H.I.V.E book 1 - Mark Walden

Title: H.I.V.E - Higher Institute of Villainous Education

Author: Mark Walden

Genre: Children’s/ Action/ Sci -Fi/ Adventure

Publisher: Macmillan
Publication date: 2006
Paperback: 298 pages

Series?: Yes, it is a series of 8 books.

How did I get this book: I borrowed it from the school library.


Why I read this book: It looked like a really good, and my friends recommended it.

Blurb:

H.I.V.E. (Higher Institute of Villainous Education) is a top-secret school of applied villainy where children with a precocious gift for wrongdoing are sent to develop their talents into criminal mastermind. After all, 'villains have the best lines and wear the best costumes'. One small catch is that the children cannot leave until training is complete, six years later. With villainy comes a certain freedom of thought, and every year one student in particular will show exceptional talent - after all, it takes the best to produce the worst. This year there are two students: Otto Malpense and his new friend Wing Fanchu are both exceptionally bad, and they are definitely not keen on being held against their will for six long years...

Review:

• Loved this book as it was full of action and had unpredictable twists in the plot.
• It was interesting right from the start - which I always think is important.
• The characters were interesting and likable. 
• You could really imagine H.I.V.E and all the teachers and characters. Let's your imagination run wild.
• Makes you want  to read the next one!

Cosmic - Frank Cottrell Boyce

Title: Cosmic

Author: Frank Cottrell Boyce

Genre: Children’s/ Contemporary (with a bit of sci-fi, as it is about space)

Publisher: Macmillan
Publication date: July 2008 (First edition)
Paperback: 256 pages

Series?: Stand alone

How did I get this book: I borrowed it from the school library.


Why I read this book: It looked like a really interesting plot, and it really stood out to me on the shelf. I have read Millions (also by Frank Cottrell Boyce) and I really enjoyed that, so I decided to give this a go to.

Blurb:

Liam is too big for his boots. And his football strip. And his school blazer. But being super-sized height-wise has its advantages: he's the only eleven-year-old to ever ride the G-force defying Cosmic roller coaster -- or be offered the chance to drive a Porsche. Long-legged Liam makes a giant leap for boy-kind by competing with a group of adults for the chance to go into space. Is Liam the best boy for the job? Sometimes being big isn't all about being a grown-up.

Review:

• I have just finished reading this book and I think it is absolutely superb.
• It is both funny and moving, and Frank Cottrell Boyce writes this book with a great care and accuracy to detail.
• Although the plot of the story sounds unbelievable, as you read it you find yourself believing that all of this could happen. The power of words and a good story in this book is immense, and makes the book all the more readable.
• There are great characters in the book, including those you come to love, and those you come to hate.
• I am 14, and I was worried I may be too old for this book; however, I was proved wrong.
• This is a page-turning tale and I highly recommend it to anyone 14 and under.

Awards: Carnegie medal winner