Thomas Harris, (1988),The Silence of the Lambs, St. Martin’s Press

By Lorena Davis Mosquera, 2 ESO B

A serial killer called Buffalo Bill is killing females and skinning them. Jack Crawford, head of the FBI division sends FBI trainee Clarice Starling to question Hannibal Lecter, cannibal and former psychiatrist, attempting to gather information on Buffalo Bill. Clarice and Hannibal form a “quid pro quo” relationship where he gives her useful information on her case in exchange for her personal information. This leads her to getting closer to Buffalo Bill, who has kidnapped a senator’s daughter. Hannibal, during this time, has killed two security guards and escapes the cell wearing one of the dead men’s skin to cover his identity. Clarice found out that Buffalo Bill skinned the women he killed in order to ... ... ...

I really enjoyed this book and it is one of my favourites by far. It was interesting throughout the whole story and fast pace so it was easy and pleasant for me to read. Although the story tells of a crime, it isn’t too gruesome and doesn’t go into unnecessary details. The story is well written and I really liked it, which was unexpected because I don’t like horror books. The main reason I liked this book so much was because it ‘awoke’ my emotions. I felt fear when I read about the incident with Buffalo Bill, I laughed at some of Hannibal Lecter’s witty remarks and I cried when I read the story of the lamb. I just thought it was an outstanding book.

To conclude, although I did really like this book, I have to recommend it to people who are fifteen or older because it had some intense swearing and violence was involved. I definitely recommend this book; it has a great plot, fantastic characters with intriguing personalities and entertaining dialogue. It is a remarkable read for anyone who likes crime stories or fancies a bit of mystery.

J.R.R. Tolkien (1954) The Fellowship of the Ring, Del Rey mass market edition 2012

By Andrew Hutchison, 2ºESO B

 

This volume, one of the three books in the trilogy, tells the story of how four young Hobbits go (along with two men, a dwarf, an Elven prince and a wizard) out on a quest to destroy the one ring. In this book, the fellowship of the ring is divided, one group going to war against the enemies of good, while another smaller group, composed of the two very brave Hobbits Frodo and Sam go to Mount  Doom (a volcano in the land of the Orcs where the ring was forged) to hurl the ring into the lava, utterly destroying it and wiping evil from the face of the middle earth.

My favourite part was when the fellowship encountered the Mines of Moria, as there was a lot of action as well as humor.

I recommend this book and think it should be read, because the way the story is written is ingenious and although the language is a bit hard it is written in a way that anyone at least in their teens can get the basic meanings

Cat Patrick (2011), Forgotten, Egmont UK Ltd

By Manny Lago, 2º ESO B

London Lane, the principal character in the book, is a sixteen year  old girl who lost her baby brother when she was six because she unlocked the car door while her father wasn't there. This event ripped her parents apart.  Whilst chasing after the villains responsible her father crashed and London technically died. Luckily, her doctors were able to resuscitate her. However, the experience left her with some type of memory disorder in which her mind would "reset" itself, leaving her clueless to the previous day's activities. Every night at precisely 4:33 am, while London Lane is asleep, her memory of that day is erased. In the morning, all she can recall are events from her future. 

          What I like most about the book is that the author wants readers to consider whether  knowing the future is really important or if learning from the past and accepting what was is what we should be thankful for. The book encourages readers to enjoy and embrace the past because, “…what I need to remember most is this: I can always change the future.”   A person’s past is what shapes their character and without those past memories and experiences life is hard and very mysterious with plenty of unanswered questions. The future is being rewritten all the time because of our past.  This makes the reader sympathetic with London and her illness.

What I also liked is that the events that occur through the novel depict situations that could very well be real and happen to anyone who struggles with memory loss.

             What I least liked about the book was the constant reference to the fact London took a long time to forgive Luke.  I thought this was exaggerated and boring.

             I would recommend this book because it is teenage romantic fiction and the romantic themes throughout the novel make it interesting for teenage readers.

Michael Curtis Ford (2007) The Fall of Rome, Thomas Dunne Books

By Elías Ferrer, 2º ESO B

It’s a great story about how one of the sons of a commander of Attila has to escape from the successors of the Huns’ chief after his death. The fugitive, Odoacer, and his brother Onulf have coincidences between them and their enemy, the Germanic-Roman general Orestes, the father of the last emperor of the Roman Empire. Their personal fights made Rome fall.

Rosemary SUTCLIFF (1957) The Silver Branch, Oxford Univ. Press (2007)

By Hugo Ferrer, 2º ESO B

I would like to recommend you the book The Silver Branch.  It is a sequel of the novel The Eagle of the Ninth, written by Rosemary Sutcliff, an acclaimed writer of children's books, especially historical fiction, which is the genre of this book.  I especially like this book because of the action and thrill there is in it. The two main characters, by forming a band of men, are trying to save the Roman emperor of Britain from a plot and also from the Saxons that are invading. There is a lot of suspense so it's very difficult to put it down.

George RR Martin (2000) A Storm of Swords, Bantam Dell

By Elías Ferrer, 2º ESO B

It’s a book you would like. It tells how a kingdom is falling into the hands of seven kings, who claim the central throne. It’s the third volume of Game of Thrones, and it’s a point between mystery, traditional literature, fantasy and other genres. There is some violence in the book but I think the story is good.

Lauren WEISBERGER (2003), The Devil Wears Prada, Harper Collins

By Estefanía Pinilla, 2º ESO B

The Devil Wears Prada is about a young woman called Andrea Sachs, who wants to become a journalist. She gets hired as the second assistant of Miranda Priestly, a ruthless executive of the runway fashion magazine. Miranda’s first assistant Emily advises Andrea about the behaviour of their cruel boss. It will be a challenge for Andrea when she has to drastically change her clothes and image, with the help of Nigel, the magazine’s art director. The job becomes really hard, because of Miranda’s tough working rhythm and impossible tasks, which leaves Andrea without a private life with her boyfriend Nate, family and friends. In the end the old Andrea has gone and the new Andrea is now more preoccupied about her image and her future in the magazine.

What I liked best of the book is the beginning where you realise that although you’re not good at fashion and you don’t know what it is or means, you can still improve and reach the top. I also enjoyed how two assistants realise that although they are competing against each other they can still be friends and work together.

I would definitely recommend The Devil Wears Prada to my friends because it has a really good plot which combines drama with humour. The book keeps the audience interested and there are no slow sections in it. Once you pick it up and start reading you won’t want to put it down. People who are interested in fashion and drama should read it because these are the two main concepts of the book.

Ray Bradbury (1951) Fahrenheit 451, Flamingo Modern Classics (1993)

By Elías Ferrer, 2º ESO B

In the future there will be three supreme dictators in the world. Each one will control people by TV, cameras, microphones, advertisements, etc., making all the world’s population think like the dictators want.

Lewis CARROLL, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Wordsworth Classics (2001)

By Ann Rose Layosa, 2º ESO B

This book was written by Lewis Carroll and this version was introduced by Michael Irwin. It is about a girl called Alice who was on a tree branch listening to her sister's book. She then saw a rabbit with clothes and a watch (very uncommon for a rabbit) and she decided to follow it until she fell down a rabbit hole and entered a world full of many uncommon things called 'Wonderland'. She then met a caterpillar who smoked and who gave her some advice. She also met Pig and Pepper (two brothers), a cat that appears and disappears and the Queen of Hearts, who played croquet. She also went to a mad tea-party, where she found a talking rabbit and an old small man.

I think this book is interesting because it contains many unusual things such as a smoking caterpillar, a rabbit with clothes on, etc., and because as you read, you find yourself in another world full of crazy things, and it's actually interesting to read something that is out of this world.

Sue Townsend (1982) Secret diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 ¾, Harper Collins

By Elías Ferrer, 2º ESO B

It’s a funny book which you will enjoy, if you read it. I had a lot of fun reading it, because it is about an ‘intellectual’ boy, aged 13, who lives with his family but his mother goes away with a man and the boy is left with his poor father, his diary and his friends.

Suzanne LaFleur 2009), Love Aubrey, Puffin Books

By Estefania Pinilla Taylor, 2ºESO B

Love Aubrey is about an eleven year old girl who was abandoned by her mum. A few months before, Aubrey's dad and her younger sister Savannah, died in a car crash. She thought it was fun at first playing house, eating cheese and crackers every day and night. Until her grandma showed up, Aubrey was taken to her grandma's house in Virginia. She made friends with the girl next door called Bridget. She was put into school and was convinced to go talk to the school's psychiatrist. Making friends was easy for her but it made her sad every time someone asked her about the scar on her forehead. At the end her mum comes back for her, but it was too hard to go back and live with her after everything that had happened. They all thought that it was best for her to stay with her grandma. However, her mum did come and visit often.

I really like this book because the author expresses Aubrey's feelings as if they were real, and keeps the reader wanting more. The story is written and told very well, and I think that more people should read it because they will enjoy it and want a second book by the same writer. 

H.P. Lovecraft (1999) The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories Penguin Modern Classics (reprinted 2002)

By Elías Ferrer, 2º ESO B

A compilation of terrifying and full of suspense stories. People spit on the author’s tomb because his novels are too scary. Until the end of each story you will not know what’s going to happen next.

Roald Dahl ( 1988), Matilda,  Puffin Books (1989)

                                    By Lia Calcines, 2º ESO B

Matilda is a book for children, which is really interesting and great, and that is the reason why I still like it. It has mystery, for example, what is the relationship between Mrs Trunchbull and Matilda´s teacher Ms Honey? It made me read and not stop reading until the end because of the mystery. You just know the truth of the story at the end. Matilda is a very special girl, she is really clever and she has powers. She is the leader of the school, because she had a virtue which was to be brave and face Trunchbull. I hope you read this book, to enjoy it and its magical ideas.

(Anonymous) Beowulf 

By Elías Ferrer, 2º ESO B

The first story written in a Germanic language (Anglo-Saxon). It’s about a man who arrives at a far Nordic kingdom to kill an ogre which is attacking the realm. You would like the story and it would make you interested in this style of stories.

First page of Beowulf in Cotton Vitellius, 15^th century

William SHAKESPEARE,(1600), A Midsummers Night’s Dream, Wordsworth Classics

By Clara Galindo Moreno, 2º ESO B

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is about a young woman called Hermia. She is in love with Lysander but her father wants her to marry Demetrius. Another young woman, Helena, is still in love with Demetrius, although he left her to marry Hermia.  Duke Theseus, following the law of Athens, gives her four days to obey her father and marry Demetrius or else she will die. Hermia and Lysander plan to run away to get married. She tells her plan to Helena, who tells Demetrius. Oberon, the king of fairies has a potion which will make people fall in love with the first person they see when they wake up and…

                  In my opinion this book is very entertaining and enjoyable for people who like William Shakespeare. Until now, the only book I had read by William Shakespeare was “Romeo and Juliet”, but I prefer “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” because it is less cheesy and it’s less of a tragedy and more of a comedy. I totally would recommend this book but not to people of my age unless it’s an adapted version because it’s very difficult to read because of the vocabulary.                          

Thomas BREZINA (1999) Tiger Team: Curse of the Pharaohs

By David Ramos, 2ºESO EFL

I like this book because it´s interesting and at the end of each chapter it makes you a question. It also brings tools to decrypt the answer.

Tiger Team is a collection of several books, each of different subjects but with the same characters.

          I recommend this book because it makes you participate and has clues that help you solve the problem. The characters are interesting. It is a mysterious book.

Thomas HARRIS (1981), RED DRAGON, G P Putnams Dell Publishing

By Ann Mundzic, 2º ESO B

A serial killer, known as The Tooth Fairy, has a habit of stalking and murdering families at random. He has murdered two families until an FBI agent, Jack Crawford, finally comes to sort out the situation. Crawford needs help to capture The Tooth Fairy, so he gets in touch with his protégé Will Graham, who caught the serial killer Hannibal Lecter three years earlier (which makes him a very good protégé). Will agrees to assist Jack. After looking at the crime scenes over and over again, Jack and Will realise that they are missing something. In order to find The Tooth Fairy Will and Jack have to visit Hannibal and get help from him (as Hannibal is a brilliant psychiatrist). The serial killer - calls himself the "Great Red Dragon" as he is obsessed with a painting called "The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun". Dolarhyde (the real name of The Tooth Fairy) usually gets flashbacks of his past, shows of what happened to him as a child and... 

This is a book for people who like crime, horror and thrillers.

Nathaniel HAWTHORNE (1850), The Scarlet Letter, Dover Thrift Editions

By Lorena Davies Mosquera, 2º ESO B

This story is set in the 17^th century in Boston. It tells of a married woman named Hester Prynne who has given birth to an illegitimate daughter. Hester is then forced to wear the letter A on her dress, the A standing for ‘adulteress’, and then lives in solitude with her daughter, Pearl. Only the involvement of Arthur Dimmesdale keeps Hester and Pearl together. Meanwhile, feeling betrayed by his own wife, Roger Chillingworth sets out seeking revenge on Hester’s unknown lover.

I recommend this book because it has deep symbolism and is a very interesting read. While it can be complicated at certain stages of the book; it is a classic that will not fail to capture your heart, with intriguing characters, a stimulating plot and a vivid 

Alex FLINN (2007) Beastly, Harper Collins/

or free: http://www.onread.com/book/Beastly-1414237/

By Annvalery Escobar, 2º ESO B

Beastly is a re-make of Beauty and the Beast. The book is about a rude, good looking, rich teenager named Kyle Kingsbury, who would look down on people that were ugly and poor. In his high school there is a girl called Lindy who likes him (but he doesn’t even know she exists) and a mysterious Gothic girl named Kendra (who appears to be a witch) who one day cast a spell on him and he lost his second chance to become a better person. That night she turned him into what he really is underneath that good looking face: a beast. 

Kyle has two years to find someone that will love him for who he is, and, most important, to get her to tell him that she loves him. Eight months go by and he still hasn’t found a girl to love him. One night a thief breaks into Kyle’s house and...

This book is very interesting. It shows you how Kyle’s attitude changes slowly towards the end. It also tells a love story between a greedy boy who thinks he is the best and a girl called Lindy, who is poor but with a kind heart.

I would recommend it for people above ten years of age as it has some passages which may not be appropriate for under ten. There was nothing I did not like of the book.

Catherine Ryan Heart (2010), Second Hand Heart, Black Swan

Manny Lago, 2º ESO B

Second Hand Heart is an intriguing book which captivates your attention right from the start as it deals with a very sensitive topic. The storyline revolves around a nineteen year old girl called Vida who is very sick and has spent most of her life preparing for death. The sad situation is that for Vida to live, someone has to die.

In a parallel incident Richard loses his wife in a car accident. Vida inherits his wife’s heart. As part of the process of dealing with his wife’s loss Richard feels compelled to meet the girl who inherited his wife’s heart. In hospital, Vida sees Richard and immediately falls in love with him. The book explores how their feelings towards each other change over a period of time.

The book is written in the form of two diaries – that of Vida and of Richard.  It follows their lives from the day of the transplant and onwards for several months.  It deals with elements of life and death very sensitively. I would thoroughly recommend this book because I have enjoyed it immensely.