The Abingdonian 2019

55 www.abingdon.org.uk Summer Term Although I enjoyed this book considerably, there were some minor imperfections. I don’t think Sophie Anderson should have called the ‘main character’ Baba Yaga, because it sounds scary and slightly abnormal. However, as Baba Yaga was not mentioned too much, it was hard to form a connection. All she really did was make borsh and other types of comestibles for the dead. I also felt that the ending was weak. To me, it seemed to have that feeling of, ”I woke up and realised it was a dream;” the actual ending was a happily ever after ending that, despite the disappointment, neatly wrapped up the book in a crispy, perfect square of wrapping paper. It was simply not good enough, however, to deserve that red ribbon tied around the top. Alexander Lees, 2SJC Review of A Skinful of Shadows by Francis Hardinge The book is about a young girl from a mysterious family, with a background she doesn’t know. Her mother is extremely protective, and secretive. Although she doesn’t know it, she, and her family, have a special power, but one which can cause her pain and suffering. My favourite character is the lead character, Makepeace. She shows strength and resilience, courage and resourcefulness. Her development as a voice and character through the book is intriguing and exciting. Her journey, both physically and metaphorically, is dangerous, complex and yet uplifting and enlightening. Her character feels real, even when dealing with unreal situations. The book is set in the English Civil War, and it is interesting to see the perspective of a young person, who is distant from the war yet gets caught up in its deadly grasp. The story unfolds slowly, bringing you with the main character as she explores both her own being and her family, and the spirits. The story keeps you guessing and has plot twists at every turn. My favourite part of the book was the ending, when she was once again friends with James, and free from the family she hated. She had made peace with herself and the spirits. At the beginning I didn’t really like it, as I felt it started slowly. However, as I got further into the book, I liked it more and more, and the slow beginning made sense. There was a lot of setting the scene in the beginning! The book was not predictable, and I wanted to read on to find out what on earth was going to happen next. I feel the book is written really well, and I can see why it has been shortlisted. Of all the books this was my favourite. The book is very gripping and a page turner, I didn’t want to put it down. I stayed up late one night to carry on reading it, way past my bed time. My mother read it too and she really liked it. I loved this book and would recommend it to readers of age ten and over. I now want to read other books by this author. Harry Vinall, 1SCVM Review of Bone Talk by Candy Gourlay This book made me want to laugh and cry. It took me into a world that is completely different from my world in every possible way (it is set long ago in a Filipino hill village) but the characters are so realistic and so human. You can relate to them very easily - the closeness between Samkad and his dog; the friendship between Samkad and Luki (a girl who wants to be a warrior); the competitiveness and closeness between Samkad and his father; the pull between wanting to be grown up and wanting to be a child. Even though the world the author describes is very foreign and the way the main characters live is very different from the way we live today, you can still relate to the characters very easily and you are drawn into their world very quickly. The author is very good at creating a sense of danger. It feels as if you are on the edge of some sort of great disaster or terrible change all of the way through the book. The book describes a tipping point - you feel as if nothing is going to be quite the same ever again. I liked the way that the author shifts the responsibility for things going wrong all of the time. At first the opposing tribe are the enemy and we think Samkad has let his village down. Then we see that there is a much bigger enemy which will be much more dangerous to their way of life and Samkad helps his father see that. You are really on the edge of your seat all of the way through the book. I didn’t think it could possibly have a happy ending. The description of how the Americans humiliated his father was terrible to read. A lot of what happened was very sad but I was pleased that it wasn’t all bad (I was really worried that the dog would die!): it was much more complicated than that. I would recommend this book to a boy or girl who wanted to broaden their horizons and who likes action and adventure. Hamish Bloom, 1PCWM