We're time travelling with Timelords this week with a fantastic review by site member Milo of Doctor Who: Fear of the Dark by Trevor Baxendale. In this 80s incarnation of the Doctor, an archaeology expedition to a moon of planet Akoshemon reveals "something ancient and utterly evil".
"Those of you who think that Moffat is the king of Doctor Who horror, think again. Trevor Baxendale may have outdone even the Grand Moff himself in chills and thrills … Baxendale seems to take great pleasure in pushing this most human of all Doctors to the very brink of despair and sometimes beyond … Fear of the Dark is one of the scariest books I've read. It's not quite Dark Matter level Oh-God-Oh-God-The-Monsters-Are-Coming-To-Get-Me but it is quite chilling at times. It is my new favourite Dr. Who book and it well deserves it. A brilliant piece of writing even when viewed with non-whovian eyes."
Roll up, roll up: our next pick is a "tightrope of tension" as Bookie Cookie wrote a brilliant review of the circus-themed novel, The Girl Who Walked On Air by Emma Carroll. Louie is a girl who was left at the circus as a baby and dreams of performing as a showstopper.
"This book is different to others that I have read recently and I couldn't put it down … It is told in the first person by Louie and her voice is so well written that it feels like she is talking to you rather than you are reading pages in a book! … The author paints a very clear picture of all the characters and weaves a very complex story with lots of twists … I would recommend you rush out and buy it before the summer holidays end so that you have time to lose yourself in this brilliant story and feel like you can walk on air!"
If you're looking for adventure this week, take a peek (if you dare) at Readr's superb review of The Maze Runner by James Dashner. In this dystopian YA novel, a group of teenagers who have had their memories wiped are trapped in a gigantic maze.
"The story is very action-packed and reading the book feels very much like watching a movie. I think The Maze Runner definitely is a good book and is … action-packed and thrilling. However, in comparison to The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner doesn't feel as realistic and serious, thus isn't as engaging and shocking."
Now to something extra-spooky for our older readers; Sylvanians wrote a scarily good review of Shiverton Hall: The Creeper by Emerald Fennell. When a famous painting rumoured to be cursed turns up at Authur Bannister's boarding school, he must do all he can to uncover the mystery.
"Shiverton Hall: The Creeper is my all-time favourite book! It is even better than the first Shiverton Hall. It is a really scary, gripping book and a real cliff hanger.. i just could not put it down! … Twists and turns makes this book a real page turner. Join Arthur on a scary, unpredictable adventure. It is a must read and a definite 10 out of 10."
A shift in tone now, to themes of friendship and romance, as oreosandlemons wrote a wonderful review of Lobsters by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison. In this adorable story, Stella and Sam fall for one another but their relationship causes friendship trouble.
"I loved the fact that everything that happened in the book was so frank and real compared to other YA books … Also the fact that Sam didn't get the results he wanted but he was eventually okay with it, really put into perspective how it wasn't going to be the end of the world if I don't get the results I want in my GCSE's in under a month - surprisingly it helped me a lot with being okay with it and was kind of a stress buster! … The beautifully frank writing styles of Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison made Lobsters an amusing and relatable read which I would recommend for anyone aged 15+ as a cute summer contemporary read."
Finally, this week's roundup concludes with a delightful review by Loubidoo of Scarlet Ibis by Gill Lewis. Scarlet is used to looking after her little brother Red, so when they are sent to different foster homes, Scarlet will do whatever it takes to get him back.
"I enjoyed this book thoroughly and I cannot wait to read it again. It was written by Gill Lewis and doesn't have any illustrations … This story is very emotional and leaves you hanging on an edge. It is a long book so it will take a while to read. I would recommend this book for 9 -11 year olds."
A big thank you to our site members for sending in such amazing reviews this summer! If you're review has been picked for our roundup, be sure to send a note to the Book Elves and we will send you a book in the post!
Happy reading!
• Buy these books at the Guardian Bookshop
Want to tell the world about a book you've read? Join the site and send us your review!
