Book Review – June
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The Letter with the Golden Stamp by Onjali Q. Rauf
Deep in the heart of Swansea, Wales, lives a small girl with some big secrets to keep. Secrets that make her one of the best actresses on the planet – because no-one would ever think that, away from school, Audrey is the sole carer for her increasingly sick mam and her two younger siblings … or a seasoned thief.
With her worlds threatened by the arrival of a mysterious, invisible neighbour, behind whose closed curtains and shut front door may lie a spy, Audrey must take matters into her own hands to save her family.
This is a beautifully touching story of friendship, kindness and fear. Audrey’s friendships are not just with her school best friends Kavi and Inara, but also with the adults in her life – Mo the postman, Mrs Davies at the shop, Mrs Lumley on her street and her teachers. The story showcases the secret fear Audrey has of ‘them’ – the people she worries will take her away from her mum, who she is convinced is watching her family from the house across the road. A thought provoking read which will grip any reader and is a must read!
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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Ambition will fuel him. Competition will drive him. But power has its price.
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined — every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favour or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute… and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
This prequel to The Hunger Games is a powerhouse of a novel taking you back to the world of Panem but this time showing us a little bit more of what made the villainous President Snow who he is. An interesting concept to delve into his history and what a story it is. I was hooked from the first page and needed to devour the book at a frantic pace. What makes this book so different is that you already know the world and this gives you more detail and backstory to something that is already so familiar. Great writing and the best characters (even if they do become monsters) make this book a super read and one I highly recommend! May the odds be ever in your favour!