8T+Novel+Reviews

The novel ‘The Lurkers’ written by Charles Butler, I recommend to people that like reading a mind twisting, but at the same time a unconventional novel, that some parts of it makes you want to scream at the characters and tell them what they should really be doing. ‘The Lurkers’ is about a young boy who has a ghostly friend/servant inside his mind that does whatever he is asked to do. This boy has a sister who is a truth-seeking young lady. She tries to find out why her brother is acting so strangely and why supernatural things are occurring in their household. Soon enough she thinks she has found out what has happened but never got a clear answer why. I rate this novel a 10 out of 10 because it really gave me the feeling that I was like the girl, trying to find out what was happening. For those who are thinking about reading it, don’t get surprised of how small it is, it’s a quick read but one that would make you still wonder. Go on and read it, I GAURANTEE you’ll love it.(Larisa Pupaleska)

The book ‘The Year Nick McGowan Came to Stay’ is a fun read that I recommend for teen girls. You don’t have to be the best reader to read this book, although it is quite thick so someone with patience would enjoy this more. This book, written by [|__Rebecca Sparrow__] is about a 17 year old girl, Rachel Hill. She is devastated when her parents inform her that Nick McGowan (the cutest guy in Year 11) is going to be living in her house. Rachel’s best friend, Zoe thinks it’s the perfect opportunity for love but Rachel doesn’t feel that way as she finds Nick lazy and directionless and Nick dismisses her for being spoilt and uptight. I really enjoyed reading this book and I encourage others to read it as well. I rate this book 8/10. (Lara Stark)



Lance Armstrong’s autobiography called **It’s Not about the Bike** was a very interesting and thrilling book. I highly recommend it for both boys and girls from the ages 12 and up and adults as well. The book takes you on the journey of Lance’s amazingly lucky life. From the first time Lance got on a bike he knew that he wanted to cycle professionally. He was a star by the time he was 21 but then became very ill. He found out he had cancer and all doctors said that he would never ride again. I loved this book as it kept me reading and I could hardly put it down. I rate it an 8½ out of 10. (Alanna Efstathis)

__Shift - Em Bailey__ "Imitation is the highest form of flattery. Until it isn’t." Shift is a thrilling book that weaves a world where the lines between reality and imagination blur, and constantly 'shift'. This well written book kept me up late into the night. I couldn't put it down. I recommend Shift for mature girl readers aged 12 - adult. This mind - boggling novel will leave you awe - struck and will send shivers down your spine. Shift. An unforgettable tale of madness, magic and love. I rate it 9 out of 10. (Lily Barnett)

The Harry Potter series has been a big hit both in the books and the movies. This book review focuses on the first book in the Harry Potter series, **Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone**. Harry Potter is a young boy whose parents were murdered when he was a baby, after the incident he is sent to his aunty and uncle for them to take care of him. Whilst growing up Harry Potter thinks he is a normal child, with a normal life until a he receives a strange letter, from a school called Hogwarts that teaches witchcraft and wizardry. From that day on young Harry Potter’s life will change forever. I definitely recommend this book to kids aged 10 and up. I give it 9 out of 10 (Caleb Pouchkareff) The autobiography Pipe Dreams is a book on the life of 11 time surfing world champion Kelly Slater. The book starts with his early childhood and tells all his stories about growing up in Cocoa Beach all the way up to now when he is surfing in world famous events and still holding the position of world number 1. Whilst you are reading this book I assure you that it will be mixed with funny, interesting and breathtaking stories about his life. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who likes autobiographies or surfing and I rate this book 9 out of 10. (Harry Cummins)
 * __Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone__**
 * __Pipe Dreams__**



If you are a big Star Wars fan and loved the thought of slicing up Imperial Clones or Battle Droids with your light-sabre then this is a book for you.This is the first of an exciting trilogy, the BlockBuster adventures of Star Wars continue. Based 14 years after the end of the Imperial Reign, Han Solo and his family (Leia, and three children; Jason, Jaina and Anakin Solo) are mysteriously called to return to Han's home planet Corellia where things begin to stir up. Rumours begin to spread of civil war and New Republic agents have been missing. The book '**Ambush at Correlia'** is an amazing, descriptive and action packed sic-fi for Jedi fans. I rate it 9 out of 10. (Vyasa Bliss)
 * __Ambush at Correlia__**



__**Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves**__
====The No.1 Bestselling author, Matthew Reilly has really outdone himself this time with **Scarecrow and the army of Thieves.** This book is based on Captain Shane Schofield the Scarecrow. During a routine re-staffing of Dragon Island, an old Soviet weapons installation in the Arctic, a Russian Spetnaz team comes under fire from an unknown enemy. Vasily Ivanov, a researcher assigned to Dragon, manages to send out a distress signal which is intercepted by an American listening station in Alaska before his plane is shot down. **S** ** carecrow and the Army of Thieves ** is an action packed thriller for people who are 12 and above. I strongly recommend people to read it. I rate this book 9 out of 10. (Kienan Fentiman) ====



__**Tomorrow When The War Began**__ John Marsden's award winning book **Tomorrow When The War Began** is a story about a teenager named Ellie Linton and her friends. One weekend they go camping and find their way to a large, vegetated sinkhole in a remote area of the bush the locals call "Hell". While they are trying to sleep Ellie hears and sees a large number of planes flying past them at night without lights, she thinks little of it, thinking it may be military planes heading back from a demonstration. When they wake up and walk back to the Land Rover to get more food they see houses are on fire and no one is around - no one! They drive home to see what has happened but no one is there, it is a ghost town. Ellie and her friends now have to set out to find what has happened. I recommend this book to people over 11yrs old and I rate this book 9/10. [Tommy Hosking]



The autobiography, **Unbearable Lightness**, by Portia De Rossi is a story of loss and gain. It’s about how Portia came perilously close to being a casualty of Anorexia and Bulimia. It shows how easily your mind can become over obsessed with your appearance and how it tricks you into thinking that you are overweight. This book is breathtakingly honest, talking about how much she hated herself and in her words "so ordinary, so perfectly average". Anorexia and Bulimia can cause terrible consequences for your body. De Rossi was eventually diagnosed with lupus, osteoporosis and cirrhosis of the liver. I highly recommend this book for teenage girls and their parents. It made me squirm in my chair reading what she was doing to herself. I would rate this book 8½ out of 10! (Isabelle Laird)



The Ivory Rose is an eyegrabbing mystery novel that takes you on an amazing journey to the 1890s in Sydney. Jemma is a teenage girl that got a job as a babysitter for Sammy who lives in Rosethorne, which was believed to be haunted by a little twelve year old girl that got murdered over 100 years ago. During an afternoon at Rosethorne babysitting Sammy, Jemma falls while being chased by 'Georgie' the mysterious girl who suposedly died in the house, but where she woke was not where she fell. This book I believe would be focused for girls in between the age of 12-14. I rate this book a 9 out of 10! (Zoe Stylianou)


 * Percy Jackson and the Sea Of Monsters** is the Second book in the tetralogy. This book is based on Percy the son of Posioden (the Greek God of the Sea), having to go on an adventure to take the golden fleece to heal the tree that gives a magical force field that won't let monsters through, from the evil cyclops Polyphemus and save his half goat, half human friend Grover, who Polyphemus thinks is a female cyclops. He encounters many unusual and difficult obstacles throughout the book. I believe this book would suit male and female readers who like a chunky book and are keen on action, adventure and even a little romance. This book would suit ages above 11, and I rate this book 9/10. (Daniel Raftery)




 * Bartimaeus the Ring of Solomon** is the first first book of the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. It tells the story of Bartimaeus, a demon from the 'other place'. Bartimaeus is stuck as a spirit slave, doing dead-end jobs in King Solomons Jerusalem. But, when Asmira arrives, an assassin who is more than meets the eye, things start to get, well, interesting. Stuck in a tricky situation, Bartimaeus must use every ounce of his essence to survive in the ever-changing world of earth. I believe this books would suit male and adventurous female readers starting from the age of ten and upwards, as long as they are keen to read a bit of a 'different' story. I rate this book 9/10 (Gray Logan)



**__The Hobbit Review__** The hobbit is an action-packed, thrilling adventure laying on pages, waiting to take you on a breathtaking and overwhelming journey into the magical land of middle earth, where the clearly hesitant Bilbo Baggins is swept up in a quest to recover dwarves' treasure from an iniquity dragon. This book got off to a bit of a slow start but as soon as it got me, I was hooked. There were days of in separation from the daring fantasy packed with twists and unpredictable moments. Written by [|J.R.R. Tolkien], successfully swept me off my feet, filling my imagination of incredible visions of dragons and mystical creatures. Bilbo (The main character) faces life threats on his way to the treacherous dragon's lair. His journey is filled with crucial decisions which he makes along the way. I recommend this book for older teens which enjoy a long read, which I guarantee will hook them strongly. I rate the book a 9.5/10 **(Lillian Gaisin)**

All too often in modern society we measure our success and wealth by comparing one another with what we do and don’t have. The Happiest Refugee will leave you thankful for (and thinking of) the little blessings in each of our lives. Anh Do presents a story of courage, tragedy, love and resilience. Sit side by side with Anh as he takes you on his journey from little boy to family man. Anh captures the reader’s hearts with often sad but inspiring first-hand accounts of the day to day struggles associated with migration as a refugee. Tears are optional while laughter is guaranteed as Anh’s vivid experiences send you on an emotional rollercoaster. Young adolescents from 14 yrs and up will enjoy the smooth flow and simple language presented in the chapters. Anh has included a number of family photos, providing a personal and engaging experience for the reader. A memoir of incredible proportions for a person so young. 9/10. (Mr Smith)
 * The Happiest Refugee - ANH DO**

Miley Cyrus’s autobiography called **Miles to Go** was a very interesting book. I recommend it for girls aged 11-17. The book tells you about Miley Cyrus’s life 3 years before she became a superstar and what she achieves from then on. She was a cheerleader when she was young and loved performing on stage. Her parents new she was going to be a singer so they got her singing lessons. She even called her two fish “Lyrics and Melody”. I loved this book because it made me want to read more about Miley Cyrus and her amazing life. I rate this book a 9 out of 10. (Courtney Day)

