Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett - A review by Joe C. ; a Y12 Eng. Lit. Student at Sawtry

Terry Pratchett has long been my favourite author since 'Guards! Guards!' was loaned to me by my year 8 English teacher. I could ramble on about the Discworld series for hours but instead I have chosen to review 'Good Omens', the collaborative work of Mr Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

It's the end of the world... or at least, it will be. Doomsday is near, the Plan has been carried out and the antichrist walks the earth... he's a really nice kid though. The demon Crowley (Architect of the M25 no less) is disenchanted with his job and is depressed with the inevitability of the Earth's destruction, as contrary to Lucifer's will he actually rather likes it in one piece. Another that shares Crowley's interest is the angel Aziraphale, a long time friend of the demon; after all, if you're going to exist for all eternity it's good to have someone to talk to. The four horsemen are gathering (though one's not a man and they don't exactly go for horses anymore) and preparing for their ride.

The book is written with the twisted intellectual humour of Pratchett and tempered with Gaiman's more serious, darker style. There are many brilliant touches such as Pestilence's retirement from the four horsemen upon the invention of penicillin, his position taken up by the 'new boy' Pollution. The entire story is held together by 'The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch' (that's 'nice' as in precise) a book of prophecy so accurate it's almost useless. Once it's introduced you feel the inevitability of the world's occurrences bearing down on all of the characters involved, preparing you for the closing chapters.

The book thrives on dark humour throughout; I particularly recommend the part with Crowley's lead-lined safe as a piece of shining narrative brilliance, showing what two authors working together can achieve. As the plot is split between several characters it weaves the story though the minds of both human and divine characters giving the reader an inescapable view of the emerging apocalypse from different perspectives.

Personally I love Aziraphale as a character; as an angel he feels duty-bound to perform the acts required of him by his superiors but chooses the side of humanity through logical thinking and his own preference of the comforts that the Earth offers: tea being a major factor seeing as heaven doesn't do it ("Why does the earth man like dried leaves in boiled water?" ... quote from the wrong book entirely but it seemed appropriate).

Good Omens is a beautiful piece of work taking the Bible's text and translating it into a modern day narrative. I suspect I would have understood more of the jokes and references if I had more than the vague understanding of the Bible than I currently possess. If you're a fan of slightly black, intellectual humour or have read and enjoyed any Pratchett books before I cannot recommend this book enough.

My question: Do the Biblical references used in the book hamper the comedic effect of Good Omens in any way?

Second Chance by Jane Green- a review by Hollie W., a Y8 from Sawtry

Holly Macintosh has two children, Daisy and Oliver. Her husband Marcus is hardly ever there. He is a divorce lawyer and doesn't really bond with his children.

It is all a big shock when Holly's best friend from school, Tom, dies during a train bombing. The tragic event brings the friends to reunite from school. On the surface all the friends are happy, but dig a little deeper and it's not so straightforward. Will Saffron survive the press? Will Holly and Marcus stay together? Will Paul and Anna have a baby? Will will get it together?

I think this is quite a mature read- there is often a bit of swearing. I would recommend it to young adults.

BEWARE- once you pick it up you will not want to put it down!!

Life Swap by Jane Green- review by Jess L. of Sawtry

This is a story about real life and how our own personal paradise may be someone else's version of hell, or indeed vice versa.

Vicky Townsley is a single 35-year-old woman who's dying for a family with a loving husband, a couple of well-behaved kids and maybe even a dog.

Amber Winslow is a rich wife, mother and boss. Her life is hell with Richard always at work, the children constantly whining and Lavinia doing nothing but clean. She dreams of being single again and not having to care about anyone but herself.

Finally, both Vicky and Amber's dreams come true. I like this book because adult life interests me as I want to understand it before I become an adult!

Flirting for England by Rachel B of Sawtry

Jess Jordan has a French exchange boy who comes to stay with her. Before Edward arrived to stay with Jess he sent over a photo and a letter. In Edward's photo he was a very cool and good looking boy. And when Jess sent her photo, she had hers digitally enhanced!

However, when Edward stepped off the bus it was nothing like Jess expected. A little boy who hardly came up to Jess's nose, with glasses like Harry Potter's. To make things better he is the most shy person Jess has ever met and doesn't speak a word of English.

This book is really girly and is funny because she gets herself into funny and strange situations. I enjoyed it, because it's real girl problems and stuff that does happen with girls every day. Also, jess says what she thinks and she has the worst luck!

Hannibal Rising- a review by Ben of Hinchingbrooke School

The fourth of the Hannibal series written by Thomas Harris. Written as a prequel to the first three novels. However, thinking that the series progressed chronologically, I read this first.

Hannibal Lecter’s traumatic past is revealed, giving readers insight into the demons that haunt him. As a young boy living through Hitler’s Operation Barbarossa, his family is killed when a passing tank is blown up near the family shelter. Only Hannibal and his sister survive. However, when a group of starving Lithuanian deserters arrive, Hannibal has to bears witness to the deaths of a captive boy and his sister. What the men do with the bodies is only implied. The haunting memories leave Hannibal a mute, as he is found and returned to his remaining relatives, his uncle and his exotic wife, Lady Murasaki. Hannibal’s first act of murder occurs as his aunt is confronted by a butcher. As Hannibal grows older, he shares his time between being a prodigy at a French medical school, and hunting down the original group of deserters that butchered his sister. During this, Hannibal discovers he has a ‘gift’ for killing people, and to quote the blurb, ‘becomes death’s prodigy’.

Bit grim, but a fantastic book. The chilling character of Hannibal Lecter is explored thoroughly by tiptoeing through the brilliant ‘palace of memories’ that is Hannibal’s mind. The imagery is intensively graphic and Thomas Harris’ characters provide subtle dialogue that connects the readers to the action.

Thanks for reading.
Ben

Joe's review on Skulduggery Pleasant

Well hey guys! It's Joe again with another awesome (if I do say so myself!) review. This week I am going to do a review on Skulduggery Pleasant (by Derek Landy), hence the title.

This book is about a 12 year old girl called Stephanie who inherites a mansion in her Uncle Gordan's will. He wrote horror stories and gothic tales about skeletons and vampires and other such things. But could this peculier man have been writing non-fiction? Could it be that when he writes about these things from experience?

When Stephanie has to stay a night on her own in the mansion she meets a wise- cracking detective, who saves her from certain death from a peculier beast. He tells her that his name is Skulduggery Pleasant. A wizard, a detective........oh...... and dead! From then on Stephanie is thrust into a world of magic where nowhere is safe and no one can be trusted. Can she survive in this world with only a talking skeleton for company? Well you will have to read the book to find out won't you?

I really enjoyed it and, trust me, so will you!
From
Joe Davies

QUESTION: How does this book compare to other fantasies you have read?

NEXT WEEK: I start my four week series review on the Otori Chronicals, starting with Across the Nightingale Floor.

Wormwood by a boy in Y8 at Sawtry Community College

After reading the first few pages of Wormwood by G.P.Taylor, I already had loads of questions that needed to be answered.

At the start, a strange book, the Nemorensis, is introduced, and the story mostly revolves around it. Im the Nemorensis, someone ahs written about out-of-the ordinary occurances, which do actually happen.

Wormwood can be described in many ways. There is some fantasy, science-fiction, horror and mystery. All the characters range from being angles to ghosts, and humans to evil, warped creatures.

Anyway, a new scientist, Dr Sabien Blake, owns the Nemorensis, and partly discover its powers of telling the future. However, the book has a mind of its own. It is able to make people bitter, and have cruel thoughts, and can even create more pages for itself. There is chaos in London when Blake's discovery comes to light, starting with the total darkness, then rabid dogs, and then creatures being created out of clay, and his own fingernails, and sent to kill him. Also when Blake learns that some of his friends have been murdered, and that he has an angel looking after him, he forgets his science and starts to understand magic.

This book has been written as if these extraordinary creatures and occurances could actually happen at any moment, making my spine tingle when I read it alone!