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The Outcast

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Sadie Jones

June 16, 2008
This isn't the sort of book I would normally choose to read but something drew me to it and all the great reviews I had seen encouraged me to buy it.
The author certainly did well with her characterisation, I felt so sorry for poor, mixed up Lewis, and his father was so cold and distant; also Alice was well portrayed, fairly well meaning but perhaps a little lazy or selfish to follow it through when the going got tough, which it frequently did.
This is a very sad book about a once happy carefree little boy whose life takes a downward spiral after a family tragedy, and he never recovers from it, largely due to the lack of support and comfort, and how it drives him to certain disturbing actions.
I have to be honest and ... Read More:

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The Forgotten Garden

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Kate Morton

May 29, 2008
I bought this book after reading and thoroughly enjoying 'The house at Riverton' and once again was totally enthralled. Kate Morton seems to have an extraordinary talent for weaving stories together through time to form a whole, pulling the reader in and keeping the final revelation well hidden until the final moment. It has been a while since I read a book that I felt utterly engrossed in, unable to put it down and walk away from the story. Even though I have now finished this book, the characters will stay with me for a while yet. Highly recommended.

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No Time For Goodbye

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Linwood Barclay

June 12, 2008
I'm with the reviews that say this book was very promising, but doesn't live up to its potential. The first half of the book was excellent - the action starts immediately, sucking the reader in; as the drama unfolds the plot seems to thicken, with some moments that were truly chilling to the bone. There was never a moment where I felt bored as the story moves with breakneck speed, and I managed to finish in one sitting.

The second half of the book was, however, a letdown. The story, while it cleverly ties up all the loose ends together, starts to border on the ridiculous in its incredulity and some of the characters seem to have been created for the sole purpose of slotting into the jigsaw very conveniently. Indeed, the story may ... Read More:

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Devil May Care (James Bond)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Sebastian Faulks

May 28, 2008
D.M.C is a great read,but Amis's Colonel Sun is better.Nice effort though, even with the very predictable scheme cooked up by the main villian.It's just a shame he's not writing a second outing.

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The Book Thief

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Markus Zusak

January 01, 2008
My mum gave me this book to read, which is usual a bad sign, but I have throughly enjoyed it. Death is the narrator, which should be depressing, but in a weird way it's uplifting.
It's a wonderful story about an horrific time and I'm surprised by how much I loved it!

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East of the Sun

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Julia Gregson

June 12, 2008
Julia Gregson has written an intriguing novel that grips one to the very end. The characters, including peripheral ones, are vividly drawn and the plot lines are as lively and dramatic as they are diverse. One really cares what happens to the heroines, indeed, it becomes quite worrying at times. The colourful detail draws quite stunning pictures for the reader.

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A Thousand Splendid Suns

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Khaled Hosseini

May 22, 2007
having read Kite Runner I wasnt expecting, but was hoping for another brilliantly thought provoking emotional book- and thats what I got. Simply fantastic. I cried, I smiled, it made me think. You have to read this.

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A Quiet Belief in Angels

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: R.J. Ellory

January 02, 2008
GREAT BOOK. Don't take any notice of the negative reviews. Its a very unusual "crime" novel and beatifully written. Needs time to read properly but it does grip from the beginning and the macabre content is sufficiently offbeat to make it a real page turner. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who simply likes a good story.
Christine Smythe

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The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Rebecca Miller

June 12, 2008
I started The Private Lives of Pippa Lee late one evening, expecting something fluffy and satisfying. Three hours later, in the small hours of the morning, I was smiling and crying and laughing and cringing . . . and totally satisfied. What an entrancing little book - sharp and sweet and wise. It reminded me that all of us women - friends, mothers, grandmothers, the woman next to you at the bus stop - have intense, imaginative, sensuous and private lives. A brilliant beach book, Mother's Day book, book to share with friends . . . and of course, I can't wait to see the movie . . .

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The Kite Runner

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Khaled Hosseini

June 07, 2004
I picked this book up, read a couple of pages and couldnt put it down. A truly moving story of the different lives of two boys. What a fantastic author Khaled Hosseini is, he brings the story alive. I didnt want the book to end.The 2nd best book I have ever read. Caz