What do you think? Book reviews from students!

Posted on 11 July 2023

Take a look at some brilliant book reviews, written by students at JESS Dubai School. You can find more of recommendations from thir students on their Instagram page: @jesssecondarylibrary

The House of Shells by Efua Traore

“The House of Shells is a fantasy novel written by Efua Traoré. It’s an exciting book where a girl discovers new places, finds new friends and so much more. It makes you think about who to trust, the right decision, and what real friends are. This book is suitable for people who like fantasy & discovering new things. The characters are hardworking, kind and mysterious.

If you liked The House of Shells then you will love books like Birdsong by Katya Balen, Children of the Quicksands by Efua Traoré and This Is How you Fall in Love by Anika Hussain. Overall, the plot, the pacing and the characters were lovable, thought through and cinematic.”

– By Fleur

The Midnight Game by Cynthia Murphy

“The Midnight Game is a horror novel written by Cynthia Murphy. At first glance, I didn’t think much of the book, as I was never really a horror novel enthusiast. However, after finishing the book in just 2 days, the book has opened up my eyes to the type of entertainment that these types of books can really provide me with. I honestly believe that this book was one of the best reads in my entire life. And trust me, I’ve read a lot of books.

The story follows a group of strangers that met on a mysterious website name “Deddit” where they decided to entertain themselves by playing a dangerous game called “The Midnight Game.” Their goal was to summon the Midnight Man at precisely 0:00, and then survive until 3:33 AM. Little did they know that while they were roaming around their chosen location, a malevolent entity was watching their every move, watching for any rulebreakers to feed off of and watching for any opportunities. And it got both.

The pacing of the story is fantastic, with just the right balance of suspense and action. The characters are well-developed and their relationships with each other are believable. The horror elements are expertly executed, creating a chilling atmosphere that will keep you on edge throughout the entire book.

I highly recommend The Midnight Game to all horror fans that enjoy a good scare. However, I also recommend this book to non-horror readers such as myself, as it has really opened my eyes to a whole new genre that I can explore.”

– By Daniel

The Half life of Love by Brianna Bourne

“The Half-Life of Love written by Brianna Bourne is a great book to read if you like romance/ science fiction books that can make you cry your heart out. It follows the story of something called the half-life where at a certain age you find out how long you have left to live.

Flint, a mysterious grumpy teenager only has 41 days left when he meets full of life and bubbly September. They get along straight away, however, find that both are keeping secrets.

I don’t normally like romance, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book as it was heart-warming, and taught me to soak up every moment of my incredible life with loved ones, friends and family. I would recommend reading this if you are 13+.”

– By Alexia

Children of the Quicksands by Efua Traore

“The fictional book Children of the Quicksands by Efua Traoré was AMAZING. I loved every second of reading it and was almost sad when the book finished. The book was well planned out and has such a good plot twist I had no idea what was coming next. In my opinion, I think the age that would love to read this book is around the ages of 12 to 14 seeing that it isn’t that mature. If you are into adventure and action then you would absolutely love to have the pleasure of reading this.

– By Vesper

The Fever Code by James Dashner

“I was glued to every page of this amazing book, an absolute must-read! This great tale had me on the edge of my seat! The book gripped me until the last page and it had me reading it multiple times. While the beginning of the book felt a bit vague, as the plot unfolded, it all became clear in a way that left me feeling satisfied and awestruck. In general, I loved this book, and I would recommend it to lots of people.”

– By Tayo