Review of Camp Jupiter Classified: A Probatio’s Journal – Rick Riordan

A brand-new official companion guide to the Rick Riordan books, set in the incredible world of Percy Jackson and The Trials of Apollo

Mysterious incidents are wreaking havoc throughout Camp Jupiter. And if the Romans don’t find out who -or what -is behind the episodes soon, the Twelfth Legion could implode. Suspicion falls on Claudia, the Fourth Cohort’s newest probatio. To find out the truth, see through Claudia’s eyes the crime scenes, and watch as the bizarre events unfold – even when she discovers a secret that holds the key to Camp Jupiter’s safety…

Camp Jupiter Classified: A Probatio’s Journal

Rick Riordan

Supplied by Penguin Random House New Zealand

Reviewed by Maree Pavletich

“An Official Trials of Apollo companion book”, which means it takes place at the same time and in the same universe as Trials of Apollo but otherwise has nothing to do with them.

Claudia is a legacy of Mercury and a Probatio in the Fourth Cohort. She is really, really excited to be at Camp Jupiter as written in her journal, which makes up this book.

She is totally on board with all activities even though she has learnt the hard way about peeing before you put on your armour.

But all is not well at the Camp. It’s the February after Gaea’s defeat, and mysterious incidents are wreaking have throughout Camp Jupiter. The Twelfth Legion is under threat as discipline is weakening as what seem to be pranks and practical jokes and thefts keep happening.

Is the culprit Claudia, the Fourth Cohort’s newest Probatio? After all, the mischief began shortly after Claudia stumbled into camp. Plus, she’s a great-granddaughter of Mercury, the god of thieves and tricksters…

Who is responsible? It’s up to Camp Jupiter’s newest member to figure it out.

Claudia is a great character, clumsy but determined, I want to see more of her. I really enjoyed seeing through her eyes and guessing who the culprit is. Any ‘Trials of Apollo’ fan needs this journal on their shelf.

Review of Coastwatcher – David Hill

‘It’s not going to be a cushy job, young Benson. You’re on your own. Japs will be looking for you. Far as they’re concerned, you’re spies. And when a spy gets captured, remember . . .’

It’s 1943, and 19-year-old radio operator Frank Benson is shipped out to an enemy-occupied island in the Solomons with two other soldiers. Their mission is to spy on the Japanese.

In dense jungle they meet a Solomon Islander who says he has information that will shatter Japanese defences. But he could be working for the enemy killed?

No training could have prepared Frank for this decision. Their lives – and Operation Pacific – depend on his next move.

Coastwatcher

David Hill

Puffin

Supplied by Penguin Random House New Zealand

Reviewed by Jan Butterworth

Frank is part of the Allied advance army unit that lands on an island in the Pacific to defend it from the Japanese Army. A telegraph operator for the Post Office, the 19-year-old joined the NZ Army to do his bit and have some adventures.  With his expertise at Morse code he quickly becomes a radio operator.  As TB survivor he’s not supposed to be in the front lines, but Frank is grateful for the chance to be a real soldier and show everyone he’s a better man than his father.

After landing on the beach, Frank grabs a mate – Wally – to be his assistant radio operator and begins the important task of ending and receiving messages to HQ.   Then they hear HQ need volunteers to be Coastwatchers and monitor any Japanese movement.   Frank feels it’s a cushy job and isn’t interested, but he and Wally are voluntold for the role.  That night they meet the Aussie soldier – Les – assigned to guard them, before being dropped off at an enemy-occupied island in the Solomon’s to start their mission. There they meet A’atu, a Solomon Islander who has vital information about the Japanese. But can he be trusted?

I really liked Frank, though I couldn’t decide if he was brave or nuts for fighting in a war after having TB.  Really brave for refusing to be defined by an illness I concluded.  Wally’s character was a bit of a cliché – the good-natured Maori sidekick – as was Les’s – the dour Aussie stockman but the continuously surprised me with their hidden depths.

Inspired by the Coastwatchers of WWll, this is a gripping adventure I couldn’t put down.  My biggest complaint is it ended too soon.  I wanted to know more.  Hopefully there’s a sequel.

Review of The Night She Disappeared – Lisa Jewell

“Mum, there’s some people here from college, they asked me back to theirs. Just for an hour or so. Is that OK?”

Midsummer 2017: teenage mum Tallulah heads out on a date, leaving her baby son at home with her mother, Kim.

At 11pm she sends her mum a text message. At 4.30am Kim awakens to discover that Tallulah has not come home

Friends tell her that Tallulah was last seen heading to a pool party at a house in the woods nearby called Dark Place

Tallulah never returns.

2018: walking in the woods behind the boarding school where her boyfriend has just started as a head-teacher, Sophie sees a sign nailed to a fence.

A sign that says: DIG HERE . . .

The Night She Disappeared

Lisa Jewell

Century

Supplied by Penguin Random House New Zealand

Reviewed by Jan Butterworth

Tallulah and her boyfriend go on a date to the local pub, their first date alone together since their baby, Noah, was born.  Tallulah’s mum Kim watches Noah, and later that night gets a text from Tallulah that they’ve met some friends and gone back to their house to party.  Kim wakes up the next morning to find the couple not home yet and their phones are switched off.  She searches everywhere and asks at the friend’s house they went to with no luck.  Frantic with worry, Kim calls the police but no trace of them can be found…….

A year later, Sophie has moved to the village with her boyfriend, who’s the new head of a boarding school for difficult teenagers. An author of detective novels, Sophie is procrastinating on writing her next book by exploring her new surroundings.  She discovers a sign on her back garden saying ‘DIG HERE’ with an arrow pointing to the ground.  Of course she digs, and then starts asking questions about what she discovers.  After turning her findings over to the police, they discover the sign has disappeared.  Curiosity piqued, Sophie continues her investigation, while trying to put her finger on why the sign is bugging her.

Switching back and forward between years and different POV, at first one version of events is shown, before Tallulah’s POV reveals a whole different story.  It sounds confusing but it’s easy to keep events straight as each chapter is headed with the month and year.  The story is complex and very well written – it is Lisa Jewell’s Covid-19 book (written during lockdown) so at least something good has come out of the pandemic!

 I really enjoyed this book and had to keep reading to find out what happened next – lucky we were in lockdown so I didn’t need to worry about getting up the next day! I really liked the character Kim, and Tallulah was ok at first before I grew frustrated with her secret keeping and inability to make a decision.  I also liked Sophie and admired her guts and refusal to give up searching for the truth.  The ending surprised me as I didn’t see THAT coming and was expecting a different scenario.

If you like gripping mysteries, I highly recommend reading this book.  Just make sure you have nothing important to do the next day.

Review of Serpentine – Philip Pullman (illustrations by Tom Duxbury)

‘Lyra Silvertongue, you’re very welcome . . . Yes, I know your new name. Serafina Pekkala told me everything about your exploits’

Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon have left the events of His Dark Materials far behind.
In this snapshot of their forever-changed lives they return to the North to visit an old friend,
where we will learn that things are not exactly as they seem . . .

Serpentine

Philip Pullman (illustrations by Tom Duxbury)

Penguin

Supplied by Penguin Random House New Zealand

Reviewed by Stephen Litten

LPra Silvertongue and Pantalaimon are in the region of Trollesund, accompanying a dig by Jordan College. Set after The Amber Spyglass, Lyra wants to talk to someone about her newfound “talent” – being able to separate from her daemon. Lyra wonders what the Witches would make of this.

Serpentine is set not long after The Amber Spyglass, and is about 70 pages long, though half of these are illustrations. Originally written as an auction piece for the UK National Theatre in 2004, this story raises several questions about Lyra and Pantalaimon’s relationship. And introduces a glimpse of ordinary folk who have been divorced from their daemon. Which leads inexorably toward The Secret Commonwealth.

Serpentine is similar to The Strange Library. Both are about the same length and illustrated. But for me the illustrations in Serpentine feel like they’d been tacked on, even though they fit the action in the story. The story is excellent. I thank Penguin New Zealand for the review copy.

Review of Moose the Pilot – Kimberly Andrews

Moose, the dashing bush pilot from Puffin the Architect, is to the rescue! With a full plane and bad weather, too, but three youngsters need his help, and this is the job he loves…
I’m Moose! And I fly a plane
with wheels, floats and skis.
I move parcels, food and folk
high above the trees.

Pilot Moose lives up high in a treehouse and has a very important job delivering goods in his bush plane through sun, snow and rain, landing in all kinds of terrain.

But on this day, his adventures are even more exciting than usual – three fluffy youngsters need his help!

Moose the Pilot

Kimberly Andrews

Puffin

Supplied by Penguin Random House New Zealand

Reviewed by Jan Butterworth

Moose is a bush pilot who lives in a treehouse in the forest. He tells us about a very busy day that starts with him delivering mail, then straw to build a beehive, then a boat engine to some stranded fishermen, then………  At each destination he receives a unique gift that relates to the stop.  He then gets a radio call for one more job – a RESCUE mission!

The illustrations are gorgeous – the drawings are full of detail and invite you to look at and examine them.  The colours are vivid and authentic, while still being restful and calming. The text is clever rhymes that describe the scene so well.

I would recommend this book to any reader of any age – especially fans of flying machines!  It’s a great story that will delight any toddler and keep their interest.