Hidden Lies by Victor Watson (A Paradise Barn Story)

Review by The Mole

It's May 1944 and Cassie Covington fleas from her uncle's funeral to find strangers searching her house so once again she fleas in fear of her own safety. She knows little about her uncle except that he had been a spy before the start of the war and that he was her only living relative. Where would she live now? Who could she turn to for safety? Little does she know that she holds the lives of thousands of soldiers in her hands.

A fast moving story of 'Who are the bad guys? Are there actually any bad guys?' in the Enid Blyton fashion but here Watson does it in a new way for a new generation. He tells the story without patronising the reader and brings to the young reader a lot of history about the war in a semi educational style. Having said that he brought forward things about the war that I didn't know (but that's not too hard) and that Maryom didn't know (and that's much harder). He also made you think, more deeply, about what life was really like for children during the war. We have all been told in the classroom what it was like but here Watson brings it much more to life and brings day to day things that you may not have considered before into your thoughts as well.

But without all this 'educational resource' stuff he first and foremost tells an excellent story that entertains for the sake of it. With a young girl for hero but boys dotted throughout the story it will appeal to all readers of nine or older although mature readers would probably enjoy this from the age of seven. Having said that, I am a little older than either of those age groups and I learned from it and more importantly thoroughly enjoyed it.

Publisher - Catnip Publishing
Genre - Children's 9+ fiction, War

Buy Hidden Lies (Paradise Barn Quartet) from Amazon

The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan

A VERY long weekend!
Review by The Mole

Sam and Lloyd are offered a lift home in the rain by a totally convincing driver but find themselves locked in a mansion and terrified for their lives.

You must have encountered the way that when someone tells you about a book and then you read it for yourself, you wonder which of you has misunderstood the plot? Well Maryom told me about The Long Weekend because she THOROUGHLY enjoyed it and when I read it I encountered a different book. A WOW book. But different. This book starts with a very worrying scenario when the boys are offered a ride home in the rain in a 'limo'. I wonder, despite parental warnings since before they could walk, how many boys and girls would see no danger in a 'limo' and accept the ride? And that is a terrifying point for parents because the author has created a totally plausible scenario to open the story with.

But the story then develops into a fantastic thriller and action adventure that sees Sam being daring, ingenious, brave and very much the 11 year old under stress that he is. But there is another thread to the plot that is fantastically woven in - it's a story of friendship and loyalty that sees Sam risking his own freedom to try to help Lloyd.

The story does tell the story of a long weekend - one that hasn't ended even 6 years later for either of them - and a weekend that may never end for them.

A truly fantastic story that is gripping, enthralling, exciting, entertaining and many more 'ings' as well.

This tale will be loved by the 9+ readers, particularly boys but girls as well, and there is nothing in there that is inappropriate and may actually underline the threat that the most innocuous of offers may contain.

Wow, brilliant, fabulous.

Maryom's review

Publisher - Andersen Press
Genre - Children's (9+),Thriller

Other reviews: Feeling Fictional