Book Reviews

Book Review by Krystal Addison 

‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Evelyn Hugo had seven husbands over her life, but she secretly loved one woman. The book is a romance and has elements that will interest the LGBTQ2+ community. Taylor Jenkins wrote this book based on the life of a famous screen Queen who got married eight times to seven different men, the timeless Elizabeth Taylor.

The book is based in the lovely 1950’s. Evelyn Hugo had seven husbands but that wasn’t the focus, yes it talks about them and her time with them, but the focus of the book is about Evelyn. How she went from a poor Latino girl from Hell’s Kitchen in New York to a famous actress in Los Angeles. When Evelyn Hugo left Hell’s Kitchen to become a famous actress, she also left behind her identity which was Evelyn Elena Herrera - a Latino 14-year-old - and she changed mostly everything about herself to get into the acting industry.

We learn about her through the narration of a young magazine reporter, Monique Grant, who Evelyn chooses for a big interview:

When you see pictures of E back in the day with her brassy blond hair, those dark, straight-as-an-arrow eyebrows, that deep-tanned skin, and those golden-brown eyes, you have no choice but to stop what you are doing and stare right at her.

And don’t get me started on that body.

No ass, no hips – just huge boobs on a slim frame.

Behind the glamorous and luxurious life of Evelyn there was a flawed person that no one knew. She was a best friend, a lover, and an amazing mother. Even though she tries to have others see her in a bad light, the real person was someone that hid a lot of secrets, and people can connect with this on so many levels.

I really loved this book and couldn’t put it down, taking every opportunity to devour the pages. This book is outstanding, and I don’t know how else to describe it except to suggest that you add it to your list and to read it at least once. I recommend it to everyone and am glad I discovered it on the TikTok Booktok list as ‘highly recommended’. Now it is my mother’s turn to read it as who doesn’t like to discuss a book that they love with somebody you recommend it to!

Book Review by Yusra Sadaat

‘Parvana’s Journey’ by Deborah Ellis

Parvana’s Journey is written by Deborah Ellis and is the story of a young girl who goes on a journey to find her family and protect herself and her friends. Parvana is a twelve-year-old girl who lives in Afghanistan with her mother, sister, and her little brother. Her deceased father was a teacher and Parvana was very fond of books only to learn that she had to abandon her studies and her education because of the Taliban and the situation going on in Kabul and her homeland. 

After Parvana had lost her father there is no bread winner in the family and she is left to defend herself and provide for her family by doing what she never imagined. She dresses up as a boy wearing her elder brother Hossain’s clothes who had passed away. As it brings painful memories of his death Parvana begins to go into the market and works so she can provide for her family. The Taliban are still in Afghanistan and her hometown is in ruins. Her family is lost. As she searches for food and shelter, she meets two children and a baby who she is now struggling to survive with. An infant boy in a bombed-out village, a nine-year-old girl who thinks she has magical powers over landmines, and a boy with one leg and an attitude are her new companions. 

During the journey the children learn more and more about each other and form a special bond. As Parvana travels, she meets new problems and obstacles along the way and during this time she writes to her friend, Shauzia, who is in France. Parvana learns new lessons and does things has never done before and never gives up. Things go well until it all starts going downhill. Read this book to find out whether Parvana finds her family! Read it to find out whether she survives these tough conditions and whether everything will be the same or not! I recommend this book to those who are struggling to fight for themselves. 

Watch and read how Parvana, a young valiant girl who sacrifices everything for her and the safety of her family. I really admire this book and the detail Deborah Ellis has put in this book as she explains every struggle and worry Parvana has. This book really made me realise that I need to be grateful for everything and to always show bravery in every situation. I rate this book a 10/10 so PLEASE read this book and find out how Parvana survives. “To children we force to be braver than they should have to be” (Deborah Ellis)

Book Review by Lana Simic

‘Anne of Green Gables’ by Lucy Maud Montgomery

‘Anne of Green Gables’ is the first book of the Avonlea series written by L.M. Montgomery in 1908. It is a book about a red-headed orphan named Anne Shirley who was adopted by elderly sibling duo Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert, who live on the farm Green Gables.

With her imagination and curiosity, she brings an unexpected adventure to Mathew and Marilla. The story has recently been adapted as a movie called ‘Anne of Green Gables’ and a series on Netflix called ‘Anne with an ‘E’. What I think makes the book special and charming is how the book is based on a newspaper story mixed with the author‘s personal experience in her childhood. I love how the main character is not perfect and clearly has flaws, like how Anne can be hot-headed and make a lot of mistakes. This makes her sound like a real person, probably because she is based on the author L.M. Montgomery’s personal life.The story ‘Anne of Green Gables’ itself is a feel-good classic with beautiful themes like living life to its fullest, family and friendship, and learning from your mistakes.

The book makes it hard for you to not fall in love with the characters' personalities, especially Anne’s, though it took some time for me to warm to Marilla since at the beginning of the story, she seems so strict with no sense of patience for Anne, but by the end of the story, she softens up a bit. Her brother, Mathew Cuthbert, on the other hand, is the opposite of her and is such a kind soul, spoiling Anne and making excuses for it. If you ask me, Matthew is probably the best character in the book.I recommend ‘Anne of Green Gables’ to those who enjoy feel good classics, especially if you like books like ‘Little Women’ by Louisa May Alcott or ‘Little Princess’ by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Overall, I rate it a 7/10.

Book Review by Nicole Addison 

‘Circe’ By Madeline Miller

Circe is a nymph, a goddess and a witch and is the daughter of the Greek God Helios, the Titan sun god. Madeline Miller’s book is a re-imagined story of Circe’s life, who was a character from The Odyssey. Circe is a strange child--not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother, or cruel and fickle like her fellow nymphs.  Circe grows up in the halls of the gods but is unlike those around her and is curious of the those that are on Earth – the mortals.

Circe is smart and is portrayed by Miller as a strong, independent heroine. She turns to the world of mortals for companionship, and she discovers that she possesses power - the power of witchcraft - and she can transform her rivals into monsters, becoming troublesome to the gods themselves.

The almighty Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, Aiaia, to live in exile. This is where she learns her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including Prometheus, the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

He was huge, even bigger than I had imagined a boar could be…He stamped, and the white foam dripped from his mouth. He lowered his tusks and ground his jaws. His pig-eyes said: I can break a hundred youths and send their bodies back to wailing mothers. I will tear your entrails and eat them for my lunch.

I fixed my gaze on his. ‘Try’, I said.

For a long moment he stared at me. Then he turned and twitched off through the brush. I tell you, for all my spells, that was the first time I truly felt myself a witch.

There is danger, too, for a woman who stands against others, and Circe finds herself coming to the attention of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. 

To protect those she loves most, Circe must use all her strength and choose, once and for all, if she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love. Circe is a powerful woman and the first of her kind, a witch, and learns her craft through trial and error.

I’ve really enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down - I’m obsessed with Greek mythology and love retellings. I believe this is a great book to add to anyone’s collection and will become a classic, showing women in a powerful light, as independent beings that should not be crossed.

Book Review by Mary Pickersgill 

‘Anne of Green Gables’ by Lucy Maud Montgomery

The reason I chose this book is to demonstrate that, though years have passed, and many things have altered, society has really not changed.

Avonlea was situated on Prince Edward Island just off the coast of Canada.  It was predominantly a farming community.  Most of the children went to primary school and then either worked at home or for another farmer.  Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert were a brother and sister living at “Green Gables”

They were getting older, so they decided to employ a boy to help Matthew.  Marilla’s friend Mrs Lynde knew a woman who went to the mainland to the orphanages and brought back girls and boys to people who had ordered.  Some mistake occurred, so when Matthew arrived at the station after afternoon milking, there was no one except this skinny red headed little girl.  He couldn’t leave her there until the station opened in the morning, so he took her home.

After Marilla recovered from her shock, she and Anne made up the bed in a room at the top of the house. The next day Marilla sent a message to Mrs Lynde, her friend, to let her know about the mistake.  Mrs Lynde told her that there was a woman in Avonlea who would take Anne as nursemaid to her unruly children.  Marilla knew this woman by repute, so she refused.

So that’s how Anne came to stay at Green Gables.

The rest of the book details the ups and downs of Anne’s life.  Her friendship with Diana, her friendship with the Vicar’s wife who combined a good example with a sense of humour, was one of the factors that matured her well.

She was not a great success at school.  She broke her slate over a boy’s head because he called her “carrots”.  But she was a bright student and the new teacher who came to Avonlea started a scholarship class.  She joined the class and won the scholarship.  Matthew’s sudden death made her decide to refuse the opportunity and it went to the student next in line.

The book ends well, she a the “slate” boy become friends.

She finally gets to go to college. 

But that’s another story

Book Review by Eliza Campbell

‘Before I go to Sleep’ by S.J. Watson

'The bedroom is strange. Unfamiliar. I don’t know where I am, how I came to be here. I don’t know how I am going to get home. I have spent the night here. I was woken by a woman’s voice – at first I thought she was in bed with me, but then realized she was reading the news and I was a hearing a radio alarm – and when I opened my eyes found myself here. In this room I do not recognize.'

In this book, the main character Christine wakes up every morning thinking she is a twenty-something year old woman with a bright future ahead of her. In reality, she is a forty-year-old who suffered a terrible attack years ago that has left her unable to retain her memories. Although she has no memory of her husband Ben, every morning he explains who he is and what has happened to her. 

One day Christine receives a call from a doctor who believes he can help her regain her memories, suggesting she starts to keep a diary of the things she sees, thinks, and learns each day. Christine keeps this diary and her meetings with the doctor a secret from her husband out of fear that he thinks it will cause her distress. 

The book begins a few months after Christine has met the doctor and begun writing in her diary, and throughout the story she begins to remember small snippets of her past. As she continues to meet with her doctor and read her diary entries, she starts doubting the motives of her friends, family, and everyone around her. As the book progresses, we learn more about Christine and her past through her diary entries, however we begin to realise that Christine’s notes compared to what she is being told by her husband and others are conflicting, revealing inconsistencies and holes. The reader is left unsure of whose version of events is true, and which characters are trustworthy. 

Reading this book is a lot like collecting puzzle pieces one by one without knowing what the bigger picture will be until you reach the end. If you enjoy a mystery/thriller with a unique plot and an unpredictable ending, I highly recommend that you read this book.  

Book Review by Mercedes De Silva Sri Ananda

‘Goosebumps: Vampire Breath’ by R.L. Stine

‘Vampire Breath’ is the 49th book of the Goosebump series written by R.L Stine, and it was also filmed as an episode in the Goosebump TV series. The story is about two best friends named Freddy and Cara who find a secret passageway in the basement of their house leading to a room with a coffin. On top of the coffin is a bottle labelled ‘Vampire Breath’.

I personally enjoyed the story because the characters are charming, and I love how Cara and Freddy have siblings. One thing I don’t like is how the story ended with a cliff-hanger. Near the end the plot twist also seemed kind of rushed, just to end the story quicker, though it is not like the plot twist came out of nowhere. Another issue is the fact that Cara and Freddy have no common sense, such as when they found the secret door, they went straight through it! Anyone with a brain knows that if you find a secret door in your basement, you don’t go in, you either wait for you parents of someone to confirm this is not a torture dungeon or something like that!

Squinting into total darkness, I realized I was staring into a tunnel.

A dark tunnel.

I reached out and touched the wall. Stone. Cold stone. Cold and damp.

“We need flashlights,” Cara said softly.

I rubbed the cold, dark stone again. Then I turned to Cara. “You mean we are going into the tunnel?” I asked.

Silly question. Of course we were going into the tunnel. If you find a hidden tunnel in your basement, what do you do?

You don’t stand around at the entrance and wonder about it. You explore it.

The book is quite strange with the friendship between Freddy and Cara, the bottle of Vampire Breath, and stuff like that, but those facts make the story unique and enjoyable. This novel is fun to read and there is not a single part of the book where you get bored. Despite the fact the story is part of the horror genre, the story is not that gruesome and quite kid friendly, so it is suitable for children but that doesn’t mean adults can’t enjoy it. I recommend the Goosebump series to those who are just starting to get in horror genre. The book is a classy horror story with vampires so if you are a true horror fan get a Goosebumps book! It is a short and fun way to read and enjoy scary stories!

Book Review by Courtney Windross

‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ by Oscar Wilde

This charming, and often riotously absurd, comedy tells the story of Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who both take on an alter-ego named Ernest to woo their love interests, as well as escape the tiresome, social obligations of Victorian England.

Jack Worthing is a young, somewhat carefree, and  generally respectable bachelor who travels into town from time to time, frequently staying with his friend, Algernon Moncrieff (another eligible young bachelor with means), who knows him under the name of Ernest. When a cigarette case inscribed with the name Jack is returned to the man known so far as Ernest, and is observed by the quick-minded Algernon, thus begins the unfolding of the ruse that allows him to have two identities; ‘Jack’ remains so in the country but moves under the guise of a fictitious older brother ‘Ernest’ in town. It is revealed that Algernon also uses such a trick by way of a frequently unwell friend named Bunbury and does so to escape undesirous social events.

Enter Gwendolen and Cecily, the former is the cousin of Algernon (and whose mother Lady Bracknell is a stickler for the rules); the latter is Jack’s young ward who resides comfortably in the country and is receiving an exemplar education. Both claim to only be able to love men named ‘Ernest’, (a particularly respectable, and desirable name to have in Victorian England amongst men), which sees Jack and Algernon using the fictitious personae of Ernest to pursue their loves. What follows is a series of secret engagements and comical entanglements, leading to a brilliant, heartily unexpected ending for all characters.

This play is an absolute joy to read for those who love wit, sharp dialogue, and the comedic opportunities that only a play text can provide. The superb craft of language with which Wilde applies to this charming, wickedly funny and wholly English text shows his skill as a writer, as a person of immense intelligence and, as a keen observer of the whims and fancies of the social set of his age. Overall, it is pure, rollicking good fun to read. Having played both Algernon and Lady Bracknell in theatre productions, I can say that I can never eat a cucumber sandwich, or say the word handbag like a normal person ever again (the latter especially due to the wonderful Dame Edith Evans in the 1952 film version). 

If you have never read a play before, this a truly great choice to start with!