I haven't really been writing much on the blog, promise I will do more posts in the near future to make up for my tardiness...!







The Name Of The Star by Maureen Johnson



The Name Of The Star by Maureen Johnson

The Name Of The Star by Maureen Johnson is a book about an American student who comes to Britain due to her parent's jobs.
This is the blurb.....

he day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago. 

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.


This book is really good! I got it last year free with my world book day voucher, and I must say that my expectations were VERY low! This is because the world book day books are usually aimed at an audience of about 5-8 (in my opinion) and so they are very easy. But I would say that this book is probably best for 12 and older, although it says on the back 13 plus, its' up to you if you are younger whether or not to read it but bear in mind that it is quite 'dark' as well as having a lot of blood and gore...but apart from that it's absolutely fine?!

Seriously, don't be put off by the age rating, it's a gripping, page-turning and powerful book....READ IT NOW!!!!!

Keep Reading,
BookWorm