Can you imagine being stranded with your friends - and no adults - in a dangerous post-apocalyptic world? Site member peace_love_books took issue this week with the stereotyped characters of Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne.
"A chemical spill which affects each blood type differently ... places the novel above many other typical 'end of the world' thrillers, yet I was unimpressed by the typical stereotypes given to the characters. Dean, the narrator, is bookish and likeable, yet with no real traits of heroism or flaws to give him more depth – in short, a relatable but not especially memorable character.
This being a young adult novel, I was prepared for some romance to seep into the plot line, but after a while, the teenage angst got boring and I wanted the characters to either dissolve into chaos like Lord of the Flies, or at least stop whining. Frankly, I was rather shocked at the shallowly created main girl characters. Surely even teenage literature has now evolved past the three typical female roles of The Mum, The Beautiful Athlete and The Bad Girl ... Although I feel that Monument 14 was by no means perfect, the fresh take on the post-apocalyptic storyline was interesting and enjoyable even if some characters were annoying!"
On a similar theme of childhood heroism, The House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini follows three siblings – The Walker children – as they embark on a solitary battle to defeat a dark book of untold power! The Book Addicted Girl sent in a brilliant review of the novel.
"House of Secrets was an action packed book full of suspense, dark magic, witty siblings and, you guessed it, a house full of secrets. I was pulled right into the story and literally raced through the story, totally hooked and desperate to know what would happen next, how the plot would end (well but with a nice twisty cliffhanger that's left me desperate for more). I really enjoyed it and I've been left desperate for it to be made into a movie!"
In a more realistic setting - but with similar elements of child-adult dependence - RomyH wrote a fantastic review of Lemonade Sky by Jean Ure. In this book, siblings Ruby, Tizz and Sammy are forced to live alone when their mum leaves home.
"The thing I love about this book is that a lot of real life facts are woven into a children's book. At many points in the story, I asked myself: "What would I do if I was in this situation?" and I was left speechless. My personal favourite character has to be Tizz, because her personality is very believable. I can think of a lot of people who she reminds me of. Perhaps everyone would take advantage of the situation if they were left alone at home."
Continuing this notion of isolation, TimeRider12 wrote a superb review of Sea of Whispers by Tim Bowler. This novel is about an Island girl called Hetty who strikes up a bond with a woman who gets washed ashore. This friendship becomes difficult when other Islanders label the woman a bad omen.
"I would strongly recommend this book as I think it is a very touching story about rediscovering where your future lies and breaking away from the norm ... I wasn't really sure about it at first to be honest. I was struggling to connect with the characters and after I'd read about two thirds of the book and hadn't really got in to it, I was considering giving up on a book for the first time ever. However I persevered and soon after I came to a chapter that had me gripped and from there on I couldn't put it down."
Meanwhile in the historical context of Ancient Rome, a delightful review of The Thieves of Ostia by Caroline Lawrence was sent in by site member BUKI. This novel is set in Roman times and follows four kids as they try to solve the mystery of who is beheading Ostia's watchdogs.
"Lawrence writes colourfully and vividly about Ancient Rome as if it were the present day. The characters' exploits unfold in different parts of the series so the reader is left in suspense and of course wants to grab hold of the next volume ... If you like Adventure Stories (like the Famous Five) then I would really recommend these. Also if you are interested in Ancient Rome, then these books are perfect."
Finally, site member sagey sent in a wonderful review of the funny novel Lottie Biggs Is (Not) Mad by Hayley Long. In this book Lottie recalls her early teenage years as part of her GCSE English coursework.
"I found this book hilarious, it made me laugh at nearly every turn of the page... What I liked most about it was she had to make the right choice at times too. The characters in the book also seem like they have a strong bond and can never be parted that makes it more life-like and realistic."
A lovely, entertaining way to end a tremendous week of reviews! Thanks for all your submissions and like every week - if any of your reviews were mentioned email in at childrens.books@theguardian.com and we'll send you something nice from our cupboards.
Happy reviewing!
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