Hmmmm.
I was tied between 3 or 4 stars for this one. I decided on 4 because the overall plot of the book was incredibly clever.
It felt like this one took me a lifetime to read. I didn't feel motivated to pick it up once I put it down, and I found the story to be pretty easy to predict up until the last few pages.
I constantly got the feeling that Lauren Oliver wasn't a very experienced writer, since the characters and the plot were fairly... simple.
The ending felt rushed.
It was a good book. it just wasn't enough to make me feel addicted to it, at all.

Well, what can I say? It was an Animal Ark book.
The reason I gave it 2 stars was simply so Goodreads doesn't start trying to recommend me books for 8 year olds.
Basically I started this book aaaaages ago and I've finally got around to reading it.
Great books for kids who are just starting out in a fictional world. I guess I'm just not really the intended audience.

This is definitely not the kind of book I would ever pick up. The only reason I read it was because it was a modernised version of Pride and Prejudice. I like retellings. I did not like this book.
In this story, Lizzie is 18. (*coughcough* Elizabeth was 20 in P&P *coughcough*) She has formerly had a boyfriend. (seriously?) Jane has also had a boyfriend before she meets Bingley (in this version, called Charlie).
There was unnecessary changes in this story. The ending was nothing like the ending of P&P. For goodness' sake, she said Mr Darcy's first name was James and his sisters' Jenna??!? (I did spot the fact that "James"' middle name was Fitzwilliam, but that didn't fix the issue for me. Also, why change Georgiana's name?)
Apart from the fact that the storyline was not on point, the writing wasn't great either.
None of the characters had an original way was speaking, they all used the same figures of speech which made them sound unintellectual.
Major parts of the story were underwritten, others were completely left out, making the book feel as though it didn't have much depth.

Only good quote from the book: "Now if you excuse me, I have to go. I have people to avoid."

I read this book for the 1960s part of the Reading Passport Challenge that libraries are presenting this year.

Sweet little Paddington, who couldn't love that bear? this is my second Paddington book, and I think I enjoyed this one more than Paddington Abroad. This was so funny in places, and nice and vintage.
favourite quotes: "A family heirloom?" repeated the lock keeper, "I've never heard of a hat being a family heirloom before." "mine is," said Paddington firmly."
"it's a very rare sort of hat and it's got a marmalade sandwich inside. I put it there in case of emergencies."
"Paddington wasn't the sort of bear who allowed himself to be beaten by trifles."

Not as good as Newes From the Dead.
My second Mary Hooper book, actually quite similar to my first: historical fiction featuring a young, mistreated woman and a dead baby, among other things.
So the theme for this book was Victorian style funerals (Mary Hooper said so herself). Even though I can't pinpoint a specific example of when not much was happening, this book was slow. Not badly, just slow enough to be slow.
However, the storyline was good, the characters were good, the writing was of good quality.
I don't have much else to write about, if I'm honest.

This is a very good book with a bad title. And synopsis.
So, this book was aimed at a younger audience than me, but hey, who doesn't love a good middle-grade novel every now and then?
I read this one for the Concorde Book Awards 2017. I'm glad it was shortlisted, because it's not a book I would have picked up otherwise.
Basically, it looks like 10 year olds would be too old to read this one. But they really wouldn't. I wasn't too old to read this one.
I can see that this book would be an amazing start to adventure novels for kids. It's got the right amount of humour and silliness along with adventure, a little mystery and a lot of very cool ideas.
I mean come on, Base Camp? While I was reading, I wanted one of those.
And beetles? They suddenly transformed from weird insects to something incredibly interesting.
A house with secret passageways? Yes yes YES!
I would have loved this one when I was younger. I loved the education side of the story too (I learnt a lot while reading).
A friend of mine told me that she was never going to read this because it looks far too "childish and silly" to her, and the story sounds "rubbish". Man, I pity her now.

I've put it as 4 stars but I may well come back later and change that to 5. I really can't decide.

At the start of the story, this novel did not have "the magic". You know, the magic you feel when you pick up an exceptional book and can't put it down? In fact, you can't give your attention fully to anything, or anyone, else?
This book did not start off with that effect. But the effect did seep it's way inside about halfway through, and the second half of the book was exciting and unputdownable.
I found the story to start off being unrealistic, and I felt as though Ali Sparkes was pushing the storyline far too much. For example, had a witty line that she had thought of a few months ago and would make 10-year-olds laugh? No problem, just make the character say it even though it doesn't match the story or the character.
Also, it irritated me that Jack was a so-called Genius, and yet showed no signs other than being able to do maths.
However, these complaints faded as the book went on. The characters and storytelling improved, leading to a very dramatic and unexpected finish.
How else can I end this review than by saying that NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE HEARD OF ALI SPARKES.

It's been a long time since I've read a Dick King-Smith book.
But I'm behind on my reading challenge and it's been waiting on my shelf for a lifetime already. It needed to be read.
Better than I thought it would be.
Somehow, Dick King-Smith uses that magical story-telling voice that only a few authors have. And that makes a story about a snail that does nothing slightly more interesting.
The story is called The Adventurous Snail, when really it should be called The British Ambassador Who Needed to Find Purpose in Life or something similar.
The snail, Siegfried, does nothing. Sir Robin is the real star of the show.
Although, I'm not quite sure what to think of a character who finds a snail and immediately decides that the best thing to do is to introduce it to the President. But, it makes for a more interesting story anyway.
Great read for younger kids who have parents to support them with their reading. Dick King-Smith isn't afraid to use big words (which I totally respect him for) and so younger ones might have a few questions as they read through this story. Just the right length for a new reader.

There's only so many types of reviews you can write for children's books, before you start repeating yourself.
Anne Fine is an extremely talented writer. She was a part of my child-hood as I grew up and I also have enjoyed books she has written for older readers (I say books... I can only remember one...)
Basically, You've got to be a good author when you write little books for children with humour and a plot-line, and also you manage to get shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. That takes skill.

Even funnier than the last one, I believe.