Cherwell: The Story Hoard

Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney

Review by Ben Nazari (Year 7)

"I would recommend this book to boys that are about to start secondary school or already have."

I've read this book time and time again - I find it really funny and enjoyable. When I first started reading this book I found I couldn't stop! It's about a boy called Greg Heffley, who writes a diary of his everyday adventures, and tells how he overcomes all his problems at school with his best friend Rowley. I got introduced to this awesome book by a friend, who told me to read it in year 6. I read it and I had such a good experience that I went on to read all of Jeff Kinney's other books! My favourite character was, of course, Greg Heffley. He is the main character in all of Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. I would say the book is a comedy and adventure book. I would recommend this book to boys that are about to start secondary school or already have.

Review: The Messenger Bird, by Ruth Eastham

Review by Justin Dulay (Year 7)

This story is about a boy called Nathan. His dad works for the Ministry of Defense and is accused of leaking top secret information.

Now he faces life in prison, but as British intelligence officers drag him away, he gives Nathan a message. It leads to a riddle, but it's not from Dad. Nathan begins to follow the clues left behind. But how can this war-time story link to his father's fate? Hope for Dad's appeal is fading fast.

The first clue is a letter, written during the second world war. He must solve the puzzle. Time is running out...

Review: Lies, by Michael Grant

Review by Joseph Scott-Jackson

This is a very unusual book with twists and turns. This book is horror and fiction. All the children have to survive without any guidance. It is a shocking and terrifying story. Zil and the whole of the human crew set fire to Perdido Beach. Amongst the human crew there is a boy called Sam and during the struggle of the fire and flames he sees a figure amid the darkness.

His name is Drake, an arch rival. Sam had thought him gone, but it looks like he is back from the dead! Astrid is frustrated with the town council and wants payback. Orsay and Nezzera say that the only way to escape this nightmare is death. This book has an age rating of 13-18 and was recommended by my brother who said it was very good.  This is a very long book and has a total of 464 pages so if you like long reads then I would choose it. It is the 3rd in the series.

Review: A Single Man, by Christopher Isherwood

Review by Felix Hawlin (Year 12)

Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 novel, A Single Man, is set at the height of the Cuban missile crisis. It tells of a single day in the life of George, a middle-aged English professor in southern California, grieving at the death of his partner, Jim.

This poignant setting allows us a subtle, touching, and delicate view into the now lethargic and lonely world George is seemingly lost in. It is no coincidence that Isherwood at the time of writing was himself a middle-aged English professor living in southern California. The semi-autobiographical nature of the novel makes Isherwood’s intense characterisation all the more heartfelt and affecting.

Review: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, by Junot Diaz

Review by Isis Hamwee (Year 12)

"an overweight teenage boy who is obsessed with science fiction fantasy novels and falling in love"

This 400-page book is written by Junot Diaz, a Dominican writter, who deals with his homeland's experience under the dictator Rafael Trujillo. The story is told by a omniscient narrator, who reveals the history of a family living under a fuku (curse). The protagonist is an overweight teenage boy who is obsessed with science fiction fantasy novels and falling in love. This book is really good if you enjoy history and other cultures. It is also easy to read, as the narrator is light hearted and funny.

Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

Review by Emily Manley (Year 12)

"I know how hard it is to fit in. I think every teenager does."

The story is from Charlie's perspective. Charlie is in his first year of high school. He is socially awkward but he is intelligent beyond his years. He does not know it yet but he is about to enter the world of first dates, mix tapes, new friends, family dramas, sex, drugs and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Charlie will eventually find that we are all infinite.

I really enjoyed this book. I can relate to it on so many levels. I began to read this at the start of the Christmas holidays and I could not put it down.

Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon

Review by John Hotson (Year 12)

"written in a unique style which allows incredible insights into the life and mind of an autistic person"

The Curious Incident tells the story of 15 year old Christopher Boone, an autistic savant with a fondness for Maths and Sherlock Holmes. When he discovers a neighbour's dog dead in the garden with a garden fork sticking out of its chest he decides to investigate and write a murder mystery about it. Yet as he learns more about what happened he learns more about himself and his family. The Curious Incident is amazingly written in a unique style which allows incredible insights into the life and mind of an autistic person.

Review: The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende

Review by Cosette Schupfer (Year 12)

Have you ever picked up a book and wondered how what seems like a simple collection of words can send you travelling through time, to a hundred different places? How you can make new friends and go on adventures while you're still just lying in bed? And what happens to a story if no one reads it? Does it continue forever, or does it disappear into nothingness?

That is what this book is about.

The Neverending Story is the first book that really left an impression on me. I was 9 years old when I first read it.

Review: Now Is the Time for Running, by Michael Williams

Review by Amy Chaplin (Year 8)

I read this book in less than two days, which I think shows something for a book of average length. It enticed me, pulled me in and forced me to read on. It was so different (and I hate use this phrase) but it really touched me and (I am ashamed to say it) brought tears to my eyes on several occasions.

The book is so effective simply because it contains four ingredients: fast pace, unpredictable action, two inseparable brothers, and the passion that brought this whole story together - football.