Several reviews this week focused on the complicated issue of childhood illness. Lydia was the first of our reviewers to tackle this subject with her intriguing take on The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. In this emotive read, Hazel is a girl battling a serious illness who wishes to live in the moment.
"I adored Green's latest book, devouring it as I did with everything else he has written - his style is clear and precise, always refreshing to read like the sun after a storm ... I won't tell you anymore because I don't want to ruin it. You should go out and buy it, read it, absorb it.
I urge you to read The Fault In Our Stars. It is a beautiful book, typical of Green. It is sad and you will cry but that doesn't mean it is a bad book, it means that Green can write incredibly convincingly."
Likewise, reader lovebooks wrote a fantastic review of Flying for Frankie by Pauline Fisk. This novel follows the unlikely friendship between two girls, Charis "who has a simple life" and Frankie "who lives in a big mansion and has everything she could ever want" and shows the changes their friendship goes through when Frankie is told she has cancer.
"The book is very uplifting and everything is described very well. At the end of the book there is a big twist that you definitely would not expect and I was shocked when I read it. The story was sweet, sad, funny and dramatic. I loved how it was exactly how you would expect to children to act in this situation, they were voiced perfectly. It is very sad that Frankie has cancer but the characters do not see it as sad until the very end, so neither do you."
Another unlikely friendship emerged in The Queen and the Nobody Boy by Barbara Else. Ellathebookworm wrote a marvellous review in which she described the magical tale of a boy called Hodie who runs away with 12 year old royalty, Queen Sibilla.
"I'll compare The Queen and the Nobody Boy to such that you walk into a room, open a brightly decorated and inviting box and inside is a rainbow oasis of all things magical and fantasy. Basically, it doesn't disappoint."
Similarly, in Six Words and A Wish by Karen McCombie - a novel about a girl called Jem whose sister ran away two years ago - googleyeyes felt deflated after reading what she considered "a hugely disappointing ending".
"You could compare this book to a balloon. It gets filled up, gets bigger and bigger, just like the mysteries became bigger and bigger in this book, and, once it's full, you expect it to pop. But instead, after the tense build up to the end, it was like someone couldn't be bothered to tie the end of the balloon, so it was a let-down, and that was a huge disappointment."
Meanwhile, with lighter elements of romance and stardom, Lydia sent in a superb review of Audrey, Wait! By Robin Benway, a novel in which ordinary teen Audrey Cuttler is rocketed to fame when her ex-boyfriend writes a bestselling song about her.
"When I first read the blurb of Robin Benway's book, Audrey, Wait! I thought, OK, this is just going to be another teen story with a love plot thrown in there. And I was right, in a way, but it's so much more... You will fall in love with these characters – you may hate them at some points but there's emotion there, nonetheless. It's a mark of a great author and Benway's brilliant writing skills that whether I hate the characters or love them, she has written it so that way – she has put pen to paper and made me care about her imaginations ... You will grow with these characters. They will grow on you."
Finally, a special treat from our family reviewers: Emily and Maisy sent in a wonderful review and illustration of Panda Panic by Jamie Rix and Sam Hearn. Panda Panic is a picture book about a Panda called Ping who lives with his mum and twin sister on the Wolagong Nature Reserve in China.
"A gentle tale of Ping the Panda who craves excitement and escape ... The wider message of the book is an important one – be proud of who you are and resist making stuff up to make yourself seem more interesting! ... As a book to read aloud it works well because of the opportunity to try out lots of different accents – always a winner in our household."
A delightful illustration following a terrific, thought-provoking week of reviews. Thanks for all your submissions and like each week - if any of your reviews were mentioned email in at childrens.books@theguardian.com and we'll send you a book from our cupboards.
Happy reviewing!
Want to tell the world about a book you've read? Join the site and send us your review!
