Winter Reading Challenge - Reviews from Kalila Schmidt

The Winter Reading Challenge from our last holidays produced some amazing student reviews - here's some of our faves, read on and you might just find your next obsession! Today's reviews come to us from Kalila Schmidt (Year 7).

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brönte:
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I've been meaning to read a classic for a while, and I am glad that I've finally experienced one. I think the reason I feel like this is because classic literature offers a glance into history, and what topics were relevant at that time, as well as the standards and stereotypes of people (for example, what is respected and what is not?). I enjoyed reading about Jane's adventures and various meetings with different people, as well as her thirst for knowledge and understanding. From a little, neglected orphan girl to a married grown woman, Jane has gained an understanding of the world and its many faults. Another thing I found interesting about Jane Eyre was how it was received by the public, due to its unfiltered thoughts, 'stirring-up' ideas, as well as controversy. This book did take a little longer to read, because it was written when the English language was different to how it is now - almost like learning a foreign language.

​Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
This is the second book in the A Good Girls' Guide to Murder trilogy. I really enjoyed reading this book, because even though I only started reading murder mysteries this year, they have really kept me hooked. I like how the plot always makes sense at the end, when all of the details [main character] Pip discovers finally piece together. I also like the format this author uses, because it provides interest with all the various posts, interviews and plot updates. These books always end with a twist I can never guess beforehand - because it's always simply too good to be able to know before it's revealed!

The Last Paper Crane by Kerry Drewery
I really enjoyed reading this book. I love how the author, Kerry Drewery, made use of both novel-form and poems, which made it a quicker read. However, even though it took less time to read than a regular novel, the poems did not, in any way, take away from the story - I feel like they did quite the contrary. Poems tell a story in such a beautiful way, and I think that the reason poems are so effective is because they leave enough space for every word to be considered, drawing attention to every single word and every story behind them, as opposed to reading one sentence and viewing it as only a whole (ignoring the several parts the make it up). Overall, this was a great piece of historical fiction that will remain close to my heart, because of its deep meaning.