Review by Alexandra

I did enjoy this. I liked the way the book is told through the points of view of all the characters. One page may be told by a parent, or teacher, and another page by one of the main characters who form an unlikely gang - of five pupils in total, from Carthcart school. The only member of this group not telling any of the story – her story, is the group’s leader, Trix.

Cathcart isn’t the sort of school where pupils devise intricate plans that they shouldn’t... But Trix is a convincing girl. She may have a rich and famous mother but nothing means more to her than finding ways to save the lives of starving African babies.

Trix comes up with a plan and gradually her gang come together around her. Each member has their own role, personality and tells the tale of what happens when Trix decides to kidnap… herself!

It’s a long book but it stays snappy and fast-paced. There’s plenty of action to follow, interesting twists in the plot, great characters.  Read it to find out if the girl who becomes known as Trixie Bell finds a way to make a lot of money to save African children.

A very well-written book that offers something for everyone.

Review by Alexandra

Maximum Security is Book 3 in the Cherub series by Robert Muchamore.

The mission: Normally the aim of a Cherub mission is to get the bad guys behind bars which makes this mission rather unusual...

James Adams has to befriend and bust out the son of one of the most wanted weapon smugglers in America in order to help British and American security services to locate her.

James, his sister Lauren and another Cherub Agent called Dave Moss, posing as James' brother, are sent to Arizona, where the boys will pose as child criminals  and try and befriend Curtis Oxford. If all goes to plan they hope to break out and, with the help of the newly qualified Lauren, make their escape and meet the notorious Jane Oxford.

As always, this is a gripping story which is, quite frankly, impossible to put down! It's only the third book in the series so we don't know that much about the characters yet but when you read the books you’ll still feel as if you know them and as if you're right there with them and it still makes sense even if you haven’t read any of the other CHERUB books. It starts off quite slowly and can be a bit graphic sometimes but it’s not too bad.

Review by Aileen

The Mile Long Book Shelf is a book site run by Amber who also reviews for Chicklish.

You can read our guest review of Fallen here, with thanks to another great book blog, The Crooked Shelf.

This book is set in 1876. Hetty is only a baby when she is taken to the Foundling Hospital, the institution that cares for abandoned children. She's taken there because, although her mother loves Hetty very much, she can't care for her. So Hetty lives in the nasty, dirty, smelly Foundling Hospital for a couple of years. Then she goes to a Foster Mother, with another baby from the Hospital.

Hetty watches as the other children who also live with the foster mother come and go. They come from the foundling hospital and go back when they're six years old.

Soon it's Hetty's sixth birthday and off she goes, back to the Foundling Hospital. This part is really sad.

When Hetty turns 11 there is a trip to join the celebrations of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. They're all allowed to go and play on the fairground rides by themselves, but Hetty doesn't. She runs. And runs. And runs. Foundling Hospital life is just too much. Getting beaten, not getting much food, being bullied, not being allowed outside the gates except for very rare trips, nasty brown uniform... Hetty runs away and finds a flower seller. The flower seller is called Sissy and she takes care of Hetty, until Hetty is found by an author and back she goes to the Foundling Hospital. But then something good and unexpected happens. And it's not what you would think it would be!

I give this book 3/5, because although the book was really good, when the last thing happens we only see Hetty for two more pages before the book is finished. I would have liked to see Hetty in this situation for a bit longer.

The Foundling Hospital was actually a real place. The Foundling Hospital was first set up in 1739 by Thomas Coram and among its early benefactors were George Frideric Handel, and William Hogarth. The museum is now situated adjacent to the original site of the Foundling Hospital.

Review by Amber, aged 11

Review by Summer

Life Swap follows the amazing stories of Tasha, an American party girl, and Emily, an English ‘control freak’. Tasha and Emily cannot be more different, separated by the clothes they wear, the people they are friends with and their attitude towards life. A serious break-up and becoming the ‘hot tub’ girl is all it takes for Emily and Tasha to both make a drastic change in their lives, a decision which will change the way they feel about everything and help them to discover who they really are. 

A life swap, a change of scenery, weather and people, and only one condition: that they study the other's subjects and in effect live the other's life. As the story progresses you see both points of view and see how party girl Tasha begins to struggle with the strict rigid way of life at Oxford University and how she becomes increasingly worried that the people at Oxford will learn her secret and judge her, just as the people she knew back home had done. We learn how Emily finds it hard to survive in the relaxed environment of UC Santa Barbara and is still upset about her break-up from her long-term boyfriend. They begin to adjust and find friends, flings and have a whole lot of fun, and before long the girls are emailing each other ideas on how to find everything they are looking for.

When I first started reading this novel I was sceptical about whether or not it would be the same over-told story, but before long I found that this novel was something much better than I expected - it was funny, interesting and generally a good book, the type of book which you find hard to put down whilst reading. I particularly loved seeing the difference between two very different places and found myself almost upset as the story ended. I feel that the story was more realistic than most other books with similar storylines, which resulted in me beginning to forget that this was in fact a novel and not real life. I also really liked the style of writing which the author used.

Review by Summer

Some of the books I most enjoyed reading in 2009:

Being Nikki by Meg Cabot - the sequel to Airhead. A brilliantly entertaining book that manages to be both sinister and romantic. (Review)

Girl, Aloud by Emily Gale - Kass Kennedy's dad thinks she has The X Factor in this darkly funny and poignant family drama. (Review)

Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott - My favourite Elizabeth Scott book so far, which is saying something! Passionate romance, plus another delusional dad and long-suffering daughter who should try talking to Kass in the book above (!) (Review coming soon.)

Girl Meets Cake by Susie Day - boarding-school life, love, lies and gingerbread boyfriends collide in this extremely funny and romantic story. (Review)

Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell - Nothing at camp turns out quite how the rebellious Riley expects. Tough, touching and thought-provoking. (Review)

Ipods in Accra by Sophia Acheampong - the sweet and light-hearted story of a teen girl living with two cultures in Northwest London (and Accra). (Review)

Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby - Find out what could happen if you were to turn an entire school year, plus teachers, into zombies - just for the sake of getting a date. (Review)

That's five, isn't it? :)

(See what I mean, Alexandra?)

(Also - hee, look! - I couldn't count in last year's list either.)

This concludes our series of "Top Fives" for this year, unless any of our other reviewers or readers want to contribute? You'd be welcome to!

I also highly recommend checking out the lists on the fabulous book blog I Want To Read That. So far, Sammee has listed favourite books in the following categories: Tearjerkers, Supernatural, Romance.

Review by Alexandra. 

Did you know Battledragons have three stomachs?  Do you want to know what makes them special?  If so, this book may be for you.

I love dragon stories so I was looking forward to this book, and I wasn’t disappointed. I kept thinking as I read it: what Harry Potter did for tales of wizardry, this book does for tales of dragons. It’s very accessible; anyone could enjoy it - older children, teens, adults.

So what is it about?  Without spoilers?  Well...

It’s the tale of Quenelda. She’s only 11 and yet she’s quite extraordinary; she can talk to dragons and can fly them without any problems. She’s the daughter of the most important person in the SevenSea Kingdoms after the Queen, but instead of attending Court as Earl’s daughters ought to, Quenelda wants to join the elite fighters (Stealth Dragon Forces) that protect their lands from the never-ending attacks from Hobgoblins. 

In the world around Quenelda, things are not perfect, the Hobgoblins are getting help from someone inside their own ranks - a traitor is in their midst and no one knows it! When her father is put in danger, who will save him?

It’s strange as I really did enjoy this book, and it definitely gets five out of five but at the same time I was disappointed by a couple of things. First, I didn’t realize it was set up for a sequel until practically the end.  It didn’t tie off as much as I’d like so it felt a bit unfinished. Also, the reason for the rise of the ‘bad guy’ (sorry for my phrasing but I’m trying not to give spoilers on who that is!) is kind of pushed into a couple of pages two-thirds of the way through, which felt a bit rushed in. But as I say, I think it’s a fantastic novel, and I can’t wait for the next one!

Review by Alexandra

Lucinda Hare's website

Alexandra's Recommendations for the Gift-Giving Season 2009… Books for Friends, or Yourself!

Alexandra writes:

These are all perfect stocking fillers for readers who like something a bit different:

- Saxby Smart – Private Detective Series – lots of fun and if you like the first one, then you’ve more to read!! (Review of Five Seconds To Doomsday, review of The Eye of the Serpent, review of The Hangman's Lair, review of The Pirate's Blood, review of The Poisoned Arrow)

- War of the Witches by Maite Carranza – takes you to another reality (Review)

- WAGS' World by Anonymous – another great series - if you like the first book, there’s more....!(Review of WAGs' World Playing the Game, review of WAGs' World Knowing the Score)

- Hattori Hachi – The Revenge of Praying Mantis By Jane Prowse – ninjas, danger, brilliant characters, you’ll want more...(Review)

- The Dragon Whisperer by Lucinda Hare – if you don’t know what a Battledragon is, it’s time to catch up!  Fantastic book for older children, teens, and dare I say it, adults. (Review coming soon!)

Here’s some more!!!  (Sorry, I found picking only five very hard!) (Luisa's note: I was going to make some joke about Alexandra not being able to count to five, but then I couldn't get my own list down to five either so I'm keeping quiet. Sssh!) 

These are all very unique:

- Girl, Aloud by Emily Gale – Kass doesn’t have the same problems as the average teenager, read to find out if she can overcome them... (Review)

- Hottie by Jonathan Bernstein – Very tongue-in-cheek, makes you laugh. (Review)

- Bonechiller by Graham McNamee – if you’ve thought about trying something scary, this is a good start... (Review)

Click here for a full list of giveaways. Good luck!

Tamika's Recommendations for the Gift-Giving Season 2009… Books for Friends, or Yourself!

1. Evermore by Alyson Noel (our review here) - The Immortals - "He said he'd never let her go..."

2. Kiss of Life by Daniel Waters (our review here) - the sequel to "zombie rights" and zombie romance novel Generation Dead

3. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer - the second book in the Twilight saga

4. The Pretty Committee Strike Back by Lisi Harrison (our review of The Clique here) - from The Clique series

5. The Ashleys by Melissa de la Cruz (our review here) - four girls, one clique

Joanna Nadin is best known for her hilarious Rachel Riley series, but Wonderland delivers something very different for teenage readers.

Jude dreams of escaping her small-town world. She knows she has to ace her exams, as then she can escape to drama school where she’ll pursue her dream of becoming an actress. Jude is stunned when her childhood friend Stella returns – bringing with her the excitement and danger Jude’s dull existence has been crying out for. As Jude’s life begins to spiral further out of control, she uncovers a dark secret about Stella. But will Stella save her – or destroy her?

Wonderland is very different to the Rachel Riley books, but it really showcases Nadin’s prowess as a teen writer. The novel presents an excellent depiction of dangerous teenage friendships - Stella is the girl Jude wants to be, who says what she wants, wears what she wants and does what she wants. It’s only with Stella around that Jude dares to be the person she dreams of. It’s dark and brooding, with brilliantly drawn characters and a truly unexpected twist at the end. It’s hard to say too much without giving away the plot, but it’s definitely one to savour and enjoy. This is one you’ll want to read all over again as soon as you’ve finished.

Review by Karen

Read our review here and our interview here, and find more information on Emily Gale's site.

We're also giving away a copy of this book! For a chance to win, email us with "GIRL, ALOUD" in the subject line. We'll pick a winner at random after the closing date of 21st December.

**This giveaway is now closed and the winner, J.N., has been contacted. Thanks for entering, everyone!**

Amber's Recommendations for the Gift-Giving Season 2009… Books for Friends, or Yourself!

1. Threads by Sophia Bennett (our review here) - A brilliant short read, a book that is sure to please any girl who loves fashion!

2. All American Girl by Meg Cabot (our review here) - Perfect for anyone who loves adventure, and a bit of drama.

3. Angel Cake by Cathy Cassidy (our review here) - A fantastic read, especially for people who love cake!

4. Best Friends by Jacqueline Wilson - A great book about two best friends, possibly the best book Jacqueline's ever written!

5. The Declaration by Gemma Malley (our review here) - A mysterious, adventurous, fun read. Great for anyone who loves a bit of mystery!

Review by Carly Bennett.

Before reading this version of Tales of Terror..., I’d already read and loved Chris Priestley’s earlier collection of short horror stories so was excited about jumping in with this volume. Fortunately, I wasn’t at all disappointed and this book definitely stands up well against Priestley’s previous books, perhaps even surpasses them.

Robert is on the train back to boarding school and, when the train pauses at the entry of a tunnel, a mysterious woman in white tells him stories to help pass the time. However, these aren’t the usual fairy tales we’d expect a child to be told. Instead, they are wickedly dark tales of terror that range from the obviously macabre (The Island) to the subtley terrifying (The Whispering Boy) but each is uniquely entertaining and a joy to read.

My personal favourite is A New Governess, a fantastic pastistche of James’ classic governess story, Turn of the Screw. What Priestley does with this tale, though, is take a well loved story and give it a twist (that came out before I realised what a terrible pun it is!) that manages to breathe new life into an old classic.

Honourable mention has to go to both The Little People and Gerald, for managing to seriously creep me out. Now, I love everything about the horror genre; there’s nothing I like more than a good scare and Priestley seriously delivers with this book. It’s impossible to get through this book without at least one chill dancing down your spine, especially when it comes to Gerald, which played on my mind long after I’d finished the book. I’ve always hated puppets but Priestley helped make the decision once and for all: they are truly, truly evil.

The only drawback with this book comes in the sections in between the tales, where Robert feels scared and the Woman in White apologises... but then proceeds to tell him another story that renders him even more terrified. It just all feels a little bit forced, as if Priestley was running out of ideas for linking the stories together. In my opinion they would have been just as strong if there hadn’t been a narrative linking them together.

Though saying that, the ending of the book is brilliant and not something I ever expected. It really shocked me but left me feeling satisfied and eager for Priestley’s next release, which I hope follows his trend of horror collections.

Review by Carly Bennett

Tales of Terror site

I knew from the outset that I wanted to write a scenario featuring a girl who would be strong in any other situation but her own very difficult one, because I didn't want her to be a victim - I wanted her to have a battle on her hands but to rescue herself. Kass's father has mental health issues and I wanted Kass to go on a personal journey with her difficult homelife but also to show that Kass was not responsible for, nor could she 'fix', her dad. She had to find the balance between loving her dad, and being herself. I like reading about girls and women with a bit of oomph, which perhaps goes back to the first time I read Pride and Prejudice and thought Elizabeth Bennett was the bee's knees. My hope was that Kass would be a character the reader could imagine being friends with.

 Would your teenage self ever have considered auditioning for The X Factor?
My teenage self would have tortured herself with the desire to do it but no guts to see it through, I think. That said, I did play Sandy in Grease at my sixth form college musical, aged 18, so I'm not a classic introvert either. The audition panel bore no resemblance to Simon Cowell et al and I was only up against a handful of other wannabe-singing-blondes, plus the audition took place in a Portacabin - so quite low-key in comparison!

Quickfire round: Choose one preference from each line (and justify it if you like)...

The X Factor or Britain's Got Talent?
The X Factor, times a million. I'm an avid reality tv fan but Britain's Got Talent does nothing for me. When I think of it, I picture tiny children singing inappropriately old songs or old people in leotards juggling fire. No. Thanks.

Simon Cowell or Louis Walsh?
Simon. Louis strikes me as an overgrown garden gnome. I almost always agree with Simon. I don't fancy him but...hmm, there's something there - which I suppose is natural when you spend a year working on a book that features him in dream sequences. We have a connection now, whether he likes it or not!

Cheryl Cole or Dannii Minogue?
Cheryl. I really like her - such cute dimples! And she seems feisty, though I hope she won't let that husband walk all over her. Stay tough, Cheryl! As for Dannii, well I was once stood up by a boyfriend who said he'd gone to the cinema with The Minogues. Both of them! I have no idea if it was true or not - he did have a few celeb friends, but also a vivid imagination - but obviously Dannii and I have been rivals (in my head) ever since.

Leona Lewis or Alexandra Burke?
I know Leona's talented but she always irritated me a bit. I feel bad saying that but I'm pretty sure it won't affect her record sales. I liked Alexandra better. But I don't have their albums. The only post-reality-tv album I've ever bought is Will Young's.

John or Edward?
Definitely Edward. John was holding him back the whole way through, making him sing out of tune and ruining all his dance moves. It's like Cane and Abel, only with singing instead of killing. But almost as painful.

What’s the hardest thing about writing?
The hardest thing about the process is also the aspect I love most - having a huge unwieldy story in your head and having to use thousands of individual words to get it across...a bit like having a picture in your head of your dream house, but then realising how difficult laying the foundations, doing the brickwork, the wiring and plumbing is, before you get to paint and furnish and finally step back and see if the picture in your mind is the same as the house standing in front of you. I'm not sure what the novel-writing equivalent of plumbing is but all writers like using these metaphors - often we use babies instead of houses, and once I used carrots for a bit of a change.

What are you writing next?
I'm nearing the end of the first draft of a new teen novel. My character is another strong girl but her circumstances are very different - she's been working hard for ages to save up enough money to leave home (a place she doesn't feel welcome) but then a chain of events that occur while she's dating a soon-to-be reality tv star make her feel suddenly vulnerable and home takes on whole new meaning.

Thank you very much, Emily Gale!

Check out Emily's website, and watch out for our Girl, Aloud giveaway, coming soon!